No abstract available.
Animals ; Dinoprostone* ; Female ; Humans* ; Menstrual Cycle* ; Oviducts*

OBJECTIVES: This study was attempted to identify the relationship between white blood cell counts and the metabolic syndrome. METHODS: This study included 394 adults who visited the medical checkup center placed in Gwangju, January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Index of blood test and physical checkup were performed on the study such as triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, fasting sugar and white blood cell counts. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between white blood cell counts, white blood cell differential count and metabolic syndrome with an adjustment age and smoking status. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome was 25.3% among males and 13.3% among females, and was particularly high among males in their 40s. The increase in white blood cell counts lead to high prevalence of metabolic syndrome for both males and females. As white blood cell counts increased, the values of body mass index and cardiovascular risk factors were increased significantly. The odds ratio for elevated white blood cell counts increased significantly in the subjects with each components of the metabolic syndrome compared to the subjects without them, The lymphocyte counts in the white blood cell differential counts were higher in patients with metabolic syndrome than in those without. CONCLUSIONS: High level of white blood cell counts in normal range can be used as indicator in chronic inflammation. Increased white blood cell counts were significantly associated with metabolic syndrome.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Fasting ; Female ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes ; Logistic Models ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This study was designed to construct a structural model for explaining mental health status in middle - aged women. METHODS: The data was collected by self - reported questionnaires from 206 middle - aged women in Seoul. Data analysis was done with the SAS pc program for descriptive statistics and a PC - LISREL Program for finding the best fit model which assumes causal relationships among variables. RESULTS: The overall fit of the hypothetical model to the data was good, but paths and variables of the model were modified by considering theoretical implications and statistical significances of parameter estimates. Thus it was modified by excluding 3 paths. The modified model showed was good fit to the data(chi-square=177.55, p=.00), GFI=0.908, AGFI=0.860, RMR=0.013, NFI=0.972, NNFI=0.982). Perceived stress, anger expression method, and self -esteem were found to have direct effects on mental health status in middle - aged women. These predictive variables of mental health status explained 66.6% of the model. CONCLUSION: Programs to enhance mental health status in middle - aged women should include stress management skill, anger expression skill, and self -esteem enhancement skills to be effective.
*Urban Population ; Stress, Psychological/epidemiology ; Self Concept ; Middle Aged ; *Mental Health ; Korea ; Humans ; Female ; Anger ; Adult

BACKGROUND: The etiologies of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases are various-thrombosis or artery to artery embolism, cardiogenic embolism and lipohyalinosis. In the past embolic cerebral infarct was thought to occur uncommonly. But these days substantial portion of patients have been found to have potential embolic sources by transesophageal echo cardiography and carotid duplex doppler. As transesophageal echocardiography has a high yield for identification of potential sources of cardiac embolism in patients with ischemic cerbrovascular diseases, its use has been increasing. In Korea an increasing number of patients with ischemic cerebrovascular diseases have been examined by transesophageal echocardiography since 1990. But in all the previous studies transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation has been confined to the patients with high probability of embolic cerebral infarct. All kinds of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases patients have never been examined by transesophageal echocardiography and carotid duplex doppler and the prevalence of potential embolic sources in Korean ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients is not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of potential cardiovascular embolic sources by transesophageal echocardiography and carotid duplex doppler in unselected patients with ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: We evaluated all kinds of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases patients admitted from 1994. 9. 1. until 1995 9. 31. to the Departments of Neurology and Internal Medicine of Kangnam General Hospital. We evaluated them by transesophageal echocardiography, carotid doppler, brain CT(or brain MRI). A significant carotid stenosis was defined as a duplex scandetected lesion producing at least 50% vessel narrowing. The following echocardiographic findings were defined prospectively as potential cardiac sources of embolism : atrial appendage or left atrial cavity thrombus, spontaneous echocardiographic contrast, atrial septal aneurysm, interatrial shunt, ventricular aneurysm, ventricular thrombus, myxomatous mitral valve and protruding atherosclerotic plaque in the ascending aorta or transverse aortic arch. RESULTS: Of 64 patients admitted during the study period, 30 were excluded(Three patients were critically ill, and twenty seven patients refused diagnostic work-up.). Thorough diagnostic work-up was performed in 34 patients. Transesophageal echocardiographic positive findings were present in six patients(17.6%). Of them four(4/34, 11.7%) had spontaneous echo contrast, two(2/34, 5.8%) had left atrial thrombi, one(1/34, 2.9%) had ascending aorta atheroma. Eleven patients(11/34, 32.3%) had abnormalities in carotid doppler study. Five patients(5/34, 14.7%) had abnormalities both in transesophageal echocardiography and carotid doppler study. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that among ischemic cerebrovascular diseases patients substantial portion of patients have potential embolic sources. The prevalence of potential embolic sources in Korea may be higher than previously expected. Because the relative small number of the patients studied make it difficult to generalize the results, further studies with a large number of patients are needed.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Arteries ; Atrial Appendage ; Brain ; Carotid Stenosis ; Critical Illness ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Embolism ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Mitral Valve ; Neurology ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Thrombosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes in static and dynamic postural control after the development of acute low back pain. METHODS: Thirty healthy right-handed volunteers were divided into three groups; the right back pain group, the left back pain group, and the control group. 0.5 mL of 5% hypertonic saline was injected into L4-5 paraspinal muscle for 5 seconds to cause muscle pain. The movement of the center of gravity (COG) during their static and dynamic postural control was measured with their eyes open and with their eyes closed before and 2 minutes after the injection. RESULTS: The COGs for the healthy adults shifted to the right quadrant and the posterior quadrant during their static and dynamic postural control test (p<0.05). The static and dynamic instability index while they had their eyes closed was significantly increased than when they had their eyes open with and without acute back pain. After pain induction, their overall and anterior/posterior instability was increased in both the right back pain group and the left back pain group during the static postural control test (p<0.05). A right deviation and a posterior deviation of the COG still remained, and the posterior deviation was greater in the right back pain group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The static instability, particularly the anterior/posterior instability was increased in the presence of acute low back pain, regardless of the visual information and the location of pain.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Eye ; Gravitation ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Muscles

PURPOSE: To investigate the outcome of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) combined with posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injections compared to IVB injection alone in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). METHODS: IVB injection (IVB group) and combination therapy injection (combination group) were administered to 35 eyes and 31 eyes, respectively, diagnosed with proliferative diabetic retinopathy combined with DME. Changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), total macular volume (TMV), amount of hard exudates and intraocular pressure (IOP) were compared retrospectively between groups prior to injection and 1, 2 and 3 months after injection. RESULTS: BCVA changes in both groups were only statistically significant at 4 weeks after injection. Reduction of CMT and TMV was maintained for 1 month after treatment in all groups, but CMT and TMV deteriorated 2 months after treatment. No significant differences in BCVA, CMT or TMV were detected between the IVB and combination groups. The amount of hard exudates were only significantly decreased at month 3 in the combination group whereas the amount of hard exudates was not significantly different at 3 months in the IVB group (at baseline 2,899 ± 2,314 pixels vs. at 3 months 2,536 ± 1,981 pixels, p-value = 0.041). IOP showed no significant difference between the groups. Elevated IOP or endophthalmitis were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of BCVA improvement, subtenon triamcinolone provided no additional benefit on CMT and TMV reduction. However, combination therapy was effective in reducing the amount of hard exudates at 3 months.
Bevacizumab* ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Endophthalmitis ; Exudates and Transudates ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Macular Edema* ; Retrospective Studies ; Triamcinolone Acetonide* ; Triamcinolone* ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: A population-based cancer registry was set up in January 1, 1997 to estimate the incidence of cancer in Daegu, South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data sources for case-finding and abstracting were hospital inpatients, other sources in hospitals other than inpatients, and private pathology laboratories. The registered cases were matched against two external databases, the death certificate and medical insurance claims. RESULTS: A total of 7,837 cases (4,203 males, 3,634 females) were registered in 1997~98 excluding 2,718 cases of DCN. The crude incidence rates of all cancers combined were 170.7/100,000 (ASR 255.0) in males and 149.8 (ASR 154.4) in females. In males, the most common cancer was stomach (47.3, ASR 69.0), followed by liver (28.0, ASR 37.6), lung (26.0, ASR 44.1), colorectum (14.9, ASR 23.3),urinary bladder (4.5, ASR 7.0) and prostate (3.5, ASR 7.0). The most common cancer in females was stomach (25.8, ASR 26.9), followed by breast (21.7, ASR 20.4), cervix uteri (21.1, ASR 20.4), colorectum (14.9, ASR 16.0), lung (9.9, ASR 11.0), liver (9.3, ASR 10.1), and thyroid (6.1, ASR 5.7). The overall percentage of microscopically verified and the DCN% were 80.3%, 27.7% in males and 88.7%, 20.7% in females, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results show that the incidence level of all cancers combined in both sexes in Daegu is approaching that of other industrialized regions in Asia as well as in the world.
Abstracting and Indexing as Topic ; Asia ; Breast ; Cervix Uteri ; Daegu* ; Information Storage and Retrieval ; Death Certificates ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Inpatients ; Insurance ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Pathology ; Prostate ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland ; Urinary Bladder

No abstract available.
Animals ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Testis*

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neuropathological studies have demonstrated that multiple system atrophy (MSA) produces selective atrophy of the putamen with sparing of the caudate nucleus, while both structures are spared in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study we evaluated the clinical efficacy of using putaminal atrophy in brain MRI to differentiate MSA and PD. METHODS: We measured the putamen/caudate volume ratio on brain MRI in 24 patients with MSA and 21 patients with PD. Two clinicians who were blinded to the patients' diagnoses and to each other's assessments measured the volume ratio using a computer program. RESULTS: The measured volume ratios of the two investigators were highly correlated (r=0.72, p<0.0001). The volume ratio was significantly lower in MSA (1.29+/-0.28) than PD (1.91+/-0.29, p<0.0001). Setting an arbitrary cutoff ratio of 1.6 resulted in about 90% of patients with MSA falling into the group with a lower ratio, whereas more than 80% of patients with PD belonged to the other group. CONCLUSIONS: The present results demonstrate that putaminal atrophy in MSA as measured on brain MRI represents an effective tool for differentiating MSA from PD.
Atrophy ; Brain ; Caudate Nucleus ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multiple System Atrophy* ; Parkinson Disease* ; Putamen ; Research Personnel

No abstract available.
Animals ; Body Fluids* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Fertilization* ; Humans ; Mice*