The Effect of Probiotics, Antibiotics, and Antipyretic Analgesics on Gut Microbiota Modification

Human gut microbial community is playing a critical role in human health and associated with different human disease. In parallel, probiotics, antibiotics, and antipyretic analgesics (AAs) were developed to improve human health or cure human diseases. We therefore examined how probiotics, antibiotics, and AAs influence to the gut microbiota. Three independent case/control studies were designed from the cross-sectional cohort data of 1,463 healthy Koreans. The composition of the gut microbiota in each case and control group was determined via 16S ribosomal RNA Illumina next-generation sequencing. The correlation between microbial taxa and the consumption of each drug was tested using zero-inflated Gaussian mixture models, with covariate adjustment of age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Probiotics, antibiotics, and AAs consumption yielded the significant differences in the gut microbiota, represented the lower abundance of Megasphaera in probiotics, the higher abundance of Fusobacteria in antibiotics, and the higher abundance of Butyrivibrio and Verrucomicrobia in AAs, compared to each control group. The reduction of Erysipelotrichaceae family was common in three drugs consumption.

Social Behavioral Problems and the Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of specific behavioral problems on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents with epilepsy. METHODS: Children and adolescents with epilepsy (n=92; age range=6–17 years) and their mothers completed questionnaires about behavioral problems, HRQOL, socio-demographics, and epilepsy-related variables. To determine significant predictor variables of the HRQOL, the stepwise regression analyses and partial correlations were performed to adjust for other behavioral problems and covariates. RESULTS: The analyses revealed that an increase in social behavioral problems and delinquent behavior was associated with a decrease in the HRQOL. Lower levels of maternal education and the number of antiepileptic drugs were also associated with a decline in the HRQOL; the HRQOL and social behavioral problems remained significantly correlated after adjusting for maternal education level, number of antiepileptic drugs, and non-social behavioral problems. CONCLUSION: Parents and practitioners should provide intervention if behavioral problems, particularly social behavioral problems, are observed in children or adolescents with epilepsy.

Erratum: Cortico-Cortical Modulation Induced by 1-Hz rTMS of the Temporal Cortex

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Cortico-Cortical Modulation Induced by 1-Hz Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Temporal Cortex

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has potential as a noninvasive neuromodulation treatment method for various neuropsychiatric disorders, and repeated sessions of rTMS are more likely to enhance the therapeutic efficacy. This study investigated neurophysiologic and spatiodynamic changes induced by repeated 1-Hz rTMS of the temporal cortex using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) indices and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). METHODS: Twenty-seven healthy subjects underwent daily 1-Hz active or sham rTMS of the right temporal cortex for 5 consecutive days. TMS indices of motor cortical excitability were measured in both hemispheres daily before and after each rTMS session, and 2 weeks after the last stimulation. FDG-PET was performed at baseline and after the 5 days of rTMS sessions. RESULTS: All subjects tolerated all of the sessions well, with only three of them (11.1%) reporting mild transient side effects (i.e., headache, tinnitus, or local irritation). One-Hz rTMS decreased motor evoked potential amplitudes and delayed cortical silent periods in the stimulated hemisphere. Statistical parametric mapping of FDG-PET data revealed a focal reduction of glucose metabolism in the stimulated temporal area and an increase in the bilateral precentral, ipsilateral superior and middle frontal, prefrontal and cingulate gyri. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated rTMS sessions for 5 consecutive days were tolerated in all subjects, with only occasional minor side effects. Focal 1-Hz rTMS of the temporal cortex induces cortico-cortical modulation with widespread functional changes in brain neural networks via long-range neural connections.

Comparative Analysis of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A, C, D Expression in Colorectal Cancer with Liver Metastasis

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the correlations between expressions of angiogenic cytokines VEGF-A, C, D of primary colorectal cancer and liver metastasis. METHODS: We examined paraffin-embedded primary colorectal cancer tissue from 45 patients who had liver resection due to colorectal liver metastasis (metastasis group) and 37 patients who had surgical resection due to colorectal cancer only (control group). In the control group, local recurrence and distant metastasis had not occurred. Immunohistochemical staining for VEGF-A, C and D was performed. We analysed the correlations between expression of VEGF-A, C and D in primary colorectal cancer tissues and clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS: VEGF-A expressions of primary colorectal carcinoma were not different between the two groups. VEGF-C was more frequently expressed in the metastasis group (P=0.008) but VEGF-D was more expressed in the control group (P=0.003). Patients with VEGF-C negative and VEGF-D positive expression were predominant in the control group (P=0.020). Tumor location, T stage, lymph node metastasis and tumor differentiation were not related with the expressions of VEGF-A, C, D but only preoperative CEA was positively correlated with VEGF-A and C expression. CONCLUSION: Expressions of VEGF-C in primary tumor were more frequent in metastatic colorectal cancer and expressions of VEGF-D were more frequent in nonmetastatic colorectal cancer. More large-scale prospective studies for VEGF-C and D expression in colorectal cancer are necessary.

Clinical Analysis on Emergency Postpartum Hysterectomy / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To analyze incidence, indications, risk factors, complications, and neonatal outcomes of emergency postpartum hysterectomies performed at EulJi University Medical Center. METHODS: A retrospective study of all cases of postpartum hysterectomies between May. 1996 and Dec. 2000. was carried out. RESULTS: 37 cases of postpartum hysterectomies during this period were performed, for overall incidnce of 2.3 per 1000 deliveries. Incidence after vaginal delivery and cesarean section was 0.03% and 0.52% respectively. The rate of postpartum hysterectomy increased with increasing age and parity. The main indications were placental disorders(54.1%) including placenta previa and adherent placenta, uterine atony(37.8%), uterine myoma(5.4%) and uterine rupture(2.7%) in order. The relative risk of postpartum hysterectomy according to the risk factors was 97.6(95% confidence interval 52.17-184.06) for placental disorders, 16.3(95% confidence interval 4.94-52.31) for cesarean section and 2.4(95% confidence interval 1.21-4.76) for previous cesarean section. The mean amount of transfuion was 17.1 pints. Although no maternal mortality had occurred, 16 patients(43.2%) had complica-ions including respiratory complication(13.5%), hemorrhagic complication(10.8%), infection(8.1%) and urologic injury(8.1%). Regarding fetal outcome, 2 of 38 infants(1 case, twin) were stillborn (5.3%) and 10 infants(26.3%) were suffered from various illness including prematurity, sepsis, meningitis, and brain hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: The data identifies placental disorders are the leading cause of postpartum hysterectomy. Although postpartum hysterectomy is a necessary life-saving operation, maternal morbidity remained high.

Radiologic Reports: Attitudes, Preferred Type, and Opinion of Referring Physicians

PURPOSE: To determine referring physicians 'general attitudes, preferred reporting types, and opinions on radiologic reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey questionnaire was distributed to the 315 staff and residents of four university hospitals with 400 to 800 beds, and a total of 228 physicians responded. The questionnaire aimed to determine of the general attitude of referring physicians to radiologic reports, the type of report they preferred, and other opinions and suggestions. The responses elicited, as well as discrepancies among residents, staff, internist, and surgeons, were analyzed. RESULTS: Most referring physicians replied that they read an entire report regardless of its length, and the second majority read the conclusion first and then the remainder of the report only if clarification was required. With regard to report length, physicians answered that reports describing the findings of conventional radiography were often too short, while those dealing with MRI were verbose. The majority experienced occasional confusion when reading a report, the major cause being grammatical errors and incomprehensible sentence structure. When confused, most physicians consulted the radiologist; staff showed a greater inclination than residents to pursue this option. Most physicians preferred brief phrases or telegraphic-style sentences to a style which stressed completeness and detail, a preference which was statistically higher among residents than staff. Whereas physicians favored a brief radiologic report in cases of normal radiologic findings, conventional radiologic studies or no clinical findings, they wished to see a more detailed report in cases of abnormal radiologic findings, specific radiologic studies (special radiographs, US, CT, or MRI), or positive clinical findings. This need for more detail was expressed more frequently by internists than by surgeons. CONCLUSION: If implemented, the results of this study can be expected to enhance the quality and comprehensibility of radiologic reports, and may also lead to more efficient communication between radiologists and physicians.

Clinical Analysis of Midtrimester Amniocentesis / 대한주산의학회잡지

No abstract available.

Membranous obstruction of the inferior vena cava and invasion of the inferior vena cava by tumour in hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 28 yr old Zulu presented with a painful swelling in the right hypochondrium and severe swelling of the legs of short duration. The serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration was over 2 X 10(5) ng/ml and imaging showed a large hepatic mass-lesion. Radionuclide venography revealed no flow through the inferior vena cava but flow through a large collateral vessel. Contrast venography showed the upper portion of the inferior vena cava to be occluded: large collateral vessels arose from the lower vena cava and the iliac veins. The histological features were those of longstanding hepatic venous outflow obstruction with irregular centrizonal and portal fibrosis: severe acute centrizonal congestion was not seen. This combination of findings indicates the presence of both membranous obstruction of the inferior vena cava, a rare developmental abnormality which predisposes to hepatocellular carcinoma formation, and invasion by the tumour of the inferior vena cava via the hepatic veins, an uncommon complication of hepatocellular carcinoma.