Gastric Syphilis Mimicking Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report

Syphilis is an unexpected diagnosis in the stomach, and the reduced incidence of syphilis has made its clinical presentation less widely appreciated. We report a 43-yr-old man suffering from epigastric tenderness with an initial diagnosis of gastric carcinoma; gastric syphilis was confirmed by demonstrating spirochetes in a gastric biopsy specimen by silver impregnation. Excessive lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with diffuse thickening of gastric rugae should raise suspicion of gastric syphilis, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diffuse erosive gastritis and infiltrative lesions of the stomach

High variability in bodyweight is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nationwide cohort study

Background Bodyweight variability is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to examine the relationship between bodyweight variability and the risk of AF in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and whether this relationship was affected by baseline body mass index (BMI), weight change, or advanced diabetic stage. Methods A nationwide population-based cohort of 670,797 patients with type 2 DM from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database without a history of AF and with ≥ 3 measurements of bodyweight over a 5-year period were followed up for AF development. Intra-individual bodyweight variability was calculated using variability independent of mean, and high bodyweight variability was defined as the quintile with the highest variability with the lower four quintiles as reference. Results During a median of 7.0 years of follow-up, 22,019 patients (3.3%) newly developed AF. After multivariate adjustment, those in the highest quintile of bodyweight variability showed a higher risk of incident AF (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.12–1.20) compared to those in the lower 4 quintiles with reference bodyweight variability, irrespective of baseline BMI group and direction of overall weight change. This association was greater in magnitude in subjects with lower BMI, those on insulin, and those with a DM duration of greater than 5 years. In sensitivity analyses, high bodyweight variability was consistently associated with AF development using other indices of variability and adjusting for glycemic variability. Conclusions High variability in bodyweight was associated with AF development, independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and baseline BMI. This association was stronger in underweight patients and with advanced diabetic stage. Weight fluctuation may interfere with the beneficial effects of weight loss and should be avoided when possible in weight control regimens for DM patients

Holographic DC conductivities from the open string metric

We study the DC conductivities of various holographic models using the open string metric (OSM), which is an effective metric geometrizing density and electromagnetic field effect. We propose a new way to compute the nonlinear conductivity using OSM. As far as the final conductivity formula is concerned, it is equivalent to the Karch-O'Bannon's real-action method. However, it yields a geometrical insight and technical simplifications. Especially, a real-action condition is interpreted as a regular geometry condition of OSM. As applications of the OSM method, we study several holographic models on the quantum Hall effect and strange metal. By comparing a Lifshitz background and the Light-Cone AdS, we show how an extra parameter can change the temperature scaling behavior of conductivity. Finally we discuss how OSM can be used to study other transport coefficients, such as diffusion constant, and effective temperature induced by the effective world volume horizon.Comment: 33 page

Humulus japonicus attenuates LPS-and scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in mice

Background : Neuroinflammation plays an important role in cognitive decline and memory impairment in neurodegenerative disorders. Previously, we demonstrated that Humulus japonicus (HJ) has anti-inflammatory effects in rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The present study aimed to examine the protective potential of HJ extracts against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive impairment and scopolamine-induced amnesia in mouse models. Cognitive improvement of mice was investigated by novel object recognition test. For analyzing effects on neuroinflammation, immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays were performed. Results : We found that the oral administration of HJ significantly improved cognitive dysfunction induced by LPS in a novel object recognition test. The LPS-induced activation of microglia was notably decreased by HJ treatment in the cortex and hippocampus. HJ administration with LPS also significantly increased the mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-10 and decreased the mRNA expression of IL-12 in the parietal cortex of mice. The increased expression of LPS-induced complement C1q B chain (C1bq) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2) genes was significantly suppressed by HJ treatment. In addition, HJ administration significantly improved novel object recognition in a scopolamine-induced amnesia mouse model. Conclusions : These findings revealed that HJ has a beneficial effect on cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation induced by systemic inflammation and on amnesia induced by scopolamine in mice.This study was supported by the KRIBB Research Initiative Program of the Republic of Korea (KGS1042221) and the Development of Platform Technology for Innovative Medical Measurements funded by Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS-GP2022-2)

Isolation and Characterization of Isofraxidin 7- O

Abnormalities in skin pigmentation can produce disorders such as albinism or melasma. There is a research need to discover novel compounds that safely and effectively regulate pigmentation. To identify novel modulators of pigmentation, we attempted to purify compounds from a bioactive fraction of the Korean medicinal plant Artemisia capillaris Thunberg. The novel compound isofraxidin 7-O-(6′-O-p-coumaroyl)-β-glucopyranoside (compound 1) was isolated and its pigmentation activity was characterized in mammalian melanocytes. Compound 1 stimulated melanin accumulation and increased tyrosinase activity, which regulates melanin synthesis. Moreover, compound 1 increased the expression of tyrosinase and the key melanogenesis regulator microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) in melanocytes. Compared to the parent compound, isofraxidin, compound 1 produced greater effects on these pigmentation parameters. To validate compound 1 as a novel hyperpigmentation agent in vivo, we utilized the zebrafish vertebrate model. Zebrafish treated with compound 1 showed higher melanogenesis and increased tyrosinase activity. Compound 1 treated embryos had no developmental defects and displayed normal cardiac function, indicating that this compound enhanced pigmentation without producing toxicity. In summary, our results describe the characterization of novel natural product compound 1 and its bioactivity as a pigmentation enhancer, demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic to treat hypopigmentation disorders

Clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia in outcome of patients with scrub typhus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study was designed to investigate the clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia as a marker of severity and mortality in patients with Scrub typhus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The patients with scrub typhus were divided into two groups based on the serum albumin levels; Group I (serum albumin <3.0 g/dL) and Group II (serum albumin ≥3.0 g/dL). The outcome of patients with hypoalbuminemia was compared with that of normoalbuminemia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the total 246 patients who underwent the study, 84 patients (34.1%) were categorized as Group I and 162 patients were (65.9%) as Group II. Group I showed significantly higher incidence of confusion (24.6% vs. 5.3%, <it>p </it>< 0.001), pulmonary edema (15.8% vs. 3.2%, <it>p </it>= 0.002), pleural effusion (22.8% vs. 11.1%, <it>p </it>= 0.03), arrhythmia (12.3% vs. 2.6%, <it>p </it>= 0.008) and non-oliguric acute renal failure (40.4% vs. 11.1%, <it>p </it>< 0.001) compared to group II. Hypoalbuminemic group had a higher APACHE II score (11.37 ± 5.0 vs. 6.94 ± 4.2, <it>p </it>< 0.001), longer hospital stay (19.9 ± 42.1 days vs 7.5 ± 13.8 days, <it>p </it>= 0.012), and higher hospital cost compared to Group II.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study showed hypoalbuminemia in scrub typhus was closely related to the frequency of various complication, longer hospital stay, consequently the higher medical cost, necessitating more efficient management of patients, including medical resources.</p

Peroxiredoxin 3 deficiency induces cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction by impaired mitochondrial quality control

Mitochondrial quality control (MQC) consists of multiple processes: the prevention of mitochondrial oxidative damage, the elimination of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion and fission. Several studies proved that MQC impairment causes a plethora of pathological conditions including cardiovascular diseases. However, the precise molecular mechanism by which MQC reverses mitochondrial dysfunction, especially in the heart, is unclear. The mitochondria-specific peroxidase Peroxiredoxin 3 (Prdx3) plays a protective role against mitochondrial dysfunction by removing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Therefore, we investigated whether Prdx3-deficiency directly leads to heart failure via mitochondrial dysfunction. Fifty-two-week-old Prdx3-deficient mice exhibited cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction with giant and damaged mitochondria. Mitophagy was markedly suppressed in the hearts of Prdx3-deficient mice compared to the findings in wild-type and Pink1-deficient mice despite the increased mitochondrial damage induced by Prdx3 deficiency. Under conditions inducing mitophagy, we identified that the damaged mitochondrial accumulation of PINK1 was completely inhibited by the ablation of Prdx3. We propose that Prdx3 interacts with the N-terminus of PINK1, thereby protecting PINK1 from proteolytic cleavage in damaged mitochondria undergoing mitophagy. Our results provide evidence of a direct association between MQC dysfunction and cardiac function. The dual function of Prdx3 in mitophagy regulation and mitochondrial oxidative stress elimination further clarifies the mechanism of MQC in vivo and thereby provides new insights into developing a therapeutic strategy for mitochondria-related cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. © 20221

Outer Membrane Vesicles Derived from Escherichia coli Induce Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

Sepsis, characterized by a systemic inflammatory state that is usually related to Gram-negative bacterial infection, is a leading cause of death worldwide. Although the annual incidence of sepsis is still rising, the exact cause of Gram-negative bacteria-associated sepsis is not clear. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), constitutively secreted from Gram-negative bacteria, are nano-sized spherical bilayered proteolipids. Using a mouse model, we showed that intraperitoneal injection of OMVs derived from intestinal Escherichia coli induced lethality. Furthermore, OMVs induced host responses which resemble a clinically relevant condition like sepsis that was characterized by piloerection, eye exudates, hypothermia, tachypnea, leukopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, dysfunction of the lungs, hypotension, and systemic induction of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. Our study revealed a previously unidentified causative microbial signal in the pathogenesis of sepsis, suggesting OMVs as a new therapeutic target to prevent and/or treat severe sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacterial infection

Is Myocardial Infarction in Patients without Significant Stenosis on a Coronary Angiogram as Benign as Believed?

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and 1-year outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients without significant stenosis on a coronary angiogram comparison with the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with significant coronary artery stenosis. A total of 1,220 patients with AMI were retrospectively classified into Group I (≥50% diameter stenosis, n=1,120) and Group II (<50%, n=100). Group II was further divided into two subgroups according to the underlying etiology: cryptogenic (Group II-a, n=54) and those with possible causative factors (Group II-b, n=46). Patients in Group II were younger, were more likely to be women, and were less likely to smoke and to have diabetes mellitus than were patients in Group I. The levels of cardiac enzymes, LDL-cholesterol levels, and the apo-B/A1 ratio were lower in Group II. However, 1-month and 12-month rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were not significantly different between the two groups. The Group II-b subgroup comprised 29 patients with vasospasm, 11 with myocardial bridge, and 6 with spontaneous thrombolysis. Left ventricular ejection fraction and creatinine clearance were lower and levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were higher in Group II-a than in Group II-b. However, outcomes including MACE and mortality at 12 months were not significantly different between the two subgroups. The 1-year outcomes of patients in Group II were similar to those of patients in Group I. The clinical outcomes in Group II-a were also similar to those of Group II-b, although the former group showed higher levels of NT-proBNP and hs-CRP

Potential prognostic value of heat-shock protein 90 in the presence of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase overexpression or loss of PTEN, in invasive breast cancers

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Abstract Introduction Evaluating the expression of signaling molecule proteins from the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway in invasive breast cancers may identify prognostic marker(s) associated with early relapse. Methods Immunohistochemical analyses of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), PI3K-p110α, phospho-AKT, phospho-p70S6 kinase, phospho-S6 ribosomal protein, phospho-RAF, phospho-p44/42 MAPK, and heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) were performed on tumor samples from 212 patients with invasive breast cancer. Statistically significant relations between protein expression, clinicopathologic factors, and relapse-free survival (RFS) were analyzed. Results Expression of HSP90 was associated with 5-year RFS, as well as T stage, N stage, histologic grade, estrogen receptor (ER) expression, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, and the Ki-67 proliferation index. On multivariate analysis, coexpression of HSP90 and PI3K-p110α or expression of HSP90 along with PTEN loss demonstrated significantly worse RFS. In subgroup analyses, both exhibited strong prognostic significance in HER2-positive cases, but not in HER2-negative cases. Conclusions The coexpression of HSP90 with PI3K-p110α or expression of HSP90 along with PTEN loss has a potential as a molecular prognostic marker to predict early relapse in patients with invasive breast cancers