OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to develop the Korean version of Wahler Physical Symptom Inventory (WPSI), to examine the reliability and validity of it, and to investigate usefulness for diagnosing somatization. METHODS: The normal group was composed of 242 persons consist of middle and high school students, university students, and adults living in Seoul, Puchon, and Suwon. The two clinical groups consisted of 33 persons with somatic symptoms and 38 diabetic patients. RESULTS: Internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=.91) was very high. Test-retest reliability was calculated from 46 university group, and it's correlations was also high (.87). And the total score of K-WPSI was significantly and positively correlated with subscales of SCL-90-R. There was significant difference between the normal, psychiatry group, and diabetic group of K-WPSI (F=15.48, p<.001). Especially, K-WPSI was very useful to differentiate between the somatization group and diabetic group. CONCLUSION: K-WPSI was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for diagnosing somatization, and for differentiating somatization and diabetic groups. K-WPSI is a brief and economical questionnaire, which may curtail medical expenses of patients. It is also expectated that K-WPSI can be used for identifying somatization and providing information which may contribute to ascertain diagnosis. The limitation of this study is the small normative data, and not distinguishing sex differences. This limitation should be supplemented by future studies.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seoul ; Sex Characteristics

In recent years, as the aging population grows, aging-induced cognitive impairments including dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) have become the biggest challenges for global public health and social care. Therefore, the development of potential therapeutic drugs for aging-associated cognitive impairment is essential. Metabolic dysregulation has been considered to be a key factor that affects aging and dementia. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a primary sensor of cellular energy states and regulates cellular energy metabolism. Metformin (1,1-dimethylbiguanide hydrochloride) is a well-known AMPK activator and has been widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Since the incidence of T2DM and dementia increases with aging, metformin has been considered to be one of the most promising drugs to target dementia and its related disorders. To that end, here, we tested the efficacy of metformin and HL271, a novel metformin derivative, in aging-induced cognitive decline. Water (control), metformin (100 mg/kg) or HL271 (50 mg/kg) were orally administered to aged mice for two months; then, the mice were subjected to behavioral tests to measure their cognitive function, particularly their contextual, spatial and working memory. AMPK phosphorylation was also measured in the drug-treated mouse brains. Our results show that oral treatment with HL271 (50 mg/kg) but not metformin (100 mg/kg) improved cognitive decline in aged mice. AMPK activation was correlated with behavior recovery after aging-induced cognitive decline. Taken together, these results suggest that the newly synthesized AMPK activator, HL271, could be a potential therapeutic agent to treat age-related cognitive decline.
Adenosine Monophosphate ; Aging ; Alzheimer Disease ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Animals ; Behavior Rating Scale ; Brain ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; Dementia ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Energy Metabolism ; Incidence ; Memory, Short-Term ; Metformin ; Mice ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Kinases ; Public Health ; Water

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanisms involved in the mRNA expressions of hCG, LH/CG receptor and in hormone secretion in the trophoblast of normal and abnormal early pregnancy. METHODS: hCG, free Beta-hCG, and progesterone concentrations were measured in serum and the mRNA expressions of alpha,Beta-hCG and LH/CG receptor were measured in the placental trophoblast of 22 spontaneous abortion patients (spontaneous abortion group), 20 normal pregnancy women (normal pregnancy group) and 6 hydatidiform mole patients (hydatidiform mole group). RESULTS: 1. Mean values of serum hCG and free Beta-hCG concentrations were the lowest in spontaneous abortion group (46343.63+/-40404.18 mIU/ml, p<0.001; 31.34+/-61.57 mIU/ml, p<0.01 respectively) among the three groups. Mean progesterone concentration was the lowest in spontaneous abortion group (11.84+/-7.60 ng/ml, p<0.01), too.2. The expression levels of alpha,Beta-hCG were the highest in spontaneous abortion group (4.64+/-5.47, p=0.015; 4.57+/-4.42 p=0.002 respectively). The expression levels of LH/CG receptor were not different statistically among the three groups and they were high at the 5th week of gestation, reaching nadir at the 10th week of gestation when the concentrations of serum hCG showed peak values in normal pregnancy group.3. The correlations between serum hCG and progesterone concentrations were positive in both spontaneous abortion (r=0.827, p<0.001) and normal pregnancy (r=0.438, p=0.054) group. Though they were not significant statistically, the correlations between progesterone concentrations and the levels of alpha,Beta-hCG expressions were negative in both spontaneous abortion (r=-0.237, p=0.289; r=-0.211, p=0.347) and normal pregnancy (r=-0.270, p=0.250; r=-0.235, p=0.318) group. In hydatidiform mole group, the correlation between progesterone concentrations and the levels of Beta-hCG expression was positive (r=0.968, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the mechanisms involved in the secretion of hCG, progesterone and the expression of alpha,Beta-hCG, LH/CG receptor be normal in spontaneous abortion as in normal pregnancy and in the both groups, hCG stimulate the secretion of progesterone by autocrine function and control the secretion of itself, through the suppression of the expressions of alpha,Beta-hCG and LH/CG receptors. So the cause of spontaneous abortion in early pregnancy may be not placental dysfunction but the defect of embryo itself with poor placental growth.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Humans ; Hydatidiform Mole ; Pregnancy ; Progesterone ; RNA, Messenger* ; Trophoblasts*

Eosinophils are derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Peripheral blood eosinophilia is defined as an absolute eosinophil count of > or =0.5x10(9)/L. Eosinophilia is classified into primary or clonal eosinophilia, secondary eosinophilia, and idiopathic categories including idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Both hematopoietic and solid neoplasms may be associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia, but multiple myeloma is rarely associated with eosinophilia. We now report the case of a 31-year-old man with multiple myeloma associated with marked eosinophilia who developed multiple organ dysfunction with infiltration of eosinophils. He recovered after treatment with chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation.
Adult ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Multiple Myeloma ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Transplantation, Autologous

Eosinophils are derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Peripheral blood eosinophilia is defined as an absolute eosinophil count of > or =0.5x10(9)/L. Eosinophilia is classified into primary or clonal eosinophilia, secondary eosinophilia, and idiopathic categories including idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Both hematopoietic and solid neoplasms may be associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia, but multiple myeloma is rarely associated with eosinophilia. We now report the case of a 31-year-old man with multiple myeloma associated with marked eosinophilia who developed multiple organ dysfunction with infiltration of eosinophils. He recovered after treatment with chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation.
Adult ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Multiple Myeloma ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Transplantation, Autologous

Acute pancreatitis rarely occurs in the postpartum period. Furthermore, there are very few reports of it after cesarean section delivery. A 35-year-old woman presented with dyspnea and abdominal distension on the third day after cesarean section delivery. Under a suspicion of acute pancreatitis, she was initially managed with conservative treatment. However, she developed intra-abdominal fluid collections and gastric bleeding, which were managed with percutaneous drainage, endoscopic hemostasis, and angiographic embolization. She was discharged with good clinical recovery. Postpartum pancreatitis, especially after cesarean section, is rare; however, its management is not different from that for usual pancreatitis.
Adult ; Cesarean Section* ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Pancreatitis* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Stomach Ulcer

Adenomyomatous hyperplasia is a reactive malformation or non-neoplastic tumor-like lesion frequently observed in the gallbladder, stomach, duodenum and jejunum, but rare in the extrahepatic bile duct. A 42-year-old man with epigastric discomfort had a stricture in the common bile duct on initial CT scans. Initially, it was regarded as a malignant lesion with some evidence, but histopathologic examinations of multiple biopsies obtained by multiple sessions of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed no evidence of malignancy. The patient had undergone the pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy because of the possibility of malignancy; however, the final diagnosis was adenomyomatous hyperplasia. It is important to distinguish a malignancy from benign biliary stricture with endoscopic biopsies. Surgery for suspected biliary malignancy often reveals benign lesions. Therefore, a correct diagnosis is important before deciding upon treatment of bile duct stricture. In conclusion, in younger patients with bile duct stricture where there is no evidence of histologic malignancy despite multiple biopsies, the possibility of benign disease such as adenomyomatous hyperplasia should be considered, to avoid unnecessary radical surgery.
Adenomyoma ; Adult ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Biopsy ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Common Bile Duct* ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Diagnosis ; Duodenum ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Jejunum ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Pylorus ; Stomach ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Bile examination is believed to be the most precise method for detecting Clonorchis sinensis (CS) eggs. We carried out bile examination to evaluate infestation state of CS in patients with pancreatobiliary diseases in Ulsan, known as an endemic area of CS infestation. METHODS: We examined CS eggs in bile in three hundreds and nine patients with pancreatobiliary diseases. The bile was obtained from endoscopic nasobiliary or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tubes. RESULTS: The overall egg positive rate was 27.5% (35.3% in male, 17.6% in female). The egg positive rate was not significantly different according to the age group: 20.0% in thirties, 26.7% in forties, 24.2% in fifties, 29.9% in sixties, 36.2% in seventies and 16.7% in eighties or more. The egg positive rate according to the disease, except CS cholangitis, was not also statistically different: 32.6% in bile duct cancer, 38.5% in gallbladder cancer, 11.1% in ampulla of Vater cancer, 24.0% in pancreatic cancer, 26.4% in gallstone diseases and 12.5% in the reminder. The location of gallstone and whether CS related diseases or CS unrelated diseases did not affect the egg positive rates. The egg positive rate in patients with normal radiological findings including cholangiography was 17.0%. CONCLUSION: This result shows that regardless of age, sex, and sorts of diseases, the infestation rate of CS was very high. On the basis of our results, it is therefore presumes that clonorchiasis is still endemic disease in Korea.
Ampulla of Vater ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Bile* ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; Cholangiography ; Cholangitis ; Clonorchiasis ; Clonorchis sinensis* ; Drainage ; Eggs ; Endemic Diseases ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Ovum ; Pancreatic Diseases ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Ulsan*

We report a case of Caplan's Syndrome, which presented as multiple pulmonary nodules. A 58-year-old male was admitted to hospital due to multiple pulmonary nodules. In addition, the patient presented with multiple arthritis, and dyspnea on exertion. Rheumatoid arthritis had been diagnosed 35 years ago. The patient had worked as a stonemason for 20 years. Computed Tomography (CT) revealed numerous well-defined tiny nodules scattered in both lungs, which was suspicious of miliary tuberculosis or malignancy. The patient was started on antituberculous medications and referred to our hospital. First, a transbronchial lung biopsy was performed, which showed no evidence of granuloma. It was our opinion that the biopsy was insufficient, and a follow-up video-associated thoracoscopy was performed. The pathological report determined necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and silicosis on background. According to imaging studies, pathologic reports, and clinical symptoms, we concluded that the patient had Caplan's syndrome. We controlled his rheumatic medications, and instructed him to avoid exposure to hazardous dust.
Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biopsy ; Caplan Syndrome ; Dust ; Dyspnea ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules ; Silicosis ; Thoracoscopy ; Tuberculosis, Miliary

BACKGROUND: Many investigators have found transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1) to be elevated in tumors. Changes in responsiveness to TGF-1 have been linked to malignant transformation, tumor progression and tumor regression. Many malignant cell lines of epithelial or hematopoietic origin are refractory to the antiproliferative effects of TGF-1. However, a little is known about the association of TGF-1 with progression of malignant tumor. METHODS: In this study, we measured the plasma level of TGF-1 in various cancer patients and evaluated the utility of plasma TGF-1 as a possible tumor marker. Plasma TGF-1 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in cancer patients and normal controls. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) as tumor marker were compared with TGF-1 in the aspects of sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: The mean of plasma TGF-1 levels was 1.2 19 +/-0.834 ng/ml in normal controls, 5.491 +/-3.598 ng/ml in breast cancer, 12.670 +/-10.386 ng/ml in lung cancer, 5.747 +/-3.228 ng/ml in hepatocellular carcinoma and 10.854 +/-7.996 ng/ml in cervical cancer. In comparison with CEA and AFP, TGF-1 is more sensitive. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the high levels of TGF-1 are common in the plasma of cancer patients. These result s suggest that the plasma TGF-1 level can be a potent tumor marker in various cancer patients.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Line ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Plasma* ; Research Personnel ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms