No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Animals ; Male ; Penile Erection* ; Rats* ; Saponins*

The Na+ K+ ATPase activity, whose disturbance have been implicated in the pathophysiology of a variety of disease processes, have been shown to be reduced in traumatized spinal cord and in ischemic brain made by decapitation or carotid artery occlusion by many authors, but MacMillan contrary documented the increase of this ferment in ischemic rat brain following the electrocautery of the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries. This experiment was intended to study the cause of the above two contradictory results and the effect of Naloxone to the Na+ K+ ATPase activity following experimental spinal cord injury. Thirty cats were divided to 3 groups : Control No. 1, control No.2 and Naloxone groups. The Na+ K+ ATPase activity was measured by variation of Kang & Lee method and the experimental spinal cord injury was made by falling 20 gm. of iron bar from 20 cm height to exposed thoracic cord. 1) In control No. 1 group the Na+ K+ ATPase activity increased 21.4% after 30 minutes of trauma showing significant difference(p<0.05). 2) In control No. 2 group it increased 13.8%(p<0.01) after 5 minutes, 11.6%(p<0.05) after 30 minutes showing significant difference. 3) In Naloxone group (10 mg/kg was injected I.V. before 30 minutes of trauma) it did not show any significant change after 5 and 30 minutes of trauma. 4) Discussion was made upon above experimental results with literature review.
Adenosine Triphosphatases* ; Animals ; Brain ; Carotid Arteries ; Cats ; Decapitation ; Electrocoagulation ; Iron ; Naloxone* ; Rats ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Vertebral Artery

Juvenile idiopathic scoliosis includes scoliosis diagnosed from three to ten years old according to the chronological age. Spine growth in juveniles does not occur at a rapid rate spinal deformity does not show rapid progress. However, because of the intimate relationship between chest wall growth and the spine, decrease of chest wall capacity due to scoliosis could lead to development of cardiovascular and pulmonary complication, especially in early age. In scoliosis in early age, other causes of the deformity including neurological problems should be evaluated. If the scoliosis angle is more than 25 degrees, it could progress very easily, thus aggressive treatment is needed. A new growing-sparing surgical technique (growing rod and growth modulation) is introduced for improvement of spine and chest growth, and for prevention of crankshaft phenomenon.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Scoliosis* ; Spine ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether endometrial proteins with molecular weight(MW) of 92 kilodalton(kDa) may be a specific antigen involved in autoimmunity in endometriosis and to evaluate the efficacy of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in determining antiendometrial antibodies, compared with Western blot. METHODS: Sera of forty-eight patients with endometriosis, 21 patients with normal control patients, 7 patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kustner-Hauser(MRKH) syndrome and cord sera of 22 male neonates(experimental controls) were tested for the presence of antibodies against endometrial proteins by Western blot and ELISA. All statistics were performed by Fishers exact teast and Student's t-test. RESULTS: Fourteen(29.1%), 18.8%, and 33.3% of sera from patients with endometriosis had immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies that were reactive against endometrial proteins of MW of 71, 92, 103 kDa while any sera from experimental controls did not show any reactivity against these antigens. Overall, threr were specific IgG antiendometrial antibodies detectable by Western blot in 56.3% of patients with endometriosis and in a normal eontrol patient. The binding activities of serum IgG to endometrial proteins were higher in patients with endometriosis than other groups. Circulating IgG antiendometrial antibodies were detected by ELISA in 54.3% of 35 patients with endometriosis and in 2 normal control patients. The concordance rate between ELISA and Western blot in determining the presence of antiendometrial antibodies was 78.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Ninety-two kDa endometrial protein is a specific antigen eliciting IgG responses in endometriosis. ELISA may be an useful method in screening autoimmune endometriosis.
Antibodies* ; Autoimmunity ; Blotting, Western* ; Endometriosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins ; Male ; Mass Screening

