No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Takayasu Arteritis*

No abstract available.
Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Neuroendocrine (NE) cells of the prostate are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). By a comparative analysis of NE cell density in BPH tissue of men who were either exposed to or not exposed to 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, we investigated the relationship between NE cells and BPH, and the effect of androgen deprivation on NE cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prostate tissue specimens, obtained from 30 men by transurethral resection of the prostate or radical cystoprostatectomy, were used. Of the 30 patients, 10 had a prostate smaller than 25 ml (normal control), the other 20 had a prostate larger than 40ml, 10 of who had taken 5alpha-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) for 3 months before surgery (androgen blockade group), and 10 who had not (BPH group). The distribution of NE cells in the prostate was examined using the anti-chromogranin A (CgA) antibody, and the density of the CgA-positive cells was compared by an optical dissector method. Immunoblotting was performed using the neuron specific enolase (NSE) antibody. A Mann-Whitney U test was used in a statistical analysis. RESULTS: Most of the CgA-positive NE cells were localized between the acinar epithelial cells. The mean numbers of CgA-positive NE cells per acinus in the normal controls and the BPH groups were 1.67+/-0.78 and 4.45+/-2.54, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). However, the mean number of CgA-positive NE cells in the androgen blockade group, was 4.93+/-2.17, which was similar to the BPH group. In a NSE immunoblotting study, a distinct band was observed in the BPH and androgen blockade groups, but the density of the band was higher in the androgen blockade group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that NE cells may be involved in the hyperplastic process of BPH. Inhibition of dihydrotestosterone, caused by the oral administration of the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, failed to induce any significant change in the NE cells, probably due to the incomplete androgen blockade.
Administration, Oral ; Cell Count ; Dihydrotestosterone* ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Immunoblotting ; Male ; Neuroendocrine Cells* ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia*

Myositis Ossificans progressiva is a very rare disease and not more than five cases have been reported in this country. The symptoms usually appear before the age of six and no case has ever been reported in medical literature in which patient is older than the age of twenty. This author reports here that a 52 years old male was diagnoed as a myositis ossificans progressiva. The patient developed his symptoms when he was lynched by a club during the Korean conflict at the Korean conflict at the age of thirty. Another interesting fact is that is that his daughter has also developed similar symptoms which appeared following an accident when she was run over by an angry cow at the age of six.
Humans ; Korean War ; Male ; Myositis Ossificans ; Myositis ; Nuclear Family ; Rare Diseases

PURPOSE: The Singh index which is based on a plain radiograph has commonly used in assessing the grade of osteoporosis. We studied value of the Singh index in assessing the grade of osteoporosis by obtaining reliability of the Singh index and correlation between the Singh index and bone mineral density. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six observers assessed radiographs of 60 patients suspected osteoporosis. The interobserver and intraobserver agreement of the Singh index were obtained by using kappa statistics. The bone mineral density of proximal femur was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in all patients, and then the results of bone mineral density were compared with those of Singh index by using percentage of variance. RESULTS: The kappa values of interobserver agreement ranged from 0.28 to 0.76 (mean value: 0.45) and the strength of the agreement was moderate. The percentage of variance of BMD which was explained by Singh index was 7.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the Singh index has low clinical value in assessing the grade of osteoporosis
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Bone Density ; Femur ; Humans ; Osteoporosis*

No abstract available.
Polychondritis, Relapsing*

No abstract available.
Polychondritis, Relapsing*

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ethanolic extracts of Scutellaria Radix on the alveolar bone formation in the extract socket of rat. Thirty-six Sprague-dawley rats were used in this study. Mean body weight of rat was 130+/-5g. Experimental animal were administered 0.4% beta-aminopropionitril(Sigma, USA) with the solid commercial food for 5 days. All the maxillary 1st molar of the rats were extracted by using of the tissue forcep under the general anesthesia with Pentobarbital sodium(Tokyo Chemical Co., Japan) injection into intraperitoneal space. All the extracted rats were divided into two group, experimental group which were feeded the solid food mixed ethanolic extracts of Scutellaria Radix, and control group which were feeded same food without reagent. At 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 14th days after tooth extraction, rats in both groups were serially sacrificed respectively. All the specimen were treated as usual method and prepared Hematoxylin-eosin stain for the light microscopic observation. The results were as follows : 1. Bone formation of extracted socket starts from the area on remained periodontal ligament than other area. 2. In the case of administration of the extracted Scutellaria Radix showed rapid healing process of connective tissue than non-administrated group. 3. In the case of administration of the extracted Scutellaria Radixshowed rapid osteogenesis than non-administrated With above results, it was concluded that ethanolic extracts of Scutellaria Radix may play a favorable role on the healing process of exatraction socket after extraction in rats. It was suggested that further study to evaluate the different concentration and administration method of ethanolic extracts of the Scutellaria Radix into same experimental model.
Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Connective Tissue ; Ethanol* ; Models, Theoretical ; Molar ; Osteogenesis* ; Pentobarbital ; Periodontal Ligament ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Scutellaria* ; Surgical Instruments ; Tooth Extraction