Laparoscopic splenectomy for sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation of the spleen

Primary splenic tumors are rare and mainly found incidentally on radiologic studies. Among them, sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT) of the spleen is a new entity defined as a benign pathologic lesion. Most SANTs have no clinical symptoms and are occasionally accompanied by other splenic diseases such as malignancies. So, the exact diagnosis of the nature of the splenic tumor is mandatory for further treatment. But, preoperative diagnosis is not easy since it is difficult to obtain the tissue from the spleen for pathological study. Recently, laparoscopic splenectomy has become the more standard procedure for the spleen for diagnosis and treatment. Here, we report a rare case of SANT diagnosed following laparoscopic splenectomy

N-benzyl-N-methyldecan-1-amine and its derivative mitigate 2,4- dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis and collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis

As our previous study revealed that N-benzyl-N-methyldecan-1-amine (BMDA), a new molecule originated from Allium sativum, exhibits anti-neoplastic activities, we herein explored other functions of the compound and its derivative [decyl-(4-methoxy-benzyl)-methyl-amine; DMMA] including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. Pretreatment of THP-1 cells with BMDA or DMMA inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β production, and blocked c-jun terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), MAPKAP kinase (MK)2 and NF-κΒ inflammatory signaling during LPS stimulation. Rectal treatment with BMDA or DMMA reduced the severity of colitis in 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS)-treated rat. Consistently, administration of the compounds decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity (representing neutrophil infiltration in colonic mucosa), production of inflammatory mediators such as cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-3 and TNF-α, and activation of JNK and p38 MAPK in the colon tissues. In addition, oral administration of these compounds ameliorated collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in mice. The treatment diminished the levels of inflammatory cytokine transcripts, and protected connective tissues through the expression of anti-oxidation proteins such as nuclear factor erythroid-related factor (Nrf)2 and heme oxygenase (HO)1. Additionally, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels did not differ between the BMDA- or DMMA-treated and control animals, indicating that the compounds do not possess liver toxicity. Taken together, these findings propose that BMDA and DMMA could be used as new drugs for curing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and RA

Anoctamin-1 affects the migration and invasion of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare malignancy with very poor prognosis. The exact cause underlying its strong aggressive nature is not clear. Here, we discovered the elevated expression of anoctamin-1 (ANO1; Ca2+-activated Cl− channels) in advanced-stage ATC tissue. Using different ATC cell lines, the degree of expression of ANO1 was found to be related to the degree of ATC cell invasion by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Suppression of ANO1 activity either by selective inhibitor (T16Ainh-A01) or by siRNA significantly attenuated the migration and invasion of ATC cells. In conclusion, ANO1 appears to increase the ability of ATC cells to invade and migrate. Our results also suggest that the expression of ANO1 in patients with ATC may be helpful in predicting the prognosis of ATC

Poison severity score and sequential organ failure assessment score: Carbon monoxide poisoning prognosis.

PURPOSE:We aimed to examine the utility of the Poison Severity Score (PSS) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score as early prognostic predictors of short-term outcomes in patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. We hypothesized that both the PSS and the SOFA score would be useful prognostic tools. METHODS:This was retrospective observational study of patients with CO poisoning who presented to the emergency department and were admitted for more than 24 hours. We calculated PSS, the initial SOFA score, a second (2nd) SOFA score, and a 24-hour delta SOFA score. The primary outcome was reported as the cerebral performance category (CPC) scale score at discharge. We classified those with CPC 1-2 as the good outcome group and those with CPC 3-5 as the poor outcome group. RESULTS:This study included 192 patients: 174 (90.6%) belonged to the good outcome group, whereas 18 (9.4%) belonged to the poor outcome group. The PSS (1.00 [0.00, 1.00] vs 3.00 [3.00, 3.00], p < 0.001), initial SOFA (1.00 [0.00, 2.00] vs 4.00 [3.25, 6.00], p < 0.001), 2nd SOFA score (0.00 [0.00, 1.00] vs 4.00 [3.00, 7.00], p < 0.001), and 24-hour delta SOFA score (-1.00 [-1.00, 0.00] vs 0.00 [-1.00, 1.00], p = 0.047) of the good outcome group were significantly higher than those of the poor outcome group. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for PSS and the initial SOFA and 2nd SOFA scores were 0.977 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.944-0.993), 0.945 (95% CI 0.903-0.973), and 0.978 (95% CI 0.947-0.994), respectively. CONCLUSION:The PSS, initial SOFA score, and 2nd SOFA score predict acute poor outcome accurately in patients with CO poisoning

Canine adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy in a dog with renal Fanconi syndrome

Renal Fanconi syndrome (RFS) affects the proximal tubular resorption in the nephrons. This causes excessive loss of key solutes through the urine. In a canine patient, we successfully managed the renal tubular acidosis and proteinuria caused by RFS via transplantation of canine adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (cAT-MSCs). cAT-MSCs were administered ten times at intervals of 2-4 weeks. The post-therapy check-up revealed that the cAT-MSC treatment improved the renal tubular acidosis and proteinuria. Hence, a cAT-MSC transplant may be considered as an adjuvant therapy in veterinary medicine to initiate and maintain relief of RFSinduced acidosis and proteinuria.N

Characteristics of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from chicken meat and hospitalized dogs in Korea and their epidemiological relatedness

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important pathogens in human and veterinary hospitals. The isolation of MRSA from animals and foodstuffs has been reported with an increased incidence. However, methicillin (oxacillin) is not used in animal husbandry or in animal hospitals in Korea. In this study, three pre-MRSA and one silent mecA-carrying methicillin susceptible S. aureus (smMSSA) were isolated from retail chicken meat, and three MRSA were isolated from hospitalized dogs in Korea. The three pre-MRSA isolates were determined to have a staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type III, and the smMSSA isolate was not classified. The animal hospital isolates were found to contain SCCmec type II. Seven and 15 S. aureus isolated from hospitalized humans and bovine milk, respectively, were also examined in this study in order to determine the epidemiological origins of MRSA. Multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) revealed that the chicken meat and bovine milk isolates were closely related to the animal hospital isolates. The SCCmec characteristics and MLST analyses indicated the possibility of the human to animal transmission of MRSA. These results highlight the importance of identifying MRSA carriers as well as intercepting MRSA transmission because MRSA is becoming increasingly widespread without any plausible relationship with the use of methicillin (oxacillin).This study was supported by the Technology Development Program for Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Republic of Korea (grant no. 305003031HD110) and by a Korea Research Foundation grant (KRF-005-E00076). This study was also supported in part by the Research Institute of Veterinary Science, and the Brain Korea 21 Program for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University

Effects of Antidepressant Treatment on Symptom Measures of Attention in Adolescents with Depression: A Preliminary Open-Label Study

Objective: The effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) on deficits in attention and executive function in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) are relatively unknown. We aimed to investigate changes in symptom measures of attention in adolescents with MDD treated with escitalopram. Methods: The study included 82 MDD adolescents and 54 healthy controls aged from 12 to 17 years. Symptom measures of attention were assessed using the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) and Child Behavior Checklist attention problems scale at baseline and during week 8. Adolescents who showed at least 40% improvement in the Children&apos;s Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) scores from baseline to week 8 were referred to as &quot;responders.&quot; Results: No baseline differences were found between the responders (n = 47) and nonresponders (n = 35) in their age, sex, intelligence quotient, CDRS-R score, and attention measures. Linear mixed models showed significant group-by-time interaction effect in the ADHD-RS inattention subscale score, but not in the other attention measures. Conclusion: Our results suggest that treating depressive symptoms with SSRI may lead to improvements in attention in MDD adolescents. Monitoring changes in symptom measures of attention can be useful when treating adolescents with MDD. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03547219.Y