No abstract available.
Pre-Eclampsia* ; Proteinuria*

No abstract available.
Endometriosis* ; Female ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the feasibility of a hydroxyapatite/chitosan (HAp/chitosan) composite, seeded with autologous muscle-derived stem cells, as a partial bladder substitute in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Muscle-derived stem cells were isolated from the gastrocnemius muscle of 6 female Sprague-Dawley rats, using the preplate technique, and cultured on HAp/chitosan composite sheets. Sheets with 10mm diameters were implanted into the urinary bladder of rats following a hemicystectomy in an autologous fashion. Three rats were sacrificed 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively, and the morphological changes subsequently assessed by H&E and immunofluorescence staining using DAPI, myogenin and alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA). RESULTS: All rats survived the scheduled duration. Adequate epithelialization was observed to be completed after postoperative week 4. Abundant muscle bundles, showing positive alpha-SMA staining, were observed after the 4th week. The bladder shape was well preserved after the 8th week. Ingrowing smooth muscles were observed on the periphery of the composite and muscular bundles, with positive myogenin immunostaining in the middle of the composite. CONCLUSIONS: A HAp/chitosan composite sheet, seeded with autologous muscle-derived stem cells, showed a degree of skeletal muscle differentiation 8 weeks after augmentation cystoplasty, in an autologous fashion. This new material seeded with muscle-derived stem cells may, in the future, prove to be a viable option as a partial bladder substitute.
Actins ; Animals ; Atrophy ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myogenin ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells* ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Thrombopoietin (TPO) is an important cytokine for megakaryocyte maturation and platelet production. Because the main site of its production is liver, the failing liver may have a role in thrombocytopenia in chronic liver disease. The aims of this study were to determine the serum TPO levels in cirrhotic patients with thrombocytopenia and clarify the relation between the serum TPO levels and liver function impairment. METHOD: Cirrhotic paitents with thrombocytopenia (LC, n=57, Child class A/B/C; 20/13/24), chronic hepatitis patients (CH, n=24), oncologic patients with thrombocytopenia induced by chemotherapy (HO, n=7), acute viral hepatitis patients (AVH, n=5) and healthy controls (HC, n=5) were enrolled. Serum TPO was measured by an ELISA method. RESULTS: Although the mean platelets counts of LC (69+/-32, x103/ul: mean+/-SD) were lower than those of HC (229+/-29, x103/ul), serum TPO levels in LC (108+/-63 pg/ml: mean+/-SD) were not significantly different from HC (122+/-24 pg/ml). In HO, serum TPO was significantly higher than LC (623+/-746 vs 108+/-63 pg/ml, p<0.05) inspite of comparable platelets counts. In LC, serum TPO level was not significantly different among Child class groups. It was not correlated with serum ALT, serum albumin levels, prothrombin time, serum bile acid, Child class, Child score and partial thromboplastin time, but weakly correlated with serum total bilirubin (p=0.038, r=0.288) and platelet counts (p=0.041, r=0.287). CONCLUSIONS: Although impaired hepatic production of TPO seems to be the main cause of low serum TPO levels in thrombocytopenic cirrhotic patients, there was no correlation between serum TPO level and the severity of liver dysfunction. The role of other factors such as megakaryocyte mass in bone marrow, portal hypertension and hypersplenism may be necessary to explain the putative mechanism between TPO and platelet numbers in liver cirrhosis with thrombocytopenia.
Bile ; Bilirubin ; Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow ; Child ; Drug Therapy ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Hypersplenism ; Hypertension, Portal ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Megakaryocytes ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Platelet Count ; Prothrombin Time ; Serum Albumin ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Thrombopoietin*

OBJECTIVES: The present study takes part of the agricultural district cohort study of a certain county located in Gyeonggido and aims to investigate the difference of the heart rate variability(HRV) according to the social support level. METHODS: We used data from 1727 participants of a health promotion program who are older than 40 years old. A physical examination, as well as a one-to-one interview to obtain sociodemographic characteristics, was performed with each participant. In addition, the participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey(MOS-SSS) for their the social support level to be assessed, and their HRV were measured to evaluate their autonomic function. The entire group was divided in two groups according to its MOS-SSS points to facilitate the research. Those who were evaluated as the high 25%(432 persons) were denominated as high social support (HSS) group and those who were evaluated as the low 25%(425 persons) were denominated as poor social support(PSS) group. RESULTS: The two groups showed significant differences on the sociodemographic factor such as mean age and gender composition(p<0.05). Comparing the indices related to the HRV, the HSS group had the following values higher than the PSS group : SDNN(F=4.938, p=0.027), TP(F=8.088, p=0.005), VLF(F=6.220, p=0.013) LF (F=3.873, p=0.049). CONCLUSION: According to the research, the PSS group showed dysfunction on their autonomic nervous system comparing to the HSS group. The social support helps an individual overcome difficulties, helps the adaptation during the changes of circumstances and in stressful situations it serves like a buffer. Based on that, it's possible to define that a low social support level gave an impact on the autonomic function. Also, using the fact that the HRV can evaluate the autonomic function in an objective view, it was possible to visualize that it has a potential to be used as an assistant factor to evaluate the social support.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Cohort Studies ; Health Promotion ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Physical Examination

No abstract available.

Fexofenadine (Allegra(R) 180) is a second-generation antihistamine. It is widely used as anti-allergic drug, which suppresses various allergic reactions mediated by histamines. A few cases of H1-antihistamine-induced urticaria have been reported. Herein, we report a rare case of fexofenadine-induced urticaria which was confirmed by a prick test, oral provocation test, and flow cytometry assisted-basophil activation test.
Basophil Degranulation Test ; Flow Cytometry ; Hypersensitivity ; Terfenadine ; Urticaria

Uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor, and distant metastasis to skull bone is very uncommon. We experienced a case of parietal skull bone metastasis from uterine leiomyosarcoma in a 52-year-old woman who had undergone simple total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy with the diagnosis of uterine myoma. We treated this patient with combination chemotherapy using cisplatin and adriamycin and radiotherapy after craniectomy. She is alive now without particular symptoms. We report this case with a brief review of some literatures.
Cisplatin ; Diagnosis ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Leiomyoma ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Rabeprazole ; Radiotherapy ; Skull*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical factors affecting on the cure rate by invasive and open surgery for gastric cancer and to establish a subgroup of patients who can be applied by the early recovery after surgery program through this retrospective analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed 425 patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery between January 2011 and December 2011 and were managed with conventional clinical therapies. This clinical algorithm was made when the patient was in minimally invasive surgery group and discharged from hospital one day faster than them in open surgery group. RESULTS: The completion rate of the clinical pathway was 62.4%. Despite the different applications of clinical pathway, completion rate in minimally invasive surgery group was significantly higher than that of open group (P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the surgical procedure of minimally invasive surgery (odds ratio=4.281) was the most predictable factor to complete clinical pathway. Additionally, younger patients (odds ratio=1.933) who underwent distal gastrectomy (odds ratio=1.999) without combined resection (odds ratio=3.069) were predicted to accomplish the clinical pathway without any modifications. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that high efficacy of the clinical pathway for gastric cancer surgery was expected to selected patients through retrospective analysis (expected completion rate=85.4%). In addition, these patients would become enrolled criteria for early recovery program in gastric cancer surgery.
Critical Pathways ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

We studied the best parameter to differentiate preoperatively between malignant ovarian tumors and benign ovarian tumors. From January 1988 to December 1992, 244 patients of ovarian tumor were treated with surgery at Chonnarn University Hospital. Patients diagnosed as malignancy by histopathology were 26.2%(64 patients), As the diagnostic pararnetar, we used age, ultrasonography, tumor markers, CT or MRI. The results were obtained as follows: 1. The predictive value of ultrasonographic examination for ovarian cancer was 73.1%. 2. The predictive value of seren CA-125 level for ovarian cancer was 69.1%. 3. The predictive value of combination af ultrasonographic examination and serum CA 125 level for ovarian cancer was 90%. 4. The predictive value of combination of the age older than 40 years, ultrasonographic examination and serum CA-125 level for warian canrer was 92.3%. 5. The predictive value of comhination of three tumor markers(CA-125, CEA and CA 72-4), ultrasonographic examination, CT and MRI for ovarian cancer was 94.6%. Finally, we could preaperatively most exactly differentiate between malignant ovarian tumors and benign ovarian tumors by use of age, three tumor markers(CA-125, CEA and CA 72-4) and ultrsonography, CT or MRI.
Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Ultrasonography