OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate whether maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) level measured during second trimester could be used as a predictor of pregnancy-induced hypertension. METHODS: Between March 1996 and November l997, 505 pregnant women undergoing second trimester(14-22 weeks of amenorrhea) triple marker screening for neural tube defect and Down syndrome who delivered at our institution were reviewed. All samples were assayed in the same laboratory and medical records were reviewed about medical and obstetrical history. RESULTS: Maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin level(multiples of the median, MoM) was significantly higher in the pregnancy-induced hypertension group than in the control group. With the use of 2. l multiples of the median as a cutoff value, the sensitivity of human chorionic gonadotropin as a screening marker for development of pregnancy-induced hypertension was 38.7%, the specificity was 95.9%, positive predictive value was 38.7% and negative predictive value was 95.9%. Conlusion: We suggest that second trimester maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels can be used clinically as an early predictive marker for pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Chorion ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Humans ; Humans* ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Neural Tube Defects ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Facial Asymmetry*

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between insomnia severity, depression, anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity and to find out the explanatory variables that account for the insomnia severity among depression, anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity in general population. 95 mentally healthy volunteers who visit health promotion center of Kangbuk Samsung hospital for their regular medical examination were requested to complete Athens Insomnia Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Association between total scores of Athens Insomnia scale and other variables (total scores of Beck Depression Inventory excluded item 16, total scores of State Anxiety, total scores of Trait Anxiety, and total scores of Anxiety Sensitivity Scale) was assessed individually with partial correlations adjusted by age and then together using multiple regression analysis. The total scores of Athens Insomnia Scale were significantly associated with total scores of Beck Depression Inventory excluded item 16(r = 0.541, p<0.001), total scores of Trait Anxiety(r = 0.642, p<0.001), total scores of State Anxiety(r = 0.267, p<0.05), and total scores of Anxiety Sensitivity Index(r = 0.312, p<0.01). Total scores of trait anxiety showed the highest correlation with the total scores of Athens Insomnia Scale and was the significant predictor to total scores of Athens Insomnia Scale among the other predictor variables (p<0.001). These results show that insomnia severity is positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity. The correlation was strongest with trait anxiety. In addition, our results suggest that trait anxiety is associated with insomnia severity in general populations.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Health Promotion ; Healthy Volunteers ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the expressions of alpha-1 -antichymotrypsin(ACT) and/or p53 protein in advanced prostate cancer were related with bony metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The immunohistochemical study with ACT and p53 included 7 archival transurethral resection and 14 prostate biopsy specimens from patients with prostate cancer who showed high serum PSA level(>10ng/ml) and periprostatic or lymph node involvement on imaging study. Whole body bone scan was perfomed to detect bony metastatis in all patients. RESULTS: Four out of 5 cases showing strong expression patterns with ACT protein showed abnormal hot uptakes on whole body bone scan. ACT proteins were weakly expressed in seven out of eight cases without bony metastases. p53 protein was expressed in 13 cases, but there was no statistically significant relation between the expression of p53 protein and bony metastasis. Either, there was no significant relation between ACT and p53 protein expression patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the strong expression of ACT protein combined with high serum PSA level(>10ng/ml) and whole body bone scan could be the useful method for confirming bony metastasis although not adequate for screening test. The expression of p53 protein appears to be associated with progression of prostate cancer, but there was no statistically significant relation with bony metastasis.
Biopsy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mass Screening ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Humans

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the trends and contents of imagery interventions and to evaluate the effects of imagery interventions by using meta-analysis. METHOD: The materials used for this study were 15 imagery intervention studies carried out from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 2001. The studies were analyzed and evaluated in different categories: 1) types of dependent variables 2) types of imagery 3) interval of imagery 4) total duration of imagery 5) sample characteristics 6) intervention method. RESULT: 1) Behavioral imagery was more prevalent than dynamic imagery. There were wide variations in duration, and interval of interventions. Imagery intervention had moderate effects on psychological variables (state of anxiety, depression & and stress etc.) and had moderate to large effects on physiological variable(pulse rate, cortisol etc.). Behavioral imagery had larger effects than dynamic imagery. Imagery applied to the public had larger effect on decreasing the state of anxiety and stress than applied to the patients. But imagery applied to the patients had a larger effect on decreasing depression than applied to the public. The imagery intervention method by using the individual approach had greater effect than group approach method. CONCLUSION: These results of this study will be used to guide the development of imagery interventions to nursing practice. Also, various types of imagery interventions need to be developed based on the characteristics of nursing practice.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Clinical Trial ; Nursing

BACKGROUND: Quinidine appeared to increase serum digoxin levels when given with quinidine. Therefore elevated serum digoxin concentrations and clinical toxicity have been reported in patient receiving quinidine. Currently, Bayesian method which estimates the most probable parameters of the drug for each patient from population parameters data is useful approach for adjusting digoxin dosage. To increase the accuracy of Bayesian method, it is desirable to use population parameters of Korean. Therefore we evaluated the effect of quinidine on digoxin clearance in Korea. METHOD: Patient's records from 19 adult cardiac disease without CHF having normal renal and liver function from Seoul National University of Hospital respectively wre evaluated. Digoxin pharmacokinetic parameters, CL and Vd, were obtained from serum concentration of digoxin of single and combined therapy at each steady-state by using bayesian method. RESULTS: This study show that quinidine reduced the total body clearance of digoxin from 2.39+/-0.17 to 1.51+/-0.08ml/min/kg(p<0.05) and reduced the digoxin volume of distribution from 8.57+/-0.29 to 4.98+/-0.19L/kg(p<0.05). This results show that digoxin dosage reduced to 40-50% in Korean, if quinidine therapy is initiated.
Adult ; Bayes Theorem ; Digoxin* ; Drug Interactions ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Pharmacokinetics ; Quinidine* ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in health behaviors among adolescents in order to provide fundamental data to develop an effective body weight control program. METHODS: Secondary analysis was done using data from the 9th (2013) Online Survey on Ado-lescents' Health Behaviors by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The adolescents were divided into low weight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity groups according to body mass index (BMI). Differences in health behaviors were analyzed. RESULTS: Gender, grade, socioeconomic status, perceived-health status, exercise, breakfast, fast food, ramen noodles, snacks, carbonated soft drinks, fruits and vegetables, satisfaction with sleep, stress, smoking, and alcohol consumption were significantly different among the groups. Ingestion of carbonated soft drinks and snacks was significantly higher in the low weight group compared to the normal weight group. Eating fast foods, ramen noodles, and snacks was significantly lower in the overweight and obesity groups compared to the normal weight group. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that health behaviors among the groups differ from traditional knowledge about obesity. To develop optimal programs and improve efficacy, prior knowledge should be used to think differently and individualized programs should be based on an understanding health behaviors of adolescents.
Adolescent Health* ; Adolescent* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index* ; Body Weight ; Breakfast ; Carbon ; Carbonated Beverages ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Eating ; Fast Foods ; Fruit ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Snacks ; Social Class ; Thinness ; Vegetables

In May 1974, authors encountered a 37 year old Korean male who was suffering from very serious condition of acute abdomen. On exploratory laparotomy, a ruptured granulomatous mass in the proximal portion of the ileum showing extensive inflammatory and gangrenous changes was found and about 4 ft. long of the bowel was resected. From the honey-combed fibrous capsules in the mass, four plerocercoid larvae, spargana, measuring about 3 to 7 cm in lengths were extirpated. The patient had a past history of having eaten the raw flesh of a snake as a tonic about 7 months prior to admission. Four cases of intra-abdominal sparganosis reported previously in Korea and the present case were discussed briefly. Snakes and frogs in Korea are very important second intermediate hosts for the 1arva, Sparganum stage. It is most preferable that the habitual ingestion of the raw fleshes of them should be avoided in this country.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Spirometra sp. ; sparganum ; sparganosis ; laparatomy ; intestine ; perforation ; case report

No abstract available.
Leptospira interrogans* ; Leptospira*