Osteocalcin is the major noncollagenous protein of the bone matrix and has been described as a sensitive marker reflecting bone turn-over rate. It's believed to play a role in the process of mineralization. The level of osteocalcin is considered to be influenced by other calcium regulating hormones. To obtain the normal value of osteocalcin in Korean young adults and to clarify the usefulness of osteocalcin as a marker reflecting bone turn-over in suspicious disuse-osteporotic patient, author measured the level of osteocalcin by radioimmunoassay. The results are; 1. The mean circulation osteocalcin level in healthy young adults was 4.43+ 1.09ng/ml. 2. In normal Korean male, the serum osteocalcin level was 4.38±1.16ng/ml and in normal Korean female, 4.48±1.02ng/ml. There was no significant difference in both sexes, but the serum osteocalcin level in female reveals some tendency of elevation when compared with male. 3. In suspicious disuse-osteoporotic patients, the mean serum osteocalcin level was 4.21±1.30ng/ml and this result shows no difference from that of normal young adults. 4. The level of osteocalcin measured in the normal young Korean adults shows no difference from the prerecorded INC level measured in the Western people. 5. In conclusion, the normal value of osteocalcin in normal young Korean adults is similar that of western people, and the measurement of osteocalcin in suspicious disuse-osteoporotic patients could not be used as a sensitive marker reflecting bone turn-over.
Adult ; Bone Matrix ; Calcium ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Miners ; Osteocalcin ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reference Values ; Young Adult

Because of the frequent misdiagnosis of the carpal injury, the orthopedic surgeon must know the mechanism of injury and exact radiological interpretation. We had encountered 114 cases of carpal injury, in which carpal fracture, carpal dislocation and instability were analysed by radiological examination. The following results were obtained: 1. In 75 carpal bone fractures, the most common fracture was scaphoid fracture (64 cases), the next com- mon one was triangular fracture (4 cases). 2. Among the 64 scaphoid fractures, the waist portion was the most frequent site (45 cases) and the least was tubercle fracture (2 cases). 3. Of the carpal bone fractures, the fresh fracture was 48 cases (64%) and old one was 27 cases (36%), these showed sclerosis, cystic change, and degenerative change in radiological examination. 4. In 14 carpal dislocations, perilunar dislocation was 2.5 times move common than lunate dislocation, and the trans-scaphoid perilunar dislocation was the most common dislocation. 5. Carpal instability was 25 cases. These were dorsiflexion instability, navicular rotary subluxation, and pal- mar-flexion instability. The most common instability was dorsiflexion instability.
Carpal Bones ; Classification ; Diagnostic Errors ; Dislocations ; Incidence ; Orthopedics ; Sclerosis ; Wrist

70 cases free fiap were performed from March 1978 to July 1985. The donor fiap were dorsalis pedis flap in 34 cases, groin flap in 8 cases, osteocutaeous flap in 3 cases, gracilis flap in 17 cases, and latissimus dorsi flap in 8 cases respectively. The success rate was 90% in total including partial success. The causes of failure were 2 cases infection necrosis, and 1 case kinking of drain vessel. The gracilis and latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap were very satisfactory method for the reconstruction of the upper extremity flexion power, especially in the case of Volkmann's ischemic contracture. The neurovascular dorsalis pedis flap was regarded as excellent method for the heel pad reconstruction, and tactile sensation reconstruction of the hand.
Free Tissue Flaps ; Groin ; Hand ; Heel ; Humans ; Ischemic Contracture ; Methods ; Microsurgery ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Necrosis ; Sensation ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Tissue Donors ; Upper Extremity

Animal experiment was carried out to measure the physiologic changes of thoracic or thoracolumbar spine that occurred as a result of electrical stimulation, and to evaluate the usefulness of electrical stimulation as a possible treatment for scoliosis. Unilateral electrical stimulations were applied to the back muscle of immature rabbits.They were subgrouped into medial, intermediate, and lateral muscle stimulated groups in order to observe the effects of various electrode placements. The radiograms were taken every other week to observe the changes of the spinal curvatures for the period of 12 weeks. The histological studies of the muscles, which were obtained from the stimulated(right) and the nonstimulated(left) sides at the same level, also were carried out to determine the response of the muscles to the electrical stimulation. The results were as follows. l. A significant scoliotic curvature was observed two weeks after electrical stimulation, and those curvatures did not change more for the next six weeks in spite of prolonged stimulation. 2. Scoliotic curvature induced by electrical stimulation for eight weeks remained unchanged for another four weeks after stopping stimulation. 3. There were no statistical differences in the induced scoliotic curvature among the three groups stimulated at different sites of the medial, intermediate, and lateral regions respectively. 4. A prolonged unilateral electrical stimulation could induce the scoliosis, and may be used as a method for treatment of scoliosis.
Animal Experimentation ; Back Muscles ; Electric Stimulation ; Electrodes ; Methods ; Muscles ; Scoliosis ; Spinal Curvatures ; Spine

