Melasma is characterized by chronic dark brown pigmentation on the face which is known to be little effective by remedies. It is still unkown the exact cause of the diaease, but pregnancy, oral contraceptives, sun-light, csometics, endocrinologic disturbances and malnutrition could be speculated as causative factors. According to our clinical experiences, some of the melasma patients were related with psychic and physical problems. The disease state of 400 cases with melasma was categorixed by our own designed questionaire, based on the dinical condition and history. 86 of 400 casea were analysed by Cornell Medical Index to elucidate the psycholagical and physiological problems
Contraceptives, Oral ; Cornell Medical Index ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Melanosis* ; Pigmentation ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.

The superior colliculus is a laminated structure that consisted with superficial and deep layers in the roof of midbrain and the center of visual information and sensorimotor intergration. The deep layers of the mammalian superior colliculus are concerned with generation of eye movements. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system and its binding sites can be classified into serotonin-1 receptor, serotonin-2 receptor and serotonin-3 receptor according to their pharmacological characteristics. The serotonin-2 receptors in the human brain presents in the motor cortex(area 4 of Brodmann) which role for the control of ocular motor activity and in the primary and secondary visual areas(areas 17 and 18 of Brodmann). Some of them presents in the limbic system role for the control of emotive activity, memory and other limbic functions. We performed this experiment to identify the anatomical distribution of the serotonergic nerve terminals in the superior colliculus of the rat by microscopicautography. It has been demonstrated that the serotonin-2 receptors of the superior colliculus are concerned with generation of saccade eye movements.
Adult* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Eye Movements ; Humans ; Limbic System ; Memory ; Mesencephalon ; Motor Activity ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Rats* ; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT2 ; Saccades ; Serotonin ; Superior Colliculi

No abstract available.
Fibroblasts*

No abstract available.
Disease Outbreaks* ; Epidemiology* ; Foodborne Diseases ; Japan* ; Korea* ; Mortality

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have suggested an association of pregnancy-induced hypertension(PIH) with several genes involved in cardiovascular control. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the association between PIH and angiotensinogen(AGT) M235T gene and also to study the association between PIH and angiotensin-converting- enzyme(ACE). METHODS: DNA was extracted from whole blood, cheek swabs, and blood spot cards of 39 PIH patients and 54 controls. Controls consisted of women who had undergone at least two term pregnancies unaffected by PIH. All samples were genotyped for all the polymorphism using PCR of known alleic variants. Results were ananlyzed with a kappa2 contingency table. RESULTS: Four of 13 women with mild PIH(30.8%) and thirteen of 26 women with severe PIH(50.0%) were heterozygous for AGT M235T mutation compared with 26 of 54 controls(48.1%). Two of 13 women with mild PIH(15.4%) and two of 26 women with severe PIH(7.7%) were homozygous for AGT M235T mutation compared with 10 of 54 controls(18.6%). Six of 7 women with mild PIH(85.7%) and ten of 21 women with severe PIH(47.6%) were ID type for ACE gene compared with 31 of 56 controls(55.4%). One of 7 women with mild PIH(14.3%) and seven of 21 women with severe PIH(33.4%) were DD type for ACE gene compared with 15 of 56 controls(26.7%). There was no significance between mild, severe PIH patients and controls for AGT M235T mutation and ACE gene polymorphism. CONCLUSION: In Korean population, AGT M235T mutation and ACE gene are not associated with an increased risk for PIH.
Angiotensinogen* ; Cheek ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: High serum Lp(a) concentration is associated with a high risk of coronary artery disease(CAD). This study was initiated to determine whether increased Lp(a) levels are associated with diabetic vascular complications in Korean patients with NIDDM. METHODS: A total of 183 NDDM patients were studied cross-sectionally for the presence of various vascular complications. Lp(a) levels were measured by 1-step sandwich ELISA method. RESULTS: The patients with overt proteinuria had higher Lp(a) levels than the patients with mormoalbuminuria or microalbuminuria(26.8mg/dl vs 13.8 mg/dl and 17.3mg/dl, p<0.05), The patients with proliferative retinopathy and/or those treated by photocoagulation had higher Lp(a) levels than those without retinopathy or those with background retinopathy(34.1mg/dl vs 13.3mg/dl and 16,9mg/dl, p<0.05), The Lp(a) levels were also higher in the patients with CAD than those without CAD(30.9mg/ dl vs 16.3mg/dl, p<0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that high Lp(a) levels were independantly associated with CAD and severe diabetic retinopath3. CONCLUSION: High Lp(a) levels are associated with CAD and proliferative retinopathy in Korean patients with NIDDM.
Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Light Coagulation ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Logistic Models ; Proteinuria