No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Concanavalin A* ; Polyethylene Glycols* ; Polyethylene*

INTRODUCTION There are three factors for successful implantation. These are embryo quality, uterine receptivity, and synchronization between embryonic and endometrial development. Despite remarkable progress in investigating embryos in human IVF, there has been slow progress in exploring the implantation process. It may be due to two reasons as follow. First, it is difficult to directly investigate the mechanism of implantation in the human, because of ethical considerations. Second, there is no sensitive and widely accepted marker for assessing endometrial development. Since the finding of a novel standard for dating endometrial biopsy by Noyes et. al.,. in 1950, there have been many attempts to identify suitable markers for uterine receptivity. Those include ultrasonographic changes (Ueno et.al., 1991; Grunfeld et al.,1991), three dimensional morphological changes of the endometrium such as pinopode formation (Market or alphaf., 1987; Mantel or alphaf., 1991; Nikas et al., 1995; Psychoyos & Nikas, 1994), integrin expression (Ilesanmi et al., 1993; Lessey et.al., 1992; Lessey, 1994), and measurement of endometrial proteins (Hell, 1986;Fay & Crudzinskas, 1991). Investigations in the rat (cartel et al., 1991)and human (cartel et al., 1987; Nikas et al., 1995; Psychoyos & Nikas, 1994) suggested the presence of pinopodes as a marker for the receptive phase.4 chronological barrier in uterine receptivity could be one of the major factors limiting IVF pregnancy rates. If we were able to manage the 'implantation window' we may be able to improve implantation and pregnancy rates in the human IVF program. In 1987, Martel et al., found early appearance of pinopodes in stimulated cycles for IVF compared to natural cycles in humans (Marcel et al., 1987). This effect was found in patients stimulated with clomephene citrate/hMG/hCG. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the endometrial development in IVF patients stimulated with either by FSH/hMG/hCG or with GnRH agonist down regulation.
Animals ; Biopsy ; Down-Regulation ; Embryonic Structures ; Endometrium ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans* ; Oocyte Retrieval* ; Oocytes* ; Pregnancy Rate ; Rats

Gaucher's disease is an uncommon metabolic disorder, which was first described by Gaucher in 1882, characterized by accumulation of distinctive Gaucher's cells in the reticuloendothelial system such as spleen, liver, and bone marrow. The great majority of cases have been reported in Jews, and others in negros and orientals. We are presenting two cases in homozygous twins in Korea, whose clinical manifestations are hepatosplenomegaly and bone lesions due to expansion of involved bones.
African Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Marrow ; Gaucher Disease ; Humans ; Jews ; Korea ; Liver ; Mononuclear Phagocyte System ; Spleen ; Twins

OBJECTIVE: To report the efficacy of vaginally administered bromocriptine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: The prolactin level was significantly decreased after the administration of bromocriptine vaginally. CONCLUSIONS: The vaginal administration of bromocriptine can be an alternative to oral administration in patients with hyperprolactinemia who show severe side effects.
Administration, Intravaginal ; Administration, Oral ; Bromocriptine* ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia* ; Prolactin

Prenature ovarian failure is a condition causing amenarrhea, hypoestrogenism, and elevated genadotropins in women younger than 40 years. A karyotype should be performed as part of basic laboratory evaluation for all patients with premature ovarian failure and prodromal premature ovarian failure. Development of a malignancy in a dysgenetic gonad is of major concern. The presence of a fragment of the Y chromosome is thought to be a key to the oncogenic potential of these gonads. The search for the testicular determining factor(TDF) has engendered much confusion about which part of the Y chromosome plays a role in malignancy. This was initially postulated to be the H- Y antigen. More recent data, however, localize the area near the centromere of the Y Chromosome, on the long arm(Yq). Malignant potential is clearly not linked to the testicular determining factor itself(SRY). This is a critical point in clinical medicine. Feilure to display SRY or a closely related sequence does not rule out the presence of the segment of the Y chromosome postulated to be associated with the development of malignancies. We have experienced a case of premature ovarian failure with chtomosomal abnormality involving Y chromosome fragment. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Centromere ; Clinical Medicine ; Female ; Gonadal Dysgenesis* ; Gonads* ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency* ; Y Chromosome

Lithium salts are being used increasingly to treat patient with affective disorders, especially acute mania, or bipolar manic-depressive illness. For therapeutic effect the lithium content must be maintained at or above a particular level. Lithium poisoning due to overdosage may be seen occasionally, and its course is determined primarily by the rate of renal lithium elimination. A search is therefore indicated for procedures that could raise the lithium clearance. In a number of reports renal lithium excretion has been studied in relation to the excretion of water, sodium, potassium and hydrogen, but effects of sodium or water on the lithium excretion has not yet been clarified. Hence the present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of corticosteroid on the excretion of lithium ion. The female rat (Sprague-Dowley), weighing from 200 to 300g, was injected with 50mg/kg of lithium chloride intraperitoneally, and then injected with graded dosage of fludrocortisones and dexamethasone in each group. During the injected rats were incubated in metabolic cage, 24 hour urine of rats were collected. At 24 hours after injection, the rats were sacrificed with guillotine, the blood were collected. And then the concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, Li⁺ of collected urine and serum were checked by Flame photometer. The results are summarized as follows 1. Fludrocortisone decreased the serum concentration of lithium and increased the urinary excretion of lithium. 2. In the group treated with low dose of dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg), the serum concentration of lithium was decreased and high dose of dexamethasone (1 mg/kg) increased the urinary excretion of lithium. 3. Fludrocortisone increased the urinary [Na⁺]/[K⁺] in serum and decreased [Na⁺]/[K⁺] inurine, but opposite effects were occurred in dexamethasone. By above results, it may be concluded that corticosteroid increased the urinary excretion of lithium and decreased the serum concentration of lithium, but it seems to be there in no relationship between these effects of corticosteroid and of the renal Na⁺ or K⁺ transport.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones* ; Animals ; Bipolar Disorder ; Dexamethasone ; Female ; Fludrocortisone ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Lithium Chloride ; Lithium* ; Mood Disorders ; Poisoning ; Potassium ; Rats ; Renal Elimination* ; Salts ; Sodium ; Water

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second most common cause of death among cancers in Korea. Epidemiological studies have revealed the carrier state of the hepatitis B virus and the dietary intake of aflatoxin B1 as possible causative agents of this neoplasm, but the precise molecular bases are still unknown. METHODS: We examined 24 cases of human hepatocellular carcinomas in Koreans for the presence of p53 aberrations in exons 4 to 9 of the gene by using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. RESULTS: Four (17%) of the tumors demonstrated a SSCP band shift, 1 in exon 6 and 3 in exon 7. All of the abnormal DNA fragments were further characterized by direct DNA sequencing. All the mutations were missense mutations. One was an A to G transition at the second nucleotide of codon 214; 2 were G to T transversions at the second nucleotide of codon 245; and one was a G to T transversion at the third nucleotide of codon 249, a mutational 'hot spot' at which mutations have been frequently found, especially when aflatoxin B1 plays an important role in the hepatocarcinogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the possibility of aflatoxin B1 being a causative agent of hepatocarcinogenesis in Korea can not be excluded.
Aflatoxin B1 ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Carrier State ; Cause of Death ; Codon ; DNA ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Exons ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor* ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Korea ; Mutation, Missense ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Polycystic ovary disease is a heterogenous endocrinopathy with many interacting causal factors. One potential such factor is chronic hyperinsulinemia. multiple, independent lines of evidence suppart the contention that chronic hyperinsulinemia causes ovarian hyperandragenism. This evidence includes: (1) mutations in the insulin receptor gene that cause severe hyperinsulinemia appear to be associated with ovarian hyperandrogenism, (2) insulin stimulates ovarian thecal and sttomal androgen seaetion in vitro, and (3) in some experimental models, manipulation of circulating insulin concentrations results in changes in circulating androgens. Although the association between hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism remains to be fully explained at the molecular level, chronic hyperinsulinemia appears to be an important cause of hyperandrogenism. We have experienced a case of HAIR AN syndrome showing hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance and acanthosis nigricans in infertile patient. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Acanthosis Nigricans ; Androgens ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; Hair* ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; Hyperinsulinism ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Models, Theoretical ; Ovary ; Receptor, Insulin

No abstract available.
Behcet Syndrome* ; Colchicine*