To clarify the mechanism of the protective effect of hemodialysis on lipid peroxidation in RBC membrane structures, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) which is the lipid peroxidation product, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were determined before and after hemodialysis in the RBCs from 20 patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), and from 14 healthy subjects. Before dialysis, MDA levels in the RBCs from the patients with ESRD were higher than those from healthy controls. SOD and catalase activities in the RBCs were lower. After hemodialysis, MDA, SOD, and catalase in the RBCs from the patients with ESRD were normalized. These results indicate that hemodialysis treatment is helpful to protect the peroxidative darnage through normalizing the activities of antioxidant enzymes.
Catalase ; Dialysis ; Erythrocytes* ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Malondialdehyde* ; Membranes ; Renal Dialysis* ; Superoxide Dismutase

PURPOSE: This study validated the musculoskeletal model of the human lower extremity by comparative study between calculated muscle parameters through simulation using modified hill-type model and measured muscle parameters through isokinetic exercise. The relationship between muscle forces and moments participated in motion was quantified from the results of simulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For simulation of isokinetic motion, a three-dimensional anatomical knee model was constructed using gait analysis. The EMG-force model was used to determine muscle activation level exciting muscles. The modified Hill-type model was used to calculate individual muscle force and moment in dynamic analysis. This method was validated by comparing analytical data with experimental data. RESULTS: The results showed that there was a significant correlation between calculated torques from simulation and measured torque from isokinetic motion experiments (R=0.97). We also found that muscle forces and moments during knee flexion and extension have nonlinearly proportional or inversely proportional relationship, since lower extremity muscles were simultaneously involved in flexion/extension motion and inner/outer rotation. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the simulation by using musculoskeletal model may be a useful mean to predict and recover musculoskeletal-related diseases, and analyze complicated experiment such as clash condition.
Gait ; Humans ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Lower Extremity ; Muscles ; Torque

Malignant intracranial meningioma is a rare pathologic entity. Although the topic is widely discussed, there is little agreement in the literatures as to the histological and radiological features that warrant the diagnosis of malignant meningioma. An osteolytic lesion of the skull may have been suggested in several cases. But in adults, the most commonly suspected lesion is metastatic lesion;while meningioma is rarely suspected. Meningiomas are occasionally associated even with extracranial masses. However, most of these masses are firm, and are caused by hyperostosis. Extracranial soft-tissue masses rarely arise in meningiomas, thus, the presence of both osteolytic skull lesion and soft-tissue mass is exceedingly rare in meningiomas. The authors report a case of osteolytic malignant meningioma located at the frontal fossa extending to the subgaleal space appearing as an extracranial soft-tissue mass in a 19-year-old female. The clinical, radiological, neurosurgical, and histopathological features of these lesions are discussed together with a review of the literatures.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperostosis ; Meningioma* ; Osteolysis ; Skull ; Young Adult

About a third of the patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis have reduced arterial oxygen saturation and are sometimes cyanosed in the absence of any apparent lung or heart disease; There is a reduction of diffusing capacity without a restrictive ventilatory defect. The aim of this study was to determine diffusing capacities in patients with chronic liver- diseases. The diffusing capacities and arterial oxygen saturations were measured in 25 patients with chronic active hepatitis(CAH), 9 early cirrhotics (early LC), 36 cirrhotics(Child's class A) and 11 cirrhotics(Child's class B). The anterior tibial area was observed for pitting edema, and Thallium-201 test per rectum(shunt index) was done. Hypoxemia was not observed in all subjects. The number of cases with decreased pulmonary diffusing capacity (DLco) is 3/25(12.0%) for CAH, 3/9(33.3%) for CAH with early liver cirrhosis(LC), 17/36(47.2%) for LC(Child's class A) and 6/11(54.5%) for LC(Child's class B). The mean+/-standard deviation of Dlco(% predicred) are 93.1+/-12.1 for CAH, 85.7+/-12.3 for CAH with early LC, 82.2+/-14.7 for LC(Child's class A) and 80.4+/-6.9 for LC(Child's class B), There is a significant difference between DLco in CAH and that in LC(Child's class A)(p<0.01). Patients with higher shunt index(>0.3) had significantly lower DLco than these with lower shunt index(<0.3)(76.4+/-9.7% vs. 89.3+/-13.3%)(p<0.01). The DLco was also lower in patients with pitting edema(77.3+/-10.2%) than in those without pitting edema(85.5+/-13.8%) (p<0.01). These results summarized that the DLco was low in patients with cirrhosis and with higher shunt index(>0.3) or pitting edema. This may be due to an increased systemic blood flow shunt and an increased generalized interstitial edema. Pulmonary function tests including diffusing capacity may be useful as prognostic parameters in patients with chronic liver disease, especially in those with CAH or early LC.
Anoxia ; Edema ; Fibrosis ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Lung ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity* ; Respiratory Function Tests

