No abstract available.
Occupational Diseases*

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The success of implants depends on intimate and direct contact of implant material on bone tissue and on functional relationship with soft tissue contact. Creation and maintenance of osseointegration depend on the understanding of the tissue's healing, repairing, and remodeling capacity and these capacities rely on cellular behavior. Altering the surface properties can modify cellular responses such as cell adhesion, cell motility, bone deposition. Therefore, various implant surface treatment methods are being developed for the improved bone cell responses. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the responses of osteoblast-like cells to surface- modified titanium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experiment was composed of four groups. Group 1 represented the electropolished surface. Group 2 surfaces were machined surface. Group 3 and Group 4 were anodized surfaces. Group 3 had low roughness and Group 4 had high roughness. Physicochemical properties and microstructures of the d iscs were examined and the responses of osteoblast-like cells to the discs were investigated. The microtopography was observed by SEM. The roughness was measured by three-dimension roughness measuring system. The microstructure was analyzed by XRD, AES. To evaluate cell responses to modified titanium surfaces, osteoblasts isolated from calvaria of neonatal rat were cultured. Cell count, morphology, total protein measurement and alkaline phosphatase activities of the cultures were examined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results were as follows 1. The four groups showed specific microtopography respectively. Anodized group showed grain structure with micropores. 2. Surface roughness values were, from the lowest to the highest, electropolished group, machined group, low roughness anodized group, and high roughness anodized group. 3. Highly roughened anodized group was found to have increased surface oxide thickness and surface crystallinity. 4. The morphology of cells, flattened or spherical, were different from ach other. In the electropolished group and machined group, the cells were almost flattened. In two anodized groups, some cells were spherical and other cells were flattened. And the 14 day culture cells of all of the groups were nearly flattened due to confluency. 5. The number of attached cells was highest in low roughness anodized group. And the machined group had significantly lower cell count than any other groups(P<.05). 6. Total protein contents showed no difference among groups. 7. The level of alkaline phosphatase activities was higher in the anodized groups than electropolished and machined groups(P<.05).
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Bone and Bones ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Count ; Cell Movement ; Edible Grain ; Crystallins ; Osseointegration ; Osteoblasts ; Rats ; Skull ; Surface Properties ; Titanium*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical significance of the screening mammography in the detection of the breast diseases, especially breast carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 1,800 cases of mammography retrospectively. The mammography was done as a part of routine check in Health Counselling Center, Korea University Medical Center, during 9 months from November 1993 to July 1994. The age range was from 23 years to 76 years, mean 49.8 years, and the largest age group was 6th decade(31.4%). According to the mammographic findings, we divided the subjects into three groups; normal group, abnormal group in need of follow up study, abnormal group requiring biopsy. RESULT: On mammography, the normal group consisted of 1,534 cases(85%), and the abnormal group consisted of 266 cases(15%). The abnormal findings were benign-looking calcification(n=140), fibroadeno ma (n=29), fibrocystic changes (n=27), cyst(n=23), malignant lesion(n=15), lipoma(n=7), and others. In four of 15 cases, which were suspected to be malignant on mammograms, breast carcinoma was confirmed pathologically. In four cases of breast carcinoma, one was under 40 and the other 3 were over 50 years of age. All of the breast cancers were under 3cm in size, and the mammographic findings of breast cancer included spiculated margin(n=3), parenchymal disortion(n=3), malignant calcification(n=2) and enlarged axillary node (n=l). CONCLUSION: Screening mammogram is helpful for early detection of non-palpable breast cancer, especially for women over 50 years of age.
Academic Medical Centers ; Biopsy ; Breast Diseases* ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Mammography* ; Mass Screening* ; Retrospective Studies

Rett syndrome is progressive neurodegenerative disorder in female patients, characterized by autistic behavior, mental retardation, loss of purposeful hand skills, stereotypic hand movement, breathing dysfunction, severely impaired language, ataxia, and seizure. The diagnosis of Rett syndrome is based on its characteristic clinical manifestation and course. The electroencephalographic (EEG) findings of Rett syndrome are nonspecific, but a progressive deterioration in the EEG, characterized by a slowing of background activity and spike sharp wave discharges, may be observed. We experienced one case of Rett syndrome in a 5 year old girl having mental retardation, loss of purposeful hand skills, stereotypic hand movements (clapping, washing, hand-to-mouth), breathing dysfunction (hyperventilation/apnea). Her EEG findings on Video-EEG monitoring are excessive slowing waves during awake state and frequent spike discharges from left or centrotemporal area during sleeping. We report a case of Rett syndrome with brief review of related literatures.
Ataxia ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Respiration ; Rett Syndrome* ; Seizures

PURPOSE: To evaluate the validity and usefulness of the waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR) in screening for metabolic syndrome in Korean adolescents aged 17~19 years. METHODS: Data (body mass index, waist circumference, and height) and blood samples were obtained from adolescents in A University Hospital in 2011. This study included 554 adolescents (176 boys and 378 girls) aged 17~19 years. Dependent variables were systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBS), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C). Using the Pearson's correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis, we measured the WHtR against Body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: An assessment was carried out of the ability of the 2 indexes to 1) account for the variability in each metabolic risk factor and 2) correctly identify adolescents with metabolic risk factors. The results revealed that the predictive abilities of the waist-to-height ratio index were better values. The waist-to-height ratio showed superior values in predicting concentrations of DBP, FBS, TC, TG and LDL-C. However, BMI showed better values in identifying adolescents with high systolic blood pressure and HDL-C. 3) Normal weight adolescents (BMI: 5th< or =BMI<85th percentiles) were divided by WHtR (obesity cutoff value: > or =0.51 in male, > or =0.49 in female). WHtR was better than the BMI index for signaling metabolic risk in the normal-weight adolescents. CONCLUSION: The WHtR is a better predictor for finding metabolic risk factors in adolescents aged 17~19 years with normal BMI. The WHtR is proposed as an alternative, convenient measure of screening metabolic syndrome for adolescents aged 17~19 years independent of age and sex.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Fasting ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Risk Factors ; Waist Circumference

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were to examine the participation rate in food assistance programs and explore the factors that contribute to such participation among the Korean elderly population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study sample comprised 3,932 respondents aged 65 years or older who were selected from a secondary data set, the fourth Korean Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS). The factors, related to participation in programs were examined based on the predisposing, enabling and need factors of the help-seeking behavior model. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to select the best contributors among the factors related to program participation. RESULTS: The predisposing rate in food assistance programs was 8.5% (7.1% for men and 10.4% for women). When all variables were included in the model, living without spouse, no formal education, low income, having social security benefits and food insecurity in elderly men, and age, low income, having social security benefits and feeling poor in elderly women were significantly related to a higher tendency to program participation. CONCLUSIONS: The predisposing and need factors, such as living without spouse, low education level, food insecurity and feeling poor were important for program participation, as well as enabling factors, such as household income and social security benefits. A comprehensive approach considering these factors to identify the target population for food assistance programs is needed to increase the effectiveness and target population penetration of these programs.
Aged* ; Causality ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dataset ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Food Assistance* ; Food Supply ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Social Security ; Spouses

Patients with atypical or incomplete Kawasaki disease are at same risk for development of coronary artery complications as typical Kawasaki disease. In this communication we report six patients with unusual presentation of Kawasaki disease complicated by coronary artery aneurysms, in whom correct diagnosis were not made in time for proper treatment. One of these patients died from massive myocardial ischemia due to giant aneurysms along the entire coronary artery system. These patients had either less than enough number of diagnostic criteria at initial presentation or diagnostic signs which occurred over an extended period of time, resulting in difficulty in diagnosis during the acute phase. As a result, none of these patients received intravenous gamma globulin treatment. Thus strict adherence to currently accepted criteria for diagnosis of Kawasaki disease may lead to failure to recognize atypical form of this illness with potential sequelae of myocardial ischemia or sudden death. We would like to emphasize from this experience that clinicians must be aware of the wide variations in clinical presentation of Kawasaki disease and take an aggressive approach in making correct diagnosis by obtaining early cardiac evaluation in order to initiate prompt treatment with intravenous gamma globulin.
Aneurysm ; Coronary Aneurysm* ; Coronary Vessels ; Death, Sudden ; Diagnosis ; gamma-Globulins ; Humans ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Myocardial Ischemia

The syndrome of ectopic production of ACTH by non-pituitary neoplasm occur with various types of tu#rnors. Pheochromocytoma is a rare, but one of the important causes of this syndrome. Recently we experienced a 36-year-old male patient with ACTH-producing pheochromocytoma. After left adrenalectomy, serum ACTH level retumed to the normal range. The patient became normotensive without antihypertensive agents and hyperglycemia resolved and insulin therapy was discontinued. Secretion of ACTH was confirmed by immunohistochemical stain.
ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic* ; Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Adult ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Insulin ; Male ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Reference Values

We performed clinical and virological studies on 79 children with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) who had been admitted or visited to the department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center from February to August, 1990. The results were as follows; 1) There were total of 79 cases with hand, foot and mouth disease during this period. The aseptic meningitis was combined in 18 cases (22.8%). 2) The male-to-female ratio of HFMD was 2.03 to 1, but that of aseptic meningitis was 8 to 1. 3) Hand, foot and mouth disease occurred more frequently in under the age of 5 years, and the aseptic meningitis in under the age of 1 year. 4) Hand, foot and mouth disease and the aseptic meningitis occurred mostly in May and June. 5) In addition to the skin manifestations characteristic in hand, foot and mouth disease, some of the patients with aseptic meningitis had the following symptoms: change of consiousness, seizure, monoparesis in the upper extremity, paraparesis in the lower extremity. 6) The causative agent of hand, foot and mouth disease associated with the aseptic meningitis in Seoul in 1990 seemed to be enterovirus 71 according to the serologic study.
Animals ; Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Enterovirus ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease ; Hand* ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease* ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Paraparesis ; Paresis ; Pediatrics ; Seizures ; Seoul* ; Skin Manifestations ; Upper Extremity