Although some reports have been published on the protective effect of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii surface membrane proteins, few address the inhibitory activity of antibodies to dense granular proteins (GRA proteins). Therefore, we performed a series of experiments to evaluate the inhibitory effects of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to GRA proteins (GRA2, 28 kDa; GRA6, 32 kDa) and surface membrane protein (SAG1, 30 kDa) on the invasion of T. gondii tachyzoites. Passive immunization of mice with one of three mAbs following challenge with a lethal dose of tachyzoites significantly increased survival compared with results for mice treated with control ascites. The survival times of mice challenged with tachyzoites pretreated with anti-GRA6 or anti-SAG1 mAb were significantly increased. Mice that received tachyzoites pretreated with both mAb and complement had longer survival times than those that received tachyzoites pretreated with mAb alone. Invasion of tachyzoites into fibroblasts and macrophages was significantly inhibited in the anti-GRA2, anti-GRA6 or anti-SAG1 mAb pretreated group. Pretreatment with mAb and complement inhibited invasion of tachyzoites in both fibroblasts and macrophages. These results suggest that specific antibodies to dense-granule molecules may be useful for controlling infection with T. gondii.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Antigens, Protozoan ; Female ; Fibroblasts/parasitology ; Host-Parasite Relations ; Immunization, Passive ; Macrophages/parasitology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Protozoan Proteins/*immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxoplasma/*pathogenicity ; Toxoplasmosis/parasitology/*therapy

Internal hernia is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction, accounting for 1%. The most common cause of internal hernia is left paraduodenal hernia (PDH), which causes acute or recurrent abdominal pain. Due to its nonspecific symptoms, diagnosis of PDH by physical examination is difficult. PDH in children is rarely reported. A 3-year-old-child presented with acute abdominal pain associated with multiple episodes of vomiting. He came to the emergency room three times with abdominal pain. Left PDH was identified by computed tomography. He was taken to the operating room. However cardiac arrest occurred during anesthesia, and he expired. Due to the rarity of PDH in children, it is difficult to consider it as a cause of recurrent abdominal pain. Therefore, considering the possibility of PDH in children with acute or recurrent abdominal pain is recommended.
Abdomen, Acute ; Abdominal Pain ; Anesthesia ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Heart Arrest ; Hernia* ; Hernia, Abdominal ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Operating Rooms ; Physical Examination ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of four different sequences : moderately T2 weighted, two heavily T2-weighted single shot turbo spin-echo sequence and breath-hold axial-2D balanced turbo field-echo sequence(bFFE) for characterization of focal lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the 3-month period between June and August 2005, seventy-six patients were proved to have ninety-three focal hepatic lesions on MR imaging. The patients consisted of 49 men and 27 women (age range, 15-75 years; mean age, 56.23 years). All MR images were acquired on a 1.5-T MR using the following sequences: 1. A breath-hold axial T2-weighted single shot turbo spin-echo sequence, 2. a breath-hold axial-2D balanced turbo field-echo sequence. Two radiologists performed quantitative analysis. Another radiologist measured the lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio at the region-of-interest in the four sequences. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in inter-observer variability between the four sequences. The accuracy for both cyst and malignancy of moderate T2 weighted MRI (echo time: 80 msec) was also highest. There was significant difference for lesion characterization between moderate T2 weighted MRI and balanced steady state procession (p-value: 0.004) in the second reader. For longer echo time, the CNR of cystic lesions were markedly increased in comparison to lesions of other component. CONCLUSION: The accuracy and inter-observer variability of single shot turbo spin echo T2 weighted sequence was higher than bFFE. Although there was no statically significant difference, moderate T2 weighted MRI (echo time: 80 msec) was more accurate than heavily T2 weighted sequence (echo time: 300 msec). If the results for lesion characterization is equivocal in TE 80, the addition of heavily T2 weighted MRI (echo time: 180 msec) can be helpful.
Female ; Humans ; Liver* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Observer Variation

In order In interpret the relationship among many variables, urinary mercury and at the same time mercury concentration in air were measured for 254 workers of a fluorescent lamp manufacturing factory. And monthly mercury consumption amounts, numbers of monthly producing fluorescent lamps, numbers of inferior lamps and numbers of breakage lamps, numbers of vacuum exhaustion pumps and frequencies of mercury infusion were also investigated from January 1988 to March in 1989. The results were as follows; 1. On the mercury concentration in air by producing line and by working site, all of them were exceed the threshold limit value (0.05mg/m(2)). 2. The highest mercury concentration in air by sampling point was found at the floor of workplace (0.334mg/m(2)) and next were at vacuum exhaustion pimp (0.183mg/m(2)), and breathing zone of workers (0.103mg/m(2)) in order. 3. The highest mean of the mercury concentration in urine by producing line was the automatic exhausting line (80.8microgram/1) and next were high speed exhausting line (72.4microgram/1), and Manual exhausting line (35.8microgram/1) in order. Distribution of workers of the mercury concentration in urine more than 200microgram/1 by working site was the highest (10%) in the vacuum exhaustion pump part and next were sealing part (6.6%), packing part (4.6%), and stem part (4.1%) in order. 4. The correlation coefficient between mercury concentration in urine and in air was the highest (0.302) and next were numbers of breakage lamps (0.223), frequencies of mercury infusion (0.223), numbers of inferior lamps (0.205) in order.
Respiration ; Vacuum

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical and imaging findings of tubular carcinoma of the breast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the clinical and imaging findings of ten lesions of pathologically proven tubular carcinoma in nine patients, also evaluating the mammographic findings and categorizing the mass according to the ACR BI-RADS classification. The ultrasonographic findings were assessed in terms of shape, echogenicity, margin and posterior shadowing, and in four cases the size of nodules at physical examination was compared with the mammographic, ultrasonographic and pathologic findings. RESULTS: Nine lesions were palpable at physical examination. Bilateral tubular carcinoma of the breast was found in one patient, and unilateral single lesions in the others. There was no metastasis and no death within an average of 666 (range, 163) days of surgery. At mammography, masses were detected in six cases; the features, observed were a lobular or irregular shape (6/6), a spiculated margin (3/6) and high density (5/6). Ultrasonography showed that all unilateral lesions were hypoechoic (8/8), with a lesion height-to-width ratio of greater than 1.0 in seven of these, an ill-defined margin in sis, and posterior acoustic shadowing in seven. Mean nodule diameter was 1.17 cm at physical examination, 1.09 cm at mammography, 0.86 cm at ultrasonography and 0.80 cm at pathological evaluation. CONCLUSION: Most tubular carcinomas were palpable in spite of their small size, and their postoperative prognosis was good. Ultrasonography is useful in the detection of mammographically occult tubular carcinoma and for measuring the size of lesions.
Acoustics ; Adenocarcinoma* ; Breast* ; Classification ; Humans ; Mammography ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Physical Examination ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the results of different agents for bronchial artery embolization of hemoptysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 1992 to December 2006, a bronchial artery embolization was performed on 430 patients with hemoptysis. The patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 included 74 patients treated with a gelfoam particle (1x1x1 mm), while group 2 comprised of 205 patients treated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) at 355-500 micrometer, and group 3 included 151 patients treated with PVA at 500-710 micrometer. We categorized the results as technical and clinical successes, and also included the mid-term results. Retrospectively, the technical success was compared immediately after the procedure. The clinical success and mid-term results (percentage of patients who were free of hemoptysis) were compared at 1 and 12 months after the procedure, respectively. RESULTS: Neither the technical successes (group 1; 85%, 2; 85%, 3; 90%) nor the clinical successes (group 1; 72%, 2; 74%, 3; 71%) showed a significant difference among the 3 groups (p > 0.05). However, the mid-term results (group 1; 45%, 2; 63%, 3; 62%) and mid-term results excluding the recurrence from collateral vessels in each of the groups (group 1; 1 patient, 2; 4 patients, 3; 2 patients) showed that group 1 was lower than the other two groups (p < 0.05). No significant difference was discovered for the mid-term results between groups 2 and 3. Moreover, the same results not including incidences of recurrence from collateral vessels also showed no statistical significance between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Polyvinyl alcohol appears to be the more optimal modality compared to gelfoam particle for bronchial artery embolization in order to improve the mid-term results. The material size of PVA needs to be selected to match with the vascular diameter.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Angiography ; *Bronchial Arteries ; Embolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Female ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable/*therapeutic use ; Hemoptysis/etiology/radiography/*therapy ; Hemostatics/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyvinyl Alcohol/*therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome