Normal gingival fibroblasts functioning is fundamental for the maintenance of periodontal connective tissue as well as wound healing. Nicotine have been found to affect DNA synthesis and cell proliferation, which appear to depend on the type of cells. This in vitro study was done to determine the effects of nicotine, a major component of tobacco, on cell proliferation, viability, activity, cell cycle distribution, and expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins in human gingival fibroblasts. Nicotine has been tested for 2 days or 4 days in 5 different concentrations; 0.1 microgram/ml; 1 microgram/ml; 10 microgram/ml; 100 microgram/ml; 1000 microgram/ml. To assess cell proliferation and viability, viable and non-viable cells were counted by hemocytometer; to evaluate cellular activity, MTT assay was employed; to analyze cell cycle distribution, fluorescent propidium iodide-DNA complex were measured using fluorocytometer; to determine the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins, western blot analysis was performed. After 2 days and 4 days incubation respectively, at concentrations of 1 microgram/ml - 1000 microgram/ml, nicotine significantly inhibited proliferation comparing to non-supplemented controls. The cell viability was significantly decreased after 2 days and 4 days at concentrations of 1 microgram/ml - 1000 microgram/ml and at 10 microgram/ml - 1000 microgram/ml respectively. After 2 days and 4 days, the cellular activity was significantly decreased at concentrations of 10 microgram/ml - 1000 microgram/ml. Treatment with 100 microgram/ml nicotine for 48 hours caused an increase in the proportion of G1-phase cells (from 46.41% to 53.46%) and a decrease in the proportion of S-phase cells (from 17.80% to 14.27%). The levels of cyclin D1 and CDK 4 proteins in nicotine-treated fibroblasts were lower than that of controls, whereas the levels of p16 and pRB were higher than that of controls. These results suggest that the decrease of cell proliferation and lengthened Gap phases (G1) by nicotine may due to the increased expression of p16 and pRB as well as decreased expression of cyclin D1 and CDK 4 in human gingival fibroblasts.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle Proteins* ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Connective Tissue ; Cyclin D ; Cyclin D1 ; DNA ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans* ; Nicotine* ; Propidium ; Tobacco ; Wound Healing

Loa loa is unique among the human filariae in that adult worms are occasionally visible during subconjuntival migration. A 29-yr-old African female student, living in Korea for the past 5 yr without ever visiting her home country, presented with acute eyelid swelling and a sensation of motion on the left eyeball. Her symptoms started one day earlier and became worse over time. Examination revealed a threadlike worm beneath the left upper bulbar conjunctiva with mild eyelid swelling as well as painless swelling of the right forearm. Upon exposure to slit-lamp illumination, a sudden movement of the worm toward the fornix was noted. After surgical extraction, parasitologic analysis confirmed the worm to be a female adult Loa loa with the vulva at the extreme anterior end. On blood smear, the microfilariae had characteristic features of Loa loa, including sheath and body nuclei up to the tip of the tail. The patient also showed eosinophilia (37%) measuring 4,100/microliter. She took ivermectin (200 microgram/kg) as a single dose and suffered from a mild fever and chills for one day. This patient, to the best of our knowledge, is the first case of subconjunctival loiasis with Calabar swelling in Korea.
Adult ; Animals ; Conjunctiva/parasitology ; Conjunctival Diseases/*parasitology ; Eye Infections, Parasitic/*parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Loa/isolation & purification ; Loiasis/*parasitology

Gingival fibroblasts are major cellular component of gingiva. However, the molecular mechanisms of senescence of human gingival fibroblasts are unknown. Human fibroblasts undergo replicative senescence in vitro after a limited number of population doublings. A reduced rate of proliferation is a prominent phenomenon observed in senescent fibroblasts. This phenomenon is happened with cell cycle arrest that was controled by cell cycle regulatory proteins. The purpose of present study was to investigate the effect of replicative senescence on cell cycle progression and to find out its molecular mechanisms in human gingival fibroblasts. Replicative senescence of gingival fibroblasts were induced by subsequent cultures that were repeated up to 18 passage. In the present study, I examined change of cell proliferation, cell activity, cell viability and cell cycle progression during the replicative process. Also, I examined expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins which was estimated by western blot analysis. Cell proliferation, cell activity and cell viability of gingival fibroblasts were notably decreased with increase of population doubling level(PDL). S phase was decreased and G1 phase was increased with increase of PDL. Western blot analysis showed that levels of p16, p21 and p53 of senescent gingival fibroblasts(PDL41, PDL58) were higher than young fibroblasts(PDL27) and cdk4 were lower than young fibroblasts(PDL27). In conclusion, these results suggest that proliferative function of human gingival fibroblasts may be decreased by replicative senescence and its molecular mechanisms may be activatied with p16, p21, p53 and pRB, and repressed wtih cdk4.
Aging ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Aging* ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Fibroblasts* ; G1 Phase ; Gingiva ; Humans* ; S Phase

