• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.4
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• pp.912-919
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• 2020

Purpose This study aimed to compare the brain perfusion status of patients with chronic kidney disease to a normal control group to identify any significant differences. Materials and Methods The perfusion state of the brain was measured by MRI using the arterial spin labeling technique in 36 patients undergoing hemodialysis due to chronic kidney disease and 36 normal controls. Images were then analyzed in a voxel-wise manner to detect brain areas showing significant perfusion differences between the two groups. Results Patients with chronic kidney disease showed increased perfusion in the form of large clusters across the right fronto-parieto-temporal lobe and the left parieto-occipital lobe. In addition, perfusion increased in the bilateral thalami, midbrain, pons, and cerebellum (p < 0.01, familywise error corrected). Conclusion Brain perfusion appears to increase in patients with chronic kidney disease compared to normal controls. Uremic toxicity is thought to be the cause of this increase as it can cause damage to the microscopic blood vessels and their surrounding structures.

• Journal of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.411-419
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• 2023

Objective: Optochiasmatic cavernoma is an extremely rare cerebral lesion. They account for approximately 1% of all cavernomas of the central nervous system. Reports on this pathology are limited. Abrupt visual deterioration is a common symptom of the disease. Treatment strategy and visual outcomes after different treatment approaches remain a subject for discussion. Methods: Patients operated in a period 2005-2021 were analyzed in this study. All patients preoperatively underwent computed tomography (CT) scan, CT-angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Visual function of the patients was assessed pre-op, post-op and at the follow-up. Duration of visual dysfunction was noted as well. Surgical details were also extracted from medical notes. All patients were followed up, and control MRI was performed one month after operation. We assessed surgical series of optochiasmatic cavernomas published for last 10 years. Further comparative analysis with our data was performed. Results: Five patients were included into this study. There were four men and one woman. Mean age comprised 33.8 years (range 20-48 years). Most patients were admitted to our hospital due to visual disturbances (80%). Visual function improved in four patients. Visual function was unchanged in one patient, lacking visual distur-bancies pre-op. Complication developed in one patient. Conclusions: Optochiasmatic cavernomas are encountered extremely rare. Despite the use of contemporary diagnostic options, differential diagnosis remains challenging. Full diagnostic work-up is mandatory. After the diagnosis is made, surgical treatment should be considered first. Total microsurgical or endoscopic transsphenoidal removal of the optochiasmatic cavernoma is a relatively safe and effective treatment method facilitating improvement of visual function.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2015

Quantitative analysis of MR spectrum depending on mole concentration of the contrast media in cereberal metabolite phantom was performed. PRESS pulse sequence was used to obtain MR spectrum at 3.0T MRI system (Archieva, Philips Healthcare, Best, Netherland), and the phantom contains brain metabolites such as N-Acetyl Asparatate (NAA), Choline (Cho), Creatine (Cr) and Lactate (Lac). In this study, optimization of MRS PRESS pulse sequency depending on the concentration of contrast media (0, 0.1 and $0.3mmol/{\ell}$) was evaluated for various repetition time(TR; 1500, 1700 and 2000 ms). In control (cotrast-media-free) group, NAA and Cho signals were the highest at TR 2000 ms than at 1700 and 1500 ms. Cr had the highest peak signal at TR 1500 ms. When concentration of contrast media was $0.1mmol/{\ell}$, the metabolites were increased NAA 73%, Cho 249%, Cr 37% at TR 1700 ms compared with other TR, and also signal increased at $0.3mmol/{\ell}$, In $0.5mmol/{\ell}$ of contrast agent, cerebral metabolite peaks reduced, especially when TR 1500 ms and 2000 ms they decreased below those of control group. The ratio of metabolite peaks such as NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr decreased as the concentration of the contrast agent increased from 0.1 to $0.5mmol/{\ell}$. Authors found that the optimization of PRESS sequence for 0.3T MRS was as follows: low density of contrast agent ($0.1mmol/{\ell}$ and $0.3mmol/{\ell}$) made the highest signal intensity, while high density of contrast agent reveals the least reduction of signal intensity at 1700 ms. In conclusion, authors believe that it is helpful to reduce TR for acquiring maximum signal intensity.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.249-256
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• 2010

To the detect of SPIO-labelled hMSC, in vitro study on various cell concentration and in vivo molecular magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) technique using T2, $T2^*$ and SWI are compared with pathology. Cell concentration was $1.56{\times}10^4$, $3.13{\times}10^4$, $6.25{\times}10^4$, $1.25{\times}10^5$, $2.5{\times}10^5$, $5{\times}10^5\;cells/m{\ell}$ and for control $5{\times}10^5\cells/m{\ell}$. MRI technique using T2, $T^2$ and SWI. Photothrombotic infarction was located 2.5mm from bregma right, posterior. Cell injected through the tail vein of rat for 8 rats. MRI performed pre injection and post injection of 1, 3, 7 and 14days and sacrifice for pathology. MRI analysed on quantitatively. In vitro result, SWI was highest CNR as compared with $T2^*WI$, T2WI and $2.5{\times}10^5\;cells/m{\ell}$ cell concentration. In vivo result among the T2WI, $T2^WI$, SWI, T2WI is highest CNR between normal and infarction. CNR in normal-SPIO and infarction-SPIO is high score in SWI. Therefore, T2WI is good distinguish between normal and infarction, SWI are well detect SPIO-labelled hMSC from normal and infarction. Nowaday, SWI are mostly used on hemorrhage, calcification etc. in clinically, but for the future, stem cell therapy is commonly application at all disease which is good observing tool for SPIO-labelled stem cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.359-369
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• 2020

Although many studies on immune modulatory materials have used RAW 264.7 cells, few have used T cell-derived TK-1 cell lines. Moreover, although some studies have investigated the efficacy of plant-derived β-sitosterol, few have examined the immunomodulatory activity of its analogue, daucosterol. In this study, β-sitosterol and daucosterol were isolated from D. batatas and identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. To evaluate the immune-enhancing or inhibitory effects of the isolated phytosterols, the expression levels of the inflammatory response genes COX-2, TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS were analyzed by RT-PCR. The relative expression levels of TNF-α and iNOS in RAW 264.7 cells were increased more than threefold with β-sitosterol treatment comparing to those of untreated control. In the case of TK-1 cells, the expression level of TNF-α was decreased and the expression level of iNOS was increased in a β-sitosterol concentration-dependent manner. The expression levels of COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 increased by approximately 0.7-1.2 times in RAW 264.7 cells treated with daucosterol compared to those of untreated control, but iNOS expression decreased by 0.8-0.18 times. In the case of daucosterol-treated TK-1 cells, the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS were markedly reduced from those of TK-1 cells treated only with lipopolysaccaride. As a conclusion, β-sitosterol treatment increased TNF-α and iNOS expression levels in RAW 264.7 cells, thus exerting an immune- boosting effect. However, in TK-1 cells, iNOS expression increased while TNF-α expression decreased, indicating an immunosuppressive activity of β-sitosterol. Daucosterol appears to exert an immunosuppressive effect in both macrophages and T cell lines by inhibiting iNOS expression in RAW 264.7 cells and greatly inhibiting the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS in TK-1 cells.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.151-156
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• 2002

Root zone cooling, such as soil or nutrient solution cooling, is less expensive than air cooling in the whole greenhouse and is effective in promoting root activity, improving water absorption rate, decreasing plant temperature, and reducing high temperature stress. The heat transfer of a soil cooling system in a plastic greenhouse was analyzed to estimate cooling loads. The thermal conductivity of soil, calculated by measured heat fluxes in the soil, showed the positive correlation with the soil water content. It ranged from 0.83 to 0.96 W.m$^{[-10]}$ .$^{\circ}C$$^{[-10]}$ at 19 to 36％ of soil water contents. As the indoor solar radiation increased, the temperature difference between soil surface and indoor air linearly increased. At 300 to 800 W.m$^{-2}$ of indoor solar radiations, the soil surface temperature rose from 3.5 to 7.$0^{\circ}C$ in bare ground and 1.0 to 2.5$^{\circ}C$ under the canopy. Cooling loads in the root zone soil were estimated with solar radiation, soil water content, and temperature difference between air and soil. At 300 to 600 W.m$^{-2}$ of indoor solar radiations and 20 to 40％ of soil water contents,46 to 59 W.m$^{-2}$ of soil cooling loads are required to maintain the temperature difference of 1$0^{\circ}C$ between indoor air and root zone soil.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.100-108
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• 2004

