No abstract available.
Congenital Abnormalities* ; Humerus* ; Osteotomy*

Parkinsonism is a clinical syndrome with constellation of resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and a variety of gait disturbances. Gait disturbances in parkinsonism include short-stepped festination, loss of postural reflexes, and freezing. In certain parkinsonian states such as progressive supranuclear palsy, gait disturbances are very prominent over other clinical signs of parkinsonism in the early stage. However, freezing is usually seen in the late course of parkinsonism. Recently, it has been recognized that some patients have prominent freezing in their early course of the disease, and not much of other parkinsonian signs. The pathologies need to be confirmed, but must be divers based on clinical description of the cases. We report two elderly men who presented with pure freezing. There was minimal short-term memory impairment in the second case, but no other signs of parkinsonism were present. Brief trial of L-dopa did not offer much benefit. Detailed clinical features and laboratory findings will be presented with discussion of the literatures.
Aged ; Freezing ; Gait ; Humans ; Hypokinesia ; Levodopa ; Male ; Memory, Short-Term ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; Pathology ; Reflex ; Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive ; Tremor

Pure trigeminal motor neuropathy is characterized by trigeminal motor weakness without signs of trigeminal sensory or other cranial nerve involvement. We describe a 63-year-old woman with progressive weakness and atrophy of the left masticatory muscles. She had no sensory disturbance. The diagnosis of pure trigeminal motor neuropathy was made on the basis of clinical and electrophysiologic studies. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed enhancement of the enlarged mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve coursing through the left foramen ovale. Our observations suggest that pure trigeminal motor neuropathy can be induced by a tumor.
Atrophy ; Brain ; Cranial Nerves ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Foramen Ovale* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mandibular Nerve ; Masticatory Muscles ; Middle Aged ; Trigeminal Nerve

Protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) constitute a family of receptor-like, and cytoplasmic enzymes, which catalyze the dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosine residues in a variety of receptors and signaling molecules. Together with protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), PTPs are critically involved in regulating many cellular signaling processes. In this study, diverse compounds were screened for PTP inhibition and selectively screened for inhibitors with the end product inhibition properties. Among phosphate analogues and their derivatives for PTP inhibition, Keggin compounds phosphomolybdate (PM) and phosphotungstate (PT) strongly inhibited both PTP-1B and SHP-1, with K(i) values of 0.06-1.2 micromM in the presence of EDTA. Unlike the vanadium compounds, inhibition potencies of PM and PT were not significantly affected by EDTA. PM and PT were potent, competitive inhibitors for PTPs, but relatively poor inhibitors of Ser/Thr phosphatase. Interestingly, PM and PT did not inhibit alkaline phosphatase at all. The crystal structure of PTP-1B in complex with PM, at 2.0 A resolution, reveals that MoO(3), derived from PM by hydrolysis, binds at the active site. The molybdenium atom of the inhibitor is coordinated with six ligands: three oxo-ligands, two apical water molecules and a S atom of the catalytic cysteine residue. In support of the crystallographic finding, we observed that molybdenium oxides (MoO(3), MoO(2), and MoO(2)Cl(2)) inhibited PTP-1B with IC(50) in the range 5-15 micromM.
Binding, Competitive ; Catalytic Domain ; Crystallography, X-Ray ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Edetic Acid/pharmacology ; Enzyme Inhibitors/*pharmacology ; Human ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Kinetics ; Models, Molecular ; Molybdenum/*pharmacology ; Phosphoric Acids/*pharmacology ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Protein-Tyrosine-Phosphatase/*antagonists & inhibitors/*chemistry/isolation & purification ; Substrate Specificity ; Tungsten Compounds/*pharmacology

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C has critical features relavant to postoperative pain management and functional improvement; however, no study has yet evaluated the effectiveness of vitamin C on improving the surgical outcomes for spine pathologies. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of vitamin C on postoperative outcomes after single-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) for lumbar spinal stenosis in prospectively randomized design. We conducted a 1-year prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to evaluate the impact of vitamin C on the postoperative outcomes after PLIF surgery. METHODS: A total of 123 eligible patients were randomly assigned to either group A (62 patients with vitamin C) or group B (61 patients with placebo). Patient follow-up was continued for at least 1 year after surgery. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity in the lower back using a visual analogue scale. The secondary outcome measures were: (1) the clinical outcome assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI); (2) the fusion rate assessed using dynamic radiographs and computed tomography scans; and (3) complications. RESULTS: Pain intensity in the lower back was significantly improved in both groups compared with preoperative pain intensity, but no significant difference was observed between the 2 groups over the follow-up period. The ODI score of group A at the third postoperative month was significantly higher than the score of group B. After the sixth postoperative month, the ODI score of group A was slightly higher than the score of group B; however, this difference was not significant. The fusion rates at 1 year after surgery and the complication rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative pain intensity, the primary outcome measure, was not significantly different at 1 year after surgery between the 2 groups. However, vitamin C may be associated with improving functional status after PLIF surgery, especially during the first 3 postoperative months.
Ascorbic Acid* ; Double-Blind Method ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pathology ; Prospective Studies ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamins*

This paper described a collaborative exercise intended to see what kinds of short tandem repeat (STR) loci are used in different DNA typing laboratories in Korea and to compare their results for the demonstration whether uniformity of DNA profiling results from different laboratory could be achieved in Korea. Laboratories were asked to test five tissue DNAs using methods routinely used in each laboratory and to report the results to the coordinating laboratory. The exercise demonstrated that each laboratory was using different STR loci for the typing with different STR numbers, 2 VNTRs, 36 STRs and amelogenin in total, and the direct comparison of the results from all the laboratory for the 18 loci could not be done as only one laboratory submitted typing results. Among 21 loci for which several laboratories submitted typing results, results for 14 loci were the same and results for the other 7 loci were different depending on the participating laboratory. D1S80, F13A01, D16S539, D21S11, D18S51, D3S1744 were the loci with different typing results. Even in the cases where commercial kits were used, the results were not the same depending on the machines used, that is the capillary electrophoresis or the gel based electrophoresis. The reason for the different results, points about the standardization of the methods and the profiling data were described.
Amelogenin ; DNA ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; Korea ; Microsatellite Repeats

This paper described a collaborative exercise intended to see what kinds of short tandem repeat (STR) loci are used in different DNA typing laboratories in Korea and to compare their results for the demonstration whether uniformity of DNA profiling results from different laboratory could be achieved in Korea. Laboratories were asked to test five tissue DNAs using methods routinely used in each laboratory and to report the results to the coordinating laboratory. The exercise demonstrated that each laboratory was using different STR loci for the typing with different STR numbers, 2 VNTRs, 36 STRs and amelogenin in total, and the direct comparison of the results from all the laboratory for the 18 loci could not be done as only one laboratory submitted typing results. Among 21 loci for which several laboratories submitted typing results, results for 14 loci were the same and results for the other 7 loci were different depending on the participating laboratory. D1S80, F13A01, D16S539, D21S11, D18S51, D3S1744 were the loci with different typing results. Even in the cases where commercial kits were used, the results were not the same depending on the machines used, that is the capillary electrophoresis or the gel based electrophoresis. The reason for the different results, points about the standardization of the methods and the profiling data were described.
Amelogenin ; DNA ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; Korea ; Microsatellite Repeats

From Jan. 1991 to Apr. 1996, 99 cases of microsurgical tubal reversal were performed in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chunchon Sacred Heart Hospital of Hallym University. 80 cases among them were followed up over 1 year postoperatively. The results were as follows : 1. The mean age of total 99 women was 32.5 years(24~42 years), and the average interval between tubal sterilization and tubal reversal was 7.2 years(1~17 years). 2. The methods of sterilization were laparoscopic fallope ring in 59 cases(59.6 %), laparoscopic electrocautery in 30 cases(30.3 %), tubal ligation during cesarean section in 9 cases(9.1 %) and minilap in 1 case. 3. The most common reason for tubal reversal was remarriage(61 case, 61.6 %) and the next was desire for son(16 cases, 16.2 %). 4. 80 cases(81 %) among the total 99 women were followed up over 1 year postoperatively. Intrauterine pregnancy was documented in 59 cases(73.7 %), 53 viable fetuses and 6 spontaneous abortions. Ectopic pregnancy was noted in 3 cases(3.8 %). 5. Pregnancy rates according to maternal age were as follows ; 88.9 % in less than 30 years, 70.3 % in 30~34 years, 71.4 % in 35~39 years. Two normal pregnancies were resulted from 4 women over 39 years. 6. Pregnancy rates according to the method of sterilization were as follows ; 78 % in fallope ring, 89 % in tubal ligation during cesarean section, 55 % in electrocautery. The statistical differences between each groups were not significant(p = 0.053). 7. Pregnancy rates according to the site of anastomosis were as follows ; 81.4 % in isthmicisthmic, 67.1 % in isthmic-ampulla. There was significant statistical difference between them(p = 0.011). 8. Pregnancy rates according to the postoperative tubal length were as follows ; 60 % in less than 4cm, 66 % in 4~6 cm, 95.4 % in more than 6cm(p = 0.024). 9. Among the 59 pregnant women, 38 pregnancies(65.4 %) were resulted within six months after surgery, 48(82.3 %) within one year, and 55(94.2 %) within 2 years. 10. Pregnancy rates according to the interval from tubal sterilization to tubal reversal were as follows ; 89.6 % in less than 5years of interval, 74.5 % in 5~10 years, 44.4 % in 11~15 years(p = 0.230).
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Cesarean Section ; Electrocoagulation ; Female ; Fetus ; Gangwon-do ; Gynecology ; Heart ; Humans ; Maternal Age ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Pregnant Women ; Sterilization ; Sterilization, Tubal

PURPOSE: It has been reported recently that peritoneal protein clearance (Pcl) is a marker of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease in peritoneal dialysis patients. We evaluated whether baseline or longitudinal follow-up Pcl is a factor to consider in predicting the outcome in peritoneal dialysis patients for the follow-up period. METHODS: Patients who initiated continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis at our center from September 1994 to January 2006 and had a baseline peritoneal equilibration test, measurement of dialysis adequacy, and 24-h dialysate Pcl (24hr dialysate protein loss/ [serum albumin/0.4783]) were included. Demography, comorbidities, and biochemical data were retrospectively collected. Follow-up was until death or the end of the period studied (November 2009). RESULTS: A total of 203 patients (56% men, mean age 55.0+/-12.5; 55.2% with diabetes; 22.2% with cardiovascular disease) were included. The mean follow up period was 38 months (3-170 months). Baseline Pcl was 128.2 ml/day. Follow up data of Pcl were not changed from baseline period. Cox's analysis revealed the predictors of mortality (and technical failure) were age and diabetes mellitus but not dialysate/plasma creatinine ratio (D/Pcr) and Pcl. On multivariate analysis, Pcl was negatively correlated with serum albumin and triglyceride and positively correlated with D/Pcr and peritoneal creatinine clearance. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the changes in Pcl over time were not significant from baseline up to 53 months. Neither baseline nor mean Pcl during the follow-up period were independent predictors for technical or patient survival.
Ascitic Fluid ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Comorbidity ; Creatinine ; Demography ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dialysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; Treatment Outcome

STUDY DESIGN: A nation-wide, outpatient-based, cross-sectional survey with the use of questionnaires. PURPOSE: To evaluate the pain, disability and satisfaction of patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: There are no nation-wide data in Korea on the degree of pain, disability and satisfaction with treatment in patients with OVCFs. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey of 573 patients with OVCFs. After excluding incomplete questionnaires (missing more than 30% of the variables), 430 patient-physician-matched data sets were collected for this survey. RESULTS: Patients with OVCFs were managed with conservative treatment in 63% and with a vertebroplasty in 37%. The means of the latest visual analogue scale (VAS, 5.2) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI, 47.7) scores checked at the time of survey were significantly higher than those VAS and ODI scores prior to OVCFs (the prefracture VAS and ODI scores, 3.6 and 26.3, respectively; p<0.001 for both comparisons). However, the means of the latest VAS and ODI scores were insignificantly different between the conservative and vertebroplasty groups, irrespective of the duration from the fractures. Overall, 75% of patients were satisfied with their clinical outcomes. However, the percentages of patient's satisfaction were not significantly different between the conservative and vertebroplasty groups. Eighty-eight percent of patients felt some or marked deterioration of their general health condition following OVCFs. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that although most patients with OVCFs were satisfied with their clinical outcomes, their subjective general health conditions, as well as their pain and disability, did not recover to the prefracture state.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fractures, Compression* ; Humans ; Korea ; Vertebroplasty ; Surveys and Questionnaires