OBJECT: Many studies found that psychological stress produced significant increases in cholesterol concentration. But recent study results suggested that lowering cholesterol increased non-illness mortality. Suicide rate were higher in low cholesterol groups. Also, depression and violence were related to low cholesterol. It is the purpose of this study to determine which psychiatric symptoms are correlated with serum concentration of cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-C. METHOD: The subjects we included were 61 neurotic outpatients. Their psychiatric symptoms were assessed with SCL-90-R and additional symptoms check list and the results of their fasting serum concentration of cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-C were obtained. The correlation between serum concentration of lipids and psychiatric symptoms were analyzed using Pearson's correlation test. RESULTS: The result showed significant positive correlation between somatization symptom dimension and serum cholesterol concentration. Serum cholesterol concentration were also negatively correlated with suppressed emotion of anger Serum concentration of triglyceride and HDL-C were not correlated with any symptom dimensions of SCL-90-R. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that somatization symptoms have some relationship with serum cholesterol and the role of cholesterol in psychiatric symptoms need to be included in future study.
Anger ; Cholesterol ; Depression ; Fasting ; Humans ; Mortality ; Outpatients ; Stress, Psychological ; Suicide ; Triglycerides ; Violence

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of mortise angle and fibular length measured in radiologic findings in predicting the ankle stability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred cases fifty cases were randomly selected volunteers with normal ankle function and the other fifty cases were randomly selected patients whose ankle were treated in our hospital and who were followed for over 1 years with good results. A specific experimental fixture were made to get the even AP and lateral view and objective stress view. RESULTS: The mortise angle and fibular length was not statistically significant to the degree of talar tilt angle under valgus or varus stress and that of displacement under anterior or posterior stress. CONCLUSION: The mortise angle and fibular length was not the objective predicting factors on the ankle stability. Maintenance of constrained talus in dynamic status is most important factors in determining the ankle stability.
Ankle* ; Humans ; Talus ; Volunteers

Adnexal torsion is not a common surgical emergency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. and is not observed frequently during pregnancy with its incidence being one out of about 5,000 pregnancies: Pregnancy is a factor that encourages torsion. The traditional treatment for ischemic and twisted adnexa consists of oophorectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy. with early diagnosis, a conservative approach is recommended in cases of young women to assure future fertility. with a brief review ofliterature, we report a case of unilateral salphingo-oophorectomy during pregnancy due to adnexal torsion with the delivery of a normal baby.
Early Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fertility ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Obstetrics ; Ovariectomy ; Pregnancy*

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus and located usually within the pelvis. It may be detected as a rare complication associated with surgery. Endometriosis following obstetric and gynecologic procedure, which is localized mostly in the surgical scar including Cesarean section scar, hysterotomy scar, trocar scar, Bartholin cyst exision scar, or episiotomy scar, may caused by implantation of endometrial gland and stroma. Endometriosis developing after hysterectomy, especially, is a quite rare condition except a recurrent disease. We have experienced a case of a 47-year-old woman who had diagnosed ovarian endometriosis two years after laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy for a large leiomyomatous uterus with no evidence of endometriosis, so we report this case with a brief review of literature.
Cesarean Section ; Cicatrix ; Endometriosis* ; Episiotomy ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal* ; Hysterotomy ; Middle Aged ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy ; Surgical Instruments ; Uterus

A growing body of literature has documented that job stress is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanism of this association remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the relationship between job stress, heart rate variability, and metabolic syndrome. The study design was cross-sectional, and a total of 169 industrial workers were recruited. A structured-questionnaire was used to assess the general characteristics and job characteristics (work demand, decision latitude). Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded using SA-2000 (medi-core), and was assessed by time-domain and by frequency-domain analyses. Time domain analysis was performed using SDNN (Standard Deviation of normal to normal interval), and spectral analysis using low-frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF), and total frequency power. Metabolic syndrome was defined on the basis of risk factors being clustered when three or more of the following cardiovascular risk factors were included in the fifth quintile: glucose, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bottom quintile), triglyceride, and waist-hip ratio. The results showed that job characteristics were not associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Compared to the lower strain group (low strain+passive+active group), the high strain group had a less favorable cardiovascular risk profile with higher levels of blood pressure, glucose, homocysteine, and clotting factor, but the difference was not statistically significant. The SDNN of HRV was significantly lower in the high strain group than in the low strain group. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the lower strain group and high strain group was 13.2% and 23.8%, respectively. In the high strain group, the metabolic syndrome was significantly related to a decreased SDNN. However, we could not find a significant association in LF/HF ratio. This result suggests that decreased HRV found in the high-strain group are not a direct indicator of disease. However, it can induce cardiovascular abnormalities or dysfunctions related to the onset of heart disease among high risk groups.
Adult ; Aged ; *Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases/*physiopathology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Stress, Psychological/*physiopathology

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a maternally transmitted disease causing acute or subacute, bilateral optic atrophy mainly in young men. It is found to be a mitochondrial disorder with the primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations at 11778, 3460, and 14484. The incidence of each mutation is reported to be race-dependent. Point mutations at mtDNA nucleotide position 11778 and 14484 have been reported in Korean patients with LHON, however there has been no report of mtDNA mutation at nucleotide position 3460. Molecular genetic analyses at four primary sites (11778, 14484, 15257, and 3460) of mitochondrial DNA using the polymerase chain reaction, restriction enzyme digestion, and direct sequencing were performed in a 35-yr-old man with severe visual loss. A point mutation in the mtDNA at nucleotide position 3460 was identified and a conversion of a single alanine to a threonine was confirmed. To our knowledge, this is the first report confirming mtDNA mutation at nucleotide position 3460 in Korean patients with LHON. Detailed molecular analyses would be very helpful for the correct diagnosis of optic neuropathy of unknown etiology and for genetic counseling.
Adult ; *DNA, Mitochondrial ; Humans ; Male ; Optic Atrophy, Hereditary, Leber/*genetics ; *Point Mutation

