No abstract available.
Sterilization, Tubal*

Split hand split foot(SHSF) is a rare human developmental defect characterized by mi-ssing digits, fusion of remaining digits, and a deep median cleft in the hands and feet. Cy-togenetic studies of deletions and translocations associated with this disorder have indicated that an autosomal dominant split hand/split foot locus maps to 7q21-q22. We have experienced a case of ectrodactyly in a 25-year-old primigravida woman and her baby and reported out our experience with a review of related literature.
Adult ; Female ; Fetus* ; Foot ; Hand ; Human Development ; Humans

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; enzymology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peroxidase ; blood

Objective To study the genotype distribution of insulin receptor substrate-2(IRS-2)gene 1057G/A polymorphism in Han population from Southwest China,and to explore its association with the metabolism of glucose and lipids,insulin resistance and islet?-cell function in type 2 diabetic patients and subjects with impaired glucose tolerance(IGT).Methods A total of 929 Hans[462 patients with type 2 diabetes(DM group) and 164 subjects with IGT(IGT group)and 303 normal controls(NC group)]from Chongqing and nearby regions were screened for 1057G/A polymorphism of IRS-2 gene by PCR-RFLP assay.Body mass index(BMI),plasma glucose,serum insulin and lipid profile,high-sensitive C-reactive protein(hsCRP)and non-esterified fatty acid were measured.Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)and disposition index(DI)were used to estimate insulin resistance and?-cell function respectively.Results In DM group,A allele frequency was significantly lower than that in NC group(0.326 vs 0.388,X~2=6.19,P=0.01).Compared with NC group,AA genotype frequeney was lower and GG genotype frequeney was higher in DM group(0.104 vs 0.135 and 0.452 vs 0.360 respectively,X~2=6.80,P

To identify up-regulated genes in adult rat cardiac fibroblasts (CF) induced by angiotensin II (Ang II), suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was performed between the CF stimulated by Ang II (tester) and unstimulated CF (driver) to generate subtractive cDNA library. The library was screened with dot blots hybridization to further verify the differentially expressed cDNA clones. Partial positive clones (19 up-regulated genes) were sequenced and BLAST analyzed. Twelve up-regulated genes related to extracellular matrix, cell cycle, intracellular signal transduction, cell cytoskeleton, cell metabolism and 7 new expressed sequence tags (EST) were acquired (GenBank accession number: CN382808, CN382809, CN382810, CN382811, CN382812, CN382813, CN382814). Our data reveal that SSH is a powerful technique of high sensitivity for the detection and cloning of up-regulated genes expressed in CF induced by Ang II, which may be helpful to clarify the mechanism of cardiac remodeling.
Angiotensin II ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Male ; Myocardium ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Up-Regulation ; Ventricular Remodeling ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether GnRH-agonist (GnRH-Ag) using in IVF-ET affects apoptosis of human granulosa-luteal cells and expression of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) protein involved in the apoptosis of the cells. METHODS: Granulosa-luteal cells obtained during oocyte retrieval were cultured and treated with 10(-5) M GnRH-Ag. Apoptosis of the cells by the treatment was confirmed using DNA fragmentation analysis 24 h after culture. The presence of PBR protein within the cells was examined by immunofluorescence staining and the expression of the protein was analyzed by Western blotting. In addition, it was measured for progesterone and nitric oxide (NO) produced by granulosa-luteal cells after GnRH-Ag treatment. To evaluate the relationship between NO production and PBR expression, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as a NO donor was added in media and investigated the expression of PBR protein by Western blotting. RESULTS: Apoptosis increased in the granulosa-luteal cells 24 h after GnRH-Ag treatment, whereas the expression of PBR protein significantly decreased. Furthermore, the production of progesterone and nitric oxide (NO) by the cells significantly fell from 12 h after the treatment. In the results of Western blotting after SNP treatment, the expression of PBR protein increased in the treatment with SNP alone to the granulosa-luteal cells, but was suppressed in the treatment with GnRH-Ag and SNP. Additionally, the staining result of PBR protein in the cells showed the even distribution of it through the cell. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that GnRH-Ag treatment induces apoptosis, decreasing expression of PBR protein and NO production in human granulosa-luteal cells. The present study suggests that one of the apoptosis mechanism of human granulosa-luteal cells by GnRH-Ag might be a signal transduction pathway via NO and PBR.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; DNA Fragmentation ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans* ; Luteal Cells* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroprusside ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Progesterone ; Receptors, GABA-A ; Signal Transduction ; Tissue Donors

Pentalogy of Cantrell was very rare congenital anomaly and represent a regional prevalence of 5.5/1 million live births. The syndrome, Cantrell's pentalogy is characterized by defects in the lower sternum with ectopia cordis, anterior diaphragm defects, midline supraumbilical abdominal wall defects, defects in the diaphragmatic pericardium, and various intracardiac defects. Anencephaly involves acrania with a degenerated mass of brain tissue. Combination of both conditions are extremely rare. We experienced a case of Cantrell's pentalogy with anencephaly detected by ultrasonography at 15 weeks 1 day menstural age and confirmed at autopsy. Thus we report a case with brief review of the literature.
Abdominal Wall ; Anencephaly* ; Autopsy ; Brain ; Diaphragm ; Ectopia Cordis ; Hernia, Umbilical ; Live Birth ; Neural Tube Defects ; Pentalogy of Cantrell* ; Pericardium ; Prevalence ; Sternum ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate incidence of microbial growth from the tip of the embryo transfer catheter after embryo transfer in relation to clinical pregnancy rate following in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. METHOD: This study was performed prospectively at the time of transcervical embryo transfer following conventional in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedures. Sixty three patients were enrolled in this study. Microbiological cultures were performed on endocervical swabs and embryo transfer catheter tips. RESULTS: Positive microbial growths were observed from endocervical swabs in 45 (71.4%) women and from catheter tips in 30 (47.6%) women. There was no statistically significant difference seen in the mean number of oocytes fertilized or number and grade of embryos transferred between the group of patients without growth and the group of patients with positive microbial growth from catheter tips. The clinical pregnancy rate were 30.3% in the group of patients without growth and 13.3% in the group with positive microbial growth from catheter tips. This difference in clinical pregnancy rates was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our finding is that microbial contamination at embryo transfer may influence implantation rates. The major questions arising from our finding are whether eradication of endocervical micro-organisms is possible and whether their eradication will improve implantation rates.
Catheters ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Prospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

Following IVF and ET it is common to develop clinical symptoms according to pregnancy outcome until day of pregnancy test(post ET day 16). But surprisingly, the squalae of day-case IVF and ET have not been reported . This study was analyzed on clinical symptoms after ET between pregnancy group and non-pregnancy group in 157 IVF and ET cycles from september, 1995 to June, 1996 at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University, Wonju Christian Hospital. The results obtained were as follows : 1. The breast engorgement was reported by 36 of 46(78.3 %) of our patients in pregnancy group and 65 of 111(58.6 %) of our patients in non pregnancy group. The results of both group showed significant difference(p<0.05). In pregnancy group, highest incidence was noted at post ET day 4, which was continued until post ET day 16. In non-pregnancy group, highest incidence was noted from post ET day 4 to day 7, which diminished gradually over following 5 days and then nearly disappeared. 2. The vaginal bleeding was reported by 8 of 46(17.4 %) of our patients in pregnancy group and 35 of 111(31.5 %) of our patients in non-pregnancy group. The results of both group did not show significant difference(p>0.05). However in pregnancy group, vaginal bleeding was noted from post ET day 8, which its incidence was peaked at post ET day 10 and its pattern was vaginal spotting. In non-pregnancy group, vaginal bleeding was mens like pattern and its incidence was peaked at post ET day 15. 3. The itching sensation on vagina was reported only in pregnancy group(4.3 %) and the urticaria and itching sensation on skin was reported only in non-pregnancy group(5.4 %). The results of both group did not show significant difference(p>0.05).
Breast ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Gangwon-do ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Metrorrhagia ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Pruritus ; Sensation ; Skin ; Urticaria ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Vagina

OBJECTIVE: Premorbid demographic backgrounds of injured individuals are likely to reflect more accurately the status of patients with traumatic brian injury (TBI) than clinical factors. However, the concrete study about the relationship between the demographic factors and neurocognitive function in TBI patients has not been reported. The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of premorbid demographic factors on the recovery of neurocognitive function following TBI. METHODS: From July 1998 to February 2007, 293 patients (male: 228, female: 65) with a history of head injury, who had recovered from the acute phase, were selected from our hospital to include in this study. We analyzed the effect of premorbid demographic factors including age, sex, educational level and occupation on the recovery of neurocognitive function in each TBI subgroup as defined by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. Intelligence and memory are components of neurocognitive function, and the Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS) and the Korean memory assessment scale (K-MAS) were used in this study. The results were considered significant at p<0.05. RESULTS: The higher level of education was a good prognostic factor for intelligence regardless of GCS score and younger age group showed a better result for memory with an exception of severe TBI group. In the severe TBI group, the meaningful effect of demographic factors was not noted by the cause of influence of severe brain injury. CONCLUSION: The demographic factors used in this study may be helpful for predicting the precise prognosis and developing an appropriate rehabilitation program for TBI patients.
Brain Injuries ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Demography ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Memory ; Occupations ; Prognosis