Primary leptomeningeal melanomas(PLMs) are rare aggressive central nervous system(CNS) tumors without systemic foci. It can be very difficult, however, to clearly distinguish PLMs from those that have metastasized. We report a case of malignant leptomenigeal melanoma occurring in the right temporal convexity of a 77-yearold woman. Almost all malignant CNS melanomas in the old are secondary to the cutaneous melanoma and can cause diverse neurological manifestations; certain clinical findings of the presented case-namely, the patient's age, vague neurologic findings and absence of cutaneous lesions -are therefore interesting. Thorough clinical checkups, including whole-body bone scan, whole spine MRI, abdominal ultrasound, and tumor marker studies to find extracranial lesions revealed no abnormalities. Based on these clinical findings, we suppose-though are not certain-that the tumor of the presented case is a PLM.
Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Melanoma* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spine ; Ultrasonography

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis and few effective therapies. Recently, low-dose antiangiogenic (also called metronomic) chemotherapy has been tested in patients with advanced HCC. Here, we report two patients with advanced HCC who showed a good response after metronomic chemotherapy. The first was a 54-year-old man who was diagnosed with advanced HCC with lung metastasis. After three cycles of metronomic chemotherapy, the size of tumor and pulmonary metastatic lesions had decreased markedly on follow-up computed tomography. The second was a 54-year-old woman who was diagnosed with HCC with portal vein thrombosis. Metronomic therapy was performed. After 9 months, tumor enhancement in the arterial phase had disappeared completely, and the portal vein thrombus was decreased slightly. Metronomic therapy is an interesting treatment option for patients with advanced HCC. More clinical data and studies are needed to confirm this result.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Portal Vein ; Prognosis ; Thrombosis

This report details a case of post-traumatic pseudocyst in the spleen that was successfully treated with sclerotherapy using ethanol. A sixteen-year-old boy visited our hospital for a follow-up examination of a splenic cyst. He had experienced blunt trauma to the abdomen three years prior to presentation. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a large cyst of the lower pole of the spleen. The cyst was 6.8x9.5x7.0 cm and conservative management was tried. A follow-up ultrasonographic examination three years later revealed that the size of the cyst was unchanged and another treatment was needed to prevent complications. One session of sclerosis with ethanol (90 mL of 99% ethanol) percutaneously was applied to the cyst. A follow-up after four months revealed that the cyst had completely resolved.
Abdomen ; Ethanol ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Sclerosis ; Sclerotherapy* ; Spleen*

Hemangioendotheliomas are vascular neoplasms characterized by histologic appearance that are intermediate between hemangiomas and angiosarcomas first described by Weiss and Enzinger in 1982. They are classified into at least 3 subgroups, including epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, spindle cell hemangioendothelioma, and malignant endovascular angioendothelioma, and have been reported principally in soft tissues of the extremities, lung, liver, and bone. The cases involving the central nervous system reported are very rare. We report an intraspinal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma occurring in a 52-year-old man. To our knowledge, it is first case of spinal hemangioendothelioma in Korea.
Central Nervous System ; Extremities ; Hemangioendothelioma ; Hemangioendothelioma, Epithelioid* ; Hemangioma ; Hemangiosarcoma ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord* ; Vascular Neoplasms

Carney complex is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by multiple neoplasias, including myxomas and endocrine tumors, spotty pigmentation, and schwannomas. Primary pigmented nodular adrenal dysplasia (PPNAD) is a cause of Cushing syndrome, independently of adrenocorticotropic hormone. A 21-year-old man was referred for evaluation with multiple spinal compression fractures and adenomas affecting both adrenal glands. Plasma and urinary cortisol levels were elevated and were not suppressed by the administration of a high dose of dexamethasone. The patient was diagnosed with Carney complex manifesting as Cushing syndrome due to PPNAD with multiple pigmented skin lesions. Left adrenalectomy was performed because the nodule on the left adrenal gland was markedly larger than the other nodules. Subsequently, right adrenalectomy was also performed. Pathological analysis revealed that the adrenal glands contained multiple dark brown and black nodules. We describe herein our recent experience of a case of Carney complex manifesting as Cushing syndrome due to PPNAD, with lentigines on the lips, and review the published literature on this subject.
Adenoma ; Adrenal Glands ; Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Carney Complex ; Cushing Syndrome ; Dexamethasone ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Lentigo ; Lip ; Myxoma ; Neurilemmoma ; Pigmentation ; Plasma ; Skin ; Spinal Fractures ; Young Adult

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Brain ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cohort Studies ; Firefighters ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Surveys ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mental Disorders ; Mental Health ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic ; Prospective Studies ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors