Bone mineral density (BMD) focus one's attention on prevention effects of osteoporosis. This study was conducted to investigate BMD (lumbar spin:L2 - L4, femur neck:FN, femur trochanter:TR, femur ward's triangle:WT, wrist) and look into the factors that affect BMD by menopause in 89 nonsmoking healthy Korean women (40 - 60 yr). Anthropometric index and body composition, nutrient intakes, osteocalcin and total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol and calcium in serum were determined. Body fat mass, diastolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol concentration of postmenopausal women were significantly higher than those of premenopausal women. FN, TR, WT, wrist BMD of postmenopausal women were not different from those of premenopausal women. However L2 - L4 BMD of postmenopausal women was lower than that of premenopausal women. Significant positive correlations were found between L2 - L4, FN, TR, WT and weight (r = 0.44, r = 0.64, r = 0.58, r = 0.57) and significant positive correlations were found between FN, TR, WT and BMI (r = 0.54, r = 0.45, r = 0.54) of premenopausal women. Whereas significant positive correlation was only found between TR BMD and weight, BMI (r = 0.38, r = 0.29) of postmenopausal women. FN BMD and WC (waist circumstance) of premenopausal women were found significant positive correlation (r = 0.35) whereas L2 - L4 BMD and WC of postmenopausal women was found significant negative correlation (r = -0.31). In premenopausal women, differences of bone BMD were not shown by exercise and alcohol drinking, but in postmenopausal women, significant difference of FN BMD was shown by exercise and alcohol drinking. These results suggested that by menopause, effects of weight, BMI, WC, exercise and alcohol drinking on bone BMD were different. Therefore, by menopause, we should consider the different ways to increase the bone BMD according to different factors.
Adipose Tissue ; Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Pressure ; Body Composition ; Bone Density* ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Menopause* ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis ; Triglycerides ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to estimate socioeconomic burden of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) during the reproductive life span using current definitions and prevalence or incidence data. METHODS: Questionnaires were given to 8,588 reproductive women reviewed at Ewha Womans University Mokdong hospital. The PCOS affected approximately 10.4% of reproductive-aged women (11 million women in Korea, prevalence rate according to 1990 National Institutes of Health PCOS diagnosis criteria). We tied general societal cost data for the different health consequences to reproductive-age PCOS costs, using prevalence data. RESULTS: We estimated the mean annual cost of the initial evaluation to be 76 hundred million won, that of hormonally treating menstrual dysfunction, providing infertility care, diagnosis/treatment of endometrial hyperplasia, GDM, type 2 DM, and hypertension to be 280 billion won. The total annual socioeconomic cost of evaluating and providing care to reproductive-aged PCOS women in Korea is 350 billion won. CONCLUSION: Because the cost of the diagnostic evaluation accounted for a relatively minor part of the total socioeconomic costs, more widespread screening for PCOS appears be a cost-effective strategy, leading to earlier diagnosis and intervention and possibly the amelioration and prevention of serious sequelae.
Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Infertility ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; National Institutes of Health (U.S.) ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaire

Cowden's syndrome is a harmatomatous polyposis syndrome with characteristic mucocutaneous lesions and among the spectra of clinical disorders that has been attributed to germline mutations in the PTEN gene. Although Cowden's syndrome has rarely been reported, immunologic studies have revealed that patients with this syndrome have humoral and/or cellular immune abnormalities. We recently identified a 21-year-old woman with Cowden's syndrome who was diagnosed with candida esophagitis without a history of diabetes, carcinoma, or steroid therapy. We report the immunologic status of this patient and the relationship with candida esophagitis on the basis of a literature review.
Candida ; Esophagitis ; Female ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Hamartoma Syndrome, Multiple ; Humans ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of new delivery method of fetal head on the vaginal and perineal laceration at vaginal delivery. METHODS: In this prospective clinical trial of 291 parturients with singleton pregnancy at or more than 37 weeks' gestation, pregnant women were radomely assigned to classical delivery method (control group) or new delivery method (study group) of the fetal head from September 1999 to August 2000 at Chonnam National University Hospital. The frequency and degree of vaginal and perineal lacerations at vaginal delivery were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Perineal lacerations of the 3rd or 4th degree was developed in 20 women (13.8%) among 145 cases of control group and 6 women (4.1%) among 146 cases of study group (P<0.01). Vaginal wall laceration was developed in 55 women (37.9%) of the control group and 37 women (25.3%) of the study group (P<0.01). The incidence of the laceration of perineum and vaginal wall was significantly lower in the study group than that of control group. CONCLUSION: The new delivery method of fetal head was effective for reducing the laceration of perineum and vaginal wall at full-term vaginal delivery.
Female ; Head* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Lacerations* ; Parturition* ; Perineum ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Prospective Studies ; Respiration*

Nerve conduction studies and sural nerve biopsies were performed on 13 patients with alcoholic peripheral neuropathy. Most patients had sensory loss and tingling sensation below knees. Wernicke's encephalopathy and pellagra dermatitis were commonly associated. There was no evidence of demyelinating newcpathy in nerve conductoion studies. Myelinated fiber oounts showed loss of small and largetbers in all patients, retaining a bimodal distribution. Segmental denyelination was not found in all teased fibers. Electron microscopy confirmed axonal degeneration of myelinated andunmyelinated fibers with seconday myelin change.
Alcoholics* ; Axons ; Biopsy ; Dermatitis ; Humans ; Knee ; Microscopy, Electron ; Myelin Sheath ; Neural Conduction ; Pellagra ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Sensation ; Sural Nerve ; Wernicke Encephalopathy

No abstract available.
Adenoids* ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic*

Determination of male and female is important in anthropology, archeology and forensic science. This study was designed to compare genotype sex of improved amelogenin PCR amplication method with morphological sex of ancient human bones. Sixty human skulls which lived from the Bronze Age to twenties centuries and excavated in Uzbekistan were used in this study. Morphological sex was determined by Uzbekistan scientist, and genotype sex was determined by improved amelogenin PCR amplication developed in this study. Among 20 morphological males, 13 samples (65%) were genotypical male. Among 40 morphological females, 20 samples (50%) were genotypical male. In conclusion, morphological method might be inadequate for sex determination of ancient bones. The improved amelogenin PCR method will be useful in sex determination of ancient bones.
Amelogenin* ; Anthropology ; Archaeology ; Female ; Forensic Sciences ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Skull ; Uzbekistan*