Human cytomegalovirus encodes an unusual protein kinase UL97 which can phosphorylate exogenous substrates, including histone H2B and nucleoside analogs such as ganciclovir. The previous result interestingly showed that the peptides phosphorylated by UL97 have K/R at the 5 positions (P+5) downstream from the pSer. To confirm the importance of the basic residue in the position, we used two peptide libraries, 4S4K (MAXXXXSXXXXKXANNN) and 4S6N (MAXXXXSXXXXXXNNN). The activity of phosphorylation by UL97 was higher in the peptide library 4S4K than 4S6N, suggesting the importance of basic residue at P+5 position. The screening with a peptide library 4S4K showed slight tendencies for N in the P+1 and P+2, M in the P+2, K in the P+4 and P+6 positions and several amino acids in the other positions. This result will give information to develop an optimal peptide for screening a novel UL97 inhibitor.
Amino Acids ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Ganciclovir ; Histones ; Humans* ; Mass Screening* ; Peptide Library* ; Peptides ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Kinases* ; Substrate Specificity*

Experiments were performed to investigate the effects of pinealectomy on the renin-angiotensin system in Sprague-Dawley rats. The results obtained were as follows. 1) There was no differences of systolic blood pressure, heart rate, water intake, and plasma electrolytes between pinealectomized and sham-operated rats. 2) Renin activity in plasma and pituitary gland did not differ in two experimental groups. 3) The pituitary gland contained the renin activity of about 50pg AI/hr/mg of wet weight. The results suggest that the pineal gland has no correlation with cardiovascular and renin-angiotensin system.
Angiotensins ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular System ; Drinking ; Electrolytes ; Heart Rate ; Pineal Gland ; Pituitary Gland ; Plasma ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley* ; Renin ; Renin-Angiotensin System*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical and radiological results of distal chevron osteotomy in patients aged 50 and older with moderate-to-severe hallux valgus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the medical records and radiographs of 19 patients (26 feet). Average age at time of surgery was 58 years and the mean follow-up period was 3 years and 1 month. For radiological evaluation, we analyzed changes in hallux valgus angles and 1st-2nd intermetatarsal angles after index operations. Clinical results were assessed with respect to pain, activities of daily living, and shoe-wear. RESULTS: Hallux valgus angles and 1st-2nd intermetatarsal angles improved, but considerable correction loss occurred with time. This correction loss was found to be significantly correlated with preoperative subluxation of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint and the 1st-2nd intermetatarsal angle. Clinically, remarkable improvements were achieved in terms of pain and level of activity, but most patients (except 4) still wore comfortable shoes rather than hard shoes at latest follow-ups. CONCLUSION: Distal chevron osteotomy is beneficial for patients aged 50 and older with moderate-to- severe hallux valgus deformity, but correction loss may occur in patients with marked subluxation of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint or a severe 1st-2nd intermetatarsal angle.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hallux ; Hallux Valgus ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Metatarsophalangeal Joint ; Osteotomy ; Shoes

BACKGROUND: Patients with liver injury can be managed by various techniques, including simple closure, electrocautery, hemostatic agent application, temporary packing, perihepatic drainage, and hepatic resection. Two different types of hepatic resections can be employed in selected and advanced hepatic injury; resectional debridement and anatomical hepatic resection. The aim of this study was to consider the role of hepatic resection in the management of severe liver trauma and to define the roles of the different types of resections. METHODS: Two hundred two patients with traumatic liver injury underwent surgical treatment from July 1989 to June 1998 at the Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Chunan Hospital. From them, the records of forty-six patients who received hepatic resections in the same period were collected. Demographic, clinical, operative, and postoperative data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Among the patients with resectional management, the peak incidence was in the third and the fourth decades. The male-to-female ratio was 3.1:1. The most frequent injury mechanism was blunt trauma (95.7%). There was one postoperative death among the 8 anatomical resections (12.5%) and nine postoperative deaths among the 38 resectional debridements (24.4%). The overall mortality rate was 21.7%. There were no intraoperative deaths. Postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients (23.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic resection can play a major role in the management of hepatic trauma. It can be indicated in cases of deep laceration in the liver involving major vascular structures or the bile duct, extensive devitalization of the hepatic parenchyma, and hepatic venous bleeding. In selected cases, an anatomical resection can be successful by making a clear line of resection through anatomical planes away from any damaged parenchyma.
Bile Ducts ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Debridement ; Drainage ; Electrocoagulation ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lacerations ; Liver* ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications

The most common cause of the postoperative failure of glaucoma filtration surgery(GFS) is scarring secondary to fibroblast proliferation and fibrosis at the interface of the episclera and conjunctive. To inhibit this process, mitomycin C(MMC) has been studied experimentally, both in vivo and in vitro. In evaluating the toxicity of MMC, we observed the inhibition of fibroblast proliferation and of fibrosis by light microscope, and the ultrastructual changes of the sclera by transmission electron microscope following the soaking of MMC during GFS in rabbit eyes. The sixty rabbits which comprised this study were divided into four groups; the first control group(I) was soaked with the BSS during GFS, the second(II), the third(III), and the fourth(IV) group were soaked with the 0.2 mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml, and 0.5 mg/ml MMC soaked groups, respectively, during GFS as experimental groups. On histologic examination, the degree of proliferation of fibroblasts with fibrosis and infiltration of lymphocytes in MMC soaked groups was less than those of BSS soaked group at 2 weeks and 2 months after GFS. At six months after GFS, there was ultrastructural evidence of degenerative changes of scleral fibroblasts such as clumping of nuclear chromatin, wrinkling of nuclear membrane, and cystic dilatation of rough endoplasmic reticulum in MMC soaked groups. Higher concentration of MMC caused more degenerative changes in cellular structures. These results surggested that the scar formation after GFS could be significantly suppressed by a single application of MMC during surgery, and MMC could be0 used effectively in cases of poor prognosis of GFS. Further experiments need to be conducted to determine the optimal concentration, exposure time, and application method of MMC.
Cellular Structures ; Chromatin ; Cicatrix ; Dilatation ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Filtering Surgery* ; Filtration* ; Glaucoma* ; Lymphocytes ; Mitomycin* ; Nuclear Envelope ; Prognosis ; Rabbits ; Sclera

PURPOSE: Neonatal lupus is characterized by congenital complete heart block(CCHB), cutaneous rash, and laboratory abnormalities in infants born to mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). This study aims to examine the incidence of CCHB and clinical outcome in neonates born to mothers with SLE. METHODS: The study group consisted of 49 neonates, born from 57 pregnancies of 55 women with SLE, diagnosed at Hanyang University Hospital for the period between January 1997 and January 2005. Clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively identified from medical record. RESULTS: There were 5(8.8 percent) spontaneous abortions and one(1.8 percent) still births among 57 pregnancies of 55 mothers. Of 49 live births, 15(26.3 percent) were premature and eight(12.3 percent) were small for their gestational age. There was one(1.8 percent) CCHB suspected during pregnancy on fetal echocardiograpy in a fetus of mother with systemic lupus erythematosus and the fetus was not born by artificial abortion because of mother. There was no CCHB among EKG findings of 49 newborns. Laboratory testing showed hematologic abnormalities among 25.6 percent(10/39) of the babies. 5.1 percent(2/39) and 7.7 percent(3/39) of them were diagnosed as neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia was seen respectively. Anti-SSA(Ro) and antiphospholipid antibodies were predictive factors for prematurity(P=0.003, P=0.049). Anticardiolipin antibodies were predictive factors for ventilatory care(P=0.018). CONCLUSION: The incidence of CCHB among neonates born to mothers with SLE, which was measured in this study, was lower than that in earlier studies. A high incidence of hematologic abnormalities was found in our study. It is suggested that careful examination should be made of skin for the diagnosis of neonatal lupus.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Antibodies, Anticardiolipin ; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid ; Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Heart* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Live Birth ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Medical Records ; Mothers* ; Neutropenia ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Thrombocytopenia

