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Biomedical subjects

K W Kim

Publications and source records attributed to K W Kim.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Increased serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and cutaneous T cell-attracting chemokine levels in children with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and cutaneous T cell-attracting chemokine (CTACK) are responsible for the trafficking of T helper type 2 lymphocytes into sites of allergic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: We tested whether these cytokines are useful markers for childhood atopic dermatitis (AD), and evaluated age-related differences in the levels of these chemokines. METHODS: Serum TARC and CTACK levels, total serum IgE levels, total eosinophil counts, and specific IgE levels were measured in 401 children. The patients were characterized as having atopic eczema (n=157), non-atopic eczema (n=107), or as healthy control subjects (n=137). RESULTS: Both TARC and CTACK levels in children with AD were significantly higher than those in healthy control subjects. Serum TARC and CTACK levels significantly correlated with disease severity both in children with atopic eczema and in children with non-atopic eczema. Serum TARC levels in children with AD significantly correlated with their serum CTACK levels. Serum TARC and CTACK levels decreased in accordance with their ages. CONCLUSION: Serum TARC and CTACK levels might be useful markers for disease severity both in children with atopic eczema and with non-atopic eczema. Serum TARC and CTACK levels decreased in accordance with their ages.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Autoimmune pancreatitis: radiologic findings in 20 patients.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune pancreatitis is a new clinical entity that is characterized by peculiar histopathologic and laboratory findings and by a dramatic clinical response to corticosteroid therapy. We evaluated the radiologic findings of autoimmune pancreatitis. METHODS: Computed tomographic, magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic, and ultrasonographic findings of 20 patients with autoimmune pancreatitis in our hospital between November 2000 and December 2003 were retrospectively reviewed regarding changes and ancillary findings in the pancreatic parenchyma, the main pancreatic duct, peripancreatic vessels, and distal common bile duct. In addition, follow-up images were reviewed for changes in any abnormality seen on the initial examinations. RESULTS: Pancreatic parenchymal enlargement was invariably seen that was diffuse (n = 19) or focal (n = 1), with homogeneous contrast enhancement on computed tomography (n = 20) and magnetic resonance imaging (n = 15). Capsule-like rim enhancement was seen in six patients. There was focal (n = 18) or diffuse (n = 2) narrowing of the main pancreatic duct and it was usually multifocal (n = 17) in the former. Narrowing of the peripancreatic veins was seen in 14 patients. There was tapered (n = 15) or abrupt (n = 3) narrowing of the distal common bile duct in 18 patients, with contrast enhancement of the narrowed segment in eight. Invariably, changes in the pancreatic parenchyma, main pancreatic duct, peripancreatic vessels, and common bile duct were normalized on follow-up studies after steroid therapy. CONCLUSION: In this series, common radiologic findings of autoimmune pancreatitis were (a) diffuse pancreas enlargement, (b) multifocal narrowing of the main pancreatic duct, (c) narrowing of peripancreatic veins, and (d) tapered narrowing of the distal common bile duct with frequent contrast enhancement. These findings were usually reversible with steroid therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Spectral studies of SnO2 nanofibres prepared by electrospinning method.

Tin oxide nanofibres with 100-150 nm diameter has been prepared, for the first time by calcination of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc)/SnO2 composite fibres prepared by electrospinning method as precursor. Scanning electron microscopic images revealed cylindrical morphology of the fibres after calcination at 600 degrees C. Both, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectral data confirmed the presence of phase pure tetragonal rutile tin oxide after calcination process. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of tin oxide nanofibres under excitation at 325 nm wavelength show a strong green emission at 525 nm with a band gap of 2.41 eV. FT-IR spectra confirmed the formation of pure tin oxide after calcination at 600 degrees C and complete removal of PVAc during calcination. UV-vis spectrum of the fibres showed absorption at 315 nm due to the direct electron transfer in tin oxide.

