BACKGROUND: Hypertension is one of the common diseases which family physicians encounter to manage. Various research proved that appropriate aerobic exercise had effect on lowering blood pressure efficiently. This study was to find out the status of exercise, the change of exercise according to time and its predicting factors in hypertensive patients. METHODS: A total of 193 of the followed-up hypertensive patients of family physicians in Seoul and kyoungkido from May 11, 2001 to June 10, 2001 were interviewed by doctor according to the previously designed structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Eighty two patients (42.57) were male and mean and was 57.4 +/- 9.9 fears. Using Kaplan-Meier's method, 8% of non-exercise group (N= 115) in diagnosing hypertension started exercise after 1 fear and 40%, after 5 years. Otherwise, 5% of exercise group(N=78) stopped exercise after 1 year and 30%, after 5 years. The characteristics of 5 exercise groups according to sex, age, level of education and adequacy of exercise showed significant difference. In average blood pressure, lately started group showed the lowest (137/84 mmHg) and non-exercise group, the highest (146/91 mmHg) In the degree of recommendation. sporadic group showed the highest and non-exercise group, the lowest which showed significant difference (p =0.0024) . CONCLUSION: I conclude that lately started group among non-exercise group and continuous exercise group were mainly affected by recommendation to exercise of physician. As well as exercise, other nonpharmacologic treatment should be promoted by physician as an important strategy for treatment of hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Education ; Exercise ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Physicians, Family* ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The study proposed to evaluate the efficacy of anticancer drugs of intraarterial chemoinfusion and investigate prognostic factors influencing survival. METHODS: A total of 127 patients diagnosed as having advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) of same stage (TNM stage IVa) from 1996 to 1998 were examined. Two intraarterial infusion chemotherapeutic regimens were employed: Adriamycin(Group I) and Cisplatin(Group II). RESULTS: Overall survival was significantly diffrent(10.0 vs 5.7months) and favored Group I. By the univariate analysis, significant prognostic factors included: age, portal vein thrombosis(PVT), size(>5cm) and type of tumor, response rate (size & -fetoprotein) at 3 months after therapy, level of albumin, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin. After repeated therapy, Group I showed better survival (14.0 vs 7.9 months), but there was no statistical difference in survival rate between two groups in the case of large size, PVT, and diffuse type. CONCLUSION: Group I showed better survival than Group II in advanced HCC of TNM stage IVa. But, considering prognostic factors, there was no significant difference in survival rate between two groups except small size or nodular type of HCC. TNM classification of stage IVa should be reconsidered to include prognostic factors influencing survival rate such as PVT, size and type of HCC.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Bilirubin ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Classification ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Neoplasm Staging ; Portal Vein ; Psychotherapy, Group ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome*

BACKGROUND: Treatment of diabetic foot infection remains difficult, due partly to defective neutrophil functions. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) increases neutrophil counts in peripheral blood and enhances neutrophil functions in healthy peoples and patients with hematologic diseases. We performed this study to evaluate neutrophil functions in diabetic patients with foot infections and the effect of rhG-CSF on neutrophil functions in vitro. METHODS: Twelve patients with diabetic foot infections and 12 normal volunteers were enrolled. Venous blood was collected in heparin-containing tubes, and neutrophils were isolated immediately. The isolated neutrophils were incubated with rhG-CSF (50 ng/mL) for 20 minutes. Assays of superoxide anion production of neutrophils were based on the reduction of ferricytochrome C. Assays of phagocytosis by neutrophils were done using Staphylococcus aureus and the weighted phagocytic index (WPI) was calculated by counting the number of phagocytosing neutrophils on the slides. RESULTS: Superoxide anion production of neutrophils in diabetic patients was 4.7 (unit: nmol/2105cells/30min), which was significantly lower than that of controls (7.6) (P<0.05). rhG-CSF increased the superoxide anion production of neutrophils to 9.8 in diabetic patients and to 15.6 in the controls (P<0.05). WPI in diabetic patients was 0.77, which was not significantly different from that of the controls (0.69). WPI was increased significantly by rhG-CSF in diabetic patients (0.88) and in controls (0.79). CONCLUSION: rhG-CSF enhanced neutrophil functions in vitro, which were evaluated by superoxide anion production and phagocytosis in diabetic patients with foot infections. These results suggest that rhG-CSF can be useful in the treatment of diabetic foot infections.
Cytochromes c ; Diabetic Foot ; Foot* ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Healthy Volunteers ; Hematologic Diseases ; Humans* ; Neutrophils* ; Phagocytosis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Superoxides