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This purpose of this research is to study the prevalence of habitual snoring and the association between snoring and cephalo-anthropometric analysis in Korean population. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Four thousand and two hundred twenty four subjects (male: 2277, female: 1947), aged between 18~85 (mean age male: 45.3, female: 44.0), were recruited through home visits and interviewed by well-trained investigators. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty two male subjects (15.5%) and one hundred sixty two female subjects (8.32%) exhibited habitual snoring. Age, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly higher in the snoring group compared to those who dont snore habitually. Using a stepwise variable selection method of multiple logistic regression analysis, we found independent factors as being significant for males and females of the snoring groups. For males, the factors were BMI (p<0.001, OR=1.18 CI: 1.12~1.25), mandibular angle (p<0.001, OR=0.97 CI: 0.96~0.98), and abdominal girth (p<0.001, OR=1.04, CI: 1.02~1.06. For females, they were abdominal girth (p=0.031, OR=1.03, CI: 1.00~1.05), neck girth (p=0.003, OR=1.12, CI: 1.04~1.21), age (p=0.0002, OR=1.02 CI: 1.01~10.3), and BMI (p=0.0007, OR=1.11 CI: 1.05~1.18). CONCLUSION: We found that BMI, gonion angle and abdomen girth in male and abdominal girth, neck girth, age, BMI in female were the significant factors affecting the severity of snoring in Korean population.
Abdomen ; Adult* ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; House Calls ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Neck ; Prevalence ; Research Personnel ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Snoring*

BACKGROUND: The adverse effects of the phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor roflumilast, appear to be more frequent in clinical practice than what was observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinical trials. Thus, we designed this study to determine whether adverse effects could be reduced by starting roflumilast at half the dose, and then increasing a few weeks later to 500 microg daily. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 85 patients with COPD who had taken either 500 microg roflumilast, or a starting dose of 250 microg and then increased to 500 microg. We analyzed all adverse events and assessed differences between patients who continued taking the drug after dose escalation and those who had stopped. RESULTS: Adverse events were reported by 22 of the 85 patients (25.9%). The most common adverse event was diarrhea (10.6%). Of the 52 patients who had increased from a starting dose of 250 microg roflumilast to 500 microg, 43 (82.7%) successfully maintained the 500 microg roflumilast dose. No difference in factors likely to affect the risk of adverse effects, was detected between the dose-escalated and the discontinued groups. Of the 26 patients who started with the 500 microg roflumilast regimen, seven (26.9%) discontinued because of adverse effects. There was no statistically significant difference in discontinuation rate between the dose-escalated and the control groups (p=0.22). CONCLUSION: Escalating the roflumilast dose may reduce treatment-related adverse effects and improve tolerance to the full dose. This study suggests that the dose-escalated regimen reduced the rate of discontinuation. However, longer-term and larger-scale studies are needed to support the full benefit of a dose escalation strategy.
Clinical Protocols ; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4 ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibitors ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Although female gender is associated with higher prevalence of perioperative morbidity and mortality than male gender in conventional coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) using cardiopulmonary bypass, the impact of gender as an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality following off-pump CABG (OPCAB) is controversial. Therefore, we prospectively investigated the impact of gender on intraoperative variables and postoperative outcome and complications in OPCAB. METHODS: One hundred patients (69 males and 31 females) undergoing OPCAB by a single cardiac surgeon during 5 months period were prospectively enrolled. Preoperative patient's characteristics, intraoperative hemodynamics and medications and postoperative outcome and complications were recorded during hospital stay. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in preoperative characteristics including age, NYHA class and incidence of concomitant diseases between the male and female groups, except body surface area which was less in the female group. There were no significant differences in intraoperative hemodynamics and use of cardiotonic drugs between the groups. Frequency and amount of blood transfusion were greater, and length of ventilatory care and stay in intensive care unit were longer in female group. Other postoperative outcomes were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Gender did not significantly affect postoperative outcome, except use of blood products, length of ventilatory care and stay in intensive care unit in OPCAB. These results may be attributable to comparable preoperative patient's characteristics between the groups.
Blood Transfusion ; Body Surface Area ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Cardiotonic Agents ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump* ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

We described a case of a 54-year-old male who presented with dizziness and dyspnea due to cardiac metastasis of leiomyosarcoma. Cardiac metastasis of leiomyosarcoma caused both bradyarrhythmia and tachyarrhythmia in the patient. He was treated with implantation of a permanent pacemaker for management of complete atrio-ventricular block and anti-arrhythmic drug that suppressed ventricular tachycardia successfully.
Bradycardia ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Heart ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Ventricular*

OBJECTIVE: Communication problems are a prevalent symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which have a genetic background. Although several genome-wide studies on ASD have suggested a number of candidate genes, few studies have reported the association or linkage of specific endophenotypes to ASDs. METHODS: Forty-two Korean ASD patients who showed a language delay were enrolled in this study with their parents. We performed a genome-wide scan by using the Affymetrix SNP Array 5.0 platform to identify candidate genes responsible for language delay in ASDs. RESULTS: We detected candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in chromosome 11, rs11212733 (p-value=9.76x10(-6)) and rs7125479 (p-value=1.48x10(-4)), as a marker of language delay in ASD using the transmission disequilibrium test and multifactor dimensionality reduction test. CONCLUSION: Although our results suggest that several SNPs are associated with language delay in ASD, rs11212733 we were not able to observe any significant results after correction of multiple comparisons. This may imply that more samples may be required to identify genes associated with language delay in ASD.
Autistic Disorder ; Child ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 ; Endophenotypes ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Language Development Disorders ; Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction ; Parents ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide