OBJECTIVES: In previous researches the measure of quality of life was assessed either by the subjective experience only or by the objective assessment only, but there have been few studies done using both of these measures and the relationship between these two sides. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the subjective experience and the objective assessment of the quality of life in schizophrenic patients and to find out whether the self-rating of these patients is reliable. Also, the relationship between the assessment of the quality of life and the psychopathology of schizophrenia was investigated. METHODS: The subjects are 48 out-patients, from either Yongdong Severance Hospital or Seoul Paik Hospital, whose diagnosis were schizophrenia according to DSM-IV. The standardized Korea version of Quality of Life Scale(K-QOLS) was used for evaluating the objective assessment of quality of life, while both the Korean modification of the Scale to Measure Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptic treatment(KmSWN, 2000) and the Satisfaction of Life Scale(SOL) was used in the evaluation of subjective experience of satisfaction of life. The psychopathology of each patient was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS). The patient underwent all the scales on the same day, and the relationship between each scale were analysed by the Spearman's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The results came out that the total score of PANSS showed negative correlations with the total score of K-QOLS, especially the negative subscale score and the general psychopathology subscale score was correlated more significantly. The total score of KmSWN showed no correlations with neither the total score nor the positive/negative subscale score of PANSS, but the general psychopathology subscale score showed negative correlations with KmSWN significantly. The score of K-QOLS, reflecting the objective assessment, and the score of KmSWN, reflecting the subjective experience, showed positive correlations with each other. But the total score of SOL, reflecting the subjective experience also, showed no correlations with K-QOLS. The score of KmSWN showed positive correlations with the subdomains of interpersonal relations and intrapsychic foundation of K-QOLS, but did not correlate with occuaptional role and daily acitivities. Especially the emotional regulation, the subdomain of KmSWN showed positive correlations with the subscales of K-QOLS. And the subjective and objective quality of life scale both showed negative correlations with the duration of illness and dosages of drugs. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that the more severe the psychopathology, the lower the objective quality of life in out-patients with schizophrenia, and the more severe the general psychopathology, the lower the subjective quality of life. The positive relationships between the subjective measure and the objective measure in quality of life were also proved, suggesting that the self-rating of these patients is reliable. The longer the duration of illness and the higher the dosages of drugs, the lower the quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Psychopathology* ; Quality of Life* ; Schizophrenia* ; Seoul ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Doxorubicin* ; Etoposide* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: We compared c-erbB-2 oncogene amplification and oncoprotein expression, trying to identify the biologic and prognostic significance of c-erbB-2 in adendegrees Carcinoma of the stomach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 43 cases of gastric cancer were analyzed for amplification of c-erbB-2 by differential polymerase chain reaction and for overexpression of gene product by immunohistdegrees Chemistry. RESULTS: The amplification was detected in 13 cases (30%). Enhanced c-erbB-2 immunoreactivity was observed in 30% (13/43) of tumors. Tumors with gene amplification generally stained strongly (p=0.003). Although the frequency of amplification and overexpression of c-erbB-2 was increased with advanced gastric cancer and with lymph node metastasis, this difference was not statistically significant. c-erbB-2 gene amplification or protein overexpression showed a trend toward a better five year survival rate, but this did not reach a statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Amplification and/or overexpression of the c-erbB-2 may be of value in clarifying the biologic characteristics of the human gastric cancer. However, more sensitive and more speci fic methods of identifying gene amplification are needed and the standardization of the staining method as well as guidelines for interpreting the staining result are mandatory for this purpose.
Chemistry ; Gene Amplification ; Genes, erbB-2 ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Population Characteristics ; Proto-Oncogenes ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: Estrogen is beneficial to patients with Alzheimer's disease but has a limited clinical use due to its proliferative and oncogenic effects on non-neuronal estrogen responsive cells. METHODS: In an attempt to find an estrogen substitute that retains the beneficial effects of estrogen with minimal side effects, we compared the neuroprotective and proliferative effects of genistein, a selective estrogen receptor betaagonist, with those of estrogen. RESULTS: Genistein and 17beta-estradiol showed comparable levels of protection against Abeta-induced death of cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, which was blocked by an estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182, 780. On the other hand, 17beta-estradiol, but not geninstein, induced proliferation of uterine endometrial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest genistein as a potential alternative to estrogen in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer Disease ; Cell Death ; Estrogens ; Genistein* ; Hand ; Humans ; Neuroblastoma ; Neuroprotective Agents*

Thirty nine strains and 109 strains of Shigella sonnei were isolated from the outbreaks of Youngchun and Kyungju, respectively, while 15 strains were isolated from sporadic cases of eight regions in Kyungbuk province from September to November in 1998. We investigated the relationship among the S. sonnei strains by using biochemical characteristics, biotyping, antibiotic resistance pattern, and plasmid profile. Among the isolates, seven strains of S. sonnei isolated in Youngchun showed gelatin hydrolyase positive but the others showed gelatin hydrolyase negative. One hundred and fifty two strains were a type, while eleven among thirty nine strains isolated in Youngchun were g type. Antibiotics resistance patterns of S. sonnei strains isolated in Youngchun and Kyungju were significantly different. Thirty nine strains of S. sonnei isolated in Youngchun were resistant to SM, TE, and TMP/SMX, while eighty six of S. sonnei among one hundred and nine strains isolated in Kyungju were resistant to AM, CB, K, SM, TE, and TMP/SMX. Antibiotics resistance patterns of residual twenty three isolates were similar to those of eighty six strains. The Plasmid profiles of strains of S. sonnei isolated from the Kyungju were different from those of S. sonnei strains isolated in Youngchun. The Plasmid profiles of S. sonnei strains isolated from Youngchun were identical to those of a S. sonnei strains randomly selected from the outbreak in Daegu in 1998. The Plasmid profiles of S. sonnei strains isolated from Kyungju were identical to those of two strains of S. sonnei randomly selected from the outbreaks of Kanglung and Wonju in 1998. From the above results, it is considered that the strains of S. sonnei isolated from Kyungju and Youngchun region are not identical clone.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clone Cells ; Daegu ; Disease Outbreaks ; Drug Resistance, Microbial* ; Gangwon-do ; Gelatin ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Plasmids* ; Shigella sonnei* ; Shigella*

BACKGROUND: Two representative groups of family physicians and oncologists were surveyed concerning their knowledge and attitudes toward cancer pain management (CPM). METHODS: A questionnaire, designed to assess knowledge (13 items) and attitudes (6 items) toward CPM, was sent to 2,200 members of Korean Association of Family Medicine and 800 members of Korean Cancer Association. RESULTS: Three hundreds and eighty eight family physicians (17.6%) and one hundred and forty seven oncologists (18.4%) responded and completed the questionnaire. They had inadequate knowledge toward CPM, especially, chance of respiratory depression, tolerance to adverse effect, ceiling effect, risk of addiction, and use of adjuvants. Most of the physicians had positive attitude toward importance of CPM, best judge of pain severity, and priority of CPM but had negative attitude toward concerns about potential problem of addiction and earlier prescription of maximum dose of opioid. Family physicians displayed more lack of knowledge about CPM in 9 of 13 items and more negative attitudes toward 4 of 6 items. Adjustment for demographic characteristics and experiences in cancer patients with pain showed that while family physicians had poor knowledge of tolerance to confusion, they had more adequate knowledge on the effect of antidepressant and had positive attitude towards best judge of pain severity and priority of CPM. Poor knowledge about CPM was rated by 66.3% of physicians as the most important barrier to adequate CPM. CONCLUSION: These findings that most of the physicians had poor knowledge and negative view toward CPM suggest a continuous need for comprehensive education program focused on CPM for physicians.
Education ; Humans ; Korea* ; Pain Management* ; Physicians, Family* ; Prescriptions ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a neoplasm of vascular origin with a low-to-intermediate malignant potential and is one of the rare sarcomas arising from the liver. Its etiology is unknown and its clinical outcome is unpredictable. There is no generally accepted therapeutic strategy because of its rarity and the variable natural course between hemangioma and angiosarcoma. We report a case of a 64-year old woman who underwent hepatic resection due to epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in the right lobe that progressed to extrahepatic metastases of the bone, pleura, and peritoneum 22 months later. However, after resection there was no primary hepatic recurrence.
Bone Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/secondary ; Female ; Hemangioendothelioma, Epithelioid/*diagnosis/pathology/*secondary ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/secondary ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) is a combination of endocrine tumor associations and consists of 3 types: 1, 2A and 2B. Herein, we report a case of insulinoma which is combined with pheochromocytoma discovered at the left adrenal gland which was treated by surgical resection. We think there is a possibility of a new type of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN).
Adrenal Glands ; Insulinoma* ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia ; Pheochromocytoma*

BACKGROUND: Many studies about unilateral cerebellar infarctions (UCI) have been reported to delineate the clinical findings and stroke mechanisms but have not been studied extensively in acute bilateral cerebellar infarctions (BCI). In order to evaluate the neurological features and mechanisms of BCI, we compared those between BCI and UCI. METHODS: Using diffusion-weighted imaging, we divided 103 patients with acute cerebellar infarctions into two groups: BCI and UCI. Clinical features, outcome and their mechanisms were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Among the 103 patients, 45 patients (44%) had BCI and the remaining 58 patients had UCI. The PICA territory was the most frequently involved site in both groups, and 15 patients were non-territorial infarctions. Clinical symptoms and signs were not different between the groups, however, most patients with decreased mentality had BCI (86%) and also had concomitant lesions outside the cerebellum (72%). Patients with BCI showed poorer prognosis than UCI (modified Rankin score, 1.41 and 2.87 respectively). Other factors included the presence of concomitant lesiona outside the cerebellum, however, mass effect did not affect their prognosis. The main cause of BCI was large artery disease (57%), whereas about half of the patients with UCI (51%) had no demonstrable cause of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Owing to its poorer outcome and its higher frequency of demonstrable causes of stroke, more intensive work-up, such as vascular study, may be warranted in the patients with acute BCI.
Arteries ; Cerebellum ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pica ; Prognosis ; Stroke

Afferent loop syndrome is a rare complication of gastrojejunostomy. Patients usually present with abdominal distention and bilious avomiting. Afferent loop syndrome in patients who have undergone a pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy can present with ascending cholangitis. This condition is related to a large volume of reflux through the biliary-enteric anastomosis and static materials with bacterial overgrowth in the afferent loop. Patients with afferent loop syndrome after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy frequently cannot be confirmed as surgical candidates due to poor medical condition. In that situation, a non-surgical palliation should be considered. Herein, we report two patients with afferent loop syndrome presenting with obstructive jaundice and ascending cholangitis. The patients suffered from the recurrence of pancreatic cancer after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. The diagnosis of afferent loop syndrome was confirmed, and the patients were successfully treated by inserting an endoscopic metal stent using a colonoscopic endoscope.
Afferent Loop Syndrome ; Cholangitis ; Endoscopes ; Gastric Bypass ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Pylorus ; Recurrence ; Stents