OBJECTIVE: This study investigated changes of Biochemical Markers of Bone turnover in Pre-, Peri-and Postmenopausal Women METHOD: The levels of Urinary deoxypyridinoline(Dpd), serum total alkaline phosphatase(TALP), osteocalcin(OC), serum calcium(Ca++) and phosphorus(P) were determined. Bone mineral density(BMD) were also measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) RESULTS: There were negative correlation between Biochemical markers of bone turnover and BMD, Biochemical markers of bone turnover in osteoporosis group were significantly higher than normal groups. Biochemical marker of bone turnover except serum calcium increased after menopause and remains elevated in late postmenopausal and elderly women. An increased bone turnover rate to sustained serum calcium in constant level is related to a high rate of bone loss in postmenopausal women and to a decreased bone mass in elderly women. CONCLUSION: Bone turnover increased not only at the time of menopause but also in the elderly women. This subsequent abnormalities of bone resorption and formation in the elderly women suggest their potential role in osteoporosis.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Aged ; Biomarkers* ; Bone Resorption ; Calcium ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; Osteoporosis

A 4-year-old boy have had widespread, multiple, dark brownish, verrucous ]papular plaques on the neck, left chest, right side of abdomen, back and penile skin since birth. Clinical features and light and electron microscopic findings were consistent with ichthyosis hystrix. The patient was successfully treated with systemic administration of etretinate and vitamin E.
Abdomen ; Acitretin* ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Etretinate* ; Humans ; Ichthyosis* ; Male ; Neck ; Parturition ; Porcupines* ; Skin ; Thorax ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

Bowen's disease is an intraepidermal squarnous cell carcinoma referred to also as squamous cell carcimona in situ. Approximately two-thirds of Bowen's disease consist of solitary lesion while remaining show multiple lesions, We experienced a 68-year old male patient who had multiple erythematous pathes and plaques covered with scales and grayish crusts developing on the trunk and both lower extremities. At first, clinically we suspected psoriasis, seborrheic keratosis, eczema and mycosis fungoides, and finally histopathologic features revealed Bowen's disease showing transformation to invasive squamous cell carcinorna.
Aged ; Bowen's Disease ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Eczema ; Humans ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Mycosis Fungoides ; Psoriasis ; Weights and Measures

Calcific myonecrosis is a rare late post-traumatic condition in which an entire single muscle is replaced by a fusiform mass with central liquefaction and peripheral calcification. The compartmental syndrome is suggested to be the underlying cause. We report a case of 70 year-old man whose right tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus muscle were replaced by calcific myonecrosis and treated with en-bloc resection & tendon reconstruction.
Tendons

Although the operation for the ventral lesion of craniovrtebral junction and atlantoaxial area is considered difficult to perform, the transoral approach made it safer and easier. The authors report 10 cases(9 patients) treated by the transoral approach for the lesion of craniovertebral junction over the past 13 years at the Ajou University Hospital and the Presbyterian Medical Center. Of these 10 cases, there were 4 odontoid type II fractures, 1 atlantoaxial dislocation, 1 os odontoideum, 1 chordoma at lower clival area, 1 rheumatoid arthritis, 1 epidural abscess and 1 wound revision due to slippage of grafted bone after clivoaxial fusion. The surgical methods included 4 cases of anterior decompression and clivoaxial fusion, 2 cases of anterior decompression and C1-2 interarticular joint fusion, 1 case of anterior decompression and clivoaxial fusion followed by posterior fusion, and 3 cases of anterior decompression and posterior fusion. In nonreducible atlantoaxial dislocation or ventral cord compression le sion, if the clivoaxial angle was less than 120 degree, the transoral approach was selected. The appropriate surgical approach must be selected according to the degree of compression of the neural tissue involving the craniovertebral junction and atlantoaxial dislocation.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Chordoma ; Decompression ; Dislocations* ; Epidural Abscess ; Joints ; Protestantism ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries

The investigation of systolic time intervals and hemodynamics was performed in 42 patients with liver cirrhosis by noninvascive methods. The patients were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of anemia and/or ascites: i.e. group I; cirrhosis without anemia and ascites, group II; cirrhosis with ascites only, group III; cirrhosis with anemia only, and group IV; cirrhosis with ascites and anemia. In the resting state of the patients, the systolic time intervals and hemodynamic data were measured by the high speed simultaneous recordings of electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, carotid and femoral arterial pulse tracings, and compared with those obtained from 155 normal adult subjects. 1. The pulse were increased considerably in group IV, and diastolic blood pressure was elevated in group II with significance. 2. The stroke volume and cardiac output were increased significantly in group III. 3. The peripheral resistance was reduced particularly in group III, and the volume elasticit coefficient was decreased in group IV. 4. The QS1 interval was prolonged significantly in group II and IV, but QS1 interval corrected by multiple regression equation proposed by our laboratory (illustrated in the text) did not show significant difference compared with that of normal subjects. 5. The left ventricular ejection time(LVET) and total electromechanical systole(QS 2) appeared to be shortened in group II and IV, but the corrected LVET and QS 2 were not different significantly from those of the normal subjects
Adult ; Anemia ; Ascites ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Electrocardiography ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Stroke Volume ; Systole ; Vascular Resistance

