No abstract available.
Temporal Bone*

PURPOSE: Among the cell adhesion molecules, alpha-catenin and E-cadherin play an important part in maintaining normal cell structure. The change in expression of cell adhesion molecules affects the invasion and metastasis of a tumor and the prognosis for patients. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the expression of cell adhesion molecules and the histopathologic characteristics of stage III colon cancer. METHODS: The relationship between the immunohistochemical expression of cell adhesion molecules and tumor progression were statistically analyzed in 40 patients with stage III colon cancer. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant correlations between loss of membranous alpha-catenin and E-cadherin expressions and such variables as histologic differentiation and lymph node disease based on the criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). A significant correlation, however, existed between depth of mural invasion and loss of expressions of both alpha-catenin and E-cadherin (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). Expressions of both alpha-catenin and E-cadherin were also significantly decreased in patients showing liver metastases during follow-up (P=0.019 and P=0.015, respectively). CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical analyses of alpha-catenin and E-cadherin expressions may be available as predictors for distant metastasis, especially in stage III colon cancer. Such analyses may also help to identify appropriate therapeutic strategies and the need for intensive follow-up in patients with stage III colon cancer.
alpha Catenin ; Cadherins ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: As medical informations are expanded, searching for useful information has become ever more important. Presently, teaching EBM (evidence-based medicine) is emphasiged. The purpose of this study was to survey family medicine residents' knowledge and utilization of EBM. Also, we investigated whether teaching EBM increased the knowledge and use of EBM in family medicine residents. METHODS: In July 2005, we sent a questionnaire to family medicine residents in Korea and received 260 answers. The questionnaire concerned education, attitude, utilization and knowledge of EBM. We analyzed the relationship of the level of knowledge and utilization of EBM in practice by using chi-square test. RESULTS: The family medicine residents who hed experienced learning EBM was 61%. Almost half of them were educated during their family medicine training programs (42.2%). Among the total, 33.6% of the respondents had an experience to attend EBM journal club. As for the knowledge of EBM, 59.8% of respondents knew the concept of what is EBM, 36.5% understood PICO question structure, and 28.5% knew how to calculate the NNT value. In the residents who had experienced EBM learning, the level of knowledge (P<0.001), the frequency of utilization (P<0.001), and the intention to use EBM in their practice were higher than in those who had not yet experienced EBM learning. CONCLUSION: Although family medicine residents usually learn EBM in medical school and resident training program, education and utilization of EBM were not organized enough. As can be seen in this study, it is necessary to make an effective education program in medical schools and resident training programs to increase the knowledge and utilization of EBM education.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Evidence-Based Medicine* ; Humans ; Intention ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Learning ; Schools, Medical

V. fluvialis is a gram-negative, oxidase-producing, halophilic bacterium. It is normally found in coastal waters and seafoods. There have been a few reports on Vibrio fluvialis gastroenteritis in other countries, whereas there has been no previous report of V. fluvialis infections in Korea. Reports from other countries showed that V. fluvialis was isolated mostly from infants and children. We experienced a rare case of gastroenteritis due to V. fluvialis in a 55-year-old man with liver cirrhosis who ate an ark shell. He was admitted due to mild abdominal pain and severe watery diarrhea followed by rapidly progressive dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and hepatorenal syndrome for a week. This patient was not improved by intensive care and antibiotic therapy.
Abdominal Pain ; Arcidae ; Child ; Dehydration ; Diarrhea ; Gastroenteritis* ; Hepatorenal Syndrome ; Humans ; Infant ; Critical Care ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Middle Aged ; Seafood ; Vibrio*

BACKGROUND: Although smoking hazards are acknowledged worldwide, recent study of Korean teenage smokers shows that students' first smoking experiences are occurring at younger ages. Therefore, we have developed an internet-based smoking prevention program, and assessed the effectiveness of the self-administered internet program by comparing with traditional lecture. METHODS: Between April and June of 2004, 463 female eighth-grade students at a middle school were divided into two groups. One group (n=252) received the lecture- based smoking prevention education by an expert, while the other group (n=212) learned themselves via the internet program. Prior to both smoking prevention programs, the students filled out questionnaires about their basic information. One month after their education, the students were tested on the information included in the programs without prior notice and filled out another questionnaire on the level of comprehension, satisfaction and other factors. RESULTS: According to the pre-education questionnaire, the percentage of current smoking rate was 2.8%, and the first smoking experience was largely between the sixth and seventh grades. When comparing the scores of self-administered internet education with that of the lecture, the mean scores were 56.7 and 57.8, respectively, which was not significantly different (P=.267). The survey on comprehension, satisfaction, and other factors did not show any significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the internet-based program and the lecture- based one, in terms of effectiveness as well as comprehension, satisfaction, and other factors. Considering that the internet-based program is not restricted by time or location, it will no doubt be an effective tool in teenage smoking prevention programs.
Adolescent* ; Comprehension ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Microcomputers* ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was performed to analyze human maxillary and mandibular trabecular bone using the data acquired from micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and to characterize the site-specific microstructures of trabeculae. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-nine cylindrical bone specimens were prepared from the mandible and maxilla. They were divided into 5 groups by region: the anterior maxilla, posterior maxilla, anterior mandible, posterior mandible, and mandibular condyle. After the specimens were scanned using a micro-CT system, three-dimensional microstructural parameters such as the percent bone volume, bone specific surface, trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, trabecular number, structure model index, and degrees of anisotropy were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the regions other than the condylar area, the anterior mandibular region showed the highest trabecular thickness and the lowest value for the bone specific surface. On the other hand, the posterior maxilla region showed the lowest trabecular thickness and the highest value for the bone specific surface. The degree of anisotropy was lowest at the anterior mandible. The condyle showed thinner trabeculae with a more anisotropic arrangement than the other mandibular regions. CONCLUSION: There were microstructural differences between the regions of the maxilla and mandible. These results suggested that different mechanisms of external force might exist at each site.
Anisotropy ; Hand ; Humans* ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Jaw* ; Mandible ; Mandibular Condyle ; Maxilla

Amyloidosis is defined by the extracellular deposition of fibrillar proteinacious material that binds Congo red dye. Amyloid fibrils can be deposited locally, but can involve virtually every organ system of the body. Hereditary, autosomal dominant amyloidosis, caused by mutations in the genes encoding transthyretin, fibrinogen Aalpha-chain, lysozyme or apolipoprotein A-I, is-extremely rare. A case of familial amyloidosis, involving the heart, was identified, where the patient complained exertional dyspnea. The echocardiographic findings were the markedly thickened the interventricular septum and right ventricular wall, as well as a granular sparkling appearance in the interventricular septum. On admission, the patient, and his younger brother, underwent endomyocardial biopsies, and the results of the Congo red staining and EM were consistent with amyloidosis. The patient was managed conservatively, and discharged without complication.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis* ; Amyloidosis, Familial ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; Biopsy ; Congo Red ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Fibrinogen ; Heart ; Humans ; Muramidase ; Prealbumin ; Siblings

Amyloidosis is defined by the extracellular deposition of fibrillar proteinacious material that binds Congo red dye. Amyloid fibrils can be deposited locally, but can involve virtually every organ system of the body. Hereditary, autosomal dominant amyloidosis, caused by mutations in the genes encoding transthyretin, fibrinogen Aalpha-chain, lysozyme or apolipoprotein A-I, is-extremely rare. A case of familial amyloidosis, involving the heart, was identified, where the patient complained exertional dyspnea. The echocardiographic findings were the markedly thickened the interventricular septum and right ventricular wall, as well as a granular sparkling appearance in the interventricular septum. On admission, the patient, and his younger brother, underwent endomyocardial biopsies, and the results of the Congo red staining and EM were consistent with amyloidosis. The patient was managed conservatively, and discharged without complication.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis* ; Amyloidosis, Familial ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; Biopsy ; Congo Red ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Fibrinogen ; Heart ; Humans ; Muramidase ; Prealbumin ; Siblings

PURPOSE: Prophylactic antibiotics have been used in nonperforated appendicitis for preventing infection after an appendectomy. However, the duration of antibiotic administration for surgical prophylaxis in Korea has been noted to be longer than those recommended in other countries. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to identify the appropriate duration of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in nonperforated appendicitis by comparing the wound infection rates of two different antibiotic regimens, 24 hours of cephalosporin (cefoxitin) alone and 72 hours of cephalosporin (cefoxitin) with aminoglycoside (sissomicin). METHODS: One hundred thirty-four (134) patients of nonperforated appendicitis were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, open trial and were assigned to one of two antibiotic regimens: 1) cefoxitin 1 g every 8 hours given intravenously for 24 hours and 2) cefoxitin 1 g every 8 hours given intravenously plus sissomicin 75 mg every 12 hours given intramuscularly for 72 hours. First doses were given just prior to the induction of anesthesia. RESULTS: Postoperative wound infections were detected in 3 cases (4.5%) of the 72-hour-treated group (n=66) whereas none occurred in the 24-hour-treated group (n=68). However, the difference in the rates of wound infections between the two groups was not statistically significant. Cost analysis identified a saving of 43,470 won per patient in the 24-hour-treated group. CONCLUSION: In nonperforated appendicitis cefoxitin administration alone for 24 hours is sufficient as a surgical prophylaxis.
Anesthesia ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Cefoxitin ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Humans ; Korea ; Prospective Studies* ; Sisomicin ; Surgical Wound Infection ; Wound Infection

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association of SNP A and P1763 polymorphisms on dystrobrevin binding protein 1(DTNBP1) gene with smooth pursuit eye movement(SPEM) abnormality in Korean schizophrenic patients. METHODS: We measured SPEM function in 217 Korean schizophrenics(male 116, female 101) and divided them into two groups, one is a good SPEM function group and the other is a poor SPEM function group. We then analyzed SNP A polymorphism and P1763 polymorphism on DTNBP1 gene from their DNAs extracted from their blood. We compared the differences of genotype and allele distributions of the two polymorphisms on DTNBP1 gene between the two groups. RESULTS: The Ln S/N ratio(mean+/-SD) of the good SPEM function group was 4.39+/-0.33 and the ratio of poor SPEM function group was 3.17+/-0.71. There were no statistically significant differences of age and male/female ratio between the two groups. There were no significant differences of genotype or allele distributions of the SNP A polymorphism and P1763 polymorphism on DTNBP1 gene between the two schizophrenic groups divided by SPEM function. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that SNP A polymorphism and P1763 polymorphism on DTNBP1 gene might not be related to SPEM function abnormality in schizophrenia.
Alleles ; Carrier Proteins* ; DNA ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pursuit, Smooth* ; Schizophrenia