Earlier work suggested that Ginseng saponin had an effect on osteoblast and other cells, but there has been no report on saponin effects on chondrocyte. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of saponin on cultured human chondrocyte. The chondrocyte was isolated from human articular cartilage of knee joint during notchplasty of ACL reconstructive procedure using collagenase, and cultured in standard medium and serum free deficient medium, with addition of saponin(0(control), 10, 20, 50 microgram/ml concentration). DNA, RNA synthesis of chondrocyte was estimated on 36 hours and 5 days of culture by measuring of thymidine and uridine uptake. Human collagen type I and II synthesis was estimated by reverse transcriptation-polymerase chain reaction on 36 hours of culture. Low dose saponin was found to enhance DNA, RNA, and collagen synthesis of chondrocytes which were cultured with a deficient medium in comparison to the controls. It promoted cell proliferation of the osteoblasts cultured with a deficient medium in comparison to the controls. But, high dose saponin was found to diminish the synthesis of DNA, RNA and collagen. In summary, the results showed that the saponin increased proliferation and differentiation of the chondrocyte cultured in deficient medium. Therefore saponin seemed to act as a physiologic stimulant on human chondrocyte. But further study should be done.
Cartilage, Articular ; Cell Proliferation ; Chondrocytes* ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Collagenases ; DNA ; Humans* ; Knee Joint ; Osteoblasts ; Panax* ; RNA ; Saponins* ; Thymidine ; Uridine

Limb-Body Wall complex is a complicated with the essential features of neural-tube defects, body-wall disruption, and limb abnormalities. This complex should be distinguished from other body-wall defects including omphalocele and gastroschisis since the prognosis for limb-body wall is uniformly poor. We have experienced one case of limb-body wall complex in a 22-year-old primigravida, which is presented with a brief review of the literature.
Extremities ; Gastroschisis ; Hernia, Umbilical ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Intussusception* ; Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome*

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: There are few reports of affecting factors of the longterm prognosis after acute ischemic stroke. The aim of this prospective study was to determine which variables, of those easily measurable during the first 24 hours after stroke onset, would be predictors of longterm outcome. METHOD: Ninety-eight patients with an acute ischemic stroke were evaluated within 24 hours after symptom onset. The following potential affecting factors of outcome were prospectively collected : demographic datas, socioeconomic factors, risk factors of cerebrovascular accidents, clinical f indings as measured by the National Institute of Health (NIH) scale, laboratory findings and premorbid varibles rated according to modified Rankin score (mRS). We evaluated the outcome, assessed with mRS as good (mRS 3 or less) and poor (mRS 4, 5 or death) and follow up was undertaken at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after onset. The statistical analysis was performed by means of SPSS/PC+package to determine the longterm prognostic factors. RESULTS: The multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that the outcome depend on NIH scale(p<0.001), age (p<0.01), previous stroke(p<0.01), loss of consciousness (LOC) at onset (p Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Paresis ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Stroke ; Unconsciousness

Adherence of Candida albicans(C. albicans) to the surface of a denture is believed to be an initial and essential step in the formation of denture-induced stomatitis. Previous studies have provided enormous infomation on the relationship between composition of palatine gland/parotid saliva and upper denture stomatitis. Relatively little information is available on the correlation between lower denture stomatitis and sublingual-submandibular(SLSM) saliva. The plaque samples were collected from the two sites(100mm2) on the inner surface of lower partial denture corresponding to the stomatitis and healthy region of the lower partial dentures of 12 denture stomatitis patients and 6 normal persons who wore lower partial dentures. The samples were plated to isolate C. albicans on a selective Saboraud's dextrose agar plate and the isolates were identified by germ tube test and gram staining. The subjects were divided into group I (stomatitis with C. albican), group II (lesion without C. albicans), group III (no lesion but C. albicans), and group IV (normal and healthy denture wearer). Individual SLSM saliva (20microgram of protein) was analyzed by SDS-PAGE(SDS-poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis) with Coomassie brilliant blue and PAS(Periodic Acid Schiff) staining. The salivary proteins separated in the polyacryamide gels were subjected to immunoblot analysis using anti-lactoferrin, anti-sIgA, and anti-secretory component of sIgA. In this study using custom made acrylic denture resin beads(5mm in diameter) coated with stimulated individual SLSM saliva, the binding ability of individual C. albicans strains to the beads was observed. Levels of C. albicans adhered to the acrylic resin beads were determined by measuring the optical density of the bound C. albicans to the beads at 580nm. The results showed that a higher number of C. albicans was observed in the lesion site than health site. The saliva of group I contained more high molecular weight glycoprotein(mucin, MG1) as compared to group II, III, and IV. And lactoferrin and sIgA affected to the binding ability of C. albicans to acylic resin beads. Binding ability of individual C. albicans to the acrylic resin coated with respective individual saliva was found to be greater in group I than the other 3 groups. And when bound cells of C. albicans isolated from individual subject #2 to the saliva coated beads were used, binding ability of subject #2 saliva coated beads was founed to be greater than the other subjects. These results suggested that denture induced stomatitis is related to individual patient's salivary protein composition, especially MG-1. Future studies will be directed toward saliva examination of patients who have general disease and analysis of pellicles formed on prosthesis with respect to oral disease.
Agar ; Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Denture, Partial ; Dentures* ; Gels ; Glucose ; Glycoproteins* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory ; Lactoferrin ; Molecular Weight ; Prostheses and Implants ; Saliva ; Salivary Proteins and Peptides ; Stomatitis ; Stomatitis, Denture*

BACKGROUND: A variety of therapeutic regimens has been used in the treatment of hypertrophic scars/keloids with onsatisfactory final results. Application of cryosurgery could be beneficial sinee it was reported to produce less scarring and recurrence after treatment compared with other methods. Objective This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of the cryosurgery through objective, quantitative measurement of hypertrophic scar/keloid thickness and to assess the influence of the cryosurgery on fibroblasts. The latter was achieved through fibroblast cultures established from hypertrophic scars/keloids. METHODS: Eight patients, ageA 17 to 47 years old, with hypertrophic scars/keloids were treated with liquid nitrogen using the cantact method. One freeze-thaw cycle of 10-30 seconds per lesion was employed, and if needed, treatment was repeated every 20 to 40 days. The thicknesses of the lesions were measured objective,ly with ultrasound in five patients, before and after cryosurgery and were compared with controlled scars in other areas. In three patients, we cultured fibroblasts from the treated and the untreated lesions and exmuned the rate of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production. RESULTS: In all five patients, thicknesses of the hypertrophic scars/keloids decreased compared to those of controlled areas after treatment. Five of 6 hypertrophic scar cell lines demonsbated decreased fibroblast proliferation rates in comparison to control fibroblast lines. Collagen produced by the fibroblasts was variable. CONCLUSION: Cyosurgery was effective and safe in the treatment of hypertrophic scars/keloids.
Cell Line ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Collagen ; Cryosurgery* ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Keloid* ; Middle Aged ; Nitrogen ; Recurrence ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, one of the most common metabolic bone disease, might be influenced by the severity of Parkinson's disease (PD). Objectives : We investigated the relationship between the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and the severity of PD in postmenopausal and senile women. METHODS: We measured BMD of lumbar spine (L1-L4) by Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA; Hologic QDR-4500A). We compared BMD between patient group (30 patients with PD) and control (183 postmenopausal and senile health women). The patients were divided into two groups according to osteoporosis and analyzed the following potential factors influencing BMD in PD; age, duration of symptom, age of onset, Hoehn and Yahr stage (H-Y stage), UPDRS motor score, duration of treatment, body mass index (BMI), dominant symptom such as tremor or rigidity. RESULTS: 1. BMD was significantly decreased with aging (p <0.01) in control group, but BMD tend to decreased with aging in PD (p=0.08). 2. BMD of patient group was significantly lower than that of control group (p<0.001). 3. BMD of osteoporosis group was significantly related to BMI (p<0.05) and conversely related to H-Y staging(p <0.05), UPDRS motor score (p <0.01). 4. However, BMD of osteoporosis group were not related to age, duration of symptom, age of onset, dominant symptom and duration of treatment (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Osteoporosis is related to H-Y stage, UPDRS motor score and BMI as well as aging in PD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Age of Onset ; Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Female ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Parkinson Disease* ; Spine ; Tremor

BACKGROUND: After an esophageal resection for an esophageal disease, the stomach becomes the most common organ for a substitute. The stomach has the advantages of being simple with fewer complications when used properly. The complications of an esophageal reconstruction using the stomach as the substitute are assessed and discussed. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between 1990 and 1998, 44 patients who underwent esophagogastric anastomosis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Yongdong Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. RESULT: The rate of postoperative complications and mortality in these 44 patients were 70.5% and 13.6%, respectively. The major complications in our series involved the stricture of anastomosis(13.6%), pneumonia(11.4%), and wound infection(9.1%). The most frequent causes of postoperative deaths were pulmonary complications and sepsis(6.8%). CONCLUSION: Anastomotic leakage is no longer a major complication of an esophagogastrostomy. Most postoperative stricture can be overcome with frequent esophageal dilations. Postoperative pulmonary infection, nutrition, and physiotherapy are very important in reducing the rate of pulmonary morbidity and mortality.
Anastomotic Leak ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Esophageal Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Mortality* ; Postoperative Complications ; Seoul ; Stomach ; Wounds and Injuries

The natural history after articular cartilage injury is unclear. However, it is generally accepted that once articular cartilage is injured, its ability to regenerate is limited and that injury progresses to arthritis with time. Over the years various treatments have been developed and are used, such as arthroscopic debridement, microfracture, multiple drilling, osteochondral transfer, and Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI). These can be divided into treatment methods which apply cells and those which apply tissue. The former include abrasion chondroplasty, microfracture, multiple drilling, and ACI. The latter include osteochondral transfer and allograft. Combination treatments using both cells and tissues are new-generation ACI and microfracture with biomaterials. The clinical applications of stem cell therapy is still at an early stage, but shows much promise, particularly in the management of cartilage defects.
Arthritis ; Biocompatible Materials ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular ; Chondrocytes ; Debridement ; Knee ; Mandrillus ; Natural History ; Stem Cells ; Transplantation, Homologous

PURPOSE: Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign neoplasm in parotid gland. Superficial parotidectomy was usually used to remove the pleomorphic adenoma. But, this method has to remove tumor with normal parotid tissue. Authors did lumpectomy to remove pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland, because pleomorphic adenoma is wrapped in a capsule as it grows. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of lumpectomy as a treatment of pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland. METHODS: From 2002 to 2008, 8 patients underwent the lumpectomy of the pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland. Occurrence of the complications and recurrance were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients were followed-up for a mean 45 months. There were no recurrance or no complication after lumpectomy. CONCLUSION: Authors suggest that the lumpectomy lead to decrese complications, recurrane and can be used as a procedure for the resection of pleomorphic adenoma in parotid gland.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Humans ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Parotid Gland