Clinical characteristics and coronary angiographic findings were analyzed in 24 patients with angiographically documented coronary artery spasm, which developed spontaneously in 11 cases and was provoked by intravenous ergonovine meleate in 13 cases. The commonest clinical presentation was chest pain at rest in 21 out of 24 cases, and nine patients with resting angina had also exertional chest pain. Ten patients complained of chest pain which developed especially at night and in the early morning. Cumulative doses of ergonovine meleate whoch were required to provoked spasm were 0.05mg in 3, 0.15mg in 8 and 0.35mg in 2 cases. Transient hypertension occured in one case as a complication of ergonovine provocation test. In 20 cases coronary artery spasm developed at the portion of normal or insignificantly narrowed coronary arteries, at the severely stenotic portion in 3 cases and at the normal portion different fropm severe tight lesion in one case. Electrocardiographic findings at the time of coronary spasm were ST segment elevation in 11 among 18 cases, ST segment depression in 2 cases and no change in 3 cases. Twenty two patients complained of chest pain of the same characteristics which they had previously experienced, but there was no chest pain in 2 patients. Right coronary artery was the most prevalent site of coronary artery spasm, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties were performes successfully in 4 cases with significantly tight lesions. In conclusion coronary artery spasm is thought to play a significant role in the conversion of stable to unstable angina and the development of silent myocardial ischemia as well as variant angina.
Angina, Unstable ; Angioplasty ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Depression ; Electrocardiography ; Ergonovine ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Spasm*

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the relationship between the levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the peritoneal fluid of women with and without endometriosis and infertile women. METHODS: This study is prospective and case-control study in University hospital, enrolled thirty-four women with laparoscopic findings of minimal to severe endometriosis, and thirty-seven women with no visual evidence of pelvic endometriosis and with benign gynecologic disease. IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in peritoneal fluid were determined using commercial ELISA. IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations were compared among women with and without endometriosis, and with infertile and fertile women, and then also compared according the revised American Fertility Society classification. RESULTS: IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations were higher than in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis than in matched normal controls. Cyclic variations in IL-6 concentrations were seen in peritoneal fluid from patients with endometriosis: the concentrations in the secretory phase were significantly higher than those in the proliferative phase. The concentrations were higher than among of infertile women than in fertile women. A significant correlation between IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations and endometriosis stage III and IV was noted. CONCLUSION: Increased levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with endometriosis in the peritoneal fluid may be relate to the pathogenesis of endometriosis suggesting that partially contribute to the disturbed immune regulation observed in patients with endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Case-Control Studies ; Classification ; Endometriosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fertility ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Prospective Studies ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

Serum levels of HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and total cholesterol were measured in 107 normal Koreans and in 327 patients; 66 patients with hypertension, 34 patients with coronary heart disease, 45 patients with cerebral thrombosis, 18 patients with nephrotic syndrome, and 164 patients with diabetes mellitus. Patterns of serum lipoprotein fractions were also investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis in 41 normal Koreans and in 72 patients; 14 patients with hypertension, 10 patients with coronary heart disease, 19 patients with cerebral thrombosis, 7 patients with nephrotic syndrome, and 22 patients with diaebetes mellitus. The results are summarized as follows; 1. Mean values of serum HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and cholesterol in normal Koreans were 52.2+/-12.4mg/100ml, 110.6+/-31.6mg/100ml and 175.3+/-21.4mg/100ml respectively. No significant difference in mean value of serum HDL-cholesterol was observed between Korean males and females. 2. In Korean females serum, HDL-cholesterol level showed peak values in the fifth decade, but no significant difference with aging was observed in Korean males. 3. Serum HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly decreased in patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebral thrombosis, and in male diabetic patients with complication. 4. Serum triglyceride levels were significantly increased in all the disease groups, and serum cholesterol levels were significantly increased in all the disease groups except cerebral thrombosis. 5. Mean values of alpha-lipoprotein, pre-beta-lipoprotein and beta-lipoprotein fraction ratios in normal Koreans were 28.9+/-7.5%, 14.9+/-4.9% and 56.2+/-8.1% respectively. 6. Seum alpha-lipoprotein fraction ratio was significantly decreased in relatively advanced hypertensive patients. Pre-beta-lipoprotein fraction ratio tends to be increased in patients with hypertension, cerebral thrombosis, nephrotic syndrome and in diabetic patients with complications, and beta-lipoprotein fraction ratio tends to be increased in patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease and nephrotic syndrome, but those were not statistically significant.
Aging ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Thrombosis ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Triglycerides

