OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated with a xanthine(X) and xanthine oxidase (XO) system on sperm function, the change of sperm characteristics, lipid peroxidation, and DNA fragmentation in bovine spermatozoa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ROS were produced using a combination of 100 micrometer X and 50 mU/ml XO. The ROS scavengers: superoxide dismutase (SOD)(200mu/ml) and catalase (500mu/ml) were also tested. Spermatozoa were incubated for 2 hours in BWW medium with a combination of X-XO supplemented with or without ROS scavengers at 37degrees C under 5% CO2 incubator. Sperm movement characteristics by CASA (computer-aided sperm analysis), HOST (hypoosmotic swelling test), Ca-ionophore induced acrosome reaction, malondialdehyde formation for the analysis of lipid peroxidation, the percentage of DNA fragmentation using the method of TdT-mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) by flow cytometry were determined after 2 hours incubation. RESULTS: The action of ROS on bovine spermatozoa resulted in a decreased in capacity for sperm motility, Ca-ionophore induced acrosome reaction and membrane integrity, an increased in malondialdehyde formation and the percentage of sperm with DNA fragmentation. In the effects of antioxidant, catalase completely alleviated the toxic effects induced by the ROS in terms of sperm function and characteristics, however SOD exhibited no capacity to reduce the toxic effects. CONCLUSION: The ROS can induce significant damages to sperm functions and characteristics. The useful ROS scavengers can minimized the defects of sperm function and various damages of spermatozoa.
Acrosome Reaction ; Catalase ; DNA Fragmentation* ; DNA* ; Flow Cytometry ; Incubators ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Malondialdehyde ; Membranes ; Reactive Oxygen Species* ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Xanthine Oxidase

OBJECTIVE: To update information on the clinical and microbiologic characteristics of pediatric vulvovaginitis in Korean prepubertal girls. METHODS: A total of 120 girls (aged 0 to 9 years) with culture-confirmed pediatric vulvovaginitis, diagnosed between 2009 and 2014, were enrolled in the study. The epidemiologic and microbiologic characteristics, and clinical outcomes were assessed. Patients with sexual precocity, as well as those who were referred for suspected sexual abuse, were excluded. RESULTS: Girls aged 4 to 6 years were at the highest risk of pediatric vulvovaginitis. Seasonal distribution indicated obvious peaks in summer and winter. Of the 120 subjects, specific pathogens were identified in the genital specimens in only 20 cases (16.7%). Streptococcus pyogenes (n=12, 60%) was the leading cause of specific vulvovaginitis. Haemophilus influenzae was isolated in one patient. No cases presented with enteric pathogens, such as Shigella or Yersinia. A history of recent upper respiratory tract infection, swimming, and bubble bath use was reported in 37.5%, 15.8%, and 10.0% of patients, respectively. Recent upper respiratory tract infection was not significantly correlated with the detection of respiratory pathogens in genital specimens (P>0.05). Of 104 patients who underwent perineal hygienic care, 80 (76.9%) showed improvement of symptoms without antibiotic treatment. Furthermore, the efficacy of hygienic care was not significantly different between patients with or without specific pathogens (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Specific pathogens were only found in 16.7% of pediatric vulvovaginitis cases. Our results indicate an excellent outcome with hygienic care, irrespective of the presence of specific pathogens.
Baths ; Female* ; Haemophilus influenzae ; Humans ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Seasons ; Sex Offenses ; Shigella ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; Swimming ; Vulvitis ; Vulvovaginitis* ; Yersinia

No abstract available.
Puberty, Precocious* ; Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) was developed to assess patients' perception on the severity of their voice disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the severity of handicap expressed by patients with various voice disorders, and to help clinicians in making future treatment plan. VHI may also be used as a guideline in making diagnosis according to different factors of voice quality. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The people who had visited the Asan Medical Center with hoarseness from August 2000 to August 2001 were studied. They filled out the questionnaire composed of 30 questions about their voice disorders. The subjects were consisted of 6 groups; 50 patients with vocal cord nodule, 43 patients with laryngitis, 42 patients with vocal cord polyp, 25 patients with glottic cancer and 14 patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and mean value of VHI scores. RESULTS: The mean score of VHI was found to be statistically higher in the subjects with the history of voice abuse (p<0.002). Overall, the group with unilateral vocal cord paralysis showed the highest VHI score that was statistically significant (p<0.001). When the functional factor is considered, groups with unilateral vocal cord paralysis and glottic cancer had shown higher scores compared to the other groups. When the physical factor is considered, groups with unilateral vocal cord paralysis and vocal cord polyp had shown higher scores. When the emotional factor is considered, groups with unilateral vocal cord paralysis had shown higher scores. CONCLUSION: Measurement of VHI in patients with voice disorders provides a measure of self-perception on the severity of the problems that cannot be assessed through visual perception or objective acoustic and aerodynamic measures. In addition, the measurement of VHI score was easy to perform, non-invasive, and inexpensive. In using this method, we expect to reveal the efficacy of the treatment for voice disorders.
Acoustics ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Fibrinogen ; Hoarseness* ; Humans ; Laryngitis ; Polyps ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Self Concept ; Visual Perception ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; Vocal Cords ; Voice Disorders ; Voice Quality ; Voice*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Delay in symptom-to-door time (SDT) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is the most important factor in the prediction of short and long-term mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the social and clinical factors affecting SDT in patients with STEMI. METHODS: We analyzed 784 patients (61.0 +/- 13.2 years, 603 male) diagnosed with STEMI from November 2005 to February 2012. The patients were divided into four groups according to SDT: Group I (n = 163, < or = 1 h), Group II (n = 183, 1-2 h), Group III (n = 142, 2-3 h) and Group IV (n = 296, > 3 h). RESULTS: Delay in SDT increased with age (Group I, 58.4 +/- 12.0; Group II, 59.4 +/- 13.3; Group III, 62.0 +/- 12.8; Group IV, 63.0 +/- 13.8 years, p = 0.001). In 119 patients, transportation was less frequently used as the delay in SDT (41.7% vs. 29.0% vs. 26.1% vs. 9.8%, p < 0.001). By multiple logistic regression analysis, family history [OR, 0.488; CI, 0.248-0.959; p = 0.037], previous ischemic heart disease [OR, 0.572; CI, 0.331-0.989; p = 0.045], no occupation [OR, 1.600; CI, 1.076-2.380; p = 0.020] and method of transportation [OR, 0.353; CI, 0.239-0.520; p < 0.001] were independent predictors of delay in SDT. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that general education about cardiovascular symptoms and a prompt emergency call could be important to reduce SDT in STEMI.
Education ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Occupations ; Transportation

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We compared the efficacy and safety of the second-generation everolimus-eluting stent (EES) and the third generation biolimus-eluting stent (BES) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: We analyzed 629 consecutive patients (mean age 65.1 +/- 11.2 years, 426 males) with AMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention from February 2008 to April 2012. They were divided into two groups according to stent type (EES group, n = 426; BES group, n = 203). The primary end-point was 2-year major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, non-target vessel revascularization and target lesion revascularization. The secondary end-point was 2-year target lesion failure (TLF). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, except that the patients with EES had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (34.7 vs. 22.7%, p = 0.002) and were older (67.1 +/- 11.3 vs. 64 +/- 12.9 years, p = 0.039) compared with the patients with BES. After propensity score matching, 2-year clinical outcomes showed no differences in composite MACEs or TLF between the two groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that stent type was not a predictor of 2-year mortality or MACEs. However, older age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.037, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.014-1.060, p = 0.001), diabetes mellitus (HR 2.247, 95% CI 1.426-3.539, p = 0.001) and a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 45% (HR 3.007, 95% CI 1.978-4.573, p = 0.001) were independent predictors for 2-year MACEs in patients undergoing EES or BES. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with BES had similar clinical 2-year outcomes compared with EES patients with AMI.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Propensity Score ; Stents* ; Stroke Volume