BACKGROUND: The high concentration of plasma total homocysteine is recently considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to provide reference ranges for plasma homocysteine levels and to investigate the relationship between plasma homocysteine and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy Korean men. METHODS: Anthropometric parameters, alcohol intake, cigarette use and nutrient intake were determined in 166 healthy men within a wide age range(30-69 yr). Serum levels of lipids, glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT), plasma amino acid concentrations and levels of antioxidant nutrients and enzymes were also measured. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as plasma homocysteine levels above the 90th percentile(> or =15micromol/L) of respective plasma homocysteine distribution in study subjects. Characteristics of hyperhomocysteinemic men(n=16) were compared to normohomocys- teinemic men(n=16) matched for age and body mass index. RESULTS: Plasma total homocysteine values ranged from 2.4 to 38.1micromol/L, a skewed, right-tailed distribution. The homocysteine levels of 25th, 50th and 75th percentile were 7.02, 9.61 and 12.4micromol/L, respectively. The mean concentration of plasma total homocysteine was 10.7micromol/L. Plasma total homocysteine level was positively correlated to body mass index, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels and alcohol intake, but negatively correlated to serum bata-carotene concentration. In multivariate analysis, serum triglyceride level was the strongest determinant of plasma total homocysteine concentration. There were no significant differences between two groups in waist to hip ratio, alcohol intake, cigarette use, blood pressure and serum levels of glucose and insulin during OGTT. Hyperhomocysteinemic men had significantly higher mean values of serum triglyceride(258mg/dl), total cholesterol(226mg/dl), and LDL-cholesterol(140mg/dl) than normohomocysteinemic men. Hyperhomocysteinemic men showed a decrease in lipid corrected values of serum bata-carotene and alpha-tocopherol and plasma concentrations of serine and taurine, when compared to normohomocysteinemic men. The mean intakes of vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12 and bata-carotene tended to decline by 25-30% in hyper- homocysteinemic group, when compared to normohomocysteinemic group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that healthy Korean men with hyperhomocys- teinemia show signs of hyperlipidemia and decreased antioxidants nutrients and these factors increase risk for coronary artery disease. In addition, hyperhomocysteinemia may affect amino acid metabolism related to homocysteine.
alpha-Tocopherol ; Antioxidants ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Folic Acid ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Hyperlipidemias ; Insulin ; Male ; Metabolism ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plasma* ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors* ; Serine ; Taurine ; Tobacco Products ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 6 ; Waist-Hip Ratio

Purpose: To evaluate and introduce the technique of C-arm guided aspiration and an injection of a mixture of corticosteroid and local anesthesia for the treatment of calcific tendinitis of the rectus femoris around the hip joint. Materials and Methods: Between March 2003 and May 2005, C-arm guided aspiration and an injection of a mixture of corticosteroid and local anesthesia were performed on 5 patients and a local excision were performed in 1 patient for the treatment of calcific tendinitis of the rectus femoris. The minimum follow-up period was 6 months. The radiology evaluation revealed the presence and size of the calcification. The clinical evaluation involved checking the level of pain relief, range of motion, recurrence, complications. Results: The hip pain improved immediately after treatment. There were no recurrences or complications. Conclusion: The combined treatment of C-arm guided aspiration and an injection of a mixture of corticosteroid and local anesthesia is an effective method for treating calcific tendinitis of the rectus femoris, which can induce rapid symptom relief without any surgical morbidity.
Anesthesia, Local ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip Joint* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Quadriceps Muscle* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Recurrence ; Tendinopathy*

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a gram-negative halophilic organism commonly associated with outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis which also sometimes causes serious wound infection. It is an uncommon cause of bacteremia. We have experienced a case of bacteremia due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus in a 59-year old man who initially presented with edema and dyspnea. He was diagnosed as liver cirrhosis, gastric cancer, and hepatoma. On hospital day 13, Vibrio parahaemolyticus was isolated from blood culture. The isolate showed typical cultural and biochemical characteristics such as salt tolerance and did not ferment lactose. The isolate was intermediate to ampicillin but susceptible to other agents.
Ampicillin ; Bacteremia* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Disease Outbreaks ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Lactose ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Middle Aged ; Salt-Tolerance ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio* ; Wound Infection

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

A 79-year old male with angina underwent emergent coronary artery bypass graft. After the induction of anesthesia, a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) was placed via the right subclavian vein. At weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass, the pulmonary artery wave form did not appear on the monitor. We pulled and pushed the PAC repeatedly. However, we could observed no pulmonary artery pressure; the PAC was not pulled out at the 42 cm from the distal tip. Chest X-ray revealed a malposed PAC into the ipsilateral internal jugular vein. No deleterious complications were observed either during the immediate or later postanesthetic period.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass* ; Catheters* ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Subclavian Vein ; Thorax ; Transplants ; Weaning*

BACKGROUND: Changes in body fat distribution and antioxidant status can be shown in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and these changes may be more pronounced in CHD patients with than those without diabetes. This study was undertaken to determine the discrimination of body fat distribution, hormones and antioxidants among healthy male and CHD male patients with and without diabetes. METHODS: An oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 64 healthy males and 56 CHD male patients. CHD group was subdivided into patients with and without diabetes. Adipose tissue and muscle areas were calculated from computed tomography scans made at four body levels, L1, L4 and mid portion of thigh and calf. Fasting serum levels of lipids, hormones and antioxidants and plasma level of homocysteine were determined. RESULTS: 28% of healthy males, 33% of CHD patients without diabetes and 15% of CHD patients with diabetes were current smokers. 56% of healthy males, 30% of CHD patients without diabetes and 46% of CHD patients with diabetes supplemented their diet with synthetic vitamin preparation. There were no differences among groups in means of age, body mass index and blood pressure. While CHD patients without diabetes showed an increase in visceral fat area at only L1 level, CHD patients with diabetes showed an increase at both L1 and L4 levels, compared with healthy males. CHD patients with diabetes showed the lowest mean value of HDL-cholesterol and testosterone. The mean response areaof insulin and C-peptide during OGTT was higher in CHD patients without diabetes than healthy males. CHD patients with and without diabetes showed higher plasma level of homocysteine and lower serum levels of IGF-1, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and beta-carotene, compared with healthy males. Serum levels of cryptoxanthin and lycopene were lower in CHD patients with diabetes than healthy males. CONCLUSION: Visceral fat accumulation, an increase in insuline and homocysteine levels and a decrease in IGF-1, SOD and beta-carotene levels in CHD patients indicate a difference in body fat distribution, hormones and antioxidant systems between CHD patients and healthy males. In addition, a further increase in visceral fat and a decrease in the serum levels of HDL-cholesterol, testosterone and carotenoids in CHD patients with diabetes show the increased risk in the simultaneous presence of CHD and diabetes. Thus, the lifestyle modification of these CHD patients such as quitting smoking, reducing abdominal fat and taking antioxidant-rich foods is recommended.
Abdominal Fat ; Adipose Tissue* ; Antioxidants ; beta Carotene ; Blood Pressure ; Body Fat Distribution* ; Body Mass Index ; C-Peptide ; Carotenoids ; Coronary Disease* ; Diet ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Fasting ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Life Style ; Male ; Plasma ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Testosterone ; Thigh ; Vitamins

No abstract available.
Fascia* ; Foot* ; Leg*

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer and to identify demographic variables and clinical characteristics impact on depressive symptoms and health related quality of life in patients with breast cancer in a university hospital. METHODS: Fourty-one patients with breast cancer were selected, who had visited the department of General surgery of the Wonkwang University hospital with a diagnosis of breast cancer regularly during the period November, 2010-May, 2011. All of subjects were evaluated for the depression, anxiety and the health related quality of life with Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), anxiety subscale of Personality Assessment Inventory(PAI) and Short-Form 36 Health Survey-Korean version(SF-36-K). Patients were divided into depressive symptoms and non-depressive symptoms group according to the BDI score. We compared SF-36-K between two groups, and analized multiple regression with depression and health related quality of life as criterion variables and demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression in patients with breast cancer in a University hospital was 36.4%. Compared to the non-depression, depressed patients with breast cancer appeared significantly lower mean scores on six subscales in SF-36-K : Physical function(p<.01), Role-physical(p<.001), General health(p<.05), Social function(p<.001), Role-emotional(p<.001) and Mental health(p<.001). But there was no significant difference between two groups in Vitality and Bodily pain. Anxiety, level of education and presence of enforcement of chemotherapy(63.6%) were significant explanation variables for depressive symptoms. And type of surgery and age (55.8%) were significant explanation variables for health related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer in a University hospital was 36%. The depressive symptoms had not only negative impact on the health related quality of life but also important explanation variable for health related quality of life. These results suggest that depressive symptoms in patients with breast cancer should be evaluated and treated for improving patient's health related quality of life.
Anxiety ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Depression ; Humans ; Personality Assessment ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life