No abstract available.
Pericarditis, Tuberculous* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

The authors compared the basic characteristics of rural woman in relation to family planning for June 1967 and June 1969 in Kyung San Country Kyungpook Province, Korea. The statistics showed that these characteristics are gradually changing. The marriage age was slightly higher than the past year and the formal education of women increased. The ideal children number, and tile gravidity and mortality rates decreased. At the same time the number of induced abortions, the knowledge of family planning, and the acceptance rate of contraception increased. These phenomena seem to follow the present worldwide trend.
Abortion, Induced ; Child ; Contraception ; Education ; Family Planning Services* ; Female ; Gravidity ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Marriage ; Mortality

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Embolism*

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of Hwangyun, Hwangyunhaedogtang, and Kumeunhwa on the lymphocyte activity in allergic contact dermatitis induced by contact allergen 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) of Balb/c mouse. For examination of a contact hypersensitivity, MEST (mouse ear swelling test) and lymphocyte proliferation assay measured by [(3)H]-methylthymidine incorporation were done. Cytokine mRNA in the draining lymph node cells were examined by RT-PCR. Contact hypersensitivity was more effectively induced by 0.25% DNCB treatment than 1% DNCB treatment. Local lymph node cell proliferation from DNCB-sensitized mouse was most highly elicitated with 100 ug/ml DNBS stimulation in vitro. The cytokine profiles of lymph node cells from DNCB-sensitized and DNBS-stimulated mouse were strong expression of IL-2 and IFN-r, weak expression of LT and IL-4, and no expression of IL-6 and IL-10. This lymphocyte proliferation was significantly inhibited in mice administered Korean medical drug for 10 days and sensitized with DNCB at day 5 (88.22%, 65.14%, and 52.29% in Hwangyun, Hwangyunhaedogtang, and Kumeunhwa, respectively). But Kumeunhwa was not effective in the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation when administered after DNCB-sensitization. The cytokine expressions were also inhibited especially IL-2 and IFN-r in Hwangyun administered- mice. These inhibitions of lymphocyte activity by Korean medical drugs were also observed when stimulated with ConA (1 ug/ml). Conclusively, immune responses of contact hypersensitivity induced by DNCB are involved in local lymph node T cells mainly Th1 type cells, and Korean medical drugs especially Hwangyun suppressed allergic contact dermatitis via inhibition of the activity of these cells.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dinitrochlorobenzene ; Ear ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphocytes* ; Mice ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: Owing to increase in elderly population, the importance of geriatric health is accentuated strongly. We surveyed cancer patients aged 60 years or more to investigate the common cancers, time trend to compare with whole cancer patients. METHODS: We analyzed the data of cancer patients aged 60 years or more who were admitted cancer patients, diagnosed by pathologic biopsy, received radiotherapy, registered as cancer patients on death certification and diagnosed by the other methods in a university hospital from January, 1987 to December, 1995. RESULTS: We analyzed at intervals of three year, from 1987 to 1989. The order of common cancer sites were stomach(30.1% ), lung(19.9% ), liver and intrahepatic(11.4% ), bladder (6.2% ), colon(5.5% ), gallbladder and extrahepatic(4.9%), rectosigmoid(4.2% ), pancreas (3.2%), cervix(2.9%), esophagus(2.8%) and the number of patients was 1025. From 1990 to 1992, the order of common cancer sites were stomach(23.5%), lung(19.3% ), liver and intrahepatic(10.3% ), gallbladder and extrahepatic(4.4% ), rectosigmoid(4.2% ), pancreas (3.9%), cervix(3.7%), colon(3.5% ), esophagus(2.7%) and the number of patients was 1470. From 1993 to 1995, the order of common cancer sites were stomach(19.5%), lung(17.2%), liver and intrahepatic(11% ), rectosigmoid(5.1% ), colon(4.5% ), gallbladder and extrahepatic(4.5% ), bladder(4.1% ), cervix (3.8% ), pancreas(3.7% ), esophagus(2.0% ) and the number of patients was 1519. CONCLUSIONS: Stomach, lung, and hepatic cancers were decreasing and rectosigmoid and pancreatic cancers were increasing in triannual frequency of cancer patients aged 60 years or more, The proportion of elderly patients in all age cancer patients was increasing except gallbladder and extrahepatic cancer. According to the prolongation of life span, cancer frequency increased in old age.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Certification ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Life Support Care ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Lung ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Radiotherapy ; Stomach ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: The detection of residual stenosis of infarct related artery (IRA) at early stage after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is crucial in clinical decision making for interventional revascularization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevancy of early dipyridamole stress myocardial SPECT to detect functionally and luminologically significant residual stenosis of IRA after AMI. METHOD: Twenty five consecutive patients (M:F=19:6, age: 56+/-13yrs) with AMI underwent SPECT and coronary angiography within 5 days of the attack. Infarct related arteries with FFR < 0.75 and diameter stenosis (DST) >70% were regarded to have functionally and morphologically significant residual stenosis. Reversible perfusion defect was defined if there was improvement of the perfusion score more than one grade in infarct segments on rest images of SPECT compared with stress images. RESULTS: Mean FFR and DST were 0.76+/-0.14 and 74+/-15%. SPECT showed no significant correlation with both FFR and DST with Kendall's coefficiency of 0.28 (p=0.05) and 0.13 (p=0.35). The sensitivity and specificity of SPECT to detect functionally and morphologically significant residual stenosis were 92%, 31% and 83%, 29%. CONCLUSION: The early dipyridamole stress myocardial SPECT after AMI does not seem to be a useful non-invasive test for the detection of functionally and luminologically significant residual stenosis of IRA.
Adult ; Aged ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Comparative Study ; *Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Stenosis/physiopathology/radiography/*radionuclide imaging ; Dipyridamole/diagnostic use ; *Exercise Test ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology/radiography/*radionuclide imaging ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severity of Illness Index ; *Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Atherosclerosis is the most severe problem in the high-pressure systemic circulation and similar changes also occur in the high-pressure loading valve. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that early atherosclerosis, induced by a high cholesterol diet in rabbits, is characterized by significant ultrastructural change in the elastic laminae of the aortic valve. However, it is not known whether this process is also taking place in the cardiac valve at the early stage of atherosclerosis. Animals were fed either a high cholesterol diet (n = 5) or a control diet (n = 5) for 10-12 weeks. Histologic analysis demonstrated that subendothelial thickening and foam-cell infiltration were evident in the arterialis of aortic valves. Confocal microscopy revealed an altered pattern characterized by fragmentation and disorganization of the arterialis elastic laminae of hypercholesterolemic valves. Computerized digital analysis of the images obtained by confocal scanning microscopy demonstrated that compared to normal valves, the arterialis elastic laminae of hypercholesterolemic valves decreased in percentage of their elastin content (29.03 +/- 1.10% vs. 42.94 +/- 1.35%, p = 0.023). Immunohistochemical staining for matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) revealed MMP-3 immunoreactivity was increased in hypercholesterolemic valves, predominantly in the arterialis. This study demonstrated that early atherosclerosis, induced by a high cholesterol diet in rabbits, is characterized by significant ultrastructural change in the elastic laminae of the aortic valve. The arterialis endothelium of the aortic valve may be a more atherosclerosis-prone area compared with the ventricularis. The presence of ultrastructural defect in the elastic laminae may play a role in chronic degenerative change and a resultant valvular dysfunction.
Animal ; Aortic Valve/ultrastructure* ; Elastic Tissue/ultrastructure* ; Hypercholesterolemia/pathology* ; Male ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Rabbits ; Stromelysin 1/metabolism

