No abstract available.
Blood Platelets* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive* ; Platelet Activation*

We built the hypothesis that the hypertrophic callus formation is mediated by beta-endorphin that stimulates secretion of GH and increase circulation growth factor activity in head injury patient. We classified 4 groups such as 5 normal person(control), group I;5 patients with only fracture, group II;5 patients with fracture and head injury, group III; 5 patients with only head injury, group IV. We obtained the samples of serum from each group at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks after trauma and assessed the serum level of GH, GHRH, somatostatin. The serum level of GH was statisticallyu higher in group III, IV than group I, II. There was not significant difference in serum level of GHRH. The serum level of somatostatin was higher in group II, III, IV than group I, but there was no statistical significance in each group. GH has a important role in hypertrophic callus formation in severe head injury patients, but there was no evidence that the mechanism is mediated by beta-EndorphinGHRH & somatostatin-GH-GF-1, beta-FGF axis. There may be a another mechanism in increasing GH that was stimulated by beta-endorphin in thalamus and lateral ventricle, and it should be necessary for further evaluation of it.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; beta-Endorphin ; Bony Callus ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Head* ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Somatostatin ; Thalamus

No abstract available.
Wegener Granulomatosis*

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence once considered an infrequently occurring event existing only in deviant relationships, it has been more recently recognized as a widely distributed phenomenon resulting from multiple cultural, social, psycological factors. According to declining world economics, family violence rises with a simultaneous curtailment of agencies available to assist battered persons and there is increasing pressure on emergency departments to serve those who might otherwise have sought help from public agency. In Korea, we don't have any clinical data about domestic violence, and authors analysed clinical pictures of domestic violence victims who came to the emergency department of Korean University medical center. METHOD: We reviewed the victims of the domestic violence retrospectively, who visited in ED, Korean Univ. Hospital from Jan. 1996 to the Dec. 1996. We Analysed data to Age, sex, Injury severity score, location of injury, mechanism, perpetrator. RESULTS: During the study period, total 134 domestic violence victims were identified. The young, females were predominantly victimized. And married women were more commonly violated. (about 70%). ISS was relatively mild (2.491), face and head were mainly injured by punching and objects throwing. The Prevalence of domestic violence victims almost presented at Emergency department between 6:00/P.M. and 8:00 A.M.. CONCLUSION: Emergency physicians suspect domestic violence victims who injured at face and head by punching or hitted would. In these patients, we need more detail history and physical exam. And in case of repeated domestic violence, refer to neuropychatry dept and social workers with perpetratrs, and need mere concerte social programs for domestic violence.
Academic Medical Centers ; Domestic Violence* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Social Workers

As the productive activities have vastly increased following industrialization and urbanization in the modem society, the resulting high mobility of people and goods have caused a sharp increase in the accidents in the work places as well as traffic accidents. In particular, deaths caused by injuries are generally concentrated in the economically active young peoples, producing incalculable losses to the society and nation as a whole. Advanced nations with superior medical care systems have succeeded in reducing incidents of such deaths by operating trauma centers. Especially noteworthy is the case of the United States where such specialized trauma centers have greatly contributed to reducing deaths from injuries in the non-urban areas with less access to medical facilities. At present Korea has no medical centers specializing in injuries. In large cities, the injuries are being treated tertiary medical facilities while in the provinces they are referred to small and medium-sized hospitals that constitute secondary medical facilities. Currently in Korea the Trauma patients are treated at general hospitals that consist of 726 secondary medical facilities and 40 tertiary medical centers nationwide. The secondary medical facilities which tend to take most responsibility for the treatment of trauma are generally deficient in medical staff and facilities (including operating and intensive care facilities). Despite such deficiency and limitations, no regulations exist regarding treatment or transportation of trauma patients. This article reports the outcome of a comparative analysis of the results of trauma treatments among different types of medical facilities based on objective data in the hope that such study would facilitate a comparison with the treatment systems of advanced countries and thereby contribute to a precise formulation of problems that must be addressed in this area.
Accidents, Traffic ; Hope ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Korea ; Medical Staff ; Modems ; Social Control, Formal ; Transportation ; Trauma Centers ; United States ; Urbanization ; Workplace ; Industrial Development

Background/Aims: Recent reports suggest that the biliary self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) is highly effective for maintaining hemostasis when endoscopic hemostasis fails in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related bleeding. We compared whether temporary SEMS offers better efficacy than angioembolization for refractory immediate ERCP-related bleeding. Methods: Patients who underwent SEMS placement or underwent angioembolization for bleeding control in refractory immediate ERCP-related bleeding were included in the retrospective analysis. We evaluated the hemostasis success rate, severity of bleeding, change in hemoglobin levels, amount of transfusion, and delay to the start of hemostasis. Results: A total of 27 patients with SEMS and 13 patients who underwent angioembolization were enrolled. More transfusions were needed in the angioembolization group (1.0±1.4 units vs. 2.5±2.0 units; p=0.034). SEMS failure was successfully rescued by angioembolization. The partially covered SEMS (n=23, 85.1%) was generally used, and the median stent-indwelling time was 4 days. The mean delay to the start of angioembolization was 95.2±142.9 (range, 9–491) min. Conclusions Temporary SEMS had similar results to those of angioembolization (96.3% vs. 92.3%; p=0.588). Immediate SEMS insertion is considered a bridge treatment modality for immediate refractory ERCP-related bleeding. Angioembolization still has a role as rescue therapy when SEMS does not work effectively.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral white matter lesions(WMLs), such as leukoaraiosis, may be related to damage from cerebral ischemia and may also be associated with the degenerative process. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) 4 allele is a risk factor for degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer`s disease, and ischemic brain damage through acceleration of atherosclerosis. No study has been performed regarding WMLs and APOE genotype in Korea. We investigated the association between WMLs and APOE among Koreans. METHODS: Brain MRI was performed in 225 subjects(ages 61 to 85 years) without neuropsychiatric disease randomly selected from the Ansan Health Cohort Study. WMLs observed on 225 MRI scans were rated in terms of severity by 2 raters. All study subjects underwent APOE genotyping. RESULTS: WMLs were observed in 109(48.4%) of subjects. In the subjects with WMLs, the distribution of APOE genotypes was 0.9% for epsilon 2/epsilon 2, 11.0% for epsilon2/epsilon3, 1.8% for epsilon2/epsilon4, 61.5% for epsilon3/epsilon3, 22.9% for epsilon3/epsilon4, and 1.8% for epsilon4/epsilon4, respectively. The distribution of APOE genotypes did not differ between subjects with and without WMLs. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that there is no association between WMLs and APOE genotypes in Koreans.
Acceleration ; Alleles ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; Atherosclerosis ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Cohort Studies ; Genotype ; Gyeonggi-do ; Korea ; Leukoaraiosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: The possible role of apolipoprotein E (APOE for gene, apoE for protein) allele in atherosclerotic diseases is not clearly understood. For the putative role of APOE genotypes, we examined APOE polymorphism among patients with stroke. METHODS: A total of 202 ischemic stroke patients were involved in this study. The genotype DNA was isolated from whole blood and the APOE alleles were determined by polynicrase chain reaction. RESULTS: The genotype of APOE epsilon3/3 was the most common allele in the stroke group and the control group. The frequencies of APOE epsilon2, epsilon3, epsilon4 allele in stroke group were 0.052, 0.851, and 0.097, respectively. There was no significant difference in APOE genotypes between the stroke group and the control group. No significant associations lions were found for the APOE genotypes and the serum lipid profiles. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that APOE was not related to the stroke,
Alleles ; Apolipoprotein E2 ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; DNA ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lions ; Stroke

No abstract available.
Population Characteristics* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis*

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenesis of the endometriosis is very complex and the etiology is still unclear. Our hypothesis is that there may be some difference in gene expression patterns between eutopic endometriums with or without endometriosis. In this study, we analyzed the difference of gene expression profile with cDNA microarray. METHODS: Endometrial tissues were gathered from patients with endometriosis or other benign gynecologic diseases. cDNA microarray technique was applied to screen the different gene expression profiles from early and late secretory phase endometria of those two groups. Each three mRNA samples isolated from early and late secretory phase of endometrial tissues of control were pooled and used as master controls and labeled with Cy3-dUTP. Then the differences of gene expression pattern were screened by comparing eutopic endometria with endometriosis, which were labeled with Cy5-dUTP. Fluorescent labeled probes were hybridized on a microarray of 4,800 human genes. RESULTS: Twelve genes were consistently overexpressed in the endometrium of endometriosis such as ATP synthase H transporting F1 (ATP5B), eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (NADP+), mitochondrial ribosomal protein L3, ATP synthase H+ transporting (ATP5C1) and TNF alpha factor. Eleven genes were consistently down-regulated in the endometriosis samples. Many extracellular matrix protein genes (decorin, lumican, EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1, fibulin 5, and matrix Gla protein) and protease/protease inhibitors (serine proteinase inhibitor, matrix metalloproteinase 2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1), and insulin like growth factor II associated protein were included. Expression patterns of selected eight genes from the cDNA microarray were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR or real time RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The result of this analysis supports the hypothesis that the endometrium from patients with endometriosis has distinct gene expression profile from control endometrium without endometriosis.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Gene Expression* ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Isocitrate Dehydrogenase ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Peptide Elongation Factor 1 ; Ribosomal Proteins ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcriptome*