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Background: Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant that affects human health worldwide. PM can pass through the skin barrier, thus causing skin diseases such as heat rash, allergic reaction, infection, or inflammation. However, only a few studies have been conducted on the cytotoxic effects of PM exposure on large-scale animals. Therefore, herein, we investigated whether and how PM affects rhesus macaque skin fibroblasts., Methods: Rhesus macaque skin fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of PM 10 (1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL) and incubated for 24, 48, and 72 h. Then, cell viability assay, TUNEL assay, and qRT-PCR were performed on the treated cells. Further, the reactive oxygen species, glutathione, and cathepsin B levels were determined. The MTT assay revealed that PM 10 (>50 μg/mL) proportionately reduced the cell proliferation rate., Results: PM 10 treatment increased TUNEL-positive cell numbers, following the pro-apoptosis-associated genes ( CASP3 and BAX ) and tumor suppressor gene TP53 were significantly upregulated. PM 10 treatment induced reactive oxidative stress. Cathepsin B intensity was increased, whereas GSH intensity was decreased. The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant enzyme-related genes ( CAT, GPX1 and GPX3 ) were significantly upregulated. Furthermore, PM 10 reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential. The mRNA expression of mitochondrial complex genes, such as NDUFA1, NDUFA2, NDUFAC2, NDUFS4 , and ATP5H were also significantly upregulated. In conclusion, these results showed that PM 10 triggers apoptosis and mitochondrial damage, thus inducing ROS accumulation. These findings provide potential information on the cytotoxic effects of PM 10 treatment and help to understand the mechanism of air pollution-induced skin diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 Lee et al.)

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in locating rectal cancer, and to determine whether tumor location correlates with the incidence of pulmonary metastasis., Materials and Methods: A total of 146 patients with confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma underwent 3-T rectal MRI, and abdominal and chest computed tomography (CT) within 2 weeks of the endoscopic examination. We reviewed the distance between the mass and the anal verge recorded in the endoscopic reports of these patients. Two radiologists evaluated the same distance on MRI scans by using picture archiving and communications systems. Multiple factors including the tumor location, primary tumor and lymph node stage, lung and liver metastasis, pathologic differentiation, and the carcinoembryonic antigen level were evaluated. The correlation between tumor location on MRI and endoscopy was assessed, and significant factors influencing pulmonary metastasis were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis., Results: There was a statistically significant correlation between the tumor location established using MRI and the actual location recorded during endoscopy. The incidence of pulmonary metastasis was significantly higher in patients with lower rectal cancer (11/17, 65%) compared to those with upper rectal cancer (6/17, 35%; p<0.05). Factors associated with pulmonary metastasis were tumor location and the presence of liver metastasis., Conclusion: The accurate tumor location could be indicated using 3-T rectal MRI. Pulmonary metastasis occurred more frequently in patients with lower rectal cancer than in those with upper rectal cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the significance of computed tomography (CT) findings in relation to liver chemistry and the clinical course of acute hepatitis., Methods: Four hundred and twelve patients with acute hepatitis who underwent enhanced CT scanning were enrolled retrospectively. Imaging findings were analyzed for the following variables: gallbladder wall thickness (GWT), arterial heterogeneity, periportal tracking, number and maximum size of lymph nodes, presence of ascites, and size of spleen. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, albumin, and prothrombin time were measured on the day of admission and CT scan, and laboratory data were evaluated every 2-4 d for all subjects during hospitalization., Results: The mean age of patients was 34.4 years, and the most common cause of hepatitis was hepatitis A virus (77.4%). The mean GWT was 5.2 mm. The number of patients who had findings of arterial heterogeneity, periportal tracking, lymph node enlargement > 7 mm, and ascites was 294 (80.1%), 348 (84.7%), 346 (84.5%), and 56 (13.6%), respectively. On multivariate logistic regression, male gender [odds ratio (OR) = 2.569, 95%CI: 1.477-4.469, P = 0.001], toxic hepatitis (OR = 3.531, 95%CI: 1.444-8.635, P = 0.006), level of albumin (OR = 2.154, 95%CI: 1.279-3.629, P = 0.004), and GWT (OR = 1.061, 95%CI: 1.015-1.110, P = 0.009) were independent predictive factors for severe hepatitis. The level of bilirubin (OR = 1.628, 95%CI: 1.331-1.991, P < 0.001) and GWT (OR = 1.172, 95%CI: 1.024-1.342, P = 0.021) were independent factors for prolonged cholestasis in multivariate analysis., Conclusion: In patients with acute hepatitis, GWT on CT scan was an independent predictor of severe hepatitis and prolonged cholestasis.

Phytobezoar is the most common type of bezoar. It is composed of indigestible vegetable matter and is usually found in the stomach. Biliary phytobezoar is extremely rare and difficult to diagnose preoperatively. The pathogenesis is not clear, and there have been only a few reports of biliary bezoars associated with sphincteric impairment at the ampulla of Vater. Here, we present a report of biliary bezoar that resulted in jejunal obstruction. We were unable to identify the bezoar in the extrahepatic bile duct until it obstructed the small bowel lumen. To our knowledge, this is the first report of small bowel obstruction resulting from migration of a biliary bezoar.