BACKGROUND: Bilirubin has been suggested as a antioxidant which protect oxidation of lipids and lipoproteins. Given that oxidized lipids and lipoproteins are known to be atherogenic, low serum concentrations of bilirubin could be associated with the high risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). But few studies have been performed for confirmation of this hypothesis. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between serum concentrations of billrubln and the angiographically documented CAD. METHODS: Eighty five CAD patients and 56 non-CAD patients, classified according to the maximum stenosis of coronary artery at angiography, were enrolled in this study. The degree of the coronary arterial stenosis were subclassified into <10% (non-CAD), 10-49% (mildly stenotic CAD) and > or =50% (severely stenotic CAD). We retro-spectively reviewed serum concentrations of total and direct bilrubin at the time of angiography, compared tine mean concentrations of bilirubin between two groups and evaluated it in relation to the severity of CAD by statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean concentration of total bilrubin was significant1y lower in CAD group 4han non-CAD group (12.8 micromol/L vs. 15.2 micromol/L, p value=0.04) The mean concentration of direct bilirubin was lower in CAD group than non-CAD group but not statistically significant (3.3 micromol/L vs. 4.2 micromol/L, p value=0.07). Although not significant, the concentration of total bilirubin in severely stenotic group (12.8 CAD group 12.8+/-4.3 micromol/L) was lower than mildly stenotic group (13.5+/-3.8 micromol/L) and non CAD group (15.2+/-7.4 micromol/L ) (p=0.07). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that low serum concentrations of total bilirubin were associated with the high risk of CAD and supports the hypothesis that serum bilirubin could act as an antiatherosclerotic factor. Further prospective studies are required to confirm the relationship between bilirubin and CAD and to elucidate the most associated fraction of bilirubin and pathogenic mechanism.
Angiography ; Bilirubin* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Lipoproteins

M llerian anomalies have been infrequently encountered clinical problem for the obstetrician gynecologist, incidence was estimated to occur in 1% to 6% of all women. Recently, the use of vaginal ultrasound, MRI and endoscopic techniques have led to more accurate description and classification of m llerian anomalies. This report of a complete uterine septum with duplication of the cervix and a longitudinal vaginal septum with hemivaginal stricture represents a unique case of septate uterus, which to our knowledge previously has not been reported.
Cervix Uteri* ; Classification ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ultrasonography ; Uterus*

BACKGROUND: The regional fat distribution is known to be related with some cardiovasular risk factors independently to total body fat amount. Regional fat distribution pattern can be assessed by waist to-hip ratio(WHR). WHR distribution patterns depend on age, sex, race and show regional difference. But, our own unique data are inadequate, so we tried to investigate distribution patterns, cut off points and related factors of WHR in middle aged men and women among Korean. METHODS: The study population were middle aged men and women above 40 years old who visited our hospital for routine check up from April to July, 1996. We measured height, weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, hip circumference, fasting blood sugar and total cholesterol in 1,000 persons. We gathered data about diet habits, exercise, smoking and drinking status by standard questionnaire. We analized above data by using SAS for Window 6.10. RESULTS: The study population numbers of men and women were 494 and 499, and average ages of men and women were 49.3 and 50.5 years respectively. For men, the average WHRs as a whole were 0.895, and 0.893, 0.893 and 0.911 in their forties, fifties and above sixties respectively. For women, the average WHRs as a whole were 0.827, and 0.816, 0.837 and 0.850 in their forties, fifties and above sixties respectively. The percentage above WHR 1.0, 0.95, and 0.90 in men were 2.4%, 11.7% and 46% and the percentage above WHR 0.90, 0.85, and 0.80 in women were 8.2%, 32.9% and 68.7%. Adjusting by age, body mass index, WHR was significantly correlated with weight, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure in men only. For men, WHR was associated with alcohol drinking positively and with exercise negatively. For women, WHR was associated with alcohol drinking and smoking status positively. CONCLUSIONS: The WHR had a tendency to increase according to age. The 90th percentile points in men and women were 0.957 and 0.894 respectively. WHR was related with several cardiovascular risk factors and several life styles.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Continental Population Groups ; Drinking ; Fasting ; Female ; Food Habits ; Hip ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Middle Aged* ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Waist Circumference ; Waist-Hip Ratio* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix had shown an increasing tendency, and which is related to the increased use of oral contraceptives or prevalent in human papillomavirus infection. Endocervical glandular dysplasia or adenocarcinoma in situ are occasionally associated with squamous neoplasms of the uterine cervix. This study was aimed to evaluate the histologic features and the incidence of endocervical glandular lesions associated with squamous neoplasms, the presence of human papillomavirus infection-suggesting histologic findings in adjacent squamous neoplasms and the immmunohistochemical findings of endocervical glandular lesions for carcinoembryonic antigen. The materials used were 105 cases of microinvasive and invasive squamous cell carcinoma, and 83 cases of squamous intraepithelial lesions which are consisted of 142 radical or total hystrectomy products and 46 conization or loop excision products. The results are as follows; 1. Among 188 cases, six cases(3.2%) had shown foci of high grade glandular dyaplasia, and 19 cases(10.1%) revealed the areas of low grade glandular dysplasia. There was no adenocarcinoma in situ case. 2. In four of six high grade glandular dysplasia cases, microinvasive or invasive squamous cell carcinomas were associated. In low grade glandular dysplasias, sqaumous intraepithelial lesions were occcupying 68.4%. 3. HPV infection-suggesting histologic findings had accompanied all high grade glandular dysplasia cases and in 17 cases(89.5%) of 19 low grade glandular dysplasias. 4. In 2 of 5 high grade glandular dysplasias and in 1 of 19 low grade glandular dysplasias, the immunohistochemical reaction for carcinoembryonic antigen was similar to that of adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, the clinicopathologic importance of endocervical glandular lesions associated with squamous neoplasms of the uterine cervix should be kept in mind, and further study for the relationship between endocervical glandular lesions and human papillomavirus infection or hormonal influence will be continued.
Humans ; Incidence ; Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: This study researched the relationship between shift work and one of its relevant health problems, functional gastrointestinal disorders. The study targeted nurses working at a university hospital, and compared the differences in gastrointestinal disorders of shift workers and non-shift workers and identified causes that significantly influence these symptoms. METHODS: In August 2013, a self-report survey was conducted on nurses working at a university hospital. Among those sent out, 1,201 responded and 851 were used for the final analysis. RESULTS: It was shown that the frequency of gastrointestinal disorders in shift workers was 1.881 times higher than that of non-shift workers. Factors that influenced gastrointestinal disorders included age, marital status, work duration, type of employment, job satisfaction, and perceived health status. Gastrointestinal disorders were seen more often with older age, being married, longer duration of employment, non-regular worker, low job satisfaction, bad perceived health status, and shift works. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent gastrointestinal disorders in nurses who work shifts, a health checkup system should be in place for clinical nurses who are of older age and have longer employment records. To decrease the causes of gastrointestinal disorders, campaigns suggesting regular diet and quitting alcohol use should be held consistently. Also, a category related to gastrointestinal disorders should be added to the employee health checkup for nurses with long work experience.
Diet ; Employment ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Job Satisfaction ; Marital Status ; Occupational Health

