Progressive renal fibrosis is considered to be the final common pathway leading to chronic renal insufficiency, however, the mechanism regarding renal fibrosis in renal injury is not well understood. Recently, several kinds of cytokines have been known to be related to fibrosis after renal injury. The interaction between elements regulating fibrogenesis would be better understood by looking at the effect of TGF-beta1 on the synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix, especially collagenous proteins. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) was induced in New Zealand White rabbits by administration of guinea pig anti-GBM IgG after sensitization with guinea pig IgG; and their kidneys were analyzed for the development of crescents and fibrosis through sequential renal biopsies. Serum creatinine levels in a time course progressively increased until day 15. We semi-quantitatively assayed the levels of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA factored for GAPDH mRNA using RT-PCR. We observed a progressive interstitial fibrosis and the expression of collagen I both in the cortex and medulla. The effect of repeated renal biopsy itself on pathology and on the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA in a time course were not significant, but a very mild increase of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was noted at day 15. Histology showed a progressive crescent formation and interstitial fibrosis in a time course that roughly paralleled the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in both cortex and medulla. TGF-beta1 mRNA was hardly expressed at day 0 in cortex as well as in medulla. It was elevated from day 1, peaked at day 7, and then decreased. In medulla, TGF-beta1 mRNA was noticeably expressed at day 1, peaked at day 4, and then decreased. The expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was seen even before inducing CGN. It was gradually and continuously increased until day 15 both in cortex and medulla. These results suggest that the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA precedes that of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in the early stage of CGN and has a central role for provoking the accumulation the collagen I, the most representative interstitial extracellular matrix, in the rabbit model CGN induced by anti-GBM antibody. We conclude that the measurement of the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA and/or alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in a biopsy sample can be a useful predictor for renal outcome.
Animals ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Creatinine ; Cytokines ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibrosis ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Pathology ; Rabbits ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria(PNH) is a rare, acquired disease involving multiple hematopoietic lines. Characteristics of PNH are intrinsic hemolytic anemia, iron deficiency anemia and venous thrombosis. report a case of PNH with characterostoc MR and CT findings. The signal intensity of renal cortex was lower than that of medulla on both T1- and T2- weighted MR imaging. On T2 weighted MR images, the liver showed very low signal intensity but the signal intensity of the spleen was normal. On precontrast CT the attenuation of renal cortex was higher than that of renal medulla and the attenuation of liver was higher than that of the spleen. These findings of MR imaging and CT were the result from the deposition of hemosiderin in the cells of proximal convoluted tubules and transfusional hemosiderosis of liver.
Anemia, Hemolytic ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal* ; Hemosiderin ; Hemosiderosis ; Liver ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spleen ; Venous Thrombosis

We identified the early and late prognostic factors of acute myocardial infarction, and evaluated the clinical differences and the prognosis between Q-wave myocardial infarction and non-Q wave myocardial infarction. Total 146 patients who were managed from Jan 1987 to Aug. 1989 at hallym University hospital were evaluated. According to the presence or absence of Q wave on electrocardiogram, the patients were divided into two groups : a Q wave myocardial infarction group(QMI) and a non-Q wave myocardial infarction group (NQMI). Among 146 patients 109 patients(74.7%) had QMI and 37 patients(25.3%) had NQNI. The mean age, male to female ratio and serum cholesterol level were similar in both groups. But peak level of CPK was significantly higher in the QMI group than that in the NQMI group(P<0.01). Left ventricular end-systolic dimension and ratio of left ventricular dimension to wall thickness in the QMI group were significantly higher than that in the NQMI group(P<0.01). There were no significant differences between two groups in the incidences of mortality, postinfarction angina and re-infarction. During the in-hospital period female gender, old age(more than 60 years), Killip class at admission, early reinfarction and a history of hypertension were significant prognostic factors. main causes of death during the in-hospital period were ventricular tachyarrthymia, heart failure and cardiogenic shock. The incidences of mortality, heart failure and post-infarction angina during a mean follow-up period of 14 months (6~30months) were same in the two groups. The late prognostic factors were old age(more than 60 years), Killip class at admission, heart failure occured during follow-up period(P<0.001) and a history of diabetes mellitus(P<0.05). The patients with late postinfarction angina had more dilated left ventricular end-systolic demension(P<0.05) and lower fractional shortening(P<0.01) than those of patients without late postinfraction angina. There were no significant difference in long term survival rate between QMI group and NQMI group. Further prospective study should be performed to clarify the short and long term prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated by reperfusion.
Cause of Death ; Cholesterol ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Prognosis ; Reperfusion ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Urinary Tract*

Menetrier's disease is a rare disease characterized by the presence of large rugal folds involving part or all of the stomach. Patients with hypertrophic gastropathy often have distressing abdominal symptoms, weight loss and edema due to gastric protein loss. The 48-year-old male patient was admitted to the Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital with cheif complaints of indigestion and epigastric pain. The diagnosis of Menetriers disease is established by radiologic, endoscopic, and pathologic examination. He was treated with soft diet, antacid, H2- receptor antagonist, and IV albumin. We report a case of Menetriers disease with brief review of literatures.
Diagnosis ; Diet ; Dyspepsia ; Edema ; Gastritis, Hypertrophic* ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rare Diseases ; Stomach ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Iron* ; Mesangial Cells* ; Perfusion*

To determine the incidence, clinical characteristics and coronary angiographic findings of postinfarction angina, clinical course and coronary angiogram were studied in 45 patients with acute myocardial infarction. During a mean follow-up period of 12 weeks, 17 patients(37.8%) developed angina. Of 5 patients with postinfarction angina within 1 week of infarction, 2 patients died during hospitalization, whereas all 12 patients with postinfarction angina which occured more than 1 week after acute myocardial infarction were discharge alive. The frequency of stenosis over 90% and multivessel disease by coronary angiography were 51.7% and 64.7% respectively in patients with postinfarction angina, and 25%, 28.5% respectively in patients without postinfarction angina.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction

Sleep disturbance and restless legs syndrome (RLS) among uremic patients is known to be high, but data on the prevalence, clinical significance, and causative factors are limited. A semiquantitative sleep and RLS questionnaire was distributed to 62 chronic hemodialysis(HD) patients. 74.5N had sleep complaints and frequent awakening was the most frequent specific sleep complaints followed by daytime sleepiness. Presence of diabetes mellitus(DM), RLS, depres- sion, high CRP level, low intact parathyroid hormone level, low subjective global assessment score, and short HD duration were associated with more sleep complaints. 58.3N had RLS and presence of DM, low serum albumin level were also associated with more severe RLS. But Kt/V, protein catabolic rate, hematocrit, plasma bicarbonate level, use of erythropoietin and sleep medication were not associated with sleep complaints and RLS. Sleep problems and RLS are comrnon in HD patients and seem to be associated with malnutrition. Presence of DM, de- pression, and RLS are likely to contribute the high prevalence of sleep disturbance.
Erythropoietin ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Renal Dialysis* ; Restless Legs Syndrome ; Serum Albumin ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Korea*

Patients of choriocarcinoma with brain metastases are considered to have a very poor prognosis due to chemo-refractoriness and recurrence. So, selection and individualization of patients then followed by multimodality therapy are very important. We present a case of a patient who experienced twice of craniotomies due to intracranial hemorrhage and an emergent explorative laparotomy due to intestinal perforation of the metastatic sites of choriocarcinoma. She was treated with 12 cycles of high-dose MTX/EMA-CO, intrathecal MTX and WBRT. Eventually she has obtained a complete remission that ongoing for 2 years. So, we report this case with a brief review of the literatures.
Brain* ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Craniotomy ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Laparotomy ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Recurrence