No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Osteoblasts*

Interleukin 1(IL-1), a 17.5 KD glycoprotein, is known to be associated with local bone resorption. In the present study, we examined the effects of IL-1, compared with insulin and parathyroid hormone (PTH), on DNA, protein and collagen synthesis in UMR-106-01 rat osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells. When 200 units/mL IL-1 was administered to UMR-106-01 cells, [3H]-thymidine uptake increased to 119% of the untreated control. But when 10 nM insulin was added to the cells, [3H]- thymidine uptake increased to 130% and when 1 nM PTH was added, the uptake decreased to 89% of the control. On the other hand, protein and collagen synthesis, measured by [3H]-leucine and [3H]-proline incorporation respectively, were not affected by IL-1 administration compared to the other hormones. These results indicate that IL-1 effects osteoblast-like cells, stimulating DNA synthesis via a different mechanism to the well-known cell growth factor, insulin.
Animals ; Bone Resorption ; Cell Proliferation* ; Collagen ; DNA ; Glycoproteins ; Hand ; Insulin ; Interleukin-1* ; Interleukins ; Osteoblasts ; Osteosarcoma ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Rats ; Thymidine

This study was carried out to investigate the heavy metal contents and their correlations between paddy soil and brown rice near the Kum-River area. In this study, eighty soil samples and forty brown rice samples were taken from the paddy soil. The contents of heavy metals were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results were as follows: 1. The average contents of soluble heavy metals in surface soil were Cd 0.19, Cu 15.31, Zn 18.10 and Pb 9.08 ppm. The average contents of soluble heavy metals in subsurface soil were Cd 0.19, Cu 14.52, Zn 17.75 and Pb8.11 ppm. There wan no statistically significant difference between the two layers. 2. The contents of Cu, Zn and Pb of Taejeon(S6) and Cd of Sinbyung(S5) in surface soil were higher than those of other areas. The contents of Cd and Cu of Taejeon(S6) and Zn and Pb of Kumnam(S3) in brown rice were higher than those of other areas and four heavy metals in soil and brown rice of Simchon(S7) were lower than those of other areas. 3. The ratio of soluble contents(Cd : Cu : Zn : Pb) in surface soil was 1 : 79 : 93 : 47, that of soluble contents in subsurface soil was 1 : 79 : 94 : 43, and that of total contents in brown rice was 1 : 84 : 294 : 12. 4. The correlations of the content between soluble heavy metals in surface(0-15 cm depth) soil total heavy metals in brown rice was found to be order of Cd>Cu>Zn>Pb. The correlations of the content between soluble heavy metals in subsurface(20-30 cm depth) soil and total heavy metals in brown rice was found to be order of Cu>Cd>Zn>Pb.
Metals, Heavy ; Rivers* ; Soil* ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic

PURPOSE: The expected corneal ablation amount was compared to the achieved corneal ablation amount in two different excimer laser systems. METHODS: One hundred twenty eyes were recieved Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) for the correction of myopia. LASIK was performed with MEL-60 excimer laser and Schwind Multiscan excimer laser system. The central corneal thickness was measured preoperatively, 1 week and 1 month postoperatively by using ultrasonic pachymetry. RESULTS: In eyes with MEL-60 excimer laser, the average expected corneal ablation amount was 81+/-26micro meter and average achieved corneal ablation amount at postoperative one week was 65+/-26 micro meter. There was statistical difference between expected and achieved ablation amount. (p<0.001, paired samples test) In eyes with Schwind Multiscan excimer laser, the average expected corneal ablation amount was 69+/-25 micro meter and average achieved corneal ablation amount at postoperative one week was 69+/-25 micro meter. There was no statistical difference between expected and achieved ablation amount (p=0.761, paired samples test). CONCLUSIONS: The pachymetry at postoperative one week appears to be an useful method to measure the real corneal ablation amount by LASIK with various excimer lasers. Residual stromal bed thickness after LASIK can be presumed, and it helps to decide modality of retreatment.
Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Myopia ; Retreatment ; Ultrasonics

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat pain and inflammation. There are two kinds of NSAID classified according to the selectivity of COX-2 inhibition: non-selective NSAIDs and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors. Non-selective NSAIDs have a high incidence of gastrointestinal and bleeding-associated adverse events, while COX-2 inhibitors are safer in terms of these events. However, COX-2 inhibitors are thought to cause increased cardiovascular events. The COX-2 inhibitors rofecoxib and valdecoxib were withdrawn from the market over safety concerns. Three COX-2 inhibitors are now available in South Korea after the recent approval of etoricoxib and polmacoxib for osteoarthritis patients. After reviewing the history of and recent studies about the safety of COX-2 inhibitors, physicians should find new uses for old drugs.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors* ; Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Osteoarthritis ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases

No abstract available.
Adenoma* ; Colorectal Neoplasms*

Sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) observed by means of bromodeoxyuridine substitution and fluorescence plus Giemsa (FPG) technique were proposed as a sensitive and quantitative assay for mutagenicity and cytotoxicity in short-term cultures of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated human lymphocytes. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the relation between anticancer agents and cytotoxic effects. Chromosomal analysis was performed on metaphase cells that had divided one, two, or three or more times after treatment for SCEs, mitotic indices (MI) and cell cycle kinetics by FPG technique. The results indicate that anticancer agents led to a dose dependent increase in SCE frequency except methotrexate. But, highly inhibited mitotic indices and delayed cell cycle kinetics were observed except for cyclophosphamide. The author suggest that the difference of SCE frequency is due to the differences in the cytotoxic action of anticancer agents, but although the induction of SCEs has a correlation with cell cycle delay, in some cases the induction of SCEs is not always related to cell cycle delay because of different cytotoxic action of anticancer agents.
Antineoplastic Agents* ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Cycle* ; Cyclophosphamide ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Humans* ; Kinetics* ; Lymphocytes* ; Metaphase ; Methotrexate ; Mitotic Index ; Siblings* ; Sister Chromatid Exchange*

BACKGROUND: Health illiteracy is a problem often unrecognized by health care providers. It influences medical costs and the health status of adults. The purposes of this study were to determine the level of health literacy in community-dwelling adults and to identify the factors influencing it. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chungcheong province. A total of 420 adults aged 18 or older were interviewed by trained nursing students between November 1 to December 30, 2011. Health literacy was measured using the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. Data were analyzed using the PASW 18.0 program. RESULTS: The mean score of health literacy was 50.64+/-19.18. In the multiple linear regression analysis, health literacy was significantly associated with education (beta=0.17, P=0.001), alcohol use (beta=-0.12, P=0.010), and perceived health status (beta=0.11, P=0.029). These factors accounted for about 7% of health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Health literacy is a very important public health issue. Our findings showed that educational level, alcohol use and perceived health status should be considered when assessing this issue in patients. Furthermore, the development of a standardized Korean assessment tool for health literacy and specified interventions for enhancing health literacy are needed to improve health outcomes.
Adult* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Health Literacy* ; Health Personnel ; Health Status ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Literacy ; Primary Prevention ; Public Health ; Seoul ; Students, Nursing

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-alpha and Interleukin(IL)-1beta are thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of the septic syndrome, which is frequently associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). In spite of many reports for the role of TNF-alpha in the pathogenesis of ARDS, including human studies, it has been reported that TNF-alpha is not sensitive and specific marker for impending ARDS. But there is a possibility that the results were affected by the diversity of pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the ARDS because of various underlying disorders of the study group in the previous reports. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the roles of TNF-alpha and IL-lbeta as a predictable marker for development of ARDS in the patients with septic syndrome, in which the pathogenesis is believed to be mainly cytokine-mediated. METHODS: Thirty-six patients of the septic syndrome hospitalized in the intensive care units of the Asan Medical Center were studied. Sixteens suffered from ARDS, whereas the remaining 20 were at the risk of developing ARDS(acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, AHRF). In all patients venous blood sample were collected in heparin-coated tubes at the time of enrollment, at 24 and 72 h thereafter. TNF-alpha and IL-lbeta was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data are expressed as median with interquartile range. RESULTS: 1) Plama TNF-alpha levels: Plasma TNF-beta levels were less than 10pg/mL, which is lowest detection value of the kit used in this study within the range of the mean+/-2SD, in all of the normal controls, 8 of 16 subjects of ARDS and in 8 in 20 subjects of AHRF. Plasma TNF-alpha levels from patients with ARDS were 10.26pg/mL(median;<10-16.99pg/mL, interquartile range) and not different from those of patients at AHRF(10.82, <10-20.38pg/mL). There was also no significant difference between pre-ARDS(<10, <10-15.32pg/mL) and ARDS(<10, <10-10.22pg/mL). TNF-alpha levels were significantly greater in the patients with shock than the patients without shock(12.53pg/mL vs. <10pg/mL) (P<0.01). There was no statistical significance between survivors(< 10, <10-12.92pg/mL) and nonsurvivors(11.80, <10-20.8pg/mL) (P=0.28) in the plasma TNF-alpha levels. 2) Plasma IL-lbeta levels: Plasma IL-1beta levels were less than 0.3ng/mL, which is the lowest detection value of the kit used in this study, in one of each patients group. There was no significant difference in IL-1beta levels of the ARDS(2.22, 1.37-8.01ng/mL) and of the AHRF(2.13, 0.83-5.29ng/mL). There was also no significant difference between pre-ARDS(2.53, <0.3-8.34ng/mL) and ARDS(5.35, 0.66-11.51ng/mL), and between patients with septic shock and patients without shock (2.51, 1.28-8.34 vs 1.46, 0.15-2.13ng/mL). Plasma IL-19 levels were significantly different between survivors(1.37, 0.4-2.36ng/mL) and nonsurvivors(2.84, 1.46-8.34ng/mL). CONCLUSION: Plasma TNF-alpha and IL-1beta level are not a predictable marker for development of ARDS. But TNF-alpha is a marker for shock in septic syndrome. These result could not exclude a possibility of pathophysiologic roles of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in acute lung injury because these cytokine could be locally produced and exert its effects within the lungs.
Acute Lung Injury ; Adult* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Interleukin-1beta* ; Lung ; Lymphotoxin-alpha ; Necrosis ; Plasma ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*