An annular pancreas is a rare congenital variant of the pancreatic anatomy, which may cause symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction and recurrent pancreatitis, and is often hard to diagnose before operation. The case of an annular pancreas with intermittent abdominal pain in a 38-year-old alcoholic man is described. A duodenal obstruction with consecutive ulcers was the clinical manifestation in this patient. The annular pancreas was diagnosed by using hypertonic duodenography followed by pancreatic angiography. The duodenoscopy revealed stenosis of the pancreas. A duodeno-duodenostomy relieved the symptoms. The patient had an uneventful recovery following a operation.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult* ; Alcoholics ; Angiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Duodenal Obstruction ; Duodenoscopy ; Gastric Outlet Obstruction ; Humans ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatitis ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND: The treatment of intrahepatic stones is difficult because of frequent recurrence and residual stones. There are several suggested methods of treatment which include surgical bile-uct exploration with or without biliary drainage, an endoscopic procedure, transhepatic cholangiolithotomy, and hepatic resection. METHODS: We reviewed the therapeutic results in 96 patients who had hepatolithiasis and received surgery at Soon Chun Hyang University Chunan Hospital during the 10 years from June 1987 to June 1997. We divided them into 2 groups: one was the group of patients receiving a hepatic resection with or without a drainage procedure (resection group), and the other was the group of patients receiving only a T-ube choledochostomy or drainage procedure (nonresection group). RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.74, and the most prevalent age group was the 5th decade (31.3%). The most common symptoms were epigastric pain (61%) and RUQ pain (60%), and the locations of stones were the right intrahepatic duct in 10 cases (10.4%), the left intrahepatic duct in 47 cases (49%), and both intrahepatic duct in 39 cases (40.6%). Operative methods were a resection in 29 cases and a nonresection in 67 cases. The incidence of residual stones were 31.0% in the hepatic resection group and 68.6% in the nonresection group. The postoperative complication rate was 20.6% in hepatic resection group and 38.8% in the nonresection group, and the follow-p study showed the good results (Good & Fair) for 92.5% of the hepatic resection group and 66.7% of the nonresection group. CONCLUSION: The hepatic resection with or without drainage is an adequate treatment for hepatolithiasis. It can eradicate localized intrahepatic calculi, irreversible biliary stricture, an atrophied segment, and, possibly, an associated cholangiocarcinoma, with good results in clinical evaluation.
Calculi ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Choledochostomy ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Drainage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: The optimum surgical treatment for rectal prolapse is controversial, and many different operations have been described. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of a perineal procedure for the treatment of rectal prolapse. METHODS: Between February 1990 and March 1997, 16 consecutive patients underwent perineal rectosigmoidectomy for a complete rectal prolapse. One patient was lost to follow up. The remaining 15 patients were followed up for an average of 58.4 (9~94) months, and clinical and functional outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 8 males and 7 females, and ages ranged from 18 to 65 years. The mean prolapse duration was 10.7 (0.25~30) years. There were no postoperative deaths. Two patients developed postoperative complications (one wound infection and the other wound hematoma). Five patients had fecal incontinence prior to surgery. Three of the five patients had improved fecal incontinence after the procedure. There were three recurrences (recurrence rate of 20%): one of them underwent a Delorme operation at our institution and others had no treatment. CONCLUSION: A perineal rectosigmoidectomy is a safe and effective operation for the primary treatment of rectal prolapse and has low mortality and morbidity.
Fecal Incontinence ; Female ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Male ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Prolapse ; Rectal Prolapse* ; Recurrence ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

The aims of this study were to develop strategies and algorithms of calculating food commodity intake suitable for exposure assessment of residual chemicals by using the food intake database of Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). In this study, apples and their processed food products were chosen as a model food for accurate calculation of food commodity intakes uthrough the recently developed Korea food commodity intake calculation (KFCIC) software. The average daily intakes of total apples in Korea Health Statistics were 29.60 g in 2008, 32.40 g in 2009, 34.30 g in 2010, 28.10 g in 2011, and 24.60 g in 2012. The average daily intakes of apples by KFCIC software was 2.65 g higher than that by Korea Health Statistics. The food intake data in Korea Health Statistics might have less reflected the intake of apples from mixed and processed foods than KFCIC software has. These results can affect outcome of risk assessment for residual chemicals in foods. Therefore, the accurate estimation of the average daily intake of food commodities is very important, and more data for food intakes and recipes have to be applied to improve the quality of data. Nevertheless, this study can contribute to the predictive estimation of exposure to possible residual chemicals and subsequent analysis for their potential risks.
Eating ; Korea* ; Malus ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Risk Assessment