PURPOSE: Combination therapy of alpha-blockers and 5alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) is widely used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We aimed to study the effect on prostate volume and symptoms of shifting to monotherapy in patients who previously received a combination therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted of 60 patients who were diagnosed with BPH. Patients were aged 45 years or older and had a prostate volume of 30 cc or more, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of 12 or above, maximal flow rate (Qmax) of 15 ml/s or less, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of less than 10 ng/ml. The patients initially received a combination therapy of doxazosin 4 mg/day and finasteride 5 mg/day for 3 months and were then randomly assigned to receive monotherapy for 3 months. The factors were then compared. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were assigned to doxazosin (group 1) and 30 to finasteride (group 2) after the combination therapy. The percentage changes in prostate volume, IPSS, and Qmax during the period from post-combination therapy to post-monotherapy were not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.052, 0.908, 0.081), whereas PSA significantly decreased in group 2 (p<0.001). IPSS was not significantly different at post-combination therapy and at post-monotherapy in both groups (p=0.858, 0.071). The prostate volume significantly increased from 40.97 cc at post-combination therapy to 44.29 cc at post-monotherapy in group 1 (p=0.001) and insignificantly increased from 38.32 cc to 38.61 cc in group 2 (p=0.696). CONCLUSIONS: Although the duration of drug administration was short in this study, 5-ARI monotherapy could maintain the alleviated symptoms and reduce the risk of acute urinary retention and surgery due to prostate regrowth in BPH patients whose symptoms improved with combination therapy.
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; Aged ; Doxazosin ; Finasteride ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Urinary Retention

BACKGROUND: Analysis of urinary organic acids is an important procedure for the diagnosis of inherited disorders of amino acid and organic acid metabolism. Analysis of urinary organic acids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were initially developed for qualitative purposes, and quantitative anlytical procedure have seldom been extensively studied if at all. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a quantitative procedure for profiling organic acids with GC-MS. METHODS: Urine samples (1.5 mL) were extracted with ethylacetate, and derivated to trimethylsilyl derivatives. The compounds were analysed with MD-800 GC-MS (Fisons, Manchester, U.K.). The quantitation was done by establishment of calibration curves with the standard solutions of 74 organic acids. A response factor for internal standard was used to quantify organic acids of which the standards were not available. Extraction efficiencies for 51 organic acids were evaluated. Interassay and intraassay imprecisions were estimated from the analysis of two quality control specimens with the different concentrations of organic acids. RESULTS: Extraction efficiencies varied from 7.9 0.2% to 182.7 4.8% according to organic acids. Interassay imprecisions of specimen I and II were 4.1~60.7% and 10.7~84.9%, respectively. Intraassay imprecisions were 1.7~24.3% and 2.8~38.1%, respectively. But interassay imprecisions for clinically important analytes were below 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The described method for quantification of urinary organic acids with GC-MS is a acceptable routine method for screening of urinary organic acids. The result that imprecisions of clinically significant organic acids were less than 20% suggests that the method would be acceptable not only for diagnosis, but also for follow-up.
Calibration ; Diagnosis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry* ; Mass Screening ; Metabolism ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVES: In order to identify the possibility of slender bitterling (SB) (Acheilognathus yamatsutae) being used as a test species for estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EEDCs), we carried out the cloning and sequence characterization of the estrogen receptor (ER). METHODS: The ER from a slender bitterling was obtained by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'-RACE and 3'-RACE) and T-vector cloning. The expression of ER mRNA was also analyzed in six tissues (brain, liver, kidney, gill, gonad, and intestines) by real-time PCR. RESULTS: We obtained an ER from the slender bitterling. The SB ER cDNA was 2189 base pairs (bp) in length and contained a 1707 bp open reading frame that encoded 568 amino acid residues. The SB ER amino acid sequence clustered in a monophyletic group with the ERalpha of other fish, and was more closely related to zebrafish ERalpha (88% identity) than to the ERalpha of other fish. The SB ER cDNA was divided into A/B, C, D, E and F domains. The SB ER has conserved important sequences for ER functions, such as the DNA binding domain (D domain), which are consistent with those of other teleosts. CONCLUSIONS: The ER of the slender bitterling could provide basic information in toxicological studies of EEDCs in the slender bitterling.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Pairing ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cloning, Organism ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; Estrogens ; Gills ; Gonads ; Kidney ; Liver ; Open Reading Frames ; RNA, Messenger ; Zebrafish

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is one of the most common nail disorders, and it is necessary of mycologic confirmation to treat correctly. It has been reported that histopathologic evaluation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the nail plate by nail clipping might be a useful supportive method for identification of causative fungi showing higher detection rates. Objective: This study was designed to compare diagnostic efficacy of KOH preparation, fungal culture, histopathologic examination and PCR in onychomycosis. METHODS: Using 60 nail samples from 60 patients with clinically suspected onychomycosis, KOH preparation and fungal culture with nail and subungual tissue was performed. And histopathologic examination with PAS staining and PCR with DNA extracted from paraffin block was performed. RESULTS: The results are summarized as follows: 1. The positive rates of conventional KOH preparation, fungal culture, histopathologic examination and PCR were 87.5%, 8.9%, 87.5% and 83.9%. 2. In histopathologic examination, fungi were distinguished as 3 groups based on Kim and Cho's classification (1997): dermatophytes, Candida sp. and non-dermatophytic mold (NDM). Fifteen of 49 samples are dermatophytes, 1 is Candida sp., and 7 are NDM, 8 are dermatophytes and Candida sp. mixed infections, 18 are dermatophytes and NDM mixed infections. 3. In PCR, 1 of 47 samples is Trichophyton rubrum, 4 are Candida sp. and 39 samples are NDM. CONCLUSION: Histopathologic examination in onychomycosis is considered to be an useful supportive method in diagnosis and identification of causative fungi in onychomycosis.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Classification ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis* ; DNA ; Fungi ; Humans ; Onychomycosis* ; Paraffin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Trichophyton

No abstract available.
Anemia, Aplastic* ; Penicillamine*

Vascular inflammation process has been suggested to be an important risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis. Recently we reported that induction of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) selectively inhibits vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) but not intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In this study, we investigated whether genipin inhibits expression of cellular adhesion molecules, which is relevant to inflammation. Pretreatment with genipin reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and expression of VCAM-1, but not ICAM-1 in TNF-alpha-activated HUVEC. Genipin dose- and time-dependently increased PPAR-gamma expression and inhibited TNF-alpha-induced phosphorylation of Akt and PKC with different degrees. Finally, genipin prevented TNF-alpha-induced adhesion of U937 monocytic cells to HUVEC. Taken together, these results indicate that upregualtion of PPAR-gamma by genipin selectively inhibits TNF-alpha-induced expression of VCAM-1, in which regulation of Akt and/or PKC play a key role. We concluded that genipin can be used for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders such as atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis ; Cell Adhesion ; Endothelial Cells ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Iridoids ; Peroxisomes ; Phosphorylation ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Risk Factors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

BACKGROUND: Gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT) has found wide application as a diagnostic test in hepatobiliary disease, and has been used as the best single marker of alcohol intake. In spite of the wide use of GGT in clinical practice, knowledge concerning the distribution and the determinants of this risk factor in the normal population is spared in Korea. We tried to obtain a better evaluation of specificity of serum GGT by analysis of a large population of health examination. METHODS: GGT was measured in 17,140 males aged 17-86 years and 12,125 females aged 18-90 years screened in a health survey program. RESULTS: In multiple regression analyses, serum GGT level showed strong positive association with fatty liver, body mass index, serum levels of AST, ALT triglyceride, uric acid, alkaline phosphatase, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, and weakly positive association with serum levels of creatinine, total cholesterol, and fasting blood sugar. In females, menopause were positively associated with GGT. CONCLUSIONS: An elevated serum GGT levels is a strong indicator of hepatobiliary dysfunction or fatty liver. However, proper interpretation of a serum GGT elevation should be carefully considered in correlation with clinical data and laboratory findings.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Fasting ; Fatty Liver* ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Menopause ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transferases* ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid