This study was designed to investigate the effects of weight control and changes in serum components using a commercial uncooked food diet on 36 obese women over a period of 8 weeks. The subjects had uncooked food (40 g) with milk or soymilk twice a day instead of meals. The mean body weight and height measurements of the subjects at the outset were 69.1 +/- 9.3 kg and 159.5 +/- 4.4 cm, respectively. Initial daily calorie intake was 103.6 % of RDA, but was significantly lower at 4 and 8 weeks. The subjects showed a significant reduction in weight, body fat mass (p<0.05), anthropo-metric value and skinfold thickness during the experimental period. Hip and upper thigh girth were 102.7 +/- 6.4 cm and 61.7 +/- 4.3 cm at the outset, and fell to 99.3 +/- 5.0 cm and 58.8 +/- 4.1 cm after 8 weeks. The most significant reduction was in abdomen skinfold thickness (p<0.05) , which went from 32.4 +/- 8.7 mm at first to 24.2 +/- 8.3 mm in after 8 weeks. Serum albumin levels were higher at 4 and 8 weeks than initially but the figures for all of the subjects were within the normal range. Hemoglobin and blood glucose levels were also within the normal range during the experimental period. Initial serum triglyceride level was 110.5 +/- 49.5 mg/dl but fell to 93.2 +/- 48.5 mg/dl after 8 weeks. Our results show that uncooked foods are effective in the diet therapy of obese women.
Abdomen ; Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Edible Grain* ; Diet ; Diet Therapy ; Eating ; Female* ; Hip ; Humans ; Meals ; Milk ; Obesity ; Reference Values ; Serum Albumin ; Skinfold Thickness ; Thigh ; Triglycerides ; Vegetables*

Breakfast is an important factor for health status of people. This study was carried out to investigate the dietary life related to breakfast of workers and to develope some nutritional convenient diets for the workers. The collected data were consisted of items about general characteristics of the subjects, breakfast pattern, factors affecting on breakfast and opinions on convenient foods. The subjects were classified into labor workers (n = 202) and office workers (n = 227) aged from twenties to fifties. The rate of skipping breakfast in workers was 31.5% and higher according to the increase of age. Their favorite style of breakfast was mostly Korean traditional diets, but only 38.1% of the subjects had cooked rice as breakfast. The main reason for skipping breakfast was that they had no time for it. But 65.4% of total workers had experiences of using convenience diets. They had these kinds of diets because of convenience. These results suggest that recipe development of convenient breakfast is very important for the good dietary life of the workers.
Breakfast* ; Daegu* ; Diet

This study was conducted to investigate the nutrient intakes of subjects by quartile of percent energy intake from cooked rice, consumption of cooked rice mixed with multi-grains and to evaluate rice consumption in relation to the risk of metabolic syndrome. The subjects were 5,830 males and females aged between 20~64 years based on 2007-2008 KNHNES data. Levels of percent energy intake from cooked rice were classified into 4 groups (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 groups: 25% of each) using data of 24-hour recall method from KNHNES. Using medical examination and questionnaire, subjects were classified according to diagnostic criteria of metabolic syndrome. The subjects with higher age, being married, lower education, lower economic level were more likely to take higher percent energy intake from cooked rice. Quartile Q3 of percent energy intake from cooked rice tended to show higher Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) for fiber, calcium, iron, potassium and vitamin A. INQ of protein, dietary fiber, calcium, thiamin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C by consumption of cooked rice mixed with multi-grains was higher than that by consumption of cooked white rice when adjusted for age. No association with a risk for metabolic syndrome was found for quartile of percent energy intake from cooked rice or cooked rice mixed with multi-grains compared to cooked white rice after adjusting for energy, gender, age, BMI, alcohol, smoking, income and physical activity. In conclusion, consumption of over 54% energy intake from cooked rice or only cooked white rice showed relatively low INQs, but was not associated with a higher risk for metabolic syndrome.
Aged ; Ascorbic Acid ; Calcium ; Dietary Proteins ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Niacin ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritive Value ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Riboflavin ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vitamin A

Trichophyton(T.) rubrum is an anthropophilic dermatophyte that is found all over the world. It has become one of the most important causative agents in tinea pedis and onychomycosis. But tinea capitis caused by T. rubrum is rare. Tinea capitis is uncommon in an adult. We report a case of tinea capitis caused by T. rubrum in an 81-year-old woman. She presented with localized asymptomatic well-demarcated thick scaly erythematous patches on the fronto-vertex scalp for 6 months. She was diagnosed as seborrheic dermatitis in local clinic and was treated with topical steroid. However, the lesion was not improved and spreading. Culture from scalp lesion of patient was grown on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and showed typical whitish cottony colonies of T. rubrum. She was treated with 200 mg of oral itraconazole daily for 8 weeks. The skin lesions improved 8 weeks after treatment, and recurrence has not been observed.
Adult ; Agar ; Aged, 80 and over* ; Arthrodermataceae ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Onychomycosis ; Recurrence ; Scalp ; Skin ; Tinea Capitis* ; Tinea Pedis ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigates correlations between circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and obesity-related parameters among young women (aged 20–30 years old) in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We analyzed TaqMan low density arrays (TLDAs) of circulating miRNAs in 9 lean (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m2) and 15 obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2) women. We also performed gene ontology (GO) analyses of the biological functions of predicted miRNA target genes, and clustered the results using the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery. RESULTS: The TLDA cards contain 754 human miRNAs; of these, the levels of 8 circulating miRNAs significantly declined (> 2-fold) in obese subjects compared with those in lean subjects, including miR-1227, miR-144-5p, miR-192, miR-320, miR-320b, miR-484, miR-324- 3p, and miR-378. Among them, miR-484 and miR-378 displayed the most significant inverse correlations with BMI (miR-484, r = −0.5484, P = 0.0056; miR-378, r = −0.5538, P = 0.0050) and visceral fat content (miR-484, r = −0.6141, P = 0.0014; miR-378, r = −0.6090, P = 0.0017). GO analysis indicated that genes targeted by miR-484 and miR-378 had major roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION Our result showed the differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in obese subjects compared to lean subjects. Although the mechanistic study to reveal the causal role of miRNAs remains, these miRNAs may be novel biomarkers for obesity.

PURPOSE: We aimed to prove the safety and feasibility of right-sided hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2006 and May 2009, 16 patients underwent right-sided HALDN at our institution. Of these patients, 15 showed significantly lower renal function in the right kidney than in the left one and 1 had a stone in the right kidney. When the right renal vein was divided, an EndoGIA stapling device was placed on the wall of the inferior vena cava to gain a maximal length of the vein. We evaluated intraoperative and postoperative parameters such as operative time, delivery time, warm ischemic time, estimated blood loss, intraoperative and postoperative complication rates, length of hospital stay, and serum creatinine levels of donors (at the time of discharge) and recipients (4 weeks postoperatively), comparing the right-sided HALDN group (our study) with a left-sided HALDN group (from a previously reported study). RESULTS: A total of 16 right-sided HALDNs were successfully performed without any complications or open conversion. All of the intraoperative and postoperative parameters were similar between the right-sided HALDN and left-sided HALDN groups. There were no technical problems in the recipients in the anastomosis of the renal vein, and the ureteral anastomoses were also successful. CONCLUSIONS: Right-sided HALDN is safe and technically feasible in a donor, showing favorable graft outcomes. The results of our study suggest that right-sided HALDN may be preferable in patients with significantly lower renal function in the right kidney than in the left one.
Creatinine ; Hand ; Humans ; Kidney ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Living Donors ; Nephrectomy ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Renal Veins ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Ureter ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Warm Ischemia

PURPOSE: Varicocele is known as a main cause of primary male infertility and it supposed to be associated with oxidative stress. Anthocyanin is known as a natural plant pigment and novel antioxidant. This study was designed to investigate the effects of anthocyanin on a rat model of varicocele. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty four male rats, induced varicocele by partial obstruction of left renal vein, were divided into four experimental groups: the group induced varicocele for four weeks without anthocyanin, the group received anthocyanin (80 mg/kg) right after varicocele induction, group induced varicocele for eight weeks without anthocyanin, and the group received anthocyanin (80 mg/kg) after four weeks observation following varicocele induction. After anthocyanin treatment, testes from the rats in all groups were removed, weighed, and subjected to histological examination. Apoptosis in the testes was measured by the TUNEL assay. And the oxidative stress was evaluated by measurement of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). RESULTS: Induction of varicocele led to decreasing left testis weight, decreasing spermatogenic cell density significantly (p<0.05). Also it led to increasing apoptotic body counts and increasing concentration of 8-OHdG significantly (p<0.05). However administration of anthocyanin right after varicocele induction prevent this change meaningfully (p<0.05). In group received anthocyanin after four weeks observation following varicocele induction, interestingly, there was no significant difference in testis weight, spermatogenic cell density, apoptotic body count and concentration of 8-OHdG compared to group induced varicocele for eight weeks without anthocyanin administration. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that anthocyanin is effective in decreasing the oxidative stress of testis in rat induced varicocele and may be effective in making a healthy sperm in patient of varicocele in early stage. However in patient under way in advanced stage, it is supposed that the anthocyanin cannot help having a protective effect from oxidative stress narrowly unless the condition of oxidative stress by varicocele is corrected. Further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms and actions of anthocyanin and varicocele, and these studies may lead to the clinical application of anthocyanin in preventing male infertility by varicocele.
Animals ; Anthocyanins ; Apoptosis ; Cell Count ; Deoxyguanosine ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Plants ; Rats ; Renal Veins ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa ; Testis ; Varicocele

PURPOSE: Because of the lack of conclusive and well-conducted randomized studies, the optimal therapy for high-risk prostate cancer remains controversial. We investigated the results of patients with high-risk prostate cancer after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 75 prostate cancer patients undergoing LRP between 2001 and 2008 with preoperative high-risk prostate cancer were reviewed. Patients who underwent radiation therapy for prostate cancer before LRP and patients with lymph node or distant metastases were excluded. High-risk prostate cancer was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of more than 20 ng/ml, a biopsy Gleason score of greater than 7, or a clinical stage greater than T2c. Biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival was plotted via the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 36.1 months, 24 (32%) patients experienced PSA progression with a median time of 17.6 months. Twenty patients received adjuvant hormonal or external beam radiation therapy or both before BCR. The BCR-free survival calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method at 3 and 5 years was 47.4% and 33.8%, respectively. A total of 44.0% of the patients had stage pT2 disease and 56.0% had stage pT3 disease. Surgical margins were positive in 35 patients (46.7%), of whom 11 (31.4%) had positive margins of more than 1. Preoperative PSA, postoperative pathologic Gleason score, and stage were correlated with BCR. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that LRP is a useful tool in the management of high-risk prostate cancer because it provides adequate local control of the prostate and pathological stage. Selection of patients with high-risk prostate cancer who require surgical treatment should be evaluated further in more studies.
Biopsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of anthocyanins extracted from black soybean, which have antioxidant activity, on apoptosis in vitro (in hormone refractory prostate cancer cells) and on tumor growth in vivo (in athymic nude mouse xenograft model). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The growth and viability of DU-145 cells treated with anthocyanins were assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and apoptosis was assessed by DNA laddering. Immunoblotting was conducted to evaluate differences in the expressions of p53, Bax, Bcl, androgen receptor (AR), and prostate specific antigen (PSA). To study the inhibitory effects of anthocyanins on tumor growth in vivo, DU-145 tumor xenografts were established in athymic nude mice. The anthocyanin group was treated with daily oral anthocyanin (8 mg/kg) for 14 weeks. After 2 weeks of treatment, DU-145 cells (2x106) were inoculated subcutaneously into the right flank to establish tumor xenografts. Tumor dimensions were measured twice a week using calipers and volumes were calculated. RESULTS: Anthocyanin treatment of DU-145 cells resulted in 1) significant increase in apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, 2) significant decrease in p53 and Bcl-2 expressions (with increased Bax expression), and 3) significant decrease in PSA and AR expressions. In the xenograft model, anthocyanin treatment significantly inhibit tumor growth. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that anthocyanins from black soybean inhibit the progression of prostate cancer in vitro and in a xenograft model.
Animals ; Anthocyanins/*pharmacology ; Apoptosis/*drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Nude ; NAD/metabolism ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics/*pathology ; Receptors, Androgen/metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism ; *Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/genetics/metabolism

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze oncologic outcomes based on 7 years of consecutive experience with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and to assess the prognostic difference between an apical positive margin and a non-apical positive margin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 202 patients who underwent LRP between July 2001 and July 2007 (pathologic stage: T2-T3b, without any adjunctive therapy). Biochemical recurrence (bR) was defined as two consecutive prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values greater than 0.2 ng/ml. We analyzed the differences in bR among the negative margin group (N), the apical positive margin group (A), and the non-apical positive margin group (NA) and factors predicting bR. RESULTS: Overall 3-year probability of bR-free survival (bRFS) was 78% (pT2, 83.7%; pT3, 60.9%). For low-, intermediate-, and high-risk cancer, 3-year bRFS was 94.7%, 82.8%, and 60.7%, respectively. Of the 155 men who had negative and single-site positive margins, the numbers in the N, A, and NA groups were 108, 19, and 28, respectively. bR rates for the N, A, and NA groups were 14.8%, 36.8%, and 46.4%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that a positive surgical margin had a significant higher bR compared with the N group; however, the A group experienced a similar bRFS compared with the NA group (p=0.613). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated no significant difference of effect on time to bR between the A and NA groups (hazard ratio=1.213; 95% confidence interval: 0.482-3.052). CONCLUSIONS: Our results were almost identical to previous reports of radical prostatectomy in pT2 disease. With increasing experience, we could expect improved oncologic outcomes. In comparison with the NA group, the A group did not show a significant prognostic difference.
Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatectomy ; Recurrence