Echocardiographic right ventricular systolic time invervals were measured in 69 cases of congenital and acquired valvular heart disease, who have neither arrhythmia nor conduction disturbances. The results were as follows: 1) Right ventricular preejection periord(RVPEP) relates with main pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (MPA(s)), main pulmonary arterial diastolic pressure (MPA(d)), main pulmonary arterial mean pressure (MPA(m)), pulmonary vascular resistance (Rp), and the ratio of pulmonary systemic vascular resistance (Rp/Rs) (r=0.746, 0.738, 0.755, 0.721, 0.687). 2) Rifht ventricular ejection time relates with MPA (s), MPA (d), MPA (m), Rp, and Rp/Rs (r=-0.580, -0.541, -0.544, -0.577, -0.420). 3) The ratio of right ventricular preejection period-right ventricular ejection time (RVPEP/RVET) relates with MPA (s), MPA (d), MPA (m), Rp and Rp/Rs (r=0.789, 0.784, 0.781, 0.778, 0.695). 4) Pulmonary hypertension and increased pulmonary vascular resistance can be predicted, when RVPEP/RVET is over 0.3. 5) By serial preoperative and postoperative measurements, pulmonary hypertension and increased pulmonary vascular resistance were relieved in the cases of mitral stenosis. But in the cases of congenital heart diseas there were no significant change in RVPEP/RVET ratio.
Adult* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Blood Pressure ; Echocardiography* ; Heart ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Systole* ; Vascular Resistance

BACKGROUND : DHEAS, the major circulating adrenal hormone, has been suggested to have a role in many aging related diseases and perhaps in aging itself. But, there is no epidemiologic data of DHEAS in normal adults in Korea. We studied age changes and sex differences in serum DHEAS & its related factors throughout adulthood. METHODS : We administ structured questionnaires to the study subjects. We measured serum DHEAS levels and several biochemical markers (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, glucose etc) in 1.710 healthy men(857) and women (853), aged 17-76 years. We also measured their height, weight, waist & hip circumference and body fat contents with bioimpedance method. We analyzed various variables relating to serum DHEAS levels by using SPSS. Reference data of serum DHEAS level in normal adults were also suggested. RESULTS : The DHEAS concentration peaked at age group blow age of 30 years in man(260.9 microgram/dL). Then mean values declined steadily in both sexes (r=-0.38, p<0.001 in men and r=-0.46, p<0.001 in women). At age group above 70 years, only 30.9% in men & 30.4% in women, when compared with age group below 30 years, was remained. DHEAS concentration were significantly higher in men than women at all age group except age group above 70 years. Average 1.5 times higher concentration in men than in women (at least 1.28 times at age<30 and max 2.00 times at age 60-64). In men, DHEAS had higher mean value in smokers (218.1 vs 199.1 microgram/dL, p<0.05), drinkers (>or=2 times/week, 219.1 vs 185.3 microgram/dL, p<0.01), android type fat distribution group (waist/hip>0.85, 227.1 vs 197.4 microgram/dL) after adjusting age. DHEAS was positively correlated with body mass index (r=0.12, p<0.01). But in women, drinkers (154.3 vs 131.7 microgram/dL, p<0.05) and regular exercise group (146.1 vs 131.6 microgram/dL, p=0.05) had higher mean DHEAS value. There were no significant association between DHEAS and lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol) & fasting glucose level in both sex. CONCLUSION : Our data suggest that DHEAS levels may influenced by several sociodemographic factors (e.g. smoking, alcohol, exercise etc) and body mass index. DHEAS level was inversely correlated by age in both sex and men had 1.5 times higher DHEAS values than women. We could not find any association between DHEAS level and lipid profile & fasting blood sugar.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Aging ; Biomarkers ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Hip ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sex Characteristics* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Waist-Hip Ratio

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is a disease affecting a large population of women all over the world. A local sterile inflammation occurs in the peritonel cavity of patients with endometriosis. It suggests that immunological events play a major role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. We have studied the levels of serveral T cell and monocyte derived cytokines, especially IL-6 (promoter of immune response) and IL-10 (inhibitor of immune response), in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis to characterize the change of immune response that occurs at the site of endometriosis. Method: This study was performed in Hallym university hospital from October, 1997 to October 1998 and enrolled 29 women with gross or microscopic findings of minimal to severe endometriosis in case group, and 28 women without visual evidence of pelvic endometriosis and with benign gynecologic disease in control group. IL-6 and IL-10 levels in the peritoneal fluid were determined using commercial ELISA and compared between endometriosis and controls and between fertile and infertile women with endometriosis and according to the revised American Fertility Society classification. RESULT: IL-6 was higher and IL-10 was lower in the peritoneal fluid of endometriosis group than of control group. Cyclic variations in the IL-6 concentrations were seen in endometriosis group : the concentrations in the secretory phase were significantly higher than those in the proliferative phase. In endometriosis group, IL-6 concentrations of infertile women were higher than fertile women. Both IL-6 and IL-10 in the peritoneal fluid of endomtriosis group did not show significant correlation according to r-AFS stages. CONCLUSION: Increased IL-6 and decreased IL-10 levels in the peritoneal fluid may be related to infertility and pathogenesis in the endometriosis, suggesting that partially contribute to the disturbed immune regulation observed in endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Classification ; Cytokines ; Endometriosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fertility ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10* ; Interleukin-6* ; Monocytes

No abstract available.
Cell Adhesion* ; Ischemia* ; Microscopy, Video* ; Reperfusion*

No abstract available.
Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated*

No abstract available.
Electrocardiography* ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation*

No abstract available.
Checklist* ; Child ; Child Behavior* ; Child* ; Conduct Disorder* ; Humans