Acute Disease ; Diagnosis ; Enterotoxins ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Hypotension ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Staphylococcus aureus

GH concentration in plasma decline with age. GH and GH response to GHRH are influenced by sex hormones, thereby changing around the menopause. In several aspects, features of aging resemble those of a state of GH deficiency. It has been argued the declining GH function, along with other factors, might be a causal factor in osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate that postmenopausal osteoporosis in ovariectomized rat could be prevented by rhGH. Fifty-four Sprague-Dawley rats(weight 140-200g) were devided 3 groups. Group 1(n=18) was sham operation; Group 2(n=18) was ovariectomized and received subcutaneous injection with 0.05 cc normal saline; Group 3(n=18) was ovariectomized and received subcutaneous injection with 0.2 IU rhGH. Group 2 and 3 were injected daily, 6 day per week. Each group was devided three subgroups(n=6) and were sacrificed at 6 week, 10 week, 14 week, respectively. Group 2 showed a significant increase in body weight, femur length, serum IGF-1 level, serum PICP and ICTP level at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks and a significant decrease in ash weight of tibia, width of bony spicules, at 14 weeks than Group 1. Group 3 demonstrated a significant increase in body weight, femur length, serum IGF-1, serum PICP and ITCP levels and a insignificant decrease in ash weight of tibia and width of bony spicules, at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks than Group 1. At 14 weeks, Group 3 showed a significant increase in serum IGF-1, Serum PTH, Serum PICP. From these data, we conclude that although rhGH administration leads to an activation of bone turnover and more stimulation of bone formation, it does not prevent a bone loss in ovariectomized rat.
Aging ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Female ; Femur ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans* ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Menopause ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis* ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Ovariectomy ; Plasma ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tibia

Palisaded, encapsulated neuroma is characterized clinically by a solitary, slowly-growing and dome-shaped papule or nodule, usually accompanied by telangiectasia on the surface, and histopathologically by an encapsulated nodule in the dermis and the palisading arrangement of nuclei. A 57-year-old female patient presented with a 1cm-sized, solitary nodule on the right ala nasi which had been present for about 5 years. The nodule had a tendency to slow growth and it became a polypoid nodule. Telangiectasia was shown on the surface of the lesion. Histopathlogical findings showed a well-defined and encapsulated nodule in the dermis, composed of spindle cells with basophilic and plump nuclei in a palisading fashion. On immunohistochemical staining, the tumor cells of the nodule were positive for S-100 protein, while the capsule of the nodule was negative for S-100 protein. Epithelial membrane antigens were focally positive only on the capsule of the nodule. We report herein a case of palisaded, encapsulated neuroma, one case of which has been reported in Korea.
Basophils ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-1 ; Neuroma* ; S100 Proteins ; Telangiectasis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic sinusitis is a common disease in otolaryngology, but its pathologic mechanism has not been clearly known. Also, the evaluation method for the severity of chronic sinusitis is not established. The aim of this study was to analyze possible factors associated with the correlation between the radiological and pathological severity of chronic sinusitis. In addition, we assessed the profiles of inflammatory cells in the sinus mucosa and peripheral blood eosinophils in relation to the overall pathologic grades and OMU CT findings. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Fifty specimens of pathologic sinus mucosa, obtained during endoscopic sinus surgery were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Total inflammatory cells, plasma cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils were quantified. The preoperative OMU CT scans were scored by the staging system of Lund-Mackay. Also, the preoperative percentage of eosinophils in peripheral white blood cells were obtained with the complete blood count with differentiation. RESULTS: The count of total inflammatory cells, lymphocytes and eosinophils infiltrated in the diseased sinus mucosa correlated significantly with the severity of the pathologic grades and OMU CT scores. In addition, the CT scores assessed by Lund-Mackay system correlated significantly with the severity of the pathologic grades. CONCLUSION: The important indicators of the severity of the chronic inflammation in chronic sinusitis were OMU CT scores, overall pathologic grades, and total inflammatory cells, lymphocytes and eosinophils infiltrated in sinus mucosa.
Blood Cell Count ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Eosinophils ; Hematoxylin ; Inflammation* ; Leukocytes ; Lymphocytes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neutrophils ; Otolaryngology ; Plasma Cells ; Sinusitis* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (PV-IVH)is one of the most important neurologic lesion of the low birth weight infants. Serial neurosonographic exeaminations were performed in 113 low birth weight infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Presbyterian Medical Center from November 1, 1990to July 31, 1991. The results were summarized as follows: 1) The incidence of PV-IVH in the study was 54% 2) According to Papile's grading system of PV-IVH, grade I was 32.8%, grade II was 45.9%, grade IIIwas 11.5% and grade IV was 9.8%. 3) The onset of PV-IVH was within the first 7 days of life in 82%. 4) Poor activity, apnea, bradycardia and hypotension were statistically significant clinical findings associated with PV-IVH(P<0.05). 5) The risk factors associated with PV-IVH were gestational age, birth weight, hyaling membrane disease, patent ductus arteriosus and artifical ventilation. 6) The mortality of PV-IVH was 0% for grade I, 10.7% for grade II,42.9% for grade III and 83.3% for gradeIV.
Apnea ; Birth Weight ; Bradycardia ; Diagnosis* ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Membranes ; Mortality ; Protestantism ; Risk Factors ; Ventilation

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to identify a gap between consumer characteristics and utilization of health information on the Internet. METHODS: A telephone survey of nationally representative samples was conducted using structured questionnaires, and 1,000 of the 1,189 responses obtained were included in our analysis. The following variables were included in the analysis as potential predictors of health information use on the Internet: predisposing factors such as gender, age, and education status; enabling factors such as region and monthly household income; consumer need for health information; and attitude to health. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between utilization rate and the potential predictors. RESULTS: Thirty-nine percent of consumers had obtained health information on the Internet over a one-year period. The utilization rates were higher for consumers who were young, educated, worked in the office setting, had higher incomes, wanted health information, and were able to use the Internet. The utilization rate was 5.35 times higher in the younger group (20-30 years) than in the elderly group (95% CI=2.21-12.97); 2.21 times higher for office workers than for manual workers (95% CI=1.16-4.20); 3.61 times higher for college graduates than for middle school graduates and below (95% CI=1.07-11.59); 1.99 times higher for people with monthly household incomes over 3,000,000 won than for those with monthly household incomes below 1,500,000 won (95% CI=1.01-3.92). CONCLUSIONS: There needs to be a paradigm shift, with consideration of not only Internet accessibility in the digital age, but also consumer ability and attitudes toward utilization of health information.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Consumer Health Information/*methods ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Internet/*utilization ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Residence Characteristics ; Sex Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhage itself has been shown to produce abnormalities in immunity, particularly depression of the lymphocyte function. In order to better examine the amount of hemorrhage required to suppress the lymphocyte function, we determined the effect of graded fixed-volume hemorrhage on splenocyte proliferation and the lymphocyte subpopulation. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats(weight, 350~400g) were anesthetized, subjected to hemorrhages of 7.5ml/kg, 15ml/kg, and 22.5ml/kg by percutaneous cardiac puncture with 26G needles. After 1, 2, 4, and 7 days, animals were killed to obtain the blood and spleen. The splenocyte proliferative capacity was measured by using the tritiated thymidine incorporation technique, and the peripheral lymphocyte subpopulation was determined using flow cytometry with the following monoclonal antibodies: T cell(CD3+), T helper cell(CD4+), T cytotoxic cell(CD8+), and B cell(CD45RA+). RESULTS: Hemorrhage of 7.5ml/kg did not induce depression of splenocyte proliferation. However, for hemorrhage greater than 15ml/kg, the splenocyte proliferative capacity was significantly depressed at 2 days after hemorrhage and recovered at 4 days. Hemorrhage induced no changes in the relative percentage of lymphocyte subpopulations and in the number of each cell in peripheral blood. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that cellular immunity is depressed at 48 hrs after a hemorrhage greater than 15ml/kg without any change in the peripheral lymphocyte subpopulation.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Depression ; Flow Cytometry ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Lymphocytes* ; Male ; Needles ; Punctures ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spleen ; Thymidine

Although Helicobacter pylori is considered the main etiological factor in gastric cancer, at least 5.4% of gastric cancer cases in South Korean patients are H. pylori-negative. However, false-negative H. pylori results should be considered. The definitions of H. pylori status in patients with atrophic gastritis but negative tests for H. pylori are variable. Inaccurate H. pylori detection systems can interfere with interpretation of the results. Even when H. pylori has been eradicated, gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia resulting from long-term colonization can occur. It is very difficult to determine whether patients with gastric cancer, who frequently have advanced gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia, have had previous H. pylori infection based on invasive tests. In addition, H. pylori-negative gastric cancers present with a more advanced pT classification and a more advanced stage than H. pylori-positive gastric cancers. Negative H. pylori status appears to be an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer, and is independent of other well-known clinical and pathologic prognostic variables.
Atrophy ; Classification ; Colon ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Helicobacter pylori ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE:Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, and stomach is the major site of ghrelin secretion. The purpose of this study is to compare the serum ghrelin concentrations between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and normal adults. We studied also whether serum ghrelin levels in the patients with type 2 DM are correlated with body mass index (BMI), serum insulin, lipid profiles, and creatinine levels. METHODS:Forty patients with type 2 DM and forty normal adults were included in this study. We measured heights and weights of the subjects and calculated their BMIs. Blood samples were obtained to measure the ghrelin concentration and their sera were stored at -20degreeC until used. In all subjects, serum ghrelin levels were measured using the commercially available Ghrelin(human) EIA kit. RESULTS:No differences of mean values were detected between the control group and the type 2 diabetic group for age, body weight, BMI, and the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and creatinine. But ghrelin level of the type 2 diabetic group (71.1+/-30.5 ng/L) was significantly lower than the control group (139.7+/-36.9 ng/L). In the control group, the ghrelin level showed positive correlation with HDL cholesterol (Pearson's correlation coefficient=0.37, P<0.05). In the diabetic group, the ghrelin level showed weakly positive correlation with insulin concentration. However, there was no significant relationship between serum ghrelin and various parameters in the diabetic patients group. CONCLUSION: In this study, ghrelin concentration in type 2 diabetic patients was lower than that in the control group. In the control group, serum ghrelin concentrations were positively correlated with HDL cholesterol. In the type 2 diabetic group, there was no significant correlation between insulin and ghrelin concentrations.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Ghrelin* ; Humans ; Insulin ; Receptors, Ghrelin ; Stomach ; Triglycerides ; Weights and Measures