Antegrade Flexible Ureteroscopy for Bilateral Ureteral Stones in a Patient with Severe Hip Joint Ankylosis

In the past several decades there has been a remarkable development of small-caliber, flexible ureteroscopes and various ancillary instruments for stone manipulation and retrieval. Percutaneous antegrade ureteroscopy can be substituted in select cases for retrograde ureteroscopy. We report a case of a 60-year-old man with severe ankylosis in both hip joints who was diagnosed with bilateral ureteral stones. The patient underwent antegrade flexible ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy. This case illustrates the role of antegrade flexible ureteroscopy combined with the holmium:YAG laser as a minimally invasive, safe, and effective technique for the management of stones in a patient who cannot undergo a retrograde approach

TSCOT + Thymic Epithelial Cell-Mediated Sensitive CD4 Tolerance by Direct Presentation

Although much effort has been directed at dissecting the mechanisms of central tolerance, the role of thymic stromal cells remains elusive. In order to further characterize this event, we developed a mouse model restricting LacZ to thymic stromal cotransporter (TSCOT)-expressing thymic stromal cells (TDLacZ). The thymus of this mouse contains approximately 4,300 TSCOT+ cells, each expressing several thousand molecules of the LacZ antigen. TSCOT+ cells express the cortical marker CDR1, CD40, CD80, CD54, and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII). When examining endogenous responses directed against LacZ, we observed significant tolerance. This was evidenced in a diverse T cell repertoire as measured by both a CD4 T cell proliferation assay and an antigen-specific antibody isotype analysis. This tolerance process was at least partially independent of Autoimmune Regulatory Element gene expression. When TDLacZ mice were crossed to a novel CD4 T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic reactive against LacZ (BgII), there was a complete deletion of double-positive thymocytes. Fetal thymic reaggregate culture of CD45- and UEA-depleted thymic stromal cells from TDLacZ and sorted TCR-bearing thymocytes excluded the possibility of cross presentation by thymic dendritic cells and medullary epithelial cells for the deletion. Overall, these results demonstrate that the introduction of a neoantigen into TSCOT-expressing cells can efficiently establish complete tolerance and suggest a possible application for the deletion of antigen-specific T cells by antigen introduction into TSCOT+ cells

The performance of tele-cervicography for detection of preinvasive and invasive disease of the uterine cervix as an adjunctive test to Pap smears

Aim of the study To evaluate the diagnostic capacity of tele-cervicography for the detection of cervical neoplasia as an adjunctive test with Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. Material and methods : Pap smear and tele-cervicography were performed on each subject. Histologic results were obtained for all patients. Results : Of the 863 females who had a tele-cervigram, 252 (29.2%) had a positive result. Of the 60 histologically confirmed cases of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), 56 (93.3%) were detected by tele-cervicography, including 16 (26.7%) with a positive grade of 1 and 40 (66.7%) with a positive grade of 2. With the positive threshold of tele-cervicography set as any positive grade (P0 to P3), the overall sensitivity was 94.0% (95% CI: 88.0–97.3%), the specificity was 80.9% (95% CI: 80.0–81.5%), and the positive likelihood ratio was 4.94 (95% CI: 4.23–5.77) for the detection of HSILs or cancer. The combination of tele-cervicography with Pap smear testing for the detection of HSILs or cancer resulted in an increase in sensitivity from 84.6% (Pap only: cutoff = atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or more severe) to 98.3% (Pap plus tele-cervicography: cutoff = P0 or more severe). Conclusions : The sensitivity of tele-cervicography was higher than that of cytology for the detection of cervical neoplasia, and combining the two tests increased the sensitivity. Tele-cervicography can be considered a useful complementary tool to cytology

Human Papillomavirus 16 Oncoproteins Downregulate the Expression of miR-148a-3p, miR-190a-5p, and miR-199b-5p in Cervical Cancer

Almost all cervical cancers are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV); however, the majority of women infected with this virus do not develop cervical cancer. Therefore, new markers are needed for reliable screening of cervical cancer, especially in relation to HPV infection. We aimed to identify potential microRNAs that may serve as diagnostic markers for cervical cancer development in high-risk HPV-positive patients. We evaluated the microRNA expression profiles in 12 cervical tissues using the hybridization method and verified them by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Finally, we evaluated the effects of HPV16 oncoproteins on the expression of selected microRNAs using cervical cancer cells (CaSki and SiHa) and RNA interference. With the hybridization method, eight microRNAs (miR-9-5p, miR-136-5p, miR-148a-3p, miR-190a-5p, miR-199b-5p, miR-382-5p, miR-597-5p, and miR-655-3p) were found to be expressed differently in the HPV16-positive cervical cancer group and HPV16-positive normal group (fold change ≥ 2). The results of qPCR showed that miR-148a-3p, miR-190a-5p, miR-199b-5p, and miR-655-3p levels significantly decreased in the cancer group compared with the normal group. Upon silencing of HPV16 E5 and E6/E7, miR-148a-3p levels increased in both cell lines. Silencing of E6/E7 in SiHa cells led to the increase in miR-199b-5p and miR-190a-5p levels. Three HPV16 oncoproteins (E5, E6, and E7) downregulate miR-148a-3p, while E6/E7 inhibit miR-199b-5p and miR-190a-5p expression in cervical carcinoma. The three microRNAs, miR-148a-3p, miR-199b-5p, and miR-190a-5p, may be novel diagnostic biomarkers for cervical cancer development in high-risk HPV-positive patients

RGB Channel Superposition Algorithm with Acetowhite Mask Images in a Cervical Cancer Classification Deep Learning Model

Cervical cancer is one of the main causes of death from cancer in women. However, it can be treated successfully at an early stage. This study aims to propose an image processing algorithm based on acetowhite, which is an important criterion for diagnosing cervical cancer, to increase the accuracy of the deep learning classification model. Then, we mainly compared the performance of the model, the original image without image processing, a mask image made with acetowhite as the region of interest, and an image using the proposed algorithm. In conclusion, the deep learning classification model based on images with the proposed algorithm achieved an accuracy of 81.31%, which is approximately 9% higher than the model with original images and approximately 4% higher than the model with acetowhite mask images. Our study suggests that the proposed algorithm based on acetowhite could have a better performance than other image processing algorithms for classifying stages of cervical images

Correction to: Analysis of plasma multiplex cytokines and increased level of IL-10 and IL-1Ra cytokines in febrile seizures

Abstract After publication of the article [1], it has been brought to our attention that several of the authors’ names were formatted incorrectly in the original version of the article. The corrections are listed below – “Byungok Kwak” should be “Byung Ok Kwak”“Soojin Kim” should be “Soo-Jin Kim”“Sunwhan Bae” should be “Sun Whan Bae”“Jaesung Son” should be “Jae Sung Son”“Soonyung Kim” should be “Soo-Nyung Kim” The original version of the article has now been revised

Vitamin D Status and Efficacy of Vitamin D Supplementation in Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Recent literature has highlighted the possible role of vitamin D in atopic dermatitis (AD), and that vitamin D supplementation might help to treat AD. This study determined the relationship between vitamin D level and AD, and assessed the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases up to May 2015. Observational studies and randomized controlled trials were included based on the available data on the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and quantified data available for severity assessed using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index or Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score. Compared with healthy controls, the serum 25(OH)D level was lower in the AD patients of all ages (standardized mean difference = −2.03 ng/mL; 95% confidence interval (CI) = −2.52 to −0.78), and predominantly in the pediatric AD patients (standardized mean difference = −3.03 ng/mL; 95% CI = −4.76 to −1.29). In addition, the SCORAD index and EASI score decreased after vitamin D supplementation (standardized mean difference = −5.85; 95% CI = −7.66 to −4.05). This meta-analysis showed that serum vitamin D level was lower in the AD patients and vitamin D supplementation could be a new therapeutic option for AD

Chorioamnionitis and Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

<div><p>Background</p><p>Chorioamnionitis has recently been reported as a risk factor for various neonatal diseases, including cerebral palsy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing enterocolitis, but its effect on patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of chorioamnionitis on PDA.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed databases using the terms: “intrauterine infection” or “maternal infection” or “antenatal infection” or “chorioamnionitis” or “placenta inflammation” or “placenta pathology” or “neonatal outcome” or “neonatal morbidity” or “PDA or patent ductus arteriosus” or “ductus arteriosus,” and “prematurity” or “very low birth weight infant.” Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials, case–control studies, or cohort studies that included information relating to chorioamnionitis and PDA.</p><p>Results</p><p>Among 1,571 studies, a total of 23 studies (17,708 cases) were included in the meta-analysis to analyze the relationship between chorioamnionitis and PDA, except one study that only included PDA requiring surgical ligation. The association between chorioamnionitis and PDA was statistically significant (odds ratio [OR] 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19, 1.72; P < 0.0001). In subgroup analysis, clinical chorioamnionitis was not associated with PDA (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.00, 1.64, 1.790; P = 0.05), whereas histologic chorioamnionitis (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.10, 2.15; P = 0.01) and chorioamnionitis diagnosed from both clinical and histologic findings (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.07, 2.86; P = 0.03) showed significant associations with PDA. Chorioamnionitis did not increase the risk of PDA requiring surgical ligation (OR 1.23; 95% CI 0.69, 2.17; P = 0.48), and antenatal steroid use reduced the risk of PDA (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.42, 0.90; P = 0.01) after chorioamnionitis.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The results from this meta-analysis support an association between maternal chorioamnionitis and PDA in offspring.</p></div