BACKGROUND: Statistical errors have been noted in a large percentage of articles appearing in medical journals. Their incidence in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology, however, has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of statistical methods in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology. METHOD: Original papers using the t test in the Annals of Dermatology(AD) and in the Korean Journal of Dermatology(KJD) from January 1990 to July 1994 were analyzed for correctness of statistical methods. RESULTS: Of the 376 original papers in the period considered, 78(20.7%) presented t tests and 43(55.1%) of these also contained some errors. Of the 9 papers from the Annals of Dermatology, 4(44.4%) included at least one error. Of the 69 papers from the Korean Journal of Dermatology, 39(56.5%) included at least one error. CONCLUSION: Misuse of statistical methodology may not be uncommon in the two Korean Dermatology journals, and it would be prudent to give more attention to statistical methodology.
Dermatology* ; Incidence ; Methods

BACKGROUND: As co-factors of metalloenzymes, zinc(Zn) and copper(Cu) have a considerable effect on nearly all the metabolism that takes place in organs of the body, including the skin. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate zinc and copper status in alopecia areata patients. METHODS: We measured serum levels of zinc and copper in 30 cases of alopecia areata patients and 10 normal individuals by atomic absorption spectrometry. Furthermore, we studied the significance of the ratio between serum levels of the two metals. RESULTS: The serum levels of zinc were significantly lower in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. The serum levels of copper were slightly lower in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. Ratios of Cu/Zn were slightly higher in alopecia areata patients than in healthy controls. But their differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We suggest that a serum Zn assay should be included in the chemical assessment of patients with alopecia areata.
Absorption ; Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Copper* ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Metals ; Skin ; Spectrum Analysis ; Zinc*

BACKGROUND: The function of the recurrent laryngeal nerve might be normal even though there is some extent of cancer invasion. The recurrent laryngeal nerves are usually saved when the preoperative vocal function is normal. However, it is difficult to save a nerve with a minimal amount of remnant cancer tissue when the cancer invasion is deep and broad. In a such instance, combined resection of the recurrent nerve and reconstruction of the recurrent nerve could be considered if the postoperative recovery of the vocal function is acceptable. METHODS: We tried reconstruction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve with the ansa hypoglossi-recurrent nerve (n=6) and with direct end-to-end anastomosis (n=4). The postoperative vocal function of these patients were compared to that of 11 patients whose recurrent nerves were resected and left without reconstruction. RESULTS: The maximal comfortable phonation time of the reconstruction group was significantly longer (mean 11.4+/-3.8 sec) than that of the no reconstruction group (mean 6.9+/-3.2 sec). There was, however, no significant difference between the ansa hypoglossi-recurrent nerve anastomosis group (mean 11.5+/-4.5 sec) and the direct end-to-end anastomosis group (mean 11.3+/-3.0 sec). Median fixation of the vocal cord and no or minimal glottic gap were observed in the reconstructed group. On the other hand, in the no reconstruction group paramedian fixation of the vocal cord and a wider glottic gap were observed. CONCLUSIONS: We feel that the recovery of the vocal function after the reconstruction of the recurrent nerve is acceptable and is enough to try a combined resection of a recurrent nerve severely invaded by papillary thyroid cancer even though the pre operative vocal function is normal.
Hand ; Humans ; Phonation ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Vocal Cords

No abstract available.
Endometriosis* ; Exons* ; Female ; Humans ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: Women smoker faces increased risk for heart disease, stroke, cancers, and respiratory diseases as well as a number of gender specific risks. Maternal smoking has been linked to harmful effects on their offspring such as increased incidence of premature, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome, etc. Recently, the rate of female adolescent smoking in Korea is increasing, and the rate of adult woman is expected to increase. This study is aimed at obtaining basic information about smoking patterns and factors associated with smoking in Korean adult women. METHODS: From May 1995 to April 1999, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the female visitors of Health Promotion Center in Seoul National University Hospital. The number of smokers was 492. The control group(984 nonsmokers) was selected by 1:2 age group matched random sampling. Smokers and control group were divided into three age groups-young age(20-39 years), middle age(40-59 years), old age(60 years and over)-and analysed the resalts using SPSS and EpiInfo software. RESULTS: The most frequent amount of cigarette smoking was below 10 cigarettes in all age groups. The duration of smoking was below 10 years in most young and middle age groups. In the old age group the duration of smoking was longer than others. Variables positively associated with smoking included alcohol drinking, being engaged in trade service, being unmarried or divorced or separated or parted for ever, high stress status, dissatisfation of life in young age group. The variable of no exercise was added to them in middle age group. In old age group alcohol drinking, no exercise, no school education were the positive meaningful factors associated with smoking in multivariant logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The modifiable variables associated with smoking in Korean adult women included alcohol drinking, high stress status, dissatisfation of life and no exercise.
Adolescent ; Adult* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Divorce ; Education ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Seoul ; Single Person ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Stillbirth ; Stroke ; Sudden Infant Death ; Tobacco Products ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Anesthesia for thoracic surgery is most commonly performed with the patient in the lateral decubitus position, with nondependent hemithorax comprising the operation field. When one-lung ventilation is employed, the nondependent lung is nonventilated and collapsed, while the dependent lung is ventilated. Consequently one-lung ventilation creates an obligatory right to left transpulmonary shunt through the nondependent nonventilated lung. Therefore one-lung ventilation results in a much larger alveolar-arterial oxygen tension-difference P(A-a)O2 and lower PaO2 than does two-lung ventilation. The present study was to evaluate oxygenation effect of selective CPAP to nondependent lung in the 17 thoracic surgical patients. Arterial blood gases were analysed, systolic blood pressures and heart rates were measured at following stages. Stage I; lateral decubitus position before chest opening Stage II; 15 min after chest opening and one lung ventilation stage III; 15 min after application of selective CPAP 5 cmHO to the nondependent lung stage IV; 40 min after application of selective CPAP 5 cmHO to the nondependent lung The results were as follows: 1) In stage II, the value of PaO2 was significantly lower as compared to that in stage I(224.9+/-78.0 vs 418.2+/-63.1 mmHg, P<0.01). 2) In stage III and IV, the values of PaC4 were significantly higher.as compared to that in stage II(333.8+/-97.1, 364.5+/-88.6 vs 224,9+/-78.0 mmHg, P<0.01). 3) In stage III, the value of PaCO2 was significantly lower as compared to that in stage II(37.1+/-2.9 vs 38.2+/-2.7 mmHg, P<0.05). 4) In stage IV, the value of pH was significantly lower as compared to that in stage III(7.37+/-0.05 vs 7.38+/-0.05 P<0.05). 5) Systolic blood pressures and heart rates remained unchanged at all times. We concluded that application of 5 cmHO CPAP to the nondependent lung during one-lung ventilation is one of most efficacious maneuvers to increase PaO2, accompanying less surgical interference.
Anesthesia* ; Gases ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lung ; One-Lung Ventilation ; Outpatients* ; Oxygen ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thorax ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: Nerve conduction study is an objective and quantitative diagnostic method for the diagnosis and follow-up study of polyneuropathy. Sometimes it is hard to interpret the nerve conduction study, because there are many segmental variables to test and uneven distribution of abnormalities in polyneuropathy. And there can be some interpersonal differences in the interpreting the results. It is obvious that one objective and quantitative value that represents the many segmental variables is helpful for the clinical interpretation and follow?up of polyneuropathy. METHODS: We evaluated 242 normal subjects and 71 patients with demyelinating polyneuropathy to find out a standardized representative value, distinguishing patients from normal subjects. The standardized representative value was made by combination of the some standardized segmental variables which showed marked differences between two groups. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of this value by comparing the sequential changes of this value with the clinical course. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were present in each segmental value of the nerve conduction study between the groups of patients and normal persons. The diagnostic sensitivity of the segmental value was in range of 25.7%-81.8% in case of 2SD criteria. The diagnostic sensitivity of each functional standardized value - average of the segmental standardized values of same nature - was in range of 54.1%-89.9% in case of 2SD criteria. Using 3SD criteria the sensitivity was reduced to 20.9%-81.1%, more in sensory and mixed nerve than motor nerve. By combination of these functional standardized values, the diagnostic sensitivity could increase up to 79.1%-93.2% on 3SD criteria. CONCLUSION: The best combination which represents the NCV study is the average of the motor nerve terminal latency, the motor nerve conduction velocity, and the ratio of conduction block with 93.2% sensitivity and 100% specificity. This representative value well reflects the clinical course of patient in follow-up studies.
Diagnosis* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Neural Conduction* ; Polyneuropathies* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Complete or partial triplication of human chromosome 21 results in Down syndrome (DS). To analyze differential gene expressions in amniotic fluid (AF) cells of DS, we used a DNA microarray system to analyze 102 genes, which included 24 genes on chromosome 21, 28 genes related to the function of brain and muscle, 36 genes related to apoptosis, 4 genes related to extracellular matrix, 8 genes related to other molecular function and 2 house-keeping genes. AF cells were collected from 12 pregnancies at 16-18 weeks of gestation in DS (n=6) and normal (n=6) subjects. Our DNA microarray experiments showed that the expressions of 11 genes were altered by at least 2-folds in DS, as follows. Ten genes, COL6A1, CASP5, AKT2, JUN, PYGM, BNIP1, OSF-2, PRSS7, COL3A1, and MBLL were down-regulated and GSTT1 was only up-regulated. The differential expressions of GSTT1 and COL3A1 were further confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR for each sample. The gene dosage hypothesis on chromosome 21 may explain the neurological and other symptoms of DS. However, our results showed that only two genes (COL6A1 and PRSS7), among 24 genes on chromosome 21, were down-regulated in the AF cells of DS. Our data may provide the basis for a more systematic identification of biological markers of fetal DS, thus leading to an improved understanding of pathogenesis for fetal DS.
Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid/*cytology/*metabolism ; Apoptosis ; Cells, Cultured ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; Collagen Type III/biosynthesis ; DNA, Complementary/metabolism ; Down Syndrome/*genetics/metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Gene Dosage ; Gene Expression ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; Glutathione Transferase/biosynthesis ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; *Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors ; Up-Regulation

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) occurs in the presence of a chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, and often results from exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The efficacy of corticosteroid treatment in ACLF patients with underlying CHB remains unclear. We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who experienced ACLF due to CHB exacerbation and was treated with a combination of corticosteroids and nucleot(s)ide analogue (NUC). The patient showed rapid decompensation due to CHB exacerbation. Three months of antiviral therapy produced no improvement in liver function. Combination therapy with corticosteroids and NUC was started, which did result in improvement of liver function. This case shows that the combined therapy of corticosteroids and NUC can be effective in treating ACLF due to CHB exacerbation.
Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the changes in blood glucose control and lipid profiles after 2-months of smoking cessation in healthy males. METHODS: Smoking abstinence was evaluated through self-report and urine cotinine levels. 12 individuals who succeeded in quitting smoking were analyzed. Fasting values of glucose and insulin were used to estimate the beta-cell activity and insulin resistance was evaluated using the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI). RESULTS: The data showed that the subjects had a significant increase in weight, body mass index and fasting plasma glucose levels after smoking cessation. The HOMA-Insulin Resistance and the HOMA beta-cell function increased significantly (p=0.005, p=0.047 respectively). The QUICKI showed a significant decrease (p=0.005). In addition, the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased significantly (p=0.028); however, changes in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were not significant (p=0.284, p=0.445 respectively). CONCLUSION: During the initial stage of smoking abstinence, insulin resistance increased and insulin sensitivity decreased due to elevated body weight and fat composition. Therefore, it is important to educate individuals that stop smoking about the necessity of weight control during smoking cessation programs.
Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Cotinine ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Plasma ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation