No abstract available.
Head and Neck Neoplasms* ; Head* ; Incidence* ; Neck* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

We report a case with an isolated single coronary artery originating from the ascending aorta, which to our knowledge has never been described before. A 51-year-old man presented for evaluation of atypical chest pain, suffering from a short resting chest pain for 3 days. However, serial electrocardiogram showed no change during chest pain. Cardiac enzymes such as CK-MB, Troponin-I, and myoglobin were within normal limit. Aortography and coronary angiography revealed a single coronary artery originating from the postero-lateral wall of the ascending aorta above the left coronary siuns. However, this anomaly was not of clinical significance based on the atypical nature of the chest pain, negative exercise echocardiography and an absence of obstruction of the coronary artery.
Aorta* ; Aortography ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Sinus* ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myoglobin ; Troponin I

Microglial activation is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of many brain disorders. Therefore, understanding the response of microglia to noxious stimuli may provide insights into their role in disorders such as stroke and neurodegeneration. Many genes involved in this response have been identified individually, but not systematically. In this regards, the microarray system permitted to screen a large number of genes in biological or pathological processes. Therefore, we used microarray technology to evaluate the effect of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) and reperfusion on gene expression in microglia under ischemia-like and activating conditions. Primary microglial cultures were prepared from postnatal mice brain. The cells were exposed to 4 hrs of OGD and 1 h of reperfusion at 37 degrees C. Isolated mRNA were run on GeneChips. After OGD and reperfusion, > 2-fold increases of 90 genes and > 2-fold decrease of 41 genes were found. Among the genes differentially increased by OGD and reperfusion in microglia were inflammatory and immune related genes such as prostaglandin E synthase, IL-1beta, and TNF-alpha. Microarray analysis of gene expression may be useful for elucidating novel molecular mediators of microglial reaction to reperfusion injury and provide insights into the molecular basis of brain disorders.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Diseases ; Gene Expression* ; Glucose ; Mice ; Microarray Analysis ; Microglia* ; Oxygen ; Pathologic Processes ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury* ; RNA, Messenger ; Stroke ; Transcriptome* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Intraoperative echocardiography (IOE), mostly done by transesophageal methods, provides an important means of accessing cardiac structure and function during cardiac and noncardiac surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of IOE by identifying the frequency of the use of IOE during cardiac surgery, the rate of second pump operations determined by IOE findings, and the results of the operations. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients (93 lesions) underwent cardiac surgery with the concomitant IOE done by a cardiologist in a single institution between March 1997 and October 1998. The data was collected retrospectively by reviewing the hospital records and IOE videotapes. IOE was applied to 18.9% of total cardiac operations, primarily being used in MV surgery (48.4%). A pre-pump IOE was done in 2 cases and the post-pump procedure was done in the remainder. A second pump operation was performed in 4 cases (6.25%) and all of these were found to be successful after immediate re-operation. CONCLUSION: IOE was primarily used in valve operations, particularly in procedures involving the mitral valve. IOE appears to be useful in determining the immediate results following cardiac surgery and may contribute to determining the prognosis of the patient.
Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery ; Videotape Recording

PURPOSE:BK virus associated nephropathy (BKVAN) affects 1-10% of kidney transplant (KT) patients and it produces a progressive destruction of allograft. Reducing immunosuppression is the only way to save the graft, while it needs tight monitoring of the graft rejection and graft survival is poorer in advanced case. Leflunomide has immunosuppressive effect and also antiviral activity. Addition of leflunomide may improve BK virus clearance and graft survival. METHODS:6 KT patients with biopsy proven BKVAN (Histological pattern B) were treated with leflunomide and reduced immunosuppression. All patients were monitored with serial determination of viral load in blood and graft function. RESULTS:BKVAN was diagnosed at 14 months (7-28) post transplant, at that time median serum creatinine concentration was 2.8 mg/dL (1.8-3.6). 12.5 months (6-16) later of leflunomide treatment, median serum creatinine was 2.3 mg/dL and no graft loss was found. CONCLUSION:Leflunomide therapy with reduced immunosuppression may be effective in the treatment for BKVAN.
Biopsy ; BK Virus ; Creatinine ; Graft Rejection ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Isoxazoles ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants ; Viral Load ; Viruses

BACKGROUND: Although obesity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in elderly are well known to be associated with obesity and sitting time, it is unclear whether effect of sedentary lifestyle on HRQOL is affected by body mass index (BMI) or not. So we analyzed the relationship between sitting time and HRQOL according to BMI groups in elderly Korean. METHODS: Participants aged over 60 from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014 and 2015) were included. Participants were classified as normal weight and overweight/obese groups. Mean sitting times were compared between groups according to the EuroQol 5 dimension (EQ-5D) And logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Men with mobility, usual activity, or pain/discomfort domain problem had longer sitting time. Women with a problem in every domain had longer sitting time. Overweight/obese women with problem showed longer sitting time. Odds ratios (ORs) of mobility, usual activity, pain or discomfort, and low EQ-5D score domain were increased regardless of BMI groups in men. But, ORs of all domains were increased only in overweight/obese group in women. CONCLUSIONS: In elderly Korean, prolonged sitting time associated with decreased HRQOL. Impaired HRQOL is associated with increased sitting time regardless of BMI in men. But only overweight/obese group showed association between prolonged sitting time and impaired HRQOL in women. These results represents that decrease in quality of life according to the increase of the sitting time differs according to the BMI in elderly Korean women.
Aged* ; Body Mass Index* ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Quality of Life* ; Sedentary Lifestyle

We investigated the association between hand grip strength (HGS) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A total number of 9,211 participants from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014– 2015) were included. HRQOL was measured by EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and EQ-5D index score. Participants were classified as normal HRQOL group or impaired HRQOL group according to the EQ-5D responses and the EQ-5D index scores. HGS was measured using Takei dynamometer. Impaired HRQOL group represented lower mean HGS than that of normal HRQOL group. According to the quintile groups of HGS, group with the lowest HGS showed the lowest mean EQ-5D index score in both sexes. And the more HGS increases, the more EQ-5D index score increases also (p-value for trend <0.001). Men and women with lower grip strength were more likely to report ‘some’ or ‘extreme problem’ in EQ-5D domains (except anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort domain in men), and also more likely to belong to the lowest 20% level group in EQ-5D index score according to logistic analyses. Our findings suggest that HGS is associated HRQOL. Low HGS is associated with impaired status of HRQOL by EQ-5D and EQ-5D index score in Korean men and women. More research is needed to evaluate the specific plausibility between HGS and HRQOL.
Adult* ; Female ; Hand Strength* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the utilization rates and predictors of dementia care services. METHODS: We recruited 66 low-income elderly patients who were registered to one community based dementia care center. The care services were composed of hygiene care items supply, nurse visiting service, education programs for caregivers and patients, and global positioning system (GPS) or identification tags supply. Service use prediction was evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Use rate of hygiene care items supply was higher than others [44 of 66 (66.67%)]. The patients who lived with family had used more care items than who lived alone [odds ratio (OR), 3.43 ; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.73 to 5.54]. The patients who had comorbid conditions used more hygiene care items than who had not (OR 2.50 ; 95% CI, 1.35 to 3.78). In participants with the higher education level, the higher use rate of education program was predicted (OR 1.14 ; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.28). CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that living-alone and low education should be overcome for providing more effective dementia care services to low-income patients.
Aged ; Caregivers ; Dementia* ; Education ; Geographic Information Systems ; Health Services for the Aged ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health Services

Rhabdomyolysis is defined as skeletal muscle injury with release of muscle cell constituents into the plasma and may lead to acute renal failure secondary to myoglobinuria. The causes of rhabdomyolysis is diverse:alcohol abuse, primary muscle disease, disturbance of muscle metabolism, sustained seizure, infection, drugs, tox ins, trauma, severe exercise, CO intoxication etc. Rhabdomyolysis may cause acute derangement in electrolyte balance and death. It should be diagnosed earlier and managed properly. We experienced a 49 year-old woman developed acute renal failure and myoglobinuria after alcohol drinking. A kidney biopsy revealed acute interstitial nephritis. In the presence of otherwise unexplained acute renal failure in alcoholic patients, rhabdomyolysis should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Alcohol Drinking* ; Alcoholics ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myoglobinuria* ; Nephritis, Interstitial* ; Plasma ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Seizures ; Water-Electrolyte Balance

OBJECTIVES: A positive association between serum albumin levels and metabolic syndrome has been reported in observation studies, but it has not been established in the Korean population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between serum albumin levels and the presence of metabolic syndrome among a sample of apparently healthy Korean adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data of 3189 community-dwelling people (1189 men and 2000 women) who were aged 40 to 87 years and were living in a rural area in Korea. Serum albumin levels were classified into quartile groups for each sex. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines with an adjusted waist circumference cut-off value (> or =90 cm for men and > or =85 cm for women). An independent association between serum albumin levels and metabolic syndrome was assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Higher serum albumin levels were associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome for the highest versus the lowest serum albumin quartiles was 2.81 (1.91 to 4.14) in men and 1.96 (1.52 to 2.52) in women, after adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. When each metabolic abnormality was analyzed separately, higher serum albumin levels were significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia in both sexes, and with abdominal obesity in men. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that higher serum albumin levels are positively associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biological Markers/blood ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*blood/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Assessment/methods ; *Rural Health ; Serum Albumin/*analysis