PURPOSE: Recent evidence shows that nitric oxide (NO) may exhibit both pro-cancer and anti-cancer activities. The present study aimed to determine the differentially expressed proteins in NO-treated NIH/3T3 fibroblasts in order to investigate whether NO induces proteins with pro-cancer or anti-cancer effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cells were treated with 300 microM of an NO donor 3,3-bis-(aminoethyl)-1-hydroxy-2-oxo-1-triazene (NOC-18) for 12 h. The changed protein patterns, which were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis using pH gradients of 4-7, were conclusively identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis of the peptide digests. RESULTS: Seventeen differentially expressed proteins were identified in NOC-18-treated cells. Nine proteins [vinculin protein, keratin 19, ubiquitous tropomodulin, F-actin capping protein (alpha1 subunit), tropomyosin 3, 26S proteasome-associated pad1 homolog, T-complex protein 1 (epsilon subunit) N(G)-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase, and heat shock protein 90] were increased and eight proteins (heat shock protein 70, glucosidase II, lamin B1, calreticulin, nucleophosmin 1, microtubule-associated protein retinitis pigmentosa/end binding family member 1, 150 kD oxygen-regulated protein precursor, and heat shock 70-related protein albino or pale green 2) were decreased by NOC-18 in the cells. Thirteen proteins are related to the suppression of cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis while two proteins (heat shock protein 90 and N(G)-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase) are related to carcinogenesis. The functions of 150 kD oxygen-regulated protein precursor and T-complex protein 1 (epsilon subunit) are unknown in relation to carcinogenesis. CONCLUSION: Most proteins differentially expressed by NOC-18 are involved in inhibiting cancer development.
Animals ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional/*methods ; Fibroblasts/*metabolism/pathology ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; Humans ; Mice ; NIH 3T3 Cells ; Neoplasms/*metabolism/pathology ; Nitric Oxide Donors ; Nitroso Compounds ; Proteins/analysis/*metabolism ; Proteomics/*methods ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

BACKGROUND: Measuring grip and pinch strength is an important part of hand injury evaluation. Currently, there are no standardized values of normal grip and pinch strength among the Korean population, and lack of such data prevents objective evaluation of post-surgical recovery in strength. This study was designed to establish the normal values of grip and pinch strength among the healthy Korean population and to identify any dependent variables affecting grip and pinch strength. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out. The inclusion criterion was being a healthy Korean person without a previous history of hand trauma. The grip strength was measured using a Jamar dynamometer. Pulp and key pinch strength were measured with a hydraulic pinch gauge. Intra-individual and inter-individual variations in these variables were analyzed in a standardized statistical manner. RESULTS: There were a total of 336 healthy participants between 13 and 77 years of age. As would be expected in any given population, the mean grip and pinch strength was greater in the right hand than the left. Male participants (137) showed mean strengths greater than female participants (199) when adjusted for age. Among the male participants, anthropometric variables correlated positively with grip strength, but no such correlations were identifiable in female participants in a statistically significant way. CONCLUSIONS: Objective measurements of hand strength are an important component of hand injury evaluation, and population-specific normative data are essential for clinical and research purposes. This study reports updated normative hand strengths of the South Korean population in the 21st century.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Hand ; Hand Injuries ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Male ; Pinch Strength ; Population Dynamics ; Reference Values

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A recent study demonstrated that tinnitus could be eliminated by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with notched sounds in a rat tinnitus model. The aims of this clinical study were to investigate the effects and safety of transcutaneous VNS (tVNS) by patch-type electrode paired with notched music for treating chronic tinnitus. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with refractory chronic tinnitus for >12 months were included in this study. A patch-type electrode was attached to the auricular concha of the patient's left ear and tVNS was performed for 30 min (pulse rate 25 Hz, pulse width 200 micros, and amplitude 1-10 mA) using a transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation eco2. During tVNS, the patients listened to notched music cleared of the frequency spectrum corresponding to the tinnitus with a 0.5 octave notch width. RESULTS: After 10 treatment sessions, 15/30 patients (50%) reported symptom relief in terms of a global improvement questionnaire. The mean tinnitus loudness (10-point scale) and the mean tinnitus awareness score (%) improved significantly from 6.32+/-2.06 to 5.16+/-1.52 and from 82.40+/-24.37% to 65.60+/-28.15%, respectively (both p<0.05). None of the patients had any specific side effects, such as changes in heart rate or blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated the feasibility and safety of tVNS paired with notched music therapy in patients with chronic tinnitus, with the use of a pad-type electrode attached to the auricular concha.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Ear ; Electrodes ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Music Therapy* ; Music* ; Rats ; Tinnitus* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Vagus Nerve Stimulation* ; Vagus Nerve*

PURPOSE: In order to rehabilitate patients with replanted fingers or reconstructed ones with free flap, the warm therapy is cost-effective, clean, and easy to use. However, the risk of thermal burn in patients with replanted fingers or reconstructed ones with free flap is not clearly identified yet and only few clinical prognosis exist. For that reason, this study was designed to evaluate the incidence, characteristics and risk factors of thermal burn in patients with replanted fingers or reconstructed ones with free flap. METHODS: We reviewed all the medical records of patients retrospectively, especially who showed clinically important thermal burn of replanted fingers or reconstructed ones with free flap from February 2010 to March 2011. RESULTS: 10 patients out of 370 with successfully replanted fingers or reconstructed ones with free flap presented clinically important thermal burn. (2.70% incidence). The causes of thermal burn were warm therapy (4 cases) and touching hot bowls such as a coffee cup, hot pot or hot grill (6 cases). Among them, 7 patients suffered superficial 2nd degree burn with bullae, 1 patient deep 2nd degree burn, 1 patient 4th degree burn and another 1, 1st degree burn with mild erythema. All of them except two cases were treated with conventional dressing with antibiotic ointment, while one was treated by skin graft and another one by 2nd toe pulp free flap. On the other hand, there were only 3 thermal burn cases among 7,010 patients who had undergone the hand surgeries other than replantation and free flap (0.04% incidence). And 2 were by warm therapy and 1 by hot pot. All of them were superficial 2nd degree burn with bullae and treated with conventional dressing with antibiotic ointment for about 1 week. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that patients with replanted fingers or reconstructed ones with free flap are more likely to have thermal burn than any other. Therefore we should be aware of the possibility of thermal burn for these patients, paying more attention to prevent it during the warm therapy and letting them always keep an appropriate distance from anything that can cause thermal burn.
Bandages ; Blister ; Burns ; Coffee ; Erythema ; Fingers ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Replantation ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Toes ; Transplants

Background and Objectives: We investigated whether there are differences in auditory performance between the healthy ears of subjects with unilateral deafness (UD) and the control ears of subjects with normal hearing (NH) in both ears.Subjects and Method Sixteen subjects with acquired UD and 16 subjects with NH thresholds for both ears were enrolled. We compared the auditory performance of UD group and control group with NH in both ears. Results: We found no meaningful differences in the three measures of psychoacoustic performance between the total healthy ears of subjects with UD and the ears of the control group. However, in the subgroup comparison, the left ears of subjects with right UD showed significantly poorer spectral-ripple discrimination (SRD) than the right ears of the subjects with left UD (p=0.006) and the ears of control subjects with NH (p=0.004). Conclusion Our findings indicate that after unilateral auditory deprivation, auditory processing is differentially affected by the side involved. In the subjects with acquired UD, the longterm hearing deprivation on the right side induced the down-regulation of central auditory process for SRD, but hearing deprivation on the left side did not affect SRD.

BACKGROUND: Since the international guideline of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy was introduced into Korea, many reports about eradication outcomes have been documented. These data were published mostly from referred university hospital. However, in Korea, majority of patients has been treated with H.pylori eradication regimen in primary care setting. This study was performed to investigate the eradication rate of H. pylori in primary care office of Seoul, Korea. METHODS: Total 173 patients with H.pylori-positive gastroscopy results received eradication regimen-mainly one week PPI based triple therapy-from January 1998 to March 2003. Four weeks after completion of medication, urea breath test, biopsy and CLO test were performed to detect H.pylori. RESULTS: Total eradication rate was 87.9%. The eradication rate of male and female were 90.3% and 84.3%, respectively (p>0.05). The eradication rate of patients older than younger than 60 was 81.5% vs 89.0%, respectively (p>0.05). There was no statistical significance in annual eradication rate. In eradication rate, there was no significant difference among PPI regimen (omeprazole, rabeprazole, pantoprazole). Whether endoscopic diagnosis is gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer, there was no statistical difference in eradication rate between them. In the same way, there was also no statistical difference between peptic ulcer and H.pylori associated gastritis. CONCLUSION: The current eradication rate of H. pylori in primary care setting of Korea was 87.9%. H.pylori eradication rate in primary care setting was not much different from that in referred hospital in Korea, but it was lower than that reported by controlled trials of 1995 (initial times of introduction of international guide line into Korea). So far, the results have been acceptable, but there still remains to be investigated in PPI-based triple therapy as H.pylori eradication in primary care setting in the future of Korea.
Biopsy ; Breath Tests ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Female ; Gastritis ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Peptic Ulcer ; Primary Health Care* ; Rabeprazole ; Seoul ; Stomach Ulcer ; Urea

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) has been widely used to control acute variceal bleeding. However, eradication of varices with EVL is difficult and rebleeding following successful EVL is frequently problematic. Our aims were to assess the efficacy of EVL for treatment of acute variceal bleeding and to evaluate risk factors associated with rebleeding during follow-up period. METHODS: One-hundred and five patients were included, who had undergone EVL due to bleeding of esophageal varices. Retrospective analysis was performed about hemostatic success rate, rebleeding rate and risk factors for rebleeding. RESULTS: Hemostatic success rate was 84.8% (89/105). During follow-up period, eradication of varices was observed in 5.7% (6/105), downgrading in 44.8% (47/105), no change of grade in 35.2% (37/105), and progression of varices was observed in 3.8% (4/105). Mean number of sessions for eradication were 3.3 (range, 2 to 8). Rebleeding was observed in 55.2% (58/105), and rebleeding rate increased with lapse of time, as 24.5% after 3 months, and 37.1% in 6 months, and 50.7% in 12 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis for risk factors of rebleeding showed that number of sessions of variceal ligation was associated with significant reduction of rebleeding (p=0.01, OR 0.184). CONCLUSION: EVL was effective for hemostasis of acute variceal bleeding, but progression of varices and rebleeding episodes were common. Adequate follow-up evaluation is mandatory, and repeated variceal ligation is required for eradication of varices and secondary prevention of bleeding.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Secondary Prevention ; Varicose Veins