AD patients manifest Th2-skewed responses to MF, CA and TR, which may be partially attributable to the enhanced PGE2 responses to these fungi. PV patients manifest Th1-skewed responses to MF.

Pain, which remains largely unsolved, is one of the most crucial problems for spinal cord injury patients. Due to sensory problems, as well as motor dysfunctions, spinal cord injury research has proven to be complex and difficult. Furthermore, many types of pain are associated with spinal cord injury, such as neuropathic, visceral, and musculoskeletal pain. Many animal models of spinal cord injury exist to emulate clinical situations, which could help to determine common mechanisms of pathology. However, results can be easily misunderstood and falsely interpreted. Therefore, it is important to fully understand the symptoms of human spinal cord injury, as well as the various spinal cord injury models and the possible pathologies. The present paper summarizes results from animal models of spinal cord injury, as well as the most effective use of these models.

The authors performed immediate breast reconstruction on four patients using a sensate latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap accompanied by neurorrhaphy during the past 6 years. In the neurorrhaphy, the lateral cutaneous branch of the dorsal primary divisions of the seventh thoracic nerve, which controls the sensation of the myocutaneous flap, was anastomosed to the lateral cutaneous branch of the fourth intercostal nerve, which controls the sensation of the breast. The subjects consisted of four patients whose postoperative follow-up period was 14 to 29 months, with an average of 19.3 months. The control subjects consisted of 10 cases with a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap whose sensory nerve had not been reconstructed (postoperative follow-up period, 15 to 49 months; average, 26.9 months). The sensory examination included tests of touch, pain, and temperature. The innervated musculocutaneous flap sensation showed gradual recovery at about 6 months after surgery and reached the value of the normal side after about 1 year. In the control subjects, the recovery was gradual after more than 1 year and reached the value of the normal side in only some of the control subjects. On the basis of these findings, the authors consider the present technique to be useful for the recovery of sensation in immediate breast reconstruction.