Single Nucleotide Polymorphism of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Gene with Sudden Deafness in Korean Population / 항공우주의학회지

BACKGROUND: Infections and vascular disorders are the two most widely accepted probable causes of sudden hearing loss. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is major pro-inflammatory cytokine that is thought to be important in the pathogenesis of sudden deafness. However, the functions of genetic polymorphism in this cytokine have not been throughly examined in the context of sudden deafness pathology. In an effort to discover polymorphism in genes whose variants have been implicated in sudden deafness phenotypes, we examined the genetic effects of TNF-alpha polymorphisms in Koreans with sudden deafness. METHODS: Two common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TNF-alpha gene were genotyped in a Korean sudden deafness. Ninety nine patients with sudden deafness (45 males and 54 females) were selected from Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. The control subjects consisted of healthy 285 males and 319 females. RESULTS: Human genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood sample. The SNP at position -863 C/A and -857 C/T of TNF-alpha promoter were analyzed by PCR and pyrosequencing. Genotype distribution and allele frquencies in subjects were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p>0.05). No significant association was found between TNF-alpha -863 C/A and -857 C/T polymorphism and sudden deafness. We examined whether the relation between TNF-alpha polymorphism and sudden deafness varied according to tinnitus. Statistical analysis of TNF-alpha polymorphism at -857 C/T showed that there was a significant difference between SD without tinnitus and the control in both genotype distribution (p<0.05) and allele frequency [OR (95% CI)=2.63 (1.29-5.34)], but not between SD with tinnitus. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest TNF-alpha polymorphisms at -863C/A, -857 C/T are likely to play a role in SD.

Acute Ammonium Dichromate Poisoning: A Case Report

Soluble compounds of chromium are widely used in industrial processes, including printing, photography, pyrotechnics, dyeing, electroplating, aircraft, shipbuilding, and leather tanning. Exposure in industry is generally via the inhalation of dusts and fumes. Ingestion of chromium (chromate or dichromate salt) has occurred accidentally in suicide attempts and during drug experimentation and may causes ulceration of the bowel, diarrhea, hemorrhagic diathesis, acute renal failure, and hepatic damage. Ingestion of hexavalent chromium com-pounds is considered to be one hundred times more toxic than the trivalent compounds. Chromium poisoning in children is an uncommon, potentially lethal form of poisoning which could possibly increase in incidence because of the resumed greater domestic distribution of dichromate in Korea. We report a case of ammonium dichromate inges-tion by a child that resulted in a healthy discharge.

Primary Segmental Omental Infarction: A case report

Primary segmental omental infarction in adults is very rare and occasionally occurs due to impaired perfusion to the greater omentum. Most authors believe that the condition results from an embryologic variant associated with anomalous and fragile blood supply of the right lower portion of the greater omentum, which is consequently susceptible to infarction. Since there are no characteristic clinical findings, the clinical presentation often mimics acute appendicitis or cholecystitis. However, in the proper clinical setting, the correct diagnosis can be established by the radiologist; therefore, unnecessary surgery can be avoided in many cases. Cross-sectional imaging by ultrasound or computed tomography will demonstrate characteristic findings in a location corresponding to the patient's point of maximal tenderness. These findings consist of an ovoid or cake-like mass in the omental fat with surrounding inflammatory changes. We report a case of primary segmental omental infarction in an adults who was treated conservatively after the diagnosis was established with clinical findings.