OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to reveal psychological traits, risk factors, and predictors of the military maladjusted group. In addition, we attempted to compare the correlation of temperament, character profile, and resilience between maladjusted and adjusted groups. METHODS: A total of 166 maladjusted soldiers who joined the green camp of three divisions and 125 adjusted soldiers participated in the survey from July to December 2013. As self-report questionnaire methods, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Korean version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were used. T-test, binary logistic regression analysis, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used as analytical methods. RESULTS: The maladjusted group showed a high level of anxiety, depression, and Harm Avoidance and a low level of resilience, Reward Dependence (RD), Persistence, Self-Directedness, and Cooperativeness compared with the adjusted group. BDI and RD were found to be statistically significant for prediction of military maladjustment. Higher correlation between resilience and TCI was observed for the maladjusted group, but not the adjusted group. CONCLUSION: We suggest that a high depression level and a low RD level should be included as predictors among target symptoms for development of psychological treatment for the maladjusted group. In addition, we suggest that the level of resilience can affect correlation of resilience with TCI.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Military Personnel* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reward ; Risk Factors ; Temperament*

OBJECTIVE: There is need for more objective diagnostic parameters to identify cervical dysplastic or neoplastic cells. So, we examined the p16(INK4A) expression in the cervical tissues to evaluate the value of p16(INK4A) as a diagnostic parameter. METHODS: We examined the p16(INK4A) expression by immunohistochemical staining in normal cervical tissues (n=3), preneoplastic lesions (n=6), carcinoma in situ (CIS, n=5), and invasive carcinomas (n=5) of the cervix, which were selected randomly by H and E staining from the archives of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues and we also examined the status of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the same tissues. RESULTS: The positive rates of p16(INK4A) expression was significantly higher in all abnormal cervical tissues including subclinical papillomavirus infection (SPI), dysplasia, CIS, and invasive carcinoma than in normal cervical epithelium (p=0.001). Despite the strong expression of p16(INK4A) in the area of CIS, no expression of p16(INK4A) was observed in the area of normal epithelium in the vicinity of CIS. 11 cases among 19 cases of examined tissue samples were tested for HPV infection. Seven of them showed positivity for HPV DNA. CONCLUSION: We herein demonstrated that p16(INK4A) would be a sensitive and specific marker for the abnormal cervical cells in tissue sections. This approach will help to reduce interobserver variations in the histopathologic interpretation of cervical biopsy specimens.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Cervix Uteri ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16* ; Diagnosis* ; DNA ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Observer Variation ; Papillomavirus Infections

PURPOSE: RUNX3, a novel tumor suppressor, is frequently inactivated in gastric cancer. In the present study, we examined the pattern of RUNX3 expression in gastric cancer cells from gastric cancer specimens and the impact of its alteration on clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 124 samples of both gastric cancer and normal tissue were obtained from 124 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy at the Seoul Medical Center from January 2001 to December 2005. RUNX3 expression was determined by immunohistochemical staining, and the results were analyzed. Statistical analysis wabased on clinicopathological findings and differences in survival rates. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 61 years, and the male:female ratio was 1.9:1. The expression rate of RUNX3 was 59.7% (74/124). The expression rate was higher in differentiated gastric cancers (nucleus: 9.1%, cytoplasm: 57.6%) than in the undifferentiated types (nucleus: 5.2%, cytoplasm: 46.6%) (P=0.133). The 5-year survival rates according to RUNX3 expression determined from cancer tissue were 88.9% for the nucleus +/- cytoplasm(+) group of patients, 76.1% for the cytoplasm only (+) group of patients, and 65.3% for the RUNX3 negative expression group of patients (P=0.626). Only UICC TNM staging showed statistical significance related to the survival rate, as determined by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The RUNX3 expression rate was higher in differentiated gastric cancer than in the undifferentiated types without significance. Although RUNX3 expression predicted better survival, based on multivariate analysis, the finding was not statistically significant. More cases should be further evaluated.
Cytoplasm ; Gastrectomy ; Humans* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Seoul ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a rare but fatal complication of acute myocardial infarction. In many cases, postinfarction VSR leads to hemodynamic instability and urgent surgical treatment is necessary. Here we describe a case of a patient with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction caused by acute RV infarction and with cardiogenic shock, whose condition improved after development of postinfarction VSR, but the patient died after corrective surgery.
Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right ; Ventricular Septal Rupture*

OBJECTIVE: Screw fixation via the paraspinal muscle sparing approach and by percutaneous screw fixation are known to diminish the risk of complications, such as, iatrogenic muscle injury as compared with the conventional midline approach. The purpose of this study was to evaluate tissue injury markers after these less traumatic screw fixation techniques for the treatment of L4-L5 spondylolisthesis. METHODS: Twenty-two patients scheduled for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) at the L4-L5 segment for spondylolisthesis were prospectively studied. Patients were divided into two groups by screw fixation technique (Group I: paraspinal muscle sparing approach and Group II: percutaneous screw fixation). Levels of serum enzymes representing muscle injury (CK-MM and Troponin C type 2 fast), pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-8), and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1ra) were analyzed using ELISA techniques on the day of the surgery and 1, 3, and 7 days after the surgery. RESULTS: Serum CK-MM, Troponic C type 2 fast (TNNC2), and IL-1ra levels were significantly elevated in Group I on postoperative day 1 and 3, and returned to preoperative levels on postoperative day 7. No significant intergroup difference was found between IL-8 levels despite higher concentrations in Group I on postoperative day 1 and 3. CONCLUSION: This study shows that percutaneous screw fixation procedure is the preferable minimally invasive technique in terms of minimizing muscle injury associated with L4-L5 spondylolisthesis.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein ; Interleukin-8 ; Muscles ; Prospective Studies ; Spondylolisthesis ; Troponin C

An outbreak of rapidly progressive renal failure was observed in Belgium in 1993 and was related to a slimming regimen involving Chinese herbs. Extensive interstitial fibrosis with atrophy and tubular loss was the major histological lesion. Aristolochic acid has been suspected to be responsible for nephrotoxicity. The use of Chinese herbal medicines is very popular in Korea. We report the presence of a nephrotoxic compound in herb medications, which led to end-stage renal failure in a patient with complete remission state of minimal change disease. The typical and sequential pathologic changes in our patient following the consumption of herbs suggest possible relationship to herbal medicines, and end-stage renal disease, despite the fact that a cause-and-effect relationship cannot be automatically inferred.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Atrophy ; Belgium ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Korea ; Nephrosis ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Renal Insufficiency