OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the prevalence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in Korean inpatients using antipsychotics and the relationship between TD and sociodemographic, clinical variables. METHODS: This study was done from January to Feburary, 2003, at the Seoul National Mental Hospital. A cross-sectional assessment of randomly selected inpatients (n=324;mean age=39.73+/-9.63years) with DSM-IV schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar disorder was performed with standard rating instrument for TD and extrapyramidal symptoms. The relations between the prevalence of TD and sex, age, length of medication and dosage of antipsychotics, clozapine, and other psychotropic medication, EPS were analyzed with Chi-square test or t-test. RESULTS: Using Schooler and Kane's criteria, 20 subjects (6.17%) had TD. TD was significantly less prevalent in patients receiving clozapine. There was no other significant difference between the TD and without TD groups with respect to type of antipsychotics, other psychotropic drug, antiparkinsonian drug, mood stabilizer augmentation. CONCLUSION: The result of this study have confirmed the lower prevalence of TD among inpatients using antipsychotics compared to previous investigations. The study has also replicated the association of TD with older age. Clozapine use was associated with lower prevalence rate of TD.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Bipolar Disorder ; Clozapine ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Movement Disorders* ; Prevalence* ; Schizophrenia ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Calcitriol* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Gene Expression* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

No abstract available.
Calcitriol* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Gene Expression* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

To identify acanthocephala found in 'Changran-pickles' and 'Myungran-pickles' each organ was measured in permanent slides. In the present report, the results obtained were as follows: 1. Morphology of male worms: Worms possessed 18-19 longitudinal rows, with 4 hooks per row, which became smaller towards the base of proboscis. Each worm contained two testis and six cement glands arranged linearly. Body 22.0 by 0.8-0.6 mm and 15.0 by 0.6-0.4 mm, proboscis 284.8 by 227.6 microgram and 524.9 by 151.4 microgram, proboscis sheath 1570.7 by 72.7 microgram and 751.9 by 280.4 microgram, lemnisci length 2566.7 and 1085.6, testis 2202.9-1860.5 by 737.0-575.7 microgram and 1033.8-981.1 by 463.1-351.6 microgram, cement glands 940.2 by 441.2 microgram and 610.0 by 369.1 microgram. 2. Morphology of female worms: Worms possessed 14-18 longitudinal rows, with 6-10 hooks per row and become smaller toward the base of proboscis. Each worm contained an uterine bell and uterus in the posterior portion and the eggs filled the body cavity. Body 14.0~51.0 mm by 0.7-0.5~2.2-1.4 mm, proboscis 466.1-268.9 microgram by 259.9-252.0 microgram, proboscis sheath 1550.7-506.0 by 298.8-231.1 microgram, lemnisci length 1325.7-473.1 microgram, eggs 112.4 by 28.5 microgram~51.7 by 14.0 microgram. In this present study, the acanthocephala collected in 'Changran-pickles' and 'Myungran-pickles' were identified as Echinorhynchus gadi by morphological features.
Acanthocephala/anatomy & histology/classification/*isolation & purification ; Animals ; Female ; Fish Diseases/*parasitology ; Fishes ; Helminthiasis, Animal/*parasitology ; Korea ; Male ; Seafood/*parasitology

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to know the changes and types of diabetes mellitus (DM) in children who lived in Jeollabuk-do for last 26 years. METHODS: We subdivided 26 years (January 1981-December 2006) as group 1 (January 1981-December 1993) and group 2 (January 1994-December 2006). Patients under 15 years old who had been newly diagnosed with DM in these periods in general hospitals situated in Jeollabuk-do were reviewed retrospectively about clinical conditions at the onset. RESULTS: 141 patients were enrolled; group 1 was 43 (30.5%) and group 2, 98 (69.5%). Patients number in same period increased over twice. For types of diabetes, group 1 was all type 1 diabetes and group 2 was 75.5% in type 1 diabetes, 21.4% type 2 diabetes and 3.1% clinically suspected maturity onset diabetes of the youth (cMODY). The incidence of diabetes was 0.12 patients per 100,000 under 15 years old in 1980 and increased upto 4.73 ones in 2005. The diagnosed mean age increased from 8.9 years (group 1) to 10.3 years (group 2), but type 1 diabetes had no significant difference. Diabetes occurred in girls more than boys. Two-thirds of all patients were diagnosed in the winter (December-February) and the spring (March-May). CONCLUSION: The incidence of childhood diabetes in Jeollabuk-do increased rapidly and type 2 diabetes was remarkable. We think these aspect would be not only the problem in this province but also the national one. So, we suggest that the practicing of the dynamic survey nationwide is important for the treatment and the management of childhood diabetes.
Adolescent ; Child ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Portal hypertension in cirrhosis is associated with a hyperdynamic circulation, which is characterized by hypervolemia, high cardiac output, arterial hypotension and low peripheral vascular resistance. These circulatory abnormalities are thought to be secondary to a splanchnic arteriolar vasodilation related to the increase in portal pressure. Studies assessing regional hemodynamics in patients of cirrhosis with ascites have shown vasoconstriction in the renal circulation and in peripheral vascular territory. This study was designed to assess the cerebral vascular resistance in cirrhotic patients with ascites. METHODS: The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery and in a renal interlobar artery were measured by Doppler ultrasonography in 12 cirrhotic subjects without ascites, 23 cirrhotic subjects with ascites, and 8 healthy subjects. The arterial blood pressure and plasma renin and norepinephrine concentration, which reflect the activity of the renin-ngiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems respectively, were also measured. RESULTS: The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients with ascites (0.58 +/- 0.04, mean +/- standard deviation) than in cirrhotic patients without ascites (0.53 +/- 0.02, p<0.01) and in control subjects (0.50 +/- 0.05, p<0.01). The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery showed direct correlation with renal resistive index (r = 0.52, p<0.01), plasma renin activity (r = 0.44, p<0.01) and norepinephrine (r = 0.33, p<0.05). The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery showed an inverse correlation with mean arterial pressure (r = -.59, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that in patients of cirrhosis with ascites, independent of the amount of ascites, there is a cerebral vasoconstriction which is related with the arterial hypotension and the overactivity of vasoconstrictor systems.
Arterial Pressure ; Arteries ; Ascites* ; Cardiac Output, High ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Hypotension ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma ; Portal Pressure ; Renal Circulation ; Renin ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasoconstriction ; Vasodilation

No abstract available.

STUDY DESIGN: In vitro cell culture model. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of RNA interference (RNAi) on p75 expression and viability of rat notochordal cells treated with serum deprivation. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: RNAi enables the inhibition of specific genes by sequence-specific gene silencing using a double-stranded RNA. METHODS: Notochordal cells were isolated, cultured, and placed in 10% (control) or 0% (apoptosis-promoting) fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 48 hours. The expression of p75, apoptosis, and cell proliferation were determined. To suppress p75 expression, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) was synthesized against p75 (p75 siRNA) and transfected into cells. The suppression of p75 mRNA expression was investigated using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The degree of p75 suppression was semiquantitatively analyzed using densitometry. The effect of p75 siRNA on apoptosis and proliferation of cells was determined. Solutions of an unrelated siRNA and transfection agent alone served as controls. RESULTS: Serum deprivation significantly increased apoptosis by 40.3%, decreased proliferation of notochordal cells by 45.3% (both, p<0.001), and upregulated p75 expression. The p75 siRNA suppressed p75 expression in cells cultured in 0% FBS. The rate of suppression by p75 siRNA of p75 mRNA was 72.9% (p<0.001). Suppression of p75 expression by p75 siRNA inhibited apoptosis by 7% and increased proliferation by 14% in cells cultured in 0% FBS (both, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: siRNA-mediated suppression of p75 inhibited apoptosis and increased proliferation of notochordal cells under conditions of serum deprivation, suggesting that RNAi might serve as a novel therapeutic approach for disc degeneration caused by insufficient viability of disc cells through the suppression of the expression of harmful genes.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Proliferation ; Densitometry ; Gene Silencing ; In Vitro Techniques ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Notochord* ; Rats* ; RNA Interference ; RNA* ; RNA, Double-Stranded ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Transfection

No Abstract Available.
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell*

We report on a case of torsion of an accessory spleen occurring in a 19-year-old female. She was admitted with a three-day history of left-upper quadrant pain that became slowly aggravated. On physical examination, left-side abdominal tenderness was observed, most markedly in the left upper quadrant, but no rebound tenderness was noted. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan showed a non-enhancing mass with a tubular vascular pedicle and normal enhancing spleen in the left upper abdomen. Doppler ultrasound showed no vascular flow within the hypoechoic mass in the left upper abdomen. Torsion of an accessory spleen was suspected, and emergent laparoscopic exploration was performed. Laparoscopic exploration showed a large rounded violet mass with a tw isted vascular pedicle, located anterior to the normal spleen. The mass was excised laparoscopically and then removed through a 2.5 cm extended incision of the left-sided trocar incision. Postoperative recovery was normal and she was discharged on the fifth postoperative day.
Abdomen ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Spleen* ; Surgical Instruments ; Ultrasonography ; Viola ; Young Adult