No abstract available.
Absorption* ; Drug Interactions*

No abstract available.
Therapeutic Equivalency*

To assess the relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism and myocardial infarction in Koreans, we recruited 112 healthy, unrelated subjects (mean age 53.4 years) and 104 myocardial infarction survivors (mean age 54.2 years) of both sexes. An insertion/deletion (IID) polymorphism of the ACE gene was typed by polymerase chain reaction. The I allelic frequency of ACE gene in Korean subjects was irrelevant to myocardial infarction (patients, 65%; control subjects 66%), as was true with the D allele. When compared with other populations, the frequency of D allele in Koreans (0.34) was lower than that in Caucasians, and was close to that of other Oriental populations. The data suggest that the ACE gene polymorphism is not an independent genetic risk factor for myocardial infarction in Koreans.
Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Risk Factors ; Survivors

The institutional review board is crucial to ensure the scientific and ethical quality of human participant research. This paper analyzes a survey on the current constitution and operation of institutional review boards (IRBs) in Korea, conducted by the Korean Association of Institutional Review Boards in April 2002. Out of 74 IRBs, 63 responded to the survey (85.1% response rate). IRB membership has a male-to-female ratio of approximately 80:20, a predominance of male clinicians (60%) and an underrepresentation of community people unaffiliated to the institutions (less than 10%). Most IRBs (around 80%) confine the scope of their reviews to the clinical evaluation of drugs or devices, leaving the remaining areas of research involving human participants untouched. As their role is limited, the majority of IRBs do not operate actively: 72% of responding IRBs reviewed less than one protocol per month in 2001. Sixty two percent of institutions have never discussed the need for insuring research participants' risks or making indemnity arrangements. This survey reveals many shortcomings and points for improvement by the institutional support bodies, including the need to establish regular education programs for IRB members and investigators.
Appointments and Schedules ; Clinical Trials/legislation & jurisprudence ; Clinical Trials/standards ; Data Collection ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Ethics Committees, Research*/legislation & jurisprudence ; Ethics Committees, Research*/standards ; Ethics Committees, Research*/statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Human ; Human Experimentation/legislation & jurisprudence ; Human Experimentation/standards ; Korea ; Male ; Politics ; Public Policy ; Research Design/standards

OBJECTIVE: Human infertility clinics have been faced the demand for improving clinical results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical removal of damaged blastomeres (DB) in frozen-thawed embryos on the clinical outcomes. METHODS: From January 2003 to May 2004, out of 258 thawing ET cycles were divided into three groups: Group-1 (n=46): Intact cleavaged embryos after thawing. Remained cycles with embryos containing DB were randomly divided into two groups. Group-2 (n=102): Drilling zona pellucida (ZP) of frozen-thawed embryos by acidified Tyrode's solution. Group-3 (n=110): Drilling ZP and removal of DB. Embryos after microsurgical manipulation were transferred into the uterus of patients. RESULTS: Clinical profiles and the mean number of transferred embryos among three groups were not different. Pregnancy and implantation rates were similar in three groups. It were 30.4% and 9.3% in Group-1, 29.4% and 7.8% in Group-2, and 26.4% and 7.6% in group-3, respectively. Miscarriage rate in Group-3 (37.9%) was slightly higher than those in Group-1 and Group-2 (14.3% and 23.3%), but it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Intact cleaving embryos after DB removal showed higher potent of pregnancy and implantation. We could not find any improvement of clinical outcome by removal of DB in frozen-thawed embryos.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Blastomeres* ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Uterus ; Zona Pellucida

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the result after 2-phase surgical-orthodontic treatment without preoperative orthodontic treatment for the skeletal Cl III malocclusion patient and to obtain an adequate protocol on the bases of this result. This retrospective study of ten patients who underwent 2-phase treatment were done to evaluate 1) the surgical stability and relapse pattern 2) the facial esthetics 3) the TMJ problem 4) the total time of the treatment. Results were followed : 1) The horizontal relapse of the mandible was 26.8% and didn't show significant differences compared to the conventional 3-phase treatment. But, it was considered that this amount of relapse was the sum of true relapse and autoratation of mandible due to decreased vertical dimension during orthodontic treatment. 2) It was estimated that there's no difference on the ratio of anterior facial height between the subjects and the normal patients. On the horizontal analysis, the mandible of the subjects was located more anteriorly than that of the normal patients. This result showed that there was a need for the accurate preoperative esthetic evaluation and the additional methods for reducing the relapse due to the occlusal interference. 3) Wide variation was noted on the TMJ symptoms of the subjects, however, it was estimated that there's no significant differencees of symptoms compared to that of the conventional 3-phase treatment on literatures. 4) The average of the overall period of treatment was 20.8 months and we obtained reduction of the treatment time compaired to 3-phase treatment on many literatures. Most of the results of this study were similar to the findings of the 3-phase treatment(preoperative orthodontic-orthognathic surgery-postoperative orthodontic), but total time of the treatment was shorter in patients with 2-phase treatment than in those with the conventional 3-phase treatment. With 2-phase treatment, we experienced many advantages compared to the conventional method considering that it was favarable conditions for the teeth, it had the flexibility for the treatment, and it could be the adequate treatment approach for the stomatognathic system. Although this retrospective pilot study had some limitations, due to small samples, the authors would hope that it could serve as a guide for the future reaearches, and the clinical applications.
Esthetics ; Hope ; Humans ; Malocclusion* ; Mandible ; Pilot Projects ; Pliability ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomatognathic System ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Tooth ; Vertical Dimension