Objective: Imaging modalities such as intravascular ultrasonography or computed tomography or angiography have shown limitations in assessing coronary calcification. In this study, we investigated whether quantitative indices of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in calcified lesions are correlated with the late outcome of a coronary stent. Methods: We consecutively enrolled patients who had more than grade 2 coronary calcification on fluoroscopy. OCT was performed at baseline, immediately after stenting, and at 9 months after stenting. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative characteristics of plaque, calcification, and stent-related indices. Results: All images of 3-time points were available in a total of 10 patients. Calcified lesions were frequently associated with thin cap fibroatheroma (100%), plaque erosion (20%), or rupture (20%) before the procedure. Thrombus was found in 100% of cases in the OCT immediately after stenting. Maximal calcium area before stenting was strongly correlated with late luminal loss assessed by 9-month follow-up OCT (r= 0.766, P= 0.01). Conclusion Preprocedural OCT assessment on calcified coronary lesion may predict high-risk procedure and late stent outcome. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Objective: Imaging modalities such as intravascular ultrasonography or computed tomography or angiography have shown limitations in assessing coronary calcification. In this study, we investigated whether quantitative indices of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in calcified lesions are correlated with the late outcome of a coronary stent. Methods: We consecutively enrolled patients who had more than grade 2 coronary calcification on fluoroscopy. OCT was performed at baseline, immediately after stenting, and at 9 months after stenting. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative characteristics of plaque, calcification, and stent-related indices. Results: All images of 3-time points were available in a total of 10 patients. Calcified lesions were frequently associated with thin cap fibroatheroma (100%), plaque erosion (20%), or rupture (20%) before the procedure. Thrombus was found in 100% of cases in the OCT immediately after stenting. Maximal calcium area before stenting was strongly correlated with late luminal loss assessed by 9-month follow-up OCT (r= 0.766, P= 0.01). Conclusion Preprocedural OCT assessment on calcified coronary lesion may predict high-risk procedure and late stent outcome. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Quantitation of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) RNA in serum is important for monitoring the response to interferon-alpha therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Several commercial assays are recently available, but they are expensive and cannot be used as a gold standard. METHODS: An in-house competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (cRT-PCR) was developed and validated. The procedure involves the construction of a mutant and wild type HCV RNA internal standard (IS), cRT-PCR, and colorimetric detection with DNA-ELISA. A standard curve was obtained and used for final HCV RNA quantitation. RESULTS: The standard curve was linear over the range of 1x104 to 5x107 copies/mL of the HCV RNA standard (r=0.976). This in-house cRT-PCR was comparable with the branched DNA (bDNA) assay (Quantiplex HCV 2.0, Chiron, USA) with positive correlation between the two tests (r=0.735). CONCLUSION: The quantitation of HCV RNA by in-house cRT-PCR and DNA ELISA was more sensitive and had wider range of detection compared to bDNA assay. This assay is useful for follow-up of HCV RNA concentration after interferon-alpha therapy.
Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; RNA

To explore the ability of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) in the diagnosis of avascular necrosis(AVN) of the femoral head, we compared appearances on MRI of 85 proven AVN lesions with those on radiographs(n=79)and radionuclide scans(n=75). Clinical symptoms(n=85) were also correlated. All MR studies included coronal and axial T1WI and coronal T2WI. All lesions involved the anterosuperior aspect of the femoral head and were surrounded by a low signal intensity rim of both T1 and T2WI. The signal intensity of the lesions was variable depending on the disease course, and lesions were divided into four classes according to the classification suggested by Mitchell. Radiogrphs were normal in 16%(13/79) of the lesions which were in MR class A(10), B(1), C(2). The radionuclide scans showed normal in 16%(12/75) of the lesions which were in MR class A(8), B(1), C(2), D(1). On the other hand. 93% of the lesions with MR class A(27/29) showed stage 1 and 2 lesions on radiographs. Clinical symptoms were absent in 25%(21/85) of the leions, and among these. 81%(17/21) were MR class A. Conclusively. MR is superior to the radiograph and radionuclide scan in the early detection of AVN, and can also show the exact location, extent and signal chasacteristics of the lesion. Therefore, MR is essential in diagnosis and management of AVN.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Hand ; Head* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Necrosis*

Congenital mesoblastic nephroma is relatively rare congenital disease. It occurs in the early neonatal period as an unencapsulted and locally invasive fibrous lesion. Survival following nephrectomy alone is excellent but local recurrence and metastases have been reported. Herein we present one case of congenital mesoblastic nephroma. A 13-day-old male infant admitted our hospital with chief complaint of palpable left abdominal mass. After nephrectomy, histologic diagnosis is congenital mesoblastic nephroma.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy ; Nephroma, Mesoblastic* ; Recurrence