Purpose : Early degeneration of articular cartilage is accompanied by a loss of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and the consequent change of the integrity. The purpose of this study was to biochemically quantify the loss of GAG, and to evaluate the $Gd(DTPA)^{2-}$-enhanced, and T1, T2, rho relaxation map for detection of the early degeneration of cartilage. Materials and Methods : A cartilage-bone block in size of $8mm\;\times\;10mm$ was acquired from the patella in each of three pigs. Quantitative analysis of GAG of cartilage was performed at spectrophotometry by use of dimethylmethylene blue. Each of cartilage blocks was cultured in one of three different media: two different culture media (0.2 mg/ml trypsin solution, 1mM Gd $(DTPA)^{2-}$ mixed trypsin solution) and the control media (phosphate buffered saline (PBS)). The cartilage blocks were cultured for 5 hrs, during which MR images of the blocks were obtained at one hour interval (0 hr, 1 hr, 2 hr, 3 hr, 4 hr, 5 hr). And then, additional culture was done for 24 hrs and 48 hrs. Both T1-weighted image (TR/TE, 450/22 ms), and mixed-echo sequence (TR/TE, 760/21-168ms; 8 echoes) were obtained at all times using field of view 50 mm, slice thickness 2 mm, and matrix $256\times512$. The MRI data were analyzed with pixel-by-pixel comparisons. The cultured cartilage-bone blocks were microscopically observed using hematoxylin & eosin, toluidine blue, alcian blue, and trichrome stains. Results : At quantitation analysis, GAG concentration in the culture solutions was proportional to the culture durations. The T1-signal of the cartilage-bone block cultured in the $Gd(DTPA)^{2-}$ mixed solution was significantly higher ($42\%$ in average, p<0.05) than that of the cartilage-bone block cultured in the trypsin solution alone. The T1, T2, rho relaxation times of cultured tissue were not significantly correlated with culture duration (p>0.05). However the focal increase in T1 relaxation time at superficial and transitional layers of cartilage was seen in $Gd(DTPA)^{2-}$ mixed culture. Toluidine blue and alcian blue stains revealed multiple defects in whole thickness of the cartilage cultured in trypsin media. Conclusion : The quantitative analysis showed gradual loss of GAG proportional to the culture duration. Microimagings of cartilage with $Gd(DTPA)^{2-}$-enhancement, relaxation maps were available by pixel size of $97.9\times195\;{\mu}m$. Loss of GAG over time better demonstrated with $Gd(DTPA)^{2-}$-enhanced images than with T1, T2, rho relaxation maps. Therefore $Gd(DTPA)^{2-}$-enhanced T1-weighted image is superior for detection of early degeneration of cartilage.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2008

Purpose: To evaluate the postoperative magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructed with a tension load technique using auto-Achilles tendon, and to compare the results with knees with a native ACL. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 21 postoperative MRI scan of 21 patients (group A) who had undergone ACL reconstruction between January 1995 and November 1996. The control group (group B) consisted of 50 patients whose meniscus tear had been operated by arthroscopy and whose ACL was intact. We measured the orientation of the graft in the sagittal and coronal planes and compared it with that of the native ACL. Results: The mean sagittal angle of the ACL angle in group A ($55.7{\pm}5.6^{\circ}$, range $47.2{\sim}68.8^{\circ}$) was statistically lesser than group B ($58.7{\pm}3.8^{\circ}$, range $50.4{\sim}67.5^{\circ}$) (p=0.036). But there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with regard to the mean ACL-Blumensaat line angle (group A: $8.1^{\circ}{\pm}4.9^{\circ}$, range $1.7^{\circ}{\sim}22.0^{\circ}$, group B: $8.6^{\circ}{\pm}3.6^{\circ}$, range $2.6^{\circ}-18.1^{\circ}$) and the mean coronal angle of the ACL (group A: $64.9^{\circ}{\pm}9.1^{\circ}$, range $46.9^{\circ}{\sim}76.4^{\circ}$, group B: $65.9^{\circ}{\pm}4.4^{\circ}$, range $57.7^{\circ}{\sim}75.2^{\circ}$)(p=0.88, p= 0.62). In the sagittal plane, the mean center of tibial insertion of the ACL graft in group A ($31.9{\pm}7.1%$, range 22.4-47.9%) was positioned more anteriorly than group B ($37.0{\pm}4.9%$, range $18.5{\sim}44.7%$)(p=0.005). But in the coronal plane, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups(group A: $46.3{\pm}2.8%$, range $42.1{\sim}52.5%$, group B: $45.7{\pm}2.8%$, range $41.0{\sim}49.1%$)(p=0.392). Conclusion: We performed an ACL reconstruction with the tension load technique using auto-Achilles tendon and we found that the graft orientation in MRI was as good as that of the native ACL.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.176-184
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• 2014

In this study, we compared dose distributions from simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) method versus the RTOG 0631 protocol for spine radiosurgery. Spine radiosurgery plans were performed in five patients with localized spinal metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma. The computed tomography (CT) and T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were fused for delineating of GTV and spinal cord. In SIB plan, the clinical target volume (CTV1) was included the whole compartments of the involved spine, while RTOG 0631 protocol defines the CTV2 as the involved vertebral body and both left and right pedicles. The CTV2 includes transverse process and posterior element according to the extent of GTV. The doses were prescribed 18 Gy to GTV and 10 Gy to CTV1 in SIB plan, while the prescription of RTOG 0631 protocol was applied 18 Gy to CTV2. The results of dose-volume histogram (DVH) showed that there were competitive in target coverage, while the doses of spinal cord and other normal organs were lower in SIB method than in RTOG 0631 protocol. The 85% irradiated volume of VB in RTOG 0631 protocol was similar to that in the SIB plan. However, the dose to normal organs in RTOG 0631 had a tendency to higher than that in SIB plan. The SIB plan might be an alternative method in case of predictive serious complications of surrounded normal organs. In conclusion, although both approaches of SIB or RTOG 0631 showed competitive planning results, tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) through diverse clinical researches should be analyzed in the future.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1991

The effect of 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DDG) on $C_3H$ mouse fibrosarcoma(FSall) was studied. Metabolic status, especially for energy metabolism, was studied using in vivo $^{31}P$-MRS, proliferative capacity was observed on flow cytometry(FC) and growth rate was measured after transplantation of $10^6$ viable tumor cells in the dorsum of foot of $C_3Hf/Sed$ mice. One gram of 2-DDG Per kg of body weight was injected intraperitoneally on 12th day of implantation. Average tumor size on 12th day of implantion was $250mm^3$. Growth rate of Fsall tumor was measured by tumor doubling time and slope on semilog plot. After 2-DDG injection, growth rate slowed down. Tumor doubling time between tumor age 5-12 days was 0.84 days with slope 0.828 and tumor doubling time between tumor age 13-28 days was 3.2 days with slope 0.218 in control group. After 2-DDG injection, tumor doubling time was elongated to 5.1 days with slope 0.136. The effect of 2-DDG studied in vivo $^{31}P$-MRS suggested that the increase of phosphomonoester (PME) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) by increasing size of tumor, slowed down after 2-DDG injection. Flow cytometry showed significantly increased S-phase and $G_2+M$ phase fraction suggesting increased proliferative capacity of tumor cells in the presence of 2-DDG. Authors observed an interesting effect of 2-DDG on FSall tumor and attempt to utilize as an adjunct for radiotherapy.