No abstract available.
Genitalia* ; Humans ; Male*

No abstract available.
Sympathectomy

Background: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that presents as non-scarring hair loss and can affect all age groups. The clinical course of alopecia areata is unpredictable. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the characteristics, treatment response, and relapse rate of alopecia areata in patients of different ages with long-term follow-up. Methods: The medical records of 121 patients diagnosed with alopecia areata were retrospectively reviewed, and their prognosis was assessed on the basis of various indices. Results: A total of 121 patients, including 24 cases of childhood-onset, 83 adult-onset, and 14 late-onset alopecia areata, were analyzed. In the first episode, 72.7%, 14.7%, and 9.9% of patients had mild, moderate, and severe alopecia areata, respectively. A significant and complete response was observed in 66.7%, 89.2%, and 100% of childhood-onset, adult-onset, and late-onset patients, respectively. The duration of the initial episode showed a negative correlation with age. The overall frequency of relapse was 47.1%, whichc significantly declined with time, with a majority (63.3%) of relapses occurring in the first year. Younger age at initial presentation and thyroid diseases were strongly associated with poor prognosis. Conclusion Younger patients showed a tendency of poor prognosis regardless of the prognostic factors. A longer follow-up period might be required for the younger onset patients.

PURPOSE: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of ureteroscopic stone removal at our institution to define the efficiency of ureteroscopy for treatment of ureteral calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ureteroscopic stone removal was performed in 376 cases of ureteral stone from August, 1989 to December, 1997. There are 241 males and 135 females, and mean age was 45.6 years. Nine stones were located in the upper ureter, 27 in the mid ureter, 340 in the lower ureter. The stone size was less than 5mm in 125 cases, from 5 to 10mm in 185 cases and more than 10mm in 66 cases. Ureteroscopy was performed with 9.5Fr, 10Fr or 12.5Fr rigid ureteroscope under spinal, general or epidural anesthesia. RESULTS: Overall success rate of ureteroscopic stone removal was 95.1 percent. The success rates of upper, mid and lower ureteral stones were 55.6, 88.9 and 97.1 percents, respectively. According to the stone size, the success rates was 97.6 percent in stones less than 5mm, 94.6 percent in stones of 5 to 10mm and 92.4 percent in stones more than 10mm. Over all complication rate was 9.6 percent. Complications consisted of severe ureteral mucosal tearing(20 cases), ureteral perforation(8 cases), gross hematuria(3 cases), infection(3 cases) and urethral stricture(2 cases). All complications were treated successfully with conservative treatment except 2 cases of urethral stricture that required visual urethrotomies. CONCLUSIONS: Ureteroscopic stone removal could offer rapid relief of obstruction and colic due to mid and lower ureteral calculi with high success rate and minimal complications.
Anesthesia, Epidural ; Calculi ; Colic ; Female ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Ureter ; Ureteral Calculi ; Ureteroscopes ; Ureteroscopy ; Urethral Stricture

Receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) is an essential cytokine for osteoclast differentiation, activation and survival. T lymphocytes such as T17 cells, a subset of T helper cells that produce IL-17, play an important role in rheumatoid arthritic bone resorption by producing inflammatory cytokines and RANKL. It has not yet been clearly elucidated how T cell activation induces RANKL expression. T cell receptor activation induces the activation of nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) and expression of its target genes. In this study, we examined the role of NFAT in T cell activation-induced RANKL expression. EL-4, a murine T lymphocytic cell line, was used. When T cell activation was induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin, RANKL expression increased in a time-dependent manner. In the presence of cyclosporin, an inhibitor of NFAT activation, this PMA/ionomycin-induced RANKL expression was blocked. Overexpression of either NFATc1 or NFATc3 induced RANKL expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation results demonstrated that PMA/ionomycin treatment induced the binding of NFATc1 and NFATc3 to the mouse RANKL gene promoter. These results suggest that NFATc1 and NFATc3 mediates T cell receptor activation-induced RANKL expression in T lymphocytes.
Animals ; Bone Resorption ; Cell Line ; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ; Cyclosporine ; Cytokines ; Interleukin-17 ; Ionomycin ; Mice ; NFATC Transcription Factors ; Osteoclasts ; Phorbols ; RANK Ligand ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

Dislodgement of a crown or extension bridge and the loosening of a retainer of a bridge is a serious clinical problem in fixed restoration. Generally these problems are considered to be associated with deformation of the restoration. During biting, the restoration is subjected to complex forces and deforms considerably within the limit of its elasticity. Deformation of the restoration under the occlusal force induces excessive stress in the cement film, which then leads to the cement fracture. Such a fracture may eventually cause loss of the restoration. Because most of the past retention tests for full veneer crown were done without fatigue loading, they were not exactly simulating intraoral environment. And the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cyclic cantilever loading on the retentive strength of full veneer crowns depending on different type of cements and taper of prepared abutment. Steel dies with 8degrees or 16degrees convergence angle were fabricated through milling and crowns with the same method. These dies and crowns were divided into 8 groups. Group 1: 16degrees taper die, cementation with zinc phosphate cement, without loading Group 2: 16'taper die, cementation with zinc phosphate cement, with loading Group 3: 8degrees taper die, cementation with zinc phosphate cement, without loading Group 4: 8degrees taper die, cementation with zinc phosphate cement, with loading Group 5: 16degrees taper die, cementation with Panavia 21, without loading Group 6: 16degrees taper die, cementation with Panavia 21, with loading Group 7: 8degrees taper die, cementation with Panavia 21, without loading Group 8: 8degrees taper die, cementation with Panavia 21, with loading After checking the fit of die and crown, the luting surface of dies and inner surface of crowns were air-abraded for 10 seconds. The crowns were cemented to the dies, with cements mixed ac cording to the manufacturer' s recommendations. A static load of 5 kg was then applied for 10 min utes with static loading device. Twenty-four hours later, group 1,3,5,7 were only thermocycled, group 2,4,6,8 were subjected to cyclic loading after thermocycling. Retentive tests were performed on the Instron machine. From, the finding of this study, the following conclusions were obtained. 1. Panavia 21 showed significantly higher retentive strength than zinc phosphate cement for all groups(p<0.05). 2. There was a significant difference in the retentive strength between 8degrees and 16degrees taper for zinc phosphate cement(p<0.05), but no significant difference for Panavia 21(p>0.05). 3. Cyclic loading significantly decreased the retentive strength for all groups (p<0.05) . 4. For zinc phosphate cement, there was 35% reduction of the retentive strength after loading in the 16degrees taper die, 25% in the 8degrees taper die, and for Panavia 21, 21% in the 16degrees taper die, 18% in the 8degrees taper die.
Bite Force ; Cementation ; Crowns* ; Elasticity ; Fatigue ; Steel ; Zinc ; Zinc Phosphate Cement

