BACKGROUND: Rapid adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) stimulation test using 250ug of ACTH (1-24) has been used as a standard test in the initial assessment of adrenal function. However, it has recently been suggested that a rnaximal cortisol response can be achieved with a much lower ACTH dose, and reducing the dose might further enhance the sensitivity of the test in the detection of mild adrenal insufficiency. This study was performed to evaluate the role of low-dose (lug) ACTH stimulation test in the assessment of adrenal function and the diagnosis of subtle adrenal insufficiency. METHODS: Twenty-two subjects with suspected adrenal insufficiency due to long-term corticosteroid use were included in this study. The correlations between clinical features and the serum cortisol responses to low dose (lug) and high dose (250 ug) ACTH stimulation were evaluated. RESULTS: In high dose test, 10 (67%) out of 15 subjects with clinical features of adrenal insufficiency showed decreased serum cortisol response (peak cortisol level <18 ug/dL), but 5 (33%) subjects showed normal response (peak cortisol level > 18ug/dL). On the other hand, 14 (93%) subjects with clinical features of adrenal insufficiency showed decreased serum cortisol response in low dose test, while only one showed normal response. In 7 subjects without clinical features of adrenal insufficiency, 5 subject (71%) showed normal response, and 2 subjects (29%) showed decreased response in both low and high dose tests. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the 1-ug low dose ACTH stimulation test might be more sensitive than conventional 250-ug test in the detection of mild adrenal insufficiency. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal dose of ACTH and the criteria for normal response to ACTH stimulation.
Adrenal Insufficiency* ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone* ; Cosyntropin ; Diagnosis* ; Hand ; Hydrocortisone

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is one of the most serious side effects of long-term glucocorticoid therapy, but the mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss remains poorly defined. Glucocorticoid induces decreased bone formation and death of isolated segments of bone (osteonecrosis) suggesting that glucocorticoid excess may affect the birth or death rate of bone cells and thereby reduce their numbers. It has been known that reduction in bone formation is due to reduced proliferation in osteoblast precursor cells and reduced matrix synthesis in mature osteoblast. Here, we present evidence for dexamethasone-induced apoptosis on human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC). To understand the mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, we investigated the effects of glucocorticoid on primary cultured hBMSC. METHEODS: Treatment with dexamethasone at the concentration of 10-9 M for 3~5 days significantly decreased cleavage tetrazolium salt WST-1 level/concentration by mitochondrial dehydrogenase in viable cells. Greater decrease was observed with higher concentration of dexamethasone (10-7 M, and 10-5 M). Apoptosis was measured by annexin V binding/propidium iodide using fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis and nuclear morphology stained with the fluorescence dye, Hoechst 33342. RESULTS: The level/concentration of apoptotic hBMSC (annexin V positive / PI negative) was increased with 10-9 M dexamethasone (1.2% to 5.3%) and further increased with 10-7 M, and 10-5 M concentration (11.7% and 12.5%, respectively). The same result was observed with Hoechst 33342 staining. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that glucocorticoid induces apoptosis on osteoblast precursor cell, hBMSC, and may contribute to decrease bone formation
Annexin A5 ; Apoptosis* ; Bone Marrow* ; Dexamethasone ; Fluorescence ; Humans* ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Mortality ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Oxidoreductases ; Parturition ; Stromal Cells*

No abstract available.
POEMS Syndrome*

OBJECTIVE: Transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily type 1 (TRPV1), a most specific marker of the nociceptive primary afferent, is expressed in peptidergic and non-pepetidergic primary afferents innervating skin and viscera. However, its expression in sensory fibers to skeletal muscle is not well known. In this study, we studied the neurochemical characteristics of TRPV1-positive primary afferents to skeletal muscles. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with total 20 microliter of 1% fast blue (FB) into the gastrocnemius and erector spinae muscle and animals were perfused 4 days after injection. FB-positive cells were traced in the L4-L5 (for gastrocnemius muscle) and L2-L4 (for erector spinae muscle) dorsal root ganglia. The neurochemical characteristics of the muscle afferents were studied with multiple immunofluorescence with TRPV1, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and P2X(3). To identify spinal neurons responding to noxious stimulus to the skeletal muscle, 10% acetic acids were injected into the gastrocnemius and erector spinae muscles and expression of phospho extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) in spinal cords were identified with immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: TRPV1 was expressed in about 49% of muscle afferents traced from gastrocnemius and 40% of erector spinae. Sixty-five to 60% of TRPV1-positive muscles afferents also expressed CGRP. In contrast, expression of P2X3 immnoreaction in TRPV1-positive muscle afferents were about 20%. TRPV1-positive primary afferents were contacted with spinal neurons expressing pERK after injection of acetic acid into the muscles. CONCLUSION: It is consequently suggested that nociception from skeletal muscles are mediated by TRPV1-positive primary afferents and majority of them are also peptidergic.
Acetates ; Acetic Acid ; Amidines ; Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Ganglia, Spinal ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Neurons ; Nociception ; Phosphotransferases ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin ; Spinal Cord ; Viscera

