Noninvasive prediction of pulmonary arterial pressure is of paramount importance in heart disease. To estimate pulmonary arterial pressure, several echocardiographic techniques, including abnormal pulmonary valve motion, prolongation of RV preejection period/RV ejection time ratio and contrast echocardiography have been proposed. Recently Doppler echocardiography has been known to detect intracardiac blood quantitatively. For assessment of the benefit of several indices by Pulsed Doppler echocardiography for mean pulmonary arterial pressure, 22 patients(mean pulmonary pressure> or =20mmHg; 11, <20mmHg; 11) were compared with the mean pulmonary arterial pressure by cardiac catheterization. In comparison of mean pulmonary arterial pressure(MPAP); 1) Right preejection period / RV ejection time RPEP/RVET;r=0.278 2) Right preejection period / Acceleration time RPEP/AT : r=0.654 3) Acceleration time(AT) AT=-1.55(MPAP)+154.37(r=-0.763) AT=-92.99(log MPAP)+239.41(r=-0.752) AT is less than 105 msec in 9 or 11 pulmonary hypertension and one of 11 normal individual. 4) Acceleration time/ RV ejection time AT/RVET=-136.36(MPAP)+83.31(r=-0.817) AT/RVET=-0.29(log MPAP)+0.81(r=-0.803) 5) (Right preejection period+Decceleration time) / AT (RPEP+DT)/AT=9.6(MPAP)-0.16(r=0.806) (RPEP+DT)/AT=3.86(log MPAP)-2.46(r=0.789) In conclusion AT/RVET, (RPEP+DT)/AT and Acceleration time of 105 msec are valuable indices to estimate mean pulmonary arterial pressure by Pulsed Doppler echocardiogram.
Acceleration ; Arterial Pressure* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed* ; Heart Diseases ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Pulmonary Valve

The characterisitic finding of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is left ventricular hypertrophy without dilated chamber. Echocardiographic studies of patients with pheochromocytoma in the past have revealed both dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies, as well as obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. We report this case because we experienced a pheochromocytoma patient who had reversible hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which might be related with circulating catecholamine level.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Pheochromocytoma*

His bundle recordings enable us to diagnose conduction disturbances not discernable in the standard leads, and to localize conduction block in the subdivisions of the conduction system. Cases of intra-His bundle block were first reported in 1970 by Narula and Samet. Thereafter many additional reports and studies were made. We report a case of 3degrees A-V block due to conduction block at the His bundle level. A 71-year-old woman was admitted because of dizziness. Surface ECG showed 3degrees A-V block. His bundle electrogram revealed typical split His potential. A-H intervals were 80 msec and H'-V intervals 50~70 msec. And there found no relation between AH and H'A. Atrial pacing resulted only prolongation of A-H to 90 msec but dissociation between h and H' was consistent. We implanted a permanent endocardial pacemaker in her chest.
Aged ; Bundle of His ; Dizziness ; Electrocardiography ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; Female ; Humans ; Thorax

The esophageal electrocardiogram is of increasing significance in the study and diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia and of posterior myocardial disease. We used both bipolar and unipolar esophageal recording leads and standard electrocardiogram equipment, and compared the effectiveness of esophageal electrocardiogram with co nventional electrocardiogram. The effectiveness of esophageal electrocardiogram were as follows: 1) Differentiation of sinus, atrial, junctional, or ventricular rhythm. 2) Differentiation of origin of premature beats. 3) Differentiation of atrial flutter and fibrillation. 4) Detection of retrograde atrial conduction of extraventricular systole. 5) Detection of electrical alternance of QRS amplitude. 6) Diagnosis of posterior myocardial infarction. The results reported here indicate that the esophageal electrocardiogrm seems to be a valid method in the diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias without invasiveness.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Flutter ; Cardiac Complexes, Premature ; Cardiomyopathies ; Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography* ; Myocardial Infarction ; Systole

Hu protein R (HuR) binds to the AU-rich element (ARE) in the 3'UTR to stabilize TNF-alpha mRNA. Here, we identified chemical inhibitors of the interaction between HuR and the ARE of TNF-alpha mRNA using RNA electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay (EMSA) and filter binding assay. Of 179 chemicals screened, we identified three with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) below 10 micrometer. The IC(50) of quercetin, b-40, and b-41 were 1.4, 0.38, and 6.21 micrometer, respectively, for binding of HuR protein to TNF-alpha mRNA. Quercetin and b-40 did not inhibit binding of tristetraprolin to the ARE of TNF-alpha mRNA. When LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells were treated with quercetin and b-40, we observed decreased stability of TNF-alpha mRNA and decreased levels of secreted TNF-alpha. From these results, we could find inhibitors for the TNF-alpha mRNA stability, which might be used advantageously for both the study for post-transcriptional regulation and the discovery of new anti-inflammation drugs.
*3' Untranslated Regions ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/*pharmacology ; Antigens, Surface/metabolism ; Antioxidants/pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Mice ; Protein Binding/drug effects ; Quercetin/*pharmacology ; RNA Stability/*drug effects ; RNA-Binding Proteins/*antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*biosynthesis

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a disease of unknown cause which involves various organs and primary involvement of urinary bladder is very rare. We experienced a case of a female patient with SLE and urologic manifestations (interstitial cystitis, hydroureters and hydronephrosis), which were resolved spontaneously without any immunosuppressive therapy. There was no significant correlation between clinical course and disease activity index.
Cystitis* ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Urinary Bladder

The frequency distribution of cardiovascular disease are changing recently due to the development of living environment. Unfortunately there are few epidemiological studies of cardiovascular diseases in general population, we tried to estimate the recent trend of cardiovascular diseases studying hospitalized patients in nationwide 13 large hospitals during a year of 1985. The hypertensive disease (24.1%) was the most common cardiovascular disease and the next were cerebrovascular disease (15.8%), arrhythmias (12.2%), ischemic heart disease (9.7%), congenital heart disease (9.1%), and rheumatic heart disease (5.4%) in order. This results showed that hypertensive disease and cerebrovascular disease are still the major cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease and arrhythmias are increased. But chronic rheumatic heart disease is declined compared with previous studies in hospitalized patients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases/*epidemiology ; Coronary Disease/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rheumatic Heart Disease/*epidemiology

Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is a pivotal enzyme in the Toll-like receptor (TLR)/MYD88 dependent signaling pathway, which is highly activated in rheumatoid arthritis tissues and activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL). Inflammatory responses followed by IRAK4 activation promote B-cell proliferation and aggressiveness of lymphoma. Moreover, proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 (PIM1) functions as an anti-apoptotic kinase in propagation of ABC-DLBCL with ibrutinib resistance. We developed a dual IRAK4/PIM1 inhibitor KIC-0101 that potently suppresses the NF-κB pathway and proinflammatory cytokine induction in vitro and in vivo. In rheumatoid arthritis mouse models, treatment with KIC-0101 significantly ameliorated cartilage damage and inflammation. KIC-0101 inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and activation of JAK/STAT pathway in ABC-DLBCLs. In addition, KIC-0101 exhibited an anti-tumor effect on ibrutinib-resistant cells by synergistic dual suppression of TLR/MYD88-mediated NF-κB pathway and PIM1 kinase. Our results suggest that KIC-0101 is a promising drug candidate for autoimmune diseases and ibrutinib-resistant B-cell lymphomas.