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: The erythemal response of the skin to UVB radiation is used as a diagnostic phototest and guideline to phototherapy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the UVB-induced MEDs to the back, arm, and thigh skin METHODS: A sunlight fluorescenct lamp(Waldmann UV 7001K) was used as a UVB radiation source. The back, arm, and thigh skin were irradiated with the dose, from 40mJ/cm2 to 180mJ/cm2. The minimal doses for erythema responses to the skin were assessed visually at 24 hours after irradiation. RESULTS: MEDs of the back, arm and thigh skin were 92.6 +/- 17.3mJ/cm2(mean +/- S.D.), 123.0 +/- 24.2mJ/cm2, and 126.6+/- 28.3mJ/cm2, respectively. The most frequent MED was 100mJ/cm2 for the back skin and 120mJ/cm' for the arm skin and thigh skin. CONCLUSION: In this study, UVB-induced MEDs to the back, arm, and thigh skin in young adult Koreans were assessed. A significant difference in the MED was found between the back and extremities skin, with a lower value for the back skin(92.6 +/- 17.3mJ/cm2) than for the arm skin(123.0 +/- 24.2mJ/cm2) or for the thigh skin(126.6 +/- 28.3mJ/cm2).
Arm ; Erythema* ; Extremities* ; Humans ; Phototherapy ; Skin* ; Sunlight ; Thigh ; Young Adult*

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

No abstract available.
Humans

For the more practical and convenient application of the Tzanck test, we evaluated several staining methods and cytological findings 98 cases of vesicobullous skin diseases. Fixation by air-drying of specimen aad modified Giemsa staining method were thought to be the most appropriate procedure in clinical use. The disease studied were chickenpox, herpes zoster & simplex, contact dermatitis, Id reaction, tinea pedis, urticaria pigmentosa, incontinentia pigmenti, farnilial benign pemphigus, hand-foot-mouth disease, erytherna multiforme, toxic epiderrzal necrolysis, fixed drug eruption, and septic vesicle. Among these, herpes and chickenpox vesicles shawed the most characteristic and specific findings. And degenerating giant cell could be added as an useful diagnostic marker for these diseases in relatively old lesions. In the other diseases, cytological findings were neither charcteristic nor specific. But these findings suggested the possibility of picking up useful findings by more elaborated study including more large number of cases.
Azure Stains ; Chickenpox ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Drug Eruptions ; Giant Cells ; Herpes Zoster ; Incontinentia Pigmenti ; Pemphigus ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin* ; Tinea Pedis ; Urticaria Pigmentosa

BACKGROUND: It is now well known that oxygen free radicals act as mediators of cellular injury in many cardiovascular diseases. Although some evidences have been presented for an altered number of adrenergic receptors in heart disease, a detailed examination of the interaction of free radicals with cardiac adrenergic receptors has little been carried out. METHODS: This study is therefore undertaken to examine the influences of adrenergic blocking agents(propranolol, prazosin) and cyclooxygenase inhibitor(aspirin) on the cardiac damage by oxygen free radicals. Ischemic condition of the isolated rat heart was made by Langendorff preparation, and then measured superoxide dismutase(SOD), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) released in the perfusate, and malondialdhyde(MDA) concentration in the cardiac tissue. RESULTS: We obtained the results that increased SOD activity and tendency of decreased LDH activity by the pretreatment of propranolol, prazosin, and aspirin in cardiac ischemic-reperfusion injury. Those effects were more predominant in adriamycin treated group comparing with not treated group. CONCLUSION: Adrenergic blocking agent, propranolol, prazosin, and aspirin seem to have some protective effect on the reperfusion injury of the heart.
Adrenergic Agents* ; Animals ; Aspirin ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Doxorubicin ; Free Radicals* ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Lactic Acid ; Oxygen* ; Prazosin ; Propranolol ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Rats ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; Reperfusion Injury ; Superoxides