Mediastinal teratoma is a rare mediastinal tumor. Patients with mediastinal teratoma are usually asymptomatic and are diagnosed incidentally with chest radiography or CT, but they may develop symptoms via a rupture into adjacent structures, which results in chemical pneumonia, massive hemoptysis, hemothorax, pericardial effusion, or respiratory distress. We report a case of a ruptured teratoma in a 31-year-old female presenting with cough and brown-colored sputum. Chest radiography and computed tomography of the chest showed an inhomogenous anterior mediastinal mass with fat and fluid component. It was successfully treated by surgical resection. Although mature teratomas are rare, we should be familiar with the unique CT features of a ruptured teratoma to make sure of a correct diagnosis.
Adult ; Cough ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; Hemothorax ; Humans ; Mediastinum ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pneumonia ; Rupture ; Rupture, Spontaneous ; Sputum ; Teratoma ; Thorax

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a syndrome characterized by necrotizing granulomatosis lesions in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, glomerulonephritis, and generalized vasculitis involving both arteries and veins. This syndrome usually affects the upper and lower respiratory tract and the kidneys. Some patients with WG have cardiac involvement such as pericarditis, myocarditis, valvulitis, arrhthymia, coronary arteritis, and rarely cardiomyopathy. Ocular manifestations include keratitis, conjuntivitis, scleritis, retro-orbital granuloma with proptosis. Uncommonly, blindness may occur due to retinal vasculitis and optic neuritis. We report a 45-year-old female patient with WG who had sinusitis and lung nodules. She complained of sudden chest pain. Electocardiography and nuclear myocardial perfusion study suggested transient myocardial ischemia. During the active course of the disease, she complained of severe pain in the right eye-ball with decreased visual acuity. Subsequently, she developed monocular blindness probably due to retinal vasculitis.
Arteries ; Arteritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Blindness ; Cardiomyopathies ; Chest Pain ; Eosinophilia* ; Exophthalmos ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Kidney ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocarditis ; Optic Neuritis ; Perfusion ; Pericarditis ; Respiratory System ; Retinal Vasculitis ; Scleritis ; Sinusitis ; Vasculitis ; Veins ; Visual Acuity ; Wegener Granulomatosis

BACKGROUND: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has been reported to be a sensitive indicator of pancreatic necrosis (PN), and some studies suggested that an elevation of the ratio of LDH to AST (LDH/AST ratio) woud be more accurate indicator of PN in acute biliary pncreatitis (BP). However, there were no studies in alcoholic pancreatitis (AP). The aim of this study was to assess the clinical usefulness of LDH/AST ratio in alcoholic pancreatitis (AP) as a indicator of PN. METHODS: On the basis of CT scan findings, the patients were categorized into two groups as having PN or non-PN. The plasma levels of the LDH, AST and LDH/AST ratio over two weeks postadmission period were evaluated and compared with in two groups of patients with BP (consiting of 12 PN and 34 non-PN patients), and with AP (consisting of 14 PN and 38 non-PN patients). RESULTS: In acute BP, on post-admission days 1 and 2, the LDH/AST ratio were low in both groups without significant difference. In the group with PN, thereafter, the LDH/AST ratio increased gradually, reached peak values at the 7th days and decreased. In the non-PN patients, the LDH/AST ratio increased gradually, but remained below the control range. The LDH/AST ratios were significantly higher from post-admission day 3 in the group with PN than in the non-PN group. In acute AP, the LDH levels were significantly higher over two weeks from admission day in the PN patients. The LDH/AST ratios were remained within or below the control range in both groups, though with statistically significnat difference. CONCLUSION: The LDH/AST ratio could be used as an indicator of PN in acute BP. In acute AP, however, LDH was a more useful indicator from the early stage in the course.
Alcoholics* ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Necrosis* ; Pancreatitis, Alcoholic* ; Plasma ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed