No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: There has been various reports on the inverse association between coffee consumption and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase(GGT) activity in the general population of Western countries. However, this association is uncertain in the communities in which coffee consumption is less popular. So we tried to identify this association in men of rural area in Korea. METHODS: We examined the association between coffee consumption and serum GGT activity in cross-sectional study involving 379 male population health examinees aged 40 years and older from rural areas in Kyungnam prefecture in Korea. Those who perceived their health status as poor were excluded. Possible confounding effects of age, body mass index, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were controlled by multiple regression analysis and analysis of covariance. RESULTS: In multiple regression analysis, serum GGT activity was positively associated with alcohol intake, body mass index(P<0.001) and was negatively associated with coffee consumption(P=0.022), whereas no significant association was observed in cigarette smoking(P=0.094). Adjusted serum GGT activity level at the coffee consumption level of 0, one and two or more cups a day was 37.6 U/l, 35.9 U/l and 26.8 U/l respectively(Ptrend=0.008). CONCLUSION: Decreased serum GGT activity appears to be associated with coffee consumption in men of rural area, and further studies on the interrelationships among coffee consumption, alcohol intake and obesity will be necessary.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Coffee* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase* ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Obesity ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products

OBJECTIVES: The dopamine-blocking effects and the associated side effects(amenorrhea, lactation, sexual dysfunct of classical antipsychotics in schizophrenic patients have been studied for a long time. The purpose of this study to find out these effects of new antipsychotics(risperidone, olanzapine) in schizophrenic patients treated with clinical relevant doses. METHOD: Plasma levels of both prolactin and testosterone were measured in 91 schizophrenic patients(28 taking haloperidol, 4-20mg/day ; 31 taking risperidone, 2-6mg/day/ 32 taking olanzapine, 5-20mg/day). RESULTS: In male schizophrenic patients, the prolactin levels of risperidone group(76.44+/-38.85ng/ml) and haloperidol group(60.26+/-20.74ng/ml) had no significant difference, but were significantly higher than that of olanzapine(26.90+/-5.36ng/ml). In female, the prolactin level of olanzapine group(36.66+/-17.55) was significantly lower than those of risperidone(121.7+/-.33) and haloperidol group(161.66+/-37.53). And prolactin level of risperdone group was lower than that of haloperidol group. While the testosterone plasma level of risperidone, haloperidol and olanzapine in both male and female schizophrenic patients had no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: At doses known to be effective in popular clinical setting, prolactin level in patients taking risperidone we higher than that of haloperidol, while olanzapine showed no significant difference in terms of prolactin plasma level haloperidol. New antipsychotics may not influence the testosterone plasma level.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Female ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Lactation ; Male ; Plasma ; Prolactin* ; Risperidone ; Testosterone*

PURPOSE: Cycloporine A (CsA) is a immunosuppressive agent most widely used in organ transplanted patients for preventing immunorejection, but it has some side effects, including hypertension, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and diabetes. The mechanism of toxicity of CsA was not completely understood, but the reactive oxygen species has been proposed to be involved in the reaction of toxicity of CsA. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of glutathione, as a physiological antioxidant on CsA induced cytotoxicity in rat insulinoma (RINm5F) cells. METHODS: RINm5F cells were incubated in the presence of CsA (105~108 M) and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), as a inhibitor of r-glutamyl cysteine synthetase, was added to cultured media (RPMI1640). Twenty four hours of incubation with CsA and BSO, viable cells were determined by MTT method. RESULTS: CsA decreased cell viability in dose response in cultured RINm5F cells and significantly decreased according to redusing glutathione. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that CsA may induce the diabetes and glutathione have some roles in the pathogenesis of CsA-induced diabetes.
Animals ; Buthionine Sulfoximine ; Cell Survival ; Cyclosporine* ; Cysteine ; Glutathione* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Insulinoma* ; Ligases ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species

OBJECTIVES: Alexithymia has been regarded as the general personality of psychosomatic disease, but it's controversial. The object of the study is to find out the relationship between alexithymia and alopecia areata. METHODS: Thirty one alopecia areata patients were compared to 31 normal healthy persons in alexithymic tendency using TAS-20K. Also MMPI and SCL-90-R were checked in both groups. Psychiatric diseases were ruled out. RESULTS: The scores of F, K, Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt and Sc of MMPI in alopecia areata patients were different from those in normal healthy persons. The scores of SOM, O-C, I-S, DEP, ANX, HOT, PHOB, PAR, PSY, GSI, PSDI, and PST of SCL-90-R in alopecia areata patients were significantly higher than those in normal healthy persons. In TAS-20K, the scores of Factor 1 and Total in alopecia areata patients were higher than those in normal healthy persons. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that alopecia areata patients are more alexithymic than normal healthy persons.
Affective Symptoms* ; Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Humans ; MMPI

OBJECTIVE: This study had three objectives: 1) to investigate the rehabilitation professionals' way of thinking on physical, psychological and social characteristics of older patients: 2) to assess their actual knowledge level about aging; and, 3) to deduce and analyze the influences that cause these different kinds of perceptions and attitudes. METHOD: Total 239 rehabilitation professionals (including rehabilitation doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers, psychologists, prosthetists & orthotists) responded to our questionnaire were included in this study. Self-addressed questionnaires were composed of two categories: 1) the perception of older patients compared with younger patients: and 2) the actual knowledge level about aging. RESULTS: 1) There were significant (p<0.05) differences by job classification on a speculative disposition with the physical characteristics, motive of treatment, emotional characteristics, and discharge problem of older patients. 2) There were also significant (p<0.05) differences by job classification in the actual knowledge level about aging by job classification. A higher score on the questionnaire correlated with a more optimistic view of the motive of treatment, emotional characteristic and discharge problem. CONCLUSION: Many rehabilitation professionals have a misconceptions about older patients due to insufficient knowledge on aging. Therefore we propose an objective understanding of older patients along with proper education on aging to provide an effective rehabilitation treatment.
Aging* ; Classification ; Education ; Humans ; Physical Therapists ; Psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation* ; Social Workers ; Sociology ; Thinking

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: This study focuses on the pathogenesis of inflammatory reaction and cell necrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and examines the possible effects of follicular dendritic cells, HLA-DR and CD8+ presenting lymphocytes by analyzing their expression and the histological activity index (HAI) in liver tissues. METHODS: Liver biopsy specimens were obtained from 59 patients with chronic hepatitis B and from 26 patients with chronic hepatitis C. The expressions of dendritic cells, HLA-DR and CD8+ presenting lymphocytes were determined by immunohistochemical stain. RESULTS: The incidence of lymphoid follicle and/or lymphoid aggregates in portal tracts of the liver was higher in chronic hepatitis C than it was in chronic hepatitis B (84.6% vs. 15.3%, p=0.000). Follicular dendritic cells were exclusively expressed within lymphoid follicles and/or lymphocyte aggregates in portal areas. HLA-DR restricted cells were mainly observed in portal and periportal areas as well as in the area of piecemeal necrosis. CD8+ lymphocytes were diffusely expressed in portal and periportal areas and within intralobular parenchymal sinusoids. The expression of dendritic cell and HLA-DR was more frequently observed in moderate chronic hepatitis than in mild chronic hepatitis. While that of CD8+ lymphocyte expression was more frequent in severe chronic hepatitis with a high HAI score. CONCLUSIONS: The follicular dendritic cells may trap viral antigens in intraportal lymphoid follicle and present them to HLA-DR and CD8+ presenting lymphocytes. It is suggested that the associated expression of dendritic cells, HLA-DR and CD8+ presenting lymphocytes in liver tissues may play one of the biological role in immune injury in chronic viral hepatitis.
Antigens, Viral ; Biopsy ; Dendritic Cells* ; Dendritic Cells, Follicular ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; HLA-DR Antigens* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Lymphocytes* ; Necrosis

The analysis of regional myocardial function is important for the evaluation of myocardial performance. We evaluated whether the motion images of the coronary bifurcation points can be used for computation of the regional deformation and the regional wall stress. In 5 mongrel dogs, 4 to 7 lead markers were implanted adjacent to the bifurcarion points of coronary artery. Left ventricular pressure curve was obtained, and left ventriculography was performed to measure the major and minor axes of the left ventricle. Afterthen, biplane coronary arteriography was performed. The motion images of the lead markers and the corresponding coronary bifurcation points were used as landmarkers for the kinetic analysis of the regional wall deformation and wall stress. The results of the analysis using two kinds of landmarkers were well correlated(P<0.001). Analysis of the diagnosis biplane coronary cineangiograms of each patient group demonstrated that quite difference wave forms between the normally perfused segment and the underperfused segments. In group I there was no coronary arterial narrowings and no regional wall motion abnormalities. Their mean and peak wall thicking were 10.10+/-9.28% and 47.99+/-20.70%. And their peak and mean values of circumferential and longitudinal wall stresses are as follows; 2.70+/-0.74x10(5)dyn/cm2, 2.34+/-0.71x10(5)dyn/cm2, 0.84+/-0.21x10(5)dyn/cm2, 2.34+/-0.71x10(5)dyn/cm2, 0.84+/-0.21x10(5)dyn/cm2 and 0.64+/-0.13x10(5)dyn/cm2. Of 5 male patients having coronary arterial disease with regional wall motion abnotmalities(Group III), 2patients have single vessel disease, 2 paitents have 2 vessel disease. In subgroup b of group III, there was a significant decrease of regional wall thickening(mean and peak value; 0.54+/-9.91%.14.87+/-12.055; P<0.001 vs. group I), and increasing tendency of regional wall stresses. Using biplane coronary cineangiogram, which is routine diagnostic procedure in coronary artery disease, this method can valuate regional myocardial function. And this method can evaluate regional myocardial function. And this method will be especially useful, when serial coronary cineangiograms are needed for serial evaluation of patients, such as before and after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary arterial bypass graft surgery, etc.
Angiography ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Animals ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Dogs ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Transplants ; Ventricular Pressure

No abstract available.
Humans

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A self-report questionnaire is frequently used to measure symptoms reliably and to distinguish patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) from those with other conditions. We produced and validated a cross-cultural adaptation of the Rome III questionnaire for diagnosis of FGIDs in Korea. METHODS: The Korean version of the Rome III (Rome III-K) questionnaire was developed through structural translational processes. Subsequently, reliability was measured by a test-retest procedure. Convergent validity was evaluated by comparing self-reported questionnaire data with the subsequent completion of the questionnaire by the physician based on an interview and with the clinical diagnosis. Concurrent validation using the validated Korean version of the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) was adopted to demonstrate discriminant validity. RESULTS: A total of 306 subjects were studied. Test-retest reliability was good, with a median Cronbach's alpha value of 0.83 (range, 0.71-0.97). The degree of agreement between patient-administered and physician-administered questionnaires to diagnose FGIDs was excellent; the kappa index was 0.949 for irritable bowel syndrome, 0.883 for functional dyspepsia and 0.927 for functional heartburn. The physician's clinical diagnosis of functional dyspepsia showed the most marked discrepancy with that based on the self-administered questionnaire. Almost all SF-36 domains were impaired in participants diagnosed with one of these FGIDs according to the Rome III-K. CONCLUSIONS: We developed the Rome III-K questionnaire though structural translational processes, and it revealed good test-retest reliability and satisfactory construct validity. These results suggest that this instrument will be useful for clinical and research assessments in the Korean population.
Dyspepsia ; Gastrointestinal Diseases* ; Health Surveys ; Heartburn ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Surveys and Questionnaires*