Herbal Medication Aggravates Cataract Formation: A Case Report

We report a case of complicated cataract aggravated after taking herbal medication for atopic dermatitis. An 11-yr-old boy was referred for the evaluation of decreased visual acuity in both eyes for 2 months. Past history showed that he had been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis when he was 1 yr old. He had been treated only with herbal medication for a period of 8 months prior to visiting our clinic. He had his visual acuity checked in a local ophthalmic clinic one year before, and the visual acuity was 20/20 in both eyes at that time. When attending our clinic the ophthalmologic examination showed that his best corrected visual acuity was 20/200 in both eyes. Lenses of both eyes had severe posterior subcapsular and posterior capsular opacity. Phacoemulsification, posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation, and posterior continuous curvilinear capsulectomy were performed in both eyes. After 3 months postoperatively, the best corrected visual acuity was recovered to 20/20 in both eyes without any complication. Our case suggests that there may be a risk of aggravation of cataract or development of cataract after treatment with some unidentified herbal medication in a patient with atopic dermatitis

Reproductive and Hormonal Factors Associated with Fatty or Dense Breast Patterns among Korean Women

PURPOSE: Dense breasts have been suggested as a risk factor for breast cancer, but controversy still remains. This study evaluates the association of reproductive and hormonal factors with dense breasts among Korean women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, 516 women were recruited and classified for breast density patterns as being either fatty or dense, using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) of the American College of Radiology. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In univariate logistic regression, older age, higher body mass index, older age at menarche, and oral contraceptive use were associated with more fatty breasts. On the contrary, longer duration of education, alcohol consumption, lower parity, menopause and use of hormone replacement therapy were associated with dense breasts. After adjustment, age and body mass index were inversely associated with breast density (p-value for trend <0.01, respectively), whereas nulliparous and premenopausal status were positively associated. Compared to women who had ≥2 children, nulliparous women had an 11.8-fold increase of dense breasts (p-value for trend <0.01). Compared to postmenopausal women, premenopausal women had 2.4-fold increase of dense breasts (odds ratio, 2.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.36 to 4.32). CONCLUSION: Young age, lower body mass index, lower parity, and premenopausal status were significantly associated with dense breasts in Koreaope

Comparison of the ocular surface microbiota between thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy patients and healthy subjects

PurposeThyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a chronic autoimmune disease. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was used to investigate the diversity and composition of the ocular microbiota in patients with TAO.MethodsPatients with TAO did not receive treatment for the disease and did not have exposed keratitis. Patients with TAO (TAO group) and healthy individuals (control group) were compared. All samples were swabbed at the conjunctival vault of the lower eyelid. The V3 to V4 region of the 16S rDNA was amplified using polymerase chain reaction and sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 Sequencing Platform. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze the differences between the groups and the correlation between ocular surface microbiota and the disease. The ocular surface microbiota of patients and healthy individuals were cultured.ResultsThe ocular surface microbiota structure of TAO patients changed significantly. The average relative abundance of Bacillus and Brevundimonas increased significantly in the TAO group. Corynebacterium had a significantly decreased relative abundance (P&lt;0.05). Paracoccus, Haemophilus, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium were positively correlated with the severity of clinical manifestations or disease activity (P&lt;0.05). Bacillus cereus and other opportunistic pathogens were obtained by culture from TAO patients.ConclusionsThis study found that the composition of ocular microbiota in patients with TAO was significantly different from that in healthy individuals. The ocular surface opportunistic pathogens, such as Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Paracoccus, and Haemophilus in TAO patients, increase the potential risk of ocular surface infection. The findings of this study provide a new avenue of research into the mechanism of ocular surface in TAO patients

A Case of Cutaneous Bronchogenic Cyst Presenting with Lymphoid Follicles

Cutaneous bronchogenic cysts are rare, and stem from developmental abnormalities of the tracheobronchial tree. The condition is often misdiagnosed clinically, with the correct diagnosis usually established by histopathologic examination. Published reports of bronchogenic or branchial anomalies are increasing, and the traditional defining characteristics of location and histopathology are proving to be less reliable for the identification of cutaneous bronchogenic cysts. In this report, we describe a case of a cutaneous bronchogenic cyst that presented with unusual histologic features, and was associated with several lymphoid follicles

FoxO Transcription Factor Regulate Hormone Mediated Signaling on Nymphal Diapause

Diapause is a complex physiological adaptation phenotype, and the transcription factor Forkhead-box O (FoxO) is a prime candidate for activating many of its diverse regulatory signaling pathways. Hormone signaling regulates nymphal diapause in Laodelphax striatellus. Here, the function of the FoxO gene isolated from L. striatellus was investigated. After knocking-down LsFoxO in diapausal nymphs using RNA interference, the titers of juvenile hormone III and some cold-tolerance substances decreased significantly, and the duration of the nymphal developmental period was severely shorted to 25.5 days at 20°C under short day-length (10 L:14 D). To determine how LsFoxO affects nymphal diapause, analyses of RNA-sequencing transcriptome data after treatment with LsFoxO–RNA interference was performed. The differentially expressed genes affected carbohydrate, amino acid and fatty acid metabolism, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. Thus, LsFoxO acts on L. striatellus nymphal diapause and is, therefore, a potential target gene for pest control. This study may lead to new information on the regulation of nymphal diapause in this important pest

Genomic Characterization Provides New Insights for Detailed Phage- Resistant Mechanism for Brucella abortus

As the causative agent of cattle brucellosis, Brucella abortus commonly exhibits smooth phenotype (by virtue of colony morphology) that is characteristically sensitive to specific Brucella phages, playing until recently a major role in taxonomical classification of the Brucella species by the phage typing approach. We previously reported the discrepancy between traditional phenotypic typing and MLVA results of a smooth phage-resistant (SPR) strain Bab8416 isolated from a 45-year-old custodial worker with brucellosis in a cattle farm. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing and further obtained a complete genome sequence of strain Bab8416 by a combination of multiple NGS technologies and routine PCR sequencing. The detailed genetic differences between B. abortus SPR Bab8416 and large smooth phage-sensitive (SPS) strains were investigated in a comprehensively comparative genomic study. The large indels between B. abortus SPS strains and Bab8416 showed possible divergence between two evolutionary branches at a far phylogenetic node. Compared to B. abortus SPS strain 9-941 (Bab9-941), the specific re-arrangement event in Bab8416 displaying a closer linear relationship with B. melitensis 16M than other B. abortus strains resulted in the truncation of c-di-GMP synthesis, and 3 c-di-GMP-metabolizing genes, were present in Bab8416 and B. melitensis 16M, but absent in Bab9-941 and other B. abortus strains, indicating potential SPR-associated key determinants and novel molecular mechanisms. Moreover, despite almost completely intact smooth LPS related genes, only one mutated OmpA family protein of Bab8416, functionally related to flagellar and efflux pump, was newly identified. Several point mutations were identified to be Bab8416 specific while a majority of them were verified to be B. abortus ST2 characteristic. In conclusion, our study therefore identifies new SPR-associated factors that could play a role in refining and updating Brucella taxonomic schemes and provides resources for further detailed analysis of mechanism for Brucella phage resistance