OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed at comparing the Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) gene polymorphic variants of schizophrenics with those of normal controls, and to investigate its contribution to the development of schizophrenia. METHODS: One hundred and thirty five schizophrenics in accordance with DSM-IV criteria and one hundred and fourteen healthy individuals participated in this study. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood using proteinase K, and the MCP-1 gene promoter region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Gene typing was analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using restriction enzyme PvuII. RESULTS: Distribution of the genotypes and alleles of MCP-1 gene in the patient group was not significantly different from that of the control group (p=0.145 and p=0.122, respectively). There was difference in the frequencies of genotypes between positive and negative subgroup (p=0.035), but no difference in frequencies of alleles between the two subgroups (p=0.078). There was no difference in scores of PANSS general, positive and negative subscale, the age of onset, the presence or absence of family history between patients with or without -2518G allele (p=0.979, p=0.378, p=0.056, p=0.256 and p=0.301, respectively). CONCLUSION: We suggest that the polymorphism in the MCP-1 promotor gene may be the possible marker for subgouping of negative type schizophrenia.
Age of Onset ; Alleles ; Chemokine CCL2 ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; DNA ; Endopeptidase K ; Genotype ; Humans ; Monocytes* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Schizophrenia*

Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a recently accepted modality of myocardial revascularization prcedures which is particularly suitable to the patients with lesions in the left anterior descending (LAD) and the right coronary arteries. Of the consecutive 35 patients of coronary artery bypass grafting performed at Sejong General Hospital from March to August 1996, six patients underwent minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without CPB. All had stenotic lesions of the LAD more than 90%. Bypass grafting of the LAD was approached through midline sternotomy in one, through ministernotomy in two, and through limited left anterior thoracotomy in three patients, respectively. The internal mammary arteries were prepared without the use of thoracoscope. The mobilized mammary arteries were connected directly to the LAD in 5 patients, and the anastomosis required interposition of a segment of the radial artery in the remaining one. The diagonal branch was revascularized with the saphenous vein graft at the same time in one patient. No blood transfusion was necessary in 2 patients, and average blood required during surgery was 800ml in 4 patients. All patients were extubated from 4 to 14 hours (mean 9 hours) after operation. Early postoperative coronary angiography in 5 patients between 7 and 10 days after surgery has proved full patency of the grafts. With these limited clinical experiences, the clinical results demonstrated that minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without CPB is an useful procedure especially in patients with isolated lesion in the proximal LAD.
Blood Transfusion ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Radial Artery ; Saphenous Vein ; Sternotomy ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive ; Thoracoscopes ; Thoracotomy ; Transplants

In small children with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, a few methods of surgical treatment could be considrred. The pulmonary autogrart provides a promising options for aortic valve replacement as part of the aortoventriculoplasty procedure in children. We report a successfully treated congenital aortic stcnoinsufricicncy with severe left ventricular dysfunction in an early infant with the aortoventriculoplasty using thc pulmonary autograft (the Ross-Konno procedure).
Aortic Valve ; Autografts* ; Child ; Dronabinol ; Humans ; Infant ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Ventricular Outflow Obstruction

Congenital tracheal stenosis is very rare, but it leads to life threatening obstruction in infancy and childhood. Recently, we experienced two cases of congenital tracheal stenosis, involving half of the distal trachea. We adopted slide tracheoplasty procedure proposed by Peter Goldstraw. Tracheoplasty was performed by dividing the stenosis at midpoint, incising the proximal and distal narrow segments vertically on opposite anterior and posterior surfaces, and sliding these together. On case 1, the patient is now doing well. On case 2, the patient succumbed due to anastomotic disruption at postoperative day 4.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Trachea ; Tracheal Stenosis*

Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collaterals is a rare and complex lesion in which great morphologic variability exists regarding the sources of pulmonary blood flow. We report a case of this disease with no true central pulmonary arteries in a 9-month-old-boy successfully treated by one-stage complete unifocalization and repair from a midline sternotomy approach.
Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Atresia* ; Sternotomy