Prediction of the Cause of Glaucoma Disease Identified by Glaucoma Optical Coherence Tomography Test in Relation to Diabetes and Hypertension at a National Hospital in Seoul: A Retrospective Study.

Glaucoma remains the primary cause of long-term blindness. While diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) are known to influence glaucoma, other factors such as age and sex may be involved. In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate the associations between age, sex, DM, HTN, and glaucoma risk. We employed optical coherence tomography (OCT) conducted using a 200 × 200-pixel optic cube (Cirrus HD OCT 6000, version 10.0; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA). Effects obscured by low-test signals were disregarded. Data were amassed from 1337 patients. Among them, 218 and 402 patients had DM and HTN, respectively, with 133 (10%) exhibiting both. A sex-based comparison revealed slightly greater retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness in females. Patients without DM and HTN were predominantly in their 50 s and 60 s, whereas DM and HTN were most prevalent in those in their 60 s and 70 s. Both RNFL and GCIPL thicknesses decreased with advancing age in most patients. The study revealed that older individuals were more prone to glaucoma than younger individuals, with a higher incidence among patients with DM and HTN and reduced RNFL and GCIPL thicknesses. Furthermore, early detection before advancing age could furnish valuable preventive insights.

Investigation of spinal nerve ligation-mediated functional activation of the rat brain using manganese-enhanced MRI.

To provide clear information on the cerebral regions according to peripheral neuropathy, the functional activation was investigated using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI). L5-spinal nerve ligation (SNL) was applied to the rats to induce neuropathic pain. Mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were measured to confirm neuropathic pain induction following before and after gabapentin (GBP) treatment. The cerebral regions were investigated using a 4.7T MRI system in the sham, SNL, and GBP-treated SNL rats. Neuropathic pain was severely induced by SNL on the postoperative day 14, excepting the sham group. While MEMRI indicated many activation regions in the brain of SNL rats before GBP treatment, the activities were chronologically attenuated after GBP treatment. The brain regions relating SNL-induced neuropathic pain were as follows: the posterior association area of the parietal region, superior colliculus, inferior colliculus, primary somatosensory area, cingulate cortex, and cingulum bundle. SNL induced- neuropathic pain is transmitted to the primary somatosensory area and parietal region through the cingulum bundle and limbic system. These findings would be helpful for the understanding of neuropathic pain-associated process and be an accurate target for a relief of neuropathic pain.

Investigation of the functional difference between the pathological itching and neuropathic pain-induced rat brain using manganese-enhanced MRI.

BACKGROUND: There is a remarkable similarity in the central sensitization of itch and pain. However, the interactions between itch and pain are only partially understood. PURPOSE: To investigate the functional activity of cerebral regions to provide clear information on the neuronal pathways related to both pathological itching (PI) and neuropathic pain (NP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. PI was induced via neonatal capsaicin treatment, and scratching behavior was counted. NP was induced via lumbar spinal nerve 5 (L5) ligation, and mechanical allodynia was measured. The activated cerebral regions in the control, PI, and NP rats were measured using a 4.7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI). Subsequently, the cerebral activation regions were identified, and the signal intensity was compared. RESULTS: Cerebral activities of the PI-induced rats were found in three regions -7.10 and -4.20 mm, and two regions -2.45 mm from the bregma. In the NP-induced rats, cerebral activities were found in two regions 7.10 and -2.45 mm, and one region -4.20 mm from the bregma. Comparing the PI and NP rats, the cerebral activities were different in one region -7.10 mm and -2.45 mm, and two regions -4.20 mm from the bregma. The different regions were the midbrain area, the geniculate complex, the hypothalamic area, and the amygdala area. CONCLUSION: Our MEMRI investigation indicates functionally different activity of cerebral regions due to the effect of PI or NP. These findings provide clear information of the signal transduction in the brain regarding PI or NP that share a similar neuronal pathway.

Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction as an Initial Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) is an uncommon, severe complication that occurs in a small subgroup of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To our knowledge, approximately 30 cases of IPO in SLE have been reported in the literature. Moreover, IPO is rare as an initial manifestation of SLE. We report a case of a 43-year-old woman with SLE who initially presented with IPO.

Prevalence of Precancerous Conditions and Gastric Cancer Based upon the National Cancer Screening Program in Korea for 7 Years, Single Center Experience.

Aims. Gastric cancer is the second most prevalent cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Korea. The National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) has implemented esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) biennially for all Koreans starting in their 40s. This study was conducted to estimate the clinical relevance of NCSP through identifying the prevalence of gastric disease, including cancer. Materials and Methods. Data from 40,821 subjects who received the screening EGD in the single center for 7 years were retrospectively investigated. Results. The overall prevalence of nonatrophic/atrophic/metaplastic gastritis, peptic ulcer, adenoma, early gastric cancer (EGC), and advanced gastric cancer (AGC) was 44.28%, 27.97%, 14.95%, 0.59%, 0.43%, 0.21%, and 0.09%, respectively. The prevalence of metaplastic gastritis, peptic ulcer, adenoma, EGC, and AGC was significantly higher in men than in women. The prevalence of preneoplastic/neoplastic disease significantly increased with age. Judged from the ratio of EGC to AGC, the proportion of EGC made up to 70% of all cancers. Conclusions. Screening endoscopy starting for people in their 40s should be strongly recommended for the elderly. Through the NCSP, the early detection of gastric cancer might contribute to the decreased mortality rate due to gastric cancer in Korea.