Crystallization↗
PubMed2005

Regulation of human resistin gene expression in cell systems: an important role of stimulatory protein 1 interaction with a common promoter polymorphic site.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Resistin is an adipokine that might link obesity and insulin resistance. A common polymorphism of the human resistin gene, -420C >G, is a major determinant of plasma resistin concentrations as well as resistin mRNA expression in human adipose tissue. In this study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism by which this polymorphism affects resistin expression. METHODS: Electrophoretic mobility shift assay was performed to identify the transcription factors binding to the -420G region. Transient transfection and reporter assay were used to measure promoter activities of the resistin gene. The binding ability of stimulatory protein 1 (Sp1) in response to adipocyte differentiation or high glucose concentrations was also measured. RESULTS: Sp1 and stimulatory protein 3 (Sp3) specifically bound to the region around -420G of the human resistin gene. Overexpression of Sp1 increased the promoter activity regardless of -420 genotypes, while the promoter activity of the -420G construct was two-fold higher than that of the -420C construct. In contrast, overexpression of Sp3 scarcely increased the promoter activity. The binding ability of Sp1 to the -420G region was increased in response to adipocyte differentiation. Mithramycin A, an inhibitor of DNA binding of Sp1, reduced the effect of high glucose on transcription induction of the resistin gene in adipocytes. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These results suggest that Sp1 is an important factor regulating transcription of human resistin gene. A common polymorphism of the human resistin promoter, -420C >G, is critical for the binding of Sp1 and modulates the transcriptional activity of the resistin gene by changing the binding ability of Sp1. In addition, Sp1 may be involved in the increase of resistin expression by hyperglycaemia.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2005

Diagnostic accuracy of mini-mental status examination and revised hasegawa dementia scale for Alzheimer's disease.

To compare the diagnostic accuracies of the Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-R) and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) for Alzheimer's diseases (AD), we administered them simultaneously to 82 AD patients and 82 age- and sex-matched nondemented control subjects. The area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) for AD of the HDS-R (AUC(HDS-R)) and MMSE (AUC(MMSE)) were bigger than 0.90 indicating that both tests are useful for detecting AD. However, AUC(HDS-R) (0.952) was significantly larger than that of the AUC(MMSE )(0.902) regardless of the educational level of the subjects, indicating that the HDS-R is more accurate than MMSE in diagnosing AD. Moreover, the superiority of the HDS-R (AUC(HDS-R) = 0.894) to the MMSE (AUC(MMSE) = 0.704) remained significant in mild AD patients alone, who are the focus of screening. In conclusion, the HDS-R is better than the MMSE as a screening instrument for AD.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Measurement of nuchal skin fold thickness in the second trimester: influence of imaging angle and fetal presentation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of imaging angle and fetal presentation on the measurement of nuchal skin fold thickness (NFT) in the second trimester. METHODS: Fetal NFT was prospectively measured in 921 women at 18-21 weeks' gestation. The population was divided into two groups according to fetal presentation. Group A comprised 643 fetuses in cephalic or transverse presentation and Group B comprised 278 fetuses in breech presentation. To determine whether there was a difference in NFT depending on imaging angle, in Group A the NFT was measured on the standard axial horizontal images and then on images obtained after moving the transducer about 30 degrees toward the occiput. In Group B an assessment was made as to whether NFT changed with fetal presentation. Initial measurements were made with the fetuses in breech presentation. Repeat NFT measurements were made after 15 min in 64 fetuses that had converted to cephalic or transverse presentation. Statistical analysis was performed using a paired t-test. RESULTS: The mean NFT on the standard horizontal image was 5.2 mm, while that on the 30 degrees occiput image was 4.0 mm. The difference was significant (P < 0.001). One hundred and twenty-three (19.1%) fetuses had a NFT greater than 6 mm on the standard image, but only two (0.3%) had an NFT of > 6 mm on the 30 degrees occiput image. There were no chromosomal or structural abnormalities in the 123 fetuses in which the NFT was > 6 mm. The mean NFT of 64 fetuses in the breech presentation was 4.4 mm, while it was 3.9 mm when they had converted to other presentations. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). In breech presentation, 13/64 (20.3%) fetuses had a NFT greater than 6 mm compared to only one (1.6%) fetus in the other presentations. There were no structural or chromosomal abnormalities in any fetus with a NFT > 6 mm in either group. CONCLUSIONS: In this study the NFT measurement varied with scan direction and fetal presentation. To avoid falsely thickened NFT measurements the scan should be directed to image the posterior surface of the occipital bone. This can be achieved by scanning from a 30 degrees occipital direction. Also, NFT is greater in fetuses in a breech presentation. Attention to these details can reduce false-positive NFT measurements.

Breech Presentation↗
PubMed2005

A more persistent tolerance to islet allografts through bone marrow transplantation in minimal nonmyeloablative conditioning therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Islet transplantation is a therapeutic approach to prevent diabetes complications. However, the side effects of the required lifelong immunosuppressive regimens to prevent graft rejection restrict the impact of type 1 diabetes. One strategy to overcome these limitations is tolerance induction and graft acceptance through hematopoietic chimerism. In this study we investigated whether tolerance to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and minor-disparate islet allografts could be induced by minimal nonmyeloablative conditioning and whether more persistent donor-specific islet allografts were accepted if the grafts were implanted with simultaneous bone marrow cells. METHODS: The donor and recipient mice were BALB/c(H-2(b)) and C57BL/6(H-2(d)), respectively. In group 1 streptozotocin-induced diabetic C57BL/6(H-2(d)) mice received only 500 islets of BALB/c(H-2(b)). Group 2 recipients conditioned with antilymphocyte serum, 100 cGy total body irradiation and cyclophosphamide were given islet cells of BALB/c(H-2(b)), but group 3 were simultaneously given 30 x 10(6) BALB/c(H-2(b)) mice BMCs and islet cells similar to group 2. RESULTS: We obtained 5% to 6% allogeneic donor chimerism and 60% graft survival at 80 days after islet transplantation in group 3. We observed lymphocyte infiltration around the islet without destruction of endocrine cells and the presence of strong insulin/glucagon-stained cells in group 3. CONCLUSION: This minimal nonmyeloablative conditioning therapy induced donor chimerism and immune tolerance between MHC- and minor-disparate (BALB/c-->C57BL/6) mice and long-term islet graft survival was obtained through cotransplantation of bone marrow cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Metal removal from wastewater by bacterial sorption: kinetics and competition studies.

Biosorption has distinct advantages such as high efficiency and cost-effectiveness for removal of metal ions from wastewater. However, most studies of bacterial biosorption have focused on the removal of a single metal ion from aqueous solutions, even though natural water and wastewater rarely contain only one kind of heavy metal. This study investigated competitive biosorption of Co2+, Ni2+ and Cr3+ in different combinations at various concentrations under conditions of co-existence in a synthetic wastewater system utilizing the gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In a binary system with Co2+ and Ni2+, the presence of the same concentration of dissolved Ni2+ led to a significant decrease in the amount of Co2+ adsorbed onto cells when compared with a single Co2+ system in which Ni2+ was absent. This result is most likely due to the similar competitive affinity of these equivalent cations for sorption sites located on the cells of the bacterium. However, the presence of Cr3+ with either Co2+ or Ni2+ led to a strong reduction in the uptake of each of these bivalent ions by cells, whereas Cr3+ adsorption was unhindered. Cr3+ also significantly inhibited the adsorption of both Co2+ and Ni2+ onto cells in a ternary system involving Co2+-Ni2+-Cr3+, with the order of preferential metal uptake being Cr3+ > Co2+ approximately Ni2+. Removal efficiency of the heavy metals reached 100 % at low concentrations ([Cr3+]=[Co2+]=[Ni2+=20 microM) in a multi-metal system. The results of this study indicate that pre-determination of co-existing heavy metals in wastewater and examination of their competition for the sorption sites of biosorbents are required for the efficient removal of inorganic toxicants utilizing biosorption processes.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2005

Anti-inflammatory effect of germanium-concentrated yeast against paw oedema is related to the inhibition of arachidonic acid release and prostaglandin E production in RBL 2H3 cells.

1 To investigate anti-inflammatory activity of organic germanium, we measured the effect of germanium-concentrated yeast on arachidonic acid release, prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) production, histamine release, and intracellular H(2)O(2) or hydroperoxide generation in RBL 2H3 cells, and carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats. 2 Germanium-concentrated yeast dose-dependently inhibited carrageenan-induced paw oedema, suggesting that germanium-concentrated yeast has anti-inflammatory activity in acute inflammation. 3 Germanium-concentrated yeast significantly inhibited melittin-induced arachidonic acid release and PGE(2) production in RBL 2H3 cells. 4 Germanium-concentrated yeast did not affect melittin-induced histamine release and silica-induced intracellular H(2)O(2) or hydroperoxide generation in RBL 2H3 cells. 5 These results suggest that anti-inflammatory activity of germanium-concentrated yeast appears partly to be related to the inhibition of arachidonic acid release and PGE(2) production in RBL 2H3 cells.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2004

Calcified Klatskin tumor mimicking intrahepatic stone: case report.

Calcification is a relatively uncommon manifestation of malignant liver neoplasm. Calcifications in peripheral cholangiocarcinomas but not in Klatskin tumor have been reported. We present a rare case of Klatskin tumor that had dystrophic calcification mimicking a intrahepatic stone in a 65-year-old man.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Real-time compound ultrasonography: pictorial review of technology and the preliminary experience in clinical application of the abdomen.

The purposes of this essay are to illustrate the technology overview and theoretical benefits of real-time compound ultrasonography (US) and to present our preliminary clinical experience in the evaluation of normal and diseased abdomens. The application of compounding principles to real-time US and its recent reintroduction into mainstream commercial systems have offered new opportunities for its clinical application to the routine examination of the abdomen. In our early preliminary experience, this technique effectively suppressed many of the US artifacts, better depicted the margin or boundary of the lesion, and increased contrast resolution or lesion conspicuity. Therefore, we believe that real-time compound US is a promising technique that may enhance the diagnostic confidence of the examination in the evaluation of normal and diseased abdomens.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2004

Common genetic polymorphisms in the promoter of resistin gene are major determinants of plasma resistin concentrations in humans.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Resistin is thought to be an important link between obesity and insulin resistance. It has been suggested that genetic polymorphism in the promoter of resistin gene is a determinant of resistin mRNA expression and possibly associated with obesity and insulin resistance. In this study, we investigated the association between the genotype of resistin promoter and its plasma concentrations. METHODS: We examined g.-537A>C and g.-420C>G polymorphisms in the resistin promoter and measured plasma resistin concentrations in Korean subjects with or without Type 2 diabetes. We also did haplotype-based promoter activity assays and the gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay. RESULTS: The -420G and the -537A alleles, which were in linkage disequilibrium, were associated with higher plasma resistin concentrations. Individuals with haplotype A-G (-537A and -420G) had significantly higher plasma resistin concentrations than the others. Haplotype A-G had modestly increased promoter activity compared to the other haplotypes. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that the -420G allele is specific for binding of nuclear proteins from adipocytes and monocytes. However, none of the two polymorphisms were associated with Type 2 diabetes or obesity in our study subjects. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Polymorphisms in the promoter of resistin gene are major determinants of plasma resistin concentrations in humans.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Phonon-mediated electron-spin phase diffusion in a quantum dot.

An effective spin relaxation mechanism that leads to electron spin decoherence in a quantum dot is proposed. In contrast with the common calculations of spin-flip transitions between the Kramers doublets, we take into account a process of phonon-mediated fluctuation in the electron spin preces-sion and subsequent spin phase diffusion. Specifically, we consider modulations in the longitudinal g factor and hyperfine interaction induced by the phonon-assisted transitions between the lowest electronic states. Prominent differences in the temperature and magnetic field dependence between the proposed mechanism and the spin-flip transitions are expected to facilitate its experimental verification. Numerical estimation demonstrates highly efficient spin relaxation in typical semiconductor quantum dots.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Abdominal amyloidosis: spectrum of radiological findings.

Amyloidosis is a disease characterized by the deposition of fibrillar protein amyloid of beta-structure in organs or tissues. It is usually classified as either a primary disease or secondary to a co-existent condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, or neoplasm (particularly multiple myeloma or renal cell carcinoma). Amyloid protein deposition can be seen in a variety of organs though it occurs with higher frequency in the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and heart. Amyloidosis can have a wide spectrum of manifestations in nearly every abdominal organ. Some of these, for example, multiple cystic submucosal masses of the stomach, amyloidosis of the gallbladder, and dirty soft tissue infiltration of the subcutaneous fat, have not yet been covered in the radiological literature. The combination of various imaging techniques and the identification of characteristic computed tomography (CT) hepatic features may help in the differentiation of amyloidosis from other infiltrative diseases; however, confirmative diagnosis can usually only be achieved by tissue biopsy.

Adult↗