No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: Homeostasis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is maintained by the action of a specific system of proteolytic enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP). The MMP/TIMP system regulates the composition and turnover of ECM to control the site and extent of connective tissue remodeling. In pathologic conditions, MMP play a key role in degradation of basement membrane and extracellular matrix, and is responsible for cancer invasion, progression and metastasis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between expressions of MMP/TIMP and clinicopathologic factors in endometrial cancer. METHODS: Expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 were assessed by immunohistochemistry in a total of 55 endometrial cancers and were analyzed by the correlation between expressions of MMP/TIMP and clinicopathologic factors in endometrial cancer. RESULTS: Expression rates of MMP-2,-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 were 71.7%, 54.9%, 41.2%, and 76.5% respectively. Expression of MMP-2 was correlated with the group of positive lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer (p=0.04). Specially, coexpression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 was significantly more frequent in the group of positive lymph node metastasis (p<0.01) and the group of positive peritoneal CONCLUSION: The expressions of MMP and TIMP were not a significant difference in survival analysis, but this study was recognized that the coexpression MMP-2 and TIMP-2 is correlated with lymph node metastasis and positive peritoneal cytology.
Basement Membrane ; Connective Tissue ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Homeostasis ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Metalloproteases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2

Capsule endoscope is self-contained videoendoscopy device that transmit images of the gastrointestinal tract to an external receiver. Capsule endoscopy has become a very important tool for diagnosing of small bowel disorders. Upcoming capsule endoscopy techniques for the investigation of esophageal, stomach, and colon may render it promising technique for these organs as well. This document is intended to provide the principles by which credentialing organizations may create practical guidelines for granting privileges to perform capsule endoscopy. KSGE recommends that the use of capsule endoscopy be limited to practitioners already competent and privileged to perform standard upper and lower endoscopy and who have extensive experience viewing gastrointestinal mucosa. KSGE recommends additional specific training in capsule endoscopy as well as review of the 20 procedures to verify competence. KSGE also admitted formal fellowship training having a familiarity with the hardware and software systems and interpretation of the at least 10 cases under the supervision of professor in capsule endoscopy during GI fellowship.
Capsule Endoscopes ; Capsule Endoscopy ; Colon ; Credentialing ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Fellowships and Scholarships ; Financing, Organized ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Mental Competency ; Mucous Membrane ; Organization and Administration ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Stomach

OBJECTIVE: A general orientation along the cervical spine could be estimated by external landmarks, and it was useful, quick and less exposable to radiation, but, sometimes it gave reference confusion of target cervical level. The authors reviewed the corresponding between the neck external landmarks and cervical levels. METHODS: Totally 1,031 cervical lateral radiographs of different patients were reviewed in single university hospital. Its compositions were 534 of males and 497 females; 86 of second decades (10-19 years-old), 169 of third decades, 159 of fourth decades, 209 of fifth decades, 275 of sixth decades, and 133 of more than seventh decades (>60 years-old). Reference external landmarks (mandible, hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage, and cricothyroid membrane) with compounding factors were reviewed. RESULTS: The reference levels of cervical landmarks were C2.13 with mandible angle, C3.54 with hyoid bone, C5.12 with thyroid cartilage, and C6.01 with cricothyroid membrane. The reference levels of cervical landmarks were differently observed by sex, age, and somatometric measurement (height) accordingly mandible angle from C1 to C3, hyoid bone from disc level of C2 and C3 to C5, thyroid cartilage from disc level of C3 and C4 to C7, and cricothyroid membrane from C4 to disc level of C7 and T1. CONCLUSION: Surface landmarks only provide general reference points, but not correspond to exact levels of the cervical spine. Intraoperative fluoroscopy ensures a more precise placement to the targeted cervical level.
Female ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; Male ; Mandible ; Membranes ; Neck ; Spine* ; Thyroid Cartilage

