No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Chlamydia trachomatis* ; Chlamydia*

OBJECTIVES: Depression, sleep complaints and cognitive impairments are commonly observed in the elderly. Elderly subjects with depressive symptoms have been found to show both poor cognitive performances and sleep disturbances. However, the relationship between sleep complaints and cognitive dysfunction in elderly depression is not clear. The aim of this study is to identify the association between sleep disturbances and cognitive decline in late-life depression. METHODS: A total of 282 elderly people who underwent nocturnal polysomnography in a sleep laboratory were enrolled in the study. The Korean version of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery developed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) was applied to evaluate cognitive function. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and subjective sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI). RESULTS: The control group (GDS< or =9) when compared with mild (10< or =GDS< or =16) and severe (17< or =GDS) depression groups, had significantly different scores in the Trail making test part B (TMT-B), Benton visual retention test part A (BVRT-A), and Stroop color and word test (SCWT)(all tests p<0.05). The PSQI score, REM sleep duration, apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index were significantly different across the three groups (all indices, p<0.05). A stepwise multiple regression model showed that educational level, age and GDS score were predictive for both TMT-B time (adjusted R2=35.6%, p<0.001) and BVRT-A score (adjusted R2=28.3%, p<0.001). SCWT score was predicted by educational level, age, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and GDS score (adjusted R2=20.6%, p<0.001). Poor sleep quality and sleep structure alterations observed in depression did not have any significant effects on cognitive deterioration. CONCLUSION: Older adults with depressive symptoms showed mild sleep alterations and poor cognitive performances. However, we found no association between sleep disturbances (except sleep apnea) and cognitive difficulties in elderly subjects with depressive symptoms. It is possible that the impact of sleep disruptions on cognitive abilities was hindered by the confounding effect of age, education and depressive symptoms.
Adult* ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Depression* ; Education ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Sleep, REM ; Trail Making Test

No abstract available.
Anesthesia* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Inpatients*

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been suspected as a possible gene therapy candidate for orthopedic diseases. We demonstrated that the TGF-beta gene therapy can be applicable to orthopedic patients. After transfection of TGF-beta cDNA sequence to myoblasts [C2 (280)] and fibroblasts (NIH 3T3), stable cell lines with TGF-beta mRNA expression were selected by Northern analysis. To evaluate the possibility of clinical application of these cells to orthopedic diseases, the cells were injected into rabbit achilles tendon. Intratendinous injection was done to evaluate the viability of the cells and to determine the optimal concentration for in vivo expression. At 6 weeks after injection, the injected tendon was thickened with newly formed collagen. The results from this experiment indicates that these cells survived and stimulated matrix formation in rabbit achilles tendon. We concluded that TGF-beta cDNA transfected cells can be useful in the evaluation of TGF-beta biology in vivo.
Achilles Tendon* ; Biology ; Cell Line* ; Collagen ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibroblasts* ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Myoblasts* ; Orthopedics ; RNA, Messenger ; Tendons ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta*

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN) is a cytokine associated with a cell-matrix via integrins. Fibroblast specific protein-1 (FSP-1), known as S100A4, has been implicated in cell migration by non-muscle myosin. We investigated whether the role of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 expression in their contribution to the podocyte phenotype change to form podocyte bridge and cellular crescent. METHODS: Glomerular expression of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 in renal biopsies of 16 patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis (CrGN) and 13 normal renal biopsies were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expression of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 was increased in the podocytes of glomeruli, with and without crescents, in patients with CrGN. Neither OPN nor FSP-1/S100A4 was expressed in glomeruli from the normal controls (p<0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between the expression of OPN in glomerular tufts and cellular crescents, and the expression of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 in glomerular tufts (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that OPN plays a role in early podocyte attachment to Bowman's capsule, and FSP-1/S100A4 potentiate podocyte contribution to cellular crescent formation by inducing cellular migration and growth.
Biopsy ; Bowman Capsule ; Cell Movement ; Fibroblasts ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Integrins ; Myosins ; Osteopontin ; Phenotype ; Podocytes

