The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence of urinary incontinence in adult women and to identify factors related to life style and sexual intercourse that were related to incontinence. The sample consisted of 1,065 women living in Seoul or one of five provinces. Data for this study were collected from January 16 to June 23 using structured questionnaires. The Urinary Symptom Questionnaire developed by Jackson and a demographic questionnaire were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage with and SPSS/PC+ program. The major finding are as follows : 1. The distribution of age of subjects was as follows : 20-29(10.1%), 30-39(17.8%), 40-49(27.3%), 50-59(22.3%), 60-69(12.9%), 70-79(6.1%), 80-89(2.8%), more than 90(0.6%). The frequency of normal delivery, 0(15.5%), 1-2(36.0%), 3-4(29.2%), 5-6(13.0%), more than 7(6.3%). The rate of subjects with menopause was 40.8%. 2. It was reported that 50.7% of the subjects experienced urinary incontinence with stress, mixed, and urgency incontinence being 49.8%, 43.4%, 6.8% respectively. 3. The lower urinary symptoms and incidence with urinary incontinence were as follows : Daily frequency, 22.3%, nocturia, 40.8%, urgency, 71.2%, bladder pain, 47.8%, unexplained incontinence, 32.4%, nocturnal incontinence, 16.1%, and frequency of incontinence, 37.7%. In term of quantity of incontinence, drop/pants damp, 29.5%, dribble/pants wet, 20.5%, flood or soaking through to outer clothing, 1.7%, and flood or running down legs or onto floor, 0.2%. 4. The symptoms related to sexual intercourse and incidence of urinary incontinence were as follows : dry vagina, 39.1%, sex life trouble, 10.8%, pain during sexual intercourse, 27.4%, and urine leakage during sexual intercourse, 8.8%. 5. Life style problems related to urinary incontinence were as follows ; fluid intake restriction, 20.0%, affected daily task, 24.5%, avoidance of places and situations, 35.0%, interference in physical activities, 30.6%, interference in relationships with other people, 19.0%, interference in relationship with husband/companion, 8.1%, and time after attack of urinary symptoms, 76.9%. In term of the feeling about the rest of their lives the women reported : perfectly happy, 11.3%, pleased, 16.9%, mostly satisfied, 20.2%, mixed feelings, 21.0%, mostly dissatisfied, 21.0%, very unhappy 8.5%, and desperate, 1.0%. In conclusion, this study was a preliminary study to provide nursing practices guidelines for incontinence in adult women. Nurses working with adult women should develop and provide adequate care for these women.
Adult* ; Clothing ; Coitus ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Life Style ; Menopause ; Motor Activity ; Nocturia ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Running ; Seoul ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Vagina

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine smoking status and the relates factors in the rural elderly. METHODS: This study was conducted with 2,421 elderly people(male 1,273 and female 1,148) residing in the selected 25 villages, and face-to-face interviews with the subjects were made from January 1 through March 30, 2002. RESULTS: The average age of the male subjects was 72.7 and that of the female subjects 72.8. The investigation of smoking states showed that for male subjects, smokers accounted for 49.4%, nonsmokers 26.9%, and abstainers from smoking 23.7% and that for female subjects, smokers accounted for 18.3%, nonsmokers 75.4%, and abstainers from smoking 6.3%. The level of 'low ADL' was significantly higher in abstainers. In men, smoking rate had higher in alone, non-job, queerstreet, 'high ADL'. In women, smoking rate had higher in younger age, queerstreet, unhealthy, 'high ADL'. CONCLUSIONS: The smoking rate of the elderly was relatively high, especially at abstainers. The smoking status of elderly was correlated with age, family type, job, economic status by self-assessment, Self-recognition of health status, ADL level.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Self-Assessment ; Smoke ; Smoking

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference of gene expressions between leiomyoma and normal myometrial tissue was analzed by DNA Chip. METHODS: cDNAs retro-transcribed from equal quantities of mRNA derived from leiomyoma and corresponding normal myometrial tissue were labeled with Cy5 and Cy3 fluorescein as probes. The mixed probe was hybridized with two pieces of 3,066 double dot from a human dermal papilla cell cDNA library and scanned with a laser scanner. The acquired image was analyzed by ImaGene 3.0 software. Validation of gene expression was performed by reverse transcription-Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 5 leiomyomas and corresponding normal myometrial tissues. RESULTS: Among many differentially expressed genes, genes with expression levels more than 3 times were found by comparing leiomyoma with corresponding normal myometrial tissue. One gene with expression levels lesser than 3 times in leiomyoma tissue compared to normal myometrial tissue was also detected. Although alterations of several genes, such as osteoblast specific factor 2, PAI-1 mRNA-binding protein, hydroxyacyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase/3-ketoacyl-Coenzyme A thiolase/enoyl-Coenzyme A hydratase alpha subunit (HADHA), p311, DEAD/H (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp/His) box polypeptide 1 (DDX1), Hexokinase 1, 2 were identified in a significant high fraction of uterine leiomyoma compared to normal myometrial tissue. Cyr61 gene was shown to be markedly down-regulated in leiomyoma compared with the matched uterine myometrial control. I validated differential expression of genes by RT-PCR and demonstrated overexpression of OSF-2, HADHA, p311, DDX1, Hexokinase 1, 2. CONCLUSION: DNA chip techniques are effective in screening differential gene expression between leiomyoma tissue and normal myometrial tissue. These genes may be related to the genesis and development of uterine leiomyoma. Analysis of the human leiomyoma gene expression profile by DNA chip may be helpful gene diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this disease.
Diagnosis ; DNA* ; DNA, Complementary ; Fluorescein ; Gene Expression* ; Gene Library ; Hexokinase ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Mass Screening ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis* ; Osteoblasts ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcriptome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference of gene expressions between leiomyoma and normal myometrial tissue was analzed by DNA Chip. METHODS: cDNAs retro-transcribed from equal quantities of mRNA derived from leiomyoma and corresponding normal myometrial tissue were labeled with Cy5 and Cy3 fluorescein as probes. The mixed probe was hybridized with two pieces of 3,066 double dot from a human dermal papilla cell cDNA library and scanned with a laser scanner. The acquired image was analyzed by ImaGene 3.0 software. Validation of gene expression was performed by reverse transcription-Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 5 leiomyomas and corresponding normal myometrial tissues. RESULTS: Among many differentially expressed genes, genes with expression levels more than 3 times were found by comparing leiomyoma with corresponding normal myometrial tissue. One gene with expression levels lesser than 3 times in leiomyoma tissue compared to normal myometrial tissue was also detected. Although alterations of several genes, such as osteoblast specific factor 2, PAI-1 mRNA-binding protein, hydroxyacyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase/3-ketoacyl-Coenzyme A thiolase/enoyl-Coenzyme A hydratase alpha subunit (HADHA), p311, DEAD/H (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp/His) box polypeptide 1 (DDX1), Hexokinase 1, 2 were identified in a significant high fraction of uterine leiomyoma compared to normal myometrial tissue. Cyr61 gene was shown to be markedly down-regulated in leiomyoma compared with the matched uterine myometrial control. I validated differential expression of genes by RT-PCR and demonstrated overexpression of OSF-2, HADHA, p311, DDX1, Hexokinase 1, 2. CONCLUSION: DNA chip techniques are effective in screening differential gene expression between leiomyoma tissue and normal myometrial tissue. These genes may be related to the genesis and development of uterine leiomyoma. Analysis of the human leiomyoma gene expression profile by DNA chip may be helpful gene diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this disease.
Diagnosis ; DNA* ; DNA, Complementary ; Fluorescein ; Gene Expression* ; Gene Library ; Hexokinase ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Mass Screening ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis* ; Osteoblasts ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcriptome

OBJECTIVE: To develop a population pharmacokinetics (PK)/pharmacodynamics (PD) model for alcohol in healthy volunteers and to elucidate individual characteristics to affects alcohol's PK or PD including dissolved oxygen. METHODS: Following multiple intakes of total 540 mL alcohol (19.42 v/v%) to healthy volunteer, blood alcohol concentration was measured using a Breathe alcohol analyser (Lion SD-400 Alcolmeter®). A sequential population PK/PD modeling was performed using NONMEM (ver 7.3). RESULTS: Eighteen healthy volunteer were included in the study. PK model of alcohol was well explained by one-compartment model with first-order absorption and Michaelis-Menten elimination kinetics. K(a), V/F, V(max), K(m) is 8.1 hr⁻¹, 73.7 L, 9.65 g/hr, 0.041 g/L, respectively. Covariate analysis revealed that gender significantly influenced V(max) (Male vs Female, 9.65 g/hr vs 7.38 g/hr). PD model of temporary systolic blood pressure decreasing effect of alcohol was explained by biophase model with inhibitory E(max) model. K(e0), I(max), E(0), IC(50) were 0.23 hr⁻¹, 44.9 mmHg, 138 mmHg, 0.693 g/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Model evaluation results suggested that this PK/PD model was robust and has good precision.

Pseudopolyp is a common association of ulcerative colitis but may also occur in Crohn's disease, ischemic colitis and infective colitis. Pseudopolyps are results of the repair process, representing islands of granulation tissue surrounded by mucosa with ulceation. When a pseudopolyp is larger than 1.5 cm, it is often called a "giant pseudopolyp". Such lesions of inflammatory origin are often confused with polypoid carcinoma or infiltrating submucosal malignancy. We report a case of asymptomatic Crohn's disease as giant pseudopolyposis mimicking malignancy on sigmoid colon, with a review of relevant literatures.
Colitis ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Crohn Disease* ; Fistula* ; Granulation Tissue ; Islands ; Mucous Membrane

Hair loss is a common condition that can have a negative impact on an individual’s quality of life. The severe side effects and the low efficacy of current hair loss medications create unmet needs in the field of hair loss treatment. Hyaluronan and Proteoglycan Link Protein 1 (HAPLN1), one of the components of the extracellular matrix, has been shown to play a role in maintaining its integrity. HAPLN1 was examined for its ability to impact hair growth with less side effects than existing hair loss treatments. HAPLN1 was predominantly expressed in the anagen phase in three stages of the hair growth cycle in mice and promotes the proliferation of human hair matrix cells. Also, recombinant human HAPLN1 (rhHAPLN1) was shown to selectively increase the levels of transforming growth factor-β receptor II in human hair matrix cells. Furthermore, we observed concomitant activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway following treatment with rhHAPLN1. Our results indicate that rhHAPLN1 elicits its cell proliferation effect via the TGF-β2-induced ERK1/2 pathway. The prompt entering of the hair follicles into the anagen phase was observed in the rhHAPLN1-treated group, compared to the vehicle-treated group. Insights into the mechanism underlying such hair growth effects of HAPLN1 will provide a novel potential strategy for treating hair loss with much lower side effects than the current treatments.

OBJECTIVE: Low-dose aspirin have been proposed to improving endometrial receptivity and pregnancy rate in COH-IVF by increasing endometrial perfusion. However, the effect of low-dose aspirin in COH-IVF could be negligible because there have been large quantity of other important factors responsible for changing endometrial perfusion accompanied by COH procedure. In contrast, in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles which were not accompanied by COH procedure, the effects of low-dose aspirin in endometrial blood flow seems to be more certain than in COH-IVF cycles. In this study, we analyzed the effect of low-dose aspirin treatment on implantation and pregnancy rates in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2003, total 264 cycles from 264 patients who attended infertility clinic at Samsung Cheil Hospital were enrolled in this study. All cases included in this study, embryos were frozen and thawed at the pronuclear stage and three days after incubation, at least 2 or more good quality embryos were transferred into uterus. In study group, low dose aspirin (100 mg/day) was administrated from the first or second date of menstrual day to 9 days after embryo transfer. On the other hand, control group did not take any medicine except estradiol valerate for endometrial priming. Several variables including implantation and pregnancy rates were compared in both groups. After then, each groups were stratified by endometrial thickness checked at embryo transfer (ET) day such as (28 mm versus <8 mm) and same variables above described were compared between study and control groups. RESULTS: The mean age, infertility duration, endometrial thickness at embryo transfer day and mean number of transferred embryo were not significantly different in both groups. Also, implantation rates (study group: 15.8%, control group: 20.5%) and pregnancy rate (study group: 45.1%, control group: 43.5%) were not significantly different between two groups. (p>0.05) After we analyzed same variables stratified by endometrial thickness checked at embryo transfer day, we could not found any significant difference between study and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose aspirin treatment seems to have no advantage of improving implantation and pregnancy rates in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer.
Aspirin* ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Estradiol ; Hand ; Humans ; Infertility ; Perfusion ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Uterus

Paraquat dichloride (N,N-dimethyl-4-4'-bipiridinium, PQ) is an extremely toxic chemical that is widely used in herbicides. PQ generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and causes multiple organ failure. In particular, PQ has been reported to be an immunotoxic agrochemical compound. PQ was shown to decrease the number of macrophages in rats and suppress monocyte phagocytic activity in mice. However, the effect of PQ on macrophage cell viability remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effect of PQ on the mouse macrophage cell line, RAW264.7 and its possible mechanism of action. RAW264.7 cells were treated with PQ (0, 75, and 150 muM), and cellular apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and intracellular ROS levels were determined. Morphological changes to the cell nucleus and cellular apoptosis were also evaluated by DAPI and Annexin V staining, respectively. In this study, PQ induced apoptotic cell death by dose-dependently decreasing MMP. Additionally, PQ increased the cleaved form of caspase-3, an apoptotic marker. In conclusion, PQ induces apoptosis in RAW264.7 cells through a ROS-mediated mitochondrial pathway. Thus, our study improves our knowledge of PQ-induced toxicity, and may give us a greater understanding of how PQ affects the immune system.
Animals ; Annexin A5 ; Apoptosis* ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Cell Nucleus ; Cell Survival ; Herbicides ; Immune System ; Macrophages ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Mice ; Mitochondria ; Monocytes ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Paraquat* ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species

OBJECTIVE: To assess the fetal loss rate among dichorionic twin gestations undergoing genetic amniocentesis compared with singletons undergoing the procedure and untested twins. METHODS: From January 2002 through December 2004, total 132 pregnant women with dichorionic twin gestation with mid-trimester amniocentesis at Hospital were included in this study. In control group, 595 women with untested dichorionic twins during the same period and 402 women with singleton pregnancies with amniocentesis performed by the same physician at the same date of study group were selected. Excluded were fetuses with known structural anomalies, cases in which amniocentesis was done in only one fetus, and cases of which pregnancies were terminated due to fetal chromosomal abnormalities. Fetal loss was defined as the loss of both fetuses and subdivided into two categories: within 4 weeks after amniocentesis and before 28 gestational weeks. RESULTS: Up to 4 weeks after the procedure, one case (0.75%) in the tested twin group, two cases in post-procedure singleton group (0.49%, P=.729), and eight cases in the untested twin control group (1.34%, P=.581) were aborted spontaneously. Up to 28 gestational weeks, four fetal losses occurred in post-amniocentesis twins (3.03%), sixteen cases in untested twins (2.69%, P=.83), and two cases in the singleton pregnancies with amniocentesis (0.49%, P=.017). CONCLUSION: The risk of fetal loss in twin underwent mid-trimester amniocentesis appears to be higher than that of tested singletons in this study. However, there was no significant difference in the fetal loss rates between amniocentesis twin group and untested twin group.
Amniocentesis* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Pregnant Women