OBJECTIVES : Impaired autonomic function in patients with chronic renal failure has been well documented in a number of studies to assess the degree of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction and to assess the relationship with plasma catecholamines. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of autonomic dysfunction and to determine the effect of autonomic dysfunction on the increment of plasma catecholamine, dialysis-induced hypotension and hypotension during chronic dialysis. METHODS: We measured the degree of autonomic damage and the concentration of plasma catecholamines in 20 patients on maintenance hemodialysis, 12 pre- dialysis patients with chronic renal failure and 20 normal controls using a standardized battery of five cardiovascular reflex tests. RESULTS: 1) In normal controls, 70% of cases had a normal or early parasympathetic abnormalities however in patients with chronic renal failure, 45.2% of patients had severe abnormalities. The prevalence of autonomic dysfunction was 62.5% and there was significant correlation between sympathetic and parasympathetic score in patients with chronic renal failure. 2) Although overall autonomic function was not different in two chronic renal failure groups, the magnitude of heart rate response to Valsalva maneuver was increased and the magnitude of fall of blood pressure in response to standing-up was reduced in dialyzed patients compared with nondialyzed patients. 3) Patients with autonomic dysfunction was older and had higher postdialysis concentration of plasma norepinephrine than those with normal autonomic function. 4) In dialyzed patients, predialysis concentration of plasma norepinephrine at rest varied widely and was significantly related to the duration of dialysis. Postdialysis concentration of norepinephrine was significantly correlated with the degree of parasympathetic damage. 5) There were no significant differences in autonomic damage or plasma catecholamines whether dialysis- induced hypotension and hypotension in chronic hemodialysis or not. CONCLUSION : Disturbances of autonomic nerve system are common in chronic renal failure with distinct abnormalities of parasympathetic function and additional sympathetic dysfunction. Elevated plasma norepinephrine seems to be related to the compensatory response of sympathetic nerve system to parasympathetic damage. Impairment of autonomic function does not appear specifically related to dialysis-induced hypotension or hypotension in chronic dialysis.
Autonomic Pathways ; Blood Pressure ; Catecholamines ; Dialysis ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Reflex ; Renal Dialysis ; Valsalva Maneuver

In this article (J Korean Med Sci 2015; 30: 644-50), one author's name is misspelled. Correct Sung-Hun Im into Seong Hoon Lim.

BACKGROUND: Coronary spasm can be induced by acetylcholine (ACh) ACh casues vasodilation when the endothelium is intact by releasing nitric oxide (NO). The aim of this study was to investigate whether L-arginine, the precursor of NO, could preserve endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with coronary artery spasm. METHOD: NO precusor L-arginine (20mg/kg/min) was infused intravenous for 30 minutes in nineteen patients with coronary spastic angina. Coronary spasm of the epicardial coronary artery (>75%) was induced by intracoronary injection of acetylcholine in incremental doses (ACh: A1 20ug, A2 50ug, A3 100ug) the spasm was then documented angiographically in all patients with coronary spastic angina. After the administration of L-arginine, intracoronary injection of acetylcholine was repeated as the same method in all coronary spastic angina patients. RESULTS: After systemic infusion of L-arginine, the constrictor response to ACh was significanfly attenuated : no spastic response in 8 cases (42%), increased doses of ACh for provoking spasm in 8 cases (42%) and no change in 3 cases (16%). There were no significant change in blood pressure and heart rate after the administration of L-arginine. CONCLUSION: The fact that L-arginine attenuated vasospasm provoked by ACh in human coronary arteries, suggests the possibilities that L-arginine may be used in the prevention and treatment of coronary spasm.
Acetylcholine* ; Angina Pectoris* ; Arginine* ; Blood Pressure ; Coronary Vessels* ; Endothelium ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; Nitric Oxide ; Spasm* ; Vasodilation

The incidence of angina pectoris(AP) in patients with severe aortic stenosis(AS) and normal coronary arteries has been reported to be 30 to 40%. The pathophysiologic mechanism suggests marked decrease in coronary rederve with left ventricular hypertrophy secondary AS and mismatched oxygen demand-supply by valvular pressure gradient, but only 1 case of acute myocardial infarction(AMI) was reported in severe AS and normal coronary arteries as far as we are concerned. We report a case of AMI occuring in a patient with severe AS and left ventricular hypertrophy. A coronary angiogram excluded coronary obstruction and spasm as the cause of AMI in this patient.
Aortic Valve Stenosis* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Incidence ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Oxygen ; Spasm

BACKGROUND: Coronary angiography have become important and integral components in the investigation of patients with cardiovascular disease. Technical improvement combined with an increased need of coronary angiography, and efforts to decrease the length of inpatient hospital stay have prompted the development of outpatient coronary angiography. In this study, we compared the procedure-related complications and costs of inpatient and outpatient coronary angiography when performed at the same institution. In addition, we attempted the coronary angiography as outpatient setting in patients with unstable angina, old age, and anticoagulation therapy, who have been regarded as contraindication for outpatient procedure. METHODS: Diagnostic coronary angiography was performed in 199 cases as inpatient setting, and 225 cases as outpatient setting at Korea University Guro Hospital From January through July 1996. There was no significant difference in sex, age, risk factor, blood pressure, cholesterol level, and ejection fraction. We did not give the heparin during the procedure and, use the Judkins' method in all patients. After the procedure, pressure dressing was done with compressor device for 15 minutes, then sandbag was applied on the puncture site. In outpatient, they took bed rest for 6 hours in one-day care room. RESULTS: 1) In the inpatient group, there were 6 cases(3.0%) of catheterization-related complication, and there were 7 cases(3.1%) of complication in the outpatient group. There was no major complication in both groups, such as death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and perforation of heart and great vessels. In the inpatient group, 2 cases of arrhythmia, 3 cases of hematoma at puncture site, and 1 case of femoral artery pseudoaneuryrsm occurred. In the outpatient group, 2 cases of arrhythmia, 1 case of hematoma at puncture site, 2 cases of skin rash, 1 case of acute febrile reaction, and 1 case of femoral artery dissecting aneurysm developed. There was no significant difference in the rate of complications between two groups(p=0.947). 2) In the outpatient group, there were 28 cases of unstable angina, 6 cases of old age more than 75 years, and 5 cases of anticoagulant has been taken. No catheterization-related complication occurred in those groups. 3) The costs and duration of hospital stay in the inpatient group were won480,230+/-86,800 and 50.3+/-12.3 hours and those in the outpatient group were won276,870+/-32,050 and 8.3+/-1.2 hours. There was significant difference between two groups in the costs and duration of hospital stay(p<0.01, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient coronary angiography could be done safely with low complication rate, and could reduce the costs and hospital stay. For high risk group such as unstable angina, old age, and anticoagulation therapy, there was no complication in this study, but more experiences and available data should be accumulated to be accepted as a general guideline.
Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Angina, Unstable ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Bandages ; Bed Rest ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Angiography* ; Exanthema ; Femoral Artery ; Heart ; Hematoma ; Heparin ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Myocardial Infarction ; Outpatients* ; Punctures ; Risk Factors ; Stroke

OBJECTIVE: The high-dose vitamin C is useful in the cancer. Consequently its use should have become how many help even from gynecological cancer patient who is in chemotherapy. METHODS: The study was performed prospective on 57 patients who is diagnosed initially the gynecological cancer during chemotherapy at Gospel Hospital of Kosin University between January 2005 and October 2006. The study was divided to its use 29 (cervix cancer: 17, ovarian cancer 12) and no high-dose vitamin C use 28 (cervix cancer: 11, ovarian cancer 17). The cervix cancer was treated by FP chemotherapy for all stage and the ovarian cancer was treated by CC chemotherapy for stage 1, CT or PT chemotherapy for advanced stage for 6 times respectively regarding a treatment in tumor marker change aspect and the side effect researched GOG classifications. RESULTS: It evaluated the nausea and vomiting significantly in ovarian cancer (p<0.05). It evaluated for liver enzyme, Hb, WBC, platelet serum creatinine, sensory, motor nervous system and tumor marker with the high-dose vitamin C group does not have the difference from the control group statistically. CONCLUSION: The high-dose vitamin C is a possibility of reducing nausea and vomiting in the ovarian cancer chemotherapy without other side effect. The regarding a tumor marker change it was not significantly but when it analyzed a recurrence a survival rate with more patient and follow up in long period, its use of should have become how many help in gynecological cancer treatment.
Ascorbic Acid* ; Blood Platelets ; Classification ; Creatinine ; Drug Therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Nausea ; Nervous System ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vitamins* ; Vomiting