No abstract available.
Korea*

PURPOSE: Prader-Willi Syndrome(PWS) is caused by absence of paternal contributions of the chromosome region 15q11-q13. To detact this region, high resolutional cytogenetic analysis, FISH with probe at PWS critical region or microsatellite polymorphism can be used. The gene for the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N(SNRPN) is not expressed in patients with PWS. We conducted molecular analysis with RT-PCR with SNRPN primers to find out more useful diagnostic tool in PWS. METHODS: Four patients with obesity and other characteristics of PWS were studied. The exprssion of SNRPN and control gene were studed by RT-PCR from peripheral lymphocytes. RESULTS :The SNRPN expression in reverse transcribed RNA from blood were easily detected in normal control but not in patients with suspected Parder-Willi Syndrome. CONCLUSION: We conclude that SNRPN expression study is a useful diagnostic method for detection of Prader-Willi Syndrome.
Cytogenetic Analysis ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Obesity ; Pathology, Molecular* ; Prader-Willi Syndrome* ; Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear ; RNA ; snRNP Core Proteins*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In order to determine the relationship between the HBV precore mutant and the severity of liver disease in Korea, we performed liver biopsies in patients with HBV related chronic liver disease and compared the types of mutations and histologic findings in the same liver tissue simultaneously. METHODS: HBV DNA in liver tissues was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The precore mutants were detected by PCR-SSCP(single strand conformation polymorphism), cloning the amplified PCR products and direct sequencing for them. RESULTS: 1. HBV DNA was detected in liver tissues of 28 cases among 30 patients with PCR. And with SSCP, the most cases were mixed type infections. 2. The HBV precore mutants were found in 12 cases among the total number of 28 cases(42.9%) and all mutations were G to A change at nucleotide 1896, creating a stop codon at codon 28. However, 10 cases among 12 mutants were associated with simultaneous another mutation at different positions or regions;9 cases at core gene region, 2 cases at nucleotide 1856(C to T change at codon 15), one case at core promoter, and one case with double mutations at nucleotide 1837 and 1846 respectively. Also, all HBV precore mutants were combined with wild type HBV sequence. 3. The relationship between HBV precore mutants and HBeAg status revealed that 4 cases from 13 HBeAg positive(30.8%) and 8 from 15 HBeAg negative or Anti-Hbe positive(53.3 %) were mutants. 4. In analysis of the types of mutants and histopathological findings of liver diseases, 6 among 15 chronic active hepatitis(40.0%), all 3 cases with hepatocellular carcinoma(100,0 %), 2 among 4 asymptomatic carriers with minimal histopathologic changes(50.0%) and a case with chronic lobular heaptitis(100.0%) showed precore region mutation. CONCLUSION: The patterns of HBV precore mutants in Korea could be summarized as followings. Firstly, most of the mutations are composed of G to A change at nucleotide 1896. Secondly, the most of the mutants at nuclmtide 1896 have been associated with simultaneous mutations at core promoter, core gene, and rarely at other positions, and manifested usua'ly mixed type viremic conditions. Thirdly, although precore mutation could be occurred in asymptomatic carrier, this type of mutation might be closely related with chronic or severe liver disease. However, it needs further investigations hereafter.
Biopsy ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Codon ; Codon, Terminator ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship of unbalanced diet habits and eating behaviors between school age children and their mothers. METHODS: From the Wonju area of Gangwon-do, 232 children and their mothers were recruited for this study. General characteristics, degree of unbalanced diet, eating behaviors, factors associated with food preferences, food preferences, and food intake frequencies were obtained through a questionnaire. RESULTS: The degree of unbalanced diet habits were significantly correlated between school age children and their mothers. Children's eating behaviors were also highly affected by their mother's eating behaviors. Especially, the frequency of eating breakfast showed a significant correlation between children and mothers. Among the factors associated with food preferences, family eating habits, appetite, and emotions showed significant associations between girls and mothers. As for food preferences, preference for meat in children was not significantly associated with that in their mothers, whereas preference for perilla oil and butter was significantly associated with preference in their mothers. The relationship of food preferences between children and mothers differed according to the sex of the children. Further, the intake frequencies for most foods were highly correlated between children and mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the unbalanced diet habits and eating behaviors of mothers can affect those in their children. Moreover, the correlations of food preferences between children and their mothers were different depending on the sex of the children. Our data suggest that educating mothers about their diet and eating behaviors could improve the eating practices of their children.
Appetite ; Breakfast ; Butter ; Child* ; Diet* ; Eating ; Feeding Behavior* ; Female ; Food Habits ; Food Preferences ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Meat ; Mothers* ; Perilla ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Growth hormone(GH) receptors have been detected in Sertoli cells and clinical observations suggested the involvement of GH action(either indirectly via IGF-I or directly) on testicular function. This study is aimed at assessing the effect of GH on cell death during Sertoli cell culture. METHODS: Sertoli cells(TM4, mouse, male, ATCC, USA) were cultured by using DMEM(Dulbecco' Modified Eagle' Medium, Biowhitteker, USA) and Fetal Bovine Serum(10%, GIBCO BRL, USA) with or without human recombinant growth hormone(Eutropin, LGCI, Korea) of different concentrations(10, 50, 100, 500 microgram/mL of media), in 34degress C, 5% CO2 incubator. After cultivation during 5 days, Sertoli cells were examined under light microscope(x400). RESULTS: Number of survival Sertoli cell was remarkably increased in the GH treated(50 microgram/mL in media) group(62.6+/-12.4) compare to control(22.4+/-4.8)(P<0.05). Degree of survival Sertoli cell was increased proportionaly until 50 microgram/mL in concentration of GH in media, but decreased in higher than it. CONCLUSION: GH has the protective effect on death of Sertoli cell and it depends on GH concentration.
Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Death ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Incubators ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Male ; Mice ; Sertoli Cells

No abstract available.

The development of carcinoma in a subcutaneous dermoid cyst is a rare event. We report a 54-year-old Korean woman in whom excised subcutaneous dermoid cyst showed squamous cell carcinoma in the cyst wall.
Female ; Humans ; Cysts

Background: This study was aimed to compare the analgesic effect and side effects of morphine- bupivacaine mixture with those of fentanyl-bupivacaine mixture after Cesarean section. Methods: Eighty patients who were taken continuous epidural catheterization after Cesarean section were divided into two groups. In group 1 (N=40) the mixture of 1% lidocaine 10 ml and morphine 1mg was firstly injected via epidural catheter, and then two day infusor (Baxter(R)) which contained the mixture of 0.15% bupivacaine 100 ml and morphine 6mg was connected to epidural catheter. In group 2 (N=40) the mixture of 1% lidocaine 10 ml and fentanyl 100 mcg was firstly injected via epidural catheter, and then two day infusor (Baxter(R)) which contained the mixture of 0.15% bupivacaine 100 ml and fentanyl 850 mcg was connected to epidural catheter. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were checked preoperatively, and at post-injection 10, 20, 30 and 60 minutes. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was checked at postoperative 1/2, 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. The side effects of epidural analgesia were evaluated. Results: In group 2 MAP was significantly decreased at post-injection 20 minute. VAS was significantly increased at post-injection 1/2 and 1 hour in group 1. The most frequent side effect was pruritus in both groups. Conclusions: The first bolus injection of the mixture of 1% lidocaine 10 ml and fentanyl 100 mcg has more rapid analgegic effect than the mixture of 1% lidocaine 10 ml and morphine 2 mg, but because of shorter duration of action of fentanyl it seems to be better to increase the dosage of fentanyl or replace fentanyl by morphine for more effective epidural analgesia after Cesarean section.
Analgesia, Epidural ; Arterial Pressure ; Bupivacaine ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Infusion Pumps ; Lidocaine ; Morphine ; Pregnancy ; Pruritus

No abstract available.
Salivary Glands*

BACKGROUND: It has been known that arteries of hypertensive animals and patients are generally thicker and more rigid than those of normal subjects, resulting from the morphological changes induced by an increased stress on the vessel wall. Factors proposed to be responsible for these changes are smooth muscle hypertrophy, increased amount of collagen, hyperplasia of smooth muscle cell and changes in cross-linkages of the fibrous proteins. The present study was conducted to define whether enalapril, a converting enzyme inhibitor of angiotensin II generation from angiotensin I, can restore the structural alterations of aortic media in spontaneously hypertensive rat(SHR). METHODS: For this purpose, SHR were treated for 22 weeks with 2mg/kg/day enalapril and morphologic changes were compared between enalapril-treated SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. RESULTS: The increased thickness of the aortic media in SHR was reduced and intervening elastic laminae were narrowed by enalapril treatment. Subcellular analysis of cytoplasmic composition and nucleus in the aorta of hypertensive rats revealed some modification with enalapril. Some irregularly arranged collagen fibrils in aortic media of SHR were regularly distributed and the periodic bands of the fibrils which were the fragmented were clearly apparent by enalapril treatmed SHR group. CONCLUSIONS: From the above experimental results, it is concluded that subcellular changes of smooth muscle cells and collage fibrils of aortic media in SHR could be repaired by long-term treatment with enalapril.
Angiotensin I ; Angiotensin II ; Animals ; Aorta ; Arteries ; Collagen ; Cytoplasm ; Enalapril* ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Hypertrophy ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Scleroproteins