Morphometric analysis of acetabular dysplasia in cerebral palsy

We carried out a morphometric analysis of acetabular dysplasia in patients with cerebral palsy requiring hip surgery using three-dimensional CT. We evaluated 54 hips in 27 patients. The contralateral normal hips of ten patients with unilateral Perthes’ disease were used as a control group. The acetabular defects were assessed qualitatively as anterior, posterior or global. Quantitative assessments were made using three-directional acetabular indices (anterosuperior, superolateral and posterosuperior) and measured by multiplanar reformation, from which we calculated the acetabular volume.

In the qualitative study, posterior defects were most common in the subluxation group whereas global defects predominated in the dislocation group. In the quantitative study, all acetabular indices in both the subluxation and dislocation groups were higher than those in the control group and the superolateral indices showed a tendency to elevation in the dislocation group. The acetabular volume was largest in the control group, smallest in the dislocation group, and intermediate between the two in the subluxation group.

Shear-dependent aggregation characteristics of red blood cells in a pressure-driven microfluidic channel

Though the aggregation of red blood cells (RBCs) is a major determinant of blood viscosity, there have not been any available techniques to measure the effect of RBC aggregation on blood viscosity over a range of shear rates. The microfluidic shearing technique with vibration has been applied to an aggregometer for measuring the dynamic aggregation characteristic of RBCs. In measuring backscattered light intensity I(t) and pressure p(t) over time, both aggregation and the stress-shear rate information can be determined simultaneously. The feasibility and accuracy of the new aggregation measurement technique has been demonstrated to correlate with blood viscosity for normal and heated blood. We found that RBC aggregability showed shear-dependent behavior, which can be correlated directly with shear-thinning blood viscosity. The present measurements of the dynamic aggregation characteristic over shear rate enable the interpretation of the shear-rate dependent blood viscosity, which is greatly affected by RBC aggregation.

Hereditary amyloidosis in early childhood associated with a novel insertion-deletion (indel) in the fibrinogen Aα chain gene

BACKGROUND

Systemic amyloidosis occurring in early childhood is extremely rare, and is usually of AA type complicating chronic inflammatory diseases. We report the molecular basis of amyloidosis in a Korean girl who presented at 7 years of age with asymptomatic proteinuria and developed amyloid hepatomegaly and end-stage renal failure within 2 years.

METHODS

Renal biopsy showed enlarged glomeruli virtually replaced by amyloid, but without interstitial or vascular involvement. The histologic appearance was identical to that seen in patients with hereditary fibrinogen Aalpha chain Glu526Val amyloidosis, and the amyloid deposits stained specifically with antibodies to fibrinogen. Mutations were sought in the genes of the amyloidogenic proteins, transthyretin, apolipoprotein AI, lysozyme and fibrinogen Aalpha chain genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing.

RESULTS

A unique frameshift insertion-deletion (indel) mutation was identified in one allele of her fibrinogen Aalpha chain gene, which encodes a partly novel peptide and a premature stop signal, similar to the two previously reported amyloidogenic point deletions at codons 522 and 524 in this molecule. The mutation was absent in samples verified to be from her parents, indicating that it had occurred de novo.

CONCLUSION

This is the first description of hereditary fibrinogen Aalpha chain amyloidosis in an Asian individual, and the distinctive renal histology offered a strong clue to the diagnosis. The disease is potentially curable by combined hepatorenal transplantation.

Intradiscal electrothermal treatment for chronic lower back pain patients with internal disc disruption

Chronic lower back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems; it is also the most expensive industrial injury. Not surprisingly, many treatments have been developed to combat this expensive and debilitating condition. One of these, intradiscal electrothermal treatment (IDET), was developed for patients with chronic discogenic lower back pain who failed to improve with any of the wide variety of non- surgical treatments. The present study sought to evaluate the efficacy of IDET for patients with chronic lower back pain. Twenty-five patients were enrolled in this prospective study; the patients received IDET between June 2001 and June 2003. MRI was used to confirm the diagnosis of internal disc disruption in all patients. The patients then underwent a pre-operative provocative test and discography. The follow-up duration was at least 1 year in all cases, and the visual analogue scale, recovery rate, and satisfaction of each patient were evaluated. The average age of the patients was 32 years (age range 18 to 49 years), and the patient group was 33% male and 67% female. Of the 25 patients, 5 underwent lumbar fusion surgery within 1 year of IDET. After IDET, 8 patients (32%) reported more pain than before, 14 patients (56%) reported less pain, and 3 patients (12%) experienced no change. Twelve patients (48%) were satisfied with IDET, 11 (44%) were dissatisfied, and 2 (8%) were undecided about the treatment. At least 1 year after IDET, nearly half the study patients were dissatisfied with their medical outcome. Consequently, 5 patients (20%) underwent fusion surgery at 1 year after IDET. Although other studies have shown good results with IDET for at least 2 years, this investigation suggests the IDET may be somewhat less effective. In order to firmly establish the efficacy of IDET for treating chronic discogenic lower back pain, additional studies with larger numbers of patients evaluated over longer time periods are recommended.

Effective local control of prostate cancer by intratumoral injection of (166)Ho-chitosan complex (DW-166HC) in rats

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect and morphological alterations resulting from (166)Ho-chitosan complex (DW-166HC) in an animal model of prostate cancer.

METHODS

First, in a subcutaneous tumor model, 80 rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=20 in each group), and intratumoral injections of 0.05 ml (normal saline in group 1,( 165)Ho-chitosan complex solution in group 2, DW-166HC solution (10 mCi) in group 3, and DW-166HC solution (20 mCi) in group 4) were performed when the tumor measured approximately 1 cm along its long axis in each group. Further, in an orthotopic tumor model, 40 rats were similarly randomly divided into four groups (n=10 in each group), and intraprostatic injections of 0.05 ml [PBS in group 1,( 165)Ho-chitosan complex solution in group 2, DW-166HC solution (0.5 mCi) in group 3 and DW-166HC solution (1 mCi) in group 4] were performed at 1 week after implantation of the AIT cell line in the ventral prostate.

RESULTS

In the subcutaneous tumor model, mean tumor weights of groups 3 and 4 were significantly lower than those of groups 1 and 2 at 2 and 4 weeks post injection (p<0.05). At 2 and 4 weeks after injection in the orthotopic tumor model, the mean weights of the prostate, including tumor, in groups 3 and 4 were also significantly lower than those in groups 1 and 2 (p<0.05). No adverse injury was seen in adjacent organs at histopathologic examination.

CONCLUSION

Intratumoral injection of the beta-emitting radionuclide (166)Ho as a form of complex solution with chitosan appears to be a promising alternative therapeutic modality for the local control of prostate cancer.

Comparison of evidence-based therapeutic intervention between community- and hospital-based primary care clinics

The purpose of this study was to compare the proportion of therapeutic interventions that is supported by scientific evidence between hospital-based and community-based primary care clinics. The study setting is a primary care clinic in university-affiliated tertiary hospital and community-based primary care clinic in a region in Seoul. A retrospective review of patients' medical records was done according to the primary diagnosis and treatment for 890 patients in community-based clinic and 307 in hospital-based clinic. The evidence for the intervention was searched for in Medline (1966-2001) and other evidence-based databases. The evidence was then classified as one of the three categories (i) evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs); (ii) convincing non-experimental evidence; and (iii) interventions without substantial evidence. In the hospital-based clinics, out of 356 primary diagnosis and treatment pairs, 59.6% were supported by evidence from at least one RCTs, and 19.4% were supported by convincing non-experimental evidence. In the community-based clinics, 47.1% out of 893 pairs and 10.5% fell into each category. As a result, the proportion of interventions in community settings that were based on evidence meeting our criteria was significantly lower than that of the hospital-based settings. To facilitate evidence-based practice, supportive activity should be focused on the primary care settings based on community where medical practices are less evidence-based.

Muon-spin-rotation measurements of the penetration depth of the infinite-layer electron-doped Sr0.9La0.1CuO2 cuprate superconductor

Muon-spin-rotation (muSR) measurements of the in-plane penetration depth lambda(ab) have been performed in the infinite-layer electron-doped Sr0.9La0.1CuO2 high-T(c) superconductor (HTS). Absence of the magnetic rare-earth ions in this compound allowed us to measure for the first time the absolute value of lambda(ab)(0) in electron-doped HTSs using muSR. We found lambda(ab)(0)=116(2) nm. The zero-temperature depolarization rate sigma(0) proportional, variant 1/lambda(2)(ab)(0)=4.6(1) micros(-1) is more than 4 times higher than expected from the Uemura line. Therefore, this electron-doped HTS does not follow the Uemura relation found for hole-doped HTSs.

Ethanol modulates the expression of GABAB receptor mRNAs in the prenatal rat brain in an age and area dependent manner

Prenatal ethanol exposure has various deleterious effects on neuronal development. As GABA(B) receptor is known to play an important role during the development of the CNS, we now focused on its mRNA expression pattern in the rat brain during the late gestational days (GD) from 15.5 to GD 21.5. Ethanol's effect was also observed from GD 11.5 to GD 21.5. GABA(B1) receptor mRNA showed a high expression level in GD 15.5 and 19.5, while GABA(B2) receptor mRNA did in GD 15.5 and 21.5. The mRNAs levels depended on age and area during development. Ethanol exposure decreased GABA(B1) receptor from GD 11.5 to GD 19.5 with slight increases in GD 21.5. The decreasing effects were area dependent, with the highest effects in the forebrain including cortex, whereas slight effects were observed in the midbrain and hindbrain. The present results suggest an important role of GABA(B) receptor in the effects of ethanol on prenatal brain developmental processes.

Sequence variation in the gene encoding the major capsid protein of Korean fish iridoviruses

Ten iridoviruses were isolated from cultured fish from various regions in Korea; 7 from rock bream, 1 from red sea bream, 1 from sea bass, and 1 from rockfish. The full open-reading frame (ORF) encoding the major capsid protein (MCP) (1362 bp) from ten iridoviruses were sequenced and the nucleotide sequences were phylogenetically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ten Korean isolates were classified into one cluster. However, their sequences were not identical and, based on the nucleotide sequence variation, they could be further divided into two subgroups. While nine Korean isolates were similar to the Japanese isolate red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV), one isolate was distinct from other iridovirus isolates. These results suggest that a diversity of iridoviruses exist in Korea and that a new variant strain has emerged.

Routine transradial access for conventional cerebral angiography: a single operator's experience of its feasibility and safety

The purpose of this study is to describe a single operator's experience with the feasibility and safety of transradial access in conventional cerebral angiography. 153 patients were enrolled consecutively. Among them, 20 patients were not suitable for transradial access. A Simmons catheter was used. Haemostasis was achieved using a compressive dressing of the wrist. We analysed the success rates of the arterial puncture and the successful catheterization rate for each supra-aortic vessel as well as all complications. The arterial access was successful in 96.3%. The supra-aortic vessels were catheterized with success rates of 99.2% (127/128) for the left subclavian artery and 100% for the other arteries. The mean procedure time was 19.3 min (range 10-55 min). Haemostasis was successfully achieved in every case. The most frequent complication was arm pain which occurred in 37 patients (28.9%). In conclusion, transradial selective cerebral angiography with a reversed-angle catheter is technically feasible and safe. It might be helpful in imaging follow-up of patients with arterial stenting or coil embolisation of the cerebral aneurysms. Modification of the catheter design is required to improve the selectivity of the supra-aortic branches.

Familiarity with, knowledge of, and attitudes toward epilepsy in residents of Seoul, South Korea

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of epilepsy in Seoul, South Korea, a country where social stigma toward epilepsy is still pronounced.

METHODS

We randomly selected 1000 persons living in Seoul and performed telephone interviews regarding public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward epilepsy.

RESULTS

Among 1000 respondents, the 92% who had read or heard about epilepsy became the subjects of the study. Word of mouth was most often referenced as a source of knowledge (78%). Forty-seven percentage believed that epilepsy is inheritable, whereas 5% thought that epilepsy is a mental illness. Marriage of their children to an epileptic person, childbearing by women with epilepsy, and employing a person with epilepsy were opposed by more than 50% of respondents. The reasons for the negative attitudes were that epilepsy was hereditary and untreatable (P < 0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that there still remains negative attitudes regarding the marriage, childbearing, and employment of persons with epilepsy, which may stem from misconceptions about the cause and treatability of epilepsy, possibly due in part to the influence of herbal medicine, and South Korea's ethnic homogeneity. Public health education either through media or school health education is urgently needed to improve knowledge about, and attitudes toward epilepsy.

The TB structural genomics consortium: a resource for Mycobacterium tuberculosis biology

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.

Sludge thickening performance of mesh filtration process

Small-scale wastewater treatment facilities play an important role in improving the aquatic environment in many countries. Although sludge treatment is essential for overall wastewater treatment, it is difficult for small-scale facilities to use mechanical equipment or other facilities. As the first step of the sludge treatment, it is important to develop a convenient sludge thickening process for small-scale facilities. In this work, we examined the sludge thickening performance of a mesh filtration system: the mesh opening sizes of 100-500 microm, and the sludge (3,000-9,000 mg-SS/L) was obtained from a domestic wastewater treatment facility. The filtration was carried out only under the hydraulic pressure between the water level and the effluent port connected to the mesh filter module. The sludge reduction rates were in the range of 85-95% for 6-7 h; the initial filtration rate was very high, but the rate decreased with a decrease in hydraulic pressure due to the reduction of the water level in the vessel. In addition, the effluents (passed through the mesh) contained very low SS and could be directly discharged into the environment.

Inhibition of proteoglycan and type II collagen synthesis of disc nucleus cells by nicotine

OBJECT

Systemic nicotine has been hypothesized to cause degeneration of the intervertebral disc which in turn decreases vascular supply to the disc through a cholinergic receptor-mediated process. Another possible mechanism may be through direct regulatory effects on disc cells. In this study, the authors tested the hypothesis that nicotine adversely affects nucleus pulposus cells by directly inhibiting proteoglycan synthesis and gene expression of type II collagen (Phase I study). They also assessed the hypothesis that nicotine inhibits the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2-induced upregulation of extracellular matrix (Phase II study).

METHODS

Cells were isolated from nucleus pulposus obtained in rat lumbar discs and cultured on a monolayer. Media were treated with nicotine and/or recombinant human (rh)BMP-2 for 7 days. Sulfated glycosaminoglycan (SO4-GAG) in media was quantified using 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay. Gene assay of types I and II collagen, Sox9, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were quantified using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real time PCR. In the Phase I study, nicotine-treated (100 microg/ml) and non-treated cells were compared. The s-GAG production and messenger RNA (mRNA) of type II collagen and Sox9 decreased significantly in the nicotine-treated group. In the Phase II study, five groups were compared: 1) non-treatment; 2) rhBMP-2 only (100 ng/ml); and 3-5) with rhBMP-2 (100 ng/ml) and increasing doses of nicotine (1 [third group], 10, [fourth group], 100 [fifth group] microg/ml). The SO4-GAG production and mRNA of type II collagen and Sox9 decreased significantly in the groups treated with rhBMP-2 combined with 10 and 100 microg/ml of nicotine compared with the group treated with rhBMP-2.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study raise the possibility that nicotine may contribute to the process of disc degeneration by a direct effect on the nucleus pulposus cells, possibly by antagonizing the effect of BMP-2.

Multiple mechanisms for oxygen-induced regulation of the Clara cell secretory protein gene

The Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) imparts a protective effect to the lung during oxidant injury. However, exposure to supplemental oxygen, a common therapeutic modality for lung disease, represses the expression of CCSP in the adult mouse lung. We investigated the mechanisms of hyperoxia-induced repression of the mouse CCSP promoter. Deletion experiments in vivo and in vitro indicated that the hyperoxia-responsive elements are localized to the proximal -166 bp of the CCSP promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift analyses demonstrated increased binding of c-Jun at the activator protein-1 site, increased binding of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) beta at the C/EBP sites, and decreased binding at the Nkx2.1 sites. Western analyses revealed that hyperoxia exposure induced an increase in the expression of the C/EBPbeta isoform liver-inhibiting protein (LIP) and an increase in cytoplasmic Nkx2.1. Cotransfection of LIP or c-Jun expression plasmids decreased the transcriptional activity of the proximal -166-bp CCSP promoter. These observations suggest that hyperoxia-induced repression of the CCSP gene is mediated, at least in part, at the level of transcription and that multiple mechanisms mediate this repression. Moreover, these novel observations may provide insights for generation of therapeutic interventions for the amelioration of oxidant-induced lung injury.

Dietary supplementation of (+)-catechin protects against UVB-induced skin damage by modulating antioxidant enzyme activities

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with (+)-catechin on cutaneous antioxidant enzymes and the skin damage caused by UVB irradiation.

METHODS

BALB/c mice were divided into three groups. Each group was fed a regular diet (RD) or a 2% catechin-supplemented diet for either 2 weeks (2CSD) or 4 weeks (4CSD) ad libitum prior to UVB irradiation. Skin was removed for the antioxidant enzyme assay, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and the TEM analysis before and at various time points after UVB (200 mJ/cm2) irradiation.

RESULTS

Before UVB irradiation, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities of the 2CSD and the 4CSD groups were found to be lower than those of the RD group, whereas the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity of the 4CSD group was higher than those of the RD and the 2CSD groups (P<0.05). The SOD and CAT activities of the RD group decreased after UVB irradiation, while those of the 2CSD and the 4CSD groups increased immediately after irradiation and then decreased (P<0.05). Immediately after UVB irradiation, the GPx activities of the 4CSD and the 2CSD groups increased, but that of the RD group decreased. The GPx activity of all three groups showed a tendency to return to pre-UVB irradiation levels with time. Light microscopic findings of the RD group showed epidermal thinning and apoptotic cells at 24 h after UVB irradiation and mostly necrotic cells at 48 h, whereas only moderate thickening of the epidermis was observed in the 2CSD group at 48 h after irradiation. An electron microscopic examination produced similar findings. At 48 h after irradiation, nearly all epidermal cells seemed to be damaged in the RD group as compared to the 2CSD group.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that dietary supplementation with (+)-catechin could protect epidermal cells against UVB-induced damage by modulating antioxidant enzyme activities.

Transcriptional regulation of CCSP by interferon-gamma in vitro and in vivo

Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), a potent cytokine inducing a wide range of immunologic activities, is increased in the airway secondary to viral infection or during an inflammatory response. This increase in IFN-gamma concentration may alter the expression of specific airway epithelial cell genes that regulate adaptation of airway inflammatory responses. One protein induced by IFN-gamma is Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP), which may contribute to the attenuation of airway inflammation. This study was done to investigate the molecular mechanism by which IFN-gamma stimulates the expression of the CCSP gene in mouse transformed Clara cells and transgenic mice. Deletion mapping and linker-scanning mutations demonstrated that IFN-gamma-induced expression of CCSP was regulated, in part, at the level of transcription. In vitro and in vivo studies verified that the minimal IFN-gamma-responsive segment was localized to the proximal 166 bp of the 5'-flanking region. Additionally, IFN-gamma-induced expression of CCSP was mediated indirectly through an interferon regulatory factor-1-mediated increase in hepatocyte nuclear factor-3beta.

Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in auditory cells: role of death receptor and mitochondrial pathways

Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, has a major limitation due to its ototoxicity. Previous studies have shown that cisplatin induces apoptosis in auditory sensory cells, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, cisplatin was found to induce apoptosis in a cochlear cell line, in a dose- and duration-dependent manner. Specific caspase assays revealed an early (6 h) but transient increase in caspase 8 activity, and a delayed (12 h) increase in caspase 9 activity. The enhanced caspase 8 activity was preceded by upregulation of p53 expression, and coincided with cleavage of Bid to its truncated form. This was followed temporally by activation and mitochondrial translocation of Bax, induction of mitochondrial permeability transition, release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, activation of caspase 9, and entry into the execution phase of apoptosis. Our results indicate the involvement of both the death receptor mechanisms as well as mitochondrial pathways in cisplatin-induced apoptosis of auditory cells in an in vitro model system.