OBJECTIVE: To compare the age of menarche, changing patterns of the menstrual characteristics in adolescent girls between 1988 and 1998. METHODS: A survey was undertaken for 1,500 highschool girls and compare with those of pervious study for 5,000 middle and highschool girls performed by same author in 1998 by means of questionnaire. RESULTS: During a decade, the mean menarcheal age decreased from 13.5+/-1.0 to 12.7+/-1.0 years(p=0.001). Gynecologic age, Body mass index were associated with age of menarche in both 1988 and 1998. The interval of menstruation was 30.6 3.5dyas in 1998 and shortened compared with 32.1+/-6.3 days in 1988(p=0.001). The duration of menstruation was lengthened in 1998 than in 1988(6.1+/-1.1 days vs 5.8+/-2.2 days, p=0.001). The incidence of irregular cycle(28.2% vs 58.2%, p=0.001), dysmenorrhea(73.9% vs 77.8%, p=0.001), and secondary amenorrhea(16.2% vs 27.2%, p= 0.001) decreased in 1998 compared with those of 1988. The incidence of agonies about menstruation was also decreased in 1998 than in 1988(26.2% vs 69.1%, p=0.001). The most common agony about menstruation in 1988 was irregular cycle(28.4%), but dysmenorrhea( 64.3%) in 1998. CONCLUSIONS: From the above results, the mean age of menarche was advanced since last decade but most of the adolescent girls still have suffered from dysmenorrhea.
Adolescent* ; Body Mass Index ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Menarche ; Menstruation ; Surveys and Questionnaire

No abstract available.
Apoptosis* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc*

In order to discover difference that may exist in quantity of medical care services, length of stay and hospital changes between insured and non-insured patients, records for primary Cesarean section patients discharged between July 1978 and June 1980 from a university hospital were examined. In addition, Cesarean section rates among the total deliveries for a two-year period between the groups were studied. The results showed that volume of services was greater and length of stay was longer among the insured, however, charges were higher among the non-insured. Cesarean section rates were statistically significantly different between insured and non-insured patients for every age group except the group of 35 or more.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Pregnancy

Essential hypertension is an important public health problem in Korea-being common, asymptomatic, easily treatable, and often leading to lethal complication in left untreated. The number of patients with hypertension has been significantly increased, and this factor may be an importnat one responsible for the increase in cardivascular mortality during past 20 years in Korea. As the drug therapy for hypertension needs longer period, it is very important to evaluate the efficacy and the adverse effects. Thirty patients(17 men and 13 womon) with essential hypertension were evaluated in this study. All patients had received oral Isradipine 1.25~2.5mg b.i.d. for 8 weeks. 1) The systolic and diastolic pressure were decreased significantly(166.8+/-9.0mmHg vs 147.3+/-12.0mmHg, p<0.001 and 100.3+/-4.0mmHg vs 90.3+/-6.1mmHg, p<0.001, respectively) 2) Heart rate, body weight, laboratory tests, chest X-ray, ECG studies were not changed significantly. 3) The systolic pressure was lowered by 20mmHg or more in 17 cases(56.7% of total), and the diastolic pressure was lowered by 10mmHg or more in 20 cases(66.7% of total) at 8 weeks after Isradipine administration. 4) The adverse effects of Isradipine were edema in 3(10%), constipation in 2(6.7%), headache in 2(6.7%), and insomnia, dizziness and dry mouth in 1 patient respectively, and none of them discontinued Isradipine administration due to adverse effects. In many patients with essential hypertension there is an effective response to Isradipine, even though there may be some mild adverse effects.
Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Constipation ; Dizziness ; Drug Therapy ; Edema ; Electrocardiography ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Isradipine ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Mouth ; Public Health ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Thorax

Alternaria cassiae Jurair & Khan was recorded on seeds of sickle senna(Cassia tora L.). Seed infection ranged from 25~45% in two samples. Developing roots and shoots turn brown and died in case of severe infection. Detailed descriptions were given on the habit characters of the fungus and on the morphology of conidiophores and condia. This is the first report of A. cassiae on seeds of Cassia.
Alternaria* ; Cassia* ; Fungi ; Korea*

Development of antibody-based cancer therapies will be greatly facilitated if antibodies are better standardized in two fundamental issues that are specificity analysis of antibody reactivity and the detailed biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profile of antibodies. In the current endeavor we attempted to use an antibody binding specificity to target the tumor in a syngeneic carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) tumor model. CEA, a 180 kDa glycoprotein, expressed at high levels on the surface of nearly all tumors of the gastrointestinal tract was used a potential target for antibody immunotherapy of gastrointestinal carcinomas. Using the CEA model antibody-based cancer therapy directed against CEA has been evaluated in a syngeneic animal model of disseminated disease. We constructed mouse/human chimeric anti-CEA IgG3, which has been evaluated for the specificity for CEA and the detailed biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profiles. Anti-CEA IgG3 heavy chain was expressed with the expected 180kDa molecular weight, assembled as H2L2 forms with a co-expressed mouse/human chimeric anti-CEA light chain, and were secreted. On FACS the purified anti-CEA IgG3 specifically recognized the mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line MC-38 transduced with CEA (MCA32a), but not MC 38 without expressing CEA. After subcutaneous injection in C57BL/6 mice the half- lives of anti-CEA IgG3 and an irrelevant anti-dansyl IgG3 showed the bi-phasic kinetic patterns, and their pharmacokinetics of the distribution and the elimination were similar in mice. However, the biodistribution patterns of anti-CEA IgG3 were very different from those of anti-dansyl IgG3. Anti-dansyl IgG3 was mainly distributed into kidney until 72 hours, but anti-CEA IgG3 was slowly rernoved from blood and distributed into liver, kidney, spleen, and tumor. It is note worthy that anti- CEA IgG3 increased in targeting MCA32a tumor expressing human CEA by time, but the targeting to MC38 tumor was negligible. Thus, the increased targeting of anti- CEA IgG3 made MCA32a tumor grow slowly
Adenocarcinoma ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Cell Line ; Colon ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunotherapy ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Kidney ; Liver ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Molecular Weight ; Pharmacokinetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spleen

