No abstract available.

The Acknowledgements was published incorrectly.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the expression of TSP-1 and -2 in eutopic endometrium of advanced endometriosis and control patients. METHODS: The 33 endometriosis patients and 32 controls were enrolled. Endometrial samples were obtained from 65 premenopausal women aged 29-44 years, undergoing laparoscopic surgery or hysterectomy for non-malignant lesions. Sufficient samples were collected from 33 patients with endometriosis stage III and IV and 32 controls without endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopic surgery. The mRNA expression from eutopic endometrium for TSP-1 and -2 were analyzed by RT-QC PCR. RESULTS: The mRNAs of TSP-1 and -2 were expressed in eutopic endometrium from endometriosis and normal controls throughout the menstrual cycle. There were no significant differences in expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 in eutopic endometrium between controls and endometriosis patients. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that TSP-1 and -2 had no crucial role compared to other molecules in the regulation of angiogenesis. These findings also suggest that dysregulation of other angiogenic regulators would be concerned in pathophysiologic role in endometriosis development.
Endometriosis* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparoscopy ; Menstrual Cycle ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger* ; Thrombospondin 1 ; Thrombospondins

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the expression of uPA and uPAR in eutopic endometrium of advanced stage endometriosis and control patients. METHODS: The 33 endometriosis patients and 32 controls were enrolled. Endometrial samples were obtained from 65 premenopausal women aged 29~44 years, undergoing laparoscopic surgery or hysterectomy for non-malignant lesions. Sufficient samples were collected from 33 patients with endometriosis stage III and IV and 32 controls without endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopic surgery. The mRNA expression of uPA and uPAR from eutopic endometrium were analyzed by RT-QC PCR. RESULTS: The mRNAs of uPA and uPAR were expressed in eutopic endometrium from endometriosis and normal controls throughout the menstrual cycle. Uterine endometrium from women with endometriosis expresses significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of u-PA mRNA than endometrium from normal women without endometriosis in the proliferative phase. There were no significant differences in expression of uPAR in eutopic endometrium between controls and endometriosis patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that eutopic endometrium from endometriosis patients may be more invasive and prone to peritoneal implantation because of greater u-PA mRNA expression than endometrium from women without endometriosis. Thus, increased proteolytic activity may be one etiology for the invasive properties of the endometrium resulting in the development of endometriosis.
Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparoscopy ; Menstrual Cycle ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Proteolysis ; RNA, Messenger* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on the emergency department length of stay (ED-LOS) and outcomes of patients admitted with pneumonia. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study that included adult pneumonia patients admitted to the emergency department during the period from February to July 2019 and the corresponding period in 2020. After the COVID-19 outbreak, many changes occurred in medical systems, causing prolonged ED-LOS. We divided ED-LOS into pre-, mid-, and post-ED-LOS and compared ED-LOS, hospital LOS and in-hospital mortality rates of pneumonia patients during the above-mentioned periods. In addition, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors leading to in-hospital mortality in 2020. Results: A total of 365 patients were included in the study. Pre-ED-LOS, mid-ED-LOS, post-ED-LOS, and in-hospital mortality in the 2020 group were significantly higher than those of the 2019 group (P<0.05). Mid-ED-LOS (odds ratio [OR], 1.474; P=0.001) and post-ED-LOS (OR, 1.098; P=0.024) were identified as being independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in 2020. Conclusion Our study shows that ED-LOS and in-hospital mortality increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mid-ED-LOS and post-ED-LOS were independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with pneumonia in 2020.

No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Cicatrix* ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Pregnancy

The adverse effects of prolonged exposure of pancreatic islets to supraphysiologic glucose concentrations (i.e. glucose toxicity) is mediated at least in part by glucose oxidation and the subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can impair insulin gene expression and beta cell function. Multiple biochemical pathways and mechanisms of action for glucose toxicity have been suggested. These include glucose autoxidation, protein kinase C activation, methylglyoxal formation and glycation, hexosamine metabolism, sorbitol formation, and oxidative phosphorylation. There are many potential mechanisms whereby excess glucose metabolites traveling along these pathways might cause beta cell damage. However, all these pathways have in common the formation of reactive oxygen species that, in excess and over time, cause chronic oxidative stress, which in turn causes defective insulin gene expression and insulin secretion as well as increased apoptosis. The intracellular peroxide levels of the pancreatic islets (INS-1 cells, rat islets) by flow cytometry were increased in the high glucose media compared to 5.6 mM glucose media. The insulin, MafA, PDX-1 mRNA levels and glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) were decreased in high glucose media compared to 5.6 mM glucose media. The HO-1 seems to mediate the protective response of pancreatic islets against the oxidative stress that is due to high glucose conditions. Also, we observed decreased glutathione level, gamma-GCS expression and increased oxidized LDL, malondialdehyde level at leukocytes and mesothelial cells from patients with Korean Type 2 Diabetes (esp, poorly controlled patients). In conclusion, this pathophysiologic sequence sets the scene for considering antioxidant therapy as an adjunct in the management of diabetes, especially type 2 Diabetes.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression ; Glucose ; Glutathione ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; Islets of Langerhans ; Leukocytes ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; Malondialdehyde ; Oxidative Phosphorylation ; Oxidative Stress ; Protein Kinase C ; Pyruvaldehyde ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; RNA, Messenger ; Sorbitol

Ulcerative colitis, one of the inflammatory bowel disease, is primarily managed medically with combinations of 5-ASA and steroids. However, this chronic disease requires surgical management if symptoms persist or complications develop despite medical management. The clinical course, the indications and outcome for surgical management of pediatric ulcerative colitis patients were studied from medical records retrospectively. Twenty-one patients under the age of 15 who were endoscopically diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital between January, 1988 and January, 2003 were subjected to the study. Mean follow up period was 3 years and 10 months. The mean age was 10.3 years old. All patients received medical management primarily after diagnosis and 8 patients (38%) eventually required surgical management. Of 13 patients who received medical management only, 7 patients (53%) showed remission, 4 patients are still on medical management, and 2 patients expired due to congenital immune deficiency and hepatic failure owing to sclerosing cholangitis respectively. In 8 patients who received surgical management, 1 patient underwent surgery due to sigmoid colon perforation and 7 patients due to intractability of medical management. The perforated case received colon segmental resection and the other 7 patients recieved total protocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. One patient expired postoperatively due to pneumonia and sepsis. One patient is still on medical management because of mild persistent hematochezia after surgery. The other operated patients are showing good prognosis without any management. Pediatric ulcerative colitis patients can be surgically managed if the patient is intractable to medical management or if complications such as perforation is present. Total protocolectomy & ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is thought to be the adequate surgical method.
Child* ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; Chronic Disease ; Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Liver Failure ; Medical Records ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Sepsis ; Steroids ; Ulcer*