OBJECTIVES: It is widely accepted that estrogen has favorable effects on cardiovascular diseases, especially in the postmenopausal women. Endothelin-1(ET-I), released from the vascular endothelium, is a 21-amino acid peptide with strong vasoconstrictor activity. However, the effect of estrogen on the vasoconstriction to ET-1 has not been extensively studied. METHODS: To investigate the effect of estrogen (175beta-estradiol) on the vascular contraction to ET-1, porcine coronary artery(PCA) rings were suspended in organ chambers(37 degrees C, 95% O2/5% CO2) for measurement of isometric tension change. Endothelium was removed mechanically if necessary. In acute experiments, vascular rings were preincubated for 15minutes with 3different concentrations of 170beta-estradiol(10(-6), 10(-5), 10(-4)M) and concentration-contraction curves to cumulative doses of ET-1 were constructed. In the experiments after a longer exposure to 17beta-estradiol, the vessels with endothelium were exposed in the 5% CO2 incubator to 3different concentrations of 17beta-estradiol(10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7)M) for 44-50 hours, and then concentrationcontraction curves to ET-1 were obtained. RESULTS: Incubation for 15minutes with 170beta-estradiol(10(-4)M) inhibited ET-1-induced contraction in the vessels with endothelium(area under the curve and maximal contraction, p<0.05 compared with control). This effect persisted regardless of the sex and the presence or absence of the endotheliurn. Incubation of the vessels far a longer time with 170beta-estradiol(44-50 hours) resulted in the inhibition of maximal contraction to ET-1(p<0.05) by a lower concentration of 175beta-estradiol(10(-7)M) than in acute experiments in male PCA rings, but an enhanced contraction to ET-1(area under the curve; p<0.05) by 10M of 175beta-estradiol was observed in female PCA rings. CONCLUSION: Short-time incubation with 17Pbeta-estradiol has an inhibitory effect on the contraction to ET-1 in PCA rings. This effect is independent of the presence of the endothelium and the sex of the pigs. A longer incubation with 17beta-estradiol results in a similar inhibitory effect on male(but not female) PCA rings, suggesting that a sex-related difference may exist concerning the effect of 17beta-estradiol on ET-1-induced contraction.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Vessels* ; Endothelin-1* ; Endothelins ; Endothelium ; Endothelium, Vascular ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Incubators ; Male ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Swine ; Vasoconstriction

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the status and need for nutrition and dietary life education among nutrition teachers at schools. These characteristics were analyzed if they were different between elementary schools and middle-high schools. METHODS: Subjects were 151 nutrition teachers from 70 elementary schools, 41 middle schools and 40 high schools in 17 cities nationwide selected by two-stage stratified cluster sampling process. Survey questionnaires included the items on general characteristics, status and need assessment for nutrition and dietary life education. Chi-square test or t-test was used for data analysis by school groups. RESULTS: Nutrition education was implemented at 65.7% of elementary schools and 51.9% of middle-high schools. Nutrition education was mainly performed in 'discretionary activities·extracurricular activities' at elementary school and through 'newsletters, school homepage, foodservice bulletin board' at middle-high school (p<0.001). The most needed topic for nutrition education in nutrition teachers was 'healthy dietary habits and table manners' and this was not significantly different by school groups. Responses on adequate frequency (p<0.01), methods used for nutrition education (p<001), materials for nutrition education (p<0.001), information sources for nutrition education (p<0.001) were significantly different by school groups. Major tasks for activating nutrition education included 'securing the time for implementing nutrition education by reducing work loads' and 'developing standardized nutrition education materials' in schools. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education at schools might be activated by improving working conditions of nutrition teachers and developing the practical programs that reflect the needs of nutrition teachers.
Adolescent ; Child ; Education* ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Needs Assessment ; Statistics as Topic

A 12-year-old neutered male Golden Retriever presented with a progressively enlarging mass in the submandibular region. Histopathological diagnosis confirmed lymphangiosarcoma with metastasis to the liver and spleen. The pleomorphic neoplastic endothelial cells of the tumor grow directly on bundles of dermal collagen, forming numerous clefts and interconnecting channels that are devoid of conspicuous hematic elements. As lymphangiosarcoma is an uncommon malignant neoplasm, the number of previously reported cases and information of the tumor is limited. The present report describes the clinical history and histopathological diagnosis of a progressive lymphangiosarcoma in the submandibular region with metastases in a dog.