Though the renal abnormality is usually accompanied in the patient with antiphospholipid syndrome, it is not frequent that the symptoms of antiphospholipid syndrome are confined to kidney. We experienced a case of 40-year-old woman suffered from intermittently developed nephrotic range proteinuria combined with generalized edema during last 10 years. She had no past history of thrombosis, spontaneous abortion, or symptoms related to SLE. Laboratory findings revealed that she had nephrotic syndrome. Her antinuclear antibody was negative, but her serum antiphospholipid IgG antibody level was 32 GPL IU. In the renal biopsy specimen, half of the glomeruli showed global sclerosis and remaining glomeruli showed chronic thrombotic microangiopathy and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis without immune deposit. Combined therapy with steroid and aspirin improve the amount of proteinuria, and she is free from edema without deterioration of renal function during follow up. Though this case lacked the typical symptoms of antiphospholipid syndrome, her glomerulonephritis presented with membranoproliferative pattern may be associated with it. We report this case with a review of literatures.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Adult ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Aspirin ; Biopsy ; Edema ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Pregnancy ; Proteinuria ; Sclerosis ; Thrombosis ; Thrombotic Microangiopathies

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is involved in the toxicity and carcinogenicity of a number of solvents and xenobiotics. Like the various types of oxidation pharmacogenetics, the activity of the enzyme shows a discernible interindividual and interethnic variation. However, no pharmacogenetic information on CYP2E1 polymorphism has been available from a Korean population. The aim of this study was to explore the pharmacogenetics of CYP2E1 polymorphism in a native Koreans after an oral 400 mg dose of chlorzoxazone administered to 128 subjects. Urine samples were collected during the subsequent 8-hour period and urinary concentrations of chlorzoxazone and 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone were determined by a high performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector. The limit of detection in the samples was found to be 0.5 mug/ml. The mean value of the 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone excreted in 8 hr urine expressed as the percentage was 48.2 13.8%. The frequency distribution of percentage of the administered dose excreted as the 6-hydroxy metabolite was unimodally distributed in the subjects studied. However, the values showed wide (7-fold) interindividual difference, ranged from 11.6% to 79.8% of the dose of chlorzoxazone. Thus, it was considered that the pharmacogenetic characteristics of CYP2E1 in a Korean population did not-represent multimodal distribution in the 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone excreted in 8-hr urine expressed as the percentage. And the activity of the CYP2E1 in a Korean population seemed to be less compared with that of the Caucasian subjects.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Chlorzoxazone ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1* ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System* ; Cytochromes* ; Humans ; Limit of Detection ; Pharmacogenetics ; Solvents ; Xenobiotics

PURPOSE: Recently, all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries have increased. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze the ATV injuries in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed the patients who visited Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital emergency center with ATVrelated injuries, from 2004 January to 2008 December. The injury severity was evaluated according to the injury severity score (ISS), the revised trauma score (RTS), and the yrauma score and the injury severity score (TRISS). RESULTS: From 2004 to 2008, a total of 78 cases, 28 male and 50 female, of ATV-related injuries were reviewed. The annual incidence had increased 22.5-fold from 2004(2 cases) to 2008(45 cases). The age ranged from 8 to 68 years (median, 24 years). The most frequently injured site was the lower extremity(48.7%). The primary mechanism of injury was roll-over(35.9%), the next was falling down (33.3%). Eighty-two percent(82%) of accidents occurred on paved roads when ATVs are legislated for off-road use only. The average ISS was 6.8. In cases including both the driver and the passenger, the ISS of passengers was higher than that of drivers(7.4 vs. 4.7). Fifty percent (50%) of patients required an operation. The rate of admission was 62.8%. The average length of hospital stay was 25 days. Eighty-one percent (81%) of patients had no previous experience of operating an ATV. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of patients did not receive any formal training before operating an ATVs. CONCLUSION: Both the incidence and severity of ATV-related injuries are increasing in Korea. There is a lack of regulation enforcement and public awareness of the dangers of ATV use. The wearing of appropriate safety equipment and sufficient education about driving skills can reduce the ATVrelated injuries.
Emergencies ; Female ; Heart ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injury Severity Score ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Off-Road Motor Vehicles