6-Phosphogluconolactonase (6PGL) is one of the key enzymes in the ubiquitous pathways of central carbon metabolism, but bacterial 6PGL had been long known as a missing enzyme even after complete bacterial genome sequence information became available. Although recent experimental characterization suggests that there are two types of 6PGLs (DevB and YbhE), their phylogenetic distribution is severely biased. Here we present that proteins in COG group previously described as 3-carboxymuconate cyclase (COG2706) are actually the YbhE-type 6PGLs, which are widely distributed in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. This case exemplifies how erroneous functional description of a member in the reference database commonly used in transitive genome annotation cause systematic problem in the prediction of genes even with universal cellular functions.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Carbon ; Computer Simulation* ; Genome ; Genome, Bacterial* ; Metabolism ; Pentose Phosphate Pathway ; Proteobacteria

No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*

No abstract available.
Sinusitis*

PURPOSE: To see the relationship between the response to chemotherapy and the final outcome of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced hypopharyngeal cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective analysis was done for thirty-two patients with locally advanced hypopharyngeal cancer treated in the Seoul National University Hospital with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy from August 1979 to July 1997. The patients were treated with Co-60 teletherapy unit or 4MV or 6MV photon beam produced by linear accelerator. Daily fractionation was 1.75 to 2 Gy, delivered five times a week. Total dose ranged from 60.8 Gy to 73.8 Gy. Twenty-nine patients received continuous infusion of cisplatin and 5-FU. Other patients were treated with cisplatin combined with bleomycin or vinblastin. Twenty-four (75%) patients received all three prescribed cycles of chemotherapy delivered three weeks apart. Six patients received two cycles, and two patients received only one cycle. RESULTS: The overall 2-year and 5-year survival rates are 65.6% and 43.0%, respectively. 5-year local control rate is 34%. Organ preservation for more than five years is achieved in 12 patients (38%). After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 24 patients achieved more than partial remission (PR); the response rate was 75% (24/32). Five patients had complete remission (CR), 19 patients PR, and 8 patients no response (NR). Among the 19 patients who had PR to chemotherapy, 8 patients achieved CR after radiotherapy. Among the 8 non-responders to chemotherapy, 2 patients achieved CR, and 6 patients achieved PR after radiotherapy. There was no non-responder after radiotherapy. The overall survival rates were 60% for CR to chemotherapy group, 35.1% for PR to chemotherapy group, and 50% for NR to chemotherapy group, respectively ( p=0.93). There were significant difference in five-year overall survival rates between the patients with CR and PR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (73.3% vs. 14.7%, p< 0.01). The prognostic factor affecting overall survival was the response to overall treatment (CR vs. PR, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: In this study, there were only five patients who achieved CR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Therefore the difference of overall survival rates between CR and PR to chemotherapy group was not statistically significant. Only the response to chemo-radiotherapy was the most important prognostic factor. There needs to be more effort to improve CR rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and consideration for future use of concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
Bleomycin ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy* ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms* ; Organ Preservation ; Particle Accelerators ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: The two most commonly used drugs as a stressor during wtress echocardiography are dipyridamole and dobutamine. The purpose of this study was to compare diagnostic accuracies of dipyridamole and dobutamine stress echocardiography for fixed coronary artery disease and evaluate complications related to the two agents in the same patients. METHODS: 30(M : 5=19 : 11, age=56+/-8.8yr) consecutive patients without history of previous myocardial infarction underwent coronary angiography, dipyridamole and dobutamine stress echocardiography in random order. Dipyridamole was infused up to 0.84mg/Kg for 10 minutes during clinical, ECG and echocardiographic montioring. Dobutamine was infused in dose increments from 5 to 40microg/Kg/min under the same condition. Positive criteria for myocardial ischemia by echocardiography was now regional wall mation abnormatity or worsening of regional wall motion after stress. Significant coronary disease was defined as more than 70% stenosis by coronary angiography. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of both stress echocardiography were same, 82% and 92% respectively. In a single vessel disease the sensitivity of dipyridamole echocardiography was 75% and dobutamine echocardiography was 83% without statistical difference. The correlation of ischemic free time during both stress test was 0.375. During dipyridamole infusion no test was prematurely terminated because of side effects, but 3 patients(10%) developed severe hypertension and ventricular arrytricular arrythmia during dobutamine infusion and test was terminated. CONCLUSION: Thus, by this prospective direct comparison of both stress test, dipyridamole and dobutamine stress echocardiography have similar diagnostic accuracies for the detection of coronary artery disease. But during dobutamine infusion, careful monitoring for hemodynamic changes arrythmia is required for possible serious complications.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Disease ; Dipyridamole* ; Dobutamine* ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Stress* ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Authors analysed the clinical characteristics and the surgical results of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in 70 patients(71 eyes) who were operated GNUH from Feb. 1990 to Feb. 1992. The clinical characteristics of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were as follows. The result was myopia(39.4%) as the most common associated ocular finding, one break(57.7%) as the number of break, two quadrants(33.8%) as the extent of retinal detachmenthole(53.5%) as the type of break and superior temporal portion(56.3%) and anterior portion including equator(83.1%) as the location of break. The success rate of first operation was 87.3% and the overall success rate of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment maintained anatomical attachment above 6 months and exeluded 3 cases of refused reoperation was 92.3%. The type of break extent of detachment and duration of detachment were not influenced to surgical success rate statistically(P>0.05). The most common cause of first operative failure was proliferative vitreoretinopathy(57%).
Reoperation ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinaldehyde*

We analyzed 105 cases reports published in the Journal of the Korean Radiological Society between 1975 and 1985. The objectives of this study were to find out(1) whether those case reports were truly original or not as far as domestic pulications were concerned and (2) whether their citations of domestic literatures were correct. In two papers, we found previous reports published already in the domestic journal in spite of the authors' claim as their "first case reports". In 105 cases reports, only 94 references were cited while 151 omitted. It is concluded that a case report must include a statement to authentically clarify whether similar report had been previously published through meticulous review of published literatures. We also recommend to computerize the index domestic literatures.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the important factors affecting survival and pregnancy rate in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. METHODS: we performed reprospective analysis in 738 cycles of frozen-thawed embryo transfers, in relation to the insemination methods, the freezing stage of embryo, patient's age, infertility factors and the origin of injected sperm in ICSI cycles. After conventional IVF or ICSI, the supernumerary PN stage zygotes or multicellular embryos were cryopreserved by slow freezing protocol with 1,2-propandiol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant. RESULTS: The survival rates of thawed embryos were 69.3% (1585/2287) in conventional IVF group and 71.7&% (1645/2295) in ICSI group. After frozen-thawed embryo transfers, 27.0% (92/341) and 32.0% (109/341) of pregnancy rates were achieved in conventional IVF and ICSI group, respectively. There were no significant difference in the survival and pregnancy rates according to the insemination methods, the freezing stage and patient's age. However, the pregnancy rate (36.2%) of male factor infertility (22.9%). In ICSI group, the origin of injected sperm did not affect the outcome of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that acceptable clinical outcomes can be achieved after the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos regardless of the stage of embryos for freezing, the patient's age and the origin of injected sperm.
Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Freezing ; Humans ; Infertility ; Insemination ; Male ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa ; Survival Rate ; Zygote

OBJECTIVES: Recently, recombinant FSH (rFSH) has been manufactured using a Chinese hamster ovary cell line transfected with the gene encoding human FSH. Both rFSH and urinary gonadotropin (uFSH) could be used for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). However, uFSH implies a number of disadvantages, such as batch-to-batch inconsistency, no absolute source control, dependence on large amounts of urine, low specific activity, and low purity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rFSH in human IVF-ET program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 508 infertile women was enrolled in this study. They are classified into rFSH group (n=177) or uFSH group (n=331), and all of them were matched by age and cause of infertility in same period. The Puregon(R) (Organon, Holland) was used as rFSH, and the Metrodin-HP(R) (Serono, Switzeland) and Humegon(R) (Organon, Holland) was used as uFSH. We subdivided the patients into three age groups. The outcomes of IVF-ET program were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). RESULTS: There was no significant differences in the level of estradiol on hCG injection day, the numbers of retrieved oocytes, matured oocytes, fertilized oocytes, transferred embryos, frozen embryos between the two groups. The total dose (IU) of gonadotropin for COH was significantly lower in the rFSH group compared to uFSH group (1339+/-5491.1 vs 2527.8+/-1075.2 IU, p<0.001). Clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer in the rFSH group showed increasing tendency, compared to the uFSH group, but there was no statistical significance (35.2% vs 29.3%). Our results demonstrated that the relative efficiency of rFSH compared with uFSH is higher in older patients. CONCLUSIONS: The ovarian stimulatory effect and clinical outcome of recombinant FSH was similar to that of the urinary gonadotropin. The IVF-ET cycles with significantly lower dose of gonadotropin in rFSH group showed comparable results. Therefore, we suggest that recombinant FSH is more potent and effective than urinary gonadotropin.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures ; Estradiol ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Human* ; Gonadotropins ; Humans* ; Infertility ; Oocytes ; Ovary ; Pregnancy Rate ; Social Sciences

BACKGROUND: Celiprolol is a new generation beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agent with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity characterized by selective blockade of beta1 receptors and partial agonist activity at beta2 receptors. This study was designed to investigate the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of celiprolol in patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: The study subjects consisted of 36 patients(mean age : 55 years, 11 males, 25 females). Celiprolol was administered orally in a aily dose of 200-800mg once or two divided dose for 10 weeks after the admimstration of placebo for 2 weeks. RESULTS: Blood pressure was significantly reduced from 171+/-19/106.8mmHg to 153+/-20/92+/-12mmHg(p<0.01) after 2 week of therapy and this effect was maintained throughout the study periods. The efficacy rates were total 94%(marked improve : 53%, moderate improve : 22%, mild improve : 19%). The cumulative efficacy rate was 72% at 200mg/day, 91% at 400mg/day, and 94% at 800mg/day. Heart rate did not change throughout 10 weeks. There were no significant change in hematologic and blood chemistry variables. During the period of medication, headache developed in 3 cases(8%) and each of dry cough, dyspnea, epigastric pain and diarrhea and facial flushing developed in 1 case(2.8%) but they were tolerable. CONCLUSIONS: This results suggest that celiprolol is effective and safe drug in the treament of patients with essential hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Celiprolol* ; Chemistry ; Cough ; Diarrhea ; Dyspnea ; Flushing ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male