No abstract available.

The Acknowledgements was published incorrectly.

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: 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: 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.

PURPOSE: To examine the degree of depression and anxiety in Korean patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to evaluate the influence of mood disturbance on patient's treatment satisfaction and compliance. METHODS: Forty-four patients with AMD and thirty-three controls comprised the study populations. Patients and controls rated themselves on the Korean Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The effect of mood disturbance on the patient's satisfaction and compliance was evaluated. RESULTS: The depression and anxiety scores were significantly higher in patients with AMD. The mood disturbance was negatively correlated with the patient's satisfaction and compliance. 14 patients (31.8%) were lost to follow-up 1 year later. The depression and anxiety scores of these patients were higher than those of remaining thirty patients. CONCLUSIONS: Depression and anxiety of patients with AMD affect on patient's satisfaction and compliance. So recognition and management of mood disturbance may help improving visual function and maintaining quality of life in patients.
Anxiety ; Compliance ; Depression ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Macular Degeneration ; Quality of Life

Cobb syndrome is a rare neurocutaneous angiomatosis characterized by a vascular skin nevus associated with a spinal cord angioma of the same metamere. A 14-year-old girl had an asymptomatic large cutaneous hemangioma distributed from the TI dermatome downward to the L3 dermatome since birth and complained of a gait disturbance and urination difficulty for 1 year. A biopsy specimen in the skin lesion revealed the findings of capillary hemangioma. From C7 downward to L4 posterior epidural hemangioma composed of arteriovenous and cavernous components was diagnosed by radiological examination and surgical exploration. Because of very extensive cord hemangioma, only partial removal of the tumor at T11, T12 and L1 level was performed and postoperatively she was transferred to a special facility for rehabilitative therapy.
Adolescent ; Angiomatosis ; Biopsy ; Female ; Gait ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Humans ; Nevus ; Parturition ; Skin ; Spinal Cord ; Urination

No abstract available.
Alprostadil* ; Ductus Arteriosus ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn*