The mechanism and cause of anterior cruciate ligament tear in the Korean military environment

Purpose Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is very common but few studies have analyzed the injury mechanism and cause of ACL tear in a specific environment such as a military institution. The purpose of this study was to analyze the injury mechanism and cause of ACL injury in the military environment. Additionally, this study could provide outcomes that may aid future studies on prevention of ACL injury in military personnel. Materials and methods This study retrospectively analyzed 168 patients who sustained ACL tear while in military service and underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in a military hospital. Analysis of the injury mechanism and the cause was evaluated by analyzing the medical records. Knee magnetic resonance imaging analysis was also conducted for further evaluation of associated injury. Results The majority of ACL injuries in the military environment occurred through non-contact injury. Changing direction (46.4%) was the most common lower-leg position, followed by landing with the knee in a valgus position (26.8%). The activity undertaken at the time of injury was exercise in 76.2% of cases and military training/daily activities in 23.8% of cases. The incidence of ACL injury was higher in the soldier compared to the officer group during exercise (P = 0.017). Soccer was the most common activity at the time of injury (54.1%), followed by military training/daily activities, futsal, and basketball. The most common injury time was between 30 and 60 min after the start of exercise. Commonly associated injury sites were the medial meniscus and the medial collateral ligament. Conclusions The main mechanism of ACL injury occurring in the military environment was non-contact injury, especially on changing the direction of the lower leg. Soccer was the most frequent activity at the time of the injury. These findings suggested that preventive strategies against ACL injury in the military environment could effectively reduce the incidence of ACL injury

A Case of Postoperative Tuberculous Spondylitis with a Bizarre Course

Postoperative infections following spine surgery are usually attributable to bacterial organisms. Staphylococcus aureus is known to be the most common single pathogen leading to this infection, and the number of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is increasing. However, there is a paucity of literature addressing postoperative infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We encountered a case of tuberculous spondylitis after spine surgery. A man had fever with low back pain three weeks after posterior interbody fusion with instrumentation for a herniated intervertebral disc at the L4-L5 level. He had been treated with antibiotics for an extended period of time under the impression that he had a bacterial infection, but his symptoms and laboratory data had not improved. Polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis turned out to be positive. The patient's symptoms finally improved when he was treated with antituberculosis medication

Clinical Study Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid on the Fatty Acid Content of the Erythrocyte Membrane and Proteinuria in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Dietary omega-3 fatty acid (FA) has cardioprotective effect and is associated with a slower deterioration of albumin excretion in patients with diabetic nephropathy. In this study, we evaluated the effect of omega-3 FA on proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy patients who are controlling blood pressure (BP) with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). In addition, we identified changes in erythrocyte membrane FA contents. A total of 19 patients who were treated with ACEi or ARB for at least 6 months were treated for 12 weeks with omega-3 FA (Omacor, 3 g/day) or a control treatment (olive oil, 3 g/day). Proteinuria levels were unchanged after 12 weeks compared with baseline values in both groups. The erythrocyte membrane contents of omega-3 FA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were significantly increased, and oleic acid, arachidonic acid : EPA ratio, and omega-6 : omega-3 FA ratio were significantly decreased after 12 weeks compared with the baseline values in the omega-3 FA group. Although omega-3 FA did not appear to alter proteinuria, erythrocyte membrane FA contents, including oleic acid, were altered by omega-3 FA supplementation

Severe Aortic Coarctation in a 75-Year-Old Woman: Total Simultaneous Repair of Aortic Coarctation and Severe Aortic Stenosis

Aortic coarctation is usually diagnosed and repaired in childhood and early adulthood. Survival of a patient with an uncorrected coarctation to more than 70 years of age is extremely unusual, and management strategies for these cases remain controversial. We present a case of a 75-year-old woman who was first diagnosed with aortic coarctation and severe aortic valve stenosis 5 years ago and who underwent a successful one-stage repair involving valve replacement and insertion of an extra-anatomical bypass graft from the ascending to the descending aorta

Subchronic inhalation toxicity of gold nanoparticles

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gold nanoparticles are widely used in consumer products, including cosmetics, food packaging, beverages, toothpaste, automobiles, and lubricants. With this increase in consumer products containing gold nanoparticles, the potential for worker exposure to gold nanoparticles will also increase. Only a few studies have produced data on the <it>in vivo </it>toxicology of gold nanoparticles, meaning that the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of gold nanoparticles remain unclear.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The toxicity of gold nanoparticles was studied in Sprague Dawley rats by inhalation. Seven-week-old rats, weighing approximately 200 g (males) and 145 g (females), were divided into 4 groups (10 rats in each group): fresh-air control, low-dose (2.36 × 10⁴particle/cm³, 0.04 μg/m³), middle-dose (2.36 × 10⁵particle/cm³, 0.38 μg/m³), and high-dose (1.85 × 10⁶particle/cm³, 20.02 μg/m³). The animals were exposed to gold nanoparticles (average diameter 4-5 nm) for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 90-days in a whole-body inhalation chamber. In addition to mortality and clinical observations, body weight, food consumption, and lung function were recorded weekly. At the end of the study, the rats were subjected to a full necropsy, blood samples were collected for hematology and clinical chemistry tests, and organ weights were measured. Cellular differential counts and cytotoxicity measurements, such as albumin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and total protein were also monitored in a cellular bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Among lung function test measurements, tidal volume and minute volume showed a tendency to decrease comparing control and dose groups during the 90-days of exposure. Although no statistically significant differences were found in cellular differential counts, histopathologic examination showed minimal alveoli, an inflammatory infiltrate with a mixed cell type, and increased macrophages in the high-dose rats. Tissue distribution of gold nanoparticles showed a dose-dependent accumulation of gold in only lungs and kidneys with a gender-related difference in gold nanoparticles content in kidneys.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lungs were the only organ in which there were dose-related changes in both male and female rats. Changes observed in lung histopathology and function in high-dose animals indicate that the highest concentration (20 μg/m³) is a LOAEL and the middle concentration (0.38 μg/m³) is a NOAEL for this study.</p

Intra-host competition and interactions between Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) strains in mixed-infected soybean

Abstract Over the past two decades, the dominant Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) strain in South Korea has changed from G5 to G7H. To examine the dominance of G7H, intra-host competition between G7H and G5 was evaluated in soybean plants infected with a mixture of SMV strains. The distribution patterns of the two SMV strains in soybean plants inoculated with G7H, G5 and G7H/G5 were investigated at designated time points by RT-PCR/RFLP analysis, which enables the specific differentiation of low concentrations of SMV strains and the detection of mixed infection at any given time. When leaves of &apos;Kwangankong&apos; and &apos;Tawonkong&apos; were infected with both strains, the upper leaves had only the G7H strain in simultaneous infections. In sequential inoculations, the leaves exhibited mosaic symptoms caused by G7H, and the G5 strain was not detected in plants pre-inoculated with the G7H strain before inoculation with the G5 strain. In the reverse treatment, both G5 and G7H were present at every vegetative stage. In addition, interactions between the virulence and dominance of G7H, G5, and G1, a less virulent strain, were investigated. Three landrace soybeans were co-inoculated with G7H/G5, G7H/G1, G5/G1, and G7H/G5/G1 sets. There was no significant difference between virulence and dominance. These results demonstrate the dominance of G7H in mixed infections and could explain the prevalence of G7H in South Korea

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) in Domestic Poultry and Relationship with Migratory Birds, South Korea

During the 2006–2007 winter season in South Korea, several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) were confirmed among domestic poultry and in migratory bird habitats. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates were closely related and that all belong to the A/bar-headed goose/Qinghai/5/2005–like lineage rather than the A/chicken/Korea/ES/2003–like lineage

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant causes brain infection with lymphoid depletion in a mouse COVID-19 model

Background The Omicron variant has become the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variant. Omicron is known to induce milder lesions compared to the original Wuhan strain. Fatal infection of the Wuhan strain into the brain has been well documented in COVID-19 mouse models and human COVID-19 cases, but apparent infections into the brain by Omicron have not been reported in human adult cases or animal models. In this study, we investigated whether Omicron could spread to the brain using K18-hACE2 mice susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results K18-hACE2 mice were intranasally infected with 1 × 105 PFU of the original Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. A follow-up was conducted 7days post infection. All Wuhan-infected mice showed > 20% body weight loss, defined as the lethal condition, whereas two out of five Omicron-infected mice (40%) lost > 20% body weight. Histopathological analysis based on H&E staining revealed inflammatory responses in the brains of these two Omicron-infected mice. Immunostaining analysis of viral nucleocapsid protein revealed severe infection of neuron cells in the brains of these two Omicron-infected mice. Lymphoid depletion and apoptosis were observed in the spleen of Omicron-infected mice with brain infection. Conclusion Lethal conditions, such as severe body weight loss and encephalopathy, can occur in Omicron-infected K18-hACE2 mice. Our study reports, for the first time, that Omicron can induce brain infection with lymphoid depletion in the mouse COVID-19 model