Two cases of ectopic kidney were reported in conjunction with review of literatures. The ectopic kidneys, measuring 13 cm-,15 cm in length of their ureter, were located between the L3 .and S1. Operative removal of the ectopic kidney disclosed aberrant arteries in their both pole. histological examination revealed normal findings.
Arteries ; Kidney* ; Ureter

Objective: To examine the effects of Tribulus terrestris L. (T. terrestris) extract on the modulation of calcium channels to evaluate its use in topical agents for treatment of atopic dermatitis. Methods: The 70% methanol extract of T. terrestris was prepared. Human HEK293T cells with over-expressed calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1 (Orai1), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, or transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) were treated with T. terrestris extract. Modulation of ion channels was measured using a conventional whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Results: T. terrestris extract (100 mg/mL) significantly inhibited Orai1 activity in Orai1-stromal interaction molecule 1 co-overexpressed HEK293T cells. In addition, T. terrestris extract significantly increased the TRPV3 activity compared with 2-Aminoethyl diphe-nylborinate (100 mmol/L), which induces the full activation of TRPV3. Conclusions: Our results suggest that T. terrestris extract may have a therapeutic po-tential for recovery of abnormal skin barrier pathologies in atopic dermatitis through modulating the activities of calcium ion channels, Orai1 and TRPV3. This is the first study to report the modulatory effect of a medicinal plant on the function of ion channels in skin barrier.

No abstract available.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Vagotomy*

A number of noninvasive technics have been advocated as reflecting left ventricular performance. These methods include systolic time intervals, echocardiography and imaging of the left ventricular chamber with radionuclides during systole and diastole. Radionuclide evaluation of left ventricular function by means of the gamma camera and gating currently appears to be the most reliable noninvasive method for approximating angiographic evaluation of left ventricular performance. Utilizing the radionuclide angiography, we measured the left ventricular function in 19 normal healthy control, 60 patients with coronary artery diseases 7 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, 5 patients with hypertension. 1) Left ventricular ejection fraction decreased in 12 patients with anterior myocardial infarction (39.9+/-11.6%), 17 patients with inferior myocardial infarction (49.9+/-8.4%) and 7 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (19.0+/-5.8%), and there was a statistically significant difference compared with 19 normal control group (63.5+/-8.2%)(p<0.005). However there were no statistically significant difference between normal control group, patients with hypertension (58.8+/-7.6%) and patients with angina pectoris (60.1+/-6.5%). 2) Left ventricular ejection fraction decreased in both anterior and inferior myocardial infarction, and there was a statisically significant difference between both groups (p<0.01). All 13 patients with acute myocardial infarction had abnormal LVEF (40.5+/-9.1%) whcih was significantly lower than that of 16 patients with old myolardial infarction (50.1+/-10.5%)(p<0.01).
Angina Pectoris ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diastole ; Echocardiography ; Gamma Cameras ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction ; Radioisotopes ; Radionuclide Angiography* ; Stroke Volume ; Systole ; Ventricular Function, Left*

We report one case with the occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery and the left renal artery in the mitral stenosis with the review of the literatures.
Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Renal Artery*

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to investigate the effects of physical illness on depression in North Korean Defectors. METHODS: One hundred forty-four North Korean Defectors(20 males, 124 females) and 376 South Koreans 133 males, 243 females) in Incheon Metropolitan areas participated the present study. Face-to-face interview was conducted for demographic information including presence of physical illnesses. To investigate depressive symptoms, all participants were required to complete the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). RESULTS: After controlling gender, age, marital status, educational year, employment status and physical illness, North Korean Defectors showed higher CES-D score than South Koreans(beta=0.449, p<0.001). Within North Korean Defectors, the presence of physical illnesses independently was related to higher CES-D score(beta=0.243, p<0.001). However, within South Koreans, the presence of physical illnesses did not significantly predict CES-D score. North Korean Defectors with physical illness have higher CES-D score than North Korean Defectors without physical illness(26.8+/-13.8 versus 19.7+/-12.7). However, there was no significant differences of CES-D score between South Koreans with physical illness and South Koreans without physical illness(10.3+/-9.8 versus 9.3+/-8.8). CONCLUSION: Compared to South Koreans, North Korean Defector showed higher depressive symptoms independently from gender, age, education, employment, marriage. In addition, only North Korean Defectors showed the relationship between depression and physical illness. Our study suggests that depression should be assessed when North Korean Defectors have physical illness.
Depression ; Employment ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Marriage

We evaluate the psychosocial characteristics and primary reason for electing operation in myopic patients who were candidates for photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The questionnaire data were collected on PRK patients and compared them with similar group of myopia. Most of the PHK patients were unmarried female in their twenties. The most striking demographic chracteristic of PRK sample was that the high proportion of them was highly educated office worker with high socioeconomic status. They were in possession of extroversive character rather than introversive one. They thought that their visual acuity was very serious, and preferred wearing contact lens for visual correction. The most important reason for undergoing PRK was avoiding inconveniences of contact lens or glasses. The other reasons were improving vision, improving appearance, and hoping to change life style with better vision. They were afraid of unpredictability of visual recovery and occurrence of complications, after operation, The results of this study may help analyze the factors that influence the success of PRK and patient's satisfaction.
Eyeglasses ; Female ; Glass ; Hope ; Humans ; Life Style ; Myopia ; Photorefractive Keratectomy* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Single Person ; Social Class ; Strikes, Employee ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Human Troponin T & I (TnT, TnI) has several isoforms which have different functional property. This study was designed to describe the isoform expression of TnT & TnI in failing and hypertrophic human heart and during normal development. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Myocardium was attained from hypertrophic hearts (n=10) of TOF patients who underwent myomectomy, from failing hearts (n=10) of transplant recipients, from normal hearts (n=5) of patients in brain death and from aborted fetal hearts (n=5). After the extraction of RNA, RT-PCR was performed for TnT & TnI isoforms and GAPDH to evaluate the isoform expression qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS: In terms of TnI, slow skeletal TnI was expressed more than cardiac TnI in fetal hearts[ratio of Troponin over GAPDH (R)=1.3:0.5] but cardiac TnI was dominant in adult hearts (r=0.3:1.1) (p 0.05). Failing hearts showed similar pattern with adult hearts (r=0.3:1.2) and hypertrophic hearts showed the intermediate pattern (r=0.9:1.3). In terms of TnT, T1 and T3 were expressed in fetal hearts (r=0.04, 0.8) but only T3 was expressed in adult hearts (r=1.1). Failing hearts and hypertrophic hearts showed similar pattern with adult hearts and no differences in the amount of expression (r=1.4, 1.3). CONCLUSION: There is isoform switch from fetal to adult form during development and it might be responsible for the differences of myocardial functional property between fetal and adult heart. Failing and hypertrophic hearts showed no differences with normal hearts, which means the isoform switch of TnT & I might have no significant role in functional disturbances in these conditions.
Adult ; Brain Death ; Fetal Heart ; Heart* ; Humans* ; Myocardium ; Protein Isoforms ; RNA ; Transplantation ; Trinitrotoluene ; Troponin T* ; Troponin*

OBJECTIVE: Although gadolinium enhancement of compression fractures is well known, the enhancement pattern of the acute stage of a fracture is not completely understood. Here, we investigated the enhancement pattern of acute vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with acute osteoporotic VCFs admitted to hospital between January 2004 and December 2005. The demographic details, stage of the fracture, management data, and results were analyzed. There were nine men and 22 women, and the mean age was 71 years (range, 53-92 years). According to the onset of pain, patients were divided into the following four groups : Group I (less than 3 days), Group II (4-7 days), Group III (8-14 days), and Group IV (14-30 days). RESULTS: All patients had central low-signal intensity of the nonenhancing part of vertebral bodies on T1 images. Enhancing box sign (EBS) was seen 7 days of VCF development. After 7 days of onset (Groups III and IV), patch or Kummell's enhancements occurred. EBS has been statistically correlated with stage of compression fracture (Pearson's correlation = -0.774). However, EBS had no statistically significant correlation with prognosis in our study (Pearson's correlation = 0.059). CONCLUSION: EBS represents a characteristic sign 7 days of VCF development.
Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Gadolinium ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

In order to evaluate the possible roles of secretory proteases in the pathogenesis of amoebic keratitis, we purified and characterized a serine protease secreted by Acanthamoeba lugdunensis KA/E2, isolated from a Korean keratitis patient. The ammonium sulfate-precipitated culture supernatant of the isolate was purified by sequential chromatography on CM-Sepharose, Sephacryl S-200, and mono Q-anion exchange column. The purified 33 kDa protease had a pH optimum of 8.5 and a temperature optimum of 55 degrees C. Phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride and 4- (2- Aminoethyl) -benzenesulfonyl-fluoride, both serine protease specific inhibitors, inhibited almost completely the activity of the 33 kDa protease whereas other classes of inhibitors did not affect its activity. The 33 kDa enzyme degraded various extracellular matrix proteins and serum proteins. Our results strongly suggest that the 33 kDa serine protease secreted from this keratopathogenic Acanthamoeba play important roles in the pathogenesis of amoebic keratitis, such as in corneal tissue invasion, immune evasion and nutrient uptake.
Acanthamoeba/*enzymology/isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Acanthamoeba Keratitis/*parasitology ; Animals ; Cornea/parasitology ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Serine Endopeptidases/chemistry/*isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Substrate Specificity ; Temperature ; Virulence Factors