Spontaneous bilateral rupture of the quadriceps tendons without a significant history of trauma is an uncommon disease. It is generally associated with mechanical factors and coexisting systemic and local factors are taken into consideration in the pathogenesis of these ruptures. In patients with some chronic systemic diseases, simultaneous rupture can occur spontaneously or with minor trauma. We present a case of patient with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis for the past 9 years, who sustained this injury, and subsequently had surgical repair of both tendons. We performed a preoperative magnetic resonance imaging to confirm the diagnosis, then we repaired the ruptured quadriceps tendons and performing MRI postoperatively 1 yr later. He regained his normal knee joint functions 1 yr after the operation.
Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Knee Joint ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Quadriceps Muscle ; Renal Dialysis ; Rupture ; Rupture, Spontaneous ; Tendons

The elderly population with dementia is rapidly growing in South Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dementia and oral health in 197 subjects aged ≥65 years. The questionnaire included questions on subjective health status, subjective health concern, subjective oral health status and behavior, mastication ability, Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and Korean Dementia Screening Questionnaires (KDSQ). Oral examination was conducted by a single dentist to evaluate upper or lower denture use, and determine the numbers of remaining and functioning teeth, including implant and fixed prosthesis. The subjects who required a dementia test (KDSQ-C [cognition] of ≥6) had significant differences in systemic disease prevalence rate, subjective health status, subjective health concern, KDSQ-V (vascular disease) score, KDSQ-D (depression) score, subjective oral treatment need, key food mastication ability and OHIP-14 score compared to the healthy subjects. The proportion of denture wearers, total remaining teeth, total functioning teeth, toothbrushing frequency, oral pain severity, symptoms of periodontal disease, subjective oral health status, and subjective oral health concern showed no significant differences between the two groups. KDSQ-C and OHIP-14 scores showed a strong positive relationship, while KDSQ-C score and total remaining teeth or key food mastication ability showed a weak negative relationship. In the multiple regression analysis, the KDSQ-D, KDSQ-V, and OHIP-14 scores influenced the KDSQ-C scores. We suggest a relationship between oral health and cognitive impairment.
Aged* ; Cognition Disorders ; Dementia* ; Dental Restoration Wear ; Dentists ; Dentures ; Depression ; Diagnosis, Oral ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Mastication ; Oral Health* ; Periodontal Diseases ; Prevalence ; Prostheses and Implants ; Quality of Life ; Tooth ; Toothbrushing

This study was conducted to evaluate applicability of job standards for diabetes nutrition management by hospital clinical dietitians. In order to promote the clinical nutrition services, it is necessary to present job standards of clinical dietitian and to actively apply these standardized tasks to the medical institution sites. The job standard of clinical dietitians for diabetic nutrition management was distributed to hospitals over 300 beds. Questionnaire was collected from 96 clinical dietitians of 40 tertiary hospitals, 47 general hospitals, and 9 hospitals. Based on each 5-point scale, the importance of overall duty was 4.4 ± 0.5, performance was 3.6 ± 0.8, and difficulty was 3.1 ± 0.7. ‘Nutrition intervention’ was 4.5 ± 0.5 for task importance, ‘nutrition assessment’ was 4.0 ± 0.7 for performance, and ‘nutrition diagnosis’ was 3.4 ± 0.9 for difficulty. These 3 items were high in each category. Based on the grid diagram, the tasks of both high importance and high performance were ‘checking basic information,’‘checking medical history and therapy plan,’‘decision of nutritional needs,’‘supply of foods and nutrients,’ and ‘education of nutrition and self-management.’ The tasks with high importance but low performance were ‘derivation of nutrition diagnosis,’‘planning of nutrition intervention,’‘monitoring of nutrition intervention process.’ The tasks of both high importance and high difficulty were ‘derivation of nutrition diagnosis,’‘planning of nutrition intervention,’‘supply of foods and nutrients,’‘education of nutrition and self-management,’ and ‘monitoring of nutrition intervention process.’ The tasks of both high performance and high difficulty were ‘documentation of nutrition assessment,’‘supply of foods and nutrients,’ and ‘education of nutrition and self-management.’
Hospitals, General ; Nutritionists* ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSE: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common and increasing disease in which Dermatophagoides (D.) farinae is one of the most common causative allergens. The aims of this study were to confirm the presence of locally produced antibodies to D. farinae in nasal secretions between nasal provocation test (NPT)-positive and -negative groups of AR patients, to evaluate their relationships with the levels of inflammatory mediators, and to determine adaptive and innate immune responses in nasal mucosa. METHODS: Sixty AR patients sensitive to house dust mites confirmed by skin prick test or serum specific IgE to D. farinae underwent NPT for D. farinae. Nasal packs were placed in both nasal cavities of the patients for 5 minutes to obtain nasal secretions after NPT. The levels of total IgE, specific IgE to D. farinae, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and tryptase in nasal secretions were detected by using ImmunoCAP. The levels of specific IgE, IgA, and secretory IgA antibodies to D. farinae in nasal secretions were measured by using ELISA. The levels of IL-8, VEGF, IL-25, and IL-33 were also measured by using ELISA. RESULTS: High levels of total IgE, specific IgE, specific IgA, and secretory IgA to D. farinae, as well as inflammatory mediators, such as ECP, IL-8, VEGF and tryptase, were detected in nasal secretions, although the differences were not statistically significant between the NPT-positive and NPT-negative groups. Levels of all immunoglobulins measured in this study significantly correlated with ECP, IL-8, and VEGF (P<0.05), but not with tryptase (P>0.05). IL-33 and IL-25 were also detected, and IL-25 level significantly correlated with IL-8 (r=0.625, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirmed the presence of locally produced specific antibodies, including D. farinae-specific IgE and IgA, in nasal secretions collected from D. farinae-sensitive AR patients in both the NPT-positive and NPT-negative groups, and close correlations were noted between antibodies and nasal inflammatory mediators, including such as ECP, IL-8 and VEGF, indicating that locally produced antibodies may be involved in the nasal inflammation of AR.
Allergens ; Antibodies* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-8 ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasal Mucosa ; Nasal Provocation Tests ; Pyroglyphidae ; Rhinitis* ; Skin ; Tryptases ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

BACKGROUND: Ineffective cell-mediated immune response in human tuberculosis is associated with a depressed Th1 cytokine response and reduced production of IFN-gamma. Most persons infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis are healthy tuberculin reactors with protective immunity, but a minority with ineffective immunity develop extensive pulmonary tuberculosis. The cell-mediated immune response is an important aspect of host resistance to mycobacterial infection and is believed to be tightly regulated by a balance between Th1 cytokines including IFN-gamma IL-12, IL-18, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and Th2 counterparts such as IL-4, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). METHODS: Proliferation and mRNA expression of IFN-gamma RANTES and MCP-1 by RT-PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in response to in vitro stimulation with mycobacterial antigens were compared in pulmonary tuberculosis patients with cured and treatment failure and in tuberculin-positive and tuberculin-negative healthy subjects. RESULTS: Defective proliferative responsiveness to aqueous TSP antigen was involved with treatment failure tuberculosis patients. Aqueous TSP antigen-induced IFN-gamma and RANTES mRNA expression was decreased in treatment failure tuberculosis patients compared with healthy tuberculin reactors and cured tuberculosis patients (23.1% versus 90.0% for IFN-gamma and 46.2% versus 70.0% versus 46.2% for RANTES). The frequency of MCP-1 mRNA expression to aqueous TSP antigen in treatment failure tuberculosis patients was greater than in healthy tuberculin reactors and cured tuberculosis patients (76.9% versus 40.0%). CONCLUSION: The increasing expression of MCP-1 mRNA in response to aqueous TSP antigen might be predicted to favor Th2 responses and restricted Th1 responses in treatment failure of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Chemokine CCL2 ; Chemokine CCL5 ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular* ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-18 ; Interleukin-4 ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; RNA, Messenger ; Treatment Failure* ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

We report here on a case of a 34-year-old man with unruptured aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva, and he presented with acute coronary syndrome due to the putative dynamic compression of both the left main coronary artery and the left circumflex coronary artery. The cardiac multislice computed tomography scanning and coronary angiogram revealed the compression of the two coronary arteries by the aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva. Aneurysmectomy was performed for surgical repair. After the surgery, the patient stayed asymptomatic during the 6-months of follow-up.
Acute Coronary Syndrome* ; Adult ; Aneurysm* ; Coronary Vessels ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Sinus of Valsalva*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Intrahepatic duct strictures are usually caused by intrahepatic duct stones and cholangitis. However, focal strictures of the intrahepatic duct unrelated to intrahepatic stones often pose diagnostic problems. This study was undertaken to prospectively evaluate the usefuless of percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy in patients with a focal intrahepatic duct stricture and no evidence of a stone. METHODS: Twenty two patients with a focal stricture of the intrahepatic duct not related to intrahepatic stones were included. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic examination including procurement of a biopsy specimen was performed after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. RESULTS: A histopathologic diagnosis was obtained in all patients (10 adenocarcinoma, 1 squamous cell carcinoma, 2 hepatocellular carcinoma, 2 adenoma and 7 benign strictures). Of the 10 patients with bile duct adenocarcinoma, 9 underwent surgery and a curative resection was possible in 8 patients (89%). Six patients (67%) had early-stage bile duct cancer in which the cancer invasion was limited to the mucosa or fibromuscular layer and there was no evidence of lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy in patients with focal stricture of the intrahepatic duct unrelated to choledocholithiasis seems to be very useful for the differential diagnosis including the detection of early bile duct cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Bile Ducts ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cholangitis ; Choledocholithiasis ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drainage ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prospective Studies