No abstract available.
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation*

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has been established as an effective and safe treatment modality for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia and WPW syndrome. Surgical ablation or direct current catheter ablation had been performed to cure focal atrial tachycardia (AT), however, these treatments had limitations such as the need of open thoracotomy or the risk of barotrauma. RFCA could be an effective treatment modality for cure of AT. We performed RFCA for AT in 22 patients (male 13, mean age 38.1+/-15.4 years) among 831 patients who underwent electrophysiologic study between Jul. 1996 and May. 1999. Clinical pattern of tachycardia was paroxysmal (17 patients) or incessant (mean duration of symptoms, 41.1+/-42.3 months). Associated cardiac diseases were tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy (3 patients), aortic stenosis (1 patient) and ventricular septal defect with pulmonic stenosis (1 patient). AT was induced by programmed electrical stimulation in 17 patients: AT in the other 5 patients was incessant. The RFCA was successful in 17 patients (77.3%). The mean interval between atrial electrogram of mapping catheter and P wave of surface ECG was -53.5+/-24.9msec in 17 successful sites. Fractionated atrial activities were invariably found in the successful sites. Successful sites of RFCA for right AT were around coronary sinus ostium (5), crista terminalis (4), lower portion of sinus node (1), inferior portion of tricuspid annulus (1), and His area (1), respectively. In left AT, lateral portion near atrioventricular groove (2), inferoposterior portion (2) and near left atrial appendage (1) were successful site. During follow-up (mean 23 months), one patient had recurrence (recurrence rate 5.9%). RFCA for AT is an effective and curative treatment in selected cases.
Aortic Valve Stenosis ; Atrial Appendage ; Barotrauma ; Cardiomyopathies ; Catheter Ablation* ; Catheters ; Coronary Sinus ; Electric Stimulation ; Electrocardiography ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Recurrence ; Sinoatrial Node ; Tachycardia* ; Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry ; Thoracotomy ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

No abstract available.
Thrombocythemia, Essential*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Matrix metallopeptidase (MMP) is known to be involved in tumor invasion and metastasis of cancer. This study investigated the association of MMP7 rs11568818, MMP8 rs11225395, MMP9 rs17576 and rs2250889 with gastric cancer (GC) development and lymph node metastasis (LNM). METHODS: Samples were obtained from 326 chronic gastritis (CG) and 153 GC patients and genotyped by using the GoldenGate(R) method. Chi-square test was performed to identify the difference of allele distribution between each group (CG vs. GC; CG vs. with LNM GC). The associations of genotype with risk of GC and LNM were estimated by odds ratio and the 95% confidence interval was calculated by logistic regression adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS: The allele and genotype frequencies of MMP7 rs11568818, MMP8 rs11225395, MMP9 rs17576 and rs2250889 were not associated with the development of GC and LNM. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, MMP7 rs11568818, MMP8 rs11225395 MMP9 rs17576 and rs2250889 were not associated with the GC development and LNM in Korean population.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Alleles ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 7/*genetics ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 8/*genetics ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/*genetics ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms/*genetics

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Oncogenic RAS gene mutations have been frequently observed in many tumor types, and their associations with various cancers were reported. This study was conducted to evaluate the association between H-RAS T81C polymorphism and gastric cancer development. METHODS: H-RAS T81C polymorphism was genotyped in 321 chronic gastritis (ChG) and 151 gastric cancer (GC) patients using GoldenGate(R) Assay kit. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and gender was performed to identify the differences of genotype and allele distributions between the each group. RESULTS: All ChG and GC patients were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. When the frequencies of H-RAS T81C genotype in each group were compared, the homozygous type of major allele TT was more frequent in GC group (62.9%) than ChG group (57.3%), while the frequencies of heterozygous type TC and homozygous type of minor allele CC were higher in ChG group than GC group (39.3% vs. 33.8%, 3.4% vs. 3.3%, respectively). In the results of logistic regression analyses adjusted for age and gender, the odds ratios were 0.845 (0.604-1.182), 0.799 (0.556-1.147), 0.741 (0.493-1.114) and 1.094 (0.366-3.270) for allele, codominant, dominant and recessive models, respectively. However, significant difference was not observed between two groups in any models. CONCLUSIONS: H-RAS T81C polymorphism was not associated with gastric cancer development in a Korean population.
Adult ; Aged ; Alleles ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Gastritis/genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Republic of Korea ; Stomach Neoplasms/*genetics ; ras Proteins/*genetics

