• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.134-139
• /
• 2020

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a part of the normal skin flora of humans. However, it can cause serious infections in people exposed to foreign bodies or in immunocompromised patients. A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized with fever and myalgia. Painful nodular lesions were detected on the scalp, arms, and legs. Pancytopenia and blasts were present in the peripheral blood. He was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the whole body showed multiple peripheral rim-enhancing, cyst-like lesions. Ultrasonography showed echogenic nodules inside the cystic lesions in the intramuscular space of the arms and legs. Therefore, cysticercosis was strongly suggested initially. However, an abscess was confirmed on sono-guided biopsy and S. epidermidis was isolated from a microbial culture of the tissue. We report a case of multiple disseminated lesions caused by S. epidermidis in a leukemia patient, initially mistaken for cysticercosis.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.111-120
• /
• 2011

A bacterial artificial chromosome library of Pectobacterium carotovorum 35 was constructed to characterize the genome and to sequence its hrp region. The hrp cluster of P. carotovorum 35 consisted of 26 open reading frames in five operons. A promoter-based green fluorescent protein technology was used to identify the genes regulated by the alternative sigma factor, HrpL, in P. carotovorum 35. The majority of the selected clones contained the hrpJ operon promoter sequence, which harbors a hrp box, but no putative hrp boxes were detected within the promoter sequences of two other hrpL-regulated genes encoding for pectate lyase and large repetitive protein. Although the promoters of five other hrp operons also contained hrp boxes, their expression was not HrpL-dependent in the promoter-based selection in E. coli. However, transcriptional analysis showed that expression from all operons harboring hrp boxes, except for the hrpN operon, was reduced significantly in the hrpL mutant. The severity of soft-rot symptoms when the hrpL mutant was applied to the surface of tobacco leaves, mimicking natural infection, was greatly attenuated. These results indicate that the hrpL gene of P. carotovorum 35 may be involved in the development of soft-rot symptoms.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.268-271
• /
• 2004

A 43-year-old man was presented with persistent headache for two weeks. 72 weighted MR imaging showed high signal intensity with surrounding edema in the left frontal lobe. These findings were considered with intracranial tumor such as glioma or metastasis. Tc-99m tetrofosmin SPECT showed focal radiotracer accumulation in the left frontal lobe. The operative specimen contained cerebral infarction with organizing leptomeningeal hematoma by pathologist. Another 73-year-old man was hospitalized for chronic headache. Initial CT showed ill-defined hypodensity with mass effect in the right parietal lobe. Tc-99m tetrofosmin SPECT showed focal radiotracer uptake in the right parietal lobe. These findings were considered with low-grade glioma or infarction. Follow-up CT after 5 months showed slightly decreased in size of low density in the right parietal lobe, and cerebral infarction is more likely than others. Tc-99m tetrofosmin has been proposed as a cardiotracer of myocardial perfusion imaging and an oncotropic radiotracer. Tc-99m tetrofosmin SPECT image provides a better attractive alternative agent than T1-201 as a tumor-imaging agent, with characteristics such as high-energy flux, short half-life, favorable biodistribution, dosimetry and lower background radioactivity. We have keep in mind on the analysis of Tc-99m tetrofomin imaging when cerebral infarction is being differentiated from brain tumor.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.12
• /
• pp.5937-5946
• /
• 2012

The term endocrine disruptors is used to describe a variety of natural and manmade substances that have the capacity to potentially interfere with and modify the normal physiology of endocrine system either by mimicking, blocking or modulating the actions of natural endogenous hormones. The rising incidence of breast cancer over the last 50 years and the documented higher incidence in urban as compared to rural areas suggest a relationship to the introduction and increased use of xenoestrogens in our environment. The literature has developed over the last decades where initial experiments on endocrine disruptors did not support an involvement in breast cancer, and then evidence mounted implicating various environmental factors including hormones, endocrine disrupting chemicals and non-endocrine disrupting environmental carcinogens in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Available data support the hypothesis that exposure to endocrine disruptors in utero leaves a signature on mammary gland morphogenesis so that the resulting dysgenic gland becomes more predisposed to develop tumors upon exposures to additional insults later on during life. Exceptionally, exposure to phytoestrogens could be beneficial to human health. Most of the available data are from well developed countries while the developing countries are still understudied regarding these issues. Here, we raise a note of caution about potential role of environmental toxins including endocrine disruptors in breast cancer development and call for serious measures to be taken by all involved parties in the developing world.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.18
• /
• pp.7665-7671
• /
• 2014

Objectives: The association between body mass index (BMI) and ovarian cancer risk is unclear and requires further investigation. The present meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effect of overweight and obesity on ovarian cancer risk in the premenopausal and postmenopausal periods. Data sources: Major electronic databases were searched until February 2014 including Medline and Scopus. Reference lists and relevant conference databases were searched and the authors were contacted for additional unpublished references. Review Methods: All cohort and case-control studies addressing the effect of BMI on ovarian cancer were included, irrespective of publication date and language. The effect measure of choice was risk ratio (RR) for cohort studies and odds ratio (OR) for case-control studies. The results were reported using a random effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Of 3,776 retrieved studies, 19 were ultimately analyzed including 10 cohort studies involving 29,237,219 person-years and 9 case-control studies involving 96,965 people. The results of both cohort and case-control studies showed being overweight and obesity increased the risk of ovarian cancer compared to women with normal weight during both premenopausal and postmenopausal periods: RR=1.08 (95%CI: 0.97, 1.19) and OR=1.26 (95%CI: 0.97, 1.63) for overweight and RR=1.27 (95%CI: 1.16, 1.38) and OR=1.26 (95%CI: 1.06, 1.50) for obesity. Conclusions: There is sufficient evidence that an increase in BMI can increase the risk of ovarian cancer regardless of the menopausal status, mimicking a dose-response relationship although the association is not very strong.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.54-59
• /
• 2015

Purpose: Growth hormone (GH) therapy substantially improves several cognitive functions in PWS. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of GH on cognition remain unclear in PWS. In this study, we investigated the effects of recombinant human GH on the gene expression of GABAB receptor subunits and GH/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis genes in the brain regions of PWS-mimicking mice (Snord116del). Methods: Snord116del mice were injected subcutaneously with 1.0 mg/kg GH or saline, once daily for 7 days. The collected brain tissues were analyzed for mRNA content using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the cerebellum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex. Results: GH increased the mRNA expression level of the $GABA_{B1}$ receptor subunit ($GABA_{BR1}$) and IGF-1R in the cerebellum. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between the level of $GABA_{BR1}$ mRNA and the expression of the IGF-1R transcript. GH also induced an increase in the mRNA expression of IGF-2 and IGF-2R in the cerebellum. Conclusion: These data indicate that GH may provide beneficial effects on cognitive function through its influences on the expression of $GABA_{BR1}$ and GH/IGF-1 axis genes in PWS patients.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.31 no.9
• /
• pp.2509-2513
• /
• 2010

In order to increase protease stability of a novel Trp-rich model antimicrobial peptide, $K_6L_2W_3$ (KLWKKWKKWLK-$NH_2$)and investigate the effect of L-amino acid to peptoid residue conversion on biological functions, we synthesized its antimicrobial peptoid, $k_6l_2w_3$. Peptoid $k_6l_2w_3$ had similar bacterial selectivity compared to peptide $k_66L_2W_3$. The bactericidal rate of $k_6l_2w_3$ was somewhat slower than that of $K_6L_2W_3$. Peptoid $k_6l_2w_3$ exhibited very little dye leakage from bacterial outer-membrane mimicking PE/PG liposomes, as observed in $K_6L_2W_3$, indicating that the major target site of $K_6L_2W_3$ and $k_6l_2w_3$ may be not the cell membrane but the cytoplasm of bacteria. Trypsin treatment of $K_6L_2W_3$ completely abolished antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In contrast, the antimicrobial activity of $k_6l_2w_3$ was completely preserved after trypsin treatment. Taken together, our results suggested that antimicrobial peptoid $k_6l_2w_3$ can potentially serves as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of microbial infection.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.164-176
• /
• 2020

Efficient production of antigen specific cytotoxic T cells is critical for appropriate adoptive immune response. In vitro culture and expansion of human T lymphocyte clones are very sophisticated and subtle procedure in immune cell therapy and hard to control. Therefore, many groups devoted their efforts to manipulate artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs) that can induce T cell activation and clonal expansion. To mimicking of natural antigen-presenting cells, aAPCs encompass basic signal molecules required for T cell activation: MHC:antigen complexes, co-stimulatory molecules and soluble immune modulating molecules. Orchestrated organization of these molecules is important for efficient T cell activation. Here, we discuss how those molecules have been incorporated in several aAPC models, but also how physical properties od aAPC are important for interaction with T cells.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.156-162
• /
• 1995

Fine needle aspiration of the breast is an important diagnostic tool in malignant lesions, but is also useful in differentiation of inflammatory breast diseases mimicking carcinoma clinically and radiologically. Recently, the authors have experienced eight biopsy-proven cases of chronic inflammatory diseases of the breast, which consisted of 4 cases of duct ectasia, 2 cases of fat necrosis, and a case of tuberculous mastitis and granulomatous mastitis respectively. Their cytologic features mainly based on the components and the relative frequency of inflammatory cells were evaluated for differential diagnosis of chronic inflammatory breast diseases. The results are as follows; 1. In cases of duct ectasia, varying amount of neutrophils, mononuclear leukocytes, histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells were intermixed with benign epithelial cell clusters. 2 Abundant fat tissue fragments were diagnostic for fat necrosis. Histiocytes and mononuclear cells were main components but not rich, and neutrophils and giant cells were infrequently observed. 3. Characteristic granulomas composed of epithelioid cells, mononuclear leukocytes and Langhans' type giant cells and lymphocytic infiltrates were conspicuous in tuberculous mastitis, and occasionally neutrophils, necrotic materials and epithelial cell clusters were found 4. In granulomatous mastitis, epithelioid cell granulomas were also noted but numerous neutrophils and histiocytes were intermingled within or outside the granulomas.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.55-62
• /
• 2002

Aneurysm-mimicking findings were frequently visualized due to hemodynamical causes of dephasing effects around area of A-com artery during magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) and these kind of phenomena have not been clearly known yet. We investigated the hemodynamical patterns of dephasing effect around area of the A-com artery that might be a cause of false intracranial aneurysms on MRA. For experimental study, We used hand-made silicon phantoms of the asymmetric A-com artery as like a bifurcation configuration. In a closed circulatory system with UHDC computer driven cardiac pump system. MRA and fast digital subfraction angiography(DSA) involved the use of these phantoms. Flow patterns were evaluated with axial and coronal imaging of MRA(2D-TOF, 3D-TOF) and DSA of Phantoms constructed from an automated closed-type circulatory system filled with glycerol solution [circulation fluid(glycerol:water = 1:1.4)]. These findings were then compared with those obtained from computational fluid dynamic(CFD) for inter-experimental correlation study. Imaging findings of MRA, DSA and CFD on inflow zone according to the following: a) MRA demonstrated high signal intensity zone as inflow zone on silicon phantom; b) Patterns of DSA were well matched with MRA on trajectory of inflow zone; and c) CFD were well matched with MRA on the pattern of main flow. Imaging findings of MRA. DSA and CFD on turbulent flow zone according to the following: a) MRA demonstrated hyposignal intensity zone at shoulder and axillar zone of main inflow; b) DSA delineated prominent vortex flow at the same area. The hemodynamical causes of signal defect, which could Induce the false aneurysm on MRA, turned out to be dephasing effects at axilla area of bifurcation from turbulent flow as the results of MRA, DSA and CFD.