Characterization of human papillomavirus type 16 pseudovirus containing histones

Lymphoproliferative responses following four immunizations with HPV16 PsVs from fraction I, II, or III. The mice were immunized four times with 50 ng of PsVs per dose at 2-week intervals. Mouse splenocytes were obtained 5 days after the fourth immunization. Mouse splenocytes were labeled with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE), stimulated with purified HPV16 L1 VLPs, and cultured for 4 days. The splenocytes were stained with allophycocyanin (APC)-conjugated anti-CD4 antibody (eBioscience, USA) and examined with a FACSCalibur flow cytometer (BD Bioscience, USA). To count CD4+ cells, the cells were gated according to forward and side scatter, and the upper-left segment of each graph was counted on FITC and APC scatter plots. Panel A shows the flow cytometry results for three individual mice. The value in panel B represents the mean ± SEM (n = 3). (DOCX 171 kb

Hippocampal sclerosis and encephalomalacia as prognostic factors of tuberculous meningitis-related and herpes simplex encephalitis-related epilepsy

AbstractBackgroundTuberculous meningitis (TBM) and herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) are common neurological diseases involving the brain parenchyma, and both can result in chronic epilepsy. Here, we identified possible variables affecting the prognosis of central nervous system (CNS) infection-related epilepsy.MethodsThe clinical seizure characteristics and demographic data of 20 TBM- and 55 HSE-related epilepsy patients were compared. Statistically significant prognostic variables were identified using multiple regression analysis.ResultsSex, age at infection, age at epilepsy onset, presence of seizures at the time of infection, latency period, and seizure characteristics between two groups were similar except for the pattern of brain lesions observed on the MRI and their overall prognosis. Patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) only comprised 30% and 52.7% of the TBM and HSE groups, respectively. Encephalomalacia had a positive effect in the HSE group while HS had a negative effect in this group, but no significant effects were found in the TBM group. Through a multiple regression analysis with a correction for group effects, HS was associated with a poor prognosis. However, encephalomalacia was concomitantly associated with a good prognosis. In addition, a short latency period, with a one-year interval, and being male were both associated with a good prognosis, while the age at the onset of epilepsy was associated with a poor prognosis.ConclusionsThis study suggests that HS and encephalomalacia could have mutual but contradictory effects on the prognosis of CNS infection-related epilepsy

Evaluation of Left Atrial Volumes Using Multidetector Computed Tomography: Comparison with Echocardiography

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the relationship between the two different measurement methods for the evaluation of left atrial (LA) volume using cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and to compare the results between cardiac MDCT and echocardiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients (20 men, 15 women; mean age, 60 years) underwent cardiac MDCT angiography for coronary artery disease. The LA volumes were measured using two different methods: the two dimensional (2D) length-based (LB) method measured along the three-orthogonal planes of the LA and the 3D volumetric threshold-based (VTB) method measured according to the threshold 3D segmentation of the LA. The results obtained by cardiac MDCT were compared with those obtained by echocardiography. RESULTS: The LA end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes (LAESV and LAEDV) measured by the 2D-LB method correlated well with those measured by the 3D-VTB method using cardiac MDCT (r = 0.763, r = 0.786, p = 0.001). However, there was a significant difference in the LAESVs between the two measurement methods using cardiac MDCT (p < 0.05). The LAESV measured by cardiac MDCT correlated well with measurements by echocardiography (r = 0.864, p = 0.001), however with a significant difference (p < 0.01) in their volumes. The cardiac MDCT overestimated the LAESV by 22% compared to measurements by echocardiography. CONCLUSION: A significant correlation was found between the two different measurement methods for evaluating LA volumes by cardiac MDCT. Further, cardiac MDCT correlates well with echocardiography in evaluating the LA volume. However, there are significant differences in the LAESV between the two measurement methods using cardiac MDCT and between cardiac MDCT and echocardiographyope

A HISTORICAL APPROACH TO SYPHILIS INFECTION IN KOREA

From the end of the 15th century, syphilis spread worldwide, posing a serious threat to public health. Venereal syphilis has been a major research topic, not only in clinical medicine but also in paleopathology, especially because it is a disease of questionable origin and of high prevalence until the discovery of antibiotics. Syphilis in history has been studied extensively in Europe and the Americas, though less so in Asia. In this review, based on extant historical documents and available paleopathological data, we pinpoint the introduction and trace the spread of venereal syphilis in Korea to the end of the 19th century. This review provides fundamental information that will be of great help to future research on pre-20th century syphilis in Korea