No abstract available.
Dyskeratosis Congenita*

Since the segmental fractures of the femur are resulted by violent force, they are frequently associated with severe soft tissue damage and multiple skelectal injuries and they necessitated careful emergency care. Occasionally, they combined with severe communition, so their ultimate fixation of the fractures are very difficult. Authors analysed sixteen fractures of the segmental fracture of the femur which were treated by intramedullary nailing with or without interlocking at the Kyung Hee University, medical college, from the December, 1975 to May, 1985. In eight of sixteen cases the nailing was done by closed technique, one case was semiclosed. In the seven fractures the traditional retrograde nailing technique with open reduction of fracture was used. The pin & plaster, cast brace, side bone plate, wiring or interlocking screws were used as additional stabilization to intramedullary nailing. The diameter of the nails were 9–12 mm in 5 cases, 13–15 mm in 11 cases. There were no need the cancellous bone graft to promote the bony union. The results were as follows; 1. The closed intramedullary nailing with interlocking screw offers an ideal anatomical, functional and physiological treatment for the segmental fracture of the femur. 2. When the segmental fracture of the femur involves the neck or supra- or intercondylar fractures, the intramedullary nailing can be used with Knowles pin or tibial bolt fixation. 3. In the cases of infected nonunion, we obtained solid bony union by means of extensive and meticulous debridement and rigid intramedullary nailing using additional devices without cancellous bone graft.
Bone Plates ; Braces ; Debridement ; Emergency Medical Services ; Femur ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Neck ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Female

PURPOSE: Oncogen or growth factor receptor such as phospholipase C isoenzyme gamma-1 (PLC gamma-1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and Her-2/neu which related with tyrosin kinasemay and then regulating vell proliferation may have a role as prognostic factors for breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: With assumption that expression of PLC gamma-1, EGFR and Her-2/neu oncogene has close relationship with prognosis of breast cancer, 59 breast cancer patients who were operated upon at Korea University Hospital during a period of 6 years starting June 1988 to May 1994 were selected for this study. This study was carried out by comparing between expression of PLC gamma-1, EGFR and Her-2/neu oncogene and patient's survival rate. These expression were also compared with TNM system, estrogen and progesterone receptor and at same time these expressions were compared with each other to see whether there are any relationship among these expression. RESULTS: Expression of PLC gamma-1, EGFR and Her-2/neu were present in 42% (25/59), 46% (27/59) and 20% (12/59). The expression of PLC gamma-1 was closely related with the expression of EGFR (p<0.05) and Her-2/neu (p<0.05), but there were no relationship between the expression of PLC gamma-1 and hormonal receptors and TNM stage (p>0.05). The expression of EGFR was closely related with the expression of Her-2/neu (p<0.05) and hormone receptors (p<0.05), but there were no relationship between the expression of EGFR and pathologic TNM stage (p>0.05). The expression of Her-2/neu was not closely related with hormone receptors and TNM stage except axillary lymph node metastasis. There were close relationship between overall and disease free survival and PLC gamma-1 and Her-2/neu. But EGFR had only related with disease free survival rate. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the expression of PLC gamma-1, EGFR and Her-2/neu oncogene in human breast cancer may be useful prognostic factors independently and it may potentiated its individual value as a prognostic factors if use them together.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Estrogens ; Humans* ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes ; Phospholipases* ; Prognosis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Survival Rate ; Type C Phospholipases*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We performed this study to elucidate whether there were significant correlations 1) between intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid artery and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis and 2) between carotid IMT and risk factors of atherosclerosis in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All study subjects (n=326, 200 males, 59+/-10 years) had chest pain and underwent coronary angiography. IMT was measured in the far wall of the internal and common carotid arteries and the carotid bulb using high-resolution ultrasound with a 3-11 MHz linear probe. We also evaluated the presence of plaque in the carotid artery. The extent of coronary atherosclerosis was divided into 4 groups (0, 1, 2, and 3) according to the number of coronary arteries narrowed more than 50% of the diameter. RESULTS: In patients with one or more diseased coronary vessels, IMT of the common carotid artery was thicker (0.81+/-0.15 mm vs. 0.91+/-0.28 mm, p<0.05) and plaques were more frequently found (16% vs. 40%, p<0.05). There was also a significant correlation between the extent of coronary artery atherosclerosis and IMT of the common carotid artery (r=0.217, p<0.001) and the internal carotid artery (r=0.177, p<0.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed hypertension and smoking, among the atherosclerosis risk factors, as independent factors in the IMT of the common carotid artery and carotid bulb. CONCLUSION: We concluded that there was a significant correlation between the extent of coronary artery disease and IMT of the carotid artery;and that hypertension and smoking, of all atherosclerosis risk factors, were independent factors in the IMT of the carotid artery.
Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in Korea is growing. In spite of the wide use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), some patients don't reach optimal cholesterol reduction and suffer hepatotoxicity or myopathy. Combination therapy of lipid lowering agents, which inhibits hepatic synthesis of cholesterol (i.e. simvastatin) and intestinal cholesterol absorption (i.e. ezetimibe), may achieve further reduction of serum cholesterol levels and less drug side effects. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of the combination therapy with ezetimibe and simvastatin in Korean patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-blind, simvastatin controlled, multi-center trial. After 4 weeks of life style modification for cholesterol reduction, patients with a baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 145~250 mg/dL and triglyceride (TG) Absorption ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; Apolipoproteins ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Korea ; Life Style ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Lipoproteins ; Muscular Diseases ; Prevalence ; Simvastatin* ; Triglycerides ; Ezetimibe

Safflower(Carthamus tinctorius Linne'has been traditionally used for the treatment of blood stasis, and Dipsasi Radix has been used as a drug for fracture in Chinese medicine. The purpose of present study was to examine the biologic effects of safflower extract and Disasi radix extracts on the periodontal ligament cells and osteoblastic cells and on the wound healing of rat calvarial defect. The ethanolic extract of safflower blossom, safflower seed and Dipsasi Radix(125, 250, and 500 microgram/ml) were prepared as test group, and PDGF-BB(10ng/ml) and unsafonifiable fraction of Zea Mays L.(125, 250, and 500 microgram/ml) were employed as positive control. The effects of each agents on the growth and survival, ALPase activity, expression of PDGF-BB receptor, chemotactic response of PDL cell and ATCC human osteosarcoma MG63 cells in vitro were examined. The tissue regenerative effect of each extracts was evaluated by histomorphometric measuring of newly formed bone on the 8mm defect in rat calvaria after oral administration of 3 different dosages groups : 0.02, 0.1 and 0.35g/kg, per day. It was also employed the same dosages of unsaponifiable fraction of Zea Mays L. as positive controls. Safflower blossom extract, safflower seed extract, and Dipsasi Radix extract stimulate the cellular activity of MG63 cells in concentration range of 125-500microgram/ml, and safflower bolssom extract and safflower seed extract stimulate also the cellular activity of periodontal ligament cells in concentration range of 250-500microgram/ml. In activity of ALPase, 250-500microgram/ml of safflower blossom extracts showed significant stimulating effects on MG63 cells, and the same concentration range of safflower seed extracts showed significant effect on periodontal ligament cells. In the recovery on PDGF-BB receptor expression which was depressed by IL-1beta, 125-250microgram/ml of safflower blossom extracts and 250-500microgram/ml of safflower seed extracts showed significant increasing effect on MG63 cells, and 500microgram/ml of safflower blossom extract and 250-500 microgram/ml of safflower seed extracts showed significant effect on periodontal ligament cells. In chemotactic response, among all tested group, safflower seed extracts only were chemotactic to MG63 cells and periodontal ligament cells in concentration range of 125-500 microgram/ml. Also in the view of bone regeneration in rat calvarial defect model, the only group that was orally administrated 0.35g/kg, day of safflower seed extract showed significant new bone formation. These results suggested that safflower extracts might have a potential possibilities as an useful drug for adjunct to treatment for regeneration of periodontal defect.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Regeneration ; Carthamus tinctorius ; Ethanol ; Flowers ; Humans ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteogenesis ; Osteosarcoma ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Rats ; Regeneration ; Skull ; Wound Healing ; Zea mays

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of type II collagen, aggrecan, VEGF-A and PEDF mRNAs in the human chondrocytes derived from the articular cartilage of the femoral heads with avacular necrosis (AVN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We cultured human chondrocytes that were primarily derived from the articular cartilage of femoral heads with AVN. We evaluated the mRNA expression of type II collagen, aggrecan, VEGF-A and PEDF. RESULTS: The chondrocytes of the AVN group showed decreased expressions of type II collagen mRNA and aggrecan mRNA (p<0.05). The expression of VEGF-A mRNA and PEDF mRNA in the AVN group was the same as that of the normal group (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The cartilage matrix's formation ability was found to be decreased in the chondrocytes of the femoral heads affected by AVN.
Aggrecans ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular ; Chondrocytes ; Collagen Type II ; Extracellular Matrix ; Head ; Humans ; Necrosis ; RNA, Messenger ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

The clinical significance of myocardial bridges (MBs) is variable, and most patients are asymptomatic. However, angina, myocardial infarction and sudden death, associated with MBs, have been reported. Intracoronary stents offer a novel, and potentially definitive, treatment for myocardial ischemia associated with clinically significant MBs. We describe the use of intracoronary stenting for primary angioplasty in a patient with an anterior myocardial infarction associated with MBs.
Angioplasty ; Death, Sudden ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Stents*

Pancreatic endocrine tumors are rare and represent a heterogeneous group of benign or malignant lesions. In nonfunctioning tumors, lacking the features of an endocrine tumor syndrome, they seldom present until there is advanced local disease. Endocrine tumors of the pancreas, even in case of liver involvement, are generally characterized by a slower evolution and a better prognosis, if compared with ductal carcinoma. This fact gives reason to a radical surgical approach and to the research of any effective adjuvant treatment including hormonal suppression, systemic chemotherapy and hepatic transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). We report a case of synchronous liver metastases from nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumor in 66 year old female patient.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Liver* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pancreas* ; Prognosis