INTRODUCTION: In this study, we compared sleep structure, EEG characteristic of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and normal controls which were matched in sex and age. METHODS: Fifteen children (male:female=4:11) who complained snoring and were suspected to have sleep apnea and their age and sex matched normal controls (male:female=5:10) have been done nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG). Sleep parameters, sleep apnea variables and relative spectral components of EEG from NPSG have been compared between both groups. RESULTS: Pediatric OSA group were distinguished from normal controls in terms of apnea index, respiratory disturbance index and nadir of oxyhemoglobulin desaturation. Pediatric OSA group showed increased percent of sleep stage 1, decreased rapid eye movement sleep percent and increased delta power in O1 EEG channel. However other sleep parameters and spectral powers were not different between two groups. CONCLUSION: In pediatric OSA group, sleep structure parameter disruption may be not prominent as the previous studies for adult OSA group because of including mild OSA data in diagnostic criteria. In addition, EEG changes might not be distinct due to low arousal index compared to adult OSA patients. We can observe general characteristics and particularity of pediatric OSA through this study.
Adult ; Apnea ; Arousal ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Sleep Stages ; Sleep, REM ; Snoring

Unlike the case of adult obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), there was no consistent finding on the changes of sleep architecture in childhood OSAS. Further understanding of the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) should be needed. Non-linear analysis of EEG is particularly useful in giving us a new perspective and in understanding the brain system. The objective of the current study is to compare the sleep architecture and the scaling exponent (alpha) from detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) on sleep EEG between OSAS and normal children. Fifteen normal children (8 boys/7 girls, 6.0+/-2.2 years old) and twelve OSAS children (10 boys/2 girls, 6.4+/-3.4 years old) were studied with polysomnography (PSG). Sleep-related variables and OSAS severity indices were obtained. Scaling exponent of DFA were calculated from the EEG channels (C3/A2, C4/A1, O1/A2, and O2/A1), and compared between normal and OSAS children. No difference in sleep architecture was found between OSAS and normal controls except stage 1 sleep (%) and REM sleep latency (min). Stage 1 sleep (%) was significantly higher and REM latency was longer in OSAS group (9.3+/-4.3%, 181.5+/-59.9 min) than in controls (5.6+/-2.8%, 133.5+/-42.0 min). Scaling exponent (alpha) showed that sleep EEG of OSAS children also followed the 'longrange temporal correlation' characteristics. Value of alpha increased as sleep stages increased from stage 1 to stage 4. Value of alpha from C3/A2, C4/A1, O1/A2, O2/A1 were significantly lower in OSAS than in control (1.36+/-0.05 vs. 1.41+/-0.04, 1.37+/-0.04 vs. 1.41+/-0.04, 1.37+/-0.05 vs. 1.41+/-0.05, and 1.36+/-0.07 vs. 1.41+/-0.05, p<0.05). Higher stage 1 sleep (%) in OSAS children was consistent finding with OSAS adults. Lower 'alpha' in OSAS children suggests decrease of self-organized criticality or the decreased piling-up energy of brain system during sleep in OSAS children.
Adult ; Brain ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Sleep Stages ; Sleep, REM

The present study was performed to establish the cephalometric norms and to study characteristics of craniofacial skeleton of Korean male and female with normal occlusion. The author studied and analyzed statistically vertical cephalometric measurements of the 52 adult male ranging in age from 18 to 26 years and 43 adult female ranging in age from 16 to 30 years with normal occlusion and acceptable profile. The results were as follows; 1. Cephalometric craniofacial norms and standard deviation chart were abtained about adult Korean male and female with normal occlusion. 2. Vertical dimensions of the craniofacial skeleton were larger in male than in female. 3. Lower face was more divergent in female than in male. 4. In simple correlation coefficients between vertical linear mesurements in male and female, high correlation were shown between ATFH and ALFH, PTFH and PLFH, ALFH and ALDH, PLFH and PLDH.
Adult* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Skeleton ; Vertical Dimension

This study was undertaken to analyze the displacement and stress distribution in the mandible according to the pulling directions during mandibular first molar cervical traction after mandibular second molar extraction. The 3-dimensional finite element method(FEM) was used for a mathematical model composed of 594 elements and 1019 nodes. An orthodontic force, 450gm, was applied to the each mandibular first molar in parallel, and below the occlusal plane by 7degrees and 25degrees and meet the midsagittal plane by 40degrees toward posterior direction. The results were as follows: 1. Mandibular teeth were displaced in more downward, posterior and lateral direction. Especially high stress was noted in case of parallel pull than in case of below the occlusal plane by 7degrees and 25degrees. 2. Mandibular first molar was moved bodily. 3. Generally, alveolar bone, mandibular body, ascending ramus and mandibular angle portion were displaced in downward, posterior and lateral direction. But coronoid process was displaced in downward, forward and lateral direction, and anterior and inner middle portion of condyle head and neck were displaced in downward, forward and medial direction, and posterior and outer middle portion of condyle head and neck were displaced in upward, forward and medial direction. 4. Maximum stress was observed at the condyle head and neck portion. With steeper direction of force, condyle head and neck showed more stress than parallel relation to the occlusal plane.
Dental Occlusion ; Finite Element Analysis* ; Head ; Humans* ; Mandible* ; Models, Theoretical ; Molar* ; Neck ; Tooth ; Traction*

PURPOSE: It is known that alpha-2 receptor is found at the presynaptic serotonergic nervous system and a consequence of increased activation of alpha-2 receptor decreases the serotonin release. So Alpha-2 blockers may have the effect on the release of serotonin. The major serotonergic innervation is found at the hippocampus. This study was performed to investigate the effect of the alpha-2 receptor blocker to serotonin release in rat hippocampus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hippocampus from the male rat brain was sliced. After 30 minutes preincubation in the normal buffer, the slices were incubated for 20 minutes in a buffer containing 0.1 microM[3H]5-HT for uptake, and washed. After administration of alpha 2 receptor blockers, yohimbine (10-5M), the release of [3H]5-HT into the buffer was measured, the radioactivities in each buffer and the tissue were counted and the results were expressed as a percentage of the total activity. The value of released [3H]5-HT was expressed as percent of the value at 50 minutes when a steady state of [3H]5-HT release was obtained. RESULTS: After adminstration of yohimbine (10-5M), the values(mean+/-SE, %) were 147.5+/-9.2 at 60 minutes and 143.8+/-7.3 at 70 minutes compared to the values of control group, 96.6+/-1.9 at 60 minutes and 89.6+/-2.3 at 70 minutes. The release was increased significantly after adminstration of yohimbine. CONCLUSIONS: Alpha-2 receptor blockers increased the release of serotonin. It is suggested that the consideration of the increase of serotonin release by alpha-2 receptor blockers may be helpful to understand the effect of serotonin on sexual function.
Animals ; Brain ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Nervous System ; Radioactivity ; Rats* ; Serotonin* ; Yohimbine

The most common cause of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in childhood is adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Adenotonsillectomy improves the symptoms quite well in most cases. However, some patients could experience the OSAS again after adenotonsillectomy, who might have several risk factors such as incomplete operation, misdiagnosis, combined anatomical malformation, sinusitis or chronic allergic rhinitis, obesity, initial severe OSAS, and early onset OSAS. We report a case of 11-year-old obese boy who presented with snoring for several years. He was obese with body mass index (BMI) of 26.3 kg/m2 and also found to have fatty liver by ultrasonogram. Initial polysomnography (PSG) showed that he met the criteria of severe OSAS with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 70.5. He underwent adenotonsillectomy and symptoms improved immediately. Four months later symptoms were relieved with AHI of 0, but 1 year after the adenotonsillectomy he started to complain snoring again and the subsequent PSG results showed that OSAS has relapsed with AHI of 43. Paranasal sinus X-ray and physical examination showed sinusitis and re-growth of adenoid. Obesity was proved not to be a contributing factor because his BMI decreased to normal range (23.1 kg/m2) after diet control and regular exercise. Also, liver transaminase was normalized and fatty liver was disappeared on follow-up abdominal ultrasonogram. After treatment of sinusitis, symptoms were relieved with decreased AHI (8.5). This case suggests that simple adenotonsillectomy might not be the end of OSAS treatment in childhood. Patients who had adenotonsillectomy should be followed by subsequent PSG if symptoms recur. It is also important to be aware of risk factors in the recurrent OSAS for the proper intervention according to the cause.
Adenoids ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Diagnostic Errors ; Diet ; Fatty Liver ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Liver ; Obesity ; Physical Examination ; Polysomnography ; Reference Values ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Risk Factors ; Sinusitis ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Snoring

Renal cell carcinoma is highly malignant and metastatic, but only single organ metastasis is rare. A case of contralateral subcutaneous tissue metastasis of renal cell carcinoma is presented with review of literatures.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Subcutaneous Tissue*

This experiment was performed to study the morphological responses of the thymic cortex of the mice after administration of BCG. Healthy adult mice weighing 25gm each were divided into normal and experimental groups. BCG[0.03X108-0.32X108 CFU] were injected subcutaneously to the animals every other day, and animals were sacrificed at 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks and 8 weeks following the first injection. Thymus were removed immediately after sacrifice and transferred to cold phosphate buffered 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde solution[pH 7.3], and cut into small pieces. Tissue samples were fixed for 2-3 hours in the same fixative, postfixed with phosphate buffered 1% osmium tetroxide solution[pH 7.3], dehydrated in a graded series of alcohol, and embedded in araldite mixture. Ultrathin sections stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate were observed with a JEM 100CX-II electron microscope. The observed results were as follow : 1. In the early BCG treated groups, a few eosinophile leucocytes were observed, but more eosinophils were observed in later groups. Some elongated and bar-shaped lysosomes with eletron lucent gap were often obserced in the macrophages. 2. Cortical population of thymocytes in the thymus were reduced, whereas territoris of the epithelial reticular cells were expanded especially in 2 weeks and 8 weeks groups. Some portion of the thymic cortex exhibited large intercellular spaces, and a few nuclear bodies filled with materials of medium density were observed in the epithelial reticular cells. 3. In the 8 weeks groups, macrophages, plasma cells and eosinopile leucocytes and developing eosinophile leucocytes were often observed in the thymic cortex. Distended cisternae of granular endoplasmic reticula and newly forming prosecretory granulses in the Golgi complex were ovserved in som plasma cells. From the above results, it was suggested that repeated treatment with BCG could induce disturb the maturation and differentiation of the T lymphocytes. In turn, BCG, if repeatedly injected, may disturb the immunological medchanism.
Adult ; Animals ; Citric Acid ; Eosinophils ; Extracellular Space ; Golgi Apparatus ; Humans ; Lysosomes ; Macrophages ; Mice* ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Plasma Cells ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thymocytes ; Thymus Gland

No abstract available.
Hyperlipidemias* ; Kidney* ; Transplantation*

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Catecholamines have an effect on sexual drive. When the sympathetic nervous system is excited, norepinephrine is released from nerve terminals, epinephrine from the adrenal glands, and dopamine in the central nervous system. Serotonin has a central inhibitory effect on sexual drive. Major adrenergic and serotoninergic innervation is found in the hippocampus. This study was performed to investigate the differences in serotonin release from rat hippocampal slices in the central nervous system in response to various catecholamines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hippocampus from the rat brain was sliced. After 30 minutes' incubation in normal buffer, the slices were incubated for 20 minutes in a buffer containing 0.1 micro M [3H]5-HT and then washed. After administration of norepinephrine (10-5M), dopamine (10-5M), or epinephrine (10-5M), the release of [3H]5-HT into the buffer was measured. The radioactivity in each buffer and tissue was counted, and the results were expressed as a percentage of the total activity. The value of released [3H]5-HT was expressed as percent of the value at 50 minutes when a steady state of [3H]5-HT release had been obtained. RESULTS: After administration of norepinephrine, dopamine, and epinephrine, the values (mean +/- SE, %) were 115.7 +/- 2.3, 136.8 +/- 10.5, 107.4 +/- 7.7 at 60 minutes and 105.8 +/- 5.5, 140.7 +/- 7.7, 94.2 +/- 6.2 at 70 minutes vs. 96.6 +/- 1.9 at 60 minutes and 89.2 +/- 2.3 at 70 minutes for the control group. The release thus was increased significantly after administration of norepinephrine and dopamine, and the effect of dopamine was more significant than that of epinephrine. CONCLUSIONS: Release of serotonin is increased by norepinephrine and dopamine. The effect of dopamine was more significant than that of epinephrine. Reciprocal increase in serotonin release after administration of catecholamines may be involved in their effect on sexual function.
Adrenal Glands ; Animals ; Brain ; Catecholamines* ; Central Nervous System ; Dopamine ; Epinephrine ; Hippocampus ; Norepinephrine ; Radioactivity ; Rats* ; Serotonin* ; Sympathetic Nervous System