An in vivo study was conducted on Sprague-Dawley rat to investigate the role of acetylcholine (AChl on penile erectionAn in vivo study was conducted on Sprague-Dawley rat to investigate the role of acetylcholine (AChl on penile erection. This was performed by simultaneously monitoring intracavernosal pressure (ICP) and systemic blood pressure after intracavernosal injection of ACh. anticholinesterase (anti-ChE) or atropine. with and without cavernosal nerve stimulation. Increase of basal ICP was not observed in the group with ACh (0.01 to 0.05ug) treatment alone (n=9). However, the synergic effect of ACh (0.01 to 0.05 ug) on nerve induced erection (NIE) was to enhance the results obtained by NIE alone. i.e., 55 mmHg with NIE alone to 77 mmHg with ACh pretreatment plus NIE. in mean ICP (n=9, P<0.05). A similar finding was observed in the group with anti-ChE pretreatment (0.01 to 1.Oug). i.e., 56 mmHg with NIE along to 84 mmHg with anti-ChE pretreatment plus NIE, in mean ICP (n=14, P<0.05). Conversely, NIE was markedly reduced in the group with atropine pretreatment (0.01 to 1.0ug) in dose dependent manner, i.e., 58mmHg with NIE along to 38mmHg with atropine pretreatment plus NIE, in mean ICP (n=13, P These results indicate that ACh does play a significant role in penile erection and it may require a cooperative action of other neurotransmitter to induce in vivo penile erection.
Acetylcholine* ; Animals ; Atropine ; Blood Pressure ; Electric Stimulation ; Male ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Penile Erection* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Pancreas* ; Ultrasonography*

Measurement of the bulbocavernosus reflex is widely used to diagnose underlying neurologic disorders in erectile dysfunction. Because this single parameter of latency time in BCRL(bulbocavernosus reflex latency) testing has been used as the sole guideline to diagnose neurogenic impotence, problems in discriminating neurological disturbance from nonneurogenic impotence are frequently encountered especially when the value of latency time is within the borderline range, or when the outcome is difficult to interpret. In order to assess the useful parameters of conventional BCRL testing for the differential diagnosis of neurogenic impotence, we performed BCRL testing in 100 patients who compliance of poor erection. We compared these patients with a previously controlled group of 45 adult males without any erectile or neuronal disturbance. The results obtained were summarized as follows. . 1)Of 100 patients, 24 were diagnosed as neurogenic impotence. 2) In this neurogenic impotence group, as compared to the normal and non-neurogenic impotence group, there was a significant difference(P<0.05) in the values of sensory, pain, reflex threshold and bulbocavernosus reflex latency time. 3) The BCR measurement allowed to find lateralized neurologic disturbance. These results show that in BCRL testing the evaluated values of sensory, pain and reflex threshold, in addition to latency time, can be useful parameters for the differential diagnosis of neurogenic impotence.
Adult ; Compliance ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Male ; Nervous System Diseases ; Neurons ; Reflex*

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can only be diagnosed by histological examination, and is often associated with renal calculi, obstruction and urinary tract infection. We report a case of bilateral xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in a child with end stage renal disease, which was misdiagnosed as renal cell carcinoma preoperatively.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Child* ; Humans ; Kidney Calculi ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pyelonephritis, Xanthogranulomatous* ; Urinary Tract Infections

OBJECTIVE: To identify differences in the expression of the genes for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in granulosa cells (GCs) from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and controls undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation. METHODS: Nine patients with PCOS and six controls were enrolled in this study. On the day of oocyte retrieval, GCs were collected from pooled follicular fluid. Total mRNA was extracted from GCs. Reverse transcription was performed and gene expression levels were quantified by realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, and total gonadotropin dose, except for the ratio of luteinizing hormone to follicle-stimulating hormone between the PCOS and control groups. PPAR-γ and COX-2 mRNA was significantly downregulated in the GCs of PCOS women compared with controls (p=0.034 and p=0.018, respectively), but the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA did not show significant differences. No significant correlation was detected between the expression of these mRNA sequences and clinical characteristics, including the number of retrieved oocytes, oocyte maturity, cleavage, or the good embryo rate. Positive correlations were found among the PPAR-γ, COX-2, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA levels. CONCLUSION: Our data may provide novel clues regarding ovarian GC dysfunction in PCOS, and indirectly provide evidence that the effect of PPAR-γ agonists in PCOS might result from alterations in the ovarian follicular environment. Further studies with a larger sample size are required to confirm these proposals.
Body Mass Index ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Cytokines* ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Follicular Fluid ; Gene Expression ; Gonadotropins ; Granulosa Cells* ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Oocytes ; Ovulation Induction ; Peroxisomes* ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; PPAR gamma ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Sample Size ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*

BACKGROUND: Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum) is a zoophilic dermatophyte distributed all around the world. In Korea, kerion celsi caused by T. verrucosum was first reported by Kim et al in the southeast province of Korea. Since then, many patients infected with T. verrucosum have been reported in Young-nam, Chungcheong province, and so on. OBJECTIVE: There have been few reports on the T. verrucosum in Korea, yet. Authors tried to offer the information on dermatophytosis due to T. verrucosum in the various aspects such as prevalence of each year, epidemiology, onset time of the year and season, distribution and characteristics of the regions, sex and age distribution, the clinical types, onset site of the body, and the relation between human beings and infected cattle and so on. METHOD: A total of 218 patients who visited Catholic Dermatologic Clinic in Daegu, Korea from 1986 to 2004, were finally diagnosed as T. verrucosum infection by KOH and fungal culture. The data were based on a retrospective survey of hospital records. However, whenever the information was lacking, we called patients to ask lists of questions for the investigation. RESULTS: The number of patients had increased every year since the first report in 1986. In 1988, the number was up to 44, which was the most. After the year 2000, the number of patients had been decreasing so continuously that there was no case in the year 2003 and 2004. As we see the distribution of province, 47 cases were from Daegu, 137 cases from Kyungsang bukdo, 29 cases from Kyungsang namdo, 5 cases from other provinces and cyties. In the distribution of season, 81 cases appeared in the spring, which was the most. Female to male ratio showed about a 1.2-fold predominance for male. And less than 15-year-old group was 41.3% of total patients. The most frequent onset site was face (36 cases, 16.5%), and the next were arm, trunk, head, leg, neck in the decreasing orders. Classifying the patients by the clinical type, 150 cases (68.8%) were in the tinea circinata type, and the next were kerion celsi type, tinea barbae type, agminated folliculitis type in the decreasing orders. Among 126 cases, 99 patients raised cattle with lesions caused by T. verrucosum, 8 patients raise cattle without lesions, 19 patients didn't breed cattle. CONCLUSION: This investigation is expected to help understand and obtain more information on T. verrucosum infection in Korea.
Adolescent ; Age Distribution ; Animals ; Arm ; Arthrodermataceae ; Cattle ; Daegu ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Folliculitis ; Head ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg ; Male ; Neck ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Tinea ; Tinea Capitis ; Trichophyton*

In 2016, external quality assessment trials for urinalysis and faecal occult blood (FOB) were performed with 1,487 participants in Korea. Urine chemistry and FOB tests were performed three and two times, respectively, whereas urine sediment was evaluated once using photography. Urine chemistry tests consisted of pH, protein, glucose, ketone, bilirubin, blood, urobilinogen, and nitrite levels; leukocyte count; specific gravity. The results of the urine chemistry and specific gravity tests showed accuracy rates of >95%. The accuracy rate of urine sediments was low, especially that for transitional epithelial cells and atypical crystals. In the FOB quality test, all reagents showed accuracy rates of >90%, which suggested the improvement of false-positive reaction. In the FOB quantitative test, discrepant results depending on the instrument used was observed. To compensate for the result differences caused by the stool samples, the results should be reported using another unit (µg/g of stool).
Bilirubin ; Chemistry ; Epithelial Cells ; Glucose ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Indicators and Reagents ; Korea* ; Leukocyte Count ; Occult Blood* ; Photography ; Specific Gravity ; Urinalysis* ; Urobilinogen

PURPOSE: Co-morbidity is the presence of co-existing or additional diseases during the initial diagnosis. It may be used as a prognostic indicator for the postoperative outcomes in most cancers, including colorectal cancers. The impact of respective co-morbidities in colorectal cancer surgeries were evaluated to identify their outcomes regarding complications and hospital stay. METHODS: The medical records of 2,242 colorectal cancer patients, who had had curative operations between Jan. 1997 and Dec. 2001, were reviewed to evaluate the prevalence of co-morbidities. All co-morbidities were adequately evaluated and managed preoperatively. RESULTS: Co-morbidities were observed in 789 out of the 2,242 (35.2%) patients. Hypertension was the most frequent (340, 15.2%), with diabetes (210, 9.4%) and cardiovascular diseases (124, 5.5%) following. Early stages (0~II) were more frequently associated with co-morbidities, compared to late stages (III~IV) (P<0.001). Hypertension and cerebrovascular diseases were significantly associated with postoperative complications (P<0.05). Postoperative complications occurred in 578 out of the 2242 (25.8%) patients: e.g., ileus (10.2%), voiding difficulty (4.4%), wound problems (4.3%), etc. Pulmonary complications occurred more often in patients with cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, and asthma. Wound complications were observed in patients with hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic renal failure (P<0.05). Patients with more than one co-morbidity were closely associated with frequent postoperative co-mplications (P<0.05). However, comorbidities did not seem to affect the duration of the postoperative hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative complications frequently occur in colorectal cancer patients with specific co- morbidities, especially in those with more than one. An adequate management of the co-morbidities preoperatively leads to a good outcome.
Asthma ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chronic Disease ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Comorbidity ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Ileus ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Length of Stay ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive ; Medical Records ; Postoperative Complications ; Prevalence ; Wounds and Injuries

In 2017, external quality assessment trials for urinalysis and fecal occult blood (FOB) were performed with 1,544 participants. Urine chemistry tests were performed three times and urine sediment and FOB tests were evaluated 2 times. Urine chemistry tests consisted of pH, protein, glucose, ketone, bilirubin, blood, urobilinogen, nitrite, leukocyte, and specific gravity analyses. The results of the urine chemistry and specific gravity tests showed accuracy rates >95%. The accuracy rate of urine sediments was low, especially for fat droplets and atypical uric acid crystals. In the FOB quality test, all reagents showed accuracy rates >82%, which suggested the persistent improvement of false-positive reactions. In the FOB quantitative test, discrepant results depending on the instrument used were observed. To compensate for the result differences caused by the amounts of stool samples, the results should be reported using another unit (µg/g of stool).
Bilirubin ; Chemistry ; Glucose ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Indicators and Reagents ; Korea* ; Leukocytes ; Occult Blood* ; Quality Control ; Specific Gravity ; Uric Acid ; Urinalysis* ; Urobilinogen