PURPOSE: The clinical significance of the lateral resection margin for rectal cancer has been widely investigated. The ascending and the descending colon do not have a peritoneal covering posteriorly. Therefore, colon cancers located on their posterior side can penetrate the entire bowel wall, which is similar to mesorectal invasion in rectal cancer. However, the prognostic significance of the retroperitoneal resection margin involvement is unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of the lateral resection margin in ascending and descending colon cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed and involved 92 patients who had undergone a curative resection for right or left colon cancer with TNM stage II and III. The patients were assigned to either a lateral margin negative group (LMNG, n=73) or a lateral margin positive group (LMPG, n=19) according to the presence of a tumor or a metastatic lymph node within 1 mm of the lateral resection margin. The oncological outcomes of the LMPG were compared with those of the LMNG. RESULTS: The LMPG was younger and had higher incidences of tumors positive vascular or neural invasion and advanced T and N stages. The overall recurrence rate of the LMPG was higher than that of the LMNG (36.8% versus 16.4%) and the cumulative survival rate of the LMPG was significantly lower than that of the LMNG (35.0% versus 76.2%). High preoperative CEA, lymphatic invasion, lateral margin involvement of the tumor, N2 in nodal status were significant factors in the univariate analysis for evaluation of the prognosis, but lateral margin involvement was not a significant factor in the multivariate analysis. In the lymph-node-positive group and the CEA non-elevation group, lateral margin involvement of the tumor was revealed as a prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: Lateral margin involvement of ascending and descending colon cancer affects tumor recurrence and overall survival, but it is not a significant prognostic factor.
Colon* ; Colon, Descending ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: A high level of air pollutants can increase the number of patients with allergy-related diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). To analyze the association between air pollution and allergic disease, we investigated 2 areas in Korea: Incheon, an industrial area, and Jeju, a non-industrialized area. METHODS: Second grade students at elementary schools (11 schools in Incheon and 45 schools in Jeju) were examined in a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was used and a skin prick test was performed. The levels of NO2, CO2, O3, particulate matter (PM) PM10/2.5, formaldehyde, tVOCs, and dust mites in the classrooms and grounds were determined. RESULTS: The levels of outdoor CO, PM10, and PM2.5 were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The levels of indoor CO, CO2, PM10, PM2.5 were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The prevalence rates of AR symptoms at any time, AR symptoms during the last 12 months, diagnosis of rhinitis at any time, and AR treatment during the last 12 months were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). The prevalence rate of wheezing or whistling at any time, and wheezing during the last 12 months were significantly higher in Incheon (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: We found that the children living in Incheon, which was more polluted than Jeju, had a higher rate of AR and asthma symptoms compared to children in Jeju. To determine the effect of air pollution on the development of the AR and asthma, further studies are needed.
Air Pollutants ; Air Pollution ; Asthma ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dust ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Mites ; Particulate Matter ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiratory Sounds ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Singing ; Skin

Insulinoma is the most important cause of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Insulinoma can be cured by surgical management but diagnosis and localization are difficult due to their small size and variable clinical manifestation. We studied clinical manifestation of the patients who were diagnosed as insulinoma or nesidioblastosis. METHODS: We studied clinical charts of 16 patients who underwent operation under the impression of insulinoma from 1990 to 1997. RESULTS: 1) Of the 16 patients, 13 had insulinoma and 3 had nesidioblastosis. 2) Neuroglycopenic symptoms were present in all cases. Among them, loss of consciousness or confusion were present in 12 cases (75%). Adrenergic symptoms were present in 9 cases (56%). Mean symptom duration until diagnosis was 39 months(range; 15days~10years). 3) 72 hr fasting test showed hypoglycemia in all cases. 4) Insulin/glucose ratio was above 0.3 except for two cases. 5) CT and MRI had low sensitivity (38%) and specificity (33%) as a preoperative tumor localization tool, and more invasive technique, i.e., selective angiography and transhepatic portal vein sampling, were necessary in most cases. CONCLUSION: Nsidioblastosis may be more prevalent than previously suspected. Diagnosis of insulinoma is not always easy and invasive diagnostic methods should be considered when the clinical suspicion is high, even if biochemical and noninvasive localization tools give negative results.
Angiography ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Diagnosis ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Insulinoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nesidioblastosis* ; Portal Vein ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Unconsciousness

Infective endocarditis complicates hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in 5~9% of cases. It's incidence is higher in those with obstruction or left atrial enlargement. Early surgical intervention is usually needed in patients with acute infective endocarditis and progressive congestive heart failure. We reported a case of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy complicated by infective endocarditis, which was diagnosed by echocardiography and was treated by surgical intervention.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Incidence

PURPOSE: To evaluate the developmental patterns of the sutures and synchondroses in the central skull base. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the CT scans of 109 children(age range, 29 days to 15 years) with no skull base abnormality who had undergone axial CT of the skull base with 1-mm collimation. Using a five-tier scheme, we analyzed the developmental patterns of the 18 sutures and synchondroses related to the sphenoid and occipital bones. RESULTS: Fusion of the sutures and synchondroses related to the sphenoid bone progressed rapidly during the first two years. Thereafter, changes in the sphenoid bone were dominated by pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus. Fusion of the synchondroses within the sphenoid body, including intersphenoidal, intrapresphenoidal, and intrapostsphenoidal synchondrosis occurred early and in most cases was graded <=4. Fusion of the sphenosquamosal, sphenoethmoidal, and frontosphenoidal sutures was delayed, and residual sclerosis was a common finding. Except for Kerckring-supraoccipital synchondrosis, fusion of the six sutures and synchon-droses related to the occipital bone occurred more gradually than that of those related to the sphenoid bone. Among these, fusion of the occipitomastoidal suture and petro-occipital synchondrosis was the last to occur. CONCLUSION: A knowledge of the developmental patterns of sutures and synchondroses can help differentiate normal conditions from those such as fracture, osseous dysplasia, or congenital malformation, which are abnormal. Our results provide certain basic informations about skull base maturity in children.
Child ; Humans ; Occipital Bone ; Sclerosis ; Skull Base* ; Skull* ; Sphenoid Bone ; Sphenoid Sinus ; Sutures* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Pseudohypoparathyroidism*