BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There has been much need for standard normal values of echocardiographic indices in Korea. Echocardiography Council of the Korean Society of Circulation performed multicenter trial for estimation of normal values of echocardiographic indices. METHOD: In 19 university or general hospitals, echocardiographic specialists measured frequently used echocardiographic indices with the same method in healthy people. The measured indices were 36 items which involved M-mode, 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic parameters. All the results were recorded on video tapes and reviewed by the review committee. The results were included for analysis only if the review committee accepted them. RESULTS: Total 371 healthy people were included. There were 189 women. Their age ranged from 3rd decades to 8th decades. Complete measurement of all the indices was done in 225 people. Left ventricular wall thickness, aorta size, left atrial size and left ventricular mass in M-mode echocardiographic measurement changed significantly with the increase of age(p<0.005). In 2-dimensional echocardiographic examination, sinotubular junction diameter of the aorta, anteroposterior & superoinferior diameters of left atrium, both ventricular outflow tract diameter and main pulmonary artery diameter changed with the increase of age(p<0.01). Diastolic dysfunction became prominent with the increase of age in Doppler examination. CONCLUSION: We conclude that these data could be used as the standard criteria for echocardiographic examination in Korea. However, age factor should be considered when they are applied because many echocardiographic indices change significantly with the increase of age.
Advisory Committees ; Age Factors ; Aorta ; Echocardiography* ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Reference Values* ; Specialization

No abstract available.
Pancreatitis, Chronic*

The authors present seven cases of Democidiosis in rosacea type and the subject of human demodetic infestation has been reviewed. According to our experience, demodex folliculorum, although a normal inhabitant of the sebaceous glands in small numbers, when encouraged to multiply by the patients excessive use of facial cream and avoidance of soap, can produce democidiosis. The diagnosis was easily confirmed by characteristic clinical appearance and simple microscopy. The characteristie clinical appearances are indurated non-comedous papules and pustules with unique cherry pinkish red erythema. The response to treatment, consisting of daily soap and water cleansing of the face, followed by the local application of a suitable antiparasitic remedies is simple and gratifying. But the erythema was not respond to antiparasitic preparation.
Diagnosis ; Erythema ; Humans ; Microscopy ; Prunus ; Rosacea* ; Sebaceous Glands ; Soaps ; Water

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Muscle, Smooth* ; Renin* ; Renin-Angiotensin System*

Herpes zoster is generally believed to be caused by the activation of varicella-zoster virus present in the body since an original infection with varicella. According to the thesis, the virus remairis in a latent state in the cells of the sensory ganglia until immunity has waned sufficiently to pezmit multiplication of the virus and clinical infection. There are a number of reports that in patient with malignant disease, especially Jymphoma, a frequenry af association of zoster is greater and severity of its symptom is increased to be marked contrast to the benign uneventful course of zoster seen in healthy person. The author observed one case of zoster seen in patient with malignant disorder, and frequency of association of zoster in malignant disease and its etiological factors are reviewed in the literature.
Chickenpox ; Ganglia, Sensory ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin*

BACKGROUND: Platelet function is directly influenced by lipoproteins, and platelets from hypercholesterolemic patients display increased reactivity which is related to initiation, progression, and development of thromboembolic complications in atherosclerosis. But the exact mechanism of this effect is unclear. METHODS: In this study, total and activated numbers of platelet glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa were evaluated in twenty patients (7 men; age, 55.4+/-8.7 years) with hypercholesterolemia (plasma total cholesterol level over 240 mg/dL and normal triglyceride level) and twenty one subjects (8 men; 51.1+/-13.7 years) with normal plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Flow cytometry was used to detect the binding of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated anti-CD41 or PAC1 to platelet Gp IIb<1/4>/<1/4>IIIa in whole blood. When whole blood was incubated with PAC1, platelets were also activated with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or thrombin. RESULTS: PAC1 was more bound to unstimulated platelets from patients with hypercholesterolemia (p<0.005), and binding of PAC1 correlated significantly with plasma total cholesteol (r=0.48, p=0.002) and LDL-cholesterol (r=0.47, p=0.002) levels. Binding of PAC1 to unstimulated platelets increased as binding of anti-CD41 increased (r=0.40, p=0.01). On multivariate linear regression analysis, plasma total cholesterol level and binding of anti-CD41 were independent variables that determined binding of PAC1. After ADP- or thrombin-stimulation, binding of PAC1 to platelets and percentage of antibody positive cells were also greater in patients with hypercholesterolemia (p<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between mean platelet volume and binding of anti-CD41 to unstimulated platelets (r=0.46, p<0.0050), but the latter was not different between hypercholesterolemia and control groups. CONCLUSION: Unstimulated platelets from patients with hypercholesterolemia had similar total number of Gp IIb/IIIa to those from control subjects, but had more activated Gp IIb/IIIa. After ADP- or thrombin-stimulation, platelet Gp IIb/IIIa was also more activated under hypercholesterolemia.
Adenosine Diphosphate ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Platelets* ; Cholesterol ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescein ; Glycoproteins* ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Linear Models ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Mean Platelet Volume ; Plasma ; Thrombin ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Regular aerobic exercise plays a role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but the risk of primary cardiac arrest transiently increases during vigorous exercise, particularly in sedentary men. There has been a controversy regarding the effect of exercise on platelet functional behavior, which is related to the pathogenesis of coronary ischemia. We evaluated the cytoplasmic free calcium concentration of platelets in healthy men after treadmill exercise. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Five physically active (group I: age, 24.2+/-2.3 years) and five sedentary men (group II: age, 22.4+/-1.4 years) were included in this study. Platelet calcium was measured with fluorescent dye, quin2 before and after treadmill exercise. RESULTS: Platelet calcium levels were increased from 86.8+/-11.8 nM to 128.8+/-15.0 nM in group I (p<0.05) and from 102.6+/-14.4 nM to 162.4+/-26.5 nM in group II (p<0.05) immediately after exercise. Thereafter, platelet calcium levels were decreased in group I, but continuously increased in group II. At fifteen minutes after exercise, platelet calcium concentrations were significantly higher than baseline values in group II (205.8+/-53.9 nM vs 102.6+/-14.4 nM: p<0.05), but not in group I (115.2+/-15.7 nM vs 86.8+/-11.8 nM). CONCLUSION: Cytoplasmic free calcium concentration in platelets were continuosly increased after treadmill exercise in sedentary men but not in physically active men.
Blood Platelets* ; Calcium* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cytoplasm* ; Exercise ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Male*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Regular aerobic exercise plays a role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but the risk of primary cardiac arrest transiently increases during vigorous exercise, particularly in sedentary men. There has been a controversy regarding the effect of exercise on platelet functional behavior, which is related to the pathogenesis of coronary ischemia. We evaluated the cytoplasmic free calcium concentration of platelets in healthy men after treadmill exercise. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Five physically active (group I: age, 24.2+/-2.3 years) and five sedentary men (group II: age, 22.4+/-1.4 years) were included in this study. Platelet calcium was measured with fluorescent dye, quin2 before and after treadmill exercise. RESULTS: Platelet calcium levels were increased from 86.8+/-11.8 nM to 128.8+/-15.0 nM in group I (p<0.05) and from 102.6+/-14.4 nM to 162.4+/-26.5 nM in group II (p<0.05) immediately after exercise. Thereafter, platelet calcium levels were decreased in group I, but continuously increased in group II. At fifteen minutes after exercise, platelet calcium concentrations were significantly higher than baseline values in group II (205.8+/-53.9 nM vs 102.6+/-14.4 nM: p<0.05), but not in group I (115.2+/-15.7 nM vs 86.8+/-11.8 nM). CONCLUSION: Cytoplasmic free calcium concentration in platelets were continuosly increased after treadmill exercise in sedentary men but not in physically active men.
Blood Platelets* ; Calcium* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cytoplasm* ; Exercise ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Male*

The medial collateral ligament(MCL) of the knee is the well established secondary restraint to the anterior displacement of the knee joint. However, there has been no report about the estimation of the anterior displacement in combined ACL(anterior collateral ligament) and MCL injures according to period when they were treated with conservative measures. This prospective study evaluated the changes of anterior displacement over time in combined ACL/MCL injury as the MCL injury heals after initial conservative measures. 19 patients who had combined ACL/MCL injury were followed during twelve months after injury. All patient had a positive Lachman test and were evaluated the side to side differences on KT-2000 knee arthrometer(Medmetric, San Diego, California) testing under 20 Ibs anterior tibial loading at 30 degree knee flexion. The stability of the knee was assessed using KT-2000 knee arthrometer every 8 weeks with clinical examination prospectively. They were treated with CI (Combined instability) brace (Smith & Nephew, Carlsbad, California) as conservative measures. Overall, Initial side to side difference of the anterior displacement was averaged 5.21mm (range,4.0-7.0mm) and 3.30mm (range,2.0-5.5mm) finally. According to the classification of MCL injury, in Grade III groups, they had the greatest initial anterior displacement about 6.4mm, but tight- ened the most to 3.08mm finally. In Grade II and Grade I groups they showed 2.97mm and 2.13mm side to side difference (p>0.01). However in Grade I, the anterior displacement were decreased by 4 months after injury but, it were increased at 6 months after injury. In Grade II and III, the decrement of the anterior displacement were continued by 6 months after injury, but they were not changed after that. The data was analyzed by General Linear Model Procedure method. Conclusively, the anterior displacement of knee in patients with combined ACL/MCL injury was diminished with the time in the majority of patients as the MCL healed. It means that the MCL was the stabilizer to the anterior displacement of the knee under the anterior tibial loading.
Braces ; Classification ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Knee* ; Linear Models ; Prospective Studies