OBJECTIVE: The impact of maternal stress on pregnancy outcome has been a focus of research and cortisol is known as a biomarker of psychological stress. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between salivary cortisol levels and pregnancy outcomes prospectively. METHODS: The subjects of this study were healthy pregnant women who collected morning samples of saliva (10~12 AM) at 10~13, 20~23 weeks of gestation, and postpartum 2 days between April 2007 to March 2008. Saliva was collected with commercial collector, Salivette(R), and cortisol level was analyzed by enzyme immunoassay. They also underwent ultrasonographic examination of umbilical and uterine artery Doppler between 20~23 weeks of gestation. Statistical analysis was assessed between salivary cortisol levels and pregnancy outcomes, including Doppler findings. RESULTS: A total 39 pregnant women collected salivary cortisol as indicated. They showed increase in cortisol level in 2nd trimester compared to 1st trimester, which decreased after delivery. Salivary cortisol level was not associated with maternal age, parity, occupation, body mass index, blood pressure, delivery mode, fetal sex, and fetal weight. However higher cortisol level was associated with lower resistance index of uterine artery, even there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Our data could not show any association between salivary cortisol levels and pregnancy outcomes. Although this study presents a number of methodological and conceptual challenges, this does not necessarily preclude the use of salivary cortisol measures, but rather point to the importance of careful research design.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Fetal Weight ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Maternal Age ; Occupations ; Parity ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnant Women ; Research Design ; Saliva ; Stress, Psychological ; Uterine Artery

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in normal preschool children. METHODS: Study population consisted of 220 preschool children aged 2 to 5 years in Seoul, Korea. We measured H. pylori specific IgG antibody using the GAP test IgG kit, and samples with concentrations greater than 20 U/ml were considered positive. RESULTS: Of the 220 children, 5 (2.3%) were positive, and thirteen (5.9%) of 220 were equivocally probable positive. CONCLUSION: The positive rate of H. pylori infection detected by specific IgG antibody in normal preschool children aged 2 to 5 years was approximately 2.3% to 8.2%. This prevalence rate is still high, compared to that of the West. A better knowledge of the transmission of H. pylori is crucial to formulate recommendations for lowering the rate.
Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Seoul

We report a case of serous retinal detachment following combined photodynamic therapy (PDT) and intravitreal bevacizumab injection in subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV).
Administration, Oral ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Choroidal Neovascularization/*drug therapy/pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Fundus Oculi ; Glucocorticoids/administration & dosage ; Humans ; Injections ; Middle Aged ; Photochemotherapy/*adverse effects ; Retinal Detachment/*chemically induced/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Triamcinolone/administration & dosage ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vitreous Body

Alterations of genes are known to be critical for the induction of tumorigenesis, but the mechanism of ovarian carcinogenesis is little understood and remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the roles of brca1, brca2 and p53 genes in the development of ovarian cancer using conditional knockout mice generated by a Cre-loxP recombinant system. Following the application of recombinant adenovirus expressing Cre in vitro, the proliferation of ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) was increased. For instance, a significant increase in cell growth was observed in OSE cells in vitro by conditional knockout isolated from the mice bearing concurrent floxed copies of brca1 and brca2/p53. However, the proliferative effect of the ovarian cells was not observed in concurrent brca1/brca2 or p53 knockout mice in vivo, indicating that we could not observe the direct evidence of the involvement of brca1, brca2, and p53 in ovarian carcinogenesis. Since morphological changes including tumor formation were not observed in mice bearing floxed copies of concurrent brca1/brca2 or p53, the inactivation of brca1/2 or p53 is not sufficient for the induction of tumor formation. Taken together, these results suggest that the deficiency of these genes may not be involved directly in the mechanism of ovarian carcinogenesis.
Animals ; BRCA1 Protein/*genetics/metabolism ; BRCA2 Protein/*genetics/metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/*genetics ; Epithelium/*pathology ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins/genetics ; Female ; Gene Silencing ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Ovarian Neoplasms/*genetics ; Protein-Lysine 6-Oxidase/genetics ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/*genetics/metabolism

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic sympathicotomy was, at first, thought to be a simple and safe method for treatment of hyperhydrosis. However, the main disadvantage of this procedure is irreversibility in additions so-called rebound sweating occurred in 30 40% of patients during the first 1 2 weeks after operation. Some patients regret the surgery, even to the extend of preferring the original sweaty hands. Recently clipping has been suggested one of the way to minimize such problem. Hypothesis of this study was that sympathetic nerve block effect by clipping may be weak compared to sympathicotomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the sympathicotomy by clipping effect on cardiovascular system. METHODS: Sixty-five patients with essential hyperhydrosis in ASA physical status class 1 undergoing thoracoscopic sympathetic block were randomly divided into two groups: The Clipping group (N = 21) and the sympathicotomy (N = 44) group. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental sodium (5 mg/kg) and pancuronium (0.05 mg/kg) and maintained with enflurane. The operation was done to the left side first and the to the right by an experienced surgeon. During the procedure, we measured blood pressure using a non invasive technique at the right forearm, heart rate and temperature after anesthetic induction as baseline values, immediately after the left side resection of the T2 sympathetic trunk or clipping, and after completely both sides resection. All the records were coded and analysed single blind by one author. RESULTS: After the T2 sympathicotomy, heart rate decreased from 87 +/- 14 to 76 +/- 17 (P < 0.05) and the mean blood pressure was reduced from 77 +/- 14 to 64 +/- 10 mmHg (P < 0.05). After T2 clipping, heart rate decrease from 88 +/- 18 to 73 +/- 14 (P < 0.05) and mean blood pressure was reduced from 74 +/- 12 to 67 +/- 13 mmHg (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The main result of this study was that there was no significant difference in sympathetic block effects on blood pressure and heart rate between clipping and sympathicotomy during the procedure.
Anesthesia ; Autonomic Nerve Block ; Blood Pressure* ; Cardiovascular System ; Enflurane ; Forearm ; Hand ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Pancuronium ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Thiopental

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of vitrectomy in IOL power calculation for cataract surgery in the eyes that previously performed vitrectomy. METHODS: This study comprised 41 eyes of 37consecutive patients who underwent cataract surgery after previous vitrectomy. IOL power calculation with the measurement of axial length and corneal power was conducted before vitrectomy and before cataract surgery. Target refractions at each surgery, assuming that the same power of IOL was implanted, were compared to actual manifest refraction after cataract surgery. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant change in both axial length and corneal power after vitrectomy (p>0.05). Before vitrectomy, target refraction was -0.22+/-0.61D compared to -0.37+/-0.52D before cataract surgery. The actual refraction after cataract surgery was -0.47+/-0.94D, and there were no significant differences among the three refractions (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the eyes that underwent vitrectomy, vitrectomy itself does not have an influence on calculating IOL power for cataract surgery.
Cataract ; Eye ; Humans ; Refractive Errors ; Vitrectomy

BACKGROUND: The morphological characteristics of hepatocytes transplanted into the spleen have been studied. However few attempts has been made to determine the expression of genes in intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to explore whether the pattern of expression of albumin gene in intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes is similar to that in adult liver, resulting in the long-term expression of this hepatocyte-specific gene. METHODS: Hepatocytes isolated from liver of syngeneic Fischer 344 rats and transplanted into the spleen of rats from the same strain survived for 12 months in the absence of immunosuppressive drugs. Microscopic examination of intrasplenic hepatocytes and Northern blotting for albumin gene expression of RNA extracted from liver and spleen was performed. RESULTS: Microscopy demonstrated that hepatocytes attached themselves only in the red pulp of the spleen and isolated hepatocytes preserved the fine structures characteristic of normal hepatic parenchymal cells. Throughout the 12 months period, intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes expressed albumin mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes represent a unique in vivo system of extrahepatic maintenance of hepatocytes. This novel transplantation system could be used to investigate hepatocyte engraft, proliferation and gene expression.
Adult ; Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Gene Expression* ; Hepatocytes* ; Humans ; Liver ; Microscopy ; Rats ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Spleen

Campylobacter f etus has been increasingly associated with extraintestinal infections in patients with underlying diseases. Pulmonary involvement in human by this organism is rare. We report a case of septic pneumonia secondary to community-acquired C. f etus bacteremia in a 67 year-old man with chronic renal failure.
Aged ; Bacteremia* ; Campylobacter fetus* ; Campylobacter* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pneumonia* ; Sepsis

Tracheomegaly is a distinctive condition that presents with marked dilation of the trachea. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is the result of alveolar rupture with dissection of the airway along the bronchus and into the mediastinum. Tracheomegaly and recurrent spontaneous pneumomediastinum are rare complications of pulmonary fibrosis when combined with rheumatoid arthritis. We present a case of tracheomegaly and recurrent spontaneous pneumomediastinum that was precipitated by repeated respiratory infection and chronic cough in a patient with pulmonary fibrosis that was associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Bronchi ; Cough ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Mediastinum ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Rupture ; Trachea

Osteomyelitis of the pubic symphysis is not common and has often been reported to occur after urological or gynecological procedures. It can be spontaneous in origin but it also is associated with trauma, athletic exertion, pregnancy, and parturition. The early symptoms of osteomyelitis of the pubic symphysis mimic those of osteitis pubis, and therefore, the differential diagnosis between these two entities is of clinical importance. A fifty nine-year-old man who had previously received debridement and wide excision of perianal necrotizing fasciitis visited our hospital with pain on both inguinal areas. The core biopsy of the pubic symphysis and aspiration culture were performed, from which Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recovered. He was treated with parenteral ceftazidime for 5 days followed by cefepime for 7 weeks and showed favorable clinical response. To our knowledge, this is the first report on osteomyelitis of pubic symphysis resulting from debridement and wide excision of perianal necrotizing fasciitis in Korea.
Biopsy ; Ceftazidime ; Cephalosporins ; Debridement ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fasciitis ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing ; Hydrazines ; Korea ; Osteitis ; Osteomyelitis ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Pubic Symphysis ; Sports