Post Herpetic Neuropathy of Sinuvertebral Nerve: A Case Report

Varicella-Zoster virus is a neurotropic virus of the herpes virus family that primarily affects sensory nerves. Herpes zoster causing sinuvertebral neuropathy has not been mentioned in the literature. A 55 years old man presented with low back pain, both buttocks, posterior thigh and leg pain over last 3 months. A straight leg raising test was positive on both sides. A left great toe dorsiflexion was decreased to 4/5. The VAS score at admission for back and leg pain was 7/10. The patient MRI was showing disc degeneration at L5-S1 level. We performed endoscopic interlaminar annuloplasty using radiofrequency ablation to denervate the sinuvertebral nerve attached to the annulus under epidural anesthesia. Patient symptoms completely relieved at the postoperative period and continued upto recent follow up of 6 months. The classical presentation of the patient after herpes zoster infection as back pain with referred leg pain, disc degeneration on MRI, intraoperative evidence of chronic neuropathy and almost complete improvement in patient symptoms after radiofrequency ablation makes it a first reported case of sinuvertebral neuropathy following herpes zoster infection

The change of stretched penile length and anthropometric data in Korean children aged 0-14 years: Comparative study of last 25 years

There has been a great improvement in height and weight of Korean children owing to economic development over the last 25 years. This study aimed to evaluate the penile length of Korean children today and to compare it with a previous Korean study reported in 1987. The cross-sectional study was conducted with 909 Korean boys aged 0-14 years who had been brought to outpatient clinics of five tertiary hospitals (Busan, Ulsan, and Changwon) between September 2013 and May 2015. The stretched penile length (SPL) was measured and the testicular size was measured using orchidometry (mL). Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the result of our study and the study reported in 1987. SPL of Korean children gradually increased from 4.1 ?? 0.8 cm at 0-1 year old to 9.6 ?? 3.0 cm at 13-14 years old, the most rapidly during the age of 13. While body weight and testicular size significantly increased from 1987 in most of age groups, there were no significant changes in SPL although there was in some age groups. Height decreased in the infants < 1 year old and increased in the children > 6 years old. With the great economic development over the last quarter century in Korea, height, body weight, and testicular size of children significantly increased but there was no significant change in SPL except penile growth pattern.ope

Efficacy and Tolerability of Solifenacin 5 mg Fixed Dose in Korean Children with Newly Diagnosed Idiopathic Overactive Bladder: a Multicenter Prospective Study

We investigated the efficacy and tolerability of solifenacin 5 mg fixed dose in children with newly diagnosed idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB). A total of 34 children (male/female patients = 16/18) aged under 13 years (mean age: 7.2 +/- 2.3; range: 5-12) who were newly diagnosed with OAB from January 2012 to September 2014 were prospectively evaluated with open-label protocol. All patients were treated with solifenacin 5 mg fixed dose once daily for at least 4 weeks. The efficacy and tolerability of solifenacin were evaluated 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment. The mean voiding frequency during daytime was decreased from 9.4 +/- 3.0 to 6.5 +/- 2.3 times after the 12-week treatment (P<0.001). The mean total OAB symptom score (OABSS) decreased from 7.7 +/- 4.2 to 3.1 +/- 3.1 after the 12-week treatment (P<0.001). The urgency and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) domains significantly improved from the 12-week treatment, and complete resolution of urgency occurred in 38.9% of patients and the percentage of children with UUI among urgent patients decreased from 79.4% to 57.1%. According to 3-day voiding diaries, the average bladder capacity increased from 90.4 +/- 44.4 to 156.2 +/- 67.3 mL (P<0.001). Drug-induced adverse effects (AEs) were reported in 7 patients (20.6%). Our results indicate that solifenacin 5 mg fixed dose is effective against OAB symptoms, and its tolerability is acceptable without significant AEs in children with OAB.ope

Comparison of penile length at 6–24 months between children with unilateral cryptorchidism and a healthy normal cohort

Purpose: Urologic diseases affected by testosterone can be associated with smaller penis size compared to the normal population. We sought to compare penile length in children with unilateral cryptorchidism and normative data from a cohort of healthy Korean boys. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in 259 Korean boys (212, normal cohort; 47, cryptorchidism) aged 6–24 months, each of whom had been brought to an outpatient clinic at one of five tertiary hospitals (Gyeongsangnam-do Province) between April 2014 and June 2015. Penile length was measured via stretched penile length (SPL) and testicular size was measured using orchidometry (mL). Results: SPL in children with cryptorchidism was significantly shorter compared to a cohort of healthy Korean boys aged 6–24 months (3.7±0.5 cm and 4.3±0.8 cm, p<0.001), although there were no differences with regard to height, body weight and contralateral testicular size between the two groups. According to the stratified ages (6–12, 12–18, and 18–24 months), SPL in children with cryptorchidism was persistently shorter at their ages than those without. Conclusions: It might be that the penile length aged 6–24 months of children with unilateral cryptorchidism is shorter than that of a cohort of healthy Korean boys

Nonstructural Protein 5A of Hepatitis C Virus Inhibits the Function of Karyopherin β3

It has been suggested that nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) plays a role in the incapacitation of interferon by inactivation of RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR. In order to further investigate the role of NS5A, we tried to identify cellular proteins interacting with NS5A by using the yeast two-hybrid system. The karyopherin β3 gene was isolated from a human liver cell library as a protein interacting with NS5A. The protein-protein interaction between NS5A and karyopherin β3 was confirmed by in vitro binding assay and an in vivo coimmunoprecipitation method. The effect of NS5A on the karyopherin β3 activity was investigated using a yeast cell line containing mutations in both PSE1 and KAP123, genes that are homologous to the human karyopherin β3 gene. Human karyopherin β3 complemented the loss of the PSE1 and KAP123 functions, supporting growth of the double mutant cells. However, expression of NS5A hampered the growth of the double mutant cells supplemented with human karyopherin β3. On the other hand, expression of NS5A by itself had no effect on the growth of the double mutant expressing wild-type yeast PSE1. This indicates that NS5A may inhibit karyopherin β3 function via protein-protein interaction. The role of NS5A in HCV replication is discussed

Can recording only the day-time voided volumes predict bladder capacity?

Purpose: This study aimed to demonstrate a method to easily assess bladder capacity using knowledge of day-time voided volumes, which can be obtained even from patients with nocturnal enuresis where the first morning void cannot accurately predict the bladder capacity due to bladder emptying overnight. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 177 healthy children from 7 Korean medical centres entered the study between January 2008 and January 2009. Voided volumes measured for more than 48 hours were recorded in the frequency volume chart (FVC). Results: Most voided volumes during day-time were showed between 30% and 80% of the maximal voided volume (MVV). The maximal voided volume during day-time (MVVDT) was significantly less than the MVV (179.5±71.1 mL vs. 227.0±79.2 mL, p<0.001). The correlation coefficients with the MVV were 0.801 for the estimated MVV using the MVVDT (MVVDT×1.25), which suggested a fairly strong relationship between the MVVDT×1.25 and the MVV. Conclusions: The MVV derived from the FVC excluding the FMV was less than if the FMV had been included. When an accurate first morning voided volume cannot be obtained, as in patients with nocturnal enuresis, calculating MVVDT×1.25 allows estimation of the bladder capacity in place of the MVV

Docetaxel Enhances Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand-Mediated Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells via Epigenetic Gene Regulation by Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2

Purpose: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising cancer therapeutic agent because of its tumor selectivity and its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells while sparing most normal cells. We evaluated whether docetaxel enhances TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer (PCa) cells and its mechanism. Materials and Methods: LNCap-LN3, PC3, and DU 145 PCa cell lines were used to investigate the effects of TRAIL with docetaxel treatment (dosages, 1, 3, 5, and 10 nmol). To evaluate the mechanism, death receptor 4 (DR4), DR5, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and E2F1 levels were assessed in PCa cells. Results: Hormone-sensitive LNCap-LN3 showed apoptosis in proportion to the concentration of docetaxel. Castration-resistant PC3 and DU 145 showed no change irrespective of the docetaxel concentration. However, combinations of docetaxel (2 nM) and TRAIL (100 ng/mL) had a significant effect on apoptosis of DU 145 cells. In DU 145 cells, docetaxel reduced EZH2 and elevated expression of DR4. The decrease of EZH2 by docetaxel was correlated with the E2F1 level, which was considered as the promoter of EZH2. DZNep reduced EZH2 and elevated DR4 in all PCa cells. Additionally, DZNep-enhanced TRAIL mediated reduction of PCa cell viability. Conclusions: Docetaxel and the EZH2 inhibitor reduced EZH2 and elevated expression of DR4 in all PCa cell lines. Docetaxel-enhanced TRAIL mediated apoptosis in PCa via elevation of DR4 through epigenetic regulation by EZH2. To improve the efficacy of TRAIL for PCa treatment, adding docetaxel or EZH2 inhibitors to TRAIL may be promising