To generate drug delivery vector to locales in the body, genetic engineering and expression techniques have been used to produce antibody avidin fusion proteins. Chicken avidin has been fused to mouse-human chimeric IgG3 immediately after the hinge with a flexible linker (H-Flex-Av) and at the end of CH2 (CH2-Av). Fusion heavy chains were expressed with the expected molecular weight, assembled as H2L2 forms with a co-expressed light chain, and were secreted. The expression level of H- Flex-Av was 1~10 ug/ml/10(8)/24 hrs, but that of C2-Av was a very little (0.08~0.9 ug/ ml/10(8)/24 hrs). The resulting H-Flex-Av and CH2-Av fusion proteins continued to bind antigen dansyl and also bound biotinylated bovine serum albumin; both H-Flex-Av and CH2-Av had shown to retain 3-4 times higher relative affinity than that of CH3-Av in ELISA. Importantly the fact that both avidin fusion proteins had a higher relative affinity suggests that these avidin fusion proteins can be effectively used to deliver biotinylated ligands such as drugs and peptides to a certain locale, such as the brain.
Avidin ; Biotin* ; Brain ; Chickens ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Engineering ; Immunoglobulin G ; Ligands ; Molecular Weight ; Peptides ; Serum Albumin, Bovine

Plexiform schwannoma is a rare variant of shwannoma, originating from the nerve sheath. It is very impoirtant to differentiate plexiform schwannoma from plexiform neurofibroma, which is pathognomonic of von Reckilnghausen's disease and carries a significant risk of malignant transformation. Plexiform schwannoma is not necessarily associated with von Reckilnghausen's disease and malignant transformation has never been observed. We present a 11-year-old boy who had a nodole on right forearm with tenderness and a tingling sensation. On the histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations, the lesion showed typical features of plexiform schwannoma, The nodule was totally excised under local anesthcsia. Recurrence has not been observed in the six months follow-up period.
Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forearm ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurofibroma, Plexiform ; Recurrence ; Sensation

Calciphylaxsis is a rare and life-threatening condition of progressive cutaneous necrosis secondary to calcification of small and medium-sized blood vessels. It is seen almost exclusively in patients with end-stage renal disease, in a setting of secondary hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia resulting in metastatic vascular calcification, We experienced a case of calciphylaxsis manifested with chara- cteristic cutaneous lesions that began as tender violaceous livedoid discolorations and subsequent ulceration on the proximal aspect of the extremities and on the lower part of the abdomen. Histologically, calcification is found in small and medium-sized blood vessels in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The patient had been treated for hypercalcemia, not complicating renal failure, but the cause of hypercalcemia was not found. However, the hypercalcemia was contolled and the skin lesions also improved after oral prednisolone therapy. Our case is a rare presentation of calciphylaxsis in the absence of renal failure, reversibly improved.
Abdomen ; Blood Vessels ; Dermis ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Necrosis ; Prednisolone ; Renal Insufficiency ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Ulcer ; Vascular Calcification

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides(MF) is a representative of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and progresses through clinical stages, such as initial pre-mycotic(macule or patch), plaque, and tumor stage. Although lesions of plaque and tumor stage show typical features, those of pre-mycotic stage are commonly non-specific that precise diagnosis of early MF remains elusive. OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to elucidate the clinical and histopathologic features of early MF. METARIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 11 cases of MF stage Ia(based on TNM staging system) that visited the department of dermatology at the Seoul National University Hospital for the past decade year(1988-1998). Medical records and biopsy slides were reviewed. RESULTS: The results were as follows : 1. Clinical characteristics: Lesions were relatively well-defined erythematous scaly patches or plaques on lower abdomen, buttocks, proximal extremities or whole body. Clinically initial diagnoses were large plaque parapsoriasis in nine cases and in the remainders, poikiloderma atrophicans vasculare and MF, respectively. Duration of disease ranged from one month to 41 years, averaging 15.2 years. 2. Treatments: Follow-up of 8 patients was continued and all showed partial responses to application of topical steroids or BCNU(carmustine) and PUVA therapy. 3. Histopathologic findings: Epidermotropism was found in all cases and can be the most important pathologic finding, but typical Pautriers microabscesses were found in a few cases. Mild spongiosis was seen in epidermis and superficial perivascular infiltration was the most common finding in dermis. Lichenoid infiltration with epidermal psoriasiform change was found in two cases. Atypism of infiltrating cells was found in all cases and more prominent in epidermis. CONCLUSION: Lesions of early mycosis fungoides were relatively non-specific erythematous patches/plaques but characteristically, patients had relatively long duration of stationary disease status and showed good responses to treatments. Histopathologically, variable degree of epidermotropism was the most constant finding.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Buttocks ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Epidermis ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ; Medical Records ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; Neoplasm Staging ; Parapsoriasis ; PUVA Therapy ; Seoul ; Steroids