An intrapartum calculator for predicting cesarean birth due to dystocia: Preliminary findings from a single-center study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Previous calculators based on antepartum or pre-labor factors preclude intrapartum counseling. We aimed to develop a reliable, programmable, intrapartum calculator to predict the risk of cesarean birth (CB) due to dystocia and to increase the discriminatory accuracy of the predictive model. METHODS: Data were obtained retrospectively for 1326 singleton term deliveries with cephalic presentation. Two predictive multivariable logistic regression analysis models were constructed using pre-active labor variables alone (model A) or with active labor variables (model B). The discriminatory accuracies and goodness-of-fit of the models were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves or -2log-likelihood ratios, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC), respectively. Both models were internally validated using a bootstrapping procedure. RESULTS: Model A yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.859 and adequate goodness of fit (P = 0.970). Model B yielded a significantly higher AUC of 0.887 and adequate goodness of fit (P = 0.624), as well as a significantly lower AIC and BIC (P < 0.001). Internal validation revealed a minimal optimism of 0.0070491 and 0.0068976 for models A and B, respectively. Finally, the logistic regression equations were converted into programmable calculators to yield easy-to-understand basic (model A) and additional intrapartum CB calculators (model B). CONCLUSIONS: The programmable calculators developed herein can augment intrapartum counseling. Our findings suggest that the risk of CB due to dystocia during labor should be estimated using a calculator that corresponds to labor progression. Further studies should explore external validation of these statistical models before translation to a clinical setting.

Fusarium solani onychomycosis of the thumbnail coinfected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa: report of two cases.

Fusarium species are non-dermatophytic moulds, which are commonly known soil saprophytes and important plant pathogens, and have been frequently reported to be aetiological agents of opportunistic infections in humans. The prevalence of onychomycosis caused by Fusarium species varies in the literature because of geographical differences in mould distribution and diagnostic methods. Onychomycosis caused by Fusarium species is considered rare in Korea, and only four cases have been described to date. Pseudomonas aeruginosa also can infect nails and cause green nail syndrome, and recent research has shown that fungal infection may potentiate the colonisation or growth of P. aeruginosa within a nail. Furthermore, such coinfection with P. aeruginosa can prevent the isolation of the fungus because of bacterial overgrowth in culture. The authors report the cases of two immunocompetent patients with F. solani onychomycosis coinfected with P. aeruginosa. Both presented with a greenish/yellowish discolouration and thickening of a thumbnail, and were treated with systemic ciprofloxacin in combination with itraconazole or terbinafine.

Nitric oxide modulates osteoblastic differentiation with heme oxygenase-1 via the mitogen activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kappaB pathways in human periodontal ligament cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) play important roles in the regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation. However, it has not been examined whether human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells can differentiate into osteoblast-like cells by NO activity mediated via HO-1. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of NO on proliferation and differentiation in human PDL cells, and to identify the underlying mechanism of its actions. Primary human PDL cells were cultured with NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP); cell proliferation and differentiation were measured. NO production, cell viability and cell proliferation were evaluated using the Griess reagent, MTT assay and BrdU incorporation, respectively. To analyze differentiation, we measured alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin (OC), osteonectin (ON) expression, and bone sialoprotein (BSP) by Western blotting. SNP-induced NO production is associated with inducible nitric oxide synthase induction in a time and dose-dependent manner. SNP resulted in decreased cell proliferation and increased expression of osteogenic differentiation markers such as ALP, OC, ON and BSP. Maximal HO-1 was reached with 0.05 mM SNP and gradually decreased with 1.0 mM. Treatment with an HO-1 inhibitor and selective inhibitors of extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 and nuclear factor-kappaB blocked the SNP-induced growth inhibition, as well as osteoblastic differentiation. These data suggest that NO-induced osteogenic differentiation through HO-1 may be an important mediator of periodontal regeneration or bone tissue engineering.

Cost effectiveness of influenza vaccination in patients with acute coronary syndrome in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Influenza can cause cardiovascular abnormalities by inappropriately activating the coagulation cascade. Therefore, influenza vaccination is important because it decreases the risk of hospitalization for and mortality associated with heart disease. In particular, it reduces the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Our study aimed to estimate the disease burden of MACEs and its related direct and indirect costs in ACS patients. METHODS: We estimated the direct and indirect cost of MACEs in ACS patients using a probabilistic model and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA)-National Patient Sample (NPS) database. The effect of the influenza vaccination on the rate of MACE in ACS patients was determined using a previous systematic review and meta-analysis. RESULTS: Our study included 682,258 ACS patients obtained from the 2013 NPS database. According to our model, influenza vaccination would prevent 16,514 MACE-related hospitalizations and 2764 premature deaths in Korea per year. The overall reduction in costs would be $86.2 million per year from a societal perspective. Based on the results of sensitivity analysis, most of the estimated values were in the dominant area. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that influenza vaccination in ACS patients is highly cost effective in terms of lowering the cost of hospitalization and premature death due to MACE. Therefore, influenza vaccination is recommended as a means of relieving the clinical and socioeconomic burdens associated with ACS.

N-glycoproteomic analysis of human follicular fluid during natural and stimulated cycles in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperstimulation methods are broadly used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in patients with infertility; however, the side effects associated with these therapies, such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), have not been well studied. N-glycoproteomes are subproteomes used for the remote sensing of ovarian stimulation in follicular growth. Glycoproteomic variation in human follicular fluid (hFF) has not been evaluated. In this study, we aimed to identify and quantify the glycoproteomes and N-glycoproteins (N-GPs) in natural and stimulated hFF using label-free nano-liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-quad time-of-flight mass spectrometry. METHODS: For profiling of the total proteome and glycoproteome, pooled protein samples from natural and stimulated hFF samples were selectively isolated using hydrazide chemistry to obtain the total proteomes and glycoproteomes. N-GPs were validated by the consensus sequence N-X-S/T (92.2% specificity for the N-glycomotif at p<0.05). All data were compared between natural versus hyperstimulated hFF samples. RESULTS: We detected 41 and 44 N-GPs in the natural and stimulated hFF samples, respectively. Importantly, we identified 11 N-GPs with greater than two-fold upregulation in stimulated hFF samples compared to natural hFF samples. We also validated the novel N-GPs thyroxine-binding globulin, vitamin D-binding protein, and complement proteins C3 and C9. CONCLUSION: We identified and classified N-GPs in hFF to improve our understanding of follicular physiology in patients requiring assisted reproduction. Our results provided important insights into the prevention of hyperstimulation side effects, such as OHSS.

Hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy: A novel technique.

The objective of this study was to report on a new surgical technique, hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy that integrates the advantages of transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery and those of isobaric laparoscopy, and the initial experience with 14 cases. All of the procedures were performed by a single surgeon who has over 18 years of experience in laparoscopic surgery and 4 years of experience in laparoendoscopic single-site surgery. All cases of hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy were completed safely and effectively without conversion to conventional laparoscopic procedure. The median operative time was 75 minutes (range, 30 to 100 minutes). No postoperative complication was observed. The findings show that hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy is a safe and feasible surgical technique, and therefore can be a feasible, minimally invasive alternative to either abdominal or laparoendoscopic single-site surgery myomectomy.

Case of isolated benign primary cutaneous plasmacytosis in a child.

A collection of plasma cells in the skin can represent a broad spectrum of disease entities. Secondary syphilis, primary cutaneous plasmacytoma, primary cutaneous plasmacytosis, cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia and nodular amyloidosis are considered possible differential diagnoses. We present a case of a 7-year-old girl with an erythematous scaly plaque on her right buttock that had been present for approximately 5 years. Prior to her visit to our department she had been treated at a local dermatology clinic with topical methylprednisolone acetate and topical calcitriol without significant improvement. Histopathological examination revealed psoriasiform hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis and a band-like or dense perivascular infiltration of plasma cells with a few lymphocytes and histiocytes. Other laboratory tests were within the reference ranges. At our department, the patient was given oral prednisolone along with an intralesional injection of triamcinolone and application of topical methylprednisolone acetate and tacrolimus hydrate to the affected area. The lesion improved significantly but recurred 3 months later. We present a rare case of isolated benign primary cutaneous plasmacytosis in a female pre-adolescent child.

Atrophying pityriasis versicolor: is this a new variant of pityriasis versicolor?

An atypical clinical form of pityriasis versicolor has been infrequently reported, in which cutaneous atrophy is associated with individual pityriasis versicolor lesions. The pathogenesis of this atrophy remains unclear, but is believed to be a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to antigens derived from the Malassezia species. A 60-year-old man presented with multiple, slightly scaly, and depressed maculopatches or plaques on the trunk and extremities. Our microscopic examination of the skin scrapings on a KOH preparation revealed numerous short hyphae and spores. The patient was treated daily with 200 mg of itraconazole in combination with topical antifungals, achieving clinical improvement and mycological recovery, which was confirmed upon follow-up 1 month later. This is the first case report of atrophying pityriasis versicolor in Korea. It needs to be differentiated from other atrophying disorders of the skin.

Clinical study of repigmentation patterns with either narrow-band ultraviolet B (NBUVB) or 308 nm excimer laser treatment in Korean vitiligo patients.

BACKGROUND: Various repigmentation patterns such as perifollicular, marginal, diffuse, and mixed configuration can occur in vitiligo. The aim of this study was to clinically assess the types of repigmentation patterns obtained with narrow-band ultraviolet B (NBUVB) phototherapy or targeted phototherapy using a 308 nm excimer laser and to reveal whether the repigmentation patterns have any relationship to the location of lesions, patient's age, duration of lesions, or speed of improvement. METHODS: This study enrolled 51 patients who had effective responses as compared with baseline when treated with NBUVB alone and 52 patients who had effective responses as compared with baseline when treated with excimer laser alone. We evaluated the repigmentation patterns when the responses to treatments appeared. RESULTS: The most frequent repigmentation pattern was the perifollicular type in both groups treated with NBUVB (42.2%) or excimer laser (51.3%), followed by marginal, diffuse, and combined, in that order. There was no significant difference in the repigmentation pattern according to the location of lesions, patient's age, or duration of lesions. The marginal pattern was predominant in both NBUVB and excimer laser-treated groups when excellent responses (more than 75% repigmentation achieved at 12 weeks) appeared. CONCLUSIONS: The repigmentation patterns according to location, age, duration of lesions, and speed of response showed similarities in both the NBUVB and excimer laser-treated groups.

A case of elephantiasis nostras verrucosa.

Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa (ENV) is a rare clinical condition associated with chronic non-filarial lymphedema caused by bacterial or non-infectious lymphatic obstruction. A variety of etiologies, including infection, tumor obstruction, trauma, radiation, chronic venous stasis, congestive heart failure, and obesity, can lead to chronic lymphatic obstruction and edema. Mossy papules, plaques, and cobblestone-like nodules are clinically impressive features of ENV, but biopsy reveals only moderately abnormal findings such as pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, dilated lymphatic spaces, fibrous tissue hyperplasia, and chronic inflammation. We present a case of ENV in a 67-year-old man with a 10-year history of multiple nodules and verrucous plaques on both feet. Microbiology ruled out a filarial infection. Nodule biopsy revealed pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, marked dermal fibrosis, and a chronic inflammatory infiltrate. No evidence of carcinoma was identified. Both venous stasis and recurrent cellulitis could contribute to the dermal fibrotic changes of the lesions. However, before the recurrent cellulitis, he did not have any nodular lesions on his feet despite a 10-year history of venous disease. Therefore, this case suggests that venous stasis alone cannot produce the fibrotic nodular lesions of ENV.

Posttranscriptional regulation of the karyogamy gene by Kem1p/Xrn1p exoribonuclease and Rok1p RNA helicase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The major biochemical activities ascribed to Kem1p/Xrn1p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are 5'-3' exoribonuclease functioning in RNA turnover and a microtubule-binding protein. Mutational analysis has shown that Kem1p/Xrn1p participates in microtubule-related functions such as nuclear fusion (karyogamy) during mating, chromosome transmission, and spindle pole body duplication. Here, evidence is presented that Kem1p plays a specific role in nuclear fusion by affecting, at the posttranscriptional level, the pheromone induction of the karyogamy-specific transcription factor Kar4p and the expression of Rok1p, a putative RNA helicase. We found that Rok1p itself also affects the pheromone induction of Kar4p and thereby participates in nuclear fusion. Analysis of the active-site mutations, xrn1-D206A or D208A, shows that nuclear fusion as well as the Rok1p synthesis do not require the exoribonuclease activity of Kem1p. Our data provide an important insight into the gene-specific regulatory function mediated by the general RNA-modulating enzymes.