To reveal the association between blood selenium level and the gastric diseases, 180 persons received the gastrofiberscopic examination at the outpatients department of the two university hospitals from July to September 1987, after the exclusion of the persons having the esophageal varix, were randomly selected. Their general characteristics such as age, sex and educational level and so on, were investigated. Five microliter venous blood was collected from each subjects and stored at 0 degrees C in heparinized vaccum tube. The blood selenium level was measured by the flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In the procedure of data analysis, five subjects having benign tumor and anomaly of the stomach, were also excluded. The mean blood selenium levels of the 155.5 microgram/l among gastritis cases, the 154.8 microgram/l gastric ulcer and the 133.0 microgram/l gastric malignancy were significantly lower(p<0.05) than that of the 173.3 microgram/l among normal controls. In men the mean blood selenium levels among gastritis, gastric ulcer and gastric malignancy cases were significantly lower(p<0.05) than that among normal controls. In females, the mean blood selenium levels among gastritis and gastric maligancy cases were significantly lower(P<0.05) than that among normal controls(169.7 microgram/l), buy that among gastric ulcer cases(177.7 microgram/l) was not significantly higher. In the logistic analysis, coefficient of the blood selenium level was -0.0436(p<0.05 ; odds ratio 0.957) for gastritis, -0.0197(p=0.17 ; 0.981) for gastric ulcer, -0.4876(p<0.05 ; 0.614) for gastric malignancy and -0.0411(p<0.05 ; 0.960) for gastric diseases including the gastritis, the gastric ulcer and the gastric malignancy. These data support the hypothesis that the gastric diseases are to be associated with the low selenium level but, for the gastric ulcer, the further research is recommended.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Female ; Gastritis ; Heparin ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Selenium* ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Statistics as Topic ; Stomach ; Stomach Diseases* ; Stomach Ulcer

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Finances of health insurance can be explained by factors determining benefit expense and premium collection. This study was conducted to analyze factors contributing to the financial status of rural health insurance. Nationwide 134 health insurance associations except the six pilot project counties were analyzed and obtained the followings. 1. In univariate analysis, statistically significant variables that explain 1) outpatient benefit expenditures include public health center utilization, proportion of pregnant women, premium and collection rate of premium 2) inpatient benefit expenditures include public health center utilization, proportion of old age, proportion of pregnant women, premium and collection rate of premium 3) profits include public health center utilization, proportion of old age, proportion of pregnant women and collection rate of premium. 2. In multiple regression analysis, statistically significant determinants in 1) outpatient benefit include premium and public health utilization 2) inpatient benefit include premium 3) profit include public health center utilization, premium and collection rate of premium.
Female ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Insurance ; Insurance, Health* ; Outpatients ; Pilot Projects ; Pregnant Women ; Public Health ; Regression Analysis ; Rural Health

To observe the role of oxygen free radical and enzymatic scavengers in cerebral ischemia, an infarction model was made using transorbital occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in cats. The changes of the superoxide radical production and the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were measured. The results were as follows ; 1) The infarction of the left middle cerebral artery(MCA) territory was identified with intracardiac perfusion of a TTC solution after transorbital occlusion. 2) The superoxide radical activities after occlusion of the left MCA were not changed in all groups except for the decrease in 6 hours group of the right side compared to the control group(p<0.05). 3) The Mn-superoxide dismutase activities of the left side in the 12 hours group were significantly higher than those of the right side(p<0.01) and those in the control group(p<0.05). 4) The Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase activities of the left side in the 3 hours group after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05). 5) The catalase activities of the left side in the 3 hours, 6 hours and 12 hours groups after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those of the right side(p<0.05). 6) The catalase activities of the left side in the 12 hours group after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05). The authors suggest that the enzymatic scavangers such as Mn-SOD, Cu, Zn-SOD and catalase increased in the infarcted brain, which means an involvement of free radicals in cerebral infarction.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Catalase* ; Cats ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Free Radicals ; Infarction ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

A retrospective study 40 patients with moderate or severe diffuse axonal injury which is defined as posttraumatic coma for over 24 hours without mass lesions or ischemic insults was conducted in order to identify prognostic parameters. The sign of hypothalamic damage and motor reactivities of 40 patients were reviewed and compared to the outcome. The results were as follows ; 1) The ratio of male to female was about 3 to 1 and the peak incidence was at the first decade. 2) Of abnormal brain stem signs, fever of central origin was observed at the early posttraumatic phase and correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.05). 3) Of abnormal brain stem signs, abnormal ADH secretion was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 4) Abnormal motor reactivity to pain was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 5) In the group of recovery of consciousness, initial Glasgow coma scale in 40 patients with moderate or severe DAI was significantly correlated with their outcome(P<0.005).
Brain Stem ; Coma ; Consciousness ; Diffuse Axonal Injury* ; Female ; Fever ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Interleukin-10*

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

BACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis(DKA) is serious acute metabolic complication and the most important cause of high morbidity and mortality of diabetes. The object of this study is to examine the clinical characteristics of patients with DKA who had a prior history of diabetes or not. METHOD: Authors reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 49 cases adimitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital from January 1991 to June 1997 with a diagnosis of DKA and classified cases as type I, type II and newly diagnosed diabetics according to prior history of diabetes. RESULTS: 1. Of 49 cases of DKA, 24(49%) were classified as type I, 17(35%) as type II from data available in the medical records, and 8(16%) had DKA as the initial manifestation of the disease. 2. The male to female ratio was 0.5 : 1 in type I, 1.1 : 1 in type II and 1.7 : 1 in newly diagnosed diabetics, and the mean age was 24.4 in type I, 57.9 in type II and 23.9 years old in newly diagnosed diabetics. 3. The mean duration between initial diagnosis of diabetes and the occurrence of DKA was 2.6 in type I and 6.9 years in type II diabetes. The occurrence of DKA within 2 years of initial diagnosis of diabetes was 54% in type I and 18% in type II diabetes, but the occurrence of DKA after 5 years of initial diagnosis of diabetes was 17% in type I and 47% in type II diabetes. 4. The precipitating factors of DKA were identified in 88% in type I, 76% in type II and 38% in newly diagnosed diabetics, and the most common precipitating factor was omission of treatment in both type I and type II(type I: 56%, type II: 35%). 5. The altered mental status was correlated with increased osmolality (p<0.05), but not with other laboratory values such as pH, bicabonate, glucose, anion gap and dehydration status(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to conduct early aggressive evaluation for early diagnosis and proper treatment of DKA, because DKA occurs in patients with prior history of type II diabetes and without prior diabetic history as well as patients with prior history of type I diabetes.
Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Dehydration ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Glucose ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Osmolar Concentration ; Precipitating Factors ; Retrospective Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphologic changes of the bile canaliculi and its associated structures of the liver induced by common bile duct ligation(CBDL) in the rat. The canalicular surface and lateral surface of the dry-fractured hepatocytes was studied with scanning electron microscopy at 1~6 weeks post ligation. The first week after CBDL, the bile canaliculi were dilated. The microvilli were increased in number and the lumens contained granular materials After 2 weeks or more, the bile canaliculi were dilated to a variable degree, and with irregularity, measuring from 1.5 to 5 micrometer in diameter, and in the advanced stage, the canaliculi showed blunting and the disappearance of microvilli. Some canaliculi had sprouting side branches. At 4~6 weeks post-ligation, the lateral surface of the hepatocytes also showed some irregularity and a tortuous appearance, and numerous small sized microvillous projections were formed. The tubular structures of the proliferated SER distributed adjacent to the lateral surface of the hepatocytes, and the direct connection of a tubular structure and the cytoplasmic membrane was observed. These results suggest that the deformity and loss of microvilli of bile canaliculi reflect the disturbance of bile secretion from the hepatocytes. And prolonged obstruction of bile flow may result in bile excretion via the lateral surface of hepatocytes.
Rats ; Animals