Despite the improved accuracy and increasing use of prenatal ultrasonography, fetal cholelithiasis is a rarely detected disease, and its natural history and clinical significance are not yet well defined. Many maternal and neonatal risk factors are associated with fetal cholelithiasis. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy could be a risk factor for fetal cholelithiasis, but no case reports in previous literatures have demonstrated this relationship. We present a case of fetal cholelithiasis in the late third trimester of pregnancy that was related to intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, along with a brief review of associated literatures.
Cholelithiasis* ; Cholestasis, Intrahepatic* ; Female ; Humans ; Natural History ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy* ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal

PURPOSE: We explored the relationship between the use of each medical intervention and the length of time between do-not-resuscitate (DNR) consent and death in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 295 terminal cancer patients participated in this retrospective study. Invasive interventions (e.g., cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intubation, and hemodialysis), less invasive interventions (e.g., transfusion, antibiotic use, inotropic use, and laboratory tests), and the time interval between the DNR order and death were evaluated. The subjects were divided into three groups based on the amount of time between DNR consent and death (G1, time interval ≤ 1 day; G2, time interval > 1 day to ≤ 3 days; and G3, time interval > 3 days). RESULTS: In general, there were fewer transfusions and laboratory tests near death. Invasive interventions tended to be implemented only in the G1 group. There was also less inotrope use and fewer laboratory tests in the G3 group than G1 and G2. Moreover, the G3 group received fewer less invasive interventions than those in G1 (odds ratio [OR], 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03 to 0.84; 3 days before death, and OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.59; the day before death). The frequency of less invasive interventions both 1 and 3 days before death was significantly lower for the G3 group than the G1 (p ≤ 0.001) and G2 group compared to G1 (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Earlier attainment of DNR permission was associated with reduced use of medical intervention. Thus, physicians should discuss death with terminal cancer patients at the earliest practical time to prevent unnecessary and uncomfortable procedures and reduce health care costs.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Intubation ; Korea* ; Resuscitation Orders ; Retrospective Studies ; Terminal Care

PURPOSE: Arachidonic acid is known to have effects on cell growth as a controller of cell proliferation and a stimulator of platelet derived growth factor. We investigated the correlations among birth weight, placental weight and free arachidonic acid level in cord blood. METHODS: Twenty full-term well babies were included in this study. Those who had sepsis, IUGR, twin that may affect the level of arachidonic acid, birth weight, and/or placental weight were excluded. Free arachidonic acid level were measured by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry. (GC-MS) Correlation Pearson Coefficients were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The correlation coefficients between birth weight and placental weight, birth weight and arachidonic acid level, and placental weight and arachidonic acid level were 0.727 (P<0.001), 0.440 (P>0.05), 0.407 (P>0.05) respectively. CONCLUSION: There was statistically significant positive correlation between birth weight and placental weight. But since cord blood free arachidonic acid levels were not correlated with placental weight and birth weight, we conclude that cord blood free arachidonic acid level has no effects on fetal growth and placental growth.
Arachidonic Acid* ; Birth Weight* ; Cell Proliferation ; Fetal Blood* ; Fetal Development ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Humans ; Parturition* ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Sepsis ; Spectrum Analysis

PURPOSE: Arachidonic acid is known to have effects on cell growth as a controller of cell proliferation and a stimulator of platelet derived growth factor. We investigated the correlations among birth weight, placental weight and free arachidonic acid level in cord blood. METHODS: Twenty full-term well babies were included in this study. Those who had sepsis, IUGR, twin that may affect the level of arachidonic acid, birth weight, and/or placental weight were excluded. Free arachidonic acid level were measured by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry. (GC-MS) Correlation Pearson Coefficients were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The correlation coefficients between birth weight and placental weight, birth weight and arachidonic acid level, and placental weight and arachidonic acid level were 0.727 (P<0.001), 0.440 (P>0.05), 0.407 (P>0.05) respectively. CONCLUSION: There was statistically significant positive correlation between birth weight and placental weight. But since cord blood free arachidonic acid levels were not correlated with placental weight and birth weight, we conclude that cord blood free arachidonic acid level has no effects on fetal growth and placental growth.
Arachidonic Acid* ; Birth Weight* ; Cell Proliferation ; Fetal Blood* ; Fetal Development ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Humans ; Parturition* ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Sepsis ; Spectrum Analysis