OBJECTIVE: Diurnal preference is an attribute reflecting whether people are alert and preferring to be active either early or late in the day. It also referred to as chronotype or morningness-eveningness trait. The PER3 genes have been known to influence diurnal preference. In this study, we have investigated the associations between the PER3 gene polymorphisms and diurnal preference in a healthy young population, controlling for the social and environmental confounding factors. METHODS: The participants in this experiment included 299 unrelated medical college students (M=191, F=108), with a mean age of 22.9 years. Diurnal preference was measured by a single administration of the 13-item Composite Scale for Morningness (CSM). Genotyping of the PER3 VNTR (rs57875989) was performed using polymerase chain reaction. A two-tailed alpha of 0.05 was chosen. RESULTS: The mean+/-SD score on the CSM scale for all subjects was 31.90+/-6.39. There was no significant difference in total CSM score between gender groups, although females showed a trend towards higher morningness score. Although PER3 5R/5R showed the tendency towards high CSM scores, there were no significant differences on CSM scores among genotypes and allele status of PER3 VNTR (rs57875989). CONCLUSIONS: We could not confirm that the PER3 VNTR is associated with diurnal preference in a Korean healthy young population. The future studies need to investigate the association between diurnal preference and other polymorphisms of PER3 gene in larger sample of Korean young healthy population.
Alleles ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

No abstract available.
Colposcopy*

Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid is a rare tumor that usually arises from tarsal sebaceous gland. Because the clinical manifestations can masquerade as unilateral recurrent chalasion or chronic blepharoconjunctivitis, its diagnosis may be delayed. Therefore, early biopsy for diagnosis is needed for the persistently recurring unilateral blepharoconjunctivitis. The masquerade syndrome was first described in 1967 by Theodore and Irvine as chronic blepharoconjunctivitis due to an underlying conjunctival carcinoma. While the originally described neoplasms were squamous cell carcinomas, many of the tumors producing this clinical picture are believed to be sebaceous in origin. We experienced a case of pathologically confirmed sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid which originally masqueraded as chronic blepharoconjunctivitis and was treated with topical antibiotics and steroids for 1 year and 8 months, finally being treated by partial orbital exenteration.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Conjunctivitis* ; Diagnosis ; Eyelids ; Orbit ; Sebaceous Glands ; Steroids

OBJECTIVES: The aim of current study is to evaluate the relationship between sleep, suicide and serotonin using some scales and loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP). METHODS: Total 65 patients who met the criteria for major depressive disorder were enrolled in current study. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to their insomnia and a history of suicide attempts. The auditory event-related potentials were measured to evaluate LDAEP before beginning antidepressants. RESULTS: The scores of total Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and BDI item 9 (suicide) were higher in insomnia subgroup than non-insomnia subgroup (respectively, p=0.0033 and p=0.03). However, LDAEP did not differ each other. The subgroup with a history of suicide attempts had a higher score of BDI item 9 than the subgroup without a history of suicide attempts (p=0.00012). There was a tendency for the LDAEP to be higher in the subgroup with a history of suicide attempts (1.39+/-0.94 microV) than the subgroup without a history of suicide attempts (1.05+/-0.75 microV), although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.078). CONCLUSION: Suicidality was related to insomnia. In addition, there was a tendency for serotonin activity to be lower in the subgroup with a history of suicide attempts. In future, more studies are needed.
Antidepressive Agents ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major* ; Evoked Potentials ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory ; Humans ; Serotonin* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Suicide* ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

The purpose of the study was to assess the role of two types screws(bicortical screws with 3.5mm diameter and monocortical screws with 4.5mm diameter) in anterior cervical spinal fusion. Seventy patients surgically treated on the same surgeon was retrospectively reviewed. All patients were managed as the same technique(modified Smith-Robinson technique) and the same non-locking plate system(Top plate system), but the bicortical screws were used in 40 patients(Group 1) and the monocorical screws in 30 patients(Group 2). The overall fusion rate during the 3 months follow up at least was to be satisfied on the both groups. The complication from the Group 2 was never seen but Group 1 was observed in 5 patients; one as slip of grafted bone, 2 as screw loosening, 1 as psychologic intolerance and 1 as CSF leakage. The monocortical screw was considered to be superior than bicortical screw and was related to the screw diameter.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Transplants

OBJECTIVE: In addition to bone bridging inside a cage or graft (intragraft bone bridging, InGBB), extragraft bone bridging (ExGBB) is commonly observed after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with a stand-alone cage. However, solid bony fusion without the formation of ExGBB might be a desirable condition. We hypothesized that an insufficient contact area for InGBB might be a causative factor for ExGBB. The objective was to determine the minimal area of InGBB by finite element analysis. METHODS: A validated 3-dimensional, nonlinear ligamentous cervical segment (C3–7) finite element model was used. This study simulated a single-level ACDF at C5–6 with a cylindroid interbody graft. The variables were the properties of the incorporated interbody graft (cancellous bone [Young’s modulus of 100 or 300 MPa] to cortical bone [10000 MPa]) and the contact area between the vertebra and interbody graft (Graft-area, from 10 to 200 mm²). Interspinous motion between the flexion and extension models of less than 2 mm was considered solid fusion. RESULTS: The minimal Graft-areas for solid fusion were 190 mm², 140 mm², and 100 mm² with graft properties of 100, 300, and 10000 MPa, respectively. The minimal Graft-areas were generally unobtainable with only the formation of InGBB after the use of a commercial stand-alone cage. CONCLUSION: ExGBB may be formed to compensate for insufficient InGBB. Although various factors may be involved, solid fusion with less formation of ExGBB may be achieved with refinements in biomaterials, such as the use of osteoinductive cage materials; changes in cage design, such as increasing the area of polyetheretherketone or the inside cage area for bone grafts; or surgical techniques, such as the use of plate/screw systems.
Biocompatible Materials ; Diskectomy* ; Finite Element Analysis* ; Ligaments ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine ; Transplants

OBJECTIVES: There are emerging evidences suggest that the development of tardive dyskinesia (TD) is related to the oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and immune activation. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha genes are associated with the susceptibility of TD and schizophrenia. METHODS: We investigated two hundred and eighty Korean schizophrenic patients. The schizophrenic participants consisted of patients with (n=105) and without (n=175) TD who were matched for antipsychotic drug exposure and other relevant variables. The TNF-alpha gene -308G/A SNPs were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods. RESULTS: The frequencies of genotype (chi2=0.33, p=0.848) of the TNF-alpha gene -308 G/A SNP did not differ significantly between schizophrenic patients with and without TD. The difference of allele frequencies (chi2=0.28, p=0.594) of the TNF-alpha gene between the schizophrenic patients with and without TD were not significant. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the TNF-alpha gene -308 G/A SNPs are not associated with TD and schizophrenia in a Korean population. Further association studies of TD with other candidate genes for cytokines would help us understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of TD.
Cytokines ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Movement Disorders ; Oxidative Stress ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Schizophrenia ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Inhalation of buckwheat flour as well as ingestion of buckwheat foods induces bronchial asthma. The buckwheat flour attached to the husks used as bed pillow filling can provoke bronchial asthma in patients sensitized to buckwheat. In Korea one third of the pillows contain buckwheat husk (BH). Recently the authors examined three asthmatics who presented symptoms when exposed to house dust extract and BH-pillow extract. They had no history of asthma attack following ingestion of buckwheat foods. The possibility of mites or mite like substances in the BH-pillow extract was evaluated. There was a good correlation of skin test results between Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae) and BH-pillow extract. The concentrated extract of BH-pillow displayed inhibition of D. farinae radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and a dose dependent pattern RAST inhibition. The lyophilized extract of BH-clean did not show any constant feature in D. farinae RAST inhibition test. Furthermore, mites of Dematophagoides species were discovered in the contents of BH-pillows. Ten of 40 cases who tested positive to the skin test for the extract of BH-pillow manifested weakly positive to buckwheat RAST. None of them presented a previous history of buckwheat food allergy. Also we evaluated the possibility of cross-allergenicity between buckwheat and its husk. Using these results the authors concluded that there were some amounts of allergenic substance from house dust mites in the contents of BH-pillows and that the dust from these could provoke or aggravate the symptoms of asthmatics who were sensitive to house dust mites.
Adult ; Allergens/immunology* ; Asthma/etiology ; Bedding and Linens* ; Cross Reactions ; Female ; Flour* ; Human ; Male ; Mite Infestations/complications ; Triticum/immunology

Anticoagulant(heparin, warfarin) or thrombolytic agent(urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator) can be one of the causes of spontaneous ICH. Even though ICH related with anticoagulants and thrombolytic agents represent low incidence and slow progression, the final outcome usually very poor. Recently the use of anticoagulants and thrombolytic agents have been increased for recanalization of cerebral and myocardial infarction. Therefore, the importance of possible ICHs related to these agents need to be reemphesized. The authors analysed 18 patients of ICH related with anticoagulants and thrombolytic agents to evaluate the underlying mechanism, their characters, the factors which influence the formation of ICH and the prognosis. Eighteen cases of ICH related with anticoagulants and thrombolytic agents were analysed through the medical record, operation record and brain CT. In this study, patients in sixth decade showed the highest incidence. The most common primary disease was middle cerebral infarction(67%). Urokinase was most commonly infused for recanalization of cerebral and myocardial infarction. The mean duration between drug administration and hemorrhagic attack was 59 hours(with range from 1 hour to 96 hours). After onset of the hemorrhage, fourteen of eighteen cases revealed prolonged prothrombin time more than 1 1/2 to 2 times of control and nine of fourteen cases revealed prolonged thrombin time more than 1 1/2 to 2 times of cotrol. The mean volume of ICH was 31cc and locations of hemorrhage were lobar(45%), ganglionic(22%), thalamic(22%) and cerebellar(11%) in decreasing orders. Brain CT scans revealed that 12 cases were single hematoma and 6 cases were multiple hematoma. Twelve cases were treated conservatively and six cases were operated with stereotactic surgery(3 cases) and open craniotomy (3 cases). One case with stereotactic surgery and the other case with craniotomy were reoperated because of rebleeding and retained hematoma, respectively. The neurological condition before administration of anticoagulants and thromb-olytic agents was relatively good, but suddenly deteriorated after hemorrhage attack. Almost all cases(94%) prese-nted poor porgnosis as wholly dependent, vegetative and dead at discharge except one case of small cerebellar ICH. In this study, previously existed infarction and anticoagulants itself contributed to the occurrence of intracerebral hemorrhage. The prolonged prothrombin time may be useful predictable value in the formation of ICH. Although we could not find definitive factors to influence the prognosis, the mortality rate of multiple hematoma was much higher than single hematoma. The final outcome of these patients were very poor. Therefore, the choice of agents, dosage and duration of administration should be considered more judicious.
Anticoagulants* ; Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Craniotomy ; Fibrinolytic Agents* ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Plasminogen ; Prognosis ; Prothrombin Time ; Thrombin Time ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator