No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Angioedema*

No abstract availalbe.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the scavenging effect of carnitine derivatives on oxidative damage to sperm during sperm processing cryopreservation and thawing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh semen samples from 20 normal healthy volunteers were collected by masturbation after at least 48 hours abstinence. After liquefaction of semen samples at room temperature, the specimens were diluted with sperm wash media (Ham's F-10, Life technologics) to a uniform density of 20x106/ml. L-carnitine or acetylcarnitine were added with various concentration of 0 micrometer, 10 micrometer, 30 micrometer in semen sample or cryoprotectant. All specimens were cryopreservated at -196degrees C LN2 for 3 days. Sperm motility, vitality, fertilizing capacity, reactive oxygen species formation and the level of lipid peroxidation were analyzed by computer assisted semen analyzer, eosin-nigrosin stain, hypo-osmotic swelling test, chemiluminescence and thiobarbituric acid method, respectively, during sperm processing, cryopreservation and thawing. RESULTS: The sperm motility was only increased in proportion to the concentration of acetylcarnitine with no statistical significance (p>0.05). The sperm vitality was also significantly improved in proportion to the concentration of acetylcarnitine with statistical significance (p<0.05). The sperm fertilizing capacity was significantly increased in proportion to the concentration of L-carnitine and acetylcarnitine and reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation were significantly decreased with same fashion(p<0.05). On comparison of effects between L-carnitine and acetylcarnitine, acetylcarnitine was superior to L-carnitine on the improvement of sperm motility and vitality as well as the suppression of reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that carnitine derivatives have a scavenging effect against oxidative damages during sperm processing, cryopreservation and thawing. Therefore, carnitine derivatives may be useful as an oral antioxidant in patients with male infertility due to increased ROS generation.
Acetylcarnitine* ; Carnitine* ; Cryopreservation ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Luminescence ; Male ; Masturbation ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Semen ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*

BACKGROUND: With the increasing numbers of foreign residents and tourists in Korea, the need of medical care systems for foreign patients seems to be growing, but there are few studies related with foreigners staying in Korea so far. This study was conducted to obtain the basic clinical data of foreign patients for the better medical care of them. METHODS: This study is an analysis of 1,405 outpatients in International(Foreign) Clinic of Kangbuk Samsung Hospital from Jan. 1 1994 to Dec. 31 1996. Patient charts were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the total of 1,405 cases, 833 cases(59.3%) were males and 572 cases(40.7%) were females. The largest age group was the 4th decades, which were 408 cases(29.0%). By racial grouping, Japanese were the largest, accounting for 507 cases(36.1%) of all, followed by Europeans(including Oceanians) with 384 cases(27.3%) and North Americans with 335 cases (23.8%). The total number of hospital visits was 3,823. According to departments, Family Medicine had 968 visits(25.3%) of all, follewed by Pediatrics with 503 visits(13.2%), Internal Medicine 406visits(10.6%) and Dermatology 355visits(9.3%). The most common diagnoses were preventive medical cares such as general medical examination(6.0%), vaccination(4.5%), antenatal care(3.4%) and special investigations (3.1%), followed by acute infectious diseases such as acute upper respiratory infection including acute pharyngitis(7.4%), bronchitis(5.0%), infectious diarrhea(3.6%) and otitis media(2.9%) among top 20 ranks. preventive medical cares such as general medical examination and vaccination were more common in Family Medicine, and acute infectious diseases such as acute upper respiratory infection and bronchitis were more common in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. preventive medical cares and acute infectious diseases were common without any differences between advanced countries(North America, Europe and Oceania, Japan) and developing countries(Asia, Africa, Latin America), except infectious diarrhea. Hospital visits due to infectious diarrhea were much more frequent among advanced countries (4.3% in Japan, 3.4% in the others) than developing countries(0.9%). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, it showed the certain characteristics of the high medical need about preventive medical care and acute infectious diseases among foreign patients staying in Korea. It also shows the need of family physicians who could play important roles in practicing preventive medical care and acute common diseases for foreigners. Therefore it is believed that further studies for foreign patients in Korea will be necessary and should be conducted in the future.
Africa ; Americas ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bronchitis ; Communicable Diseases ; Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Europe ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Japan ; Korea ; Male ; Oceania ; Otitis ; Outpatients* ; Pediatrics ; Physicians, Family ; Vaccination

BACKGROUND: With the increasing numbers of foreign residents and tourists in Korea, the need of medical care systems for foreign patients seems to be growing, but there are few studies related with foreigners staying in Korea so far. This study was conducted to obtain the basic clinical data of foreign patients for the better medical care of them. METHODS: This study is an analysis of 1,405 outpatients in International(Foreign) Clinic of Kangbuk Samsung Hospital from Jan. 1 1994 to Dec. 31 1996. Patient charts were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the total of 1,405 cases, 833 cases(59.3%) were males and 572 cases(40.7%) were females. The largest age group was the 4th decades, which were 408 cases(29.0%). By racial grouping, Japanese were the largest, accounting for 507 cases(36.1%) of all, followed by Europeans(including Oceanians) with 384 cases(27.3%) and North Americans with 335 cases (23.8%). The total number of hospital visits was 3,823. According to departments, Family Medicine had 968 visits(25.3%) of all, follewed by Pediatrics with 503 visits(13.2%), Internal Medicine 406visits(10.6%) and Dermatology 355visits(9.3%). The most common diagnoses were preventive medical cares such as general medical examination(6.0%), vaccination(4.5%), antenatal care(3.4%) and special investigations (3.1%), followed by acute infectious diseases such as acute upper respiratory infection including acute pharyngitis(7.4%), bronchitis(5.0%), infectious diarrhea(3.6%) and otitis media(2.9%) among top 20 ranks. preventive medical cares such as general medical examination and vaccination were more common in Family Medicine, and acute infectious diseases such as acute upper respiratory infection and bronchitis were more common in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. preventive medical cares and acute infectious diseases were common without any differences between advanced countries(North America, Europe and Oceania, Japan) and developing countries(Asia, Africa, Latin America), except infectious diarrhea. Hospital visits due to infectious diarrhea were much more frequent among advanced countries (4.3% in Japan, 3.4% in the others) than developing countries(0.9%). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, it showed the certain characteristics of the high medical need about preventive medical care and acute infectious diseases among foreign patients staying in Korea. It also shows the need of family physicians who could play important roles in practicing preventive medical care and acute common diseases for foreigners. Therefore it is believed that further studies for foreign patients in Korea will be necessary and should be conducted in the future.
Africa ; Americas ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bronchitis ; Communicable Diseases ; Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Europe ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Japan ; Korea ; Male ; Oceania ; Otitis ; Outpatients* ; Pediatrics ; Physicians, Family ; Vaccination

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Melanogenesis, or synthesis of melanin has been a focus of intense investigation by pigment cell biologists during the past few decades. Melanogenesis provides pigment in skin, thus serving as a unique, if not only, physiological defense against sun-induced injuries, including photocarcinogenesis. Moreover, skin color plays a major role in visual esthetics of an individual. Therefore, unwanted hyper- or hypo-pigmentation, especially on facial skin, could cause significant psychological stress. Epidermal melanocytes, derived from neural crest cells, are mainly responsible for melanin in skin. In human skin, nearly all normal pigmentation is due to melanin and with the exception of hemoglobin, it is one of the only endogenously synthesized pigments in man. Melanin has numerous functions in mammals, including increasing the optical efficiency of the eye, producing color patterns in various organs, including hair or skin, serving as camouflage, heat exchange, sexual recognition and protection from sunlight. The incidences of malignant melanoma have been increasing dramatically in western countries, at least by a factor of 15 over the past 60 years, and this has caused an intense interest in understanding melanogenesis. More than 40,000 new cases of malignant melanoma have been diagnosed in 1997, and it is one of the most common cancers in young adults. The research in the area of melanogenesis has exploded during the last ten years because model systems to study molecular mechanisms regulating melanogenesis have become available. This review examines currently available in vitro and in vivo model systems to study melanogenesis.
Esthetics ; Hair ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mammals ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma ; Neural Crest ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Stress, Psychological ; Young Adult