No abstract available.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans

The eosinophil is the major cell responsible for the inflammatory reaction in bronchial asthma. Secretion of granular components is probably of considerable importance for the inflammatory effects of the eosinophils. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is the one of the secretory components of the eosinophil granule and-is considered as an activation marker of eosinophil count, serum concentration of ECP and serum IgE were studied in normal, symptomatic and asymptomatic asthmatic children. In symptomatic asthma, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was studied and methacholine challenge test was done in asymptomatic asthma in addition. Blood eosinophil count and serum ECP in asthma were significantly raised compared with those of the normal children. And the level of serum ECP in symptomatic asthma was higher than that in asymptomatic asthma. The mean % fall of PEFR was significantly correlated with serum ECP and blood eosinophil count in symptomatic asthma. In asymptomatic asthma, there was no correlations between methachloine PC20 and blood eosinophil count or methachloine PC20 and serum ECP level. Our findings show that blood eosinophil count and serum ECP levels differ not only between normal children and asthmatic children, but also between symptomatic asthma and asymptomatic asthma.
Asthma ; Child* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Methacholine Chloride ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate

No abstract available.
Depression* ; Prevalence*

Evidence in human studies of the association of long term habitual exercise with bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) mostly come from studies done on athletes. The highest BMC and BMD values in young adults have been found in strength and power-training athletes, while endurance activities such as long distance running and swimming seem to be less effective in obtaining peak bone mineral density. To compare the differences in BMD among ballet, Korean traditional dancing and athletics, we examined the BMD of 10 ballerinas, 10 Korean traditional dancers, 12 athletes and 12 volunteers as the control group. All participants were female. The average age were 20.6 years for the ballerinas, 21.2 for the Korean traditional dancers, 20.4 for the athletes and 21.3 for the control group. Average weights were 50.6 kg for the ballerina, 53.7 kg for the Korean traditional dancer, 59.2 kg for the athletes and 53.8 kg for the control group. Average heights were 162.0 cm for the ballerinas, 160.4 cm for the Korean traditional dancers, 162.3 cm for the athletes and 160.5 cm for the control group. There were no significant differences in the BMD values of the proximal femur and the lumbar spine between ballerinas and control group and between Korean traditional dancers and control group (p>0.05). There was, however, a significant increase of BMD in the proximal femur and lumbar spine of the athletes when compared with the control group (p<0.05) After adjusting for difference in body mass index (BMI) we recompared the BMD of ballerinas, Korean traditional dancer and athletes with BMD of control group and found significant higher lumbar spine BMD values in ballerinas, Korean traditional dancers and athletes. In athletes higher BMD levels were also obtained in the proximal femur including the neck, greater trochanter and Wards triangle regions (p<0.05). There was no significant increase of proximal femur BMD levels for Korean traditional dancers (p>0.05). Differences of BMD values between the ballerinas and control group was statistically significant only in femoral neck (p<0.05).
Athletes* ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density* ; Dancing ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Neck ; Running ; Spine ; Sports ; Swimming ; Volunteers ; Weights and Measures ; Young Adult

Most cases of spondylolisthesis are asymptomatic and successfully managed with conservative treatment. Operation was performed in 20% of symptomatic cases having severe back pain, neurological symptoms and or progressive slipping. Although surgical treatments are divided into decompression and fusion, various methods were tried frorn simple Gill's resection to posterior and/or anterior fusion with instrumentation in case of severe slipping. The authors reviewed 49 cases of symptomatic spondylolisthesis, who were surgically treated, and well followed up at Kang-Nam St. Mary's Hospital during past 6 years from January, 1981, to June, 1987. l. Among 49 cases, 23 were isthmic type and 26 were degenerative in nature, and 40 were females. 24 patients(92.3%) of degenerative type were female over 4th decade. Mean age was 47.9 years. 2. The most common site of involvement was L4–5 intervertebral space(25 cases,; 51.0%). 17 cases(73.9%) of isthmic thpe were involved in L5-Sl intervertebral space, and 21 cases (80.8%) of degenerative type were involved L4–L5 intervertebral space. 3. The symptoms were low back pain, intermittent claudication and sciatica in order of incidence. 4. The average slipping measured by Taillard method was 19.5%, and Meyerding's grade I slipping(69.3%) was the highest in the percentile incidence. The average degree of slipping in isthmic type(23.6%) was greater than that of degenerative type(16.4%). 5. Myelogram mainly showed complete or near complete block in degenerative type and ventral indentation in isthmic type. C–T myelogram showed mainly central stenosis in degenerative type, and nerve root compression in isthmic type. 6. In 9 cases,anterior fusions were done ; 5 degenerative and 4 isthmic. In 37 cases, decompression and posteriolateral fusions were done with or without instrumentation ; instrumented in 11 cases. 7. Clinically, the results were judged as excellent in 16 cases(32.7%), good in 26 cases(53.1 %), fair in 6 cases(12.2%), poor in 1 case(2.1%). Thus, 42 cases(85.8%) were considered satisfactory. The satisfactory results were obtained in 77.8% of anterior interbody fusion cases, 88 5% of posterolateral fusion cases, 90.7% of decompression and posterolateral fusion with instrumentation cases. There was no appreciable difference in clinical results between isthmic and degenerative types. 8. There were no changes in slipping in 35 cases(71.5%), Partial reduction were possible in 13 cases(28.5%), and further splipping developed in a patient who had decompression surgery alone. Among 46 cases of vertebral fusion, complete fusion was obtained in 43 cases(93.5%) within one year. 9. Solid anterior spondylodesis was obtained in all the cases of degenerative type, while in 2 cases(50%) of the isthmic type, graft crumbled with redisplacement and delayed fusion. Through the results, it is concluded that posterior instrumentation may not be essential for the successful spondylodesis in cases of posterolateral fusion, since there was no statistical significance in the results between the instrumented and non-instrumented, and isthmic type and degenerative type, and that anterior interbody fusion is best indicated for the treatrment of the degenerative type and not for the isthmic type. Therefore, if anterior interbody fusion is chosen for the successful treatment of isthmic type, a certain type of internal fixator should be combined.
Back Pain ; Clinical Study ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intermittent Claudication ; Internal Fixators ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Radiculopathy ; Sciatica ; Spinal Fusion ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants

