No abstract available.
Lithotripsy* ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Calculi*

OBJECTIVE: Several water channels (aquapoins; AQP) that belong to the MIP (major intrinsic protein) family have identified. In the selected tissues including red blood cells or renal tubules, water movements are abundant and/or physiologically important. Unexpectedly, a high water permeability of human and ram sperm has been reported. Recent studies showed that AQP7 and AQP8 are present in testes so that the high water permeability of human sperm suggested to be mediated by AQPs. METHOD: To identify the identity of aquaporins expressed in testes, RT-PCR was performed using degenerative primers, which were designed to correspond to highly conserved sequences surrounding the Asn-Pro-Ala (NPA) motifs in the aquaporins. New expressed AQP series were reconfirmed by immunohistochemical study using rabbit polyclonal antibodies. RESULTS: DNA sequencing of PCR products revealed that AQP2 and AQP3 mRNA as well as AQP7 and AQP8 are expressed in human and rat testes, AQP2 are expressed in spermatozoa, interstitial cells and myofibroblasts and AQP3 are expressed in myofibroblasts of semineferous tubules on immunocytochemical stain. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that multiple aquaporins are expressed in testes, and that they may have important roles in the spermatogenesis and the germ cell function of testis.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Aquaporins* ; Conserved Sequence ; Erythrocytes ; Germ Cells ; Humans* ; Myofibroblasts ; Permeability ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa ; Testis* ; Water Movements

Any type of urticaria may affect as many as 20% person during their lifetimes, yet the causes of this disorder is established in no more than 20% of cases. So, 308 patients with urticaria(acute ; 73, factitial; 120, chronic;115) were evaluated for results of historical and laboratory tests. The results were summerized as follows,' 1. The disesse primarily affected 2nd % 3rd decade(46.2%) with predominance of woman than man (M: F=1: 1.4). 2. Ninety-seven(31.5%) had at least one abnormal finding in the laboratory tests but, may be twenty-three(7.5%) would have causal relationship. 3. We sought serologic markers of Hepatitis B virus infection in serum from 8(14%) of 57 patients with urticaria. Of these, 4 were found to have abnormal liver function. 4. Sixty-five had taken at least one sort of drug previously or just before urticaria developed, but, may be forty-six(14.9%) would have a causal relationship and the predisposing drugs were analgesics, antibiotics, common cold medication & vitamin etc. 5. The predisposing conditions were as follows ; pulmory tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, tonsillitis & ascariasis, etc. Of these, eleven(3.6%) of this patients were newly found to have underlying diseases. 6. This study showed inciting factors of urticaria in 27.2%(84/308).
Analgesics ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ascariasis ; Common Cold ; Female ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Liver ; Palatine Tonsil ; Tonsillitis ; Tuberculosis ; Urticaria* ; Vitamins

A 16-year-old girl developed pyoderma gangrenosum without underlying disease at first. She was treated with local cutaneous dressing and systemic oral prednisolone and minocycline for 10 months, imtermittently. After that, acute leukemia, which was undeterminated type, was developed 4 years after first onset. Since pyoderma gangrenosum may be a preindication of underlying disease, continual follow up check for systemic disease is required.
Adolescent ; Bandages ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Minocycline ; Prednisolone ; Pyoderma Gangrenosum* ; Pyoderma*

PURPOSE: Congenital anomalies are known as a major cause of neonatal death with prematurity and birth injuries. We surveyed the incidence of congenital anomalies among livebirths and stillbirths delivered at our hospital, and detected in neonatal and postneonatal period. METHODS: The statistical study was done about congenital anomalies among 9,569 deliveries (9,438 livebirths and 131 stillbirths) at Ulsan University Hospital during the periods of 5 years from Jan 1992 to Dec 1996. We reviewed delivery and newborn record, OPD chart, admission chart retrospectively. We investigated the incidence of congenital anomaly according to each year, period, outcome of delivery, sex, birth weight, gestational age, maternal age, Apgar score, multiple pregnancy, and each system. RESULTS: 1) The overall incidence of congenital anomalies was 5.0% (481 cases) among 9,569 deliveries. The annual incidence was 4.5% in 1992, 5.1% in 1993, 5.2% in 1994, 5.8% in 1995, 4.7% in 1996. 2) The incidence of congenital anomalies detected in neonatal period was 3.5% (333 cases) and 1.5% (148 cases) in postneonatal periods. 3) The incidence of congenital anomalies was 4.9% among live births and 9.2% among stillbirths. 4) The incidence of congenital anomalies was 5.3% in male and 4.7% in female. 5) The incidence of congenital anomalies among the babies, below 2,500g of birth weight was 7.7%, between 2,500g and 3,999g was 4.7%, and over 4,000g was 6.8N. 6) The incidence of congenital anomalies among the babies, below 32 weeks of gestational age was 12.9%, between 32 weeks and 36 weeks was 7.4%, between 37 weeks and 41 weeks was 4.7%, and over 42 weeks was 5.1%. 7) The babies born to mothers younger than 20 years of age have anomalies in 7.1%, mother between 20 years of age and 35 years of age in 5.0%, and older than 35 years of age in 6.5%. 8) The incidence of congenital anomalies according to Apgar score among live births between 0 and 3 was 9.8%, between 4 and 6 was 6.0%, and between 7 and 10 was 5.0%. 9) The incidence of congenital anomalies according to multiple pregnancy was 8.6%. 10)The systems of congenital anomalies in order of incidence were as follows; The digestive system (25.6%), the cardiovascular system (22.1%), the genitourinary system (18.9%), the musculoskeletal system (15.5%), the skin and soft tissue (11.7%), the central nervous system (1.6%), the respiratory system (l%), the others (3.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Regular examination and screening on congenital anomaly is required from newborn period to infant and childhood. In view of these considerations, the incidence of congenital anomaly may be increased more than the past reports because of development of recent diagnostic techniques.
Apgar Score ; Birth Injuries ; Birth Weight ; Cardiovascular System ; Central Nervous System ; Digestive System ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Live Birth ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Maternal Age ; Mothers ; Musculoskeletal System ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Multiple ; Respiratory System ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Statistics as Topic* ; Stillbirth ; Ulsan ; Urogenital System

Hereditary anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is a rare condition characterized by underdeveloped ectodermal structure including the skin, teeth or skin appendages. The patient has characteristic feature of anhidrosis, hypotrichosis and defective dentition. We experienced a case of hereditary anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia in a l-month-old male infant who had unexplained recurring fever, anhidrosis and characteristic facial feature, so we established the diagnosis with clinical feature and skin biopsy.
Biopsy ; Dentition ; Diagnosis ; Ectoderm ; Ectodermal Dysplasia* ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypohidrosis ; Hypotrichosis ; Infant ; Male ; Skin ; Tooth

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is an important health concern among the postmenopausal women. Therefore, it is necessary to find out acceptable screening tools for osteoporotic patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Risk Index by OSTA as a screening test for osteoporosis. METHODS: The study population was 322 naturally caused menopausal women in Korea. Their was of femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD measured by DEXA. Risk Index by OSTA, based on weight and age, was calculated and the sensitivity and specificity for osteoporosis and osteopenia were evaluated. To find out the proper cut-off point for osteoporosis and osteopenia among the postmenopausal women in Korea, we also compared the sensitivity and specificity of each Risk Index value. RESULTS: The mean age and ages at menopause were 59.1(+/-6.2) and 50.7 (+/-2.7) years, respectively. The prevalence of osteoporosis was 9.6% with femoral neck BMD. For oeteoporosis, using a cut-off point of -1 yielded a sensitivity of 74.3% and a specificity of 52.2% with femoral neck BMD. Using a cut-off of -2 yielded a sensitivity of 87.3% and a specificity of 70.9%. The ROC curve showed an AUROC 0.88 for Risk Index in identifying osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: The Risk Index is an acceptable, simple and useful method in the diagnosis of osteoporosis with a Risk Index of -2 in Korean postmenopausal women.
Bone Diseases, Metabolic* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening* ; Menopause ; Osteoporosis* ; Prevalence ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spine

