No abstract available.
Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis* ; Trichosporon*

No abstract available.
Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis* ; Trichosporon*

No abstract available.
Cholangitis, Sclerosing*

A most common site for the isthmic spondylolisthesis is at fifth lumbar vertebra(L5) and far less at fourth(L4). The pathogenic lesion in the pars interarticularis is essentially the same in LA and L5 isthmic spondylolisthesis, but the clinical characteristics may differ each other according to their anatomical and biomechanical differences. A retrospective review of 24 patients of LA(study group) and 27 patients of L5(control group) isthmic spondylolisthesis was undertaken for their medical records and radiographs to compare the clinical characteristics in each groups. Included in each groups were all patients who were surgically treated during the same period and followed for more than two years after surgery. In the study group, 18 of 24 patients were females having an average age of 42.5 years(ranging 34-65), while in the control group, 17 of 27 patients were males having an average age of 38,1 years (ranging 13-59). The symptoms were severe leg pain in most of the study group, but in the control group, the leg pain and back pain were equally complained. The degrees of slip were similar in two groups, but a narrowing of dise space at slip segment was more prominent in study group. The lateral radiographs taken in flexion and extension revealed more changes of slip in study group (4.7mm in study group vs 2.8mm in control group in averages), and more angular motion at slip segment in study group unless the dise space is not severely narrowed. A spinal stenosis in CT findings was disclosed in almost all patients of study group and in 18 patients of control group. The sizes of L5 transeverse process were bigger than twice as those of L4 in 17(70.8%) patients including 9(37.5%) sacralizations of L5 in suty group, while in control group they were only 8(29.6%) patients with no sacralization. The heights of intercreastal line revealed no difference in two groups. The surgical procedures in study group were fusion only in two and decompression with fusion in 22(91.7%) patients and those in control group were fusion only in 11 and decompression with fusion in 16(59.3%) paticnts. The satisfactory results of treatment were in 21(87.5%) patients of study group and 25(92.6%) patients of control group without significant difference between two groups. In conclusion, the L4 spondylolytic spondylolisthesis compared to L5 lesion was more unstable and developed spinal stenosis more often. The surgical treatment and decompression procedure were also more needed in L4 lesions particularly in agend women.
Back Pain ; Decompression ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spondylolisthesis

Objectives : A diverse range of adverse effects has been linked to the application of antidepressants for the treatment of depressive disorder. Recently, evidence has been emerging of the adverse metabolic effects of antidepressants. This study investigated the effects of antidepressants on plasma glucose and other factors in the fat and muscle tissue relating to metabolism. METHODS : Long-Evans-Tokushima-Ostuka (LETO) rats were used to evaluate the effects of different antidepressants. Amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and mirtazapine were administered to each of three subgroups for 4 weeks, between 11 and 15 weeks old, while a fourth subgroup was administered no antidepressant during the same period. Changes of weight and daily intake were monitored. Tissues and blood were collected at 15 weeks. RESULTS : The fluoxetine subgroup showed lower weight gain and lower food efficacy ratio than did the other subgroups. Blood glucose and other circulating factors showed no significant differences among groups, except for the leptin levels of the fluoxetine subgroup. However, the amitriptyline and mirtazapine subgroups showed similar patterns in the response of mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gamma cofactor-1 and uncoupling protein-1, 2, 3. CONCLUSION : These results could indicate possible differences in metabolic response based on the kind of antidepressant used.
Amitriptyline ; Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; Blood Glucose ; Depressive Disorder ; Energy Metabolism ; Fluoxetine ; Glucose ; Leptin ; Mianserin ; Muscles ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors ; Plasma ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Malaria*

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between age at menopause and mortality in a population-based sample of women in Kangwha, Korea. METHODS: From the Kangwha Cohort, followed-up from 1985 to 1999, the data of the over 55 year old female group(n=3,596) was used in this study to examine the association between age at menopause and mortality. We calculated the all causes mortality risk ratio and the cancer mortality risk ratio by age at menopause grouping using the Cox Proportional Hazards Model with adjustments for age, BMI, smoking, education, chronic disease, self-rated health status, alcohol consumption and age at first birth. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: Compared to women who had menopause at 45-49 years, the all causes mortality risk ratio was 1.24 for women with menopause at less than 40 years(95% CI=1.01-1.53) and 1.05 for women with menopause at over 50 years(95% CI=0.92-1.20). Also, compared to women who had menopause at 45-49 years, the cancer mortality risk ratio was 1.53 for women with menopause at less than 40 years(95% CI=0.78-2.98) and 1.17 for women with menopause at over 50 years(95% CI=0.77-1.80).
Alcohol Drinking ; Birth Order ; Chronic Disease ; Cohort Studies* ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Menopause* ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Smoke ; Smoking

Intravascular injection of hydrogen peroxide produces oxygen microbubbles suitable for echocardiographic contrast enhancement. To evaluate the effect of a method of myocardial contrast 2-D-echocardiographic delineation of myocardium during acute coronary occlusion, injection of a fresh mixture of 2ml of 0.2% H2O2 and 1ml of heparinized dog blood into aortic root were made in 12 poenchest dogs 10 minutes after occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery distal to the first diagonal branch and left ventricular short axis 2-D echocardiographic images at the midpapillary muscle level were obtained. On injection of H2O2 blood mixture normally perfused myocardium was enhanced in echodensity but the area of malperfusion did not change in echodensity. The borderlines between the area of normal perfusion and malperfusion was well delineated. The malperfused area measured at mid papillary muscle level by planimetry area method was 29.7+/-6.0% and 32.6+/-6.7% by endocardial circumferential length method. There was a linear correlation between planimetric estimate of area of malperfusion by H2O2 contrast echocardiography and visual determination of regional wall motion abnormality by 2-D echocardiography(r=0.93, P<0.001). There was no change in heart rate before, during and after H2O2 injection. Infection of H2O2 blood mixture caused bradycardia(8.3%), second degree A-V block(16.6%) and ventricular fibrillation(8.3%). H2O2 clearance was achieved in 3-10 minutes. These findigs suggest that H2O2 enhanced myocardial contrast ehocargiography using 2ml of 0.2% H2O2 and 1ml of blood muxture is an accurate, reproducible, real-time in vivo method of quantifying the extent of myocardial perfusion defect during acute coronary occlusion in dog.
Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Coronary Occlusion ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs* ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Rate ; Heparin ; Hydrogen Peroxide* ; Hydrogen* ; Microbubbles ; Myocardium ; Oxygen ; Papillary Muscles ; Perfusion*

In cases of L4-5 spinal fusions, L5-S1 segment used to be included in the fusion traditionally for fear of progressive deterioration of the lumbosacral motion segment after fusion above. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the advisability of extension to L5-S1 segment in cases of L4-5 fusion for an isolated pathologic condition in L4-5 sement. A retrospective review of 72 patients with spinal fusion for an isolated pathologic condition in L4-5 segment was undertaken to compare the clinical results and adverse effects in two groups. One group consisted of 39 patients with floating L4-5 fusion(SF), and the other group consisted of 33 patients with L4-S1 fusion(LSF). The age, pathologic condition at L4-5, and the fusion method(lateral fusion) were matched in two groups. The mean follow-up period was 43.6 months(ranging 24-69 months). Comparisons were made for operative problems, post-operative complications, the amount of changes in angular motion at the adjacent segments to fusion at the last follow-up compared to the pre-operative motion, and the clinical results of treatment. The LSF group took 38 more minutes and lost 245 grams of more blood in averages to complete the additional surgical procedures compared with those in SF group. Several considerable post-operative complications were one deep infection in SF group and three metal failures of sacral fixation with subsequent two fusion failures in LSF group which were mostly concerned with the sacral fixations. The changes of angular motion at follow up compared to pre-operative motion in SF group were 1.5° gain in average (ranging 3° loss-6° gain) in L3-4 segment and 0.6° gain in average (ranging 5° loss-5° gain) in the L5-S1 segment. Those in L3-4 segment of LSF were 2.8° gain in average (ranging 2°-loss 9° gain). Therefore the higher stress and subsequent degeneration are more likely expected above the L4-S1 fusion rather than below the L4-5 fusion. The satisfactory clinical results were 89.7% in SF group and 87.9% in LSF group without significant difference between two groups. In conclusion there is no need to include the L5-S1 segment in the L4-5 fusion when the pathology is limited to L4-5 segment.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion

Backgrounds: Thyroid hormones play a fundamental role in the initiation and maintenance of somatic growth in mammalian species, and the insulin-like growth factors(IGFs) occupy a position of central importance in the growth of all tissues. To evaluate the changes in serum insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients, sera was obtained from 19 hyperthyroid patients, 9 hypothyroid patients, and 10 healthy volunteers. Methods: IGF-I concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay, and changes in IGFBPs were assesed by Western Ligand Blotting. To evaluate the binding pattern of IGF-I & IGFBPs, autoradiographs were obtained. Results & Conclusion: IGF-I levels were increased significantly in hyperthyroid patients(mean ±SE, 267.88±9.80 ng/ml, p<0.05) and decreased significantly in hypothyroid patients(154.81±1.43 ng/ml, p<0.01) compaired to healthy control group(209.45±.60 ng/ml). Autoradiograph of serum IGFBPs from patients with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism did not show any change in the intensity of IGFBP-3 bands(40-45 KD) and IGFBP-1 bands, but in hyperthyroid patients, it showed increased intensity of IGFBP-2 band compared to healthy control group and hypothyroid patients.
Equidae ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypothyroidism ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thyroid Hormones