Controversy persists regarding the abnormality of the bone metabolism in various bone diseases. Osteocalcin, the vitamin K-dependent protein synthesized in bone, has been shown to be a specific and sensitive marker of bone turnover in metabolic bone diseases. The author measured the serum osteocalcin level using newly developed radioimmunoassay (RIA) in the patients with osteogenesis imperfecta, metastatic bone tumor, postmenopausal osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, which can be the causes of osteoporosis, and ankylosing spondylitis. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the value of the osteocalcin measurement comparing the each data of disease group with the normal control group. The results were as followings ; 1. The mean of osteocalcin in normal Korean was 4.43±1.04 ng/ml. (4.45±1.08 ng/ml in male, 4.41±1.01 ng/ml in female). The difference between male and female was not significant statistically. 2. The osteocalcin of osteogenesis imperfects was 9.14±2.21 ng/ml, which was significant statistically, And it was thought to be the result of increasing bone turnover rate and the osteocalcin was useful as biochemical marker. 3. In metastatic bone tumor, osteocalcin was under the normal level in both untreated and treated groups, which meant low bone turnover rate or low osteoblastic activity. Osteocalcin was not a useful marker for the assessment of the effect of treatment in this study, but if the radioimmunoassay was done in the same tumor group, a valuable results could be expected. 4. Osteocalcin level in the patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis was not different with normal control group and osteocalcin was not useful marker for the evaluation of the degree of osteoporosis and bone turnover. 5. Osteocalcin didn't play a role in the pathologic ossification of ankylosing spondylitis. In conclusion, the osteocalcin by radioimmunoassay can be used as a biochemical marker in metabolic bone diseases and metastatic cancer for the disgnosis and the assessment of prognosis or the effect of treatment.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biomarkers ; Bone Diseases ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Bone Remodeling ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolism ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocalcin ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis Imperfecta ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Prognosis ; Radioimmunoassay ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Vitamins

In the standing lateral position, the pelvis is tilted in some degree anteroinferiorly. But there was no accurate and standard measurement about the pelvis tilting. The pelvis tilting affects on the lumbar lordosis, weight bearing area of the hip joint, and the anteversion of acetabulum. In the standing true lateral view of the pelvis, 5 points were marked: midpoint of both anterosuperior iliac spines (M), upper margin of symphysis pubis (S), lower margin of symphysis pubis(S), sacral promontorium (SP), coccyx tip (C). And using the additional horizontal plane (H), we measured the 4 angles : angle I ( < MSH), angle II ( < SPSH), angle III(
Acetabulum ; Adult ; Animals ; Coccyx ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Lordosis ; Pelvis ; Pubic Bone ; Spine ; Weight-Bearing

The main problem in peripheral nerve repair is adhesion, axonal escape, and the ingrowth of extraneurial tissue into the wound. Meticulous microsurgical neurorrhaphy is one of possible answer for these problem. Shielding of nerve suture is another attractive practice. But the results are still unpredictable. We compared the results of nerve repair between microsurgical epineurial neurorrhaphy plus silastic cuff shielding group and epineurial neurorrhaphy group in the sciatic nerve of white rat. The reasults we obtained are as follows; 1. Silastic cuff shielding method was effective for reducing abnormal neurial growth and neuroma formation into the surrounding soft tissue. 2. Some adhesion was formed over the silastic cuff, but there was no adhesion at the inner space of the cuff. 3. Silastic cuff could prevent fibrous tissue ingrowth into the nerve. 4. The slit of the silastic cuff provided vascular ingrowth between surrounding connective tissue and nerve tissue. 5. No evidence of foreign body reaction was observed in and out of the silastic cuff. 6. Nerve conduction test showed a little supperior results in the silastic cuff shielding group. Silastic cuff shielding method in nerve suture might be recommanded to prevent axonal escape, fibrous scar tissue ingrowth to the nerve, and fibrous adhesion in clinical practice. But, it seemed that the final evaluation of the functional recovery of the nerve needed long term follow-up and nerve conduction study.
Animals ; Axons ; Cicatrix ; Connective Tissue ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Methods ; Nerve Tissue ; Neural Conduction ; Neuroma ; Peripheral Nerves ; Rats ; Sciatic Nerve ; Sutures ; United Nations ; Wounds and Injuries

We evaluated frequency and types of chromosomal aberrations by ionizing radiation in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in our institution. Twenty-five patients with various types of carcinomas such as lung, uterine cervix, esophagus, rectum, head and neck and pancreatic cancers were studied immediately before and after external beam radiotherapy. The frequency of aberrant metaphase prior to treatment was 4.93%, which was higher than that of control group. Especially in lung cancer, the frequency of aberrant metaphase was three times higher than control group. A comparison of chromosomal abnormalities observed before and after radiotherapy demonstrated that proportion of aberrant metaphases was significantly increased to 22.13%. Major chromosomal aberrations like structural abnormalities showed remarkable increase from 65.45 to 88.45% after the treatment. Also the numbers of chromosomal alterations per cell were increased by a factor of 6.5. Aberrations with two or more break points were more prominently increased, compared with aberrations with single break point. The number of chromosomal break points was noted to be higher than expected value in No.1, 3, 8 and 11 chromosomes and lower in No. 13, 15, 17 and 21 chromosomes. Based on this study, we believe that the distribution of chromosomal breakage is related with gene and chromosomal rearrangement which could resu1t in the development of cancers.
Cervix Uteri ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Chromosome Breakage ; Esophagus ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Metaphase ; Neck ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiotherapy* ; Rectum

No abstract available.
Hedgehogs ; Tinea ; Trichophyton

No abstract available.
Child* ; Epilepsy* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Primary Myelofibrosis*

No abstract available.
De Lange Syndrome*

Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor(DNET) is a recently described rare tumor that occurs most frequently in the temporal lobe of the brain and is characterized by long-standing, intractable complex partial seizures in children. The authors experienced one case of DNET occurring in a 13-year old boy, who had refractory complex partial seizure for 7 years. CT scan revealed nonenhancing low density mass in the left temporal lobe. MR images demonstrated a well-marginated cortical mass with very low signal intensity on TIWI and multinodular appearance of high signal intensity on T2WI. A few small enhancing foci within the mass were noted on contrast enhanced MR images. DNET, a rare tumor, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neoplasm which causes seizure and is distinguished from other tumors because of its benign course. Differentiation between DN ETand other tumors by CT and MR findings is very difficult. But, our case showed the multinodular pattern on T2W image, which may be helpful feature in the differential diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial* ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Bone Density* ; Femur Neck* ; Hip Fractures* ; Humans ; Osteoporosis*