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The detection of white coat hypertension (WCH), treated normalized hypertension, and masked hypertension (MH) is important to improve the effectiveness of hypertension management. However, whether global cardiovascular risk (GCR) profile has any effect on the discordance between ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and clinic blood pressure (CBP) is unknown. METHODS: Data from 1,916 subjects, taken from the Korean Multicenter Registry for ABP monitoring, were grouped according to diagnostic and therapeutic thresholds for CBP and ABP (140/90 and 135/85 mmHg, respectively). GCR was assessed using European Society of Hypertension 2007 guidelines. RESULTS: The mean subject age was 54.1 ± 14.9 years, and 48.9% of patients were female. The discordancy rate between ABP and CBP in the untreated and treated patients was 32.5% and 26.5%, respectively (p = 0.02). The prevalence of WCH or treated normalized hypertension and MH was 14.4% and 16.0%, respectively. Discordance between ABP and CBP was lower in the very high added-risk group compared to the moderate added-risk group (odds ratio [OR], 0.649; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.487 to 0.863; p = 0.003). The prevalence of WCH or treated normalized hypertension was also lower in the very high added-risk group (OR, 0.451; 95% CI, 0.311 to 0.655). CONCLUSIONS: Discordance between ABP and CBP was observed more frequently in untreated subjects than in treated subjects, and less frequently in the very high added-risk group, which was due mainly to the lower prevalence of WCH or treated normalized hypertension.
Adult ; Aged ; *Blood Pressure ; *Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Masked Hypertension/*diagnosis/epidemiology/physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Observer Variation ; Odds Ratio ; *Office Visits ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prevalence ; Registries ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; White Coat Hypertension/*diagnosis/epidemiology/physiopathology

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To determine the correlation between the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve measured at the wrist using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography (US) and the electrophysiological severity of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: We prospectively examined 102 wrists of 51 patients with clinical CTS, which were classified into 3 groups according to the electrodiagnostic (EDX) findings. Median nerve CSAs were measured using 3D US at the carpal tunnel inlet and at the level of maximal swelling. RESULTS: Ten wrists were negative for CTS. Of the 92 CTS-positive wrists, 23, 30, and 39 were classified as having mild, moderate, and severe CTS, respectively. The median nerve CSA differed significantly between the severe- and moderate-CTS groups (p=0.0007 at the carpal tunnel inlet and p<0.0001 at the maximal swelling site). There was a correlation between median nerve CSA and EDX parameters among those wrists with severe and mild CTS (p<0.0001 at both sites). CONCLUSIONS: The median nerve CSA as measured by 3D US could provide additional information about the severity of CTS, as indicated by the strong correlation with standard EDX findings.
Bays ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography* ; Wrist

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Standard unfractionated heparin (UFH) has long been used to prevent death and myocardial infarction in patients with acute coronary syndrome and acute occlusion undergoing percutaneous revascularization. However, UFH binds to several plasma proteins, platelets, and endothelial cells producing a highly variable anticoagulant response. In contrast, Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) exhibits less protein binding and provides more predictable anticoagulant response with reduced need for patient monitoring and dosage adjustment. The purpose of this study was to assess the anti-Xa activities of LMWH in Korean patients with acute coronary syndrome after recommended dose for caucasians and to determine an optimal method of administration of LMWH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty five patients with acute coronary syndrome were enrolled and allocated to five separate groups (5 patients in each group) by types according to molecular weight (LMWH (A): (molecular weight of 4500 daltons, LMWH (B): molecular weight of 6400 daltons) and methods of administration (Group 1A and 1B: Subcutaneous and subcutaneous injections (SC-SC), Group 2: Intravenous and subcutaneous injections (IV-SC), Group 3A and 3B: Intravenous, subcutaneous and subcutaneous injections (IV-SC-SC). Five groups were as follows: Group 1A: LMWH (A) 1 mg/kg SC every 12 hours, Group 1B: LMWH (B) 100 IU/kg SC every 12 hours, Group 2: LMWH (A) 1 mg/kg IV bolus and 1 mg/kg SC 12 hours later, Group 3A: LMWH (A) 0.5 mg/kg IV bolus, 3 hours later 1 mg/kg SC every 12 hours, Group 3B: LMWH (B) 50 IU/kg IV bolus, 3 hours later 100 IU/kg SC every 12 hours. Anti-Xa activity was measured by amidolytic assay method (Rotachrome, Stago, France) in 555 samples from 25 patients. All the data of anti-Xa activity in each group were plotted along the sequential time and mean values of them were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: 1)The anti-Xa activity (mean 0.6216+/-0.238 IU/mL) of LMWH (A) was greater than that of LMWH (B)(mean 0.2587+/-0.1709 IU/mL) in the conventional SC-SC method (p<0.001). 2) The anti-Xa activity of LMWH (A) (mean 0.6203+/-0.2383 IU/mL) was also greater than that of LMWH (B)(mean 0.468+/-0.2428 IU/mL) in the IV-SC-SC method (p<0.001). 3) More rapid and effective anti-Xa activities were achieved by IV-SC-SC method compared with conventional SC-SC method. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that immediate achievement and optimum maintenance of anticoagulant activity can be accomplished by IV-SC-SC method rather than conventional SC-SC method in patients of acute coronary syndrome.
Acute Coronary Syndrome* ; Blood Proteins ; Endothelial Cells ; Heparin ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight* ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Molecular Weight ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Myocardial Infarction ; Protein Binding

Background/Aims: Although it is near concluded that renin-angiotensin system inhibitors do not have a harmful effect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is no report about whether angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) offer any protective role. This study aimed to compare the association of ARBs and ACEIs with COVID-19-related mortality. Methods: All patients with COVID-19 in Korea between January 19 and April 16, 2020 were enrolled. The association of ARBs and ACEIs with mortality within 60 days were evaluated. A comparison of hazard ratio (HR) was performed between COVID-19 patients and a retrospective cohort of pneumonia patients hospitalized in 2019 in Korea. Results: Among 10,448 COVID-19 patients, ARBs and ACEIs were prescribed in 1,231 (11.7%) and 57 (0.6%) patients, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and history of comorbidities, the ARB group showed neutral association (HR, 1.034; 95% CI, 0.765 to 1.399; p = 0.8270) and the ACEI groups showed no significant associations likely owing to the small population size (HR, 0.736; 95% CI, 0.314 to 1.726; p = 0.4810). When comparing HR between COVID-19 patients and a retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized with pneumonia in 2019, the trend of ACEIs showed similar benefits, whereas the protective effect of ARBs observed in the retrospective cohort was absent in COVID-19 patients. Meta-analyses showed significant positive correlation with survival of ACEIs, whereas a neutral association between ARBs and mortality. Conclusions Although ARBs or ACEIs were not associated with fatal outcomes, potential beneficial effects of ARBs observed in pneumonia were attenuated in COVID-19.

Background/Aims: Although it is near concluded that renin-angiotensin system inhibitors do not have a harmful effect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is no report about whether angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) offer any protective role. This study aimed to compare the association of ARBs and ACEIs with COVID-19-related mortality. Methods: All patients with COVID-19 in Korea between January 19 and April 16, 2020 were enrolled. The association of ARBs and ACEIs with mortality within 60 days were evaluated. A comparison of hazard ratio (HR) was performed between COVID-19 patients and a retrospective cohort of pneumonia patients hospitalized in 2019 in Korea. Results: Among 10,448 COVID-19 patients, ARBs and ACEIs were prescribed in 1,231 (11.7%) and 57 (0.6%) patients, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and history of comorbidities, the ARB group showed neutral association (HR, 1.034; 95% CI, 0.765 to 1.399; p = 0.8270) and the ACEI groups showed no significant associations likely owing to the small population size (HR, 0.736; 95% CI, 0.314 to 1.726; p = 0.4810). When comparing HR between COVID-19 patients and a retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized with pneumonia in 2019, the trend of ACEIs showed similar benefits, whereas the protective effect of ARBs observed in the retrospective cohort was absent in COVID-19 patients. Meta-analyses showed significant positive correlation with survival of ACEIs, whereas a neutral association between ARBs and mortality. Conclusions Although ARBs or ACEIs were not associated with fatal outcomes, potential beneficial effects of ARBs observed in pneumonia were attenuated in COVID-19.