Clinical Results Over Time for Unilateral versus Bilateral Simultaneous Short Scarf Osteotomy / 대한족부족관절학회지

PURPOSE@#This study compared the radiographic and clinical outcomes of simultaneous bilateral short scarf osteotomy with those of unilateral short scarf osteotomy in hallux valgus patients.@*MATERIALS AND METHODS@#The authors undertook a retrospective chart and radiographic review between January 2015 and June 2017 to identify 15 patients (30 cases, group A) who underwent a simultaneous bilateral short scarf osteotomy. The patients were matched with 30 patients (30 cases, group B) with a unilateral short scarf osteotomy. No significant preoperative differences were observed between the two groups in terms of age, gender, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hallux score, and radiographic parameters. The clinical and radiographic follow-up was carried out at three months and one year.@*RESULTS@#Hallux valgus angles in groups A and B were reduced from the mean preoperative values of 32.5° and 34.7° to 12.5° and 12.2° at 12 months, respectively. The first-second intermetatarsal angles in groups A and B were also reduced from the mean preoperative values of 14.2° and 16.5° to 7.4° and 7.3° at 12 months, respectively. No significant inter-group differences in radiographic outcomes were observed. After three months, the patients in group A reported significantly worse mean pain and functional scores than group B. The mean AOFAS hallux score was higher in group B at the three-month follow-up, but this difference disappeared at the one-year follow-up.@*CONCLUSION@#Simultaneous bilateral surgery can be offered to patients with a hallux valgus deformity requiring correction. On the other hand, they should be informed of the long recovery period.

Macro-aspartate Aminotransferase in a Patient with Chronic Hepatitis C / 대한소화기학회지

Macroenzymes are normal enzymes complexed with an immunoglobulin (usually IgG, rarely IgA or IgM). A number of macroenzymes have been reported in the literature. Among them, macro-AST has been detected in diseases such as acute and chronic hepatitis, various malignancies and autoimmune diseases, but usually not associated with any specific disease. We report a case of elevated AST activity in serum due to marco-AST formation in a female with chronic hepatitis C which was confirmed by AST isoenzyme electrophoresis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of macro-AST occurred in chronic hepatitis patient in Korea.

The Effect of low-dose Aspirin and Clomiphene Citrate on the Expression of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules (NCAM) in the Human Endometrium / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: The treatment with low-dose aspirin in the patients with unexplained infertility has been reported to improve the pregnancy rate and implantation rate via increasing the blood flow in the endometrium. But there are little known about the relationships between low-dose aspirin and cell adhesion molecules, NCAM. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of low-dose aspirin and clomiphene citrate treatment on the expression of NCAM in the endometrium. METHODS: The patients with unexplained infertility (N=37) were grouped into 3 groups: clomiphene citrate and low-dose aspirin treated group (N=8), clomiphene citrate treated group (N=10), and natural cycle group (N=10, no treatment). As control group, the proliferative and menopausal endometrium was used. Each endometium was obtained by endometrial biopsy performed in late luteal phase and immunohistochemical staining with NCAM was performed. RESULTS: In the stromal cells, the staining intensity of NCAM expression and the number of vessels were significantly increased in the endomterium treated with clomiphene citrate and low-dose aspirin compared with other groups (p<0.05). And the expression of NCAM in the prolifertive and menopausal endometrium showed very weak staining. CONCLUSION: The expression of NCAM in the stromal cells and the number of vessels were increased in the endometrium of unexplained infertility patients treated with clomiphene citrate and low-dose aspirin. These findings may suggest low-dose aspirin has an important role during the secretory phase of endometrium to improve the implantation via increasing the expression of cell adhesion molecules, especially NCAM and increasing the number of vessels.

IL-11, IFN-gamma and ECP levels in nasopharyngeal secretions from non-asthmatic wheezing children with respiratory syncytial virus or influenza A virus infections / 천식및알레르기

BACKGROUND: Infection with respiratory virus has been shown to exacerbate asthma in humans. However, the role of a respiratory virus in the pathogenesis of chronic asthma and/or wheezing in young children has not been clearly defined. The objective of this study was to determine whether respiratory virus infections such as RSV, and influenza A virus are related to the productions of IL-11, IFN-gamma, and ECP levels in nasopharyngeal secretions. METHOD: We compared IL-11, IFN-gamma, and ECP levels in nasopharyngeal secretions from 38 non-asthmatic wheezing children with viral infections (RSV in 21 children, influenza A virus in 17 children), and 16 non-asthmatic healthy children who were included as the controls. IL-11, and IFN-gamma levels were analysed by ELISA. ECP concentrations were measured by monoclonal antibody-based fluorometric assay. RESULT: RSV infection in children induced a greater release of IL-11 in nasopharyngeal secretions than in influenza A virus infection, and in the controls. The release of IFN-gamma levels in nasopharyngeal secretions from children with influenza A virus infection was significantly higher than in nasopharyngeal secretions from children with RSV. ECP levels of subjects with viral infection were significantly higher than in control children. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that RSV is a potent inducer of IL-11 elaboration in nasal epithelium and that IL-11 is an important mediator in the pathogenesis of RSV infection. Increased IFN-gamma production in response to the influenza A virus infection may be related to effective Th1 responses.

IL-5 and IFN-gamma Levels in Nasopharyngeal Secretions from Non-Asthmatic Wheezing Children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Influenza A Virus Infection and Asthmatic Children / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

BACKGROUND: Infection with respiratory virus has been shown to exacerbate asthma. However, the role of a respiratory virus in the pathogenesis of chronic asthma and/or wheezing in young children has not been clearly defined. And it also has been debated whether virus-induced wheezing in young children is an entity different from allergic asthma, or just a different expression of the same disease. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the importance of eosinophilic inflammation, comparing IL-5 and IFN-gamma levels in nasopharyngeal secretions in wheezing children with or without viral infection and the controls. METHODS: We compared IL-5 and IFN-gamma levels in nasopharyngeal secretions from 38 non-asthmatic wheezing children with viral infections (RSV in 21 children, influenza A virus in 17 children), 12 asthmatic children without viral infections and 16 children as the controls. RESULTS: The present study reported that RSV infection in children induced more releasing of IL-5 in nasopharyngeal secretions than the influenza A virus infected ones and the controls. On the other hand, the releasing of IFN-gamma levels in nasopharyngeal secretions from children with influenza A virus infection was significantly higher than those of the children with RSV infection or asthmatic children. CONCLUSION: RSV infection in children may play a role in the immune response toward a Th2 phenotype as increasing IL-5 secretion in nasopharyngeal secretion. Increased IFN-gamma production in response to the influenza A virus infection may be related to the effective Th1 responses.