No abstract available.
Tetralogy of Fallot*

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Prognosis*

BACKGROUND: Thymopentin(TP-5) is an immunomodulatory agent which may be a promising new drug in the treatment of patients with severe atopic dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of thymopentin for treatment of severe atopic dermatitis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifteen patients with severe atopic dermatitis received subcutaneous injections of 50mg thymopentin three times per week for 6 weeks. Clinical extent and severity parameters were assessed at baseline, at regular intervals during therapy and 4 weeks posttherapy. Use of antihistamine and topical steroid were permitted. RESULT: Significant reduction in severity scores and body surface area involvement was observed and no significant side effects were noted(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Thymopentin may be considered to be an effective adjunctive therapeutic agent in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis. Further studies will be needed to determine the action mechanism of thymopentin.
Body Surface Area ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Thymopentin*

The present study was designed: (1) to determine whether or not hypoxia stimulates the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factors (EDRFs) from endothelial cells, and (2) to examine whether or not the hypoxia-induced EDRFs release is further augmented by previous hypoxia-reoxygenation, using vessel and rabbit carotid artery without endothelium as a bioassay test ring. The test ring was contracted by prostaglandin F2alpha, (3 X 10-6 M/L), which was added to the solution perfuming through the aortic segment. Hypoxia was evoked by switching the solution aerated with 95% 02/5% CO2 mixed gas to one aerated with 95% N2/5% CO2 mixed gas. When the contraction induced by prostaglandin F2alpha reached a steady state, the solution was exchanged for hypoxic one. And then, hypoxia and reoxygenation were interchanged at intervals of 2 minutes (intermittent hypoxia). The endothelial cells were also exposed to single 10-minute hypoxia (continuous hypoxia). When the bioassay ring was superfused with the perfusate through intact aorta, hypoxia relaxed the precontracted bioassay test ring markedly. Whereas, when bioassay ring was superfused with the perfusate through denuded aorta or polyethylene tubing, hypoxia relaxed the precontracted ring slightly. The relaxation was not inhibited by indomethacin but by nitro-L-arginine or methylene blue. The hypoxia-induced relaxation was further augmented by previous hypoxia-reoxygenation and the magnitude of the relaxation by intermittent hypoxia was significantly greater than that of the relaxation by continuous hypoxia. The results suggest that hypoxia stimulates EDNO release from endothelial cells and that the hypoxia-induced EDNO release is further augmented by previous hypoxia-reoxygenation.
Anoxia* ; Aorta ; Biological Assay ; Carotid Arteries ; Dinoprost ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium* ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Indomethacin ; Methylene Blue ; Nitric Oxide ; Polyethylene ; Relaxation

In this study, we designed to confirm the dietary effect of anti-obesity of fermented soybean curd residue (FSCR; SCR-Meju; Biji-meju) by A. oryzae, which is well known as a Korean traditional meju microbe. We observed that body weight gain, serum and hepatic lipid profile, as well as the activity of ROS generating enzyme and ROS scavenging enzyme in high-fat diet induced obese mice fed experimental diet (SCR and SCR-meju). Body weight gain and epididymal fat weight of HC (high-fat diet control) was markedly higher than that of NC (Normal control). Conversely, body weight gain and epididymal fat weight of the SCR (Biji) and SCR-meju (Biji-meju) group was significantly lower than that of HC; these of the SCR-meju group was lower than that of the SCR group. Furthermore, serum TG and total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol contents of SCR and SCR-meju groups were lower than that of HC, and HDL-cholesterol level of the SCR-meju group was significantly higher than that of HC. In conclusion, although precise mechanisms of the antiobese effects of SCR-meju in this study are unknown, the present study provides an experimental evidence that SCR-meju may prevent obesity and obesity related metabolic syndromes, such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes, and liver disease by high-fat diet. Nevertheless, further study in this filed will be needed.
Animals ; Aspergillus oryzae* ; Aspergillus* ; Body Weight ; Diet ; Diet, High-Fat ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Liver Diseases ; Mice ; Mice, Obese ; Obesity ; Oryza ; Soybeans*

A primary signet ring cell cancer (SRCC) is a rare form of an adenocarcinoma of the large intestine. The prognosis of SRCC of the colon has been reported to be worse than classic adenocarcinoma of the colon; however, there is no difference in the post-operative surveillance for SRCC. We report a case of SRCC of the colon with negative resection margins that recurred at the anastomosis site 26 months after curative resection. A 55-year-old male presented to the hospital with abdominal pain. The initial colonoscopy and abdominal computed tomography revealed SRCC of the proximal ascending colon. He underwent extensive curative surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy for 8 months. However, 26 months post-operatively, the cancer recurred at the anastomosis site without peritoneal dissemination. Physicians should be aware that SRCC may have different recurrence patterns compared with classic adenocarcinoma, and may need more vigorous surveillance, even after curative surgery.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Humans ; Intestine, Large ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