This study was conducted to find out an appropriate means for preventing the juvenile delinquency (JD), which is supposed to be greatly realted to family environment. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey with a means of writing by themself, to 257 middle and high school students and 309 juvenile delinquents who were in confinement. The questionnaire was consisted of 27 items of juvenile delinquencies, 15 questions about personal environment in their period of childhood, 36 questions on their home atmosphere, 25 items with regard to their parental behavior to their children in the rearing of them. The extent of delinquency was calculated by summing the numbers of experienced delinquencies of the listed items. The study subjects were divided into two groups; student group (SG) and juvenile delinquent group (JDG) and the collected data were analyzed with the extent of delinquency in each group by SPSS/PC+statistical package. The extent of JD was increased as the study subjects grew older, defective families were more common, total family income was more poor, parents' educational level was lower, personal expenses were higher and the conflicts between parents were more high in JDG as compared with of SG. The differences were statistically significant. As long as the extent of delinquency is concerned, delimquent points of JDG were significantly higher as compared with that of SG in all items except one item, below the primary school item in fathers' educational level. (In order to prevent JD in our country, it is recommended that educational level and the living standared of the lower class people should be raised, the sound families which do have less conflictsshould be established as much as possible, the present educational system which is making much conflicts between parents and their offsprings should be changed so that their given temperament would be brought up to the highest level, defective families should be reduced as much as possible and adults should not do actions that are considered not to be done by youngsters and must set a good example.)
Adult ; Atmosphere ; Child ; Humans ; Juvenile Delinquency* ; Parents ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Temperament ; Writing

Nucleolar organizer regions are DNA loops encoding rihbosomal RNA production and detectable by the argyrophilia of their associated proteins(AgNORs). AgNOR numbers correlate with cellular proliferating activity. Many studies have shown a significnt difference in AgNOR counts between benign and malignant tumors. AgNOR counts were also helpful in differential diagnosis. For the evaluation of its diagnostic utility in gastric lesions, a silver staining technique was carried out in paraffin sections of 5 control cases, 5 benign peptic ulcers, 7 hyperplastic polyps, 10 tubular adenomas, 16 early gastric adenocarcinomas and 15 advanced gastric adenocarcinomas. The results were as follows. The mean numbers of AgNORs in early and advanced gastric adenocarcinomas(1.94 and 2.16) were significantly higher than those of normal foveolar epithelium(1.43) and epithelia of benign gastric ulcers(1.54), hyperplastic polyps(1.64) and tubular adenomas(1.79). In malignancy, there was increased variability in size and shape of AgNORs. There was little differences in mean AgNOR numbers between early and advanced gastric adenocarcinomas. Differentiation of the tumor made no difference in AgNOR numbers. From the above results, the AgNORs count, if its morphologic change are taken into consideration, is helpful in differentiation between malignant and non-malignant lesions.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Adenocarcinoma

This is an autopsy case of a 6 month old girl who suddenly died of respiratory distress during sleep. She had suffered from mild but frequent episodes of common cold and was treated for eczema for several days. At autopsy, the heart was enlarged and weighed 100 gm. A firm and gray-white tumor, measuring 4.5 x 3.8 x 2.8 cm, was located in the interventricular septum and encroached upon the wall of left ventricle. The mass was well demarcated but was not encapsulated. Neither necrosis nor calcification was present. Microscopically the tumor was composed of haphazardly arranged bundles of collagen fibers and fibroblasts. Myocardial cells are intermingled with the fibroblasts at the margin of the tumor. Massive edema of the lung and congestion of the liver and spleen were pronounced.