OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the relationship between the levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the peritoneal fluid(PF) of women with and without endometriosis and infertile women. Design: Prospective and case-control study. Setting: University hospital. Patients: Twenty-nine women with laparotomy or laparoscopic findings of minimal to severe endometriosis, and twenty-eight women with no visual evidence of pelvic endometriosis and with benign gynecologic disease. Main Outcome Measures: PF IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were determined using commercial ELISA. IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations were compared among women with and without endometriosis, and with infertile and fertile women, and then also compared according the revised American Fertility Society classification. RESULTS: IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations were higher than in the PF of women with endometriosis than in matched normal controls. Cyclic variations in IL-6 concentrations were seen in PF from patients with endometriosis: the concentrations in the secretory phase were significantly higher than those in the proliferative phase. IL-6 concentrations were higher than in the PF among of infertile women than in fertile women. A significant correlation between PF IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations and endometriosis stage III and IV was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Increased PF levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with endometriosis may be relate to endometriosis-associated infertility and to the pathogenesis of endometriosis suggesting that partially contribute to the disturbed immune regulation observed in patients with endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Case-Control Studies ; Classification ; Endometriosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fertility ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular* ; Infertility ; Interleukin-6 ; Laparotomy ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Prospective Studies ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Hamartoma of the bladder is quite a rare entity which is composed of a disorderly admixture of mature cellular elements normally present in the urinary bladder. There is a great controversy regarding the pathogenesis of this lesion. Whether it is a true hamartomatous lesion or metaplastic lesion developed secondary to the inflammatory process. Similar or identical lesions has often been given by other names such as florid examples of cystitis glandularis. We prefer to cell florid examples of cystitis glandularis rather than hamartoma when it was occurred in an old age higher then 50th decade. Here we report a case of hamartoma of the urinary bladder in 44 years old man. Cystoscopic examination revealed a papillary polypoid mass which was attached to the fundus of bladder by long stalk. The mass measured 1.5 cm in greatest diameter. It was composed of epithelial nests resembling von Brunn's nest, cystitis glandularis or cystitis cystica dispersed in a stroma rich in smooth muscle and fibrous tissue.
Hamartoma

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

BACKGROUND: Naringin, one of the flavonoids in citrus fruit peels, is known to have antioxidant and hepatotonic effects in animal studies. We evaluated the effect of naringin on 1) blood lipid profiles, 2) regression of fatty streak of aorta, and 3) liver toxicity in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits. METHODS: New Zealand White Rabbits (2.0 - 2.5 Kg) were divided to three groups; group without treatment, group treated with 100 mg/kg/d or 500 mg/kg/d naringin, and group treated with 1 mg/kg/d or 20 mg/kg/d lovastatin. They were fed on 0.25% or 1.0% cholesterol-containing diet for 8 weeks and then sacrificed. Blood samples were collected for measurement of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, serum GOT and GPT. Aortas and livers were harvested for evaluation of fatty streak and pathologic examination. RESULTS: 1)Feeding of 1% cholesterol diet for eight weeks significantly increased the cholesterol level upto 20 folds. Neither lovastatin nor naringin did lower these marked hypercholesterolemia. But both naringin (500 mg/kg/d) and lovastatin (1 mg/kg/d) significantly reduced the area of fatty streak by 75% and 58%, respectively. Naringin was more effective in inhibition of fat infiltration into liver than lovastatin which showed hepatotoxicity as increase of serum GPT level (p=0.01). 2)Feeding of 0.25% cholesterol diet for eight weeks significantly increased the cholesterol level upto 17 folds. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels tended to decrease by treatment with naringin (500 mg/kg/d) and lovastatin (20 mg/kg/d), but this decreases were not statistically significant. However, areas of fatty streak significantly decreased by treatment with naringin and lovastatin by 64 and 82%, respectively (p<0.05). Microscopic analysis revealed that foam cell infiltration into intima was significantly reduced by naringin and lovastatin. In contrast to lovastatin, naringin significantly reduced the level of serum GPT (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Like lovastatin, naringin has strong antiatherogenic action which may not be associated with its very mild lipid lowering action. In contrast to lovastatin, naringin does have hepatoprotective effect.
Animals ; Aorta ; Cholesterol ; Citrus ; Diet ; Flavonoids ; Foam Cells ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Liver ; Lovastatin ; Rabbits* ; Triglycerides

The purpose of this study was to investigate the force mechanism of Multiloop Edgewise Arch Wire and the intensity and distribution of stresses with vertical and intermaxillary elastics. The obtained results were as follows. 1. When plain wires were inserted and vertical and intermaxillary elastics were used in the upper and lower arch, the stresses of the anterior and posterior ends of wires were observed greatly but the stresses of the premolar were very small. 2. When MEAW were inserted in upper and lower arch, the upper 1st and 2nd premolar and the lower 1st premolar were extruded greatly. 3. In the area of the upper 1st molar and the lower 2nd premolar and the lower 1st molar, any stresses were not observed. 4. The vertical elastic counteracted the intrusion force of the MEAW in the anterior teeth but could not affect on posterior teeth. Using with the Class II elastics, the distal tipping force and extrusion force were exerted in the upper anterior teeth and the intrusion forces of the lower anterior teeth were relieved. Using with the Class III elastics, the extrusion force were exerted in the upper and lower anterior teeth, the distal tipping force were increased in the lower posterior teeth. 5. The Class II elastic counteracted the anterior intrusion force of the MEAW and extruded and tipped mesially the lower 2nd molar. The intrusion force of the MEAW also could not overcome the extrusion force of the class II elastics. 6. When the Class III elastics were engaged, the upper 2nd molar was extruded in spite of the intrusion forces of the MEAW and the extrusion forces of the lower anterior teeth and distal tipping forces in the posterior teeth were observed.
Bicuspid ; Molar ; Tooth

The aim of this study was to clarify whether bonding/debondmg procedure will affect the occurance of enamel crack. The frequency of enamel crack was compared between before-bonding and after-debonding on 200 human extracted teeth Each facial surface of the tooth was divided in 9 fragments A presence of crack, which was classified by its direction as vertical, horizontal and oblique crack, was surveyed in each fragment. Number of all cracks in facial surface was 1355 at before-bonding, and 1605 at after-debonding, so it revealed significant increase rate of 18.5%, but compared by fragment, cracks were significantly increased in OC, OD, CC and GC fragments. All kinds of cracks were significantly increased, especially increase rate of oblique crack reached 54.9%. The increase rate of cracks was not superior at any fragment or region, but some evidence was seen in CC fragment. Judging from the above, increase of crack is unavoidable with bonding/debonding procedures.
Dental Enamel* ; Humans ; Tooth*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Lymphocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium*

OBJECTIVE: The presence of the various cytokines in human peritoneal fluid has been evaluated incompletely. Changes in cytokine lefels may be related to activation of peritoneal macrophage and T-lymphocyte, development of endometriosis, and infertility. This study assesses peritoneal fluid levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in infertile women with endometriosis and normal women without endometriosis. Design : Prospective and case-control study in university hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytokine levels in peritoneal fluid obtained during laparotomy or laparoscopy from 21 patients in infertile patients in infertile patients with endometriosis and 24 controls undergoing laparotomy or laparoscopy with no evidence of pelvic endometriosis were determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean levels of interleukin-6 in infertile patients with endometriosis and controls were 72.7+/-23.7 pg/ml and 18.5+/-9.7 pg/ml respectively (p=0.02). Similarly, the mean levels of interleukin-8 in infertile patients with endometriosis was significantly higher than that of controls (445.0+/-89.6, vs 45.1+/-48.4, p=0.04). The mean concentration of interleukin-10 in infertile patients with endometriosis was significantly lower than that of controls (1.09+/-0.04 vs 2.19+/-0.03, p=0.03). The level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was not significantly different between the two study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IL-6 and IL-8 and decreased IL-10 levels in the peritoneal fluid may be related to pathogenesis in the endometriosis and infertility, suggesting that partially contribute to the disturbed immune regulation observed in infertili women with endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cytokines ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Prospective Studies ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Although most authors regard contralateral pedicular fracture with unilateral spondylolysis as an unstable condition and recommend surgical management when immobilization fails in promoting bony healing of the fracture, few researchers have investigated the natural history of pedicle fracture or the causal relationship between symptoms and the fracture. In addition, there are no detailed guidelines that address the management of this disease. We report a rare case of contralateral pedicular fracture associated with unilateral spondylolysis at the L5 level which was successfully treated by rehabilitation with activity modification.
Fractures, Stress ; Immobilization ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Natural History ; Spondylolysis

In X-ray irradiation, dose distribution depends on multiple parameters, one of them being tissue inhomogeneity to change the dose significantly. Cpnsoderable dose attenuation through the mid-cranial fossa is expected because of various bony structures in it. Dose distribution around the mid-cranial fossa, following irradiation with 6 MV photon beam, was measured with LiF TLD micro-rod, and compared with the expected dose in the same sites. In our calculation with Cf(correction factor), the expected dose attenuation revealed about 3.74% per 1cm thickness of bone tissue. And the differences between the expected dose with correction for bone tissue and the measured dose by TLD was small, agreeing within an average variation of+/-0.21%.
Bone and Bones