No abstract available.
Depression* ; Humans ; Inpatients*

No abstract available.
Depression* ; Humans ; Inpatients*

PURPOSE: To reduce the side effects and improve the effectiveness of standard chemoradiation therapy, many complementary or alternative medicines have been tried. However, little is known about its immunologic effects in breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to assess the immunologic effects of mistletoe extract (Viscum album L., VAE) in patients with early breast cancer after surgery followed by standard adjuvant chemoradiation therapy. METHODS: A total 20 patients with early breast cancer treated with breast conserving surgery followed conventional chemoradiation therapy. Ten of these patients received subcutaneous injections of VAE for 7 weeks. IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma levels in serum samples were measured in all patients. RESULTS: The concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-beta were not significantly changed between before and after VAE treatment in both test and control group. The concentration of IL-6 in the test group was increased from 8.19+/-1.75 pg/mL to 9.86+/-1.46 pg/mL after treatment (p=0.013). The concentration of IFN-gamma in the test group was remarkably increased from 91.76+/-17.16 pg/mL to 167.42+/-66.61 pg/mL after treatment (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: Significant increases in the concentration of IL-6 and IFN-gamma were observed after VAE treatment. These results suggest that VAE treatment can stimulate immune responses, especially cell-mediated immunity in immune-compromised patients received the chemoradiation for breast cancer.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-6 ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Mistletoe ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Holoprosencephaly is a developmental malformation complex of forebrain and midface which arises from incomplete cleavage of the embryonic forebrain. It is subdivided into alobar, semilobar and lobar types based on the degree of growth disturbance within the anterior wall of the telencephalon, particularly in the midline. Cyclopia is the most severe form of alobar holoprosencephaly presenting a single median eye and a blind-ending proboscis usually located above the eye. We report a case of alobar holoprosencephaly with cyclopia and proboscis in premature infant.
Holoprosencephaly* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Prosencephalon ; Telencephalon

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in predicting malignancy-associated differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and benign thyroid nodules. METHODS: Between January 2005 and December 2007, 346 patients underwent thyroid surgery at one hospital. Their records were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent (237 of 346) of the patients had DTC. The mean preoperative TSH level was higher than in the malignant group (5 uIU/ml vs 0.4 uIU/ml). The rate of malignancy was the 71% in patients with TSH levels >5 uIU/ml. The TSH level of DTC with metastasis of the lymph node was higher than that with non-metastasis (3.08 uIU/ml vs 2.09 uIU/ml, P<0.01) CONCLUSION: The likelihood of DTC increases with higher serum TSH concentration. Serum TSH level might be useful in predicting malignant nodular thyroid lesion.
Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyrotropin*

BACKGROUND: In the previous studies, remifentanil reduces the hemodynamic change induced by endotracheal intubation. We studied the optimal effect site concentration of remifentanil for endotracheal intubation using light wand. METHODS: Sixty ASA 1 or 2 patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia were classified in three groups according to the TCI (target controlled infusion) dose of remifentanil. Each group was administered 4microgram/ml of propofol TCI, rocuronium, with 2 ng/ml (group 1), 4 ng/ml (group 2), 6 ng/ml (group 3) of remifentanil TCI. Blood pressure, heart rate and bispectral index score were measured before induction, 3 minutes after remifentanil and propofol TCI, after endotracheal intubation using light wand, and 3 minutes after endotracheal intubation. Statistical analysis was done for comparison of time and dose dependant change among the groups. RESULTS: After endotrachal intubation, blood pressure and heart rate were significantly increased in group 1, and decreased in group 2 and 3. 3 minute after endotracheal intubation, heart rate significantly decreased in group 3, but there were no changes in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: The spontaneous BRS was decreased during ketamine induction of general anesthesia. These results suggest that anesthesia induction with ketamine impairs baroreflex control of heart rate, which may provoke hemodynamic instability.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Baroreflex ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Ketamine ; Propofol

PURPOSE: The National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF-K/DOQI) 2003 has established guidelines for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients with chronic kidney disease - minerals and bone disorder (CKD-MBD). This study evaluated parathyroidectomy in SHPT patients for the achievement of the NKF-K/DOQI-recommended values of serum calcium, phosphate, and parathyroid hormone (PTH). METHODS: Between January 2005 and December 2010, parathyroidectomy was performed as recommended by the NKF-K/DOQI guidelines in 81 patients with SHPT and CKD-MBD. Serum PTH, calcium, and phosphate levels were measured prior to and 6, 12, 36, and 60 months after parathyroidectomy. RESULTS: Calcium, phosphate, and PTH levels dropped shortly after parathyroidectomy; however, a slight increase showed in the long term. Calcium levels increased for up to 60 months. Phosphate and PTH levels increased for up to 36 months but tended to decrease slightly at 60 months. The mean values were within the target ranges, except for PTH at 36 months. The target parameters of serum phosphate (42.9-61.1% of patients) and serum calcium (a peak of 61.1% of patients at 36 months, but only 28.6% at 60 months) were achieved the most. Less than 34% of patients achieved the recommended range for PTH. CONCLUSION: Parathyroidectomy was not an optimal procedure for achieving all the biochemical parameters recommended by the NKF-K/DOQI. Although it was helpful in attaining the recommended values for serum calcium and phosphate in SHPT patients resistant to medical therapy, the PTH levels did not fall within the recommended range.
Achievement ; Calcium ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; Minerals ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Parathyroidectomy ; Phosphates ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic

OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluated the effect of direct bypass (superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass) in the prevention of rebleeding episodes in patients suffering from hemorrhagic moyamoya disease by comparing this method with indirect bypass. METHODS: Fifteen patients who had hemorrhagic moyamoya without aneurysm comprised the study group. The mean age of patients was 44.4 years and follow up period ranged from 0.8 to 7.1 years (mean; 3.61 years). Revascularization surgery was performed in 21 sides in 15 patients. Direct bypass was performed in 17 sides and indirect bypass in the other 4 sides. RESULTS: During the follow-up period after the revascularization surgery, three sides (14.3%) of the 21 sides presented with rebleeding episode, one of 17 sides (mean follow-up periods; 2.94 years) treated with direct method and 2 of 4 sides (mean follow-up periods; 6.45 years) treated with indirect method. Kaplan-Meier analysis of rebleedingfree survival showed quite different between direct and indirect method but statistically insignificant (p=0.0541). CONCLUSION: Direct bypass may reduce the risk of hemorrhage more effectively than indirect bypass. However, direct bypass cannot always prevent rebleeding.
Aneurysm ; Cerebral Arteries ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Moyamoya Disease*

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an immunologically mediated disease resulted from repeated exposure to sensitizing agents such as organic dusts or chemicals. We report two cases of familial hypersensitivity pneumonitis diagnosed by typical symptoms, physical findings, chest x-ray abnormalities, and histologic findings with a brief review of the literature. A 60-year-old woman and her 62-year-old husband successively presented with dry cough and exertional dyspnea. These symptoms developed about 20 days after the womon had started feeding cows with stored hay. The same symptoms also developed in her husband when he had handled the stored hay instead of her because of her illness. We confirmed hypersensitivity pneumonitis with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis and open and transbronchial lung biopsies.
Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic* ; Biopsy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Cough ; Dust ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Spouses ; Thorax

PURPOSE: The lymph node ratio (LNR) is an important prognostic factor in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), but micrometastases in cervical lymph nodes (LNs) are not of great clinical importance. In this study, we analyzed the accuracy of prediction of the prognosis depending on whether micrometastases were included in the number of metastatic LNs when calculating LNR. METHODS: The study included 353 PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with neck LN dissection, and calculated LNR by 2 methods according to whether micrometastases were included in the number of metastatic LNs: Method 1 did not and method 2 did include. To compare the predictive values of LNR by the 2 methods, correlation coefficients and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were analyzed. RESULTS: Positive correlations were found between LNR and preablation stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) levels in both methods, but the correlation between method 1 LNR and preablation sTg level was significantly stronger than that for method 2 (Fisher z = 1.7, P = 0.045). The areas under these 2 independent ROC curves were analyzed; the prognostic efficacy of method 1 LNR was more accurate than that of method 2 LNR, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Regional recurrence of PTC can be predicted more accurately by not including micrometastases in the number of metastatic LNs when calculating LNR.
Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Methods ; Neck ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; ROC Curve ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy