BACKGROUND: It is well known that administration of nutrients, especially protein and amino acids mixtures, stimulates energy expenditure in the unanesthetized patients. Also, there were reports that the mechanisms for nutrient-induced thermogenesis are not impaired during general anaesthesia. The enhanced amino acid-induced thermogenesis would counteract the anaesthesia-induced reduction in metabolism and prevent the development of hypothermia. The present study was designed to see if completing the amino acid infusion before induction of anaesthesia would induce heat production, which would promote energy expenditure and thereby counteract the development of anaesthesia-induced hypothermia. METHODS: Body temperatures and arterial blood gases were measured in 48 patients during perioperative period. 24 patients had an amino acid mixture of 227 cal infused over 2 hours before anesthesia and 24 control patients received Hartman's solution. RESULTS: Amino acid infusion attenuated the development of hypothermia during the period from 60 min to 105 min after induction of anaesthesia compared to control group, however, did not prevent overall hypothermia throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: This result may indicate amino acid infusion before anesthesia can be an adjuvant to prevent intraoperative hypothermia.
Amino Acids ; Anesthesia ; Body Temperature ; Energy Metabolism ; Gases ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Metabolism ; Perioperative Period ; Thermogenesis

Electrical injury may lead to a conduction disorder of the heart. We report here on a 36-year-old man, who was treated with a permanent pacemaker, after an electrical injury induced high-degree atrioventricular block and clinical manifestations (dizziness and dyspnea).
Adult ; Atrioventricular Block* ; Electric Injuries ; Heart ; Heart Conduction System ; Humans

No abstract available.
Endocarditis* ; Hypertension ; Mitral Valve

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While the clinical significance of descending thoracic aorta intima-media thickness (DTA-IMT) remains unclear, common carotid IMT (CIMT) is known to be associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with atherosclerotic disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 104 patients (mean age, 59 yrs; 69 male) with angiographically proven coronary atherosclerosis underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for DTA-IMT measurement and carotid scanning for CIMT measurement. The patients were divided into two groups based on the median IMT value, and they were followed up for cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality for a period of 50+/-21 months. RESULTS: Patients having a higher DTA-IMT value (n=44, >2.1 mm) had a higher chance of stroke (6.7% vs. 2.8%, p=0.04), peripheral vascular disease (6.7% vs. 1.9%, p=0.02), and death (2.9% vs. 0%, p=0.04) than those who had lower DTA-IMT values (n=60, < or =2.1 mm). The patients who had higher CIMT values (n=49, >0.089 mm) had a higher chance of peripheral vascular disease (16% vs 2%, p=0.009) than those having lower IMT values (n=55, < or =0.089 mm). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of recurrent chest pain, heart failure, syncope, myocardial infarction or chronic kidney disease during the follow-up period. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that increased DTA-IMT was associated with stroke (OR, 4.29; 95% CI, 1.076-17.181; p=0.039) and peripheral vascular disease (OR, 9.37; 95% CI, 1.571-55.499; p=0.014), whereas increased CIMT was associated with peripheral vascular disease (OR, 14.365; 95% CI, 1.050-196.540; p=0.046). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that descending thoracic aorta IMT is more closely associated with prognosis in patients with coronary atherosclerosis than CIMT.
Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Prognosis ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Stroke ; Syncope

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is known to be associated with adverse cardiovascular events in the patients with risk factors or established atherosclerosis. However, the prognostic importance of carotid IMT is uncertain in the patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to evaluate the association of carotid IMT with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and restenosis in the patients who underwent PCI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 308 consecutive patients who underwent PCI, and they were followed up for mean of 30.6+/-13.3 months. Base on the median values of carotid IMT, which was measured in the right common carotid artery at the time of PCI with using high-resolution ultrasound and a semiautomatic method, the subjects were divided into the thick (n=156, 1.003+/-0.14 mm) and thin IMT (n=152, 0.748+/-0.07 mm) groups, and they were followed up for at least 1 year. RESULTS: Patients with thick carotid IMT were older (61+/-9 years vs. 57+/-10 years, respectively, p=0.001), had a higher body mass index (25.0+/-3.0 vs. 23.9+/-4.0, respectively, p=0.017), a history of previous myocardial infarction (20% vs. 9%, respectively, p=0.008), more multivessel disease and more restenosis (34.6% vs. 23.0%, respectively, p=0.025) than those patients with a thin carotid IMT. However other MACEs such as death, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure and target lesion revascularization did not show any significant differences between the two groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that carotid IMT was an independent predictor of restenosis (odds ratio: 1.754, 95% confidence interval: 1.1296 to 2.726, p=0.012). CONCLUSION: An increased carotid IMT is associated with restenosis, but it does not have clinical prognostic importance for the patients who underwent PCI during a mean follow up period of 31 months.
Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Atherosclerosis ; Body Mass Index ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention* ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Whether uric acid is a predictor of cardiovascular events remains controversial. We sought to evaluate the effects of the serum uric acid levels on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in the patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 660 consecutive patients with CAD, and they were followed up for a mean of 27 months (maximum: 62 months). The recorded MACEs included acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to de novo lesion during follow up, congestive heart failure (CHF) and sudden cardiac death. RESULTS: In the CAD patients with a uric acid level < or =3.88 mg/dL (the lowest quartile), as compared with those CAD patients with uric acid levels >5.74 mg/dL (the highest quartile), the MACE rate increased from 7.2% to 20.1%. On univariate Cox regression analysis, the highest uric acid quartile was a predictor of AMI, CHF and MACE. The absolute serum uric acid level was predictive of PCI, CHF and MACE. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the independent predictors of MACE were presentation with acute coronary syndrome (HR 1.70, 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.78, p=0.033), multi-vessel disease (HR 2.43, 95% CI: 1.44 to 4.12, p=0.001), and the uric acid levels (HR 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.43, p=0.010), and the highest uric acid quartile (HR 2.54, 95% CI: 1.58 to 4.10, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The serum uric acid level and multi-vessel disease are associated with subsequent cardiovascular events in the patients with CAD.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prognosis ; Stroke ; Transplants ; Uric Acid*

Schwannomas are relatively common, benign tumors that are thought to arise from the nerve sheath cell. Schwannomas of the C1 root are extremely rare and seldom invade lateral masses because they gradually increase in size and can extend through the wide space behind the lateral mass instead of the intervertebral foramen. We present here an unusual case of a benign schwannoma that aggressively invaded the lateral mass of C-1.
Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neurilemmoma/*pathology ; Spinal Neoplasms/*pathology ; Spinal Nerve Roots/*pathology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hypercholesterolemia is a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis. We sought to evaluate the relation between hypercholesterolemia and plaque composition in patients with coronary artery disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Study subjects consisted of 323 patients (mean 61.5 years, 226 males) who underwent coronary angiography and virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound examination. Patients were divided into two groups according to total cholesterol level: hypercholesterolemic group (> or =200 mg/dL, n=114) and normocholesterolemic group (<200 mg/dL, n=209). RESULTS: Hypercholesterolemic patients were younger (59.7+/-13.3 years vs. 62.6+/-11.5 years, p=0.036), than normocholesterolemic patients, whereas there were no significant differences in other demographics. Hypercholesterolemic patients had higher corrected necrotic core volume (1.23+/-0.85 mm3/mm vs. 1.02+/-0.80 mm3/mm, p=0.029) as well as percent necrotic core volume (20.5+/-8.5% vs. 18.0+/-9.2%, p=0.016) than normocholesterolemic patients. At the minimal lumen area site, percent necrotic core area (21.4+/-10.5% vs. 18.4+/-11.3%, p=0.019) and necrotic core area (1.63+/-1.09 mm2 vs. 1.40+/-1.20 mm2, p=0.088) were also higher than normocholesterolemic patients. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that total cholesterol level was an independent factor of percent necrotic core volume in the culprit lesion after being adjusted with age, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol , hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking and acute coronary syndrome (beta 0.027, 95% confidence interval 0.02-0.053, p=0.037). CONCLUSION: Hypercholesterolemia was associated with increased necrotic core volume in coronary artery plaque. This study suggests that hypercholesterolemia plays a role in making plaque more complex, which is characterized by a large necrotic core, in coronary artery disease.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Demography ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Linear Models ; Smoking

Backgrouad & Aims: Cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and cisplatin(CAP) combination chemo- therapy improved the response rate in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, and it has been the gold standard. However, adriamycin is a rather toxic drug, and there is still confusion concerning the choice of adriamycin to be included in optimal regimen. The present study was designed to compare the activity and toxicity of combination regimens in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer between CAP and CTP which substitutes adriamycin with pirarubicin(THP- adriamycin). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From March 1995 to December 1997, 47 patients with FIGO stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer who were diagnosed after initial cytoreductive surgery were divided into two groups at random: (1) The case group were treated with CTP(500/40/50 mg/m2) as a first line chemotherapy. (2) The control group were treated with CAP(500/50/50 mg/m2) as that of case group. Clinical characteristics, response rates and toxicities according to Gynecologic Oncology Group criteria were compared between those treated with CAP and CTP respectively. RESULTS: Forty one patients out of 47 were evaluable and the number of patients in case and control group was 22 and 19 respectively. There was no significant differences in patient characteristics such as age, stage, histologic type between two groups. Clinical complete response rate was 50.0%(11/22) in patients treated with CTP regimen and 47.4%(9/19) with CAP regimen and there was no significant difference between two groups. Second look operation was undergone in 10 patients of CTP group and 7 patients of CAP group who showed clinical complete response and the pathologic complete response rate was 27.3%(6/22) with CTP and 21.1%(4/19) with CAP. The incidence of leukocytopenia of grade 3 or 4 was more frequently occurred in CAP group(52.6%, 10/19) than CTP group(22.7%, 5/22). There was no significant difference in the incidence of other toxicitied such as hepatic, renal and G-I toxicities. Suspicious cardiac toxicity according to the finding of EKG was seen in 15.8%(3/19) only with CAP regimen and all of them showed decreased cardiac function in gated blood pool scan. There were no significant differences in risponse rates between two groups, but the incidence of cardiac toxicity and leukocytopenia o f grade 3 or 4 was more frequently occurred in CAP group than CTP group. CONCLUSION : CTP regimen has comparable response rates to CAP regimen, with lower incidence of hematolohic and cardiac toxicity.
Cyclophosphamide* ; Cytidine Triphosphate ; Doxorubicin* ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukopenia ; Ovarian Neoplasms*

Chronic exposure to high levels of manganese (Mn) leads a pronounced and debilitating disorder known as manganism. Research on the toxic manifestation of manganese have focused primarily on its neurological effects because exposure to high levels of the metal produces a distinct and irreversible extrapyramidal dysfunction resembling the dystonic movements associated with Parkinson's physiological and biochemical systems in the body. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of Mn on mineralization in primary rat calvarial cells. The experimental groups were in concentration of 0, 10, 30 and 60 micrometer. The results were as follows: 1. ALP activity was decreased in concentration of 30 and 60 micrometer (p<0.01). 2. Bone nodule formation was depressed in concentration of 30 and 60 micrometer at day 14 and 21 (p<0.01). 3. RT-PCR results showed an altered expression of bone matrix proteins. These result suggested that manganese might decrease or alter the expression of the osteoblast phenotype.
Animals ; Bone Matrix ; Manganese ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis* ; Phenotype ; Rats*