BACKGROUND: The high concentration of plasma total homocysteine is recently considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to provide reference ranges for plasma homocysteine levels and to investigate the relationship between plasma homocysteine and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy Korean men. METHODS: Anthropometric parameters, alcohol intake, cigarette use and nutrient intake were determined in 166 healthy men within a wide age range(30-69 yr). Serum levels of lipids, glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT), plasma amino acid concentrations and levels of antioxidant nutrients and enzymes were also measured. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as plasma homocysteine levels above the 90th percentile(> or =15micromol/L) of respective plasma homocysteine distribution in study subjects. Characteristics of hyperhomocysteinemic men(n=16) were compared to normohomocys- teinemic men(n=16) matched for age and body mass index. RESULTS: Plasma total homocysteine values ranged from 2.4 to 38.1micromol/L, a skewed, right-tailed distribution. The homocysteine levels of 25th, 50th and 75th percentile were 7.02, 9.61 and 12.4micromol/L, respectively. The mean concentration of plasma total homocysteine was 10.7micromol/L. Plasma total homocysteine level was positively correlated to body mass index, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels and alcohol intake, but negatively correlated to serum bata-carotene concentration. In multivariate analysis, serum triglyceride level was the strongest determinant of plasma total homocysteine concentration. There were no significant differences between two groups in waist to hip ratio, alcohol intake, cigarette use, blood pressure and serum levels of glucose and insulin during OGTT. Hyperhomocysteinemic men had significantly higher mean values of serum triglyceride(258mg/dl), total cholesterol(226mg/dl), and LDL-cholesterol(140mg/dl) than normohomocysteinemic men. Hyperhomocysteinemic men showed a decrease in lipid corrected values of serum bata-carotene and alpha-tocopherol and plasma concentrations of serine and taurine, when compared to normohomocysteinemic men. The mean intakes of vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12 and bata-carotene tended to decline by 25-30% in hyper- homocysteinemic group, when compared to normohomocysteinemic group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that healthy Korean men with hyperhomocys- teinemia show signs of hyperlipidemia and decreased antioxidants nutrients and these factors increase risk for coronary artery disease. In addition, hyperhomocysteinemia may affect amino acid metabolism related to homocysteine.
alpha-Tocopherol ; Antioxidants ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Folic Acid ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Hyperlipidemias ; Insulin ; Male ; Metabolism ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plasma* ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors* ; Serine ; Taurine ; Tobacco Products ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 6 ; Waist-Hip Ratio

Pityriasis rotunda is characterized by perfectly circular to oval brownish scaly patch on the trunk and extremities. This disease is considered to be a form of acquired ichtkyosis of unknown etiology and develops usually in association with certain systemic diseases, such as tuberculosis, malignant neoplasrn, leprosy, ovarian cyst and uterine myoma etc, We experienced 2 cases of pityriasis rotunda on the abdomen, chest and back associated with liver cirrhosis in 66 year old man 43 year old woman and clinical presentation was made with review of related literatures.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Aged ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Leprosy ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Ovarian Cysts ; Pityriasis* ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Movement Disorders* ; Prevalence*

Most orthopedic surgeons were aimed at the rigid internal fixation on the surgical treatment of the fracture. And the compression plate was developed and regarded as an excellent rigid internal fixation device by its advantages of accurate anatomical reduction, early joint mobilization and shortening of the duration of the fracture healing, which are chief aim of A.S.I.F. method. During the period of January 1970 to December 1979, 67 cases of diaphyseal fractures of the long bones were treated with compression plate according to A.S.I.F. method at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University and results were obtained as follows: 1. The age of patient was ranged from 15 to 77, and the highest incidence was in the 3rd decade male group (31.4%). 2. Old fracture cases were slightly more than fresh cases, and the fresh femur fracture was the commonest. 3. The periods of the postop immobilization of fresh fractures were 3.7 weeks in humerun fracture, 6.3 weeks in forearm fractures, 8.7 weeks in femur fracture and 7.0 week in tibia fracture, and in old fractures about 4 weeks was longer than fresh fractures. 4. The bony union was accomplished in all cases between 8 week and 24 week. 5. The complication were 4 superficial infections, 4 deep infections, 1 delayed union and 9 joint stiffnesses. 6. Compression plate fixation is considered as an excellent method for the treatment of the fractures of the long bones.
Clinical Study ; Femur ; Forearm ; Fracture Healing ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Incidence ; Internal Fixators ; Joints ; Male ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Seoul ; Surgeons ; Tibia

No abstract available.
Lower Extremity*

No abstract available.
Peripheral Nerves* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation*

We report a case of primary adenocarcinoma of the urethra in 62 years old female. Primary carcinoma of the female urethra is an uncommon malignancy that accounts for less than 0.02 per cent of all cancers occurring in women. Adenocarcinoma is rare in the literature. Whereas squamous cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma, which comprise the majority of urethral malignancies, arise form the squamous or epithelial cells lining the urethra, adenocarcinoma arises form the periurethral glands.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Epithelial Cells ; Female* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Urethra*

No abstract available.
DNA Fingerprinting* ; DNA* ; Humans* ; Papilloma*

No abstract available.
Chronic Pain* ; Electroacupuncture* ; Needles* ; Syringes*

The anterior middle fossa is the most common location of benign intracranial arachnoid cysts. In the adult, headache, temporal bulging, and mild proptosis are the usual presenting complaints, although seizures and contralateral weakness have been described. Bitemporal hemianopsia associated with this lesion has not been noted previously. Herein we describe the patient with bitemporal hemianopsia associated with sylvian fissure arachnoid cyst. Cystoperitoneal shunt was beneficial. The etiology, histology, and suggested therapy of other patient with arachnooid cyst are also discussed.
Adult ; Arachnoid Cysts ; Arachnoid* ; Exophthalmos ; Headache ; Hemianopsia* ; Humans ; Seizures