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1.
J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg ; 73(8): 1506-1513, 2020 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32461033

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: As chest reconstructions in Poland syndrome are performed for patients at young ages, patients are generally concerned about conspicuous scars. Meanwhile, a robotic-assisted latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle harvest with inconspicuous scars has been performed for autologous breast reconstruction. As our experience with robotic-assisted LD flap harvest has increased over the years, we have made improvements in surgical techniques to optimize results. The purpose of this study was to introduce and identify the role of the refined robotic-assisted LD muscle flap harvest technique in autologous chest reconstruction in patients with Poland syndrome. METHODS: Autologous chest reconstruction using a robotic-assisted LD muscle flap harvest was performed for 21 patients with Poland syndrome. Subjective assessments were performed to evaluate improvement in chest deformity, patient satisfaction with overall outcomes, chest symmetry, and scars. Assessments by the operator and two independent evaluating investigators were carried out with patients' photographs. The complication rates and the time for robotic surgery were also evaluated. RESULTS: At the last visit, the average patient grades for improvement in chest deformity, satisfaction with overall outcomes, chest symmetry, and scars were 4.80, 4.72, 4.18, and 4.87, respectively. Assessments by the operator and two independent evaluating investigators demonstrated that improvement in chest deformity was achieved in all patients. No serious complications such as flap loss were recorded for any patient. The time for robotic surgery markedly decreased as experience accumulated. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical refinements for robotic-assisted LD flap harvest might be effective and reduce operative times for patients with Poland syndrome.


Subject(s)
Poland Syndrome/surgery , Robotic Surgical Procedures , Superficial Back Muscles/transplantation , Surgical Flaps/transplantation , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Operative Time , Patient Satisfaction
2.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther ; 48(2): 196-205, 2018 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29869804

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There are increasing reports of paradoxical psoriasiform diseases secondary to anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents. AIMS: To determine the risks of paradoxical psoriasiform diseases secondary to anti-TNF agents in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: A nationwide population study was performed using the Korea National Health Insurance Claim Data. A total of 50 502 patients with IBD were identified between 2007 and 2016. We compared 5428 patients who were treated with any anti-TNF agent for more than 6 months (anti-TNF group) and 10 856 matched controls who had never taken anti-TNF agents (control group). RESULTS: Incidence of psoriasis was significantly higher in the anti-TNF group (36.8 per 10 000 person-years) compared to the control group (14.5 per 10 000 person-years) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.357, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.668-3.331). Palmoplantar pustulosis (HR 9.355, 95% CI 2.754-31.780) and psoriatic arthritis (HR 2.926, 95% CI 1.640-5.218) also showed higher risks in the anti-TNF group. In subgroup analyses, HRs for psoriasis by IBD subtype were 2.549 (95% CI 1.658-3.920) in Crohn's disease and 2.105 (95% CI 1.155-3.836) in ulcerative colitis. Interestingly, men and younger (10-39 years) patients have significantly higher risks of palmoplantar pustulosis (HR 19.682 [95% CI 3.867-100.169] and HR 14.318 [95% CI 2.915-70.315], respectively), whereas women and older (≥40 years) patients showed similar rates between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The risks of psoriasiform diseases are increased by anti-TNF agents in patients with IBD. Among psoriasiform diseases, the risk of palmoplantar pustulosis shows the biggest increase particularly in male and younger patients.


Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/adverse effects , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/drug therapy , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/epidemiology , Psoriasis/chemically induced , Psoriasis/epidemiology , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/antagonists & inhibitors , Adalimumab/adverse effects , Adalimumab/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Case-Control Studies , Child , Cohort Studies , Colitis, Ulcerative/drug therapy , Colitis, Ulcerative/epidemiology , Crohn Disease/drug therapy , Crohn Disease/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Infliximab/adverse effects , Infliximab/therapeutic use , Male , Middle Aged , Republic of Korea/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Young Adult
3.
Acta Neurol Scand ; 138(1): 32-40, 2018 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29468632

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Neurological progression is a major problem in managing the patients with acute lacunar infarction. The purpose of this was to investigate whether autonomic dysfunction is associated with neurological progression in patients with acute lacunar infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 60 patients with acute lacunar infarction. All enrolled subjects underwent autonomic function tests including the 30° head-up tilt test, Valsalva test, heart rate response to deep breathing, and sympathetic skin response. The primary endpoint is the neurological progression, and the secondary endpoint is the 3-month outcome. RESULTS: Increased initial National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), decreased time to admission from onset, decreased rise of heart rate in the 30° head-up tilt test, abnormal blood pressure response in the Valsalva test, and decreased rise of systolic blood pressure in stage IV of the Valsalva test are associated with neurological progression of acute lacunar infarction; an abnormal blood pressure response in the Valsalva test is significant in logistic regression analysis of neurological progression. Advanced age, increased initial NIHSS and modified Rankin scale, decreased expiration/inspiration ratio of heart rate to deep breathing, decreased rise of systolic blood pressure in stage IV of the Valsalva test, and neurological progression were associated with an unfavorable 3-month outcome; neurological progression was significant in logistic regression analysis of 3-month outcome. CONCLUSIONS: An abnormal blood pressure change in the Valsalva test is associated with neurological progression in patients with acute lacunar infarction, and neurological progression can induce an unfavorable 3-month outcome.


Subject(s)
Autonomic Nervous System Diseases/diagnosis , Autonomic Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Stroke, Lacunar/complications , Aged , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Tilt-Table Test , Valsalva Maneuver
4.
Acta Neurol Scand ; 137(4): 425-431, 2018 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29344935

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence has suggested that epilepsy is a network disease. Graph theory is a mathematical tool that allows for the analysis and quantification of the brain network. We aimed to evaluate the influences of duration of epilepsy on the topological organization of brain network in focal epilepsy patients with normal MRI using the graph theoretical analysis based on diffusion tenor imaging. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 66 patients with focal epilepsy (18/66 patients were newly diagnosed) and 84 healthy subjects. All of the patients with epilepsy had normal MRI on visual inspection. All of the subjects underwent diffusion tensor imaging that was analyzed using graph theory to obtain network measures. RESULTS: The measures of characteristic path length and small-worldness in the patients with focal epilepsy were significantly decreased, even after multiple corrections (P < .01). Moreover, the measures including mean clustering coefficient and global efficiency in the patients with epilepsy had strong tendency to decrease compared to those in healthy subjects (P = .0153 and P = .0138, respectively). When comparing the measures among the patients with newly diagnosed/chronic epilepsy and healthy subjects using ANOVA, the characteristic path length (P = .006), small-worldness (P = .032), and global efficiency (P = .004) were significantly different. In addition, the duration of epilepsy was negatively correlated with global efficiency (r = -.249, P = .0454). CONCLUSIONS: We newly found a progressive topological disorganization of the brain network in focal epilepsy. In addition, we demonstrated disrupted topological organization in focal epilepsy, shifting toward a more random state.


Subject(s)
Brain/physiopathology , Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods , Epilepsies, Partial/physiopathology , Nerve Net/physiopathology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/methods , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult
5.
Oncogenesis ; 6(1): e285, 2017 Jan 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28092370

ABSTRACT

Immune selection drives the evolution of tumor cells toward an immune-resistant and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotype. We reported that apoptosis inhibitor-5 (API5) acts as an immune escape factor, which has a significant role in controlling immune resistance to antigen-specific T cells, but its functional association with CSC-like properties remains largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that API5 confers CSC-like properties, including NANOG expression, the frequency of CD44-positive cells and sphere-forming capacity. Critically, these CSC-like properties mediated by API5 are dependent on FGFR1 signaling, which is triggered by E2F1-dependent FGF2 expression. Furthermore, we uncovered the FGF2-NANOG molecular axis as a downstream component of API5 signaling that is conserved in cervical cancer patients. Finally, we found that the blockade of FGFR signaling is an effective strategy to control API5high human cancer. Thus, our findings reveal a crucial role of API5 in linking immune resistance and CSC-like properties, and provide the rationale for its therapeutic application for the treatment of API5+ refractory tumors.

6.
Acta Neurol Scand ; 135(6): 670-676, 2017 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27558524

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with and without hippocampal sclerosis (HS) showed differences in their limbic networks. This study aimed to evaluate the role of the thalamus in TLE patients with HS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine TLE patients with HS and 30 controls were enrolled in this study. In addition, we included eight TLE patients without HS as a disease control group. Using whole-brain T1-weighted MRIs, we analyzed the volumes of the limbic structures, including the hippocampus, thalamus, and total cortex, with FreeSurfer 5.1. We also investigated the effective connectivity among these structures using SPSS Amos 21 based on these volumetric measures. Moreover, we quantified correlations between epilepsy duration and the volumes of these structures. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant effective connectivity from the hippocampus to the thalamus in TLE patients with HS. Moreover, the volumes of the left and right thalamus were negatively correlated with epilepsy duration (r=-.42, P=.0315 and r=-.52, P=.0062, respectively). However, neither TLE patients without HS nor normal controls had a significant effective connectivity from the hippocampus to the thalamus. CONCLUSIONS: The limbic networks of TLE patients with and without HS could be different, and the thalamus might play a critical role in TLE patients with HS.


Subject(s)
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/physiopathology , Hippocampus/pathology , Adult , Cerebral Cortex/diagnostic imaging , Cerebral Cortex/physiopathology , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/complications , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/diagnostic imaging , Female , Hippocampus/diagnostic imaging , Hippocampus/physiopathology , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Sclerosis , Thalamus/diagnostic imaging , Thalamus/physiopathology
7.
Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg ; 45(3): 284-91, 2016 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26644218

ABSTRACT

Fractures of the mandibular condyle are one of the most common craniofacial fractures. However, the diagnosis and treatment of these fractures is controversial because of the multiple surgical approaches available. The purposes of this study were to identify surgery-related technical tips for better outcomes and to evaluate the results as well as complications encountered during 7 years of endoscope use to supplement the limited intraoral approach in the treatment of mandibular condylar fractures. Between 2005 and 2012, 50 patients with condylar fractures underwent endoscope-assisted reduction surgery. Postoperative facial bone computed tomography and panoramic radiography demonstrated adequate reduction of the condylar fractures in all patients. No condylar resorption was detected, and most patients displayed a satisfactory functional and structural recovery. There was no facial nerve damage or transitory hypoesthesia, and there were no visible scars after the surgery. Transoral endoscope-assisted treatment is a challenging but reliable method with lower morbidity and a rapid recovery.


Subject(s)
Endoscopy , Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods , Mandibular Condyle/injuries , Mandibular Fractures/surgery , Mandibular Reconstruction/methods , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Imaging, Three-Dimensional , Male , Middle Aged , Radiography, Panoramic , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Treatment Outcome
8.
Epilepsia ; 55(4): 475-82, 2014 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24730690

ABSTRACT

Epilepsy was defined conceptually in 2005 as a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures. This definition is usually practically applied as having two unprovoked seizures >24 h apart. The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) accepted recommendations of a task force altering the practical definition for special circumstances that do not meet the two unprovoked seizures criteria. The task force proposed that epilepsy be considered to be a disease of the brain defined by any of the following conditions: (1) At least two unprovoked (or reflex) seizures occurring >24 h apart; (2) one unprovoked (or reflex) seizure and a probability of further seizures similar to the general recurrence risk (at least 60%) after two unprovoked seizures, occurring over the next 10 years; (3) diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome. Epilepsy is considered to be resolved for individuals who either had an age-dependent epilepsy syndrome but are now past the applicable age or who have remained seizure-free for the last 10 years and off antiseizure medicines for at least the last 5 years. "Resolved" is not necessarily identical to the conventional view of "remission or "cure." Different practical definitions may be formed and used for various specific purposes. This revised definition of epilepsy brings the term in concordance with common use. A PowerPoint slide summarizing this article is available for download in the Supporting Information section here.


Subject(s)
Advisory Committees , Epilepsy/classification , Epilepsy/diagnosis , Research Report , Societies, Medical , Adult , Advisory Committees/trends , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Brain/physiopathology , Child , Epilepsy/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Research Report/trends , Seizures/classification , Seizures/diagnosis , Seizures/physiopathology , Societies, Medical/trends , Young Adult
9.
Genet Mol Res ; 10(4): 2786-94, 2011 Oct 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22058004

ABSTRACT

An interspecific artificial hybrid was produced between two economically important aquaculture flatfish: olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and starry flounder (P. stellatus). This hybrid displays the rapid growth characteristic of the former and tolerance to low temperatures and low salinity of the latter, but the genetics of inheritance in this hybrid have not been elucidated. Polymorphic microsatellite markers developed for P. olivaceus and P. stellatus were tested to determine if these markers can be used for analysis of parentage and genetic inheritance. Multiplex PCR using two primer sets that were specific to each species produced PCR products of different sizes; these could be used for the identification of interspecific hybrids. Among the 192 primers derived from olive flounder, 25.5% of the primer sets successfully amplified genomic DNA from starry flounder, and 23% of the 56 primer sets originating from starry flounder amplified DNA from olive flounder. Analysis of genetic inheritance in the hybrid using seven of the 62 microsatellite markers common to both species demonstrated classic Mendelian inheritance of these markers in the hybrid progeny, with the exception of one locus identified as a null allele in the hybrid. These results demonstrate that cross-specific microsatellite markers can be used tools for parentage analysis of hybrid flatfish, for mapping quantitative trait loci, for marker-assisted selective breeding, and for studies of the evolution of fish.


Subject(s)
Adaptation, Physiological/genetics , Breeding , Chimera/genetics , DNA/genetics , Flounder/genetics , Microsatellite Repeats , Animals , Chimera/growth & development , DNA Primers/chemistry , DNA Primers/genetics , Flounder/growth & development , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Salinity , Species Specificity
10.
Oncogene ; 30(48): 4780-90, 2011 Dec 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21625219

ABSTRACT

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-mediated signaling is associated with different tumors including renal cell carcinoma. NF-κB- and IGF-1-mediated signaling is found to be inhibited in the presence of wild-type von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppresser gene. Therefore, negative regulator of VHL may be a good target for regulating NF-κB and IGF-1R. In this study, we found that VHL, a tumor suppressor protein that downregulates the NF-κB activity and the stability of IGF-1R was depleted by TGase 2 through polymerization via crosslinking and proteasomal degradation in kidney, breast and ovary cancer cell lines. We also found that TGase 2 knockdown promotes hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) degradation, and thereby decrease HIF-1α transcriptional activity. Importantly, VHL expression was decreased in vivo in TGase-2-transgenic mice, and this was associated with increased NF-κB activity and the levels of expression of IGF-1R, HIF-1α and erythropoietin in kidney tissue. These results suggest a novel mechanism of regulation of the VHL tumor suppressor by TGase 2 that appears to be independent of the known cancer regulatory mechanisms.


Subject(s)
Cell Survival , Neoplasms/pathology , Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein/metabolism , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Cell Line, Tumor , Down-Regulation , GTP-Binding Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Genes, Tumor Suppressor , Humans , Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Molecular Sequence Data , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Neoplasms/metabolism , Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2 , Transglutaminases/antagonists & inhibitors , Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein/chemistry , Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein/genetics
11.
Neuroscience ; 163(4): 1128-34, 2009 Nov 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19646509

ABSTRACT

Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized clinically by chorea, psychiatric disturbances, and dementia, while it is characterized pathologically by neuronal inclusions as well as striatal and cortical neurodegeneration. The neurodegeneration arises from the loss of long projection neurons in the cortex and striatum. In this study, we investigated the role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (Ask1) in the pathogenesis of HD. We analyzed the expression of Ask1 and huntingtin (htt) within the striatum and cortex and also examined the interaction of Ask1 with htt fragments in HD (R6/2) mice. Additionally, we inhibited Ask1 and analyzed the resulting changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, motor function, and striatal atrophy. Ask1 activity was blocked using an Ask1 antibody raised against the C-terminus of the Ask1 protein. The anti-Ask1 antibody was infused into the striatum of the HD mice for four weeks using a micro-osmotic pump. The levels of Ask1 protein and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were increased in HD mice. Binding of inactivated Ask1 to htt fragments was more prevalent in the cytosol than the nucleus of cortical neurons. Binding of inactivated Ask1 to htt fragments prevented translocation of the htt fragments into the nucleus, resulting in an improvement in motor dysfunction and atrophy. In the normal state, active Ask1 may help htt fragments enter the nucleus, while inactivated Ask1 hinders this translocation by binding to but not releasing fragmented htt into the nucleus. We propose that Ask1 may interact with htt fragments and subsequently induce ER stress. BDNF depletion may be prevented by targeting Ask1; this would decrease ER stress and possibly ameliorate behavioral or anatomical abnormalities that accompany HD. Therefore, regulating the amounts and activity of the Ask1 protein is a novel strategy for treatment of HD.


Subject(s)
Cell Nucleus/metabolism , Endoplasmic Reticulum/physiology , Huntington Disease/physiopathology , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5/metabolism , Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism , Nuclear Proteins/metabolism , Stress, Physiological/physiology , Animals , Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism , Cerebral Cortex/physiopathology , Corpus Striatum/pathology , Corpus Striatum/physiopathology , Cytosol/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Huntingtin Protein , Huntington Disease/pathology , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5/antagonists & inhibitors , Male , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Motor Activity/physiology , Neurons/physiology
12.
Neurology ; 69(16): 1610-8, 2007 Oct 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17938371

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of once-daily adjunctive lamotrigine extended-release (XR) for partial seizures in epilepsy. METHODS: Patients more than 12 years old diagnosed with epilepsy with partial seizures and taking one to two baseline antiepileptic drugs were randomized to adjunctive once-daily lamotrigine XR or placebo in a double-blind, parallel-group trial. The study comprised a baseline phase, a 7-week double-blind escalation phase, and a 12-week double-blind maintenance phase during which doses of study medication and concomitant antiepileptic drugs were maintained. RESULTS: Of the 243 randomized patients, 239 (118 lamotrigine XR, 121 placebo) entered the escalation phase and received study medication. Lamotrigine XR was more effective than placebo with respect to median percent reduction from baseline in weekly partial seizure frequency (primary endpoint-entire 19-week treatment phase: 46.6% vs 24.5%, p = 0.0001 [corrected] via Wilcoxon test; escalation phase: 29.8% vs 15.6%, p = 0.027; maintenance phase: 58.4% vs 26.8%, p [corrected] < 0.0001). The percentage of patients with >or=50% reduction in partial seizure frequency (44.0% vs 20.8%, p = 0.0002) [corrected] and time to >or=50% reduction in partial seizure frequency (p = 0.0001) [corrected] also favored lamotrigine XR over placebo. A similar pattern of results was observed for secondarily generalized seizures. The most common adverse events were headache (lamotrigine XR 16%, placebo 18%) [corrected] and dizziness (lamotrigine XR 19%, [corrected] placebo 5%). Differences between lamotrigine XR and placebo on health outcomes measures were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily adjunctive lamotrigine extended-release compared with placebo effectively reduced partial seizure frequency and was well tolerated in this double-blind study. Results support the clinical utility of this new once-daily formulation.


Subject(s)
Anticonvulsants/administration & dosage , Delayed-Action Preparations/administration & dosage , Epilepsies, Partial/drug therapy , Triazines/administration & dosage , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Benzodiazepines/administration & dosage , Carbamazepine/administration & dosage , Double-Blind Method , Drug Administration Schedule , Drug Therapy, Combination , Epilepsies, Partial/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Lamotrigine , Male , Middle Aged , Placebos , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , Valproic Acid/administration & dosage
13.
Neurology ; 67(7): 1184-8, 2006 Oct 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17030750

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a relationship between aortic plaques and intracranial (IC) atherosclerosis. METHODS: We reviewed 922 patients with stroke who had both transesophageal echocardiography and cerebral angiography. The plaques of these patients were classified as either complex aortic plaques (CAP), which protruded > or =4 mm or were present as mobile lesions in the proximal aorta, or simple aortic plaques (SAP), which were <4 mm or present in the descending aorta. Cerebral artery atherosclerosis was classified as either an IC or extracranial (EC) atherosclerosis. RESULTS: Among the 922 patients, we found aortic plaques in 237 patients (26%). There were 111 (47%) patients of SAP, 74 (31%) patients with CAP, and 52 (22%) patients that had both SAP and CAP. Angiography showed IC or EC atherosclerosis in 511 patients (55%). The presence of aortic plaques was significantly associated with IC or EC atherosclerosis. The significance appeared to be due to the strong association between the presence of SAP and IC atherosclerosis (51% SAP vs 35% no plaques; odds ratio = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.17 to 3.21). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, SAP were independent predictors of IC atherosclerosis CONCLUSIONS: The presence of simple aortic plaques may be a marker of advanced vascular disease. Detection of simple aortic plaques during transesophageal echocardiography may have clinical implications because patients with these plaques frequently had concomitant intracranial atherosclerosis, a risk factor for stroke.


Subject(s)
Aortic Valve Stenosis/epidemiology , Intracranial Arteriosclerosis/epidemiology , Risk Assessment/methods , Stroke/epidemiology , Aged , Aortic Valve Stenosis/diagnosis , Comorbidity , Female , Humans , Intracranial Arteriosclerosis/diagnosis , Korea/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Stroke/diagnosis
14.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry ; 118(1): 131-6, 2006.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16410295

ABSTRACT

Dose distribution within a human body can be measured using physical anthropomorphic phantoms. In an effort to establish reference Korean physical model, the first Korean physical phantom of average Korean adult male was constructed using computed tomography (CT) images of a healthy volunteer. The body dimension of the subject was close to that of average Korean male. The source images were obtained using fusion positron emission tomography machine at Radiation Health Research Institute in Korea, and ported into rapid prototyping process. The physical phantom was composed of three tissue-equivalent materials: epoxy resin, urethane foam and polyurethane representing bone, lungs and soft tissues, respectively. The densities of the tissue-equivalent materials were close to those recommended by the International Commission on Radiation Units and measurements. To facilitate dose mapping, the phantom was sliced into 2 cm sections. Hole grids for thermoluminescence (TL) dosemeter chips were drilled. To verify the appropriateness of the physical phantom, organ doses of selected organs were measured for reference photon beam, and compared with those computed by tomographic model constructed from the same CT images. Absorbed doses converted from TL relative response showed good agreement within 7% with those calculated.


Subject(s)
Phantoms, Imaging/standards , Radiation Protection/instrumentation , Body Burden , Cesium Radioisotopes , Humans , Korea , Male , Monte Carlo Method , Radiation Dosage , Tomography, X-Ray Computed
15.
Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc ; 2004: 1036-9, 2004.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17271859

ABSTRACT

Recent progress in magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) research has shown that conductivity images with higher spatial resolution and accuracy are achievable. One of the most important remaining problems to be solved in MREIT before we can apply the technique to human subjects is how to reduce the amount of injection current. Since we use an MRI scanner to measure the induced magnetic flux density data subject to an injection current, the data is contaminated with random noise. In order to obtain enough signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), we need to inject a large amount of current into the subject. However, it is obvious that we must comply with the electrical safety regulations and this means that we should deal with noisy data having a low SNR due to the limited amount of injection current. Furthermore, in the developed reconstruction algorithms, the required numerical differentiations of the noisy data may result in deterioration of the reconstructed conductivity image leading to a loss of important information. We propose a PDE-based denoising technique that diminishes the degradation of reconstructed conductivity images due to the noise in measured data. The proposed PDE-based technique is advantageous in reducing the random noise while preserving useful features in MREIT.

16.
Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc ; 2004: 1287-9, 2004.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17271925

ABSTRACT

We present cross-sectional conductivity images of a biological tissue phantom obtained by using a 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) system. Inside the cylindrical phantom with 140 mm diameter and 140 mm height, biological tissues such as bovine tongue and liver, porcine muscle, and chicken breast were placed within an agar gelatin. Injecting current of 480 mA.ms into the tissue phantom, we measured the z-component B/sub z/ of the induced magnetic flux density B=(B/sub x/, B/sub y/, B/sub z/). Using the harmonic B/sub z/ algorithm, we reconstructed cross-sectional conductivity images from the measured B/sub z/ data. Reconstructed images clearly distinguish different tissues in terms of both their shapes and conductivity values.

17.
Tuberculosis (Edinb) ; 83(4): 223-49, 2003.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-12906835

ABSTRACT

The TB Structural Genomics Consortium is an organization devoted to encouraging, coordinating, and facilitating the determination and analysis of structures of proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Consortium members hope to work together with other M. tuberculosis researchers to identify M. tuberculosis proteins for which structural information could provide important biological information, to analyze and interpret structures of M. tuberculosis proteins, and to work collaboratively to test ideas about M. tuberculosis protein function that are suggested by structure or related to structural information. This review describes the TB Structural Genomics Consortium and some of the proteins for which the Consortium is in the progress of determining three-dimensional structures.


Subject(s)
Genomics/organization & administration , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics , Amino Acid Sequence , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Genome, Bacterial , Humans , International Cooperation , Molecular Sequence Data , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/metabolism , Protein Conformation , Sequence Alignment
18.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry ; 74(4): 504-6, 2003 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-12640074

ABSTRACT

Thyroid related autoantibodies have been related to the development of encephalopathy, known as Hashimoto's encephalopathy. However, their relation with the encephalopathy occurring in patients with Graves' disease has not been well established. The case is reported of a 51 year old woman presenting with subacute progressive dementia with evidence of hyperthyroidism. She had Graves' disease associated with high titres of thyroid related autoantibodies. Her encephalopathy was not improved by antithyroid drugs, but promptly responded to corticosteroid treatment, and stabilised with a gradual reduction of thyroid related autoantibody titres. Brain positron emission tomography initially showed a diffuse and multifocal cerebral hypometabolism with subsequent normalisation on her clinical recovery, which was consistent with the acute and reversible cerebral inflammation probably mediated by autoimmune mechanisms.


Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System/diagnostic imaging , Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System/etiology , Graves Disease/complications , Graves Disease/diagnostic imaging , Neurotoxicity Syndromes/diagnostic imaging , Neurotoxicity Syndromes/etiology , Tomography, Emission-Computed , Autoantibodies/adverse effects , Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System/therapy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Graves Disease/therapy , Humans , Middle Aged , Neurotoxicity Syndromes/therapy , Time Factors
19.
Cerebrovasc Dis ; 12(3): 145-51, 2001.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11641577

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The hospital-based stroke registry is a well-established method useful for understanding diverse clinical characteristics of stroke related to geographical, racial or environmental differences. We analyzed the data from 1,000 patients with acute cerebral infarctions registered with the Yonsei Stroke Registry (YSR) which is the first prospective hospital-based observational study in Korea. METHODS: All patients had cerebral infarctions and presented within 7 days of onset. CT or MRI was performed in all patients and a vascular imaging study (digital subtraction or magnetic resonance angiography) was conducted in 53.9% of the patients. Subtype classification was made through a consensus approach based on the strict application of TOAST criteria. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 62 +/- 12 years, and 60.8% were males. Undetermined cause (UD) was the most frequent subtype (40.6%), which was followed by lacunar stroke (LS 21.5%), cardiac embolism (CE 18.3%), large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA 16.5%) and other determined causes (3.1%). Hypertension was found in 64.3%, smoking in 35.2%, diabetes mellitus in 26.9%, hypercholesterolemia in 24.1%, high hematocrit (> or = 50%) in 21.8%, clinically identified potential cardiac sources of embolism in 18.3%, a history of previous stroke in 22.0% and a history of previous transient ischemic attack in 4.7%. Recurrent stroke was associated with a higher number of risk factors (p < 0.001) and a higher incidence of LAA (p = 0.003) than the first stroke. Vertebrobasilar artery territorial infarction was found in 39.8%, which was associated with higher incidences of LAA and LS and a lower incidence of CE than carotid artery territorial lesions (p = 0.001). The 30-day mortality rate was 5.3% and cerebral herniation caused early death in 52%. CONCLUSION: The distribution of stroke subtypes in the YSR was largely comparable with that of western registries. The highest incidence of UD might be related to the strict application of TOAST criteria.


Subject(s)
Registries , Stroke/classification , Stroke/etiology , Aged , Female , Humans , Incidence , Japan/epidemiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Mortality , Prospective Studies , Recurrence , Risk Factors , Sex Distribution , Stroke/diagnosis , Stroke/epidemiology , Tomography, X-Ray Computed
20.
Epilepsia ; 42(8): 1078-81, 2001 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11554896

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe the possible mechanism of ictal automatisms with preserved responsiveness (APRs) in a patient with left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, which had not been reported previously. METHODS: Ictal EEGs recorded from bilateral foramen ovale electrodes with scalp-sphenoidal electrodes were analyzed in respect to the ictal semiology. RESULTS: The patient had a right hemispheric language dominance in the dextral. Electroclinical analysis revealed that the onset of oroalimentary automatisms coincided with the involvement of the left mesial and lateral temporal structures by spreading ictal discharges. The ictal discharge spreading was limited to the ipsilateral hemisphere throughout the seizure, which explained the intact consciousness and preserved responsiveness of the patient. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that APRs take place in seizures originating from the nondominant temporal lobe, during which ipsilateral mesial and lateral temporal structures are diffusely involved without spreading to the contralateral side.


Subject(s)
Automatism/diagnosis , Consciousness/physiology , Electroencephalography/statistics & numerical data , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/diagnosis , Functional Laterality/physiology , Temporal Lobe/physiopathology , Adolescent , Automatism/physiopathology , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Monitoring, Physiologic , Videotape Recording
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