PURPOSE: Headache is a common disorder in childhood and adolescence and frequently associated with emotional or psychological problems. In this study we studied behavioral and psychological characteristics of recurrent headache patients. METHODS: We evaluated 120 patients over 9 years old with headache who visited Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital. 33 patients who didn't have headache were included in the control group. Diagnosis was confirmed according to ICHD-2 classification and KCBCL, TAIC, CDI, and SAIC were conducted in all participants. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 0.7:1 in the study group and 1.1:1 in the control group and the mean age was 11.5+/-2.1 and 12.6+/-2.0 years old respectively. 73.3% of patients were migraine and 26.7% were tension type headache. The mean of KCBCL total scores was 56.2 in the migraine group, 54.0 in the tension type headache group, and 38.3 in the control group and the score was higher in the headache group(P<0.001). The means of internalizing and externalizing scores were 59.8 and 54.1 in the migraine group, 57.4 and 51.3 in the tension headache group, and 40.1 and 42.4 in the control group respectively and the scores were higher in the headache group(P<0.001). The mean scores of SAIC and TAIC were 36.3 and 33.6 in the migraine group, 36.3 and 34.6 in the tension type headache group, and 25.3 and 26.9 in the control group respectively and the scores were higher in the headache group(P<0.001). The mean scores of CDI were 14.9 in the migraine group, 14.5 in the tension type headache group, and 9.1 in the control group and the scores were higher in the headache group(P=0.002). CONCLUSION: The patients with recurrent headache showed statistically significant higher scores in CBCL total, internalizing, and externalizing scores, SAIC, TAIC, and CDI in comparison with the control group.
Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Headache ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; Stress, Psychological ; Tension-Type Headache

A 55-year-old woman presented with frequent episodes of syncope due to sinus pauses. During ambulatory Holter monitoring, atrial fibrillation and first-degree atrioventricular nodal block were observed. Magnetic resonance imaging and CT scans showed a tumor-like mass from the superior vena cava to the right atrial septum. Open chest cardiac biopsy was performed. The tumor was composed of proliferating IgG4-positive plasma cells and lymphocytes with surrounding sclerosis. The patient was diagnosed with IgG4-related sclerosing disease. Because of frequent sinus pauses and syncope, a permanent pacemaker was implanted. The cardiac mass was inoperable, but it did not progress during the one-year follow-up.
Atrial Septum/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/*blood ; Middle Aged ; Pacemaker, Artificial ; Sclerosis/complications/diagnosis/therapy ; Syncope/etiology ; Vena Cava, Superior/*pathology

We report two cases of tsutsugamushi disease which occurred in the spring of 1998. One patient presented with fever, rash, lymphadenopathy and eschar. He was exposed to bush areas on March 29, 1998 and developed symptoms starting April 6, 1998. The other patient visited our hospital because of fever, headache, and vomiting which developed since May 21, 1998. Physical examination revealed rash, lymphadenopathy, and eschar. Cerebrospinal fluid was positive for Orientia tsutsugamushi by using polymerase chain reaction. Most tsutsugamushi cases occur between October and December in Korea. The seasonal variation in the incidence of tsutsugamushi disease is probably related to the life cycle of the vector mite. The frequency of Leptotrombidium pallidum, a major vector mite in Korea, shows a large peak in autumn and a smaller peak in spring. Our cases confirm that tsutsugamushi disease can occur in the spring in Korea.
Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Epidemiology ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Life Cycle Stages ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mites ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Physical Examination ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Scrub Typhus* ; Seasons ; Trombiculidae ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to elucidate the associations of HLA with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Koreans. METHODS: HLA associations with SSc according to SSc-specific autoantibody status and clinical subsets (diffuse and limited) were investigated. HLA-A, B, and C antigens were typed by the serological method using microlymphocytotoxicity test, and HLA-DR by DNA typing method using PCR-reverse hybridization and PCR-SSCP in 56 Korean patients with SSc and 226 healthy controls. For SSc patients, anti-Scl-70 and anicentromere antibodies were tested by double immunodiffusion and indirect immunofluorescence, respectively. RESULTS: The results of HLA class I antigen typing showed that the frequencies of HLA-A24, B52 and B62 were increased, whereas those of A33, B44 and B58 were decreased in SSc patients compared to healthy controls. The frequency of HLA-DR2 was significantly increased, whereas that of HLA-DR13 was decreased in patients with SSc compared to controls. Among HLA-DR2 alleles, both HLA-DRB1*1501 and *1502 were increased in SSc patients compared to controls. According to clinical status, HLA-DRB1*1501 was increased in limited SSc patients and that of DRB1*1502 was increased both in diffuse and limited SSc patients compared to controls. According to autoantibody status, HLA- DRB1 1502 was significantly increased in anti-Scl-70-positive SSc patients and that of DRB1 1501 was increased in anti-Scl-70-negative SSc patients compared to controls. The association of HLA-DR2 alleles with SSc according to clinical subsets and anti-Scl-70 antibody status revealed that the frequency of HLA- DRB1 *1501 was significantly increased in anti-Scl-70-negative limited SSc patients compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that different HLA-DR2 alleles are associated with different types of SSc in Koreans. HLA-DRB1 1502 shows strong association with anti-Scl-70-positive SSc, and DRB1 1501 with anti-Scl-70-negative limited SSc. It is concluded that the pathogenesis of SSc in Koreans is in part, based on the same genetic background.
Alleles ; Antibodies ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; HLA-A Antigens ; HLA-A24 Antigen ; HLA-DR Antigens ; HLA-DR2 Antigen ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; Humans ; Immunodiffusion ; Scleroderma, Systemic*

It is known that physicochemical conditions (e.g., pH, temperature, and ionic strength) affect the size of trichomonads. In this study, the sizes of 4 isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis cultured for more than a year (called "old T") and 3 isolates freshly isolated from vaginitis cases (called "fresh T") were compared by scanning electron microscopy. Although the fresh T had shorter body length, body width, and flagellar length than old T, total length (about 26 microm), including body length, flagella length, and axostyle length was almost the same in the 2 groups. A striking difference was observed between the axostyles of the 2 groups; the axostyle length of the fresh T (8.2 microm) was more than twice as long as that of the old T (4.0 microm). However, in several parasitology textbooks, the length of T. vaginalis is said to vary widely from 7 to 32 microm, and its undulating membrane is said to extend about half way (53.5%) to the posterior end of the body. On the other hand, in our study, the undulating membrane was observed to extend more than 3/4 of the body length (72.1%) in old T, whereas in fresh T it could not be measured. Taken together, we suggest that T. vaginalis averages 26 (21-32) microm in total length, with 9.5 (7.4-11.4) microm of body length and 6.8 (5.3-7.7) microm of width, and its undulating membrane extending 3/4 of its body length. Therefore, these findings may provide useful information for morphological characteristics of T. vaginalis.
*Biometry ; Female ; Humans ; *Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Organelles/ultrastructure ; Trichomonas Infections/parasitology ; Trichomonas vaginalis/*cytology/isolation & purification/*ultrastructure

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

Migration of inflammatory cells into damaged tissue is essential to host defense mechanisms and immune responses. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1), a member of the CC or beta-chemokine family is a powerful leukocyte recruitment factor that is relatively specific for monocyte/macrophage. The purpose of present study was to evaluate temporal change of expression of mRNA for MCP-1 in the sciatic nerve and hindlimb muscle of Sprague-Dawley rat. The mid-portion of the sciatic nerve was exposed, cut under aseptic condition and then animals were sacrificed 1, 2, 3, 7, 14 days after denervation of the sciatic nerve. Semiquantitative RT-PCR method and image analysis system were used to analyze change in expression of mRNA for MCP-1. Expression of mRNA for MCP-1 in the distal stump of the denervated sciatic nerve was up-regulated within 1 day and peaked on the second day following transection of the sciatic nerve. Thereafter high expression of mRNA for MCP-1 lasted for 7 days after transection of the nerve. However the expression of mRNA for MCP-1 was rapidly decreased on the 14th day after denervation. Temporal change of expression of mRNA for MCP-1 in the proximal portion of the denervated sciatic nerve was very similar with that of distal one. The gastrocnemius muscle also showed significant increase in expression of mRNA for MCP-1 on the 1st day with maximal expression on the 7th day after denervation of the sciatic nerve. In contrast, the expression of mRNA for MCP-1 in the soleus muscle was lower than the gastrocnemius muscle in the course of the denervation-induced atrophy. Additionally alpha-lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant that is used in treatment for diabetic neuropathy, suppressed significantly expression of mRNA for MCP-1 in the denervated sciatic nerve but not in atrophied hindlimb muscles.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Chemokine CCL2* ; Defense Mechanisms ; Denervation* ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Hindlimb* ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Monocytes* ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA, Messenger* ; Sciatic Nerve* ; Thioctic Acid