Tak-Hyun Kwon

It is well known that the cognitive functions of juveniles recover to a greater extent than adult patients following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The exact mechanisms underlying this age-related disparity are unknown; however, we speculate that this improved recovery in juveniles following TBI may be associated with an endogenous neurogenic response in the hippocampus. We, therefore, examined the effects of TBI on cellular proliferation and differentiation in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippo

BACKGROUND: The intervertebral disc (IVD) is an avascular structure, and is therefore stable under hypoxic conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated that hypoxia might be related to symptomatic degenerative disc diseases (DDDs); however, the pathomechanism is still poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To identify the effect of hypoxia on the production of inflammatory mediators, angiogenic factors, and extracellular matrix-regulating enzymes of IVD cells during inflammatory reactions. METHODS: Hum

Gene therapy has been receiving widespread attention due to its unique advantage in regulating the expression of specific target genes. In the field of cancer gene therapy, modulation of gene expression has been shown to decrease oncogenic factors in cancer cells or increase immune responses against cancer. Due to the macromolecular size and highly negative physicochemical features of plasmid DNA, efficient delivery systems are an essential ingredient for successful gene therapy. To date, a vari

The LSCS group showed greater segmental motion, higher VEGF concentrations, and more CD34-positive capillaries than the control group. These data indicate that VEGF-mediated angiogenesis following mechanical stress may be a critical step within the series of pathological events in LFH.

Recent studies have shown that there is increased production of deleterious free radicals following acute subdural hematoma (ASDH). Scavenging them may therefore be of therapeutic benefit. Nitroxides are new, low molecular weight, cell permeable superoxide dismutase mimics. This study investigated the neuroprotective effect of 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (Tempol) following ASDH in the rat. Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in two studies: (1) a volumetric study of

LF cells interact with macrophage-like cells to produce angiogenesis-related factors except TGF-β1. Activated LF cells that have been exposed to macrophage, can impact the inducement of angiogenesis-related factors, suggesting that fibrosis and scarring during inflammatory reaction is the major pathomechanism of LF hypertrophy.

An 11-year-old girl presented with a very rare traumatic retroclival epidural hematoma manifesting as bilateral abducens nerve palsy, deviation of the uvula to the left, and weakened movement of tongue, which developed after a motor vehicle accident. The patient was treated conservatively and showed good outcome. Retroclival hematoma is a mainly pediatric entity usually associated with ligamentous injury at the craniocervical junction, and can be treated conservatively with good outcome.

OBJECT: This study was conducted to determine whether perfluorocarbons (PFCs) improve brain oxygenation and reduce ischemic brain damage in an acute subdural hematoma (SDH) model in rats. METHODS: Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to four groups: (1) controls, acute SDH treated with saline and 30% O2; (2) 30-PFC group, acute SDH treated with PFC infusion in 30% O2; (3) 100-O2 group, acute SDH treated with 100% O2; and (4) 100-PFC group, acute SDH treated with PFC plus 100% O2.

Aneurysms of the distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) are rare and their surgical treatments present some unique difficulties from a technical standpoint. In this report, we presented our experiences of cases with DACA aneurysms, and analyzed the clinical features and prognostic factors affecting the final outcomes. Among 770 cases of intracranial aneurysms operated from 1990 to 1998, 19 cases of DACA aneurysms (2.5%) were studied retrospectively. The characteristic findings were female prepon

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: A fat component within the ventricles or subarachnoid space in fat-containing tumors such as an epidermoid or a dermoid has been observed in rare instances. However, there have been no reports regarding an increase in the size of such a fat component. We describe the case of an epidermoid tumor with intraventricular fat that showed an increase in size and amount. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 26-year-old woman was admitted with headache and diplopia. Computed tomography and