Immunoglobulins and Transcription Factors in Otitis Media.

The causes of otitis media (OM) involve bacterial and viral infection, anatomo-physiological abnormalities of the Eustachian canal and nasopharynx, allergic rhinitis, group childcare centers, second-hand smoking, obesity, immaturity and defects of the immune system, formula feeding, sex, race, and age. OM is accompanied by complex and diverse interactions among bacteria, viruses, inflammatory cells, immune cells, and epithelial cells. The present study summarizes the antibodies that contribute to immune reactions in all types of otitis media, including acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, and chronic otitis media with or without cholesteatoma, as well as the transcription factors that induce the production of these antibodies.

Expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress mRNAs in otitis media.

Background: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a cellular defense mechanism that occurs when ER function is impaired.

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the expression of major mRNAs of ER stress in patients with otitis media with effusion (OME), chronic otitis media (COM), and COM with cholesteatoma (CholeOM).

Material And Methods: Specimens were collected during surgery from patients with OME, COM, and CholeOM, and the levels of ER stress mRNAs measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Biomarkers Suggesting Favorable Prognostic Outcomes in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a medical emergency, making detailed examination to determine possible causes and early treatment important. However, etiological examinations in SSNHL do not always reveal a cause, and several factors have been found to affect treatment outcomes. Various studies are being performed to determine the prognosis and effects of treatment in patients who experience sudden hearing loss, and to identify biomarkers associated with this condition.

Comprehensive MicroRNAome Analysis of the Relationship Between Alzheimer Disease and Cancer in PSEN Double-Knockout Mice.

Purpose: Presenilins are functionally important components of γ-secretase, which cleaves a number of transmembrane proteins. Manipulations of PSEN1 and PSEN2 have been separately studied in Alzheimer disease (AD) and cancer because both involve substrates of γ-secretase. However, numerous clinical studies have reported an inverse correlation between AD and cancer.

Ginger and 6-shogaol protect intestinal tight junction and enteric dopaminergic neurons against 1-methyl-4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine in mice.

Ginger and its compound, 6-shogaol, have been known for improving gastrointestinal (GI) function and reducing inflammatory responses in GI tract. Recently, the treatment of GI dysfunction has been recognized as an important part of the management of neurodegenerative diseases, especially for Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we investigated whether ginger and 6-shogaol attenuate disruptions induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on the intestinal barrier and the enteric dopaminergic neurons.

Influence of Early Bisphosphonate Administration for Fracture Healing in Patients with Osteoporotic Proximal Humerus Fractures.

Background: Bisphosphonates are generally known to adversely affect fracture healing because they inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption. However, some authors argue that bisphosphonates have no adverse effect on the restoration of the mechanical integrity of long bones after fractures. It is unclear whether bisphosphonates can be initiated safely in patients with acute proximal humerus fractures.

The Efficacy and Safety of Autologous Transfusion in Unilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Purpose: Although allogeneic blood transfusion is the most common method of transfusion in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there are reports showing significant decrease in the amount of allogeneic transfusion and incidence of side effects after combined use of autologous transfusion. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of using an autologous transfusion device in TKA.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent TKA at our institution from January 2003 to January 2014 were divided into two groups: group A (n=127) who received allogeneic transfusion only in TKA and group B (n=118) who received autologous transfusion via an autologous transfusion device and allogeneic transfusion.

Sonoelastography findings of supraspinatus tendon in rotator cuff tendinopathy without tear: comparison with magnetic resonance images and conventional ultrasonography.

Background And Purpose: Sonoelastography (SE) is a new technique that can assess differences in tissue stiffness. This study investigated the performance of SE for the differentiation of supraspinatus (SSP) tendon alterations of tendinopathy compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and conventional ultrasonography (US).

Methods: One hundred and eighteen consecutively registered patients with symptoms and MRI findings of SSP tendinopathy were assessed with US and SE.

The accuracy of sonoelastography in fatty degeneration of the supraspinatus: a comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and conventional ultrasonography.

Objective: Sonolastography (SE) technique is one of the new functional ultrasonic imaging techniques, which was developed in the past few years and can obtain the distributions of elasticity in tissues. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the standard of reference, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of SE to assess the fatty degeneration of suprasupinatus (SSP) and to compare it to the MRI and the conventional ultrasonography (US) findings.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved the study, and a retrospective analysis between January 2013 and September 2013 was performed on 101 shoulders of 98 consecutive patients using MRI, US, and SE for the evaluation of shoulder lesion.

Sonoelastography findings of biceps tendinitis and tendinosis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate sonoelastography (SE) in the assessment of the long head of biceps tendon (LHBT) in patients with symptoms of biceps tendinitis or tendinosis and in patients without biceps lesion. The findings were compared with those obtained at clinical examination, using ultrasonography (US).

Materials And Methods: 36 shoulders of 34 consecutively registered patients with clinical symptoms and US findings of biceps tendinitis or tendinosis, and 114 shoulders of 98 patients without biceps lesions were assessed with SE.