Investigation of the pruritus-induced functional activity in the rat brain using manganese-enhanced MRI.

PURPOSE: To provide clear information on the activation regions of itching, we investigated the functional activity of cerebral regions in the pruritus-induced rat model using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Itching was induced via neonatal capsaicin treatment in Sprague-Dawley rats (itching rats), and scratching behavior of the control, itching, and gabapentin (GBP)-treated itching rats was compared. Then the activated or deactivated brain regions were investigated in the control, itching, and GBP-treated itching rats using a 4.7T MRI system. RESULTS: While the itching rats engaged in vigorous scratching (121.2 ± 22.4 times), the scratching behavior was decreased in the GBP-treated itching rats (30.6 ± 8.8 times). GBP induced the attenuation of functional activity in two regions -7.10 mm from bregma, in one region -6.65 mm from bregma, and in one region -6.06 mm from bregma. The brain regions related to itching were as follows: parafascicular nucleus, thalamus, superior/inferior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, cingulate cortex, amygdala, midbrain regions, lateral habenula, and hypothalamic areas. CONCLUSION: Our MEMRI investigation indicates new functional activity of cerebral regions in rats due to the effect of itching or GBP. This information could be used to monitor the therapeutic effects of novel agents or for clinical strategies to treat pathological itch.

Electrophysiological evaluation of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and charcot-marie-tooth type 1: dispersion and correlation analysis.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare electrophysiological characteristics observed in nerve conduction studies (NCS) of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 (CMT 1). [Subjects] A differential diagnosis of acquired and congenital demyelinating neuropathies was based on a study of 35 patients with NCS-confirmed CIDP and 30 patients with CMT 1 genetically proven by peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP-22) gene analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and Southern blot analysis. [Methods] We analyzed values collected in motor nerve conduction studies. We conducted dispersion analysis of the amplitudes of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of various nerve types and correlation coefficient analysis of the motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV). [Results] We found that CIDP and CMT 1 were clearly attributable to severe polyneuropathy. In dispersion analysis, CIDP showed greater differences in proximal-to-distal amplitude ratios. Moreover, CMT 1 showed relatively high correlations compared to CIDP based on correlation coefficient analysis of MNCV. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that CIDP showed greater asymmetry than CMT 1 in MNCV and CMAP amplitudes.

Effect of Phellinus baumii-Biotransformed Soybean Powder on Lipid Metabolism in Rats.

In this study, we evaluated the hypolipidemic and antioxidative effects of biotransformed soybean powder (BTS; Phellinus baumii-fermented soybean) on lipid metabolism in rats. Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were divided into basal diet group (BA), high fat diet group (HF), high fat diet containing 10% BTS group (10 BTS), and high fat diet containing 20% BTS group (20 BTS). Changes in the content of various isoflavones, including daidzein and genistein, within the soybean after fermentation to BTS were investigated. The levels of daidzein and genistein were 149.28 µg/g and 364.31 µg/g, respectively. After six weeks experimental period, Food efficiency ratio in the 10 and 20 BTS group was significantly lower than the HF group (P<0.05). Total serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and atherogenic index ratio in the 10 or 20 BTS group were significantly lower than the HF group. The levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance were significantly lower in the groups that received 10% and 20% BTS than the HF. The activities of SOD and CAT were significantly higher in the 10 and 20 BTS group than the HF group. The activity of XO in the 10 and 20 BTS group was significantly lower than in the HF group by 20% and 23%, respectively. In conclusion, these data suggest that BTS is an effective agent in improving lipid metabolism and antioxidant enzyme system.

New method of manganese-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MEMRI) for rat brain research.

Manganese (Mn(2+))-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) is known to provide insight into functional and anatomical biology. However, this method, which uses Mn(2+) as a MRI-detectable contrast agent, has drawbacks such as the toxicity to cells beyond a certain level of Mn(2+). In this study, we attempt to determine a new method of ICV administration, the optimal concentration of administered Mn(2+) and the optimal MEMRI acquisition time following administration. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the following experimental sessions: (1) intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula implantation in the region of the cisterna magna, (2) serial dilution of MnCl(2) (20-80 mM), (3) ICV administration of MnCl(2) through the cannula, and (4) T(1)-weighted MRI measurements. We confirmed that cannula implantation in the region of the cisterna magna was a new ICV injection method for the administration of a contrast agent. The optimal concentration for MEMRI was 20/50 mM/µl of MnCl(2). The MEMRI data acquired at different time points indicate that most signal enhancement is maintained during 14-48 h after contrast agent injection, and 24 h was the optimal time to acquire images of the rat brain. The present study offers optimized parameters for contrast agent injection that would be a good basis for studies using MEMRI to research the rat brain.