No abstract available.
Hemorrhoidectomy* ; Mucous Membrane*

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate whether 1) estrogen induces the change of vascular tone in endothelium-denuded human uterine artery, and 2) endothelium-independent vascular reactivity may be mediated by intracellular calcium ion modulation. METHODS: The uterine arteries from 34 premenopausal women were obtained at the time of hysterectomy due to various indications and endothelium was denuded. Vascular reactivity was monitored by using Isometric force transducer and recorded by physiograph. Endothelial integrity was assessed by sequential administration of 1micrometer norepinephrine(alpha-adrenergic stimulant) and 10 micrometer acetylcholine (endothelium -dependent vasorelaxant). Integrity of smooth muscle was measured by administration of 10 micrometer sodium nitroprusside (endothelium - independent vasorelaxant) and 10 micrometer tamsulosin(alpha-adrenergic blocker). A dose-dependent action of estrogen was measured on denuded uterine arteries, pretreated with norepinephrine and potassium chloride. In media contained denuded uterine arteries pretreated with 70mM potassium chloride and estradiol(3X10-5M), nitric oxide and its inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME) was administered, respectively, in order to verify the vasodilation effect. Statistical tests were performed at the 5% level of significance using the SPSS PC+ package. RESULTS: Acethylcholine has little effect but sodium nitroprusside & talmsulosin showed marked relaxation, which suggested loss of endothelial function and adequacy of smooth muscle function. The contraction by norephinephrine(1 M) revealed estrogen induced relaxation which was concentration-dependent from 3 10-8M to 3 10-5M in concentration of 17 -estradiol. The contraction by high potassium solution 70mM was also inhibited by estrogen in concentration-dependent manner. This vasorelaxant effect of estrogen on endothelium-denuded uterine artery was not affected by addition of nitric oxide(NO) precursor, L-arginine and nitric oxide synthase(NOS) inhibitor, L-NAME. CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed that estrogen has vasorelaxant effect on endothelium endothelium-denuded uterine artery by calcium antagonistic property through direct inhibitory effect on receptor- and voltage dependent calcium ion channels of smooth muscles. This vasorelaxant effect of estrogen on endothelium-denuded uterine artery was NO independent.
Acetylcholine ; Arginine ; Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Endothelium* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans* ; Hysterectomy ; Muscle, Smooth ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroprusside ; Norepinephrine ; Potassium ; Potassium Chloride ; Relaxation ; Transducers ; Uterine Artery* ; Vasoconstriction* ; Vasodilation

No abstract available.
Defecography* ; Hernia*

No abstract available.
Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi Sampling* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Female ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Following the improvement of the economic status and increasing medical availability, the interest for the public health and nutrition in elderly is increasing in Korea. It is well known that aging is associated with the deterioration of nutritional status, but in Korea, there were no clear data about that yet. PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify the normal distribution of the nutritional indices such as biochemical and anthropometric variables, showing the association between nutritional risk factor and aging. METHODS: Among 151,000 subjects over 40 year olds in Jung-Up County, Korea, 1051 were selected for a random cluster sample. After the blood tests and anthropometric measurements were performed during Dec 1996 to Feb 1997. RESULTS: Of the 1051 subjects(M:F=410:641), 340 were over 65 years(elderly) at the enroll time, while 711 were between 40 to 65 years(middle aged). Triceps skin fold thickness(TSF), body mass index(BMI), hematocrit(Hct) serum protein and albumin showed a weak negative correlation with age, whereas not in the case of the waisthip ratio(WHR), leucocytes, serum cholesterol and creatinine. Compared with middle aged with elderiy, TSF, BMI, albumin showed a significant differences(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: We showed the normal distribution of the variable nutritional indices and their changes associated with aging in the ambulatory elderly Korean living in the rural community. It needs further follow-up study including association with mortality.
Adult ; Aged* ; Aging ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Public Health ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Skin

No abstract available.
Leukemia*

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) of the ovary are rare tumors with an exclusive or almost exclusive malignant neuroectodermal composition, and are generally regarded as a monodermal expression of an ovarian teratoma. The tumors are basically identical with the lesions of the same name occuring typically in the central nervous system of children. These tumors consist chiefly of undifferentiated small cells resembling neuroblasts. There are also mature, well- differentiated neuroectodermal cells, such as astrocytes and ependymal cells. We report a case of ovarian PNET with glial and neuroblastic differentiation and focal teratomatous foci of non-neural tissue in a 17-year-old female.
Adolescent ; Astrocytes ; Central Nervous System ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Neural Plate ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive* ; Ovary* ; Teratoma

Among 666 premature infants or low birthweight infants who were admitted in NICU of St. Francisco General Hospital from January 1990 to Jun 1992, 96 infants were diagnosed as retinopathy of prematurity by indirect ophthalmoscope. The result were follows: 1) Among 666 patients, retinopathy of prematurity developed in 96 patients(14.1%) 2) The high incidence was observed in low birthweight and small gestational age. 3) Mean age of first diagnosing time was 42.0( 12 day of life and mean gestational age was 31.8 2.5 weeks and mean birthweight was 1646.5 (350.7gm. 4) In gestational age, birthweight and duration of oxygen therapy, there was statistically difference between cryotherapy group and spontaneous regression group. Other possible risk factors-hyaline membrane disease, apnea, anemia-were showed higher incidence in cryotherapy group. 5) Among the 20 infants who were treated with cryotherapy, 16 infants (80%) showed regression of neovascularization.
Apnea ; Cryotherapy ; Gestational Age ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Membranes ; Ophthalmoscopes ; Oxygen ; Retinopathy of Prematurity*

No abstract available.
Ductus Arteriosus* ; Indomethacin*

NMP is a kind of protein relating to the internal structural framework of the nucleus, which is related to gene expression and regulation such as DNA replication and processing of RNA, and is made in tumor cell more than in normal cell. The object of this study is to evaluate the utility of NMP22 in urine as the possible marker of monitoring the transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Two groups attended the trial of NMP22; 1) 25 healthy volunteers 2) 25 patients with the transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The result is that the values of the mean NMP22 of the healthy volunteers and the patients with the transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were 4.04+/-1.83 U/ml and 186.9+/-405.9 U/ml, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.028). The value of urinary mean NMP22 according to the tumor grade and the tumor stage didn`t show the significant difference statistically (grade I: 41.3+/-51.9 U/ml, grade II: 167.6+/-369.3 U/ml, grade HI: 362.7+/-605.5 U/ml, superficial TCC: 204.2+/-453.0 U/ml, invasive TCC:132.0+/-217.1 U/ml). In detecting the transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, the sensitivity of urine cytology was 68% and the sensitivity of combining urinary NMP22 and urine cytology was 88%, when the value of the urinary NMP22 over 7.70 U/ml was considered as the positive. Urinary NMP22 is expected to increase the diagnosis and the detection of recurrence of the transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder if it is used together with the urine cytology as the urinary tumor marker of the transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Diagnosis ; DNA Replication ; Gene Expression ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Nuclear Matrix* ; Recurrence ; RNA ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder*