No abstract available.
Humans ; T-Lymphocytes*

BACKGROUND: Many studies reported that endothelium-dependent vasodilator response is impaired in patients with congestive heart failure. But the opposite results also were reported. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of endothelial dysfunction and its characteristics. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Forearm blood flow was measured in 12 patients with congestvie heart failure (7 males and 5 females, mean age 53+/-11 years old) and 10 normal control subjects (5 males and 5 females, mean age 41+/-10 years old) using strain-gauge plethysmography. The endothelium-dependent vasodilators were acetylcholine (7.5, 15, and 30 microgram/min), which uses a pertussis toxin-sensitive signal transduction pathway, and bradykinin (100, 200, and 400 ng/min), which uses a pertussis toxin-insensitive signal transduction pathway to activate nitric oxide production. Sodium nitroprusside (0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 microgram/min) was used as an endothelium-independent vasodilator. All drugs were infused into the brachial artery with random order. RESULTS: The basal forearm blood flow was similar between both groups. The maximum flow in response to acetylcholine, bradykinin, and sodium nitroprusside was also similar in two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with congestive heart failure showed normal endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses to both acetylcholine and to bradykinin. This finding indicates that the endothelial vasodilator function is normal in the patients with heart failure.
Acetylcholine ; Brachial Artery ; Bradykinin ; Endothelium ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Female ; Forearm ; Heart Failure* ; Humans ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroprusside ; Plethysmography ; Signal Transduction ; Vasodilation* ; Whooping Cough

Authors observed two cases in which the formation of glass-like hyaline membranes in the anterior chamber caused by birth trauma. Case 1 revealed a curtain-like glass membrane in the anterior chamber with a central nubecula corneae of right eye (Fig. 1). Case 2 revealed two paralled glass membranes and its stripes extended across the anterior chamber attached at each extremity to the posterior surface of the cornea (Fig. 2).
Anterior Chamber* ; Cornea ; Extremities ; Glass* ; Hyalin ; Membranes ; Parturition*

No abstract available.
Acantholysis* ; Captopril* ; Penicillamine* ; Rifampin* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans

PURPOSE: Regular cancer screening for workers can help prevent cancer or allow early treatment, and is thus beneficial in improving health, reducing costs, and increasing companies' productivity. However, there has been little research on cancer screening rates of workers and related factors. The purpose of this study was to identify cancer screening rates and relevant factors among manufacturing workers. METHODS: Using a questionnaire, data were collected from 335 workers aged over 40 years recruited from seven manufacturing companies. The collected information included cancer screenings (stomach, colorectal, breast, and cervical), attitude towards cancer screening, and demographic and job characteristics. RESULTS: 72.5% of workers received stomach cancer screening (SCS), and 43% received colorectal cancer screening (CRCS). Among 86 women, 68.6% received breast cancer screening and cervical cancer screening. The attitude towards cancer screening was 29.5+/-3.78. Workers aged over 51, married, and those working in mobile manufacturing were more likely to have undergone SCS. Workers aged over 51, married, those working in mobile manufacturing, those in workplaces with more than 1,001 employees, and those with more positive attitudes toward cancer screening were more likely to have undergone CRCS. Finally, attitude affected cervical cancer screening. CONCLUSION: Workers in small-sized workplaces had lower cancer screening rates. Thus, follow-up research should assess the health environment of workplaces and develop educational programs on cancer screening that reflect attitudes towards screening.
Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Efficiency ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: Chitin and chitosan are nontoxic natural chelators that chelate radiostrontium effectively. The purpose of this study was to compare radiostrontium chelation of chitin and chitosan with that of well known chemical chelators, namely EDTA and DTPA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chelaton rates of chitin, chitosan, EDTA and DTPA were compared using a column chromatography method (Sephadex G-25M, Sweden). Three kinds of chitins and four kinds of chitosans were used. All of them were water soloble. RESULTS: Phosphated chitosan showed the highest chelation yield of more than 97% at pH 7. All of chitins, chitosans, EDTA and DTPA showed chelation yield of more than 90% independent of varing pH level. CONCLUSION: Chitin and chitosan have similar chelation rate as compared with EDTA and DTPA.
Chelating Agents ; Chitin* ; Chitosan* ; Chromatography ; Edetic Acid* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Pentetic Acid*

No abstract available.
Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Mice*

Pupose:Recently childhood obesity is increasing and has been accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM) among children and adolescents. We evaluated insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance(IGT) in 48 obese children and adolescents. METHODS:All subjects underwent a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test(1.75 g of glucose per kg of body weight) and then glucose and insulin levels were measured. Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostatic model assessment, and betacell function was estimated by calculating the ratio between the changes in the insulin level and glucose level during the first 30 minutes after the ingestion of glucose. RESULTS:IGT was detected in 4.2% of the 24 obese children(4-10 years of age) and 20.8% of the 24 obese adolescents(11 to 18 years of age). Type 2 DM was identified in 8.3% in children and 29.2% in adolescent obesity. Insulin levels were markedly elevated after the glucose tolerance test in subjects with IGT but a little decreased in cases with DM. Those changes of insulin levels were not significant statistically. The insulinogenic index was decreased in IGT and DM group of childhood and adolescent obesity compared to normal glucose tolerance(NGT) but it was not significant statistically. Insulin resistance, which was evaluated with fasting insulin, QUICKI and HOMA-IR, was increased in childhood obesity compared with adolescent obesity and the HOMA-IR of adolescent IGT group was significantly higher compared with NGT group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: IGT is highly prevalent among children and adolescents with obesity. IGT was associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, while beta-cell function was still relatively preserved. Overt type 2 diabetes was linked to insulin resistance and to beta cell failure.
Adolescent* ; Child* ; Eating ; Fasting ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Obesity* ; Pediatric Obesity ; Prevalence*