The occurrence of injuries and death caused by traffic accidents have been increasing during last few decades in Korea, which resulted in enormous personal, social and economic loss in terms of death, disability, labour days and medical costs incurred for treatment. Generally, it is well known and even became an hot sociopolitical issue that the duration of hospital stay for traffic accident patients are much longer than that of other patients with the similar condition. The objective of the study is to find out epidemiologic characreristics and management pattern of traffic accident patients in a general hospital of medium-sized, industrialized town. This study was carried out on 177 cases injured by motor vehicle accidents, who were admitted and treated in a general hospital from Feb. 1, 1997 to Sept. 30, 1997. The results obtained are as followings: The most of the patients(44%) were 20-30 years old age group although the occurrence of injuries was more frequent among older ages, 50's for male and 60's for female being 2.1 times more frequent among male. The traffic accidents occurred most frequently(14.1%) in the morning(06:00-08:00) and afternoon(14:00-16:00), and on Saturdays(20.3%); the (14.1% traffic accidents were frequent during weekends for passengers whereas it was more frequent during weekdays for pedestrian. Old and child pedestrians were most vulnerable subjects to traffic accidents. The most common site injured was head(19.9%) and the injury types were fracture of lower extremity(9.3%), skull fracture(8.6%) and rib fracture(8.6%) for both sexes; rib fractures/thoracic spine fractures(12.0%) for female and tibia/ fibula fractures(11.6%) for male. Mean days of hospital stay presumptively judged by the doctor who examined, made diagnosis and admitted the patient was 43.8 days compare to 38.4 days of actual mean days of hospitalixation. On the other hand, the optimal mean days of hospital stay for the patients determined by two doctors independently was estimated to be 26.6 days. Thus the difference between actual days of hospitalization and optimal days of hospitalization was 11.7 days, which can be regarded as excess hospitalization days. It consists 30.5% of actual hospitalization days, an enormous waste of resources. The only factor associated with this excess hospitalization was payment responsibility for the hospital cost; when the hospitalization expenses are to be paid by the person inflicted the injury there were always excess days of hospitalization regardless of insurance status.
Accidents, Traffic* ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Fibula ; Hand ; Hospital Costs ; Hospitalization* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Insurance Coverage ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Motor Vehicles ; Ribs ; Skull ; Spine

During the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest in the impact of oral health on atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD). To date, some periodontal pathogens including Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) have been reported to be relevant to CVD. Porphyromonas endodontalis (P. endodontalis), which shares approximately 87% sequence homology with P. gingivalis, is mostly found within infected root canals. However, recent studies reveal that this pathogen also resides in the dental plaque or periodontal pocket in patients with periodontitis. It has been shown that P. endodontalis invades human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) and coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMC). To evaluate whether P. endodontalis can participate in the progression of atherosclerosis and CVD, we examined the changes in transcriptional gene expression profiles of HCAEC responding to invasion by P. endodontalis in this study. The following results were obtained. 1. Porphyromonas endodontalis was invasive of HCAEC. 2. According to the microarray analysis, there were 625 genes upregulated more than two-folds, while there were 154 genes downregulated by half. 3. Upregulated genes were relevant to inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, coagulation and immune response. Enhanced expression of MMP-1 was also noticeable. 4. The transcription profiles of the 10 selected genes examined by real-time PCR agreed well with those observed in the microarray analysis. Thus, these results show that P. endodontalis presents the potential to trigger and augment atherosclerosis leading to CVD.
Apoptosis ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Vessels ; Cytokines ; Dental Plaque ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Endothelial Cells ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Microarray Analysis ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Oral Health ; Periodontal Pocket ; Periodontitis ; Porphyromonas ; Porphyromonas endodontalis ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Homology ; Transcriptome

No abstract available.
Pancreatitis* ; Parathyroid Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies have shown that ischemic postconditioning can reduce neuronal injury in the setting of cerebral ischemia, but the mechanisms are not yet clearly elucidated. This study was conducted to determine whether ischemic postconditioning can alter expression of heat shock protein 70 and reduce acute phase neuronal injury in rats subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. METHODS: Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion for 60 min in twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g). Rats were randomized into control group and an ischemic postconditioning group (10 rats per group). The animals of control group had no intervention either before or after MCA occlusion. Ischemic postconditioning was elicited by 3 cycles of 30 s reperfusion interspersed by 10 s ischemia immediately after onset of reperfusion. The infarct ratios, brain edema ratios and motor behavior deficits were analyzed 24 hrs after ischemic insult. Caspase-3 reactive cells and cells showing heat shock protein 70 activity were counted in the caudoputamen and frontoparietal cortex. RESULTS: Ischemic postconditiong did not reduce infarct size and brain edema ratios compared to control group. Neurologic scores were not significantly different between groups. The number of caspase-3 reactive cells in the ischemic postconditioning group was not significantly different than the value of the control group in the caudoputamen and frontoparietal cortex. The number of cells showing heat shock protein 70 activity was not significantly different than the control group, as well. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ischemic postconditioning may not influence the early brain damage induced by focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Edema ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Caspase 3 ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Postconditioning ; Male ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies have shown that ischemic postconditioning can reduce neuronal injury in the setting of cerebral ischemia, but the mechanisms are not yet clearly elucidated. This study was conducted to determine whether ischemic postconditioning can alter expression of heat shock protein 70 and reduce acute phase neuronal injury in rats subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. METHODS: Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion for 60 min in twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g). Rats were randomized into control group and an ischemic postconditioning group (10 rats per group). The animals of control group had no intervention either before or after MCA occlusion. Ischemic postconditioning was elicited by 3 cycles of 30 s reperfusion interspersed by 10 s ischemia immediately after onset of reperfusion. The infarct ratios, brain edema ratios and motor behavior deficits were analyzed 24 hrs after ischemic insult. Caspase-3 reactive cells and cells showing heat shock protein 70 activity were counted in the caudoputamen and frontoparietal cortex. RESULTS: Ischemic postconditiong did not reduce infarct size and brain edema ratios compared to control group. Neurologic scores were not significantly different between groups. The number of caspase-3 reactive cells in the ischemic postconditioning group was not significantly different than the value of the control group in the caudoputamen and frontoparietal cortex. The number of cells showing heat shock protein 70 activity was not significantly different than the control group, as well. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ischemic postconditioning may not influence the early brain damage induced by focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Edema ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Caspase 3 ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Postconditioning ; Male ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on hemiplegic shoulder subluxation in post-acute stroke patients. METHOD: Forty-four patients who had shoulder subluxation as a consequence of their first stroke were included and randomly assigned to either a control group (22 subjects) or a study group (22 subjects). Patients in both groups received physiotherapy and used an arm sling. The study group received, FES therapy to shoulder muscles (supraspinatus and posterior deltoid) for 30 minutes, five days a week for 6 weeks. The effect of FES therapy was evaluated by assessment of the severity of subluxation using radiologic measurements before and after treatment. RESULTS: 1) The severity of subluxation was significantly increased after 6 weeks (p<0.05) in the control group. In the study group, it was reduced but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). 2) In the group of patients with early treatment (onset duration, less than 6 months), the control group showed a significant increase in subluxation (p<0.05), but the study group showed significantly reduced (p<0.05) shoulder subluxation after treatment period. 3) In the group of patients with mild shoulder subluxation before treatment (less than 1 finger breadth), the control group showed a significant increase in subluxation (p<0.05), but the study group showed significantly reduced (p<0.05) shoulder subluxation after treatment period. CONCLUSION: The FES therapy is effective in preventing and reducing the severity of hemiplegic shoulder subluxation in post-acute stroke patients, especially if duration since stroke onset was less than six months and the severity of subluxation before treatment was mild.
Arm ; Electric Stimulation* ; Fingers ; Humans ; Muscles ; Shoulder* ; Stroke

Alendronate sodium (Fosamax(R)) is an aminophosphonate used in treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis by inhibition of osteoclastic activity. Esophageal ulcers related to alendronate use have been reported at the rate of 2~6%. However, there have been no reports of esophagitis or esophageal ulcer by alendronate in Korea. We present a case of esophageal ulcer caused by alendronate. The patient presented with retrosternal pain and severe odynophagia for a few days. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed multiple deep ulcers at the esophagus. Her symptoms resolved completely after stopping alendronate. A follow-up esophagogastroduodenoscopy 6 weeks later revealed complete healing of the ulcers.
Alendronate* ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophagitis ; Esophagus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Osteoclasts ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Ulcer*

Although intestinal bleeding is known to occur in amyloidosis, it is rare as a presenting symptom or sole manifestation of the disease. We experienced a case of intestinal hemor-rhage in a 64-year old female patient with primary amyloidosis, kappa type. Antral muco-sal erosions were discovered and one shallow healing ulcer at the angle. Colonoscopy revealed multiple purplish nodules in the sigmoid colon and descending colon, as well as a large shallow ulcer with blood clots in the sigmoid colon which was suspected to be the intestinal hemorrhage site. Endoscopic biopsy established amyloidosis. Polarizing microscopy after Congo red staining and immunohistochemical staining identified primary amyloid, kappa type. A case of intestinal hemorrhage in patients with primary amyloidosis is presented and the literature is reviewed.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis* ; Biopsy ; Colon, Descending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonoscopy ; Congo Red ; Female ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Microscopy ; Middle Aged ; Ulcer

Lung cancer begins insidiously, metastasizes early, and is frequently nonresectable at the time of diagnosis. Gastrointestinal metastases are considered the most unusual. A 60 year-old man was admitted for the evaluation of dizziness. For two weeks prior to admission, he had mild blood-tinged sputum and melena. He had right cervical lymphadenopathy, measured by 2 2 cm. Laboratory studies demonstrated hemoglobin of 3.7 g/dL. Posteroanterior and lateral chest radiographs revealed mass-like lesion of right upper lobe. An umblicated mass was found in the sigmoid colon by colonoscopic examination and biopsy was done. He developed abdominal pain, tenderness and rebound tenderness at admission 10 days. Abdominal CT showed that focal thickened wall and suspicious perforated lesion at the ileum. Operation was done. In recent time, we experienced a case in which perforation of gastrointestinal metastases developed with malignant tumors of the lung.
Abdominal Pain ; Biopsy ; Colon, Sigmoid* ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; Humans ; Ileum ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Melena ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Sputum ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Human cells are almost never spontaneously immortalized in vitro. We tried to immortalize human fetal hepatocytes (h-FH) and evaluate the differentiational status and its change. METHODS: Hepatocytes were isolated from a liver fragment of 20 week old fetus and infected with amphotropic recombinant retrovirus containing a temperature- sensitive mutant of SV40 large T antigen and neomycin phosphotransferase gene. G418 resistant colonies were cloned and expanded. The cells which were able to divide more than 30 times were used to analyze various functions. RESULTS: The immortalization rate was 3.3 x 10-8 and two cell lines (C11, D21) were established. C11-60, C11-80, D21-30 and D21-60 (suffix number means the cell division counts) were evaluated. D21-30 was thougt to be imcompletely immortalized because a considerable portion of cells died during culture. The morphology was similar to that of epithelial cells except for D21-30 which looked like fibroblast. The cells grew rapidly at 33oC but stopped growing at 39oC. T antigen and p53 was expressed at 33oC but disappeared at 39oC, which suggest that T antigen binds to p53. Chromosomal changes were so marked that it was impossible to discriminate exact number. Albumin was secreted as about 1/10 as that of h-FH, but alpha-fetoprotein secretion stopped after immortalization. Telomerase was activated in both cell lines except for the incompletely immortalized cells D21-30. Telomere was elongated in competely immortalized cell lines, but it was rather shortened in D21-30 compared to that of h-FH. Macroscopic colonies did not develop in soft agar assay. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully immortalized human fetal hepatocytes. Although the cells are not likely to have oncogenicity, the functions are not so good, possibly due to marked chromosomal changes which are thought to occur before telomerase is activated during immortalization step.
Agar ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Antigens, Viral, Tumor* ; Cell Division ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Fetus ; Fibroblasts ; Hepatocytes* ; Humans* ; Kanamycin Kinase ; Liver ; Retroviridae* ; Telomerase ; Telomere