To evaluate the effects of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) to the iron status of fetuses, umbilical cord blood of 35 newborn borne by PIH mothers and of 37 normal term infants delivered at Yeungnam University Hospital from September 1, 1993 to September 30, 1994, were studied. The serum hemoglobin concentration of women with PIH was significantly higher than normal full-term pregnant women. There was no significant difference in serum hemoglobin concetration between women with PIH and normal full-term pregnant women and their newborn infants. There was no significant difference in serum hemoglobin concentration between infants iof women with PIH and normal full-term infants. The serum iron concentration of newborn infants of women with PIH was higher and the serum ferritin concentration of newborn infants of women with PIH was lower than normal full-term infants, but there were no significant difference between the two groups. The serum total iron-binding capactity and unsaturated iron-binding capacity of infants of women with PIH were significantly higher than normal full-term infants. The newborn infants of PIH women seemed that they might have occult depletion of iron store and need meticulous follow up during early neonatal period.
Female ; Ferritins ; Fetal Blood ; Fetus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Iron ; Mothers* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women

STUDY DESIGN: The treatment of a stable fracture around thoracolumbarjunction is a controversial subject. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the result from long term follow-up of the stable spinal fracture around thoracolumbar junction according to the operation, osteoporosis and in situ extension bar, respectively. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The thoracolumbar junction is a transitional zone in which the kyphotic angle of thoracic spine is continued to the lordotic angle of lumbar splne. So it is prone to be injured biomechanically, and the stability of the spine around thoracolumbar junction is not determined yet. METHODS: We studied retrospectively 105 cases of the stable fracture around thoracolumbar junction from January 1985 to December 1995. The criteria of the stability were a compression fracture by Denis F., a bursting fracture without involvement of posterior column, a neural enchroachment of bony fragment below 30%, fracture without subluxation or dislocation in spinal junction. RESULTS: The most common cause was traffic accident and, the first lumbar vertebrate was common site. Below 30% of initial compression, the progression was not exceded 5% in operative group. But in nonoperative group, anterior compression was more progressed than initial compression over 5%. The degree of anterior compression was affected by osteoporosis and in situ extension bar just after injury. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest an anterior compression abode 30% in spinal body of thoracolumbar junction for an additional operative indication. The prognosis may be affected by osteoporosis and in situ extension bar.
Accidents, Traffic ; Dislocations ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Fractures, Compression ; Osteoporosis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine ; Vertebrates

The author measured the value of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and phospholipid in normal Korean adults and patients with complicated hypertension. Sera obtained from 295 cases of normal Korean male and female, and also 109 cases of patients with hypertension were analysed for triglyceride, cholesterol and phospholipid. The patterns of serum lipoprotein fraction in 171 normal Korean and 109 patients with complicated hypertension including cerebrovascular diseases and ischemic heart disease were studied by agarose gelelectrophoresis. The results are summarized as follows; 1. The mean value of serum triglyceride, cholesterol and phospholipid in normal Korean were 85.4+/-20.5mg%, 187.9+/-16.7mg%, and 193.4+/-34.6mg% respectively. 2. Sex and age difference showed no statistical significance in the mean values of serum triglyceride, cholesterol and phospholipid in hypertensive patients. 3. The mean values of serum triglyceride in the patients with complicated hypertension such as cerebral thrombosis gave higher value than in the patients with other cerebral complications. 4. The mean value of alpha-lipoprotein, pre-beta-lipoprotein and beta-lipoprotein in normal Korean were 29.6+/-5.0% (142.6+/-30.1mg%), 13.0+/-4.3% (62.7+/-24.8mg%), and 57.4+/-30.1% (276.1+/-56.6mg%) respectively. 5. The alpha-lipoprotein fraction in normal Korean demonstrated the tendency of decreasing as age is progressing in both sex, but pre-beta and beta-lipoprotein fraction gave a tendency of increasing by progressing age in both sex, but was not confirmatory in nature. 6. The alpha-lipoprotein fraction in patients with hypertension gave lower value than in the normal subjects, but the value of pre-beta and beta-poprotein were elevated significantly among patients with complicated hypertension than in normal person. 7. The incidence of hyperlipidemia in normal Korean and patients with hypertension were 31.9% and 66.5% respectively. 8. The relative incidences of hyperlipidemic probable phenotypes in normal Korean were as follows: 7% of normal person had Type II (IIa 3.3%, IIb 3.7%), 3.5% had Type III, and 21.4% had Type IV.
Adult* ; Cholesterol ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension* ; Incidence ; Intracranial Thrombosis ; Lipoproteins* ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Phenotype ; Sepharose ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Burns* ; Humans ; Interleukin-2*

No abstract available.
Urticaria*