Simultaneous Total Occlusion of Multiple Distal Coronary Arteries in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Simultaneous multiple coronary artery thrombosis is a rare finding in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We report a case of myocardial infarction with multiple ST segment elevation on the electrocardiography and total occlusions of the distal left anterior descending artery (dLAD), as well as of the second and third obtuse marginal artery on emergency coronary angiography. Thrombus aspiration was performed at dLAD and systemic glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor was used successfully. In patients with STEMI, multiple coronary thromboses are unusual and associated with patient fatality. However, assertive thrombus aspiration and antiplatelet therapy could be effective in STEMI patients with multiple distal coronary artery occlusions

Three-way Translocation of MLL/MLLT3, t(1;9;11)(p34.2;p22;q23), in a Pediatric Case of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The chromosome band 11q23 is a common target region of chromosomal translocation in different types of leukemia, including infantile leukemia and therapy-related leukemia. The target gene at 11q23, MLL, is disrupted by the translocation and becomes fused to various translocation partners. We report a case of AML with a rare 3-way translocation involving chromosomes 1, 9, and 11: t(1;9;11)(p34.2;p22;q23). A 3-yr-old Korean girl presented with a 5-day history of fever. A diagnosis of AML was made on the basis of the morphological evaluation and immunophenotyping of bone marrow specimens. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping showed blasts positive for myeloid lineage markers and aberrant CD19 expression. Karyotypic analysis showed 46,XX,t(1;9;11)(p34.2;p22;q23) in 19 of the 20 cells analyzed. This abnormality was involved in MLL/MLLT3 rearrangement, which was confirmed by qualitative multiplex reverse transcription-PCR and interphase FISH. She achieved morphological and cytogenetic remission after 1 month of chemotherapy and remained event-free for 6 months. Four cases of t(1;9;11)(v;p22;q23) have been reported previously in a series that included cases with other 11q23 abnormalities, making it difficult to determine the distinctive clinical features associated with this abnormality. To our knowledge, this is the first description of t(1;9;11) with clinical and laboratory data, including the data for the involved genes, MLL/MLLT3

Simultaneous electrochemical detection of both PSMA (+) and PSMA (-) prostate cancer cells using an RNA/peptide dual-aptamer probe

Using an RNA/peptide dual-aptamer probe, both PSMA (+) and PSMA (-) prostate cancer cells were simultaneously detected by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This approach can be applied as a general tool for early diagnosis of prostate cancer.CATALONA WJ, 1993, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V270, P948Lupold SE, 2002, CANCER RES, V62, P4029Kue PF, 2002, INT J CANCER, V102, P572, DOI 10.1002/ijc.10734Drummond TG, 2003, NAT BIOTECHNOL, V21, P1192, DOI 10.1038/nbt873DARAIN F, 2004, BIOSENS BIOELECTRON, V20, P856Ban CG, 2004, NUCLEIC ACIDS RES, V32, DOI 10.1093/nar/gnh109Ghosh A, 2004, J CELL BIOCHEM, V91, P528, DOI 10.1002/jcb.10661LEVIN MA, 2005, J UROLOGY, V159, P475Rodriguez MC, 2005, CHEM COMMUN, P4267, DOI 10.1039/b506571bZitzmann S, 2005, CLIN CANCER RES, V11, P139Horninger W, 2001, CANCER-AM CANCER SOC, V91, P1667Lang SH, 2001, BRIT J CANCER, V85, P590Yamamoto T, 2001, UROLOGY, V58, P994Palecek E, 2002, CRIT REV ANAL CHEM, V32, P261Narain V, 2002, CANCER METAST REV, V21, P17Edwards S, 2005, BRIT J CANCER, V92, P376, DOI 10.1038/sj.bjc.6602261Postma R, 2005, EUR J CANCER, V41, P825, DOI 10.1016/j.ejca.2004.12.029Cahova-Kucharikova K, 2005, ANAL CHEM, V77, P2920Rahman MA, 2005, ANAL CHEM, V77, P4854, DOI 10.1021/ac050558vCho M, 2006, NUCLEIC ACIDS RES, V34, DOI 10.1093/nar/gkl364Farokhzad OC, 2006, P NATL ACAD SCI USA, V103, P6315, DOI 10.1073/pnas.0601755103Chu TC, 2006, CANCER RES, V66, P5989, DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-4583McNamara JO, 2006, NAT BIOTECHNOL, V24, P1005, DOI 10.1038/nbt1223Palecek E, 1998, BIOSENS BIOELECTRON, V13, P621Min K, 2008, BIOSENS BIOELECTRON, V23, P1819, DOI 10.1016/j.bios.2008.02.021CHO M, 2008, BMB REPORTS, V41, P119Kim D, 2007, J AM CHEM SOC, V129, P7661, DOI 10.1021/ja071471pMaalouf R, 2007, ANAL CHEM, V79, P4879, DOI 10.1021/ac070085nKRAHN MD, 1994, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V272, P773

A case of levocetirizine-induced liver injury

Levocetirizine is a second-generation nonsedative antihistaminic agent that has been demonstrated to be safe and effective for treating allergic disease. There was only one case report of levocetirizine-induced liver toxicity, but a liver biopsy was not performed. In this article, we present the first case of levocetirizine-induced liver injury with histologic findings. A 48-year-old man was hospitalized with jaundice and generalized pruritus that had developed after 2 months of therapy with levocetirizine for prurigo nodularis. Laboratory findings revealed acute hepatitis with cholestasis. A liver biopsy demonstrated portal inflammation and hepatitis with apoptotic hepatocytes. The patient fully recovered 3 weeks after withdrawing levocetirizine. Although levocetirizine is safe and effective, physicians should be aware of its potential hepatotoxicity

Isolation, Screening and Identification of Swine Gut Microbiota with Ochratoxin A Biodegradation Ability

The potential for ochratoxin A (OTA) degradation by swine intestinal microbiota was assessed in the current study. Intestinal content that was collected aseptically from swine was spiked with 100 ppb OTA and incubated for 6 and 12 h at 39°C. An OTA assay was conducted using the incubated samples, and it was found that 20% of the OTA toxin was detoxified, indicating the presence of microbes capable of OTA degradation. Twenty-eight bacterial species were isolated anaerobically in M 98-5 media and 45 bacterial species were isolated using nutrient broth aerobically. Screening results showed that one anaerobic bacterial isolate, named MM11, detoxified more than 75% of OTA in liquid media. Furthermore, 1.0 ppm OTA was degraded completely after 24 h incubation on a solid ‘corn’ substrate. The bacterium was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as having 97% sequence similarity with Eubacterium biforme. The isolation of an OTA-degrading bacterium from the swine natural flora is of great importance for OTA biodegradation and may be a valuable potential source for OTA-degradation enzymes in industrial applications

15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-ProstaglandinJ2 Regulates Dedifferentiation through Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ-Dependent Pathway but Not COX-2 Expression in Articular Chondrocytes

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ (PPAR-γ) is critical for phenotype determination at early differentiation stages of mesenchymal cells, whereas its physiological role is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandinJ2 (15d-PGJ2), the natural receptor ligand for PPAR-γ, on dedifferentiation and inflammatory responses, such as COX-2 expression and PGE2 production, in articular chondrocytes. Our data indicate that the 15d-PGJ2 caused a loss of differentiated chondrocyte phenotype as demonstrated by inhibition of type II collagen and proteoglycan synthesis. 15d-PGJ2 also induced COX-2 expression and PGE2 production. The 15d-PGJ2-induced dedifferentiation effect seems to be dependent on PPAR-γ activation, as the PPRE luciferase activity increased and PPAR-γ antagonist, BADGE, abolished type II collagen expression. However, BADGE did not block 15d-PGJ2-induced COX-2 expression. Collectively, our findings suggest that PPAR-γ-dependent and -independent mechanisms of 15d-PGJ2-induced dedifferentiation and inflammatory responses in articular chondrocytes, respectively. Additionally, these data suggest that targeted modulation of the PPAR-γ pathway may offer a novel approach for therapeutic inhibition of joint tissue degradation

Clinical Efficacy of a 24-months Course of Lamivudine Therapy in Patients with HBeAg Negative Chronic Hepatitis B: A Long-term Prospective Study

The optimal duration of oral nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy for HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has not been defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of 24-months course of lamivudine therapy in patients with HBeAg negative CHB in Korea. A total of 50 Korean patients with HBeAg negative CHB were prospectively enrolled. The patients received 100 mg/day of lamivudine orally for 24 months. Patients who showed complete response at 24 months to lamivudine therapy stopped treatment, and regular follow-up was done thereafter. The mean follow-up duration after cessation of therapy was 40.8±22.7 (range 12-96) months. The complete response rate at months 12 and 24 were 86.0% (43/50) and 86.0% (43/50), respectively, and the clinical breakthrough at months 12 and 24 were 4.0% (2/50) and 14.0% (7/50), respectively. The expected durability of responses at months 12, 24, and 36 after cessation of lamivudine therapy in 43 complete responders was 79.1%, 64.0%, and 56.9%, respectively. In conclusion, a 24-months course of lamivudine therapy shows high end-treatment response rate and substantial durability of initial response after cessation of therapy in HBeAg negative CHB patients in Korea

Association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months of age in a Korean population: a birth cohort study (COCOA)

PurposePrevious studies suggest that the concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in cord blood may show an inverse association with respiratory tract infections (RTI) during childhood. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of 25(OH)D concentrations in cord blood on infant RTI in a Korean birth cohort.MethodsThe levels of 25(OH)D in cord blood obtained from 525 Korean newborns in the prospective COhort for Childhood Origin of Asthma and allergic diseases were examined. The primary outcome variable of interest was the prevalence of RTI at 6-month follow-up, as diagnosed by pediatricians and pediatric allergy and pulmonology specialists. RTI included acute nasopharyngitis, rhinosinusitis, otitis media, croup, tracheobronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia.ResultsThe median concentration of 25(OH)D in cord blood was 32.0 nmol/L (interquartile range, 21.4 to 53.2). One hundred and eighty neonates (34.3%) showed 25(OH)D concentrations less than 25.0 nmol/L, 292 (55.6%) showed 25(OH)D concentrations of 25.0-74.9 nmol/L, and 53 (10.1%) showed concentrations of ≥75.0 nmol/L. Adjusting for the season of birth, multivitamin intake during pregnancy, and exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy, 25(OH)D concentrations showed an inverse association with the risk of acquiring acute nasopharyngitis by 6 months of age (P for trend=0.0004).ConclusionThe results show that 89.9% of healthy newborns in Korea are born with vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency (55.6% and 34.3%, respectively). Cord blood vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in healthy neonates is associated with an increased risk of acute nasopharyngitis by 6 months of age. More time spent outdoors and more intensified vitamin D supplementation for pregnant women may be needed to prevent the onset of acute nasopharyngitis in infants