Pulmonary endometriosis is a rare disease which is characterized by hemoptysis during menstruation (catamenial hemoptysis). We report a case of pulmonary endometriosis in a 33-year-old housewife. She has had regular menses with moderate flow and minimal dysmenorrhea. She had undergone curettage in May 1995 for artificial abortion. In July 1995, she experienced the first episode of hemoptysis. A chest CT scan revealed a 2.0 1.0 cm sized ill-defined soft tissue density in the periphery of anterior segment of the left upper lobe with a surrounding irregular ground-glass opacity. A left upper lobectomy was done under the diagnosis of pulmonary endometriosis. Cut section of the resected lung showed a round red-brownish solid lesion, measuring 2.0x1.0cm in cross. Microscopically a focus of the endometrial tissue, which was composed of endometrial glands and stroma, was found in the lung parenchyme and many hemosiderin laden macrophages were seen in the surrounding alveoli. The postoperative course was favorable with no further episodes of hemoptysis.
Adult ; Curettage ; Diagnosis ; Dysmenorrhea ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; Hemosiderin ; Humans ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Menstruation ; Rare Diseases ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A case of multiple myeloma associated with adenocarcinoma of the stomach was review. A 59-year, old Korean man had been abmitted to St. Mary's Hospital in January 1984, with chief complaint of posterior neck pain, and intermittent headache for one year prior to amission. Osteo lytic punched-out lesions were noted on skull and other skeletal x-ray films. Bone marrow aspirates revealed diffuse infiltration of mature and immature plasma cells. Laboratory findings revealed anemia and Bence-Jones proteinuria. Immunoelectrophoresis revealed findings consistent with IgA-lamda type multiple myloma. Alkylating agents and steroids were tried with some clinical improvements. In August 1985, the patient revisited outpatient clinic with chief complaints of epigastric pain and neck mass. Endoscopic biopsy and excision biopsy of the cervical lymph node were performed. By microscopic examination, adenocarcinoma of the stomach and metastasis of multiple myeoma to the supraclavicular lymph nodes were confirmed. Subtotal gastrectomy was performed. By gross and microscopic revealed metastasis to the regional lymph nodes.
Male ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Neoplasm Metastasis

The objective of the present study was to identify the characteristics of phospholipase C (PLC) isozymes purified from bovine brain and to investigate their interrelationship with G protein. The purified PLC isozymes β, γ and δ were obtained and the characteristics of PLC activity on various concentrations of free Ca²⁺ were observed. The activity of PLC was increased with increasing Ca²⁺ concentration and the activity PLC δ was increased higher in the presence of phosphatidyl choline (PC) than in the absence of PC. For vesicle formation as the structure of cell membrane, cholic acid and deoxycholic acid as detergent on phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP₂) substrate containing PC were used, and then the activity of PLC isozymes were increased with increasing concentration of cholate, from 0.2% to 1% and were increased slightly in deoxycholate. In the PIP₂ containing phospholipid and glycolipid as brain extract, the activity of PLC isozymes were checked in 0.2-1% cholic acid. The activities of PLC isozymes were continuously increased up to 1% cholic acid. The quantitation of PLC isozymes from several bovine organs by radioimmunoassay was made. Brain was the most sufficient organ in terms of amount of PLC β and δ. A large amount of PLC δ was existed in adrenal gland. The binding capacity of GTPrS and G protein was observed and other observations of the binding effect of GTPrS-G protein and PLC monoclonal Ab-Protein A from tissue homogenate with PLC were made. From the observation the binding capacity was revealed the range of 0.11-1.49%. The effects of each type of G protein on the percent activity of purified PLC isozymes were observed. From the observation, activities of isozymes were increased in Goa & Gmix, and the activities of PLC β and δ were increased in Gβγ and Gia. Activities of PLC β and γ were decreased in Gta but PLC δ increased.
Adrenal Glands ; Brain* ; Cell Membrane ; Cholates ; Cholic Acid ; Choline ; Deoxycholic Acid ; Detergents ; GTP-Binding Proteins* ; Isoenzymes ; Phosphatidylinositols ; Phospholipases* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Type C Phospholipases*

BACKGROUND: Extracellular sulfatases (Sulfs), sulfatase 1 (Sulf1) and sulfatase 2 (Sulf2), play a pivotal role in cell signaling by remodeling the 6-O-sulfation of heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface. The present study examined the effects of Sulfs on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertensive mediator expression and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: Ang II receptors, 12-lipoxygenase (12-LO), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions in SHR VSMCs were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. VSMCs proliferation was determined by [³ H]-thymidine incorporation. RESULTS: Basal Sulfs mRNAs expression and enzyme activity were elevated in SHR VSMCs. However, Sulfs had no effect on the basal or Ang II-induced 12-LO and ET-1 mRNA expression in SHR VSMCs. The inhibition of Ang II-induced 12-LO and ET-1 expression by blockade of the Ang II type 2 receptor (AT₂ R) pathway was not observed in Sulf1 siRNA-transfected SHR VSMCs. However, Sulf2 did not affect the action of AT₂ R inhibitor on Ang II-induced 12-LO and ET-1 expression in SHR VSMCs. The down-regulation of Sulf1 induced a reduction of AT₂ R mRNA expression in SHR VSMCs. In addition, the inhibition of Ang II-induced VSMCs proliferation by blockade of the AT₂ R pathway was mediated by Sulf1 in SHR VSMCs. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that extracellular sulfatase Sulf1 plays a modulatory role in the AT₂ R pathway that leads to an Ang II-induced hypertensive effects in SHR VSMCs.
Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensins* ; Arachidonate 12-Lipoxygenase ; Blotting, Western ; Down-Regulation ; Endothelin-1 ; Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans ; Hypertension ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2* ; RNA, Messenger ; Sulfatases

BACKGROUND: Extracellular sulfatases (Sulfs), sulfatase 1 (Sulf1) and sulfatase 2 (Sulf2), play a pivotal role in cell signaling by remodeling the 6-O-sulfation of heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface. The present study examined the effects of Sulfs on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertensive mediator expression and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).METHODS: Ang II receptors, 12-lipoxygenase (12-LO), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions in SHR VSMCs were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. VSMCs proliferation was determined by [³ H]-thymidine incorporation.RESULTS: Basal Sulfs mRNAs expression and enzyme activity were elevated in SHR VSMCs. However, Sulfs had no effect on the basal or Ang II-induced 12-LO and ET-1 mRNA expression in SHR VSMCs. The inhibition of Ang II-induced 12-LO and ET-1 expression by blockade of the Ang II type 2 receptor (AT₂ R) pathway was not observed in Sulf1 siRNA-transfected SHR VSMCs. However, Sulf2 did not affect the action of AT₂ R inhibitor on Ang II-induced 12-LO and ET-1 expression in SHR VSMCs. The down-regulation of Sulf1 induced a reduction of AT₂ R mRNA expression in SHR VSMCs. In addition, the inhibition of Ang II-induced VSMCs proliferation by blockade of the AT₂ R pathway was mediated by Sulf1 in SHR VSMCs.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that extracellular sulfatase Sulf1 plays a modulatory role in the AT₂ R pathway that leads to an Ang II-induced hypertensive effects in SHR VSMCs.
Angiotensin II ; Angiotensins ; Arachidonate 12-Lipoxygenase ; Blotting, Western ; Down-Regulation ; Endothelin-1 ; Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans ; Hypertension ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2 ; RNA, Messenger ; Sulfatases