BACKGROUND: Although diet therapy is the standard initial treatment for hypercholesterolemia, the efficacy of diet therapy in Korean hypercholesterolemic patients never been investigated . This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of diet therapy for hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: One hundred seventeen outpatients with hypercholesterolemia were educated individualized diet therapy which is low in fat, cholesterol and high fiber. After three and six month, we assessed the changes of plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, body weight and the adherence to diet therapy. RESULTS: After 3 months of the diet therapy, there were significant reductions in total cholesterol(-11.8%), LDL-C(-14.5%), HDL-C(-3.9%), Apo(-5.4%), TC/HDL-C(-7.3%), Apo B /Apo A1(-7.7%) and weight(-3.1%). After 6 months of the diet therapy, there were significant reductions in total cholesterol(-10.7%), LDL-C(-14.0%), TC/HDL-C(-9.1%), Apo B/Apo A1(-7.7%) and weight(-2.3%). In this study 77% of the subjects had experienced improvement in their plasma LDL-C. Nonrespondents were older and had more female patients than respondents significantly. CONCLUSION: Diet therapy in Korean hypercholesterolemic patients is effective for reductions of total cholesterol and LDL-C.
Apolipoproteins ; Apolipoproteins B ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diet Therapy* ; Diet* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Korea* ; Outpatients ; Plasma

No abstract available.
Castration ; Granuloma ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body

No abstract available.
Bites, Human* ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Simplexvirus

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cell Adhesion* ; Female ; Leiomyoma* ; Mice ; Myometrium* ; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules*

No abstract available.
Down Syndrome* ; Leukemia*

We analyzed the clinical and laboratory features of ten children with acute megakaryoblastic lukemia (M7)and compared the findings with those reported in the literature. The diagnosis was supprted by ultrastructural examination of platelet peroxidase or immunophenotyping for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa. Of the ten children, five were girls and five were boys. The median age at diagnosis was 13 months. Two patients had prominent myelofibrosis and one patient had Down syndrome. Nine patients were treatd with low-dose cytosine arabinoside (10mg/m2)administered intravenously, or subcutaneously, or intramuscularly, twice daily in 21 day courses. Seven patients achieved hematologic response and three patients are alive without evidence of disease. The 4 year event free survival rate was30.0%. It is our impression that the prevalence of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia has been under-estimated, and low-dose cytosine arabinoside treatment may be of value in its management. This approach may be particularily useful in hospitals with scarce well-equipped facilities, since this protocol does not induce profound marrow hypoplasia and intensive supportive measures are not required as they would be with the use of more aggressive drug combination.
Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow ; Child* ; Cytarabine ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute* ; Megakaryocyte Progenitor Cells ; Peroxidase ; Prevalence ; Primary Myelofibrosis

OBJECTIVE: To test if the intake of H2 receptor antagonists (H2-RAs) increases the risk of gastric cancer in the elderly. METHODS: The source population for this study was drawn from the responders to a questionnaire survey administered to the Korea Elderly Pharmacoepidemiological Cohort (KEPEC), who were beneficiaries of the Korean Medical Insurance Corporation, were at least 65 years old, and residing in Busan in 1993. The information on H2-RAs exposure was obtained from a drug prescription database compiled between Jan. 1993 and Dec. 1994. The cases consisted of 76 gastric cancer patients, as confirmed from the KMIC claims data, the National Cancer Registry and the Busan Cancer Registry. The follow-up period was from Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1998. Cancer free controls were randomly selected by 1:4 individual matching, which took in to consideration the year of birth and gender. Information on confounders was collected by a mail questionnaire survey. The odds ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals, were calculated using a conditional logistic regression model. RESULTS: After adjusting for a history of gastric ulcer symptoms, medication history, and body mass index, the adjusted OR (aOR) was 4.6 (95% CI=1.72-12.49). The odds ratio of long term use (more than 7 days) was 2.3 (95% CI=1.07-4.82). The odds ratio of short term use was 4.6 (95% CI=1.26-16.50). The odds ratio of parenteral use was 4.4 (95% CI=1.16-17.05) and combination use between the oral and parenteral routes (aOR, 16.8; 95% CI=1.21-233.24) had the high risk of gastric cancer. The aOR of cimetidine was 1.7 (95% CI=1.04-2.95). The aOR of ranitidine was 2.0 (95% CI=1.21-3.40). The aOR of famotidine was 1.7 (95% CI=0.98-2.80). CONCLUSION: The intake of H2-RAs might increase the risk of gastric cancer through achlorhydria in the elderly.
Achlorhydria ; Aged* ; Body Mass Index ; Busan ; Case-Control Studies* ; Cimetidine ; Cohort Studies ; Drug Prescriptions ; Famotidine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Parturition ; Pharmacoepidemiology ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Ranitidine ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach Ulcer

