In order to define the relation between echocardiographically determined left atrial size and atrial fibrillation(AF) in rheumatic mitral valvular heart disease, 44 patients with mitral valvular heart disease with AF, 29 patients with mitral valvular heart disease without AF, 24 patients with idiopathic AF and 24 normal controls were studied. In mitral valvular heart disease with AF group, AF was more common when the absolute left atrial internal diameter(LAID) was above 50 mm(86.4%) than in mitral valvular heart disease without AF group(41.4%). In addition, although the values of LAID, LA(left atrium)/Aortic Root ratio and LA/BSA(body surface area) are higher in mitral valvular heart disease with AF group than in mitral valvular heart disease without AF group(p<0.05), there was no correlation between LAID and BSA(r=0.06). These findings suggest that an absolute value of LAID is a more important factor in the development of AF in mitral valvular heart disease than LAID considered in conjunction with BSA and that an absolute LAID of 50 mm may be used as a reliable guide to therapeutic and prophylactic intervention in AF associated with mitral valular heart disease.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Proportional Hazards Models* ; Survival Analysis*

No abstract available.
Herpes Zoster*

OBJECTIVE: This study is proposed to examine the relationship between bone loss after hormone replacement therapy for one year and initial bone markers. METHODS: One hundred postmenopausal women were studied for one year. At first visit, measurements were made of bone mineral density(BMD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and of serum osteocalcin and urine deoxypyridinoline. After hormone replacement therapy was done for one year, BMD was rechecked. RESULTS: Serum osteocalcin was correlated with the rate of bone change(r=0.150, 0.262) and urine deoxypyridinoline was weakly correlated(r=-0.003, 0.038). The changes of femoral BMD in women with higher concentration of osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline were significant different from those in women with normal concentration. At the lumbar spine, no significant differences were showed. In women with higher concentration of osteocalcin, the incidence of subjects with increased spine BMD was increased up to around 71.1%, which showed not significant increase compared with normal concentration of osteocalcin. And the incidence of increased spine BMD in women with higher concentration of osteocalcin was marked increased compared with the incidence of normal concentration. The level of the osteocalcin with increased spine BMD was 11.5+/-6.6 ng/ml, and the level with decreased spine BMD was 9.2+/-4.7 ng/ml, respectively. And the level of the deoxypyridinoline was 7.2+/-4.2 pmol/ mol cr in women with increased spine BMD and 7.2+/-2.7 pmol/ mol cr in women with decreased spine BMD, which was not statistically different. The concentration of deoxypyridinoline with increased and decreased in BMD in spine and femur was not statistically different. but the concentration of osteocalcin was 12.2 +/-5.5 ng/ml in significantly increased in BMD and 8.5 +/-4.5ng/ml in significantly decreased in BMD, which was showed significant different. CONCLUSION: Present study indicates that the serum osteocalcin more reflcets bone turnover changes at the menopause than deoxypyridinoline, however, the clinical utility of measurements of osteocalcin only to response to therapy is uncertain.
Bone Density* ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Menopause ; Osteocalcin ; Spine

An exercise stress test using the bicycle ergometer was carried out in Korea University Hospital in 121 untrained apparently healthy male Koreans with the ages ranging from 20 to 69 years. The graded exercise test consisted of 12 minutes' work on the bicycle ergometer, 4 minutes with each work load, such as 50 W, 100W and 150W, and an additional time with the maximal load to the point of voluntary exhaustion or until other symptoms of exercise intolerance appeared. During the graded exercise a bipolar electrocardiogram from the forehead to the V 5 position(lead CH5) was monitored with an oscilloscope with the sweep speed of 50mm per second and recorded for the analysis. The results obtained were summarized as follows. 1. Heart rates were measured before and during the graded exercise at 50W, 100W, 150W and maximal work loads, and those of the 98 cases with no significant ST segment depression in the exercise ECG are presented. Mean heart rates per minute on 150W load by age group were: 171.0 in the 20-29 year-old group, 170.8 in the 30~39 year-old group, 168.0 in the 40-49year-old group, 162.9 in the 50-59 year-old group and 153.6 in the 60-69 year-old group. Mean heart rates per minute on maximal work load by age group were: 186.0 in the 20-29 year-old group, 178.8 in the 30-39 year-old group, 174.7 in the 40-49 year-old group, 166.0 in the 50-59 year-old group and 161.8 in the 60-69 year-old group. 2. The maximal working capacities by age group were: 266.3W in the 29-29 year-old group, 186.1W in the 30-39 year-old group, 182.2W in the 40-49 year-old group, 160.0W in the 50-59 year-old group and 161.8W in the 60-69 year-old group. 3. More than 1mm ST segment depression 0.08 second after the J point was seen in 10.7% and that 0.06 second after the J point in 19.1%. 4. Electrocardiographic QX/QT ratios ranging from 50 to 59% were seen in 21.5% and more than 60% in 0.8% of the cases. 5. Arrhythmias observed during the exercise test included premature ventricular contraction (2.5%), atrial premature contraction(1.7%) and nodal premature contraction(0.8%). 6. Distressing symtoms experienced during the graded exercise test were dizziness(6.6%) and leg pain(5.8%). Excessive sweating(3.3%), hypotension(1.7%) and nausea and vomiting (0.8%) were noticed immediately after the maximal exercise was finished.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Depression ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test* ; Forehead ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg ; Male* ; Nausea ; Ventricular Premature Complexes ; Vomiting

Advances in biomedical technology has enabled the research and use of novel therapies in cellular transplantation. A number of trials using chondrocyte and autologous skin products are underway and will soon become commercially available for clinical utilization. However, the Korea Food and Drug Administration currently lack systematic regulations for efficacy and safety evaluation of the emerging therapies. Specifically, dose related studies are uncontrolled and availability of clinical research centers is inadequate. Thus, patients are receiving therapy without guidelines for indication, dose, and adequate safety profiles. We propose criteria for cases in which these therapies can be used and advocate IRB determined quality assurance for future research.
Biomedical Research/standards ; Cell Transplantation/*legislation & jurisprudence ; Guidelines ; Humans ; Korea ; Quality Control

PURPOSE: The rectoanal reflex is a response of the anal sphincter to rectal distension, reflecting the functional nature of the anal sampling mechanism of rectal discrimination. The role of this reflex in the continence mechanism is believed to be important, but it exact role still remains to be proven, and the stratification of this reflex, along to the degree of functional impairment of the anal sphincter, is rarely performed. The aim of this study was to assess the differences between various parameters of this reflex among healthy volunteers and incontinent and constipated patients. METHODS: The rectoanal contractile and inhibitory reflexes were recorded in 20 normal controls (group A) and 25 constipated (group B) and 19 incontinent patients (group C). The latencies, areas under the reflex curves, amplitudes and recovery times of each reflex were individually estimated, and differences between the groups statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The inhibitory reflex was not detected in 2 cases from group B (8.0%) and 1 from group C (5.26%). The contractile reflex was not detected in 2 cases from group A (10.0%), 8 from group B (32.0%) and 10 from group C (52.63%). There were no significant differences in any of the parameters in a comparison of the three groups. In a two group comparison, the amplitude and area under the reflex curves of the inhibitory reflex differed significantly between groups B and C (P=0.0373, 0.0238), and the latency of the contractile reflex differed significantly between groups A and C (P=0.0476). CONCLUSION: Both the rectoanal reflexes showed significant differences between the three patient groups, although this was not the case with all parameters. An analytical assessment of the various parameters of those reflexes would, therefore, make it possible to stratify the functional impairment of anal continence.
Anal Canal ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Reflex*

No abstract available.
Hedgehogs ; Tinea ; Trichophyton

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Korea*