No abstract available.
Germ Cells* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the incidence of acute myocardial infaction has been gradually increasing as prolongation of life spans and improvements of diet and life styles in Korea. The rate of mortality and sudden death is higher than other diseases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors which can affect on the mortality of AMI during initial 24 hrs. METHODS: A retrospective clinical study was done on 364 consecutive patients with AMI who had been presented to Keimyung University Dong-sang Medical Center from January 1990 to May 1997(M:F ratio=254:110). The subjects were divided two groups. The Group I was patients who had expired during the initial 24hrs period of AMI(47 patients, 13%), the Group II was patients who had survived(317 patients, 87%). We compared clinical features, EKG, laboratory results in both groups and tried to analyse the vulnarable factors. RESULTS: The results were as follows; 1) The mean age in Group I (64.4 yearly) was older than in Group II(61.3 yearly) and female gender was also higher in Group I. The mean systolic/diastolic blood pressures of the Group I(103/61mmHg) were lower than those of the Group II(123/75mmHg). 2) The chest pain and mental change were noted more frequently in Group I than in Group II and the dyspnea was less frequent in Group I than Group II. 3) The higher grades of Killip classification was significantly more frequent in Group I than in Group II. 4) The mean onset to drug time for thrombolytics in Group I and Group II were 14.1 hrs and 6.6 hrs. 5) The mortality rate of the Group I and the Group II were respectively 13%, 6.6%. The most common causes of death were cardiogenic shock and ventricular arrhythmia. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate of initial 24 hrs of onset as form of sudden death was higher than post-24hrs group(66.2%). The factors for the higher mortality group were old age and female gender, and they were unstable in vital signs, higher Killip classifications. Therefore, these groups demand more rapid and aggressive approach than the other groups.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cause of Death ; Chest Pain ; Classification ; Death, Sudden ; Diet ; Dyspnea ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Life Style ; Life Support Care ; Mortality* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Vital Signs

BACKGROUND: The wound healing process is impaired or delayed in aged patients. The development of a new wound healing model is needed. Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a special role in wound healing because NGF is expressed only in proliferating tissues such as wounds. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to develop a wound healing model using a 3-dimensional culture system, raft culture, by comparing the level of NGF expression according to the wound stage after an artificial wound was made to the raft samples. We tried to specifically localize the site of NGF expression both in mRNA and protein level. METHODS: Raft culture using normal human keratinocytes was done and a 2 mm slit wound was made in the center of the raft samples. Raft samples of no wound, 4 d, 7 d, and 9 d after wounding were prepared. In situ RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect and localize NGF expression after making wounds and the addition of substance P (SP). RESULTS: We failed to localize NGF mRNA expression in raft samples by in situ RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry showed NGF staining throughout the epidermis although a little more dense staining was found in the basal layer. NGF(+) cells tended to increase until 7 d after wounding, but there were no significant differences according to the wounding days. There was `a tendency that the SP(+) group showed more NGF(+) cells than the SP(-) group, but there were no statistical differences. CONCLUSION: We think that our in vitro raft wound model using NGF expression could be used, at least in part, as an objective indicator for wound healing. In our raft model lacking nerve, NGF may not be suitable for representing wound healing process because this model can not reflect the interaction between the skin and the nervous system. Expression of growth factors or cytokines other than NGF need to be applied to our raft culture system.
Cytokines ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Keratinocytes ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Nervous System ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Substance P ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of photo-astigmatic refractive keratectomy(PARK) with Schwind excimer laser for one year. We performed PARK procedures on 28 eyes with compound myopic astigmatism. Twenty eight eyes were divided into two groups according to their astigmatism: low(up to -1.5D, 15 eyes), high(over -1.5, 13 eyes). Mean preoperative astigmatism was 1.17+/-0.28 in low astigmatism group and 2.67+/-0.90 in high astigmatism group. Mean one year postoperative astigmatism was 0.40+/-0.39 in low astigmatism group and 0.48+/-0.56 in high astigmatism group. Correction rate of astigmatism was 62.3% in low astigmatism group and 79.4% in high astigmatism group. Complications were loss of best corrected visual acuity 2 line or more(2 eyes), temporary increased intraocular pressure(4 eyes), over 0.25mm eccentric ablation(2 eyes). We concluded that the Schwind excimer laser PARK appeared to be a safe and relatively accurate proceudre to correct myopic astigmatism, especially predictability of astigmatism correction was very satisfactory.
Astigmatism ; Lasers, Excimer ; Visual Acuity

Posterior segment injuries due to non-penetrating ocular trauma have protean ocular manifestations. Vision may be unaffected or completely lost according to the injured area. Although most cases require no specific treatment, early accurate diagnosis and appropriate prophylactic treatment will prevent some patients from late visual loss. We analyzed retrospectively 36 eyes of 36 patients with non-penetrating posterior segment trauma who had visited our clinic from August, 1994 to February, 1997. Thirty two of the patients(88.8%) were male and the peak age group was in the third decade. Thirteen of the patients(21%) had Berlin`s edema, which was one of the most common findings seen in the posterior segment. The most common anterior segment finding associated with non-penetrating ocular trauma was hyphema(20%). The most common cause of non-penetrating trauma was violence(first, foot)(38.8%). Final visual acuity was better in eyes without the lesion involving the macula.
Diagnosis ; Edema ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To treat limbal stem cell deficiency, we investigated the epithelial characteristics in rabbits with total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) after reconstruction with autologous limbal corneal epithelial cells in vivo expanded on amniotic membrane. METHODS: The right eyes of 10 rabbits were rendered total LSCD, as verified by impression cytology. In the left eyes of 10 rabbits, in vivo limbal corneal epithelial cells culture was achieved. In group A (n=4), we evaluated the characteristics of the cultured limbal corneal epithelial cells and in group B (n=6) we evaluated the characteristics of the transplanted limbal corneal epithelial cells at postoperative 1, 2, and 4 weeks. RESULTS: Successful epithelial growth was observed on amniotic membrane in all eyes of group A. Transplanted epithelial cells were well remained in five eyes of group B. The epithelial cells of group A and B were confirmed with corneal specificity by immunohistochemical staining (AK-2, AE-5). CONCLUSIONS: The corneal surface with unilateral total LSCD can be successfully reconstructed by transplantation with autologous limbal corneal epithelial cells in vivo expanded on amniotic membrane.
Amnion ; Epithelial Cells* ; Rabbits ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stem Cells*

No abstract available.
Blood Platelets* ; Humans ; Platelet Aggregation* ; Plateletpheresis* ; Tissue Donors*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy* ; Ovarian Neoplasms*