No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Chlamydia trachomatis* ; Chlamydia* ; Female

Behcets disease is a chronic systemic disease of unknown etiology, which is characterized by the recurrent orogenital ulcers, eye involvement and skin manifestations. In addition to the major symptoms, it includes arthritis, vasculitis, neurologic manifestations and gastrointestinal lesions. We report a case of Behcets disease associated with intestinal ulcers. The patient, a 45-year-old female, who had been treated under the diagnosis of Behcets disease for 4 years, presented with swallowing difficulty, vaginal discharge and persistent right lower abdominal pain. Colonoscopic examination showed multiple ulcers on the ileocecal region which is reported as the most common site of gastrointestinal Behcets disease. Gastrointestinal evaluation can be useful in diagnosis of Behcets disease, especially in a patient with gastrointestinal symptoms.
Abdominal Pain ; Arthritis ; Deglutition ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Skin Manifestations ; Ulcer* ; Vaginal Discharge ; Vasculitis

To understand better the complex natural course of HBV infection, the expression patterns of HBcAg and HBsAg in the liver of 51 inactive serum HBsAg carriers (24 CPH and 27 NPD) were studied by immunohistochemical methods. The inactive serum HBsAg carriers were devided into 3 groups by the following expression patterns of serum HBeAg/anti-HBe status and tissue HBcAg and HBsAg. Pattern A (18 cases) : HBeAg+, cHBcAg+ (94.4%), mHBsAg+ (61.1%), pATTERN B (14 cases) : anti-HBe+, nHBcAg+, cHBsAg+, Pattern C (19 cases) : anti-HBe+, HBcAg-, cHBsAg+ (89.5%). There were no significant differences between CPH and NPD, lthough the core free pattern was more common in the latter. The cHBcAg was expressed in 17 of 18 (94.4%) HBeAg seropositive cases but only one of 33 cases with serum anti-HBe, suggesting that the cHBcAg is intimately related to HBeAg. Since the inactive HBsAg carriers also expressed cHBcAg and/or mHBsAg, the necro-inflammatory activity of HBV infected liver is assumed to depend on the host immune response rather than their presence alone

PURPOSE: This study was done to explore the correlation among mobile phone overuse, mental health and school adaptation, and to identify factors related mobile phone overuse. METHODS: A questionnaire was filled out by 943 elementary school students from 3rd to 6th grade in the cities of Busan and Ulsan. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/WIN 12.0 program were used to analyze the collected data. RESULTS: Mobile phone overuse in the elementary school students was positively correlated with mental health, and negatively correlated with school adaptation. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed the factors as school grade, gender, depression, anxiety, learning adaptation, adaptation to friends and adaptation rules significantly accounted for 23% of the variance for mobile phone overuse. The most significant factor influencing overuse of mobile phone was school grade. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that early screening and intervention programs for students with low mental health and low school adjustment would be helpful in preventing future mobile phone overuse.
Anxiety ; Busan ; Cellular Phone* ; Depression ; Friends ; Humans ; Learning ; Mass Screening ; Mental Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Ulsan

No abstract available.
Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the health status and nutritional condition of children living in a low-income community through anthropometric, laboratory evaluation. METHODS: A community-based survey identified children below 15 years living in a low-income community. Their weight, height, visual acuity, hearing level and dental status were measured. Blood sample were obtained on June and July, 2004. Hemoglobin, serum cholesterol, Hepatitis B antigen/antibody, AST and ALT were measured. RESULTS: A total of 285 students(M:F=141:144) aged 6 to 14 years were included in this study. The heights and weights in some grades were smaller than controls. The prevalence of obesity was 10.6 percent in males and 10.7 percent in females. The prevalence of abnormal visual acuity, hearing impairments and dental carries were 20.5 percent, 0.3 percent and 69.4 percent. The prevalence of anemia was 10.1 percent. Serum total cholesterol was over 200 mg/dL in 7 percent. They complained of abdominal pain(22.1 percent) and headache(17.1 percent). Hyperthyroidism, cataract, neurofibromatosis, severe atopic dermatitis, ventricular septal defect, strabismus and inguinal hernia were newly diagnosed. CONCLUSION: Mean heights and weights of children in the low-income community were smaller than controls. The prevalence of abnormal visual acuity, hearing impairment and dental carries were higher than in the 2003 national health survey. Additional research is needed to evaluate the health status of the low-income community.
Anemia ; Cataract ; Child* ; Cholesterol ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Hepatitis B ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Male ; Neurofibromatoses ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Strabismus ; Visual Acuity ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a high fructose and fat diet on bone growth and maturation in growing female rats. METHODS: Three-week-old female SD rats were randomly assigned to four experimental groups; the control group (CON: fed control diet based on AIN-93G, n = 8); the high-fructose diet group (HFrc: fed control diet with 30% fructose, n = 8); the high-fat diet group (Hfat: fed control diet with 45 kcal% fat, n = 8); and the high-fat diet plus high fructose group (HFrc + HFat: fed diets 45 kcal% fat with 30% fructose, n = 8). Each group was assigned their respective diets for the remaining eight weeks. Bone-related parameters (bone mineral density (BMD) and structural parameters, osteocalcin (OC), deoxypyridinoline (DPD)) and morphologic changes of kidney were analyzed at the end of the experiment. RESULTS: Final body weights and weight gain were higher in the HFat and HFrc + HFat groups and showed higher tendency in the HFrc group compared with those of the CON group (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference in caloric intake was observed among the four experimental groups. The serum OC levels of the HFrc and HFrc + HFat groups were lower than those of the CON and HFat groups (p < 0.05). Urinary levels of DPD did not differ among the experimental groups. BV/TV and Tb.N of trabecular bone were higher in the HFrc + HFat group and showed a higher tendency in the HFrc group than those of the CON and HFat groups (p < 0.05). Tb.Pf of trabecular bone were lower in the HFrc + HFat group than those in the CON and HFat groups (p < 0.05). However, no difference in trabecular BMD was observed among the experimental groups. Cortical bone volume was higher in the HFat and HFrc + HFat groups than in the CON and HFrc groups (p < 0.05). No morphology change in kidney was observed among the experimental groups. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that 8 weeks of high-fructose and high fat intake could improve the bone quality (Structural parameters) of trabecular and cortical bone of tibia in growing female rats.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Bone Development ; Diet ; Diet, High-Fat* ; Energy Intake ; Female* ; Fructose* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Osteocalcin ; Rats* ; Tibia ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Thyroid Gland*

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare the ward atmosphere of an open ward and that of a closed ward as perceived by chronic schizophrenic patients, and to and out whether the perceived ward atmosphere is associated with their quality of life, and also to get some practical suggestions for treatment policies of open wards. METHODS: Fifty-two chronic schizophrenic inpatients were selected, 26 of them were in an open ward and the remaining 26 patients were in a closed ward, in Seoul National Mental Hospital. All the patients were asked to answer the whole items of Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) and SCL-90-R. Objective indicators and subjective indicators of their quality of life were scored during a face to face interview using portions of Lehman's Quality of Life Interview. The subjective indicators of quality of life were combined to a single 'global quality-of-life score' and then examined for associations with other variables. All the measures were compared between the two groups. Covariate adjustments were made as needed. RESULTS: The open ward patients reported significantly higher scores on 'support', 'autonomy' and 'practical orientation' subscales among WAS in comparison with closed ward patients. The open ward patients reported higher 'global quality-of-life score' compared with the closed ward patients. These differences were also significant following covariate adjustments for demographic, clinical and objective quality of life variables. Among the WAS subscales 'order and organization'(r=0.49, p <.05) was the highest correlate of 'globol quality-of-life score' in case of open ward patients, and 'support'(r=0.59, p<.01) was the highest correlate in case of closed ward patients. CONCLUSION: The open ward patients reported better satisfaction with life, and their reported satisfaction were associated with their higher ratings on WAS.
Atmosphere* ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Quality of Life* ; Seoul

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, which invades a wide range of hosts including humans. The exact mechanisms involved in its invasion are not fully understood. This study focused on the roles of Ca2+ in host cell invasion and in T. gondii replication. We examined the invasion and replication of T. gondii pretreated with several calcium modulators, the conoid extrusion of tachyzoites. Calmodulin localization in T. gondii were observed using the immunogold method, and Ca2+ levels in tachyzoites by confocal microscopy. In light microscopic observation, tachyzoites co-treated with A23187 and EGTA showed that host cell invasion and intracellular replication were decreased. The invasion of tachyzoites was slightly inhibited by the Ca2+ channel blockers, bepridil and verapamil, and by the calmodulin antagonist, calmidazolium. We observed that calcium saline containing A23187 induced the extrusion of tachyzoite conoid. By immunoelectron microscopy, gold particles bound to anti-calmodulin or anti-actin mAb, were found to be localized on the anterior portion of tachyzoites. Remarkably reduced intracellular Ca2+ was observed in tachyzoites treated with BAPTA/AM by confocal microscopy. These results suggest that host cell invasion and the intracellular replication of T. gondii tachyzoites are inhibited by the calcium ionophore, A23187, and by the extracellular calcium chelator, EGTA.
Animals ; Calcium/*physiology ; Calcium Channel Blockers/pharmacology ; Calmodulin/antagonists & inhibitors ; Chelating Agents/pharmacology ; Hela Cells ; Host-Parasite Relations ; Humans ; Ionophores/pharmacology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxoplasma/drug effects/pathogenicity/*physiology