BACKGROUND: Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is widely used in the treatment of preeclamptic Hyperreflexia. Eclamptic convulsions are almost always prevented by MgSO4 in plasma concentrations of 4 to 7 mEq/L. It is well known that MgSO4 enhances the effect of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade. But the onset time of rocuronium is not shortened by MgSO4. METHODS: The effect of magnesium on the onset time of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade was investigated in vitro rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation. The phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm was dissected and suspended in an organ bath containing modified Krebs' solution and produced single twitch responses under 0.2 ms, 0.1 Hz, electrical stimulation. We added rocuronium until the twitch height decreased more than 95% of the initial level and determined a dose in 95% decrease twitch height as an effective concentration (EC95). After the administration of MgSO4, the onset time of neuromuscular blockade by rocuronium 1 x EC95, 1.5 x EC95, 2 x EC95 was compared with the onset time without MgSO4. RESULTS: EC50 and EC95 of rocuronium was 0.178 and 1.10 mg/dl. After administration of MgSO4, the concentration of Mg2 in the organ bath was 4.38 mEq/L. The onset time of the neuromuscular blockade by 1 x EC95 rocuronium was significantly shortened, but in the case of over 1.5 x EC95, it was not influenced by MgSO4. CONCLUSIONS: The concentration of Mg2 was within the therapeutic range for inhibition of uterine contraction. The onset time of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade was shortened by magnesium but because a high dose of rocuronium was administered for intubation due to low potency and high plasma concentration, the effect of magnesium on the onset time of rocuronium seems to be masked. Therefore clinically, the onset time of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade was not shortened by MgSO4.
Animals ; Baths ; Electric Stimulation ; Intubation ; Magnesium ; Magnesium Sulfate ; Masks ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Plasma ; Rats* ; Reflex, Abnormal ; Seizures ; Uterine Contraction

Purpose: Hyperglycemia accelerates the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), a group of compounds formed via non-enzymatic glycation/glycoxidation. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is related to oxidative stress, resulting in some overgeneration of AGEs. The accumulation of AGEs in T2DM patients leads to increased inflammation, DNA damage, tissue damage, progression of diabetic microvascular disease, and nephropathy. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an intracellular enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of heme. Expression of HO-1 in the endothelium and in muscle monocytes/macrophages was upregulated upon exposure to reactive oxygen species or oxidized low-density lipoprotein. Cells activated by oxidative stress are reported to release HO-1 in the serum. In the current study, we discuss the oxidative status according to the level of AGEs and the association of HO-1 with AGEs or urinary DNA damage marker in type 2 diabetic Korean patients. Methods: This study enrolled 36 diabetic patients. Subjects were classified into two groups by serum AGEs level (Low AGEs group: < 0.85 ng/mL serum AGEs; High AGEs group: > 0.85 ng/ mL serum AGEs). Body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Blood and urinary parameters were measured using commercial kits. Results: No significant differences were observed in the general characteristics and body composition between the two groups. Serum HO-1 concentration was significantly higher in the High AGEs group than in the Low AGEs group. After adjustment of age and gender, a correlation was performed to assess the association between serum HO-1 and serum AGEs or urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Our results indicate that serum HO-1 is positively correlated with serum AGEs and urinary 8-OHdG. Conclusion Taken together, our results indicate that in diabetes patients, a high level of HO-1 is associated with a high concentration of AGEs and 8-OHdG, probably reflecting a protective response against oxidative stress.

Breast cancers that present with mucin include mucinous carcinoma and carcinoma with signet ring cell differentiation. The former shows extracellular mucin and the latter shows abundant intracellular mucin. Here, we report a case of breast cancer showing both extracellular mucin and extensive signet ring cell differentiation due to abundant intracellular mucin. Unlike mucinous carcinoma, this case had the features of high-grade nuclear pleomorphism, high mitotic index, estrogen receptor negativity, progesterone receptor negativity, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positivity, and ductal type with positivity for E-cadherin. In a case with signet ring cell differentiation, differential diagnosis with metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach and colon is essential. In this case, the presence of accompanied ductal carcinoma in situ component and mammaglobin and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 positivity were findings that suggested the breast as the origin.