Responses of mouse lymphocytes to the soybean paste fermented by Korean traditional fashion was examined to clarify its effects in cytokine production in vitro. A fraction of the soybean paste (KFSP-100) was prepared by precipitation with ammonium sulfate and by filtration through ultrafiltration membrane. KFSP-100 were added into cultures of fresh mouse splenic cells in vitro. KFSP-100 significantly enhanced the amount of IL-6 and TNF-a produced by macrophages and IL-6 and IFN-r produced by lymphocytes. Production of IL-12 by macrophages was not much affected by KFSP-100 treatments. The most noticeable finding was the fact that lymphocytes treated with KFSP-100 proliferated to an exceeding numbers (more than 10 times to the control) in 72 hours. The KFSP-100-induced proliferative response was specific to B cells since almost all of the KFSP-100-induced cells in the cultures of splenic cells were B cells. Furthermore, such a proliferative responses were equally observed only in cultures of purified B cells but not in cultures of T cells. In thermostability test, the biologically active components of the KFSP-100 is assumed to be either linear protein or glycoprotein. KFSP-100 did not induce agglutination of lymphocytes demonstrated by lectins in the same cells. These observations suggest that KFSP-100 may be a novel mitogen for B lymphocytes. The component (s) responsible for the B cell proliferation in KFSP-100 might be a factor gained by natural fermentation. None of the fractions of not fermented soybean paste prepared by the same methods demonstrate the same effect.
Agglutination ; Ammonium Sulfate ; Animals ; B-Lymphocytes ; Cell Proliferation ; Fermentation ; Filtration ; Glycoproteins ; Immunologic Factors* ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lectins ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Membranes ; Mice ; Soybeans* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Ultrafiltration

PURPOSE: To compare the results of posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction by open and arthroscopic method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1995 to 1997, 18 reconstructions of posterior cruciate ligament were performed. Group 1 (open method) was composed of 9 cases and group 2 (arthroscopic method) was consisted of 9 cases. After 21-month follow-up, The two groups were compared by clinical and radiologic methods. RESULTS: Clinically, Lysholm knee score was 80 points in group 1 and 83 points in group 2 after operation. Post operative results by Hughston's criteria were good in 5, fair in 2 and poor in 2 cases (group 1) and good in 6, fair in 2 and poor in 1 cases (group 2). Radiologically, post operative average of posterior drawer stress view was 5.2 mm (group 1) and 5.0 mm (group 2). Almost double the operation time was taken to reconstruct posterior cruciate ligament by arthroscopic method than open method. There were technical errors in 2 cases performed by arthroscopic method. CONCLUSIONS: The results of both methods had no significant difference. We think that the reconstruction of PCL using patellar tendon by open method is a recommendable treatment method together with arthroscopic method, if the merits or demerits of both methods are considered carefully. But more long-term follow-up is necessary to compare the results of PCL reconstruction by open and arthroscopic methods.
Follow-Up Studies ; Knee ; Patellar Ligament ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament

No abstract available.
Shoulder*

One of the biggest change in the history of the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society(JKNS) had been introduced in 2005. From January 2005, all manuscripts submitted to JKNS should be written in English. This new regulation was followed by many changes in characteristics of the papers published on JKNS in 2005. The authors present an analysis of papers published on JKNS and compared with those of 2004 and 2003. In total, 184 articles were published in 2005. Since a review article was requested by the editorial office to the authors, 183 articles were peer reviewed. Eighty five clinical articles, 75 case reports, 19 laboratory investigations, two special articles and two technical reports were printed. This distribution was not statistically different from 2004's distribution (p=0.67), even though the ratio of clinical articles was decreased to 46.4% from 54.4%. Due to the change in language specification, English articles were increased with statistical significance (p<0.001). There were several events related with copyright of the contents of the papers published on JKNS. We think these are some good points came with change in official language to English. General trends of the papers seemed to be in the right way.
Copyright ; Peer Review

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to evaluate the impact of two reconstruction algorithms (halfscan and multisector) on the image quality and the accuracy of measuring the severity of coronary stenoses by using a pulsating cardiac phantom with different heart rates (HRs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Simulated coronary arteries with different stenotic severities (25, 50, 75%) and different luminal diameters (3, 4, 5 mm) were scanned with a fixed pitch of 0.16 and a 0.35 second gantry rotation time on a 64-slice multidetector CT. Both reconstruction algorithms (halfscan and multisector) were applied to HRs of 40-120 beats per minute (bpm) at 10 bpm intervals. Three experienced radiologists visually assessed the image quality and they manually measured the stenotic severity. RESULTS: Fewer measurement errors occurred with multisector reconstruction (p = 0.05), a slower HR (p < 0.001) and a larger luminal diameter (p = 0.014); measurement errors were not related with the observers or the stenotic severity. There was no significant difference in measurements as for the reconstruction algorithms below an HR of 70 bpm. More nonassessable segments were visualized with halfscan reconstruction (p = 0.004) and higher HRs (p < 0.001). Halfscan reconstruction had better quality scores when the HR was below 60 bpm, while multisector reconstruction had better quality scores when the HR was above 90 bpm. For the HRs between 60 and 90 bpm, both reconstruction modes had similar quality scores. With excluding the nonassessable segments, both reconstruction algorithms achieved a similar mean measured stenotic severity and similar standard deviations. CONCLUSION: At a higher HR (above 90 bpm), multisector reconstruction had better temporal resolution, fewer nonassessable segments, better quality scores and better accuracy of measuring the stenotic severity in this phantom study.
*Algorithms ; Artifacts ; Computer Simulation ; Coronary Angiography/*methods ; Coronary Stenosis/*radiography ; Electrocardiography ; *Heart Rate ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/*methods ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Observer Variation ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Reproducibility of Results ; Severity of Illness Index ; Tomography, Spiral Computed/*methods

The enzyme telomerase maintains a constant telomere length in immortalized cells, allowing unlimited cell proliferation. Almost all cancer cells express telomerase activity. However, little data is available regarding the role of telomerase activity in the detection of bladder cancer with a bladder wash specimen. We detected telomerase activity in a bladder wash specimen of bladder cancer and normal tissues, and compared them with final pathologic diagnosis. Twenty-three patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder were enrolled in our study. A bladder wash specimen was obtained before transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) and normal and cancer tissues from the same patients during TURB. Telomerase activity was analyzed in each specimen a using telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Cytologic diagnosis was performed using Papanicolaou's stain with cytocentrifuged cytology preparation. We observed telomerase activity in 95.7% (22/23) of bath cancer tissues and bladder wash specimens; only one case did not express telomerase activity. Telomerase activity was undetected in all normal tissues except one, which was obtained from a patient with carcinoma in situ. A total of 69.6% (16/23) of wash specimens were positive in cytopathologic diagnosis. The accuracy of cytopathologic diagnosis in pathologic grade 2 or 3 was relatively high (83.3%, 15/18). However, in five cases of grade 1 TCC only 20% (1/5) of cytologic diagnosis was positive whereas the telomerase activity of wash specimens was detected in 80% (4/5). Our data demonstrates that not only the majority of human bladder cancer tissues, but also the bladder wash specimens obtained from patients with TCC, expressed telomerase activity. It indicates that telomerase activity may be a reliable marker in detecting bladder cancer especially in cases with a low grade that bladder wash cytology can miss.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bladder Neoplasms/enzymology* ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell/metabolism* ; Female ; Human ; Irrigation ; Male ; Middle Age ; Telomerase/metabolism* ; Tumor Markers, Biological

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine whether prepubertal children born with low birth weight (LBW) have decreased insulin sensitivity, compared with children born with normal birth weight and to know a relationship between insulin sensitivity and adiponectin concentration in those children. METHODS: LBW (n=33) was defined as a birth weight less than 2.5 kg and control (n=20) was defined as a birth weight between 2.5 kg and 4.0 kg. Height and weight were measured for calculation of BMI. Fasting blood samples were taken for the measurements of glucose, insulin, lipid and adiponectin concentration. Body fat mass and abdominal fat ratio were measured. HOMA-IR and QUICKI were calculated, as a mean of insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: Children with LBW showed significantly higher levels of QUICKI and adiponectin than control group (P<0.05). Taller children with LBW (height SDS>-1) were more resistant to insulin than shorter children with LBW (height SDS<-1), but there was no difference in adiponectin level between those two groups. Younger (age<6 yr) children with LBW were more sensitive to insulin and had higher levels of adiponectin than older(age>6 yr) children with LBW. In children with LBW, age was negatively correlated with QUICKI adjusted by BMI percentile (r=-0.373, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the levels of adiponectin increase to compensate for the diminished insulin sensitivity in younger children with LBW and this phenomenon is faded away with aging. Additionally, the results suggest that LBW children with better postnatal growth have a tendency to have insulin resistance.
Abdominal Fat ; Adiponectin ; Adipose Tissue ; Aging ; Birth Weight ; Child* ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin*

Since the authors participated in the editorial committee in October 2001, many dramatic changes have been introduced to the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society(JKNS). The format, the external appearance, the editorial system, and the reviewing process have been transformed with new standpoints to enhance the quality and to raise the level of JKNS. The authors reviewed papers published on JKNS in 2006 with special interest on the changes of JKNS during last five years.In total, 186 articles were published on JKNS in 2006. Because the editorial committee asked two review articles to renowned neurosurgeons, there were 184 peer-reviewed articles. Eighty seven clinical articles, eighty one case reports, seven laboratory investigations, four special articles and five technical reports were published. This distribution changed from the previous year with marginal value of statistical significance (p=0.101). The ratio of the original articles (laboratory investigations and clinical articles) decreased to 51.1% from 57.5% of 2005 but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.222). The number of laboratory investigations significantly decreased to 7 (3.8%) from 19 (10.4%) of 2005 (p=0.014). Other changes such as number of authors per article, number of institutes which published papers on JKNS have been examined to assess the trend and/or change in characteristics of papers published on JKNS.
Academies and Institutes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the abrasion resistance and surface roughness of conventional dental stones and improved dental stones and newly developed dental stones. Materials included in this study were several dental stones and newly developed dental stone; 2 type III, 6 type IV(including newly developed dental stone),1 type V Ten specimens for each material,total ninety specimens were made. Each specimen was subjected to 50 complete cycle abrasion under constant load 0.42N at speed of 6mm per sec.The depth after abrasion test was measured for each specimen. Surface roughness before and after abrasion test was compared.The results were as follows ; 1.The resin containing die materials such as Tuff Rock and Resin Rock had superior abrasion resistance. 2.Type IV,V Surface roughnessdental stone exhibited greater abrasion resistance than Type IIIdental stone. 3.The results of the surface roughness showed similar pattern with the abrasion resistance.

The authors analyzed the citation of Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society, based on Korean Medical Citation Index(KoMCI) from 2000 to 2004. In this analysis the impact factor showed no significant further improvement in 2004 compared to 2003. However, the number of received citations was increased remarkably. If this increase can be kept up, it may have positive effect on impact factors. In the era of open competition of medical journals, the awareness and cooperations of every members of Korean Neurosurgical Society is essential for improvement of the status of our journal in a steady trend.