This study was performed to investigate the heavy metal contents of freshwater fishes. The samples of 24 species were collected at 7 areas located on the Mankyung River during September in 1987. And then the contents of lead, cadmium, copper and zine were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results were summarized as follows ; 1. The mean value of lead, cadmium, and copper contents of fishes collected in the downstream were significantly higher than those of upstream. 2. The mean lead content of C. auratus was the highest 1.50+/-0.98 microgram/g in viscera and statistically significant difference from muscle content. 3. The mean cadmium content of C. auratus was the highest 0.087+/-0.054 microgram/g and significantly higher than that of muscle, skeleton and gill. 4. In the copper contents, the viscera of C. auratus was the highest 5.25+/-0.94 microgram/g and significantly higher than that of muscle, skeleton and gill. 5. The mean value of zinc content of C. auratus was shown the order of gill, skeleton, viscera and muscle.
Absorption ; Animals ; Cadmium ; Copper ; Fishes* ; Fresh Water* ; Gills ; Rivers* ; Skeleton ; Viscera ; Zinc

PURPOSE:Obesity is associated with complications such as unfavorable lipid profiles, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertension. We investigated the degree of obesity, especially defined as BMI and the percentage of overweight for the standard weight (%Wt) on plasma lipid levels and insulin resistance in the pediatric age group. METHODS:In this cross sectional study, 64 children and adolescents were included. Anthropometric data including body weight, height, BMI, %Wt, fat percentage of body weight (Fat%), and waist to hip ratio (WHR) were collected. For metabolic data, 14 hour fasting serum glucose, insulin and lipid profiles were measured and index for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, FGIR) were calculated. We analyzed if there exist relationship between each anthropometric data and metabolic data. Gender differences were also assessed. RESULTS:Hyperinsulinemia showed high prevalence in obese children (total=21.9%, male=22.5%, female= 20.8%). HOMA-IR correlated with BMI and %Wt (BMI:r=0.308, P<0.05; %Wt:r=0.414, P<0.05). FGIR also correlated with BMI and %Wt (BMI:r=-0.406, P<0.05; %Wt:r=-0.437, P<0.05). Fasting serum triglyceride levels showed statistically significant correlation with BMI and %Wt [Boys (BMI:r=0.334, P<0.05; %Wt: r=0.487, P<0.05), Girls (BMI:r=0.482, P<0.05; %Wt:0.406, P<0.05)]. CONCLUSION: BMI and %Wt were valuable for predicting insulin resistance and triglyceride level. Sexual dimorphism related to insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in obese children was not certain in this study.
Adolescent ; Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Child* ; Dyslipidemias ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Hypertension ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Triglycerides ; Waist-Hip Ratio

We reviewed twelve cases of congenital dislocation of the knee(CDK) which treated at Keimyung University from January 1992 to January 1997. All case were type II dislocation according to classification suggested by Ferris and reduced with minimal treatment. Dislocation were reduced within 4 days in minimum after treatment and 3 weeks in maximum. The period of follow up ranged from 6 months to 5 years. Clinical results were good. Early diagnosis followed by conservative treatment is important and enough to treatment of the type II congenital dislocation of the knee.
Classification ; Dislocations* ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Knee*