A primary signet ring cell cancer (SRCC) is a rare form of an adenocarcinoma of the large intestine. The prognosis of SRCC of the colon has been reported to be worse than classic adenocarcinoma of the colon; however, there is no difference in the post-operative surveillance for SRCC. We report a case of SRCC of the colon with negative resection margins that recurred at the anastomosis site 26 months after curative resection. A 55-year-old male presented to the hospital with abdominal pain. The initial colonoscopy and abdominal computed tomography revealed SRCC of the proximal ascending colon. He underwent extensive curative surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy for 8 months. However, 26 months post-operatively, the cancer recurred at the anastomosis site without peritoneal dissemination. Physicians should be aware that SRCC may have different recurrence patterns compared with classic adenocarcinoma, and may need more vigorous surveillance, even after curative surgery.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Humans ; Intestine, Large ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: A bile duct stone impacted at the duodenal papilla is an urgent condition that can rapidly lead to either suppurative cholangitis or acute pancreatitis due to almost complete obstruction of the bilio-pancreatic outflow. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics and results of endoscopic treatment for a bile duct stone impacted at the duodenal papilla. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients who had been diagnosed with an impacted papillary stone were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The typical features of acute cholangitis (Charcot's triad) and pancreatitis were only observed only in 10 patients (21.7%) and 17 patients (37.0%), respectively. After the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, 30 patients (65.2%) were found to have a solitary stone impacting the duodenal papilla and 16 patients had one or more stones in the bile duct. On the radiological studies, the former patients were associated more commonly with no visible stone or no bile duct dilatation (p < 0.05). All impacted papillary stones were successfully removed by endoscopic sphincterotomy: 23 by a needle knife and 23 by a pull type papillotome. The procedure-related complications (n = 7, 4 bleeding, 3 pancreatitis) were not serious and did not differ, based on endoscopic findings and the procedure used. CONCLUSION: A bile duct stone impacted at the duodenal papilla requires both clinical and radiographic evidence to support the diagnosis. Endoscopic sphincterotomy, either with a needle knife or a pull type papillotome, was safe and effective for removing the impacted papillary stone.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is beneficial in treatment of stroke or head and neck cancer. The situation for dementia is unknown. Presently, results, complications, and survival of PEG patients with or without dementia were assessed. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of 67 patients, gender, age, diagnosis, laboratory results, complications, tube change, early death and death were compared in dementia (n=5) and non-dementia (n=62) patients (average age 68.7 years). RESULTS: Patient clinical characteristics were not different, except for the proportion of gender. Complications occurred in 11 cases (16.4%). Wound infection was the most common complication followed by Mallory-Weiss tear, tube leakage, fever and pneumonia. Twenty six patients (38.8%) died during the follow-up period, and the 30 day mortality rate was 2.7%. Average survival of dementia and non-dementia patients was 12 months and 25 months, respectively. Dementia patients showed a tendency for shorter survival, although it was insignificant (p=0.068). Dementia was the only predictor of mortality that showed significance (p=0.006). CONCLUSION: In this study there was a tendency for shorter survival in dementia patients and dementia was the only significant predictor of mortality.
Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Dementia ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrostomy ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Mallory-Weiss Syndrome ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke ; Wound Infection

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of wheeze using nation-wide cross-sectional study in Korean children. Total 50,200 children from 427 elementary schools were randomly selected according to residential areas (metropolitan, provincial, rural, and industrial areas) by the cluster sampling method. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaires were used to measure the prevalence of wheeze. Among 31,026 respondents, 25,322 were analyzed. BMI was classified into quartiles based on BMI-for-age percentile. In all residential areas, pets at home and visible mold or moisture were associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze in both genders. However, other living environment factors were not consistently associated among residential areas and gender. Among girls, lowest BMI was negatively associated with prevalence of wheeze and highest BMI was positively associated in all residential areas. In multilevel logistic regression analysis, environmental tobacco smoking exposure, pets at home, visible mold or moisture, and being in the lowest and highest BMI quartile were significantly associated with the prevalence of wheeze in both genders. BMI has become an important risk factor for asthma symptoms among Korean children.
Allergens ; Asthma/*epidemiology ; Body Composition ; *Body Mass Index ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Fungi/immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Pets/immunology ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; *Residence Characteristics ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; Water