We analyzed the MR findings of spinal epidural mass in 23 patients retrospectively. MR images were performed at 1.5T unit. The lesions were confirmed as metastasis(12 cases), lymphoma (2 cases), leukemia(1 cases), multiple myeloma(2 cases), meningioma(3 cases), neurofibroma(1 case), dysraphism with lipoma(1 case) and lipomatosis(4 cases), Most MRI examinations consisted of T1, proton density and T2 weighted sagittal imaging of the spine, with additional pulse sequences or image planes as needed for clarification. The level of the spinal epidural mass was cervical spine level in 2 cases, thoracic in 15 cases, lumbar in 7 cases, and sacral in 2 cases. The location of epidural mass within the spinal canal was eccentric in 20 cases, multiple in 2 cases, and encircled in 4 cases. Paraspinal mass was seen in 11 cases. Signal intensity of epidural mass was variable. The marrow of spine revealed low signal intensity(SI) on TIWI and high SI on T2WI in 14 cases. In conclusion, MRI is a useful diagnostic tool for the evaluation of spinal epidural mass.
Bone Marrow ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Protons ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; Spine

No abstract available.
Korea*

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN) is a cytokine related to cell-matrix adhesion and cell survival and is expressed in the distal convoluted tubules in normal adult kidneys. Only one in vitro study has investigated the role of OPN in mechanically stretched podocytes and their actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. METHODS: Glomerular OPN expression was investigated in biopsies from patients with human idiopathic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (n = 25) and in normal renal biopsies (n = 16) by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: OPN was expressed in the podocytes from patients with FSGS. OPN expression increased in podocytes from both non-sclerotic hypertrophic and sclerotic glomerular tufts in patients with FSGS compared to the podocytes in normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that OPN plays a role in the early adaptive response of podocytes to the increased mechanical load caused by glomerular hypertrophy preceding FSGS. OPN was involved in cell-matrix adhesion and influenced the detachment delay of podocytes from the glomerular basement membrane and apoptosis.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Adult ; Apoptosis ; Biopsy ; Cell Survival ; Glomerular Basement Membrane ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; Osteopontin ; Podocytes

Impaired endothelium dependent relaxation occurs in diabetic rabbit corpus cavernosum and normal corpus cavernosum exposed to elevated glucose. Elevation of glucose can change the activities of two key enzymes, protein kinase C (PKC) and Na+-K+ ATPase. This study addresses the question of whether impaired endothelium dependent relaxation in isolated corpus cavernosum from normal rabbit exposed to elevated glucose is related to PKC and Na+-K+ ATPase activities and, if so, whether it is associated with altered ouabain sensitive 86-Rb uptake, an index of Na+-K+ ATPase activity, and contractile response of corpus cavernosum tissue to ouabain. Corpus cavernosal tissue suspended for measurement of isometric tension were incubated for 6 hours in control (5.5mM) or elevated glucose (44mM) to mimic euglycemic and hyperglycemic conditions. Relaxations of corpus cavernosum tissue in response to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (ACh)were unaffected in control groups while significantly inhibited in the elevated glucose group. Relaxations of corporeal tissue to endothelium-independent vasodilators, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were similar in the control and elevated glucose groups. Corporeal tissue treated with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a PKC activator, showed decreased relaxations to ACh, similar to normal corporeal tissue exposed to elevated glucose. Relaxations in response to SNP were unaffected by treatment with PMA or exposure to elevated glucose. 1(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), PKC inhibitor, restored the abnormal Ach-induced relaxation in corporeal tissue exposed to elevated glucose. The contractions caused by ouabain, Na+-K+ ATPase inhibitor, were smaller in elevated glucose groups than control and elevated glucose groups treated with H-7. Ouabain sensitive 86-Rb uptake of elevated glucose groups was significantly less than that of control groups but ouabain sensitive 86-Rb uptake of elevated glucose groups treated with H-7 was similar to those of control groups. These results suggest that activation in PKC activity and inhibition in Na+-K+ ATPase activity caused by elevated glucose contribute to impaired endothelium dependent relaxation in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle.
1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine ; Acetylcholine ; Adenosine Triphosphatases* ; Endothelium ; Glucose* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nitroprusside ; Ouabain ; Protein Kinase C* ; Protein Kinases* ; Relaxation* ; Vasodilator Agents