Erythropoietin is the major hormonal regulator of erythropoiesis. It is controlled by many factors inducing hypoxia in tissue. The serum erythropoietin levels of neonates have shown gradual dccrease until 1 month of age, which they are reactivated in the period of physiologic anemia. This change is exaggerated if the meonates are born prematurely, and the levels of erythropoietin respond to lower hemoglobin are lower than those of term neonates and adults. The purpose of this study was to assess the values of erythropoietin levels to compare hemoglobin on the preterm and term neonates until 1 month of age. The results were as follows: 1) At birth mean erythropoietin values of preterm and term neonates were 16.5+/-1.4mU/ml, 16.5+/-1.7mU/ml respectively, there was no significant difference. Also erythropoietin values in preterm and term neonates were 23.6+/-13.3mU/ml, 10.9+/-1.5mU/ml respectively. Resticulocyte counts in preterm and term neonates were 10.7+/-3.3%, 5.7+/-2.9% respectively, so they were significantly higher in preterm than in term neonates. 2) The changes of mean hemoglobin, reticulocyte counts and erythropoietin according to postnatal ages were that those of reticulocyte counts and erythropoietin were significantly increased about 1 month of age. 3) At the 1 month of age, mean erythropoietin values in preterm neonates were lower than those of term neonates and adults, despite of the lowest hemoblobin. This results showed that erythropoietin values in preterm neonates during the physilolgic anemia were lower values than those of term neonates and adults in spite of the lowest hemoglobin.
Adult ; Anemia ; Anoxia ; Erythropoiesis ; Erythropoietin* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Parturition ; Reticulocyte Count

BACKGROUND: This study was to identify factors affecting the job satisfaction of pediatric nurse.METHODS: The participants were the 190 nurses who worked in five pediatric ward and hospital in G city. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from August 1 to August 31 2014, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Tukey, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear analysis with the SPSS PC+ 21.0 program.RESULTS: The variables that affect job satisfaction of pediatric nurses were nurse-parent partnership(β=.30, p<.001), Nursing duty(β=−.24, p=.006), Lack of professional knowledge and skills(β=−.24, p=.002), treatment of nurses(β=−.22, p=.014). These factors accounted for 31.0% of the variance in the job satisfaction.CONCLUSION: This study shows that the methods for increasing nurse-parent partnership and reducing job stress are needed, so as to enhance job satisfaction of nurses who are working pediatric ward.
Job Satisfaction ; Nursing

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Phospholipase A (PLAq) is an rate-limiting enzyme hydrolyzing arachidonic acid from the sn-2 position of membrane phospholipids. In vitro studies demonstrated that the enzyme could be secreted into extracellular mileu by pro-inflammatory cytokines and endotoxin which were reported to have important roles in chronic liver diseases. This study was performed to know whether the enzyme is involved in the pathophysiology of the diseases. METHODS: The subjects were composed of 24 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 26 patients with liver cirrhosis and 14 healthy individuals. The PLAp activities wem measured in the sera of the subjects by detecting radioactivity of "C-fatty acid hydrolyzed from "C-labeled phosphotadylethanolamine by the enzyme. RESULTS: The activities of PLA were increased in the patients with chronic liver diseases, especially in the chronic hepatitis B patients with acute exacerbation and in the decompensated cirrhosis patients. Furthermore, their activities were closely related with the levels of transaminase in hepatitis group and with the levels of serum albumin in cirrhosis group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that extracellular PLA might be involved in the exacerbution and progression of the chronic liver diseases.
Arachidonic Acid ; Cytokines ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Membranes ; Phospholipases A2* ; Phospholipases* ; Phospholipids ; Radioactivity ; Serum Albumin

No abstract available.
Incontinentia Pigmenti*

No abstract available.
Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Critical Illness* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Oxygen*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the whole spine of the patients with chronic low back pain. METHOD: The cervico-thoraco-lumbar spine were evaluated in 128 patients with chronic low back pain. We analyzed radiologic and clinical findings of the cervico-lumbar spine and electrodiagnostic findings. RESULTS: Most of all cases showed abnormal findings in plain radiography and electrodiagnostic study. The radiologic findings were as follow: cervical X-ray with straightening of cervical lordotic curve in 85 cases; thoracic X-ray with scoliosis in 55 cases; lumbar X-ray with disc space narrowing in 85 cases. The electrodiagnostic study revealed lumbosacral radiculopathy in 87 cases. There were significant positive relationship between increased lumbosacral angle and straightening of cervical lordotic curve, and between lumbar scoliosis and thoracic scoliosis. CONCLUSION: Cervico-thoracic spinal abnormalities were shown in most of the patients with chronic low back pain. Therefore, The evaluation of whole spine would be needed comprehensive rehabilitation approach for the patients with chronic low back pain.
Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Radiculopathy ; Radiography ; Rehabilitation ; Scoliosis ; Spine*

No abstract available.
Cholesteatoma* ; Semicircular Canals* ; Temporal Bone* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

PURPOSE: To describe the appearance and average thickness of the internal anal sphincter with anal endosonography in healthy Korean adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 184 subjects(male: 96, female: 88) with no history of anorectal disease or surgery were studied with anal endosonography. The average thickness of internal sphincter was meas ured at the mid-anal canal. For the internal sphincter, which is often asymmetric, the thickness of each 4 part(12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock direction) were measured in left lateral decubitus position. RESULTS: The anal wall was well visualized in 5 layers(mucosa, submucosa, internal anal sphincter, intersphincteric plane, external anal sphincter) with anal endosonography. The anal endosonogram showed the internal anal sphincter as a homogenous, well-defined, hypoechoic, circular band, and slightly asymmetric. The average thickness of the internal anal sphincter in the area of mid-anal portion was 2.0 0.3 mm(range: 1~3 mm). There was no sexual difference; however, a significant positive correlation with age was found in average thickness of the internal anal sphincter. The correlation with lean body mass was not found. CONCLUSION: The internal anal sphincter is well-visualized, best defined structure by anal endosonography. Average thickeness of the sphincter in Korean appeared to be the same as in the Western.
Adult* ; Anal Canal* ; Endosonography ; Female ; Humans

Although MDR was previously thought to be predominantly caused by the expression of the MDR1 gene, it is now increasingly believed to be caused by other mechanism. Recently, over-expression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) was suggested a possible mechanism for non-Pgp mediated MDR. Recent studies showed that MRP can confer resistance to a wide spectrum of natural product drug, but the clinical relevance of MRP-mediated MDR in human cancer is poorly understood. p53 is the most widely known tumor suppressor gene. It has been suggested that mutant p53 is related to abnormal proliferation of cell and some what is been related to cellular apoptosis. To determine the clinical significance of MRP and/or p53 expression in colorectal carcinoma, the authors investigated the expression of the MRP and p53 in 81 cases of primary colorectal carcinoma, the relationship between the MRP and/or p53 expression and clinical parameters including 5-yr. survival rate, and the relationship between the expression of MRP and p53. The results were as follows: 1) Of the 81 colorectal carcinomas, 36 (42%) were MRP positive and 28 (34%) were p53 positive. 2) The expression of MRP and/or p53 was not significantly correlated with sex, age, histologic grades, tumor invasion, tumor location, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and survival of patients. In conclusion, these results suggest that expression of MRP and/or p53 is neither related to the known prognostic factors nor a prognostic factor by itself.
Apoptosis ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.