Telomere shortening has been suggested as an indicator of aging and psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have explored the relationship between telomere length (TL) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We investigated the association between TL and IBS in 43 IBS patients using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The clinical characteristics and severity of IBS, assessed by the visual analogue scale, were also analyzed. The average TL was 4.40 ± 3.87, with TL shortening tending to be associated with female sex and smoking. However, these associations did not reach statistical significance. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between IBS severity and TL (r = –0.285, p = 0.083), although this was not statistically significant. No other clinical characteristics were significantly associated with TL. This is the first study to examine the relationship between TL and IBS. Our findings suggest that TL may have potential as a predictor for IBS diagnosis.

Telomere shortening has been suggested as an indicator of aging and psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have explored the relationship between telomere length (TL) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We investigated the association between TL and IBS in 43 IBS patients using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The clinical characteristics and severity of IBS, assessed by the visual analogue scale, were also analyzed. The average TL was 4.40 ± 3.87, with TL shortening tending to be associated with female sex and smoking. However, these associations did not reach statistical significance. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between IBS severity and TL (r = –0.285, p = 0.083), although this was not statistically significant. No other clinical characteristics were significantly associated with TL. This is the first study to examine the relationship between TL and IBS. Our findings suggest that TL may have potential as a predictor for IBS diagnosis.

Telomere shortening has been suggested as an indicator of aging and psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have explored the relationship between telomere length (TL) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We investigated the association between TL and IBS in 43 IBS patients using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The clinical characteristics and severity of IBS, assessed by the visual analogue scale, were also analyzed. The average TL was 4.40 ± 3.87, with TL shortening tending to be associated with female sex and smoking. However, these associations did not reach statistical significance. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between IBS severity and TL (r = –0.285, p = 0.083), although this was not statistically significant. No other clinical characteristics were significantly associated with TL. This is the first study to examine the relationship between TL and IBS. Our findings suggest that TL may have potential as a predictor for IBS diagnosis.

Telomere shortening has been suggested as an indicator of aging and psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have explored the relationship between telomere length (TL) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We investigated the association between TL and IBS in 43 IBS patients using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The clinical characteristics and severity of IBS, assessed by the visual analogue scale, were also analyzed. The average TL was 4.40 ± 3.87, with TL shortening tending to be associated with female sex and smoking. However, these associations did not reach statistical significance. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between IBS severity and TL (r = –0.285, p = 0.083), although this was not statistically significant. No other clinical characteristics were significantly associated with TL. This is the first study to examine the relationship between TL and IBS. Our findings suggest that TL may have potential as a predictor for IBS diagnosis.

To investigate retinal hemodynamics in diabetic retinopathy, the perifoveral capillary leukocyte velocity for retinal microcirculation was measured in eyes of 16 control. 12 non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR) and 10 proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR) on the video fluorescein angiogram using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope(SLO 101, Rod-enstock, Munich, Germany) in 20 degrees retinal field. And the times of arm to retinal circulation, arterio-venous circulation and venous lamina flow for retinal macrocirculation were also measured in eyes of 18 control, 16 NPDR and 10 PDR in 40 degrees retinal field. There was not any statistically significant difference between control eyes(140.62 +/- 34.11 pixels/see, 1.21 +/- 0.29 mm/sec) and NPDR eyes(133.98 +/- 31.85 pixels/sec, 1.15 +/- 0.27 mm/sec) in mean perifoveal capillary leukocyte velocity(p=0.60). But it was significantly decreased in PDR eyes(108.80 +/- 26.19 pixels/see, 0.94 +/- 0.23 mm/sec) compared with control(p=0.01) and NPDR eyes(p=0.05). The were not any significant differences in the times of arm to retinal and arterio-venous circulation respectively(p>0.05) among the eyes of control(12.09 +/- 1.41 sec, 2.41 +/- 0.86 sec), NPDR(12.66 +/- 1.42 see, 2.32 +/- 0.96 sec) and PDR(12.90 +/- 1.51 see, 2.54 +/- 0.94 sec). But the venous lamina flow time was significantly decreased in eyes of NPDR(6.91 +/- 2.32 see, p=0.02) and PDR(7.03 +/- 1.89 sec, p=0.01) compared with that of control(5.46 +/- 1.18 see). These results indicate that a significant retinal microcirculatory deficit exists in the eyes of PDR, and venous lamina flow time may be a good index of retinal macrocirculatory deficit in diabetic retinopathy.
Arm ; Capillaries ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Fluorescein ; Hemodynamics* ; Leukocytes ; Microcirculation ; Ophthalmoscopes* ; Retinaldehyde*

No abstract available.
Heart Diseases* ; Heart*

No abstract available.
Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Mucormycosis*

We conducted this cohort analytic study to determine whether women with unexplained elevations of maternal serum hCG at 15-18 weeks' gestation are at increased risk for pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes. The inclusion criteria were a singleton gestation, a confirmed gestational age, and an hCG level greater than 2.0 multiples of the median (MoM). The exclusion criteria were fetal anomalies, an abnormal karyotype, molar pregnancy, and an MSAFP level greater than 2.5 multiples of the median (MoM). A group of randomly selected women with hCG levels under 2.0 MoM served as controls. Patients with elevated levels of hCG had a significantly higher risk for PIH (17.9% versus 4.5%; P <.05) and preterm delivery (17.9% versus 3.5%; P<, 05) than control. But no significant differences were observed in the incidence of intrauterine growth restriction and low birth weight and in the newborn weight. We suggested that pregnancies with unexplained elevated hCG levels should be regarded as high-risk pregnancies. And these patients require careful monitoring with adequate obstetric management.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans* ; Hydatidiform Mole ; Incidence ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, High-Risk

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to assess the growth status and to evaluate the factors affecting the development of metabolic syndrome in children born with small for gestational age (SGA) at term gestation. METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 73 (36 boys, 37 girls) children born with SGA at term gestation who were visited for short stature and metabolic problems at Seoul National University Children' Hospital between 1994 and 2003. We assessed several clinical parameters as follows:birth weight, height standard deviation score (SDS), weight SDS, weight for height, bone age (BA), chronologic age (CA), predicted adult height (PAH) and midparental height (MPH). We evaluated the factors affecting height SDS according to pubertal status. We also evaluated the factors affecting development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia or obesity. RESULTS:Pubertal children had greater height SDS, weight SDS and difference between BA and CA than prepubertal children, respectively (P<0.05). Height SDS positively correlated with difference between BA and CA (r=0.43, P<0.01), but BA advancement (BA>CA) was not observed in prepubertal children. BA advancement was observed in all pubertal children except one. The children who had greater weight SDS than height SDS had significantly lower height SDS and delayed BA, respectively (P<0.05). The children who had metabolic problems had higher weight SDS (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that rapid skeletal maturation may develope during transition from prepuberty to puberty and catch-up growth may contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome in children born with SGA, but further study will be required.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Dyslipidemias ; Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Obesity ; Pregnancy* ; Puberty ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul

Clinical study has been carried out on the 80 consecutive cases of traumatic hyphema who had been admitted to Won-Kwang University Hospital for the 3 year period between March of 1985 and February of 1988. Based on these 80 patients, a clinical analysis was conducted as to the degree of bleeding, the time of arrival to hospital after injury, the frequency of rebleeding and the final visual acuity. The followings were the results. 1. Male patients were 67(83.8%) of 80 and the younger age group occupied more than half of all cases; 23(28.8%) in teenagers, 21(26.3%) in third decade. 2. There were varieties of trauma for hyphema such as stone blow(cases, 16.3%), fist(8 cases, 10.0%) and glass pieces(8 cases, 10.0%). 3. Grade I hyphema(bleeding less than one third of anterior chamber) was 45 cases(56.3%) of all. The associated ocular injuries were eyelids laceration (20 cases, 25.0%), angle recession(cases, 15.0%), corneal damage and iris sphinctor rupture(11 cases, 13.8%) and vitreous hemorrhage(10 cases, 12.5%). 4. Of 10 cases of rebleeding encountered in non-perforating group, nine was in Grade II hyphema(bleeding 1/3 and 1/2 of anterior chamber) and the bleeding was noted four to six days after initial trauma. 5. The final visual acuity of above 0.5 increased from 2.3% to 65.1% in Grade I hyphema, from 9.1% to 54.5% in Grade II huphema and from 0 to 36.4% in Grade III hyphema(bleeding more than one half of anterior chamber). 6. The major causes of impaired visual acuity were disorders of vitreous and retina(11 cases, 40.8%) and cataract(5 cases, 18.5%).
Adolescent ; Eyelids ; Glass ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyphema* ; Iris ; Lacerations ; Male ; Visual Acuity