Inguinal and Scrotal Diseases in Children and Adolescents

In children and adolescents, inguinal and scrotal diseases are relatively common, and imaging is very useful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of these diseases. Therefore, it is important to understand the imaging findings of these diseases. In this article, we classify these diseases into small testes, cryptorchidism, patent processus vaginalis, acute scrotum pain, trauma, testicular tumors, and others and describe their characteristic findings.

Pericardial Recess: Computed Tomography Findings of Varying Disorders

A pericardial recess is frequently seen in patients undergoing chest computed tomography (CT). It is important to be aware of the normal anatomy of the pericardium as it is often mistaken for normal variants and/or disease. Therefore, we will describe the anatomy and location of the pericardial recess and the specific findings in various diseases associated with the pericardial recess.

The Effects of the Level of Health Literacy and Self-care Activities on Quality of Life of Patients with Diabetes in Korea

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to identify levels of health literacy and examine the effects of health literacy and self-care activities on quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes. @*Methods@#A cross sectional design was used. Questionnaires were administered via the Gallup to 500 Korean patients with diabetes in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t tests, one way ANOVA, and hierarchical regression. @*Results@#Of 500 patients, 12.4% (n=62) indicated ‘inadequate’ health literacy, and 43.8% (n=219) reported ‘marginal’ or ‘adequate’ health literacy. Levels of health literacy significantly differed by demographic characteristics, self-care activities, and quality of life. The factors that had a significant effect on quality of life included inadequate health literacy (B=3.63, p=.042) and marginal health literacy (B=3.84, p=.002); however, no significant relationship was found for self-care activities (B=0.01, p=.827). @*Conclusion@#The results of this study demonstrate a need for further research with large samples using Korean Health Literacy Scale for Diabetes Mellitus to establish the relationships between health literacy, diabetes self-care activities, and quality of life.

Expansion and Sub-Classification of T Cell-Dependent Antibody Responses to Encompass the Role of Innate-Like T Cells in Antibody Responses

In addition to T cell-dependent (TD) Ab responses, T cells can also regulate T cell-independent (TI) B cell responses in the absence of a specific major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and antigenic peptide-based interaction between T and B cells. The elucidation of T cells capable of supporting TI Ab responses is important for understanding the cellular mechanism of different types of TI Ab responses. Natural killer T (NKT) cells represent 1 type of helper T cells involved in TI Ab responses and more candidate helper T cells responsible for TI Ab responses may also include γδ T cells and recently reported B-1 helper CD4⁺ T cells. Marginal zone (MZ) B and B-1 cells, 2 major innate-like B cell subsets considered to function independently of T cells, interact with innate-like T cells. Whereas MZ B and NKT cells interact mutually for a rapid response to blood-borne infection, peritoneal memory phenotype CD49d(high)CD4⁺ T cells support natural Ab secretion by B-1 cells. Here the role of innate-like T cells in the so-called TI Ab response is discussed. To accommodate the involvement of T cells in the TI Ab responses, we suggest an expanded classification of TD Ab responses that incorporate cognate and non-cognate B cell help by innate-like T cells.

Serosal Cavities Contain Two Populations of Innate-like integrin α4highCD4+ T Cells, Integrin α4β1+α6β1+α4β7− and α4β1+α6β1−α4β7+ Cells

We previously reported peritoneal innate-like integrin α4 (CD49d)highCD4+ T cells that provided help for B-1a cells. Here we analyzed the expression of various integrin chains on the peritoneal and pleural integrin α4highCD4+ T cells and investigated the functional heterogeneity of the subpopulations based on the integrin expression. Pleural cavity contained a lower ratio of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells to integrin α4lowCD4+ T cells than peritoneal cavity, but the pleural integrin α4highCD4+ T cells have the same characteristics of the peritoneal integrin α4highCD4+ T cells. Most of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells were integrin β1highβ7−, but a minor population of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells was integrin β1+β7+. Interestingly, the integrin α4highβ1highβ7− CD4+ T cells expressed high levels of integrin α4β1 and α6β1, whereas integrin α4highβ1+β7+ CD4+ T cells expressed high levels of integrin α4β1 and α4β7, suggesting an alternative expression of integrin α6β1 or α4β7 in combination with α4β1 in respective major and minor populations of integrin α4highCD4+ T cells. The minor population, integrin α4highβ1+β7+ CD4+ T cells, were different from the integrin α4highβ1highβ7− CD4+ T cells in that they secreted a smaller amount of Th1 cytokines upon stimulation and expressed lower levels of Th1-related chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3 than the integrin α4highβ1 highβ7− CD4+ T cells. In summary, the innate-like integrin α4highCD4+ T cells could be divided into 2 populations, integrin α4β1+α6β1+α4β7− and α4β1+α6β1−α4β7+ cells. The functional significance of serosal integrin α4β7+ CD4+ T cells needed to be investigated especially in view of mucosal immunity.

Effect of CRP (cAMP Receptor Protein) of Escherichia coli on Transcription Initiation at lacUV5 Promoter

The cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) complexed with cyclic AMP (CRP.cAMP) regulates expression of many genes by binding to sites at or near many promoters of Escherichia coli. The regulatory effect of CRP.cAMP was studied by in vitro transcription assay with lacUV5 promoter derivatives that have the CRP binding site at different locations (-56 to -69 from the transcription start site of lacUV5 promoter) upstream of the promoter. The CRP binding site itself influenced differently on the promoter activity depending on the distances from the promoter. Depending on the helix phasing of the CRP.cAMP relative to RNA polymerase CRP.cAMP activated, repressed or had no effect on the promoter. These results imply that a regulator is not a dedicated protein for repression or activation but that any regulator may have a potential of dual functionalities when it is under appropriate condition.