To determine the concentration and the physiologic role of metal components in blood plasma and seminal plasma in relation to male infertility, the concentrations of twelve metal components in blood plasma and seminal plasma including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Cd and Pb were measured by atomic absorbance spectrophotometery or ion selective electrode analysis. Semen and blood samples were obtained from a total of 110 men including 70 male infertility patients, 20 vasectomized persons and 20 fertility proven volunteers visited to the Male Infertility Clinic of Pusan National University Hospital. The concentrations of Ca, Zn, Mg, Cr and Cd in control group were higher in seminal plasma than in blood plasma, and additionally Pb were higher in infertility group. The concentrations of all metal components revealed no significant difference according to patients' age, resident, occupation, sperm density, motility and hormone level in blood plasma, but some metal components including Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, Cd and Pb revealed a significant difference according to each these parameters except patient's age in seminal plasma. The concentrations of Mn, Cd and Pb in the vasectomy persons were higher than in the infertility group III including testicular and epididymal factors, but not in blood plasma. We conclude that the quantitative changes of metal components in the seminal plasma may have effects on not only spermatogenesis and sperm function, but also contribute to diagnostic parameter according to organ specificity of the metal in the male reproduction.
Busan ; Electrodes ; Fertility ; Humans ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male ; Male* ; Occupations ; Organ Specificity ; Plasma ; Reproduction ; Semen* ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa ; Vasectomy ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Fistula*

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of the preventive abduction brace in dementia patients after bipolar hemiarthroplasty of the hip. Materials and Method: A review of 30 patients who had dementia prior to bipolar hemiarthroplasty of the hip. 20 females and 10 males were evaluated and their mean age was 80.4 years old (range, 68 to -92 years old). The average MMSE-K in dementia patients was 14.2 (range, 8 to 20). The reasons for the bipolar hemiarthroplasties were femoral neck fractures in all the cases. We analyzed the dislocation rates of those who had preventive abduction braces applied prospectively. Results: The average follow-up period after hemiarthroplasty was 2.2 years. All 30 patients had preventive abduction braces and no dislocations occurred after the bipolar hemiarthroplasties. Conclusion: Hip dislocations were not detected in those patients who preventive abduction braces applied. The present findings suggest that having a preventive abduction brace will definitely reduce the dislocation rate in dementia patients who have difficulties with rehabilitation after their operations.
Braces* ; Dementia* ; Dislocations ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemiarthroplasty* ; Hip Dislocation ; Hip* ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Rehabilitation

No abstract available.
Urticaria*

This study was carried out to investigate the localization and change of the cell surface antigens, such as URO-9(Om5) and URO-10 (T43), in transitional cell carcinomas of bladder. The subjects used were normal bladder mucosae of 10 autopsy cases of fetus and 10 biopsy cases of child or adult patients with disease of other organs as controls, and neoplastic tissue of 15 cases of patient with transitional cell in carcinoma of bladder. Avidin-Biotin complex(ABC) kits(Cambridge Research Lab.) and URO-9 and URO-10 monoclonal antibodies were used and the data observed were analyzed. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. URO-9 expression was none of 10 fetal bladder mucosae and 3 or 10 normal bladder mucosae and URO-10 expression was none showed. 2. Of 15 cases with transitional cell carcinoma of bladder, URO-9 expression was 5, of which 1 was Ta grade II, 1 T1 grade II and the rest T2 grade III. URO-10 expression was 10, of which I was T1 grade III, 3 T2 grade III, 3 T3 grade III and 3 T4 grade III, of 15 cases of transitional cell carcinoma of bladder. As above results, the transitional cell carcinoma of bladder in low grade and low stage have tendency to express URO-9 monoclonal antibody but not URO-10 monoclonal antibody, whereas the transitional cell carcinoma of bladder in high grade and high stage were inclined to express URO-10 monoclonal antibody with variable expression of URO-9 monoclonal antibody.
Adult ; Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Antigens, Surface* ; Autopsy ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Child ; Fetus ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Urinary Bladder*

Epiblepharon is frequently encountered n oriental eyelid, especially in children. It is characterized by a horizontal fold of redundant skin and abundant orbicularis muscle near lid margin, which the lashes vertically, or posteriorly towards the eye. Surgical therapy of epiblepharon in correcting the trichiasis includes lid bracing sutures, burried sutures, skin resection, a Hotz procedure or its modification, and a Jones procedure. In our opinion, these procedures are not sufficient, because these procedures will not correct the epicanthal folds. Epicanthal folds have been a one of the characteristics of Asian over 50 percents of population in Japan and South Korea, and it either reduce the aesthetic result of the double-eyelid procedure or make the correction of the entropion and epiblepharon difficult. Although many surgical procedures are available to eliminate epicanthal folds, scarring on the medial canthus is in still and obstacle for surgeons to overcome. From January of 1998 to October of 1998, we used half z-plasty procedures in 5 cases to correct epicanthal folds in epiblepharon. There were few complications in our series. We believe that half z-plasty can get a good result in the correction of epibolepharon and oriental epicanthal folds.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Braces ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Entropion ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Skin ; Sutures ; Trichiasis

PURPOSE: For those women with breast cancer who require mastectomy for surgical treatment, consideration should be given to optimize the cosmetic outcome. Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) is being used more frequently to treat many of these patients. Skin-sparing mastectomy can maximize breast skin preservation and facilitate immediate reconstruction, and so result in an excellent cosmetic appearance. The aim of this study was to access the local recurrence rate of breast cancer after SSM. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 53 patients who underwent skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction between January 1996 and February 2006. Immediate reconstruction was achieved via the TRAM flap or latissimus dorsi flap or artificial bag. The mean follow-up time was 34.6 months (range: 7~142 months). RESULTS: Local recurrence occurred in 1 (2.1%) of 53 patients. The time to local recurrence was 44 months. The patient with local recurrence was well controlled by wide excision and postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The patient with local recurrence is still free of disease. Distant metastasis occurred in 7 (14.9%) of 53 patients. Of the 7 patients with distant metastasis, 1 patient was died from brain involvement. CONCLUSION: The risk of local recurrence after skin-sparing mastrectomy was not different from that of conventional mastectomy. Local recurrence was effectively managed with surgical excision of the involved tissues and then administering chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Brain ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mastectomy* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Superficial Back Muscles

No Abstract Available.
Arthroplasty* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Humans ; Knee*

PURPOSE: Testicular volume is one of the important indices that represent the reproductive ability of adult males. In previous studies, however, testicular volume was measured by manual palpation or orchidometer, resulting in inaccuracy or subjectivity. Accordingly, the need for accurate data on the size of the testes is increasing, and we conducted testicular volume measurements by using scrotal ultrasonography. We investigated the relationship between testicular volume and body weight, height, and body mass index (BMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The testicular volumes of 1,002 young adult Korean men were measured for length, width, and thickness with ultrasonography, and data on BMI were collected conventionally. The correlation between testicular volume and BMI was analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Student's t-test. RESULTS: The mean age of the young men was 23.02+/-2.53 years. The mean testicular volume was 18.09+/-3.79 cc on the left and 18.26+/-3.21 cc on the right. Testicular volume was directly proportional to body weight, height, and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: The testicular volume of Korean young adult men was about 18.17 cc. Testicular volume has a weak direct correlation with body weight, height, and body mass index.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Humans ; Male ; Palpation ; Testis ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans