No abstract available.
Exostoses*

Arterial restenosis frequently develops after open or endovascular surgery due to intimal hyperplasia. Since tissue transglutaminase (TG2) is known to involve in fibrosis, wound healing, and extracellular matrix remodeling, we examined the role of TG2 in the process of intimal hyperplasia using TG2-null mice. The neointimal formation was compared between TG2-null and wild-type (C57BL/6) mice by two different injury models; carotid ligation and carotid loop injury. In ligation model, there was no difference in intimal thickness between two groups. In loop injury model, intimal hyperplasia developed in both groups and the intimal/medial area ratio was significantly reduced in TG2-null mice (P = 0.007). TG2 was intensely stained in neointimal cells in 2 weeks. In situ activity of TG2 in the injured arteries steadily increased until 4 weeks compared to uninjured arteries. Taken together, intimal hyperplasia was significantly reduced in TG2-null mice, indicating that TG2 has an important role in the development of intimal hyperplasia. This suggests that TG2 may be a novel target to prevent the arterial restenosis after vascular surgery.
Animals ; Carotid Arteries/pathology/*surgery ; Disease Models, Animal ; GTP-Binding Proteins/deficiency/genetics/*metabolism ; Hyperplasia ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Transglutaminases/deficiency/genetics/*metabolism ; Tunica Intima/*pathology

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of functional endometrial tissue in an ectopic site. The incidence of endometriosis is from 10% to 20% for women of reproductive age. From 1% to 2% of woman with endometriosis have urinary tract lesions, of which from 70% to 80% involve the bladder. Yet ureteral endometriosis is very uncommon, and it is noted in only 0.1% to 0.4% of these cases. We report here on one case of ureteral endometriosis.
Endometriosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract

No abstract available.
Female* ; Humans ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Teratoma* ; Turner Syndrome*

OBJECTIVE: Cardiomyopathy, a popular diagnosis that always obscures more than it reveals, nevertheless has several characteristic histological features. These prominently include widespread focal myocardial fibrosis and associated hypertrophy of surviving cardiac myocyte. In fact, focal noninflammatory degeneration (not necrosis) has been demonstrated as a feature of many forms of cardiac hypertrophy. We hypothesized that this loss of myocardial cells in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) may result from cell death by apoptosis. METHODS: Endomyocardial biopsy specimens from the right ventricles of six patients who suffered from DCMP were studied, and myocardial specimens from two persons who died in motor vehicle accidents were used as negative controls. For identification of apoptosis, immunohistochemistry with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling was performed. In addition, apoptosis was confirmed morphologically by confocal laser scanning microscopy with propidium iodide. RESULTS: Apoptosis, that was represented by an apoptotic index ranging from 19.8 to 25.4+ACU-, could be extensively seen in myocytes and also rarely in non-myocytes of interstitium and vascular endothelium. Morphologically, there were a lot of nuclei with clumps of condensed chromatin, suggestive of apoptosis. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that myocyte loss in DCMP might be mainly due to the apoptosis of myocytes and interstitial cells, rather than inflammation or cell necrosis.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Apoptosis/physiology+ACo- ; Biopsy, Needle ; Cardiomyopathy, Congestive/physiopathology ; Cardiomyopathy, Congestive/pathology+ACo- ; Caspases/analysis ; Enzyme Precursors/analysis ; Female ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Middle Age ; Myocardium/pathology+ACo- ; Reference Values ; Statistics, Nonparametric

Neovascularization of the adventitial vasa vasorum with extension into the intima of atherosclerotic lesions is frequently observed, but its pathophysiological significance is still subject to debate. Recently, leptin, the product of the Ob gene, was identified. Leptin, via activation of the endothelial receptor (Ob-R), generates a growth signal involving a tyrosine kinase-dependent intracellular pathway and promotes angiogenic processes. We hypothesized that a high concentration of leptin within vasa vasorum and plaque itself, may influence inflammatory and vascular neovascularization coupling with functional upregulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Microscopic computerized tomography was utilized for the spatial distribution of vasa vasorum and intimal neovascularization from atherosclerotic human coronary arteries. Atherosclerotic coronary arteries showed a dense plexus of microvessels in the adventitia and plaque itself. Microscopic analysis from human atherosclerotic aortas revealed an increase in the intimal thickness with neovascularization. The immunoreactivity for Ob-R, VEGF and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) increased in atherosclerotic plaque, predominantly in the endothelial lining of the intimal neovessel and macrophages/foam cells. Our observation of a prominent colocalization between Ob-R, VEGF and MMP supports this hypothesis and these factors participate in the neovascularization of atherosclerotic lesions. The present study is the first report on vascular tissue and it opens a promising perspective concerning future investigations of leptin-dependent modulation of atherogenesis and vascular neovascularization under pathophysiolgical conditions.
Adult ; Arteriosclerosis/physiopathology ; Arteriosclerosis/pathology ; Arteriosclerosis/metabolism* ; Blood Vessels/pathology ; Blood Vessels/metabolism ; Carrier Proteins/physiology ; Carrier Proteins/metabolism* ; Human ; Middle Age ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/physiopathology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There have been controversial reports linking Helicobacter pylori infection to autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). However, data regarding the relationship are limited for Asian populations, which have an extremely high prevalence of H. pylori infection. We performed this study to investigate the association between H. pylori infection and AITD in Koreans. METHODS: This study involved adults aged 30 to 70 years who had visited a health promotion center. A total of 5,502 subjects were analysed. Thyroid status was assessed by free thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab). Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to H. pylori were measured as an indication of H. pylori infection. We compared the prevalence of TPO-Ab in subjects with and without H. pylori infection. RESULTS: H. pylori IgG antibodies were found in 2,875 subjects (52.3%), and TPO-Ab were found in 430 (7.8%). Individuals positive for H. pylori Ab were older than those negative for H. pylori Ab (p < 0.01). The proportion of females was significantly higher in the TPO-Ab positive group (41.0% vs. 64.2%, p < 0.01). Prevalence of TPO-Ab positivity was higher in subjects with H. pylori infection (8.6% vs. 7.00%, p = 0.03), and this association was significant after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.03; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, prevalence of TPO-Ab positivity is more frequent in subjects with H. pylori infection. Our findings suggest H. pylori infection may play a role in the development of autoimmune thyroiditis.
Adult ; Antibodies ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Autoimmunity* ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Peroxidase ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine

BACKGROUND: A collateral flow can be assessed and graded by coronary angiography, however, the technique does not provide any information about perfusion. Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) can assess collateral perfusion and has superior spatial resolution in defining its distribution. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference of transmural perfusion according to the angiographical collateral grade in normal myocardium, we performed MCE of collateral artery in 16 patients (m : f = 11 : 5, age: 57+/-13yrs.) with angina and compared the results with the angiographical grades. METHODS: In six patients with preexisting collaterals on baseline angiography, we performed MCE after intracoronary injection of sonicated Hexabrix. For 10 patients without preexisting collaterals on baseline angiography, we performed angiography, MCE for recruited collateral arteries during balloon inflation of stenotic coronary arteries (2 times for 120sec.). For 12 patients who underwent PTCA, we performed pressure wire simultaneously with angiography and MCE for recruited collateral arteries during balloon inflation. Fractional collateral flow(FCF) was defined by the ratio of coronary wedge pressure to proximal pressure(Pw/Pa). Angiographical collaterals were graded according to 'Rentrop' criteria(grade 0-3). Transmural thickness (TMT) and enhanced myocardial thickness (EMT) of an enhanced segment on MCE were measured at diastolic phase. The depth of collateral perfusion was estimated by collateral perfusion index (CPI) that was the ratio of EMT to TMT. RESULTS: There were significant differences of CPI with respect to angiographical grades according to one way ANOVA test (p< 0.05). One of five patients who had no recruited collaterals showed partial enhancement confined to the epicardium with CPI of 0.24. There was significant correlation between the angiographical grade and the CPI with Spearman's Rho value of 0.93(p< 0.0001). The angiographical grades were significantly correlated with FCF with the Spearman's Rho value of 0.87(p=0.0002). There was also significant correlation between FCF and CPI with Pearson's r=0.81 (p=0.0016). CONCLUSION: The higher the angiographical collateral grade is, the higher the collateral pressure and the deeper the fractional transmural perfusion from epicardium into endocardium gets.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography* ; Endocardium ; Humans ; Inflation, Economic ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Myocardium ; Perfusion* ; Pericardium ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Syncope is defined as a sudden temporary loss of consciousness associated with a loss of postural tone with spontaneous recovery. It is a common clinical problem with complex and heterogeneous etiologies, but vasovagal syncope is the main cause of unexplained syncope. Bradycardia and hypotension by transient dysfunction of cardiac autonomic nervous system have been cited as the main pathophysiology of the vasovagal syncope. Therefore, we studied whether analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) by 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring would reflect autonomic imbalance between cardiac sympathetic and vagal efferent activity in the patients of vasovagal syncope. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 45 patients (male=2, female=3, mean age=2.214 years) with syncope were enrolled, and divided into 2 subgroups according to the results of head-up tilt test: head-up tilt test positive (group S1) and negative (group S0). A sex-matched control group consisted of 9 healthy volunteers (male=, female=, mean age=16 years, Group C). The 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring was performed in all groups, and R-R intervals were analyzed by time- and frequency-domain methods. The time-domain measurements of HRV were mean NN(mean of all coupling intervals between normal beat), ASDNN(mean of the standard deviations of all normal R-R intervals for 5-minute segments of the entire recording), SDNN(standard deviation of all normal R-R intervals over 24 hours), SDANN(standard deviation of average R-R intervals in all 5 minutes segments of the entire recording), rMSSD(square root of the mean squared differences of successive R-R interval) and pNN50(percent of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals more than 50ms during 24 hours), and frequency-domain measurements were low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) components and LF/HF ratio. RESULTS: The LF/HF ratio was significantly higher in syncope patients with positive results of head-up tilt test and syncope patients with negative results than in control (p<0.05). The LF, HF, mean NN, ASDNN, SDNN, SDANN, rMSSD, and pNN50 were not significantly different among these three groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the cardiac autonomic nervous system in patients with vasovagal syncope has sympathetic-activated balanced without changes of total power of both sympathetic and parasympathetic components.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Syncope ; Syncope, Vasovagal* ; Unconsciousness