No abstract available.
Anemia, Megaloblastic* ; Humans ; Megaloblasts* ; Methotrexate*

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia is a common, genetically predisposed condition among men and women, which commences at any age after puberty. It may significantly affect a variety of psychological and social experiences and the individual's quality of life(QOL). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of androgenetic alopecia on patient's illness behavior and quality of life. METHODS: A total of 192 male patients with androgenetic alopecia were enrolled and interviewed with structured questionnaire which contained 26 items including personal information, social, psychological questions and the patients' knowledge of androgenetic alopecia. RESULTS: 1. The mean age of the patients was 27 years old. The proportion of patients under 30 years old was 79.7%. 2. The mean age of onset in the patients was 24 years old. 3. Using the Norwood's classification, the proportion of type IIIa, type III, type IIIvertex and female pattern was 76.1%. And that of type I and II was 16.1%. 4. The 177 patients (92.2%) showed dissatisfaction about their hair states and 116 patients (60.5%) made efforts to conceal and compensate for their alopecia. The peer teasing about their condition was reported by 134 patients (69.8%). 5. Most unmarried patients (89.3%) thought that hair loss would erode their chances for romance. 6. Only 33 patients (17.2%) had experiences of professional treatments. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that androgenetic alopecia has significant impact on the overall QOL of patients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Alopecia* ; Classification ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Illness Behavior* ; Male ; Puberty ; Quality of Life* ; Single Person ; Young Adult ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Keratosis, Seborrheic* ; Poroma* ; Scalp*

PURPOSE: The specific aim of this study is to unravel a DNA copy number alterations, and to search for novel genes that are associated with the development of Korean gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated a DNA copy number changes in 23 gastric adenocarcinomas by array-comparative genomic hybridization and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. Besides, the expression of UQCRFS1, which shows amplification in array-CGH, was examined in 186 gastric cancer tissues by an immunohistochemistry, and in 9 gastric cancer cell lines, as well as 24 gastric cancer tissues by immunoblotting. RESULTS: We found common gains at 48 different loci, and a common loss at 19 different loci. Amplification of UQCRFS1 gene at 19q12 was found in 5 (21.7%) of the 23 gastric cancers in an array-comparative genomic hybridization and DNA copy number were increased in 5 (20.0%) out of the 25 gastric cancer in quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In immunohistochemistry, the overexpression of the protein was detected in 105 (56.5%) out of the 186 gastric cancer tissues. Statistically, there was no significant relationship between the overexpression of UQCRFS1 and clinicopathologic parameters (P>0.05). In parallel, the overexpression of UQCRFS1 protein was confirmed in 6 (66.7%) of the 9 gastric cancer cell lines, and 12 (50.0%) of the 24 gastric cancer tissues by immunoblotting. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the overexpression of UQCRFS1 gene may contribute to the development and/or progression of gastric cancer, and further supported that mitochondrial change may serve as a potential cancer biomarker.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cell Line ; Coat Protein Complex I ; DNA ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Platelet refractoriness has been reported to occur in 30-70% of multitransfused patients. This can result by either immune or nonimmune mechanisms. The predominant immune cause of platelet refractoriness is alloimmunization to HLA class I antigens. Recently, acid-treated platelets have been used in a few patients with platelet refractoriness due to HLA alloantibodies. However, the effect of acid-treated platelets has not been consistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo survival of acid-treated, HLA-eluted platelets in HLA-immunized rabbits. METHODS: For in vivo survival test, 14 New Zealand White rabbits were studied. Four rabbits were in the nonimmunized control and 10 were immunized by weekly transfusions of human pooled platelets for six weeks. The HLA-immunized group was separated into two groups with transfusion of acid-treated platelets and untreated platelets. The survival of transfused platelets in rabbits with immunization and control group was estimated by a flow cytometer using FITC-labeled anti-CD42a. We also examined the HLA re-expression in acid-treated platelets due to regeneration and adsorption of HLA from human plasma. RESLUTS: The half-life of untreated platelets in nonimmunized rabbits was 11.8 +/- 3.7 hr. The half-life of acid-treated platelets in rabbits with HLA antibodies was 9.5 +/- 5.5 hr and the half-life of untreated platelets in rabbits with HLA antibodies was 5.9 +/- 2.9 hr. The difference between untreated platelets in the nonimmunized control group and acid-treated platelets in rabbits with HLA antibodies was statistically insignificant (p=0.221). Re-expression of HLA-A,B,C by endogenous resynthesis occurred continuously, and after 24 hrs it reached 84% of pre-elution level. Adsorption of HLA antigens from human plasma was completed within four hrs. CONCLUSIONS: Acid-treated, HLA-eluted platelets may be applicable for the patients with refractoriness to platelet transfusion, especially, in case of unavailability of HLA-compatible donors and fatal bleeding such as intracranial hemorrhage and pulmonary hemorrhage. However, the post-transfusion increment of the platelet count could not be maintained over 24 hrs because of the endogenous resynthesis of HLA antigens.
Adsorption ; Antibodies ; Blood Platelets ; Half-Life ; Hemorrhage ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; HLA Antigens ; Humans ; Immunization ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Isoantibodies ; Plasma ; Platelet Count ; Platelet Transfusion ; Rabbits* ; Regeneration ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease and it has been shown to impact the quality of life (QOL) of the patients to which was known to be almost the same degree as other more life threatening disorders. Until now little is known about the impact of psoriasis on QOL in Korean psoriasis patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate psoriasis related to the quality of life on the physical, social, psychologic aspects. METHOD: We applied forty one questionnaires to 100 psoriasis patients. And all the patient's condition was evaluated by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS: 1. Disability score of PDI on the physical, social, and psychological aspects were 2.20, 1.65, and 1.78, respectively. 2. Physical disability showed no differences according to age(between below 39 years old group and above 40 years old group), marriage, and sex. However, the group with higher PASI score (>15) showed more disability than the group with lower PASI score in the physical aspect (p<0.01). 3. Social disability showed no differences according to marriage and sex. But, above 40 years old group showed more disability than below 39 years old group (p<0.05), the higher PASI score (>15) group showed more disability than the lower PASI score group in the social aspect (p<0.01). 4. Psychologic disability showed no differences according to sex, and psychologic aspect. However, above 40 years old group showed more disability than below 39 years old group (p<0.01), and the higher PASI score (>15) group showed more disability than the lower PASI score group in the psychologic aspect (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Most of psoriasis patients had moderate to severe disadvantage in their QOL. Therefore, it is important for the dermatologist to recognize patient's physical, social, and psychologic distress on counseling and management. And further research is needed to determine appropriate parameter to measure the degree of disability of psoriasis patients on quality of life aspect.
Adult ; Counseling ; Humans ; Marriage ; Psoriasis* ; Quality of Life* ; Skin Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, False*

PURPOSE: Central venous catheterization (CVC) is a common procedure in the emergency department (ED) and the intensive care unit (ICU) settings. There are some complications of this procedure, and one of those is a cardiac arrhythmia. But, it's risk factors have not been clearly defined compared with other complications of the procedure. Thus, we analyzed the frequency of arrhythmia occurrence and the factors that induced arrhythmia. METHODS: We performed a prospective study on all adult (>15 years old) patients who underwent a central venous catheterization using the right subclavian approach in the ED and the medial part ICU at Samsung Medical Center (SMC) during the period from May 1, 2004 to July 31, 2004. We excluded patients who experienced other complications of CVC (e.g, pneumothorax, hemothorax, etc.), or underwent a replacement of old catheter with new one, failed procedures also were excluded. Overall, 85 patients were included in study. We collected the data on patient's age, sex, body weight, height, use of catecholamines, place of the procedure, and length of guidewire insertion. The number of arrhythmia occurred was checked and later compared to the data collected previously. RESULTS: Among the 85 patients included in study, arrhythmia occurred in 31 patients. The length of guidewire insertion had statistical significance in induced arrhythmia during the procedures of CVC (p value=0.01). CONCLUSION: The length of guidewire insertion is a important risk factor of the arrhythmia occurrence during the procedure of central venous catheterization.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Body Weight ; Catecholamines ; Catheterization, Central Venous* ; Catheters ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hemothorax ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Pneumothorax ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors*

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a triage method to prevent unnecessary emergency department visits of out-of-hospital poisoned patients. From October 2003 to September 2004, the calls that lay persons gave to the Seoul Emergency Medical Information Center to seek advices on the out-of-hospital poisoned patients were enrolled. We designed a triage protocol that consisted of five factors and applied it to the patients. According to the medical outcomes, we classified the patients into two groups, the toxicity-positive and the toxicity-negative. We arranged the factors on the basis of the priority that was determined in order of the odds ratio of each factor for the toxicity-positive and made a flow chart as a triage method. Then we calculated a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the method. We regarded the specificity as the ability of the method and the sensitivity as the safety. A total of 220 patients were enrolled in this study. The method showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 99.2%, 53.4%, 76.2%, and 97.9%, respectively. Our triage method prevented 53.4% of the unnecessary emergency department visits of outof-hospital acutely poisoned patients, safely.
Triage/methods/*organization & administration ; Telephone ; Telemedicine/methods/*organization & administration ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Risk Factors ; Risk Assessment/*methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Prognosis ; Poisoning/*diagnosis/*therapy ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; Female ; Emergency Medical Services/methods/*organization & administration ; Decision Trees ; *Decision Support Techniques ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Adult ; Adolescent

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a newly described clinical entity characterized by transient left ventricular apical ballooning and left ventricular apical dyskinesis, with no significant stenosis on the coronary angiogram. We describe a patient who had transient cardiomyopathy with akinesia of the basal portions of the left ventricle and hyperkinesia of the apex. This is the first case of stress-induced cardiomyopathy with an "inverted Takotsubo" contractile pattern triggered by emotional stress in Korea. The cause of stress-induced cardiomyopathy is unclear, but catecholamines probably play a role in this syndrome. This entity could provide clues to the pathophysiology underlying stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathies ; Catecholamines ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hyperkinesis ; Korea ; Stress, Psychological ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy