No abstract available.
Chlamydia* ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect*

OBJECTIVES: Chronic pain is one of the most common experiences of humans and a typical psychophysiological disorder. The aim of this study was to measure the psychophysiological responses in chronic pain patients using a biofeedback system, and to compare them with the results from normal healthy subjects. METHODS: Forty two patients with chronic pain (17 males and 25 females, average age 44.67+/-11.10 years) and 42 normal healthy controls (17 males and 25 females, average age 45.17+/-10.46 years) participated in this study. Electromyography (EMG), skin conductance (SC), and skin temperature (ST) were recorded using biofeedback system during the 3 phases (baseline, stress, and recovery) of stress reactivity test, and average values of them were calculated. Difference of values between two groups in each corresponding phase was analyzed with independent t-test, and change of values across phases of stress reactivity test was analyzed with paired t-test (all two-tailed, p<0.05). RESULTS: Compared to normal controls, chronic pain patients had higher value of EMG (baseline : 8.10+/-5.97 micronV vs 4.72+/-1.52 micronV, t=-3.56, p<0.01 ; stress : 11.25+/-6.89 micronV vs 8.49+/-4.78 micronV, t=-2.13, p<0.05 ; recovery : 7.12+/-3.77 micronV vs 4.78+/-1.59 micronV, t= -3.70, p<0.01) and SC (baseline : 1.06+/-1.0 micronS vs 0.42+/-0.29 micronS, t=-4.0. p<0.01 ; stress : 1.87+/-2.05 micronS vs 1.03+/-0.86 micronS, t=-2.47, p<0.05 ; recovery : 1.74+/-1.77 micronS vs 0.64+/-0.59 micronS, t=-3.8, p<0.01) in all the 3 phases. But, skin temperature comparison did not reveal significant differences in all the 3 phases between two groups. CONCLUSION: Psychophysiological responses of chronic pain patients in stress reactivity test were different from those of normal healthy controls. These results suggest that sympathetic nervous system is more activated in chronic pain patients.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Pain ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychophysiologic Disorders ; Psychophysiology ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Sympathetic Nervous System

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to study the possible differences in clinical and polysomnographic findings, depending on the presence or absence of subjective complaints of abnormal sleep behavior, in patients with RWA on polysomnography. METHOD: We reviewed patient records and polysomnographic data of patients referred to the Sleep Laboratory at Seoul National University Hospital from June 1996 through October 2002. We defined the manifest RBD group (n=32) as patients having both complaints of abnormal sleep behavior and RWA on polysomnography. The latent RBD group (n=20) consisted of patients who exhibited RWA on polysomnography but did not complain of abnormal sleep behavior. The clinical characteristics and polysomnographic findings between the two groups were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-two subjects had RWA, as detected by polysomnography (42 males and 10 females, mean age of 55.1+/-19.1 years). Subjects in the manifest RBD group were significantly older than those in the latent RBD group (61.59+/-13.5 vs. 44.70+/-2.76 years, independent t-test, p<0.01). More subjects in the manifest RBD group exhibited abnormal REM behavior on polysomnography than did subjects in the latent RBD group (81.3 vs. 50.0%, Fisher's exact test, p<0.05). No significant differences between the groups were found in the prevalence of brain disorders and primary sleep disorders, gender proportion, and sleep architecture. CONCLUSION: No difference in sleep architecture was found between the manifest and the latent RBD groups. Only age and the presence of abnormal sleep behavior on polysomnography differentiated the two groups. We suggest that RWA on polysomnography without complaints of abnormal sleep behavior may be early manifestation of manifest RBD. Attention to RWA on polysomnography is necessary to help prevent full-blown RBD from developing.
Brain Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Disorders* ; Polysomnography ; Prevalence ; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder ; Seoul ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Sleep, REM*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence rate of OSA in subjects whose main sleep complaint is insomnia and to find differential factors of OSA in these insomniac subjects. METHOD: We reviewed the medical records and polysomnographic findings of patients referred to the Sleep Laboratory at Seoul National University Hospital from January 1996 to December 2002. Four-hundred and seventy subjects complained of insomnia as their main sleep problem (235 males and 235 females, mean age 53.6+/-12.4 years). First, we investigated the prevalence rate of OSA in these insomniac patients. Second, we compared the clinical and demographic characteristics of the OSA-associated group with those of the non-associated group. Third, we examined whether the degree or presence of differential factors within the OSA group correlate with severity of OSA, as determined by the respiratory disturbance index (RDI). RESULTS: Among 470 insomniac subjects, 125 subjects (26.6%) were diagnosed as OSA by nocturnal polysomnography. OSA-associated subjects were significantly older (58.4+/-12.3 years vs. 51.8+/-11.2 years, p<0.01), and had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) (23.4+/-3.3 kg/m2 vs. 22.5+/-3.1 kg/m2, p=0.44) than non-associated subjects. The OSA-associated group had more subjects with male gender (64.0 % vs. 44.9 %, p<0.01), hypertension (20.0 % vs. 9.3 %, p<0.01) or snoring (96.0 % vs. 63.5 %, p<0.01). Within the OSA-associated group, age had a significant positive correlation with RDI (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: We found that a considerable portion of patients complaining of insomnia as their main sleep problem were diagnosed as OSA. Snoring, old age, male gender, obesity, and comorbid hypertension were found to be differential factors of OSA in insomniac patients. We suggest that diagnostic efforts including nocturnal polysomnography are needed for insomniac patients with any of the above risk factors of OSA.
Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Medical Records ; Obesity ; Polysomnography ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Snoring

The effect of NDMA after oral administration (17 mg/ml) on the glycoconjugates of lingual von Ebner's gland and mucous gland were investigated with lectin histochemical methods. For lectin histochemical studies, the biotinylated lectins (DBA, PNA, SBA, BSL -1, sWGA, RCA -1, LCA, UEA -1, and ConA) were applied. Lectin binding patterns of glycoconjugates of lingual von Ebner's gland showed the decreased affinity for DBA, PNA, BSL -1 and sWGA in NDMA -treated group compared with control group. The remarkable decrease of binding affinity of NDMA -treated group was observed in PNA for 12 and 24 hours, DBA for 96 hours, BSL -1 for 72 hours, and sWGA for 3 hours, while the striking decrease of BSL -1 and sWGA binding was observed in NDMA -treated group for 12 hours. But these decreases of binding were tended to recover in PNA and sWGA after 72 hours of NDMA treatment, and in DBA after 120 hours. The binding affinity of SBA and RCA -1 was decreased in NDMA -treated group for 3 hours, while the other NDMA -treated group showed an increased affinity. Especially, the increase of SBA binding was remarkable. There was a little change in binding affinity of UEA -1, LCA and Con A in NDMA -treated group. Lectin binding patterns of glycoconjugates of lingual mucous gland showed decreased affinities for SBA, sWGA and UEA -1 in NDMA -treated group. The striking decreases of binding affinity for NDMA -treated group was observed in SBA and sWGA for 3 hours, and UEA -1 for 3 and 24 hours. And the remarkable decreases of binding affinity for NDMA -treated group was found in SBA for 24 and 48 hours, sWGA for 48, 72 and 96 hours, and UEA -1 for 48 hours. These decreases of binding affinity of NDMA -treated group were tended to recover in SBA and UEA -1 after 96 hours and in sWGA after 120 hours. The binding affinity for PNA and ConA showed a little but not remarkable increase in NDMA - treated group, and LCA binding showed a little decrease following a little increase in NDMA - treated group. The affinity of DBA binding was decreased in NDMA -treated group for 12 hours and 24 hours, while the other NDMA -treated group showed an increased affinity. Especially, there was a remarkable increase in NDMA -treated group for 96 hours. From these results, it is suggested that the toxicity of NDMA may be related with the carcinogen of the rat tongue, and glycoconjugates are concerned with the repaire of the destruction of the lingual mucous acini.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Dimethylnitrosamine* ; Glycoconjugates* ; Lectins ; Rats* ; Salivary Glands* ; Strikes, Employee ; Tongue ; von Ebner Glands

Actinomycosis is a rare entity which presents some difficulties in establishing a correct preoperative diagnosis. Many actinomycotic pelvic infections in women are related to IUD use and the colonization rate appears to increase in accordance with the duration of IUD use. So, all women in IUD use are recommended to make cervicovaginal smear and pelvic infection associated with IUD use should be suspected to have actinomycoses. We report a case which presented painful mass on right upper and lower quadrant of abdomen of a 40-year-old women. We identified sulfur granules by histopathologic exam of surgically resected specimen. Eventually it proved to be pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis associated with the use of an intrauterine device. Because variable clinical pictures and infrequency of the disease make the diagnosis more difficult, increased alertness of clinicians and microbiologists to the presence of anaerobic organism as the cause of infection are needed to make an earlier and more correct diagnosis of actinomycoses and to further avoid any inappropriate treatment.
Abdomen ; Actinomycosis ; Adult ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Intrauterine Devices ; Pelvic Infection ; Pelvis ; Sulfur

Bullet embolism is a rare complication of non-penetrating gunshot trauma. There are two types of bullet embolisms: arterial and venous. Accurate preoperative localization of the bullet is important for selecting the proper surgical and anesthetic techniques. We report here on a rare case of venous bullet embolus to the right ventricle from the right iliac vein, as was demonstrated by transesophageal echocardiography.
Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Embolism ; Heart Ventricles ; Iliac Vein

OBJECTIVES: To compare the biogenetic temperament and character patterns of subjects with narcolepsy and those of healthy control subjects. METHODS: Twenty-two subjects with narcolepsy, diagnosed with the International Classification of Sleep Disorder (ICSD) criteria, and 22 healthy control subjects were recruited. The Korean version of the Temperament and Character Inventory was administered to all subjects. RESULTS: Compared to healthy control subjects, subjects with narcolepsy showed significantly higher Novelty-Seeking (ANCOVA, F=5.42, p=0.025), lower Persistence (F=8.41, p=0.006) and lower Self-Directedness scores (F=4.70, p=0.036). CONCLUSION: Narcoleptic patients have a distinct pattern of biogenetic temperament and character. Our findings suggest that narcoleptic patients are exploratory in response to novelty but give up easily. In addition, our findings show that narcoleptic patients consider themselves ineffective, purposeless, and fragile.
Classification ; Humans ; Narcolepsy* ; Temperament*

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the status of HIV infection and AIDS incidence using a back-calculation model in Korea. METHODS: Back-calculation is a method for estimating the past infection rate using AIDS incidence data. The method has been useful for obtaining short-term projections of AIDS incidence and estimating previous HIV prevalence. If the density of the incubation periods is known, together with the AIDS incidence, we can estimate historical HIV infections and forecast AIDS incidence in any time period up to time t. In this paper, we estimated the number of HIV infections and AIDS incidence according to the distribution of various incubation periods RESULTS: The cumulative numbers of HIV infection from 1991 to 1996 were 708~1,426 in Weibull distribution and 918~1,980 in Gamma distribution. The projected AIDS incidence in 1997 was 16~25 in Weibull distribution and 13~26 in Gamma distribution. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated cumulative HIV infections from 1991 to 1996 were 1.4~4.0 times more than notified cumulative HIV infections. Additionally, the projected AIDS incidence in 1997 was less than the notified AIDS cases. The reason for this underestimation derives from the very low level of HIV prevalence in Korea. Further research is required for the distribution of the incubation period of HIV infection in Korea, particularly for the effects of combination treatments.
HIV Infections ; HIV* ; Incidence* ; Korea* ; Prevalence

There were 11 cases of pituitary tumors and 2 cases of craniopharyngiomas, who were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of the Catholic Medical Center from July 1976 to April 1977. The authors analyzed changes of the hormone related with the hypophyses before and after surgery, and radiation using the radioimmunoassay according to Schalch and Parker's double antibody method. The hormonal assays were performed as follows : 5 samplings of growth hormones were given at a fasting state, at 8 AM, 8:30 AM, 10 AM and 11 AM, also the oral glucose tolerance test simulataneously after the patients were given 100 gm of surgar, associated with the insulin tolerance test (0.15 unit/kg). Two specimens of blood for the prolactin were withdrawn at 8 AM and 4 PM on that day. A specimen for LH, FSH, TSH, T3, T4 and cortisol was taken at 8 AM. The 8 surgery cases of the pituitary tumors associated with post-operative radiation underwent 3 transsphenoidal approaches, 3 transfrontal and 2 transtemporal approaches, and all of the surgery cases were alive. The transtemporal approach was for all craniopharyngiomas, and all of them died following surgery. One patient in this chromophile adenoma group had radiation therapy only. Following the clinical improvement after the treatment, the endocrinological symptoms, i. e. diminished libido and amenorrhea, were improved in the acromegalic group. The visual disturbance in the chromophobe adenoma group was markedly improved and the menstruation had started in one case. In inoperative patients, the visual disturbance and the endocrinological disarrangements were aggravated. In the chromophile adenoma group accompanying the acromegaly, the mean value of the plasma growth hormone was markedly increased to 61.3 ng/ml and greatly decreased to 36.8 ng/ml after the surgery and radiation, but increased rather than before radiation in the one case of radiation only. The mean prolactine value was also increased to 60.6 ng/ml and not changed after the therapy. The gonadotropin was within normal limits and tended to decrease slightly after the treatment. The TSH, T3, T4 cortisol were within normal values. In the chromophobe adenoma group, the mean growth hormone values were within normal limits, 7.27 ng/ml, and not altered after the therapy. The mean prolactin value was increased to 57.8 ng/ml and not changed after the treatment. The gonadotropin, TSH, T4 and cortisol were within normal limits before and after the treatment, but the T3 value was slightly higher than normal. In the craniopharyngioma group, the mean growth hormone value was within normal limits, 7.4 ng/ml and not altered after the surgery. The mean prolactin gonadotropin, TSH, T3 and T4 were within normal limits but the cortisol value was increased to 13.7 ng/ml after the surgery.
Acromegaly ; Adenoma ; Adenoma, Chromophobe ; Amenorrhea ; Craniopharyngioma ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Gonadotropins ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Insulin ; Libido ; Menstruation ; Neurosurgery ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Plasma ; Prolactin ; Radioimmunoassay* ; Reference Values