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies demonstrated that genistein induced the decrease of proliferation and apoptosis in a variety of cells. However, there is no report about the effect of genistein on proliferation and demise of mast cells. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate genistein-induced aoptosis of mast cells as it pertains to both its basic drug mechanism and the potential therapeutics of the pathologic conditions accompanying mast cell proliferation. METHODS: p815 murine mastcytoma cell line was used to assess the effects of genistein treatment including viability and proliferation, morphlolgic study, DNA electrophoresis, the effect of caspase inhibitor, western blotting, and mitochondrial event. RESULTS: Genistein indeced many apoptotic manifestations as evidenced by changes in cell morphology, generation of DNA fragmentation, activation of caspase 3, and DNA hypoploidy. The reduction of mitochondrial membrae potential and the release of cytochrome c to cytosol were also demonstrated. However, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release were not prevented by caspase inhibitors zVAD-fmk and BocD.fmk, or PTP(permeability transition pore) blockers such as bongkrekic acid and cyclosporin A. CONCLUSIONS: This in vitro study suggests that pathologic increases in mast cell number possibly be regulated in vivo by therapeutic strategy enhancing apoptosis by treatment of genistein.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Bongkrekic Acid ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase Inhibitors ; Cell Line ; Cyclosporine ; Cytochromes c ; Cytosol ; DNA ; DNA Fragmentation ; Electrophoresis ; Genistein ; Mast Cells ; Mastocytoma* ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of sympathetic block in management of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD); renamed complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) Type I, according to the duration of RSD, and to evaluate predictable factors responding to sympathetic block in patients suffering from RSD. METHODS: Prospectively designed this study was divided thirty patients with upper extremity RSD into three groups according to the duration of RSD; Group I (< or = 3 months), Group II (4 to 6 months) and Group III (>or = 7 months). All patients were received repeated stellate ganglion blocks (SGB) with 12 ml of 0.2% bupivacaine by paratracheal approach. We compared the therapeutic effects of SGB between the groups and the clinical signs on initial examination to receive the first SGB at pain clinic. RESULTS: Response rates to SGB were 84.6% in Group I, 62.5% in Group II and 44.4% in Group III. The early treatment less than 6 months was better prognosis (p<0.05). Presence of edema (p<0.001), temperature differences between both hands (hot>cold>no difference, p<0.001), and allodynia (p<0.05) were favorable prognostic factors responding to sympathetic block. Especially, warm skin and edema in RSD were near-perfect predictors of sympathetic blocks. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that SGB is effective in management of upper extremity RSD, and the duration and the clinical signs of RSD are important to the prognosis and responsibility to sympathetic block. If patients suffering from RSD visit pain clinic before 6 months, and they have edematous warm hands with allodynia, majority of them will be improved from their pain after sympathetic block.
Bupivacaine ; Edema ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Pain Clinics ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy* ; Reflex* ; Skin ; Stellate Ganglion* ; Upper Extremity*

To evaluate the risk factors affecting mortality in blunt abdominal injury we prospectively analysed 149 abdominal traumatic patients, who were performed laparotomy in 84 cases and conservative management in 65 cases, from January 1st. 1995 to September 30th. 1996. The liver was most frequently injured intraabdominal organ(46.3%), followed by spleen(32.9%), kidney(23.5%), small intestine(16.1%) and mesentery(13.4%). Mortality rate was 19.5%. The cause of death was hemorrhagic shock and its complications in 11 cases, craniocerebral injuries in 7 cases, pulmonary complications in 6 cases, and septic shock in 5 cases. The presence of hypotension(less than 90mmHg), head trauma(above 3 in severity code of abbreviated injury scale(AIS)) and chest trauma(hemothorax and/or pneumothorax) was associated with a high mortality rate(88.9%), but the mortality rate for the patients neither hypotension nor head and chest trauma was very low(1.8%). The mortality in the blunt abdominal injuries was highly influenced by hypotension, head injury and multiple intraabdominal injuries(p<0.05). Of the above influencing risk factors, the associated head injury was the most powerful determinant in the prognosis in the patients of blunt abdominal injuries.
Abdominal Injuries ; Cause of Death ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Head ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Laparotomy ; Liver ; Mortality* ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; Shock, Septic ; Thorax

Primary leiomyosarcomas are extremely rare. Its clinical configuration is a round to oval, more or less hemispherical elevation of the skin, but the appearance of these lesion is not distinctive so that the diagnosis is established by the histopathologic findings. Microscopically the cutaneous leiornyosarcomas consist of a poorly delineated proliferation of spindle shaped atypical myomatous cells arranged in interlacing fascicles which merge into collagenous stroma. We experienced a case of primary cutaneous leiornyosarcoma which developed as a hen egg sized tumor on the left shin in a 71-year-old woman and present this case with the review of literatures.
Aged ; Collagen ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Ovum ; Skin

No abstract available.
Animals ; Carnitine* ; Heart* ; Myocardium* ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the usefulness of exercise echocardiography in diagnosis of coronary artery disease and to compare it with exercise ECG test. METHOD: We performed exercise test in 48 patients who suffered from angina-like chest pain, according to the modified Bruce protocol. During exercise, we observed the ECG changes and recored the images of left ventricular wall motion before and after exercise on the video tape. The echocardiogram were digitally stored and displayed in a format that allowed simultaneous analysis of rest and stress images. Newly developed left ventricular wall motion abnormalities were determined as positive findings. RESULTS: The feasibility of exercise echocardiography was 75%. The sensitivity and specificity fo exercise ECG test was 67% and 89%. The sensitivity and specificity of exercise echocardiography was 85% and 100%. The sensitivity of ECG and echocardiography was 50%(7 of 14) and 78.6%(11 of 14) in those with one-vessle disease and 84.6%(11 of 13) and 92.3%(12 fo 13) in those with multi-vessle disease. CONCLUSION: Exercise stress echocardiography was very usefull method for detecting the coronary artery disease especially in single vessle disease. And it had much higher accuracy than the stress ECG test.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis* ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Stress* ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity