PURPOSE: To investigate the neuroprotective effect of Ginexin (Ginkgo biloba extract) on rat retinal ganglion cell in the optic nerve crush injury model. METHODS: From 1 week before the optic nerve injury, Ginexin 100 mg/kg/day (100 mg group), 200 mg/kg/day (200 mg group) or carboxymethylcellulose as a control group (CMC group) was administrated orally 4 weeks in Spraque-Dawley rats. At 3 weeks after the optic nerve injury, the RGCs were counted and the concentration of intravitreal glutamate was measured. RESULTS: The RGC density of CMC group (103+/-22 cells/mm2) was significantly lower than that of 100 mg group (182+/-39 cells/mm2) and 200 mg group (201+/-63 cells/mm2). There was no difference between the 100 mg group and 200 mg group. The concentration of invtravitreal glutamate did not significantly differ among normal, CMC group, 100 mg group and 200 mg group. CONCLUSIONS: Ginexin increased the survival of the retinal ganglion cell in rat optic nerve crush injury model, but, did not influence on the concentration of intravitreal glutamate.
Animals ; Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium ; Glutamic Acid ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Optic Nerve Injuries ; Optic Nerve* ; Rats* ; Retinal Ganglion Cells* ; Retinaldehyde*

OBJECTIVE: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy(ARVC) is a progressive cardiac muscle disease characterized as progressive fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricle, severe ventricular arrhythmia, and sudden death. However, there is no report of ARVC as a cause of sudden death in Korea. METHODS and RESULTS: Postmortem studies were done to 115 cases of sudden unexplained death at department of legal medicine, school of medicine, Kyungpook national university in year 1999. We identified 7 cases(6%) of typical ARVC with no other identifiable cause of sudden death. The subjects included 5 males and 2 females, ranging in age from 19 to 41 years (mean 29.7 years). All were found dead at bed (5 cases) or workshop (2 cases). Five cases were fibrofatty types and two cases were fatty types. Right ventricular aneurysm, inflammatory infiltrates and left ventricular involvement were found in 4, 2 and 1 cases, repectively. Two cases had family history of sudden death before age 40. No one was suspected of having cardiovascular disease or ARVC before death. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that ARVC in Taegu-Kyungpook area may be more frequent than previously thought. ARVC may be a major cause of sudden unexplained death.
Aneurysm ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Death, Sudden ; Education ; Female ; Forensic Medicine ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Myocardium

Lipoma is a common benign neoplasm, but lipoma arising from the pleura is rare. Most pleural lipomas are asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally on chest radiographs. Here we report an unusual case of a pedunculated subpleural lipoma with incomplete torsion in a 29-year-old woman who presented with flank pain. On chest radiography, there was a well-defined, ellipsoidal, homogeneous, radioopaque mass in the left lower lobe. An intrathoracic tumor was suspected, and video-assisted thoracic surgery was performed to establish the final diagnosis. The resected tumor was a 10 X 5 cm sized pedunculated pleural mass. The cut surface showed a yellow, well-circumscribed mass with areas of hemorrhage. Histologically, the tumor was composed of mature adipose tissue with fibrous septae composed of fibroblasts. The outer surface of the tumor was covered by mesothelial cells. Some areas were hypercellular, and occasional mitoses were found, but neither lipoblasts nor atypical mitoses were identified.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Benzeneacetamides ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Flank Pain ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lipoma ; Mitosis ; Piperidones ; Pleura ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thorax

Objectives ; This study was conducted to reveal the health effects of aircraft noise on the residents live near the military airport. METHODS: We sampled systematically 87 residents as the high exposed group, 58 residents as the low exposed group according to the geographical distance from the airport. We also sampled 67 residents as the control group lived far from the airport. Noise levels were measured for conform the exposures. Self-administered questionnaires for symptoms, air conduction hearing threshold level, blood pressure blood cholesterol with health examinations, and SCL-90-R were introduced to get the data from the residents. RESULTS: The Ld/n at the area near the airport was 72.4 dB, however that of control area was 67. 7 dB. The value of pure tone average, high pure tone average, and threshold of 4,000 Hz were decreased with exposure level significantly. Linear regression analysis showed that the noise exposure level of the airport was related to the hearing threshold at pure tone average, threshold of 4,000 Hz, and high pure tone average. The systemic and diastolic blood pressure showed dose-response relationship with noise exposure. The prevalence of hypertension was higher in exposed group, but not statistically significant. In linear regression, noise level was related to systolic and diastolic blood pressure with other variables such as age, sex, BMI (Body Mass Index), and family history of hypertension. SCL-90-R showed that exposed group had higher score significantly in neurotic and psychologic variable and felt the various somatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that aircraft noise would influence hearing loss at low frequencies as well as 4,000 Hz and higher frequencies, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and psychological response.
Aircraft* ; Airports* ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Linear Models ; Military Personnel ; Noise* ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires

Polymyositis is characterized by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness, nonsuppurative inflammation of skeletal muscle, elevation of muscle enzyme levels, and abnormality of electromyographical change. Its pathogenesis is unclear. Paraneoplastic syndromes are caused by malignant tumors, although not through direct effects of the primary tumor or its metastases. Several paraneoplastic syndromes, including erythrocytosis, hypoglycemia, and hypercholesterolemia, have been reported in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. A few cases of polymyositis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma and one case of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma associated with polymyositis and chronic hepatitis B virus infection have been reported. Skeletal muscle injuries without trauma, including metabolic myopathy, effects of certain drugs and toxins, infection, electrolyte imbalances, and endocrine disorders, may cause rhabdomyolysis. We present here a case of primary liver cancer associated with polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypoglycemia ; Inflammation ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Muscular Diseases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Polycythemia ; Polymyositis ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Viruses

Adipsic hypernatremia is a rare disorder of hypothalamic osmoreceptor dysfunction for thirst. It is frequently associated with a deficiency in antidiuretic hormone (ADH) release. We report the first case in Korea of adipsic hypernatremia combined with subnormal ADH response to osmotic stimuli without any demonstrable structural lesion. A 69-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with general weakness. In a hypernatremic hyperosmolar state, she denied thirst and did not drink spontaneously. Her plasma ADH level was markedly subnormal but she had no large volume of dilute urine. Investigation of osmoregulation by infusion of hypertonic saline revealed adipsia and an absolute deficiency in antidiuretic hormone release, despite a serum osmolarity in excess of 321 mOsmol/kg. There was no structural lesion of the hypothalamus and no abnormal finding in hypothalamic-pituitary function. After diagnosis, she was treated successfully with intentional water intake alone.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Hypernatremia ; Hypothalamus ; Korea ; Osmolar Concentration ; Plasma ; Thirst ; Water-Electrolyte Balance

Polymyositis is characterized by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness, nonsuppurative inflammation of skeletal muscle, elevation of muscle enzyme levels, and abnormality of electromyographical change. Its pathogenesis is unclear. Paraneoplastic syndromes are caused by malignant tumors, although not through direct effects of the primary tumor or its metastases. Several paraneoplastic syndromes, including erythrocytosis, hypoglycemia, and hypercholesterolemia, have been reported in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. A few cases of polymyositis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma and one case of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma associated with polymyositis and chronic hepatitis B virus infection have been reported. Skeletal muscle injuries without trauma, including metabolic myopathy, effects of certain drugs and toxins, infection, electrolyte imbalances, and endocrine disorders, may cause rhabdomyolysis. We present here a case of primary liver cancer associated with polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypoglycemia ; Inflammation ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Muscular Diseases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Polycythemia ; Polymyositis ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Viruses

The incidence of type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly because of an increase in the incidence of being overweight and obesity. Identification of genetic determinants for complex diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, may provide insight into disease pathogenesis. The aim of the study was to investigate the shared genetic factors that predispose individuals to being overweight and developing type 2 diabetes. We conducted genome-wide linkage analyses for type 2 diabetes in 386 affected individuals (269 sibpairs) from 171 Korean families and association analyses with single-nucleotide polymorphisms of candidate genes within linkage regions to identify genetic variants that predispose individuals to being overweight and developing type 2 diabetes. Through fine-mapping analysis of chromosome 4q34-35, we detected a locus potentially linked (nonparametric linkage 2.81, logarithm of odds 2.27, P=6 x 10-4) to type 2 diabetes in overweight or obese individuals (body mass index, BMI> or =23 kg m-2). Multiple regression analysis with type 2 diabetes-related phenotypes revealed a significant association (false discovery rate (FDR) P=0.006 for rs13144140; FDR P=0.002 for rs6830266) between GPM6A (rs13144140) and BMI and waist-hip ratio, and between NEIL3 (rs6830266) and insulin level from 1314 normal individuals. Our systematic search of genome-wide linkage and association studies, demonstrate that a linkage peak for type 2 diabetes on chromosome 4q34-35 contains two type 2 diabetes-related genes, GPM6A and NEIL3.
Body Mass Index ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4/*genetics ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*complications/*genetics ; Female ; Genetic Linkage ; *Genetic Loci ; *Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Overweight/*complications/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Physical Chromosome Mapping ; Statistics, Nonparametric

BACKGROUND: Molecular tools for tissue profiling generally require collection of fresh frozen tissues (FFT) as sources of high-quality DNA and RNA. Nowadays, researchers carry out large-scale, multi-center studies and they request inter-institutional minimal intrinsic bias, some fundamental similarities, and the same standardized and validated procedures. METHODS: This study reports standardized quality control procedure for fresh frozen tissue of the National Biobank of Korea. RESULTS: The main procedures for quality control for FFT are as follows: records related to sample collection such as labeling of samples, transport temperature, lag time from excision of tissue to freezing, and sample size were reviewed for all fresh frozen samples. The stability of RNA and DNA in fresh frozen tissue was evaluated for 3% of collected samples and purity was assessed (ratio of the absorbance at 260 and 280 nm) as was integrity (agarose gel electrophoresis). Stained hematoxylin and eosin sections were reviewed by a pathologist to confirm the diagnosis and to assess how representative the frozen sample was. CONCLUSIONS: We introduced that the quality-control criteria for fresh frozen tissue of the NBK. We expect that this study contributes to standardization of collection, storage, and quality control of fresh frozen tissue.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; DNA ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Freezing ; Hematoxylin ; Korea ; Quality Control ; RNA ; Sample Size

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the human liver. However, the molecular changes and mechanisms that regulate the development and progression of HCC remain unclear. Beta-catenin is known as a multi-functional protein that acts as a regulator of the cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion system and also in the Wingless/Wnt signal transduction pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of beta-catenin and its possible role in HCC. METHODS: We investigated the expression of beta-catenin, Ki-67, TP53, alpha-smooth muscle actin and CD34 by performing immunohistochemical staining for 61 specimens of HCC and their adjacent non-tumorous tissue. We also examined the relationship between the nuclear expression of beta-catenin and the clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS: The altered expression of beta-catenin was not detected in the nontumorous liver tissue. The nuclear expression of beta-catenin was observed in approximately 16% (10/61) of the HCC specimens. Double immunohistochemical staining for beta-catenin and E-cadherin showed a close relationship between nuclear translocation of beta-catenin and the loss of the membranous E-cadherin expression. Significant correlation was found between the nuclear translocation of beta-catenin and the tumor size, tumor necrosis and the presence of microvessel invasion and intrahepatic metastasis (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This data indicates that nuclear translocation of beta-catenin could play a role in the growth and progression of HCC.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Neoplasm Metastasis