No abstract available.
Intra-Abdominal Fat*

A global increase in the incidence of tuberculosis has prompted the need for earlier diagnosis, treatment, and isolation of the disease. In tuberculosis, concomitant tuberculous meningitis and vascular complications such as intracranial aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhage are very rare. Because of the poor prognosis of tuberculous meningitis as well as intracranial aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage, early diagnosis and management are crucial. We present the case of a 76-year-old woman who had two intracranial aneurysms complicated by subarachnoid hemorrhage, who had concomitant tuberculous meningitis. She remained well with medical management.

Thrombomodulin (TM) is thrombin receptor present on the luminal surface of endothelial cells. Because the thrombin-TM complex acts as an anticoagulant, the functional variants or deficiency of TM may lead to increment of thrombotic tendency. In this study, we screened the genetic variants of the TM gene in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and analyzed the genotype to elucidate the effects of genetic variations of TM gene on the development of the MI. We screened a promoter region and coding sequence of the TM gene using single strand conformation polymorphism-heteroduplex analysis and identified three common genetic variants: those were TM G-33A, TM Ala455Val, and TM C1922T. The genotype frequencies were investigated in the patients with MI (n=234) and control subjects (n=291) by the method of allele-specific oligomer hybridization. The frequencies of mutant genotypes (TM -33A, TM 455Val, and TM 1922T) were higher in patient group compared to the control subjects in males while there were no significant differences in females. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, TM 455Val and TM 1922T alleles were independent risk factors for MI (OR[95% CI: 1.799[1.125-2.878] p=0.014 and 5.624[1.019-31.025], p=0.048, respectively) in males. However, the genetic variations were not independent risk factors for MI in females. There were significant linkage disequilibriums among three genetic variants. These linkage disequilibriums explain the similar effects of three genetic variants on the development of MI. To investigate the effect of the TM G-33A mutation on TM promoter activity, the two TM promoter constructs (pTM-355 and pTM-125, bearing TM -33G or TM -33A) containing of firefly luciferase gene were transfected into HepG2, BAE, and CHO cells. The promoter activities were higher in the promoter constructs with TM -33G compared to the constructs with TM -33A in pTM-355. These results suggest the possibility of the positive predisposing effect of TM -33A allele on MI in males. The functional study for TM Ala455Val and TM C1922T should be followed to elucidate the genotype effects of these mutations on the development of MI. In this study, we identified three genetic variants of TM gene and showed the significant associations between genetic variants and MI in males. These results proposed that TM gene is an attractive candidate for genetic risk factor for MI in Koreans.
Alleles ; Animals ; CHO Cells ; Clinical Coding ; Cricetinae ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Fireflies ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Logistic Models ; Luciferases ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Phenobarbital ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Receptors, Thrombin ; Risk Factors* ; Thrombomodulin

No abstract available.
Dermoid Cyst* ; Female ; Ovary* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Tubal*

It has been reported that CLA decreases fat deposition in vivo and in vitro experiments. Among CLA isomers, c9t11 and t10c12 have been shown to exert active biological activities. For example, t10c12 reduces body weight and increases lean body mass, whereas, c9t11 has little effect on body fattness. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for the anti-obesity action of CLA isomers are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of t10c12 and c9t11 on lipid accumulation, cell proliferation, cell death and the expression levels of Ucp genes which are proposed as targets for anti-obesity in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Isomers of CLA at 50 micrometer were added into preadipocyte differentiation medium for 3, 6 and 9days. Control cells received only the vehicle in the differentiation medium. Cytochemical analyses for lipid accumulation, cell proliferation and apotosis were carried out to compare lipidogenesis and cellular activity. RT-PCR analysis of GAPDH, Ucp 2, 3 and 4 were also performed to find any modulatory effects of CLA isomers on the metabolic genes. Lipid accumulation indicated by Oil Red-O staining was inhibited in CLA isomers as compared to the control. T10c12 isomer showed less lipidogenesis than c9t11 did. A decrease occurred in CLA isomers as shown by BrdU incorporation. Apotosis has occured at higher level in t10c12 when compared to that of t9c11. Ucp 2, 3 and 4 genes were also upregulated in CLA isomers. T10c12 showed higher level of Ucp gene expressions than the c9t11 did. The biological activities of CLA isomers were also found to be different during differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, suggesting that different isomers may be active in certain stage of lipidogenesis. The results indicate that both c9t11 and t10c12 CLA isomers decrease lipidogenesis, inhibit cell proliferation, increase cell death and upregulate in Ucp gene expressions during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation. T10c12 isomer was more effective than c9t11 in overall anti-obesity activity.
Body Weight ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Death ; Cell Proliferation* ; Gene Expression ; Linoleic Acid*

The co-occurrence of multiple sclerosis and peripheral demyelinating neuropathy is rare. It has been disputed whether these are pathologically related or coincidental findings. We report a 36-year-old woman who presented with diplopia, right facial palsy and left-sided weakness. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a lesion indicative of central demyelinating disease. Nerve conduction studies revealed peripheral multifocal demyelinating neuropathies. We suggest that the central and the peripheral lesions may be continua of a demyelinating process.
Adult ; Brain ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Diplopia ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Neural Conduction

A clinical analysis of infective endocarditis was done in 34 patients who were admitted to National Medical Center from march. 1972 to June. 1984, and the results were as follows. 1) There was no difference in ratio between sexes. The prevalence was highest in the 3rd decade. 2) The important preexisting heart diseases were rheumatic heart disease(32.4%), congenital heart disease(17.6%) and undefined cardiac condition(20.6%) in order of frequency. 3) The common symptoms and signs on admission were fever(88.3%), cardiac murmur(79.4%), malaise(70.6%), dyspnea (64.7%), palpitation(55.9%) and hepatosplenomegaly(55.9%). 4) The positive blood culture was obtained in 15(47%) of the cases. Those who had not received antibiotics before admission showed higher rate of positive culture(72.7%) than in those who had received(33.3%). 5) The laboratary findings revealed anemia(73.5%), leukocytosis(35.3%), increased ESR(73.5%), microscopic hematuria(61.8%) and positive CRP(100.0%). 6) The EKG findings showed normal(11.8%), sinus tachycardia(32.4%), LV hypertrophy(29.4%), non-specific ST-T change(20.6%) and AV block(14.7%). 7) Vegetation was detected by echocardiography in 43% of cases and the most frequently involved valve was aortic(66.7%). 8) The combination of penicillin and aminoglycoside was effective in 86.4% of patients so treated.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Penicillins ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVES: To identify various factors that might affect the empowerment of outpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Of patients who had been receiving outpatient treatments at the department of psychiatry in Dong-A university hospital, 116 patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of stable schizophrenia were enrolled in this study. The empowerment, psychiatric symptoms, social functions, insight, family attitude, social support and self-esteem were assessed through an interview or self-report measures. Overall, multiple regression analyses were performed in consideration of 11 factors (age, sex, level of education, age of onset, frequency of hospitalization, symptoms, social functions, insight, family attitude, social support, self-esteem) as explanatory variables for the empowerment. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses using a backward elimination revealed that the following four factors were found to be significant explanatory variables for the empowerment: age of onset, social functions, family attitude and self-esteem. A coefficient of determination for these four explanatory variables was 0.65. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results showed that four factors, such as age of onset, social functions, family attitude and self-esteem, were found to be significant explanatory variables for the empowerment of outpatients with schizophrenia. Since these four variables accounted for 65% of total empowerment, however, further studies in a larger group of patients are warranted to identify other potential factors for the empowerment.
Age of Onset ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Power (Psychology) ; Schizophrenia

Despite the advances in research and treatment of human breast cancer, its incidence rate continues to increase by 0.5% per year, and the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies for specific subtypes of human breast cancer remains challenging. Traditional laboratory mouse models have contributed tremendously to human breast cancer research. However, mice do not develop tumors spontaneously; consequently, genetically engineered mouse models or patient-derived xenograft models are often relied upon for more sophisticated human breast cancer studies. Since human breast cancer develops spontaneously, there is a need for alternative, yet complementary, models that can better recapitulate the features of human breast cancer to better understand the molecular and clinical complexities of the disease in developing new therapeutic strategies. Canine mammary tumors are one such alternative model that share features with human breast cancer, including prevalence rate, subtype classification, treatment, and mutational profiles, all of which are described in this review.

A pancreatic pseudocyst with a mediastinal extension is a rare clinical entity. Intrathoracic symptoms such as dysphagia or dyspnea due to compression or associated pleural effusions are quite common. The pseudocysts transverse the diaphragm via the esophageal hiatus or aortic hiatus or by eroding directly through the diaphragm. Here, we report a case of a pancreatic pseudocyst with a mediastinal extension presenting as dysphagia and dyspnea. The diagnosis was confirmed by computerized axial tomography of the chest and abdomen. Usually, the proper management of a larger pseducocyst includes percutaneous or surgical internal drainage, but in this case the mediastinal components disappeared with conservative medical treatment.
Abdomen ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Diaphragm ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Mediastinum ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst* ; Pleural Effusion ; Thorax