The investigation of systolic time intervals and hemodynamics was performed in 42 patients with liver cirrhosis by noninvascive methods. The patients were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of anemia and/or ascites: i.e. group I; cirrhosis without anemia and ascites, group II; cirrhosis with ascites only, group III; cirrhosis with anemia only, and group IV; cirrhosis with ascites and anemia. In the resting state of the patients, the systolic time intervals and hemodynamic data were measured by the high speed simultaneous recordings of electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, carotid and femoral arterial pulse tracings, and compared with those obtained from 155 normal adult subjects. 1. The pulse were increased considerably in group IV, and diastolic blood pressure was elevated in group II with significance. 2. The stroke volume and cardiac output were increased significantly in group III. 3. The peripheral resistance was reduced particularly in group III, and the volume elasticit coefficient was decreased in group IV. 4. The QS1 interval was prolonged significantly in group II and IV, but QS1 interval corrected by multiple regression equation proposed by our laboratory (illustrated in the text) did not show significant difference compared with that of normal subjects. 5. The left ventricular ejection time(LVET) and total electromechanical systole(QS 2) appeared to be shortened in group II and IV, but the corrected LVET and QS 2 were not different significantly from those of the normal subjects
Adult ; Anemia ; Ascites ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Electrocardiography ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Stroke Volume ; Systole ; Vascular Resistance

We studied the usefulness of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as well as prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) as marker of prostatic cancer in twelve cases of advanced prostatic cancer including 4 or stage C and 8 of stage D, 50 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 50 cases of nonprostatic diseases as normal control. The positive rates of PSA were 100% for prostatic cancer, 20% for BPH and O% for nonprostatic diseases, and those of PAP were 75% for prostate cancer, 8% for BPH and 2% for nonprostatic diseases. These results indicated hat PSA is more sensitive than PAP but less specific than PAP in diagnosis of prostatic cancer. Serum PSP level was correlated with the weight of prostate in BPH patients. Serum PSA level determined during the follow-up after endocrine therapy for prostatic cancer reflected the clinical course of the patients. Because of its relatively low specificity, PSA alone may not be useful for early diagnosis of prostatic cancer. If in combination with other diagnostic modalities, it may be useful in early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of prostatic cancer within restricted limits.
Acid Phosphatase ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Clinical and experimental studies have suggested that brain death may cause hemodynamic, electrocardiographic, functional or histopathologic changes of the heart. METHODS: Brain death was induced by increasing intracranial pressure(ICP) abruptly by intermittent bolus injection of saline(model ) or gradually by continuous infusion of saline(model ) to the epidural catheter in 5 mongrel dogs, respectively. Hemodynamic and biochemical changes during the process of brain death and histopathologic changes of the myocardium were analyzed and compared in two brain death models, and the association of apoptosis was also evaluated. RESULTS: 1) Two predominant subsets of acute contraction band lesion were produced in both brain death models : paradiscal and holocystic contraction band lesions. Both contraction band lesions were more prevalent in brain death model . 2) The frequency of both contraction band lesions was lowest in the epicardial layer and highest in the endocardial layer in both models, but no correlation was observed between the degree of contraction band lesions and ICP, LV maximum +dp/dt or catecholamine levels. There was no statistical difference between any of the LV circumferential blocks and either type of contraction band lesion, and transaxial distribution was not also different in both models. 3) There was no remarkable histopathologic changes in the analysis of major epicardial coronary arteries. Apoptotic cells were suggested in the scattered myocytes in the light microscopy and apoptosis was detected by in situ nick end labeling method. Electron microscopy revealed a condensation of nuclear chromatin and convolution of nuclear membrane in those myocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial changes due to brain were observed frequently, and few apoptotic cells were found in the brain death heart. Studies on the treatment strategy to minimize damages of myocardial structure and function caused by brain death should be followed in the near future.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain Death* ; Brain* ; Catheters ; Chromatin ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs ; Electrocardiography ; Heart ; Hemodynamics ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Muscle Cells ; Myocardium* ; Nuclear Envelope

BACKGROUND: The cardiac electrophysiological characteristics differ significantly among mammalian species or among various disease processes. However, difficulties in the procedures for harvesting and isolating tissue have precluded studies using human cardiac specimens. METHODS: The outward K+ -currents were recorded in human atrial myocytes isolated from patients undergoing open heart surgery. The electrophysiological characteristics of the voltage-dependent outward currents were investigated using a whole-cell patchclamp technique. RESULTS: Using depolarizing step pulses, the transient outward currents were activated within 10 msec, which slowly inactivated thereafter. After inactivation, the sustained components of the outward currents remained for up to 5.0 seconds of depolarizing step pulses. While the inactivating component was almost completely inactivated at potentials >+30 mV, the non-inactivating component showed only 10-15% inactivation. The non-inactivating component was highly sensitive to 4-AP and was inhibited by >80% at a concentration of 0.2 mM, while the inactivating component was inhibited by only 25%. The delayed rectifier potassium currents were not recorded. The ratios of the amplitudes of the inactivating and non-inactivating components varied. CONCLUSION: Two components of the voltage dependent outward K+ currents in human cardiac tissue were identified, which could be separated according to their kinetic and pharmacologic properties.
Atrial Appendage ; Humans* ; Muscle Cells* ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium ; Potassium Channels ; Thoracic Surgery