No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypothyroidism* ; Siblings*

No abstract available.
Finger Injuries* ; Fingers*

Background and purpose: This study evaluated the changes in blood flow velocity in the anterior and posterior intracranial circulations according to the progression of moyamoya disease in adult patients. Methods: We evaluated Suzuki's angiographic stage and mean blood flow velocity (MBFV) changes in intracranial vessels from both sides in 19 adult moyamoya patients. We then analyzed the linearity of MBFV changes from early to late moyamoya stages in each intracranial vessel using piecewise linear regression models. Results: The MBFV in the middle cerebral artery, terminal internal carotid artery, and anterior cerebral artery increased non linearly until stage III, and then decreased progressively up to stage VI. The ophthalmic artery also showed nonlinear velocity changes, with an increase in MBFV up to stage IV, followed by a decrease in MBFV up to stage VI. The MBFV of the basilar artery increased linearly from a normal velocity at an early moyamoya stage to a stenotic velocity at a late stage. There was no statistically significant regression model for the relationship between the MBFV in the posterior cerebral artery and moyamoya stage. Conclusions: The nonlinear and/or linear MBFV changes associated with variable intracranial vessels might be useful in initial and follow-up evaluations of different stages of moyamoya disease.
Adult ; Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Basilar Artery ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Moyamoya Disease ; Ophthalmic Artery ; Posterior Cerebral Artery

The loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with aging is related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced cell death in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, ARPE-19. Hydrogen peroxide was added at different concentrations to ARPE-19 cells and cultured. The cytotoxicity was assayed by mitochondrial function using 3- (4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) testing. The patterns of cell damage were assessed using an acridine orange-ethidium bromide differential staining method, in situ end labeling (ISEL) assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Catalase, a major antioxidant, was used to prevent cell death. The cleavage of procaspase 3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was determined by western blot analysis. Hydrogen peroxide significantly induced cell death in ARPE-19 cells, whereas pretreatment of the cells with catalase prevented cell death. Application of the ISEL assay and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining demonstrated that the H2O2-induced cell death occurred by an apoptotic mechanism at lower concentrations of H2O2 (400, 500, 600 microM), whereas higher concentrations of H2O2 induced necrosis rather than apoptosis. Caspase 3 was associated with the apoptotic pathway in human RPE cell death. Western blot analysis confirmed caspase 3 activation and cleavage of substrate proteins in ARPE-19 cells treated with an H2O2 concentration of 600 microM. These results indicate that treatment with H2O2 induces apoptotic and necrotic cell death in ARPE-19, and that caspase 3 is associated with apoptotic cell death. Therefore, H2O2 may induce the destruction of RPE cells in AMD by the combined effects of apoptosis and necrosis.
Apoptosis ; Caspases/metabolism ; Catalase/pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Enzyme Activation ; Human ; Hydrogen Peroxide/*pharmacology ; Necrosis ; Pigment Epithelium of Eye/*drug effects/enzymology/pathology/*physiology

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the relationships between endogenous estrogen levels and vascular risk factors in healthy men and women. METHODS: Demographics and laboratory data were collected from normotensive subjects (123 men and 154 women) in their thirties, forties and fifties who had normal laboratory profiles and no cardiovascular risk factors. Initially, estradiol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), NO2/NO3, homocysteine, and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Then, the relationships between estradiol and the evaluated items were analyzed with comparison of means and correlation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis based on genders and age-groups. RESULTS: Estradiol levels decreased with aging in women. Lower LDL and triglyceride, higher HDL levels, and lower SBP and DBP observed in women were correlated with decreasing age as well as increasing estradiol level. On the multivariate analysis, however, estradiol levels were negatively correlated with the changes in SBP, DBP, and triglyceride among the lipid variables. BMI was positively related with the increase of SBP and DBP and the estradiol levels. Although higher NO2/NO3 and lower homocysteine levels were observed in women than men, the NO2/NO3 and homocysteine levels had no significant correlation with estradiol changes. CONCLUSION: The study observed the beneficial relationships between endogenous estrogen, and blood pressures and lipids in healthy women. The estrogen-related benefits observed in this study were lower TG levels, SBP, and DBP in young women than those in older women or in men.
Aging ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Demography ; Estradiol ; Estrogens ; Female ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nitric Oxide ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic efficacy of high-resolution sonography (HRS) and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in determining the presence of extraglandular invasion of thyroid papillary cancer and to define ultrasound (US) features of perithyroidal invasion that correlate with histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated extracapsular invasion in 177 thyroid cancer patients using both HRS and MDCT. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were assessed with a four-point confidence scale (0 = no extracapsular invasion; 1 = possible invasion; 2 = probable invasion; 3 = definite invasion) by two reviewers for each imaging modality. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were analyzed for each modality, along with interobserver variability. RESULTS: MDCT had a mean area under the ROC curve larger than that of HRS (HRS = 0.733, MDCT = 0.807, p < 0.05). HRS and MDCT were significantly different with regard to diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for extrathyroidal extension (p < 0.05; HRS = 75.7%, 66.1%, and 69.8%, respectively; MDCT = 86.7%, 69.7%, and 76%, respectively). Interobserver reliability was greater for MDCT than for HRS (kappa value, 0.861 versus 0.429). The cutoff value used in HRS for estimating the status of perithyroidal invasion was 2. CONCLUSION: HRS may be useful for preoperative investigation of thyroid papillary carcinoma extension, but it was inferior to MDCT because of lower diagnostic accuracy and lower interobserver reliability.
Carcinoma, Papillary ; Humans ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Prospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the exposure levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene(1-OHP) were surveyed among the workers using coal tar paint. METHOD: The study subjects for the exposed group were 107 male coal tar workers in 10 factories, and for the comparison group were 201 male clerk workers who had never been exposed to coal tar paint. Ambient PAHs, and pre-shift and end-shift urinary 1-OHP were sample and 16 PAHs were analysed. Smoking history was recorded during the survey day. RESULTS: The geometric mean of ambient concentration of total PAHs was 120.17 microgram/m3. Naphthalene had the highest level among the 16 PAHs. The pre-shift 1-OHP in the exposed group (8.89 micro mol/mol creatinine) was significantly higher than that in the control group (0.29 micro mol/mol creatinine). The end-shift 1-OHP in the exposed group (19.02 micro mol/mol creatinine) was significantly higher than that in the pre-shift (8.89 micro mol/mol creatinine) (Ed- confirm). 1-OHP of smokers was significantly higher than that of non-smokers in both groups. The difference between pre-shift and end-shift 1-OHP in smokers (12.40 micro mol/mol creatinine) was twice as high as that in non-smokers (6.06 micro mol/mol creatinine). The difference of 1-OHP between smokers and nonsmokers was 7.59 micro mol/mol creatinine in pre-shift and 13.96 micro mol/mol creatinine in end-shift. Thus, the effect of smoking and exposure to PAHs on 1-OHP may not be additive. In regression analysis for 1-OHP, the significant independent variables were pre-shift 1-OHP and PAHs. The direction of these variables was positive. When the analysis was performed in workers exposed to higher PAHs, smoking was significant independent variable. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that not only ambient PAHs but also smoking, one of the most important non-occupational PAHs source, influenced the level of 1-OHP. Moreover, the effect of smoking to 1-OHP changed according to the exposure level of PAHs.
Coal Tar* ; Coal* ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Male ; Paint* ; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic* ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: There have been many voices highlighting the necessity of preconception care as a preventive approach to achieve better pregnancy outcomes for health promotion of mothers and babies. It is important to get preconception care for both men and women, as they play equally important roles for healthy pregnancy. Also, awareness and knowledge of men and women about their health are important factors for behavioral changes for preconception care. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of awareness about men and women's preconception care and knowledge of the determinants of healthy pregnancy by gender. Our second goal was to compare men and women's level of awareness and knowledge on it. METHODS: The participants were 500 males and females (aged over 19 years and under 49 years old) either living or working in Seoul city. The data collection period of the study was from July to December, 2017. An online survey was conducted using a panel of online vendors. Then the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0. RESULTS: Awareness about both men and women's preconception care was significantly higher in women than in men (p=0.004, p=0.002). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between men and women (p=0.00) in the total score of knowledge on the determinants of preconception care, including smoking, alcohol drinking, age, folic acid intake, and check-up for infectious disease (p=0.00; means women 8.20±1.95 and men 7.27±2.38). Significant gender differences were also found on some items, such as men's alcohol drinking, men's age, men's check-up for infectious disease, women's intake of folic acid, women's check-up for infectious disease. The level of knowledge on men's folic acid intake was the lowest in both men and women. CONCLUSION: Based on the results on the analysis of gender differences in the awareness and knowledge about preconception care, it is necessary to develop and implement preconception care programs based on the gender perspective approach to make women and men equally share responsibility of the birth result.
Alcohol Drinking ; Commerce ; Communicable Diseases ; Data Collection ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Voice