No abstract available.
Mitral Valve*

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that obesity, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart diseases, metabolic syndrome and hypertension can combine with psoriasis. However, the metabolic comorbidities have not been clearly demonstrated in Korean psoriasis patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between psoriasis and metabolic abnormalities including obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertension and dyslipidemia in our center. Treatment response of cyclosporine between a high body mass index (BMI) group and normal BMI group was also analyzed to investigate how obesity may affect psoriasis treatment. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was made on the obesity and metabolic status of psoriasis patients versus normal control group through electronic medical records from January 2008 to April 2009 at Department of Dermatology, Samsung Medical Center, (Seoul, Korea). Medical records, demographics and the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score before and after cyclosporine treatment were analyzed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the metabolic status between normal control and psoriasis patients. Also, there was no significant difference in the treatment response between high BMI group and normal BMI group, after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of cyclosporine treatment. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that in Korean patients, an association between psoriasis and metabolic abnormalities is not obvious. This may reflect a different severity of obesity and metabolic abnormalities between Western and Asian populations.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Mass Index ; Comorbidity ; Cyclosporine ; Demography ; Dermatology ; Dyslipidemias ; Electronic Health Records ; Glucose Intolerance ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Medical Records ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Obesity* ; Psoriasis* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to reveal the health effects of air pollution on the residents living near waste treatment plant. METHODS: We sampled 190 residents as the hogh exposed group, 192 residents as the moderate group, and 139 residents as the low exposed group according to the geographical distances from the waste treatment plant. Self-administered questionnaires for prevalence of respiratory disease, irritation symptoms of mucous membrane (eye, nose, thoat, skin, and respiratory tract), gastrointestinal symptoms, other nonspecific symptoms were conducted. We measured the concentrations of total suspened partcles, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd and As in 3 exposed area. RESULT: Airborne concentrations of total suspended particles measured in exposed area were 485, 365, and 332 micro gram/m(3) which excees the limit value. Airborne concentrations of Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd and As were not excees the limit value. The prevalence of respiratory disease of high exposed group (16.8%) was significantly higher than that of moderate group (3.6%) and low exposed group (5.0%). The sysptom score of irrtation sysptoms of mucous membrane, gastrointestinal sysptoms, and other nonspecific sysptoms were increased with exposed level. In multiple linear regression, exposure level was related to all sysptom scores significantly. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the air pollution of waste treatment plant would influence prevalence of respiratory disease, induce irritation of mucous membrane, gastrointestinal symptoms, and other nonspecific sysptoms.
Air Pollution ; Linear Models ; Mucous Membrane ; Nose ; Plants* ; Prevalence ; Skin ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Cervical lymph node metastasis is common in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Lateral neck node metastases are a significant consideration in surgical management of patients with DTC. However, the optimal extent of therapeutic lateral neck dissection remains controversial. Optimizing the surgical extent of lymph node dissection is fundamental to balancing the surgical morbidity and oncological benefits in DTC patients with lateral neck metastasis. Consideration of the individualized appropriate surgical extent of lateral lymph node is important in treatment of DTC patients.
Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Neck Dissection ; Neck* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

The bcl-2 gene is a proto-oncogene which extends cell survival by blocking apoptosis. Bcl-2 expression has been detected in many types of nodal and MALT lymphoma. The p53 gene is a tumor suppressor gene and p53 mutation is the most common genetic alteration in human malignancies. The relationship between the expression of bcl-2 and p53 protein in primary gastric lymphoma has been rarely reported. The authors investigated the expression of bcl-2 and p53 protein in 37 cases of primary gastric lymphoma by immunohistochemical method using bcl-2 and p53 monoclonal antibodies. There were five cases of low grade B-cell MALT lymphomas and thirty two cases of high grade B-cell lymphomas. Fifteen of 37 cases (41%) showed bcl-2 protein expression in the cytoplasm of tumor cells and 26 cases (70%) showed p53 protein expression in the nucleus of tumor cells. Bcl-2 protein was detected in 4 of 5 (80%) low grade MALT lymphomas, and in 11 of 32 (34%) high grade lymphomas. There was no significant correlation between bcl-2 expression and histologic grade of primary gastric lymphomas (p>0.05). p53 protein was positive in 25 of 32 (78%) high grade lymphomas, and in 1 of 5 (20%) low grade MALT lymphomas. The expression of p53 protein is significantly higher in high grade lymphoma than in low grade MALT lymphoma (p<0.05). The p53 expression in the bcl-2 negative cases (86%) was significantly higher than in the bcl-2 positive cases (47%). There was an inverse relationship between bcl-2 and p53 expression in primary gastric lymphoma. These results suggest that bcl-2 and p53 expression in primary gastric lymphoma may be involved in the transition from low grade MALT lymphoma to high grade lymphoma.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Apoptosis ; B-Lymphocytes ; Cell Survival ; Cytoplasm ; Genes, bcl-2 ; Genes, p53 ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; Proto-Oncogenes

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Humans* ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Humans* ; Mice*

BACKGROUND: It is said that tuberculous pleuritis responds well to anti-tuberculous drug in general, so no further aggressive therapeutic management is unnecesarry except in case of diagnostic thoracentesis. But in clinical practice, we often see some patients who need later decortication due to dyspnea caused by pleural loculation or thickening despite several months of anti-tuberculous drug therapy. Therefore, we want to know the clinical difference between a group who received decortication due to complication of tuberculous pleuritis despite of anti-tuberculous drug and a group who improved after 9 months of anti-tuberculous drug only. METHODS: We reviewed 20 tuberculous pleuritis patients(group 1) who underwent decortication due to dyspnea caused by pleural loculation or severe pleural thickening despite of anti-tuberculous drug therapy for 9 or more months, and 20 other tuberculous pleuritis patients(group 2) who improved by anti-tuberculous drug only and had similar degrees of initial pleural effusion and similar age,sex distribution. Then we compared between the two groups the duration of symptoms before anti-tuberculous drug treatment and pleural fluid biochemistry like glucose, LDH, protein and pleural fluid cell count and WBC differential count, and we also wanted to know whether there was any difference in preoperative PFT value and postoperative PFT value in the patients who underwent decortication, and obtained following results. RESULTS: 1) Group 1 patients had lower glucose level{63.3+/-30.8(mg/dl)} than that of the group 2{98.5+/-34.2(mg/dl), p<0.05}, and higher LDH level{776.3+/-266.0(IU/L)} than the group 2 patients{376.3 +/-123.1(IU/L), p<0.05), and also longer duration of symptom before treatment{2.0+/-1.7(month)} than the group 2{ 1.1 +/-1.2(month), p<0.05)}, respectively. 2) In group 1, FVC changed from preoperative 2.55+/-0.80(L) to postoperative 2.99+/-0.78(L)(p<0.05), and FEV1 changed from preoperative 2.19 +/- 0.70(L/sec) to postoperative 2.50+/-0.69(L/sec) (p<0.05). 3) There was no difference in pleural fluid protein level(5.05+/-1.01(gm/dL) and 5.15+/-0.77 (gm/dl), p>0.05) and WBC differential count between group 1 and group 2. CONCLUSION: It is probable that in tuberculous pleuritis there is a risk of complication in the case of showing relatively low pleural fluid glucose or high LDH level, or in the case of having long duraton of symptom before treatment. We thought prospective study should be performed to confirm this.
Biochemistry ; Cell Count ; Drug Therapy ; Dyspnea ; Glucose ; Humans ; Pleural Effusion* ; Pleurisy ; Prospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pleural*

BACKGROUND: Bronchial hbyperresponsiveness (BHR) is a key feature of asthma, and may precede the development of asthma. Genetically determined and acquired factors may contribute to development of BHR. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate expression of bronchial responsiveness to methacholine according to age, sex, smoking habit, and atopy in general population without bronchial asthma, a cross sectional study was performed. METHOD: A total of 1,190 general population who composed of 408 subjects with age less than 19 years (young age group), 621 subjects with age from 20 to 40 years (middle age group), and 161 subjects with age more than 41 years (old age group) were enrolled. Evaluations were made by a questionnaire, serum IgE level and skin prick test to common inhalant allergens, and methacholine bronchial provocation test (MBPT). Bronchial responsiveness were evaluated by positive rate of MBPT (PC,p-methacholine 4 25mg/ml), and slope of dose- response curve (slope, %fall of FEV, / log[last concentration of methacholine, mg/ml]). RESULT: Positive rate of MBPT was 11.0%, and slope (mean+SE) was 10.6+0.2 %/mg/ml. Postive rate of MBPT was more prevalent in the young age group than in middle and old age groups (19.6% vs. 6.6% vs. 6.2%, p<0.05), and slope was higher in young age group than in other groups (14.4+0.4 vs. 8.6+0.3 vs. 8.9+0.5 %/mg/ml, p<0.05). No significant differences in positive rate of MBPT and slope were noted according to sex in young and old age groups. However, in the middle age group, slope was higher in females than in males (9.5+0.4 vs. 7.9+ 0.3 %/mg/ml, p<0.05). No significant differences of slope was observed according to smoking habit in males of middle age group, but in males of old age group, the slope was higher in subjects with smoking habit than those without it (9.6+0.8 vs. 6.5+0.9 %/mg/ml, p<0.05). Significant relationship was observed between geometric value of serum IgE level and slope(r=0. 152, p=0.009). The postive rate of MBPT and slope were significantly higher in subjects with positive skin rea,ctivity to common inhalant allergens than those without it (14.3% vs. 8.6%, p ( 0.05; 11.8+0.4 vs. 9.8+0.3 %/mg/ml, p<0.05). The difference of bronchial responsiveness according to skin reactivity was observed in young and middle age groups, but not in old age group. CONCLUSION: Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine is significantly higher in children than in adults, in middle-aged females than in middle-aged males. Atopy and smoking may have a dif ferent role to determine the bronchial responsiveness depending upon age and sex.
Adult ; Allergens ; Asthma* ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Male ; Methacholine Chloride* ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: There are a few studies on the effects of job strain on the prevalence of sleep problems in the foreign countries. In Korea, it has not been studied till now. In this article, the combined effects of job strain, shift work and some life style on the prevalence of sleep proplems were studied among workers in middle aged men. METHODS: 998 cases were chosen from 1109 men who visited health screening center from October to November, 1999. Sleep problems were categorized to insomnia, sleep deprivation, daytime sleepiness and snoring on the base of result of factor analysis of 11 questions. Job strain was measured by 11 questions which developed by Karasek and Theorell. All data set were analyzed using Chi square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The 4 sleep proplems were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis in relation to job strain, shift work, occupation, obesity, sedentary life style, smoking, drinking. Insomnia was increased significantly from highest job strain group(Odds ratio (OR:2.02)) and non exercise group(OR:2.05). In these groups, daytime sleepiness was increased significantly(OR=1.92 in the highest job strain group, OR=1.72 in non exercise group). Sleep deprivation was increased in the highest job strain group(OR=2.18), managers & clerks(OR:1.67) and non exercise group(OR:1.78). Snoring was increased from BMI(Body mass index)> OR =25(OR=1.77), BMI> OR =27(OR=2.80) and non exercise group(OR:1.87). CONCLUSION: In the highest job strain group, insomnia, sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness was increased significantly. And sedentary life style increased all sleep problems.
Dataset ; Drinking ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged* ; Obesity ; Occupations ; Prevalence* ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Snoring