Pregnancy-induced hypertension(PIH) is one of the major causes of maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Although many causes are encountered, etiology of PIH is still unknown. A molecular variant of angiotensinogen, M235T, reported to be linked with essential hypertension and PIH. This study was to evaluate the molecular variation of angiotensinogen in Korean pregnancy-induced hypertension. Our results did not provide any definite relation with the molecular variant of angiotensinase, M235T, and Korean PIH.
Angiotensinogen* ; Female ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Mortality ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome(NMS) is an uncommon but potentially fatal idiosyncratic reaction to neuroleptics, characterized by muscular rigidity, fever, autonomic dysfunction, and altered consciousness. The major theories to explain NMS is central dopaminergic blockade, but it is unclear. Risperidone is a new antipsychotic drug, a benzisoxazole derivative that blocks dopamine D2 receptor and serotonin type 2 receptor. The comparatively greater serotonin-blocking activity is believed to give risperidone the specific property of not causing any more extrapyramidal side effects than conventional antipsychotics at the optimal dose of 4-8mg/day. It is postulated that risperidone is unlikely to cause NMS. Here, we report a case of risperidone induced neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Consciousness ; Fever ; Muscle Rigidity ; Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome* ; Receptors, Dopamine D2 ; Risperidone ; Serotonin

No abstract available.
Anxiety Disorders* ; Anxiety*

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

The incidence of risperidone-induced amenorrhea has not been well known. Since conven tional antipsyrchotics-induced amenorrhea may be due to the hyperprolactinemia associated with the block of dopamine D2 receptor, it seems justified to expect that risperidone having the affinities far dopamine and serotonin receptor also may induce the hyperprolactinemia and the amenorrhea. We report the case of risperidone-induced amenorrhea in a premenopausal woman with schizophrenia. The amenorrhea of the patient would be related to the hyperprolactinemia. Clinicians should be vigilant to the possible reaction in their female patients with schizophrenia.
Amenorrhea* ; Dopamine ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Incidence ; Prolactin ; Receptors, Dopamine D2 ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia* ; Serotonin

The recent hypothesis about the pathophysiology of schizophrenia has been centered mainly on two theories, i.e. dopamine hypothesis and serotonin hypothesis. We investigate the correlations between plasma metabolite concentrations and clinical symptoms in schizophrenic patients. The purpose of our study was to examine whether the plasma levels of HVA(homovanillic acid) and 5-HIAA(hydroxyindoleacetic acid) are significantly different in schizophrenics, compared to normal controls. And, with the intention of clarifying the interaction between dopaminergic system and serotoninergic system, the ratio of HVA/5-HIAA also was measured. The second purpose was whether the basal(pre-treatment) levels of these metabolites show the correlation with clinical symptoms. Finally, third purpose was whether basal HVA and 5-HIAA levels can be held as a predictor of treatment response. We used scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms(SAPS) and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms(SANS) as the clinical symptom rating scales. Our results were as followed, 1) only the level of basal plasma HVA was significantly differ in schizophrenics. 5-HIAA and HVA/5-HIAA were not. 2) basal HVA showed significant correlation with SAPS score, especially delusion subscale. 3) the higher was the basal HVA level, the more improvement in clinical symptoms was observed. The basal 5-HIAA level and the HVA/5-HIAA ratio did not show any significant findings. These results support the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia, but fail to examine on the possible involvement of serotonin in schizophrenia.
Delusions ; Dopamine ; Homovanillic Acid* ; Humans ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid ; Intention ; Plasma* ; Psychopathology* ; Schizophrenia ; Serotonin ; Weights and Measures

An association of low total cholesterol in blood with psychiatric diseases and suicidal behavior has been suggested. As part of an attempt to further explore this relationship, we examine first, whether serum cholesterol levels in psychiatric patients with suicidal attempt would be lower than in non-suicidal psychiatric inpatients or normal controls, second, whether such significant difference of cholesterol levels would be present when the diagnostic groups are analyzed separately, third whether low cholesterol level would be associated with a history of serious suicidal attempts, and finally, whether low cholesterol level in suicide attempters is as state or a trait marker. We determined the serum cholesterol levels in 231 patients admitted to an emergency room following an suicidal attempt, in the same numbers of age-, sex- and diagnosis-matched non-suicidal psychiatric controls, and in the same numbers of age-, sex matched normal controls. The seriousness of an attempt was divided into 5 grades according to the degree of the resulting medical injury. Total cholesterol levels in suicide attempters were significantly lower compared with both psychiatric and normal controls, when sex, age, and nutritional status(i.e., body mass index) were controlled for. This significant relationship was observed in major depressive disorders and personality disorders, but not in schizophrenia and bipolar type I disorders. The severity of suicide by a lowering of blood cholesterol was related to the magnitude of the cholesterol reduction. After treatment of their psychiatric ailments, the cholesterol levels in suicide attempters were significantly increased. This result suggests that low cholesterol level in psychiatric patients might be a potential biological marker of suicide risk. It is hypothesized that low cholesterol levels is associated with the suicide by modifying the serotonin metabolism, the production of interleukin-2 and melatonin metabolism in psychiatric patients.
Biomarkers ; Cholesterol* ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Interleukin-2 ; Melatonin ; Metabolism ; Personality Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Serotonin ; Suicide*

The antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is an acquired multisystemic disorder characterized by persistent elevated antiphospholipid antibodies and/or hypercoagulation in veins or arteries, or both. The clinical manifestations of the antiphospholipid antibody syodrome are recurrent thrombosis, fetal loss, thrcenbocytopenia, and various cutaneous lesions. Skin lesions are the first sign of this syndrome in 41% of patients and systemic thrombosis develops in 40% of them. Livedo reticularis is the most common cutaneous finding of the antiphosphotipid antibody syndrome. Although vasculitis has not been frequently noted in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, some vasculitis such as polyarteritis nodosa, giant cell arteritis, and other nonspecific vasculitides have been found in association with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We present a male patient with typical manifestations of leukocytoclastic vasculitis with deep vein thrombosis and positive antiphospholipid antibodies. It suggests that a case of antiphospholipid antibody syndorme was accompanied with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis.
Antibodies, Antiphospholipid* ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome ; Arteries ; Giant Cell Arteritis ; Humans ; Livedo Reticularis ; Male ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; Skin ; Thrombosis ; Vasculitis* ; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous ; Veins ; Venous Thrombosis

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine* ; Internship and Residency*

No abstract avaiable.
Glucose* ; Homeostasis*