Diazepam is known to have cardiovascular depressive effects through a combined action on benzodiazepinergic receptor and the GABA receptor-chloride ion channel complex. Moreover, it is known that barbiturates also have some cardiovascular regulatory effects mediated by the central GABAergic system. Therefore, this study was undertaken to delineate the regulatory actions and interactions of these systems by measuring the responses of the cardiovascular system and renal nerve activity to muscimol, diazepam and pentobarbital, administered intracerebroventricularly in rabbits. When muscimol (0.03~-0.3 microgram/kg), diazepam (10~100 microgram/kg) and pentobarbital (1-10 microgram/kg) were injected into the lateral ventricle of the rabbit brain, there were similar dose-dependent decreases in blood pressure (BP) and renal nerve activity (RNA). The relative potency of the three drugs in decreasing BP and RNA was muscimol > pentobarbital >diazepam. Muscimol and pentobarbital also decreased the heart rate in a dose-dependent manner; however, diazepam produced a trivial, dose-independent decrease in heart rate. Diazepam (30 microgram/kg) pentobarbital (3 microgram/kg) did not. Bicuculline (0.5 microgram/kg), a GABAergic receptor blocker, significantly augmented the effect of muscimol (0.1 microgram/kg) in decreasing blood pressure and renal nerve activity, but of pentobarbital in decreasing BP and RNA, either alone or with muscimol. We inferred that the central benzodiazepinergic and barbiturate systems help regulate peripheral cardiovascular function by modulating the GABAergic system, which adjusts the output of the vasomotor center and hence controls peripheral sympathetic tone. Benzodiazepines more readily modulate the GABAergic system than barbiturates.
Barbiturates ; Benzodiazepines ; Bicuculline ; Blood Pressure ; Brain ; Cardiovascular System ; Diazepam ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Heart Rate ; Ion Channels ; Lateral Ventricles ; Muscimol ; Pentobarbital ; Rabbits ; RNA

The necrotizing fascitis, that develops after a Cesarean section, is acknowledged as a rare complication due to the development of antibiotics. Having a very high mortality rate, the only way to prevent the septic shock and the impairment of the cardiopulomary function is the use of adequate antibiotics, the infusion of IV fluids, a radical section of the necrotized fascia and a through cleansing. We have an experience in treating a primipara who had a necrotic fascitis after Cesarean section, and therefore, report this case with the review of articles enclosed.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cesarean Section* ; Fascia ; Fasciitis ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing* ; Female ; Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Shock, Septic

BACKGROUND: There is an individual variation in the hepatic injuries following alcohol abuse, which may be partly caused by the diverse activities of enzymes participating in the degradation of alcohol. Polymorphism of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) gene has been reported to affect the degradating activity of the enzyme, which may be eventually associated with the severity of alcoholic liver disease. In this study we were to evaluate the effects of genetic polymorphism of CYP2E1 on hepatocellular injury or fibrosis. METHODS: We analyzed the relationship of CYP2E1 genotypes to the biochemical and clinical characteristics as well as TGFbeta1 expressions in a total of 33 patients (M:F=32:1) with advanced alcoholic liver cirrhosis. CYP2E1 genotypes were determined by RFLP using RsaI and PstI. The amounts of serum TGFbeta1 were measured by ELISA (TGFbetta1 ELISA system, Promega, USA). RESULTS: Out of 33, 23 (70%) had the CYP2E1 of genotype A and all of the remaining 10 (30%) were type B; there was no one who had type C. The serum albumin levels of patients with type A of CYP2E1 gene were lower than those with type B (p=0.01); the Child-Pugh scores were also higher in patients with type A than B (p=0.03). However, there was no difference between the two groups in the serum AST, ALT, gamma-GTP and bilirubin levels. The patients expressed similar amount of serum TGFbetta1 regardless of their CYP2E1 genotypes. CONCLUSION: Our data indicates that the most common genotype of CYP2E1 is type A (70%) in patients with advanced alcoholic liver cirrhosis in Korea. It is also suggested that patients with enotype A of CYP2E1 may be associated with more advanced alcoholic liver cirrhosis compared to those with type B.
Alcoholics* ; Alcoholism ; Bilirubin ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1* ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System* ; Cytochromes* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibrosis ; Genotype ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic* ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Serum Albumin ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Small bowel obstruction is an unusual complication of pregnancy, but it is associated with high fetal and maternal mortality. Diagnosis is often delayed due to confusion over symptoms by both the patient and physicians, because symptoms such as colicky abdominal pain, vomiting and constipation are all common at various stages of pregnancy. If is small bowel obstruction of gravid patient suspected, prompt abdominal radiological evaluation and surgical intervention to reduce both maternal and fetal mortality are warranted. We report a recently report a recently experienced case of small bowel obstruction with brief review of literatures.
Abdominal Pain ; Constipation ; Fetal Mortality ; Humans ; Maternal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Vomiting