No abstract available.
Atherosclerosis* ; Diabetic Foot*

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in postmenopausal women. The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preventing for cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women remains controversial. We investigated the effect of HRT on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) according to the HRT duration in healthy postmenopausal women. METHODS: One hundred and twenty postmenopausal women (mean age: 55.4 +/- 3.3 years) were classified into never users, short-term, and long-term users according to the HRT duration. Carotid IMT was measured, and the clinical and biochemical cardiovascular risk factors were examined. RESULTS: The mean IMT was significantly thinner in the long-term users than that in the never users (0.62 +/- 0.11 vs. 0.71 +/- 0.14 mm, P < 0.01). Also, the maximal IMT was significantly thinner in the short-term and the long-term users. However, there is no significant difference in the mean and maximal IMTs between the estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestins used group. The period exposed to menopause was significantly shorter in the long-term users than that in the never users (1.8 +/- 2.3 vs. 4.3 +/- 3.3 years, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that if HRT is initiated during early postmenopausal period before the onset of atherosclerosis, HRT may have a beneficial effect on the prevention of carotid atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness* ; Cause of Death ; Estrogens ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Menopause ; Postmenopause ; Progestins ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There has been little clinical data on the treatment outcome of patients with acute asthma attack in Korea. We designed a management protocol of acute asthma, and analyzed clinical p arameters obtained from this protocol. METHOD: A total of 32 cases with acute asthma were treated with oxygen, beta2 agonist, and methylprednisolone. Ipratropium was added in cases of severe attack. After 90 minutes, intravenous aminophylline was given to the patients with poor response. RESULT: Beta2 agonist and methylprednisolone were sufficient for symptom control in 17 cases. Ipratropium and aminophylline were added in 6 and 9 cases, respectively. There was no difference in improvement of PEF, heart rate, respiratory rate, PaO2, PaCO2, and SaO2 at 90 minutes and 8 hours between beta2 agonist inhalation and subcutaneous group. Serum potassium concentration levels significantly decreased in patients treated with ipratropium of aminophylline(n=15, 4.17+/-0.45 vs. 3.99+/-0.35mM/L, p<0.05), compared with patients using only beta2 agonist and methylprednisolone(n=17, 3.89+/-0.30 vs. 4.14+/-0.45mM/L, p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous beta2 agonist may be an alternative to inhalant beta2 agonist for the emergency treatment of acute asthma, and we think a consensus regarding use of aminophylline in the emergency room should be made.
Aminophylline ; Asthma* ; Consensus ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emergency Treatment ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Ipratropium ; Korea ; Methylprednisolone ; Oxygen ; Potassium ; Respiratory Rate ; Treatment Outcome*

PURPOSE: Diabetic nephropathy is the most serious of complications in diabetes mellitus. Thiazolidinedione (TZD) is thought to ameliorate diabetic nephropathy; however, the mechanism underlying this effect has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) participates in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and that TZD may be beneficial for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy because of the effect it has on VEGF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 23 Otsuka- Long-Evans-Tokushima-Fatty (OLETF) rats and eight control Long-Evans-Tokushima-Otsuka (LETO) rats were divided into the following four groups: LETO group, control OLETF group, pioglitazone treated group (10mg/kg/day), and rosiglitazone treated group (3mg/kg/day). RESULTS: A progressive increase in urinary protein excretion was observed in the diabetic rats. Glomerular VEGF expression in the control OLETF rats was significantly higher than in the control LETO rats. However, there was a significant reduction in both the glomerular VEGF expression and the VEGF mRNA levels after treatment with pioglitazone and rosiglitazone. The twenty-four hour urine protein levels were significantly decreased in both groups of the treated OLETF rats. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TZD may have beneficial effects on diabetic nephropathy by reducing the VEGF expression.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics ; Thiazolidinediones/*therapeutic use ; Rats, Long-Evans ; Rats ; Male ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Diabetic Nephropathies/*drug therapy ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*drug therapy ; Animals

BACKGROUND: Postmenopausal status is associated with a 60% increased risk for metabolic syndrome. It is thought to be associated with decreased estrogens and increased abdominal obesity in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome components and menopausal status. METHODS: A total of 1,926 women were studied and divided into three groups according to their menstrual stage (premenopausal, perimenopausal or postmenopausal). The presence of metabolic syndrome was assessed using the National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 7.1% in premenopause, 9.8% in perimenopause, and 24.2% in postmenopause. The strong correlation was noted between the metabolic syndrome score and waist circumference in postmenopause (r = 0.56, P < 0.01) and perimenopause (r = 0.60, P < 0.01). Along the menopausal transition, the risk of metabolic syndrome increased with high triglyceride after the age-adjusted (odds ratio (OR) 1.517 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.014~2.269] in perimenopausal women and OR 1.573 [95% CI 1.025~2.414] in postmenopausal women). In addition, the prevalence of metabolic syndromeincreased in accordance with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels. CONCLUSION: Triglyceride and waist circumference were important metabolic syndrome components, though ALT and GGT may also be related for predicting metabolic syndrome during the transition to menopause.
Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; Cholesterol ; Estrogens ; Female ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Humans ; Menopause ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Perimenopause ; Postmenopause ; Premenopause ; Prevalence ; Waist Circumference

Subclinical Cushing's syndrome is defined as an autonomous cortisol hyperproduction without specific clinical signs of cortisol excess, but detectable biochemically as derangements of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. We report a case of a 33-year-old woman with subclinical Cushing's syndrome caused by left adrenocortical adenoma, mistaken for Liddle's syndrome. The patient complained of fatigue. Laboratory findings showed metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, high TTKG (transtubular K concentration gradient), low plasma renin activity, and low serum aldosterone level, that findings implied as Liddle's syndrome. So we performed further study. Hormonal and radiologic studies revealed subclinical Cushing's syndrome with a left adrenal mass. The adrenal mass was resected and pathologically diagnosed as adrenocortical adenoma. After the resection of the left adrenal mass, patient's hormonal levels showed normal range.
Adrenocortical Adenoma* ; Adult ; Aldosterone ; Alkalosis ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cushing Syndrome* ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypokalemia ; Plasma ; Reference Values ; Renin

Acromegaly is a disorder caused by hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). The most common cause of acromegaly is a pituitary GH-producing adenoma. Complete or partial disappearance of the adenoma, probably as a result of hemorrhage or infarction, may lead to empty sella. A case of acromegaly with empty sella syndrome has rarely been reported in Korea. It has been suggested that acromegaly might be associated with the incidence of colon neoplasm. Here, we describe a case of acromegaly with empty sella syndrome in a patient who was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Acromegaly ; Adenoma ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Empty Sella Syndrome ; Growth Hormone ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Korea

Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine malignancies. It is known that thyroid cancer can develop during reproductive periods, possibly due to the effects of sex hormones and growth factors such human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). Some data suggest that elevated HCG levels during pregnancy or gestational trophoblastic disease can stimulate thyroid cellular proliferation and promote cancer formation; however, a case of papillary thyroid cancer accompanied by a gestational trophoblastic tumor has not been reported. Here, we report the case of a 44-year-old woman with papillary thyroid cancer during treatment for a gestational trophoblastic tumor.
Adult ; Cell Proliferation ; Chorion ; Female ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Pregnancy ; Reproduction ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Trophoblastic Neoplasms ; Trophoblasts

BACKGROUND: Recently, the measurement of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was recommended as an alternative to fasting plasma glucose or oral glucose tolerance tests for diagnosing diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, we analyzed HbA1c levels for diabetes mellitus screening in a Korean rural population. METHODS: We analyzed data from 10,111 subjects from a Korean Rural Genomic Cohort study and generated a receiver operating characteristic curve to determine an appropriate HbA1c cutoff value for diabetes. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 56.3+/-8.1 years. Fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour plasma glucose after 75 g oral glucose tolerance tests were 97.5+/-25.6 and 138.3+/-67.1 mg/dL, respectively. The mean HbA1c level of the subjects was 5.7+/-0.9%. There were 8,809 non-DM patients (87.1%) and 1,302 DM patients (12.9%). A positive relationship between HbA1c and plasma glucose levels and between HbA1c and 2-hour plasma glucose levels after oral glucose tolerance tests was found in a scatter plot of the data. Using Youden's index, the proper cutoff level of HbA1c for diabetes mellitus screening was 5.95% (sensitivity, 77%; specificity, 89.4%). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the optimal HbA1c level for DM screening is 5.95%.
Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Plasma ; ROC Curve ; Rural Population ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DDMS) is a rare condition characterized by asymmetric cerebral hemispheric growth with unilateral atrophy, ipsilateral compensatory osseous hypertrophy, hyperpneumatization of the paranasal sinuses and mastoid cells, and contralateral paresis. Varying degrees of hemiparesis, hemiplegia, seizures, mental retardation, and facial asymmetry can be associated with DDMS. We report the case of a 26-year-old man with DDMS associated with hypopituitarism who complained of polydipsia and polyuria. After an oral glucose tolerance test, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. There is no report of DDMS associated with other pituitary dysfunction or hyperglycemia. Clinicians should consider the possibility of coexisting pituitary dysfunction or type 2 diabetes in patients with DDMS, as it is obviously important for the patient's outcome.
Adult ; Amides ; Atrophy ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Facial Asymmetry ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertrophy ; Hypopituitarism ; Intellectual Disability ; Mastoid ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Paresis ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria ; Seizures ; Sulfones