OBJECTIVES: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) is the treatment of choice and has been shown to reduce the frequency of nocturnal respiratory events, improve sleep architecture, and decrease daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, little is known about the compliance of nCPAP treatment in Korea. Our objective was to look into the nCPAP compliance and examine the factors influencing it. METHODS: We reviewed the records of one hundred and twenty consecutive patients with OSAS referred for nocturnal polysomnography with nCPAP pressure titration during the period of January 1995 through April 1999 to the Seoul National University Hospital. We performed a telephone interview and obtained data from eighty-three patients. RESULTS: In sixty patients who had accepted nCPAP treatment, twenty-six patients (43.3%) were still using nCPAP device, while thirty-four patients (56.7%) stopped using it. Fifteen patients (25%) were using nCPAP device everyday. In thirty-four patients who discontinued nCPAP use, twenty-five patients (73.5%) did within the first three months, and thirty-one (91.2%) within the first year. Significant predictor of long-term nCPAP use was the presence of subjective daytime sleepiness before nCPAP application. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term compliance with nCPAP treatment appears to be associated with the presence of subjective daytime sleepiness before nCPAP application. Long-term compliance with nCPAP may be mostly predicted from the usage pattern within the first three months of use.
Compliance* ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure* ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Polysomnography ; Seoul ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) on the renal renin-angiotensin systems. In rats chronically treated with CsA, the intrarenal expression of various genes of the renin-angiotensin system was assessed by Northern blot analysis. Along with the increases in plasma and renal renin activities, chronic CsA-treatment differentially affected the renal expression of renin-angiotensin system. The treatment with CsA for one week did not significantly alter the expression of either type 1 angiotensin II receptor (AT1A) or angiotensinogen gene, but increased the renin mRNA level. The three-week-treatment caused increases in the expression not only of renin but also of AT1A and angiotensinogen genes. Supplementation with L-arginine kept the expression of renin mRNA normal in the one-week-treated, but failed to prevent the alterations of the gene expression in the three-week-treated. Feedback control among components of the renin-angiotensin system also influences angiotesinogen. In the liver, the expression of angiotensinogen mRNA was decreased by the CsA-treatment for either one- or three-weeks. In conclusion, chronic CsA-treatment is associated with a differential expression of various genes for the renin-angiotensin system. L-Arginine may be effective in maintaining the normality of renin-angiotensin system only during early period after beginning the use of CsA.
Angiotensinogen ; Animals ; Arginine ; Blotting, Northern ; Cyclosporine* ; Gene Expression ; Liver ; Plasma ; Rats ; Receptors, Angiotensin ; Renin ; Renin-Angiotensin System* ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.
Child ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography ; Humans

A case of foreign body (a black rubber string of 60cm in length used for masturbation) in the bladder was presented in a 17 years old Korean boy and reported with review of literature.
Adolescent ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Male ; Rubber ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: Surgery for thyroid disease requires skin incisions that can result in postsurgical problems. Therefore, several approaches in thyroid surgery have been developed to avoid large scars on the anterior neck. Since the first report of endoscopic subtotal parathyroidectomy, various endoscopic approaches have been reported. However, to be able to perform these procedures using endoscopic instruments in a skillful manner, sufficient training time and effort is required. We assessed the feasibility and cosmetic benefit of the far lateral neck approach using natural skin fold thyroidectomy. METHODS: From July 2011 to February 2014, 123 patients underwent thyroidectomy via far lateral neck approach by one surgeon. An approximately 5 to 6 cm incision was created on the natural skin fold at the far lateral neck, so that the scar can be completely hidden by a V-shaped collar shirt. Thyroidectomy was performed using a Harmonic scalpel(R) and conventional tie technique. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 89.6+/-18.4 min for benign tumors and 79.1+/-30.1 min for malignant tumors. The number of retrieved lymph nodes (mean) was 5.4+/-3.5 in the central neck compartment dissection group, and 26.9+/-13.1 in the lateral neck lymph node dissection group. The 3, 6, and 12 month cosmetic satisfaction score (mean) after the operation was 7.47, 7.68, and 8.81. There were no hypertrophic scars or keloid on the neck. CONCLUSION: Far lateral approach using natural skin fold for thyroidectomy is safe and patients expressed high cosmetic satisfaction. In addition, the technique is suitable for inexperienced surgeons in endoscopic thyroidectomy. It can be a feasible alternative to conventional or endoscopic thyroidectomy.
Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Humans ; Keloid ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Neck* ; Parathyroidectomy ; Skin* ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroidectomy*

PURPOSE: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has become the standard treatment for locally advanced breast cancer. The postoperatively adjuvant systemic treatment is based on the status of the histological and biological markers of either the pre-NAC or the post-NAC. There have been several reports that have demonstrated the changes of the histological and biological markers after NAC. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of NAC on the expression of the histological and biological markers of breast cancer. METHODS: We analyzed the paired pre- and post-NAC tumor specimens from 37 patients with stage IIIA, IIIB or IIIC breast cancer. All the patients received 2 to 6 cycles of anthracycline-containing NAC. Over 6 pieces of pre-NAC tumor specimens were taken by 14 G core needle from multiple sites of a tumor, and the post-NAC specimens were taken at the time of the operation. The histologic grade and immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), c-erbB2, p53, Ki67, CD31 and p-glycoprotein were analyzed in the paired pre- and post-NAC tumor specimens from 37 patients. RESULTS: Twenty five patients (67.6%) revealed significant changes of more than one marker. The markers that showed changes of more than two grades were as follows; histologic grade in 1, ER in 4, PR in 9, c-erbB2 in 4, p53 in 1, Ki67 in 4, CD31 in 9 and pglycoprotein in 5 patients. In 12 patients (32.4%), significant changes were found in the markers that can influence the decision-making for adjuvant treatment (i.e. ER, PR and c-erbB2). The ER/PR status changed from positive to negative in 4 patients and c-erbB2 was changed from positive to negative in 3 patients. Among those patients, the strategy of adjuvant treatment was adjusted according to the changes. CONCLUSION: The specimens for the histologic and biologic markers of a tumor should be taken before NAC because NAC can have an influence on the expression of the prognostic markers of locally advanced breast cancers, and this may subsequently influence predicting the prognosis and making the decision for adjuvant systemic treatment.
Biomarkers ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Needles ; P-Glycoprotein ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Progesterone

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

BACKGROUND: Ozone (03) induces airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness which are characteristic features of asthma. There have been few studies observing O3-induced increase in responsiveness of rat airway muscle. Objectives: The aims of this study were to develop an O3-induced nonallergic asthma model using rat tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) and to evaluate the role of airway epithelium on the modulation of muscle responsiveness. METHOD: Five groups of 20 male Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were exposed to filtered air including 0.12, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 ppm 03 for 1 hour. Thirty minutes after the exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and isometric contractile responses of the isolated tracheal ring segments to KCI, acetylcholine (ACh), and electrical field stimulation (EFS) were measured. RESULTS: The percent age of neutrophils was significantly higher and that of alveolar macro-phages in BAL fluid was significantly lower in 2.0 ppm O3-exposed rats than in the control. There were no significant differences in the maximal contractile responses of TSM to KC1, ACh, EFS and in the sensitivity to ACh (ACh-EC50) and EFS (EFS-EC50) between the control group and the ozone exposed group. ACh-EC50 and EFS-EC50 were correlated positively with the percent age of neutrophils and inversely with that of macrophages. Removal of epithelium significantly increased the sensitivity to ACh in O3-exposed group, but not in the control group. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that O3 induces neutrophilic airway inflammation, but not an increased sensitivity of TSM to ACh or EFS in SD rats. However, O3-induced epithelial damage may be associated with increased muscle response.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Asthma ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Macrophages ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Neutrophils ; Ozone ; Rats* ; Trachea

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the S-phase fraction (SPF) and Ki-67 with other biologic factors, and to assess the prognostic value of Ki-67 and SPF in 108 breast cancer patients. MEHOODS: The SPF and Ki-67 level were determined in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 108 patients with early breast cancer who underwent surgery between January 1997 and December 2000 at the Wonkwang University Hospital. The clinicopathological characteristics of the early breast cancer such as the tumor size, node status, histological grade, hormone receptor, various tumor markers and cancer recurrence were compared with the SPF and Ki-67 values. RESULTS: The median SPF was 9.03% (range 0~43%). The SPF correlated with CD31 (P=0.020) and DNA diploidy (P=0.000). Ki-67 correlated with the histological grade (P= 0.010) and p53 (P=0.035). No correlation was found between the SPF and Ki-67. Eight cases recurred during the follow-up period. Strong expression of Ki-67, p53, DNA aneuploidy and a young age were correlated with recurrence (P=0.001, P=0.029, P=0.021 and P=0.002, respectively). However, the SPF was not related to recurrence. CONCLUSION: In early breast cancer, Ki-67 expression is correlated with the histological grade and p53 expression. In addition, strong Ki-67 expression is associated with a recurrence. Further studies regarding the prognostic significance of the proliferation markers, such as Ki-67 and SPF, will be needed to confirm these results.
Aneuploidy ; Biological Factors ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diploidy ; DNA ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to compare the characteristics of psychiatric inpatients in mental health related facilities and community mental health services-utilizing patients by diverse factors in Korea. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent via mail to 140 standard mental health centers from October to December of 2008. 64 facilities responded and data of 461 mentally disabled who are registered at and utilize the services of these mental health centers were analyzed. T-test and cross-analysis were performed to determine the differences in the averages of the variables and the discrepancy in ratios, respectively. RESULTS: Differences between long-term psychiatric inpatients and community mental health services-utilizing patients were seen in characteristics such as gender, age, type of medical coverage, family support systems, diagnosis, age of onset, duration of hospitalization, community-dwelling period, and clinical symptoms and functions. It was significantly short in length of stay in facilities in users of community mental health services with comparison to institutionalized patients. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that invigoration of community mental health services is an alternative that can help deter long-term hospitalization.
Age of Onset ; Community Mental Health Services* ; Diagnosis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea* ; Length of Stay ; Mental Health* ; Mentally Disabled Persons ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires