OBJECTIVE: Placental oxidative stress is known to be a factor that contributes to pregnancy failure. The aim of this study was to determine whether selenium could induce antioxidant gene expression and regulate invasive activity and mitochondrial activity in trophoblasts, which are a major cell type of the placenta. METHODS: To understand the effects of selenium on trophoblast cells exposed to hypoxia, the viability and invasive activity of trophoblasts were analyzed. The expression of antioxidant enzymes was assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, the effects of selenium treatment on mitochondrial activity were evaluated in terms of adenosine triphosphate production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species levels. RESULTS: Selenium showed positive effects on the viability and migration activity of trophoblast cells when exposed to hypoxia. Interestingly, the increased heme oxygenase 1 expression under hypoxic conditions was decreased by selenium treatment, whereas superoxide dismutase expression was increased in trophoblast cells by selenium treatment for 72 hours, regardless of hypoxia. Selenium-treated trophoblast cells showed increased mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased reactive oxygen species levels under hypoxic conditions for 72 hours. CONCLUSION: These results will be used as basic data for understanding the mechanism of how trophoblast cells respond to oxidative stress and how selenium promotes the upregulation of related genes and improves the survival rate and invasive ability of trophoblasts through regulating mitochondrial activity. These results suggest that selenium may be used in reproductive medicine for purposes including infertility treatment.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Anoxia ; Antioxidants ; Gene Expression ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Infertility ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Mitochondria ; Oxidative Stress ; Placenta ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Reproductive Medicine ; Selenium* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Survival Rate ; Trophoblasts* ; Up-Regulation

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis*

Hibernoma is very rarely encountered and is expressed in the various names including "lipoma of brown fat", "fetal lipoma", and "lipoma of embryonic fat". In our knowledge, only about 50 cases have been reported in the literature of the Western world, and no case reports have been published in Korea. In May 1986, we experienced a case of hibernoma occuring in a 16 old years boy. On physical examination, a relatively well defined nodule was noted on the right scapular region. A total removal of the lesion was done under the clinical diagnosis of epidermal inclusion cyst. On gross examination, the specimen consists of three irregularly shaped portions of yellowish brown soft tissue, measuring up to 0.8 cm in greatest dimension. Microscopically, the tumor showed distinct lobular pattern separated by fibrovascular bands. The lobules were composed of multivacuolated or eosinophilic granular cells showing centrally located small unclei. A brief review of the literature was done.

No abstract available.
Neurofibroma* ; Pilomatrixoma*

Thyroid hemiagenesis is a development failure of one of the thyroid lobes, predominantly in females with a left lobe. The associated disease in the remaining thyroid lobe include benign adenoma, multinodular goiter, hyperthyroidism, chronic thyroiditis, and carcinoma etc. We report a very rare case of thyroid hemiagesesis with hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, and ectopic thymus. A 43-year-old female presented with hyperthyoidism and thyroid nodule. Thyroid scan with 99mTcO4 revealed cold nodule in left lobe with absent right lobe. The patient underwent thyroid exploration. Because nodule in the remaining thyroid lobe proved to be a thyroid cancer on frozen biopsy, total thyroidectomy was performed. There was a thyroid-like tissue at the right side (scan 'absent' side) and removed. Pathology confirmed that the removed tissue from right side was thymus. There has been no report in world literatures of such case; in one patient, thyroid hemiagenesis, hyperthyroidism, thyroid carcinoma, and ectopic thymus coexists. We report the case and review the literature on thyroid hemiagenesis and ectopic thymus.
Adenoma ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Female ; Goiter ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism* ; Pathology ; Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m ; Thymus Gland* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyroiditis

BACKGROUND: Although enriched broth cultures have been recommended as an adjuvant to the direct plating of tissue and body fluid specimens, the cost-effectiveness of broth cultures has been questioned in regard with the clinical significance of "broth only isolates(BOI)". The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of thioglycollate broth(THIO) cultures. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively results in the culture specimens of body fluids, tissue biopsies, and puses received during the month of July 1997. All specimens were inoculated into THIO in addition to agar plates. We reviewed the medical records of culture-positive patients to determine the clinical significance and relevance of their isolates. Clinically significant isolates were defined as those for which an appropriate antimicrobial therapy was done except one judged as contaminants by clinicians and clinically relevant isolates as the clinically significant one isolated first. RESULT: Of 2,008 specimens, 512(25.4%) from 365 patients grow 561 isolates 464 plate isolates and 97 BOI. Two hundred eighty nine(62.3%) of the 464 isolates from plate cultures were clinically significant, compared to only 12(12.4%) of 97 BOI (P<0.05). Only four (4.1%) BOI were clinically relevant, including one Pseudomonas aerugiosa from ascites. one Klebsiella pneumoniae and two Staphylococcus aureus from tissue specimens. CONCLUSION: A routine use of enriched broth culture rarely recover clinically relevant isolates. Considering the laboratory and medical costs of the recovery of contaminants and clinically irrelevant isolates, the enrichment broth cultures should be used more selectively.
Agar ; Ascites ; Biopsy ; Body Fluids ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Medical Records ; Pseudomonas ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus aureus

This study was conducted to investigate the choline intake of Korean adults for the purpose of preparing a basal data required for the establishment of choline adequate intake (AI). The subjects of 56 Korean young adults were recruited from college students of 20 to 30 years old in Daejeon city. The aliquots of foods that the subjects ate for one day were collected with use of duplicate food collection method and choline content of one day meal directly was analyzed with the use of enzymatic method. Choline intakes of male subjects were in the range of 353.5 ~ 1222.5 mg and those of female subjects were in the range of 213.1 ~ 722.3 mg. Mean intakes of choline were 658.2 +/- 243.9 mg/day in male subjects and 423.3 +/- 133.6 mg/day in female, therefore choline intake of men was about 200mg higher than that of women. Median value in total subjects was 496 mg, male's median was 608.8 mg, female's median was 419.9 mg. When the subjects were devided into 4 groups by choline intake, as less than 75%, 75 ~ 100%, 100 ~ 125% and over 125% based on choline AI of USA (males: 550 mg, females: 425 mg), there was no significant difference between men (64.3%) and wemen (67.9%) in the distribution of the subjects whose choline intake is under the range of 75 ~ 125% AI of USA. However, 10.7% of men and 21.4% of female had choline intake less than 75% AI of USA while the cases of choline intake higher than 125% AI were 25% in male and 10.7% in female. Thus, it is assumed that female case in choline-deficient state would be two times more than male. When adjusted by body weight, choline intake was 9.5 +/- 3.4 mg/kg in men, 8.1 +/- 3.1 mg/kg in women and 8.8 +/- 3.3 mg/kg in total subjects. And choline intake per 1,000 kcal of men, women and total subjects were 277.1 +/- 78.4 mg, 275.9 +/- 62.1 mg and 276.5 +/- 70.1 mg respectively. From these results, it is suggested that these levels of 276.5 +/- 70.1 mg/ 1,000 kcal or 8.8 +/- 3.3 mg/kg B.W. can be used as a reference value for the establishment of AI of choline for Korean, because overall choline intake of these subjects was not in lower state compared to other nutrients intakes obtained from calculation of the food the subjects had taken.
Adult ; Body Weight ; Choline* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meals ; Reference Values ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent mitogenic cytokine. C-met protein, which is known to be the HGF receptor has transmembrane tyrosine kinase activity and is encoded by the c-met oncogene. The HGF/c-met signaling pathway may play various roles in the carcinogenesis of various organs. METHODS: We examined HGF and c-met mRNA expression by utilizing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on 40 surgically resected intracranial meningiomas (25 benign, 10 atypical, and 5 anaplastic cases). RESULTS: An HGF overexpression was detected in 28%, 50%, and 80% of the benign, atypical and anaplastic meningiomas, respectively; a high expression of HGF or the coexpression of HGF/c-met was detected in the high grade meningiomas (the atypical and anaplastic cases, p=0.046, p=0.014). An HGF expression was statistically significant in the recurrent meningiomas (p=0.003), and HGF expression was significantly lower than c-met mRNA expression in benign meningiomas (p=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: There was no correlation between histologic subtypes and HGF/c-met expression. Determination of HGF expression can be used as a molecular predictor for recurrence of meningioimas. These results suggest that HGF and c-met expression in meningiomas may be associated with anaplastic progression.
Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; Hepatocytes ; Meningioma ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Oncogenes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met ; Recurrence ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger

This statistical analysis of 4,709 legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2012 was conducted to obtain primary data about and related variables. The analysis revealed the following: 1. Of the total number of deaths, men accounted for and women, 26.8%. Evidently, the number of deaths among men was more than twice that among women. 2. With respect to mode of death, 54.8% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 39.2% were natural deaths, and 6.0% had unknown causes. Of the 2,581 unnatural deaths, 44.8% were accidental deaths; 27.2%, suicidal; 17.5%, homicidal; and 10.3%, undetermined. 3. Of the total number of unnatural deaths, 43.0% were trauma-related deaths, for which falling down was the leading cause, accounting for 33.5% cases. Asphyxiation was accounted for 17.2%, among which the predominant cause was hanging (55.3%). Moreover, 12.5% of deaths were due to drowning; 11.5%, poisoning; 11.2%, thermal injuries; 2.7%, complications in medical procedures; and 0.3%, electrocution, starvation, or neglect. 4. Among 1,847 natural deaths, heart diseases accounted for 50.2% and vascular diseases accounted for 16.7%. 5. There were 207 cases of deaths among children under the age of 10, of which 94 were unnatural and 49 were homicidal deaths. Of all cases, 9.2% had an unknown cause of death, and of these 67.6%, were putrefied or skeletonized bodies.
Autopsy* ; Cause of Death ; Child ; Drowning ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Poisoning ; Skeleton ; Starvation ; Vascular Diseases

Lingual tonsillar hypertrophy (LTH) is a rare and dangerous condition in the management of the upper airway. It is not detectable from the history or on routine preoperative physical examination. Enlarged lingual tonsils can cause posterior displacement. A 56 year old man was scheduled for emergency laryngeal microscopic surgery for the removal of a throat foreign body. After the induction of general anesthesia, intubation with a rigid laryngoscope was impossible due to LTH. After recovery of self respiration, the endotracheal tube intubation was possible by the combined use of a laryngoscope, Magil forceps and fiberoptic bronchoscope.
Anesthesia, General ; Bronchoscopes ; Emergencies ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Hypertrophy* ; Intubation* ; Laryngoscopes ; Middle Aged ; Palatine Tonsil ; Pharynx ; Physical Examination ; Respiration ; Surgical Instruments