No abstract available.
Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Ulcer*

Silicone gel sheeting is widely used to manage the hypertrophic or keloid scars. Since first reported in 1982 to be an effective treatment for burn scars and contractures, many authors reported its efficacy to treat scars. Chemically silicone gel sheet composed of cross-linked dimethy1 and vinyl enblocked polydimethylsiloxane polymer. The exact mechanism of silicone gel sheet to treat hypertrophic scar was still unknown, but decreasing the water vapor transmission was supposed to level the scar. During out clinical experience, a few patients suffered from skin problems by silicone gel sheeting. So we designed a study to determine the severity of skin hypersensitivity of silicone gel sheeting. Four types of silicone gel sheets were applied to upper arms of 140 healthy voluntees. Resultant skin lesions were analysed 48 and 96 hours later to differentiate the irritation and the true hypersensitivity. About 30 percent of voluteers represented mild skin irritability(48 hours later), but true skin hypersensitivity was not found(96 hours later). The site to be applied with silicone gel sheet is very critical area, so pretesting the irritability of silicone gel sheeting to individuals is an important step to control the hypertrophic scar.
Arm ; Burns ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Contracture ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Keloid ; Patch Tests* ; Polymers ; Silicone Gels* ; Skin* ; Steam

Radiation from natural sources is one of causes of the environmental diseases. Radon is the leading environmental cause of lung cancer next to smoking. To investigate the relationship between indoor radon concentrations and lung cancer, researchers must be able to estimate an individual’s cumulative level of indoor radon exposure and to do so, one must first be able to assess indoor radon concentrations. In this article, we outline factors affecting indoor radon concentrations and review related mathematical models based on the mass balance equation and the differential equations. Furthermore, we suggest the necessities of applying time-dependent functions for indoor radon concentrations and developing stochastic models.
Lung Neoplasms ; Models, Theoretical* ; Radon* ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Qualitative oculomotor abnormalities have been reported in parkinsonian patients for many years, but conflicting results have been obtained. This study was performed to evaluate the correlation between the severity of the disease and the abnormalities of the ocular movements in idiopathic parkinson's disease. METHODS: We gave the vestibular function tests in patients with idiopathic parkinson's disease and normal controls. Eye movement recordings were made with automated electronystagmography and rotation test was performed. A total of 46 patients (mean age : 61.2+/-6.7) and 24 controls (mean age : 60.5+/-4.3) were studied. The severity of the disease was divided into two groups by modified Hoehn & Yahr staging ; H-Y stage 1 and 2 as a mild group and stage 3 and 4 as a severe group. RESULTS: Saccadic latency and accuracy, pursuitic gain and velocity, vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) suppression by vision were significantly altered in patients, whereas mean velocity of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and VOR gain in darkness were normal. Alteration of saccadic latency and accuracy, pursuitic gain and velocity, VOR suppression by vision were profound in the severe group compared with a mild group and controls, but the above parameters did not differ between a mild group and controls. In a hemiparkinson's group, saccadic latency and accuracy, pursuitic gain, OKN mean velocity and gain was not different between the both sides. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that severe Parkinson's disease damages nigrostriatal or other specific pathways which were involved in the regulation of the saccadic, pursuitic and pursuitic-mediated visual fixation system. In a hemiparkinson's group asymmetric damage of dopaminergic innervation which was involved in the regulation of ocular movements was not found.
Darkness ; Electronystagmography ; Eye Movements ; Humans ; Nystagmus, Optokinetic ; Parkinson Disease* ; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular ; Vestibular Function Tests

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-osteoarthritic effect of the ethanol extract of Boswellia serrata gum resin (FJH-UBS) enriched with keto-β-boswellic acid and 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid compared to the conventional Boswellia serrata extract by adding the process of removing oil with hexane, in the monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis rat model. Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were orally administered 0, 40, or 80 mg of FJH-UBS/kg body weight (BW)/day for 5 weeks and injected with MIA intra-articularly into right knee joints on day 15 to induce osteoarthritis. Changes in the knee joint microarchitecture, cartilage degradation, the expression of inflammatory mediators, cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in serum and synovia were observed. Results: Oral administration of FJH-UBS (80 mg/kg BW/day) reduced MIA-induced knee swelling and cartilage degradation and increased the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan in articular cartilage. Furthermore, FJH-UBS administration reduced MIA-induced increases in the serum levels of prostaglandin E2, leukotriene B4, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and MMP-13, and MIA-induced increases in the mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, 5-lipoxygenase, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-13 in the synovia of knee joints. Conclusion These results indicate that FJH-UBS exerts its anti-osteoarthritic effects by suppressing the expressions of inflammatory cytokines and MMPs and, thus, cartilage degradation. Furthermore, they suggest that FJH-UBS has potential use as a functional food that improves joint and cartilage health.

BACKGROUND: Beta-adrenergic receptor Kinase 1(betaARK1) is a serine/threonine kinase attached, which inhibits the coupling of beta-adrenergic receptor with G-protein. Myocardial betaARK1 level is usually elevated in heart failure and hypertrophy, but it is not known whether the circulating betaARK1 level is related with the degree of cardiac hypertrophy. This study was performed to evaluate the association of the betaARK1 level in circulating mononuclear leukocytes(MNL) in untreated hypertension with left ventricular mass in hypertensive patients. Method: Nineteen non-treated hypertensive patients were included for this study. High blood pressure was confirmed when systolic BP is over 150 mmHg or diastoli BP is over 95 mmHg. Echocardiography was performed to evaluate the degree of hypertrophy by measuring the left ventricular mass index(LVMI) and relative wall thickness(RWT), and test the LV function by measuring the ejection fraction(EF) according to ASE guideline. At the same time, blood was collected from each patient and MNL were isolated by gradient centrifuge with Ficoll-400. Total RNA was purified from MNL and semi-quantitative RT-PCR was performed. After reverse transcription, PCR was done with primers for human betaARK1 and GAPDH as external control. betaARK1 levels were expressed by ratio to GAPDH level and estimated the relations with clinical and Echocardiographic parameters. Result: We studied confirmed 19 hypertensive patients(10 men and 9 women, mean age of 50.6 years). Echocardiographically measured indices(mean+/-SD) were as follows; LVMI(137.3+/-30.6g/m2), PWT(0.53+/-0.09) and EF(54.6+/-8.5%). Ratio of betaARK1 levels to GAPDH was from 0.10 to 0.96 (0.62+/-0.25). betaARK1 levels were correlated with LVMI(correlation coefficient: r=.502, p=.029) and RWT(r=.627, p=.004). But Systolic BP(r=0.009, p=.93), diastolic BP(r=.07, p=.85) or EF(r=.045, p=.84) were not related to level of betaARK1. CONCLUSIONS: The betaARK1 level of circulating MNL was correlated well with the degree of the cardiac hypertrophy estimated by LVMI and RWT. This data suggests that activation of sympatho-adrenal system would exert a major role in developing cardiac hypertrophy and we can expect the decreased responsiveness to catecholamine in the heart of hypertensive patients. betaARK1 in circulating MNL might be used as a predictor or marker for LV hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
beta-Adrenergic Receptor Kinases ; Cardiomegaly ; Echocardiography ; Female ; GTP-Binding Proteins ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear* ; Male ; Phosphotransferases ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA

This retracts the below mentioned article upon the authors' request.

No abstract available.
Impetigo* ; Pregnancy*

The intrahepatic calculi are prevalent in east Asia and are regarded as malignant disease because diagnosis and treatment are difficult and complication and mortality are high. This study is a retrospective clinical review of 58 cases of patient with intrahepatic calculi in the Department of Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital from July 1994 through June 1999. The incidence of intrahepatic calculi was 8.8% of total hepatobiliary calculi. The ratio of male to female was 1:2.4. The peak incidence was noted at the 6th decade (32.7%) and mean age was 52.1 years. About the site of stones, left intrahepatic duct (48.3%)was more prevalent than right intrahepatic duct (17.2%). 42 cases(72%) of the intrahepatic calculi were associated with GB stone(8%), CBD stone(45%) or both(19%). As to surgical method, choledochotomy with T-tube drainage was performed in 34 cases(59%), choledochoduodenostomy was in 3 cases(5%) and hepatic resection in 21 cases(36%). Among them choledochotomy with T-tube drainage was the most frequently performed procedure. The remnant stones are most commonly founded after choledochotomy and T-tube drainage (80%) followed after choledochoduodenostomy(33%) and after hepatic resection(24%). But, major postoperative complications such as bile leakage and intra-abdominal abscess are more frequent in casea of hepatic resection. So we suggest that agressive treatment modality such as hepatic resection is more reasonable than drainage procedure in the management of intrahepatic duct stone by the experienced expert.
Abdominal Abscess ; Bile ; Calculi* ; Choledochostomy ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Far East ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This report outlines the incidence and the clinical features of patients with a neuroendocrine (NE) neoplasm of the colon and rectum and describes, in detail, their histologic and immunohistochemical findings. Also, we attempted to determine the impact of several clinical variables, including tumor stage, tumor location, NE pattern, and cellular subtype on survival. METHOD: Of 690 colorectal cancers operated on from April 1990 to November 1998 at Chungnam National University Hospital, 41 cases were originally diagnosed as poorly differentiated adenocarcinoms on the basis of conventional light microscopy. Paraffin blocks from the aforementioned cases were retrieved, and sections were im munostained with antibodies to human chromogranin A, neuron specific enolase, and synaptophysin. RESULTS: Of the 690 cases of colorectal caner, 35 cases (5.1%) of NE neoplasm were identified retrospectively: 28 males and 7 females. About 90% of the tumors were located at the cecum and the rectosigmoid. Pathologic stages were as follows: modified Dukes stage B2, 6; stage C1, 8; stage D1, 12; and stage D2, 9. The most common metastatic site at the time of diagnosis was the liver (8/9). Four NE patterns were identified: pure NE (n=4), and predominantly NE (n=8), equal NE and exocrine (n=4), and predominantly exocrine (n=19). Two cellular subtypes were identified: well-differentiated (n=3) and intermediate (n=32) cells. Survival statistically correlated with stage (p=0.03), but not with age, sex, tumor location, NE pattern, or cellular subtype. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that NE neoplasms of the colon and rectum are more frequent than previously believed. Since a NE neoplasm is believed to be an extremely biologically aggressive tumor, recognition of a NE neoplasm is very important because of its evident clinical and therapeutic implications.
Antibodies ; Cecum ; Chromogranin A ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Colon* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Liver ; Male ; Microscopy ; Paraffin ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Rectum* ; Retrospective Studies ; Synaptophysin