A Quantitative Measure of Pain with Current Perception Threshold, Pain Equivalent Current, and Quantified Pain Degree: A Retrospective Study.

Background: As a subjective sensation, pain is difficult to evaluate objectively. The assessment of pain degree is largely dependent on subjective methods such as the numeric rating scale (NRS). The PainVisionTM system has recently been introduced as an objective pain degree measurement tool. The purpose of this study was to analyze correlations between the NRS and the current perception threshold (CPT), pain equivalent current (PEC), and quantified pain degree (QPD). Methods: Medical records of 398 subjects who visited the pain clinic in a university hospital from March 2017 to February 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. To evaluate the pain degree, NRS, CPT, PEC, and QPD were measured. Subjects were categorized into two groups: the Pain group (n = 355) and the No-pain group (n = 43). Results: The NRS showed a negative correlation with CPT (R = -0.10, p = 0.054) and a positive correlation with QPD (R = 0.13, p = 0.008). Among various diseases, only spinal disease patients showed a negative correlation between CPT and NRS (R = -0.22, p = 0.003). Additionally, there were significant differences in CPT and QPD between the Pain and No-pain groups (p = 0.005 and p = 0.002, respectively). Conclusions: CPT and QPD measured using the PainVisionTM system could be used to estimate pain intensity and the presence of pain. These parameters would be considered useful for predicting pain itself and its intensity.

Clinical usefulness of ultrasound as an early diagnostic tool for neuroleukemiosis -a case report.

BACKGROUND: Neuroleukemiosis is a rare complication of leukemia. The diagnosis may be delayed owing to non-specific symptoms and the need for special diagnostic modalities. CASE: A 70-year-old man in his sixth year of remission from acute myeloid leukemia was referred to the pain clinic for shooting and radiating pain in the left posterior leg. A lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging showed mild disc bulging of the L2-3, which was insufficient to explain the patient's symptoms. With insufficient pain response to lumbar epidural block and piriformis injection, we examined both sciatic nerves using an ultrasound and identified an enlarged hypoechoic mass on the left sciatic nerve at mid-thigh level. After that, we biopsied the mass under general anesthesia, and histology confirmed it to be neuroleukemiosis. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound is an inexpensive, non-invasive, simple, and quick diagnostic modality that can be used as a screening tool in the diagnosis of neuroleukemiosis.

Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Behavior in Female Cancer Survivors: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2012.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare breast and cervical cancer screening rates between female cancer survivors and a population without cancer to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening in cancer survivors. METHODS: We included 17,765 adults (738 cancer survivors and 17,027 individuals without cancer) in this study, all of whom who were 30 years of age or older and participated in the Fourth and Fifth Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys from 2007-2012. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening uptake in female cancer survivors. RESULTS: The screening rate for breast cancer was 56.6%, which was higher than that in the non-cancer control group (P=0.001). The screening rate for cervical cancer was 51.4%, which was not different from that of the non-cancer control group. In terms of breast cancer screening, cancer survivors showed no significant difference in the rate of screening 5 years after their cancer diagnosis. However, cervical cancer survivors were less likely to have cervical cancer screening 10 years after their cancer diagnosis. There was no significant association between cancer screening and sociodemographic factors. CONCLUSION: Breast and cervical cancer screening rates in Korean female cancer survivors are low. Secondary primary cancer screening of female cancer survivors needs to be planned in a comprehensive manner, with the consideration of influences beyond sociodemographic factors.

Remodeling of the major mouse xenoantigen, Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R, by N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-III.

beta-D-Mannoside beta-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) catalyses the attachment of an N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue to mannose in the beta(1-4) configuration in N-glycans, and forms a bisecting GlcNAc. We have generated transgenic mice that contain the human GnT-III gene under the control of the mouse albumin enhancer/promoter [Lee et al., (2003)]. Overexpression of this gene in mice reduced the antigenicity of N-glycans to human natural antibodies, especially in the case of the alpha-Gal epitope, Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R. Study of endothelial cells from the GnT-III transgenic mice revealed a significant reduction in antigenicity, and a dramatic decrease in both complement- and natural killer cell-mediated mouse cell lysis. Changes in the enzymatic activities of other glycosyltransferases, such as alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase, and alpha-6-D-mannoside beta-1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V, did not point to any interaction between GnT-III and these enzymes in the transgenic mice, suggesting that this approach may be useful in clinical xenotransplantation.