PURPOSE: Sexual differences in the incidence and crystalline composition of urinary stones in humans are well-known, but it is unclear why men have a higher incidence of calcium oxalate stones than women. We investigated the effects of male sex hormones on stone formation using an ethylene glycol (EG) - induced urolithiasis model in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, each containing 10 rats. One group of rats was left untreated and served as control. The other 3 groups were fed a 1% ethylene glycol (EG) lithogenic diet for 4 weeks. Among these, one group was non-castrated, one group was castrated and one group was non-castrated and given finasteride orally. Serum testosterone, creatinine, electrolytes, 24-hour urine levels of oxalate and citrate, and creatinine clearance were measured. The crystal deposits were examined by light and polarizing microscopes. RESULTS: Testosterone promoted calcium oxalate stone formation in EG - treated rats. Finasteride administration significantly decreased urinary oxalate excretion and calcium oxalate deposition, compared with controls. Urinary citrate was significantly decreased in EG-treated rats, but was not influenced by castration or administration of finasteride. There were no significant differences in serum concentrations of creatinine, sodium, or potassium among the control and experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that testosterone promotes calcium oxalate stone formation, and that dihydrotestosterone may be partially responsible for the exaggerated hyperoxaluria in EG-treated rats. Additionally, male sex hormones have a lesser influence on urinary citrate than oxalate.
Adult ; Animals ; Calcium Oxalate* ; Calcium* ; Castration ; Citric Acid ; Creatinine ; Crystallins ; Diet ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Electrolytes ; Ethylene Glycol ; Female ; Finasteride ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones* ; Humans ; Hyperoxaluria ; Incidence ; Male* ; Nephrolithiasis* ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium ; Testosterone ; Urinary Calculi ; Urolithiasis

No Abstract Available.
Mucinoses*

Total 8,341 pregnant women who visited Obstetric Clinic Cheil General Hospital from Jaunary 1991 to July 1992 were screened for HBsAg. Sixty five women with positive HBsAg who delivered healthy babies during that period and their infants are included in the study. HBsAg, Anti-HBs, Anti-HBc, HBeAg and Anti-HBe were tested by radioimmunoassay and hepatitis B virus DNA were studied by polymerase chain reaction technique in both mothers' and babies serum. The results were as follow: 1) Among 8,341 pregnant women who were screened for HBsAg 374 were asymptomatic carriers(4.5%). 2) The newborn babies born to 65 mothers who were positive HBsAg showed HBsAg in 4.6%, HBeAg 75.0%, anti-HBc 98.4% and hepatitis B virus DNA in 26.2%. 3) It showed discordance of HBeAg/anti-HBe, with hepatitis B virus DNA in newborn infants. 4) Follow up study at 8~20 months showed HBeAg and hepatitis B virus DNA in 2 infants out of 20.
DNA ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mothers* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Pregnant Women ; Radioimmunoassay

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the level of knowledge and the attitudes of Korean adults toward sexuality of elderly people. METHODS: This was a descriptive study using a convenience sample of 241 adults. The questionnaire had 34 items for knowledge and 26 items for attitudes. RESULTS: The result showed that, related to sexuality of elderly people, the level of knowledge was average and attitudes were conservative. The level of knowledge was significantly higher in groups that were highly educated and of low economic status (p<.05). Attitudes toward sexuality of elderly people were significantly more conservative in female, older, less educated, and high economic status group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a need for more education for Korean adults regarding sexuality in elderly people.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; Female ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; *Intergenerational Relations/ethnology ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Prejudice ; *Sexuality/ethnology ; Socioeconomic Factors

BACKGROUND: An epidemiologic study was performed after the outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) from December 2006 to May 2007. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was performed using the medical records of the patients. The case and control patients were compared for age, gender, total length of stay in MICU, prior carbapenem use, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACH II) score, presence of central line, effect of mechanical ventilation, and sputum suction. Environmental and hand-washing studies were performed during the outbreak. RESULTS: Ten CRAB-affected patients and 29 controls were enrolled in this study. Univariate analysis showed that the age, total length of stay in MICU, presence of central line, and prior carbapenem use were associated with the CRAB outbreak. However, multivariate analysis showed that only prior carbapenem use was associated with the CRAB outbreak (odd ratio: 8.67, P=0.01). The outbreak disappeared after implementing a combined infection control strategy, including the sequential disinfection of MICU and strict compliance with cross-transmission prevention protocols. CONCLUSION: The use of carbapenem was associated with an increased risk of CRAB infection. This study suggests that the MICU contamination and infection transmission by health-care workers played a major role in the CRAB outbreak. Novel strategies such as restricted use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, strict hand hygiene, strict isolation of the patients, and MICU disinfection may be required to prevent the CRAB outbreak.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; APACHE ; Case-Control Studies ; Compliance ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; Disinfection ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sputum ; Suction

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a clinical preventative care program, based on a dental hygiene process (accessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation; ADPIE) in a dental clinic, by analyzing patient recognition, knowledge, practice, and satisfaction with respect to oral health. The collected data (in percentages) were analyzed Fisher's exact test and paired t-test using IBM SPSS ver. 21.0 (IBM Co., USA). This study demonstrated a significant difference in oral health knowledge, recognition, and practice before and after the clinical preventive care program (p<0.05). The results were significant in the individual preventive plan within the planning stage, and in the professional teeth cleaning implementation stage (p<0.05). This result can be attributed to the sympathy of the dental hygienist (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between recommending dental checkups and regular checking of the (r=0.552, p<0.05), undergoing radiography (r=0.434, p<0.01), following an individual preventive plan (r=0.568, p<0.01), undergoing proximal machine teeth cleaning (r=0.437, p<0.05), following tooth brushing instructions (r=0.552, p<0.05), and the evaluation results (r=1.000, p<0.05). Our results demonstrate, that the clinical preventive care program, based on dental hygiene, is an effective program. Given the positive effect of dental revisits and patient recommendations promoting dental hygienists, it is hoped that this preventative program will be widely used.
Dental Clinics ; Dental Hygienists ; Diagnosis ; Hope ; Humans ; Oral Health* ; Oral Hygiene* ; Radiography ; Tooth

Intraductal variant of peripheral cholangiocarcinoma is extremely rare. This variant shows intraductal growth and intraluminal extension without any infiltrative growth. The mode of intraductal growth is not known. The prognosis of this variant is better than that of usual cholangiocarcinoma. We report three cases, one of which is associated with Clonorchis sinensis (CS) infection. The tumors were entirely confined within the dilated peripheral tributaries of the intrahepatic bile duct. Microscopically, the tumors were well to moderately well differentiated, with a papillary or a micropapillary growth pattern. Focal clear cytoplasmic change and mucin production were noted. The tumors showed intraductal spreading without any invasion to the liver parenchyme. Mucosal hyperplasia and dysplasia were noted in the adjacent ducts. The authors assume that intraductal cholangiocarcinoma is a distinct subtype, and persistent irritation, such as, CS infection may undergo a malignant transformation through mucosal dysplasia.
Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Cytoplasm ; Hyperplasia ; Liver* ; Mucins ; Prognosis

No abstract available.
Child* ; Gastritis* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Calcinosis*

No Abstract Available.
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic*