No abstract available.
Spondylolisthesis*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Blood Platelets* ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel* ; Flow Cytometry* ; Membrane Glycoproteins* ; Membranes* ; Thrombasthenia*

No abstract available.
Neoplasm Metastasis*

OBJECTIVE: The molecules related with the intracellular signal transduction system are one of the main targets for the mode of mechanisms of antidepressant treatment in depressive patients. In vivo and in vitro studies have provided the evidence that the transcription factor, CREB (c-AMP response element binding protein) is the key mediator of the therapeutic response to antidepressants. We investigated the relationship between the treatment response to fluoxetine for 6 weeks and the change of CREB immunoreactivity in peripheral T lymphocyte. METHODS: CREB-expression and phosphorylation were quantified via western blot, and binding activity between transcription factor and CRE-oligonucleotide via electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) in nuclear extracts from 14 normal controls and 31 depressed patients at 0 and 6th week during fluoxetine treatment (20 mg/day). Responder was defined as the > or =50% of reduction or < or =7 of HAM-D score. We compared the changes of CREB during 6 weeks of fluoxetine treatment between drug responders and non-responders using SPSS11.0. RESULTS: After six weeks of treatment with fluoxetine, the drug responders showed a significant increase in CREB (p=0.024 by t-test) and p-CREB (p=0.045 by Mann-Whitney U test) compared with the non-responders. The change of CREB immunoreactivity was positively correlated with the change of p-CREB (r=0.770, p=0.000 by Spearman's rho), and the change of p-CREB was also positively correlated with CRE-DNA binding (r=0.753, p=0.000 by Spearman's rho). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that CREB response in peripheral lymphocyte may reflect and mediate the response to antidepressant treatment in depressed patients.
Antidepressive Agents ; Blotting, Western ; Depression ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Fluoxetine ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Phosphorylation ; Response Elements ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factors

No abstract available.
Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA* ; Flagellin* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Sequence Analysis, DNA*

OBJECTIVE: Although most of hypertensive intracerebral hematoma (HICH) are static after ictus, a minority of them can enlarge in the acute phase after onset. This study performs to find the predicting factors and signs of hematoma enlargement in patients with HICH. METHODS: Among 140 cases of HICH treated during 1.5 years, the authors selected 107 cases who underwent contrast enhanced and nonenhanced initial CT scanning within 12 hours after symptom onset and a follow-up CT scan in order to investigate the enlargement of hematoma. Those cases were divided into two groups:hematoma enlargement (group I) and non-enlargement group (group II). The comparison of predicting factors (bleeding tendency, abnormal liver function and blood pressure) and signs (enhanced focus in hematoma on CT) of hematoma enlargement between group I and II was performed. RESULTS: There were 8 cases in group I and 99 cases in group II. The incidence of an enhanced focus in hematoma on CT scan was higher in group I than group II (87.5% vs. 9.1%, p<0.05). The systolic blood pressure (BP) at 6 hours after symptom onset and at the time of the first CT scan was higher in group I than group II (172.5 vs. 152.0 mm Hg, and 182.5 vs. 158.6 mm Hg, respectively, p<0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of bleeding tendency and abnormal liver function between group I and II. CONCLUSION: Contrast enhanced brain CT scan to detect the enhanced focus in the hematoma is one of useful methods to predict the early enlargement of hematoma in patients with HICH. The continuance of a high BP in spite of medication of antihypertensive drugs during the acute period after the onset of symptoms is another predictive sign of hematoma enlargement in patients with HICH.
Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Brain ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Primary autoimmune myelofibrosis, the development of which is not preceded by a well-defined autoimmune disease, has recently been defined as a distinct clinicopathologic syndrome. We report herein a case of a 68-year-old woman who was diagnosed with primary autoimmune myelofibrosis and present a review of the literature. The patient manifested peripheral pancytopenia, was positive for autoantibodies, and developed myelofibrosis with no preceding autoimmune or hematologic disorders. Her condition was dramatically improved after administration of prednisolone.
Aged ; Autoantibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Pancytopenia ; Prednisolone ; Primary Myelofibrosis*

OBJECTIVES: Serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a key synaptic regulator of serotonergic neurotransmission and a major site of action of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine or paroxetine. Two PCR-fomatted polymorphisms at this locus have been described, the first of which is a repeat sequence polymorphism located in the promoter region (5-HTT gene-linked polymorphic region, 5-HTTLPR), and the second is a variable number tandem repeat located in intron2 (STin2). 5-HTTLPR insertion/deletion polymorphism with long (l) and short (s) forms affects the transcriptional efficiency of 5-HTT transporter expression. We examined the pharmacodynamic characteristic of 5-HTT gene polymorphism in the patients with major depression, which was expressed in the peripheral platelet. METHODS: 5-HTT gene polymophisms and pharmacodynamic characteristics of 5-HTT in the platelet was measured in 41 patients with major depression defined by DSM IV criteria and 35 healthy normal volunteers. 5-HTT gene polymophisms were analyzed with the primers flanking the regulatory region and the second intron from genomic DNA. Pharmacodynamic characteristics of 5-HTT in the platelet was measured with [3H]-serotonin uptake study. The uptake of [3H]-serotonin was quantified with Vmax and Km value. RESULTS: We found that the Vmax value of 5-HTT in peripheral platelet was higher in the patients with s/s genotype (2.17 pmol/10(4) platelets/min, 1.53-3.90 pmol/10(4) platelets/min) than with s/l (1.73 pmol/10(4) platelets/min, 0.83-3.40 pmol/10(4) platelets/min) or l/l (1.0(4) pmol/10(4) platelets/min, 0.88-1.31 pmol/10(4) platelets/min) genotype of 5-HTTLPR. Normal subjects with s/s genotype also had significantly higher Vmax value than those with s/l or l/l genotype. However, STin2 genotype showed no significant association with Vmax or Km in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that allelic variation of 5-HTT gene affects the phenotypic expression of 5-HTT in human platelet, and may be linked with phenotypic heterogeneity in the antidepressant responsiveness in depressed patients. This is another different finding based on ethnic variation with respect to pharmacodynamic characteristics of 5-HTT gene polymorphism.
Blood Platelets* ; Depression ; DNA ; Fluoxetine ; Genotype ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Introns ; Paroxetine ; Population Characteristics ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Serotonin* ; Synaptic Transmission ; Tandem Repeat Sequences

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the life-time prevalence (LTP) of chronic low back pain (LBP) in young Korean males. We also evaluated the relationship between lumbar spinal lesions and their health related quality-of-life (HRQOL). METHODS: A cross-sectional, self-reported survey was conducted in Korean males (aged 19-year-old) who underwent physical examinations for the conscript. We examined 3331 examinees in November 2014. We included 2411 subjects, who accepted to participate this study without any comorbidities. We interviewed using simple binary questions for their LBP experience and chronicity. HRQOL was assessed by Short-Form Health-Survey-36 (SF-36) in chronic LBP and healthy control groups. Radiological assessment was performed in chronic LBP group to determine whether there were any pathological causes of their symptoms. RESULTS: The LTP of chronic LBP was 13.4%. Most (71.7%) of them didn't have any lumbar spinal lesions (i.e., non-specific chronic LBP). The SF-36 subscale and summary scores were significantly lower in subjects with chronic LBP. Between specific and non-specific chronic LBP group, all physical and mental subscale scores were significantly lower in specific chronic LBP group, except mental health (MH) subscale score. In MH subscale and mental component summary score, statistical significant differences didn't appear between two groups (p=0.154, 0.126). CONCLUSION: In Korean males 19 years of age, the LTP of chronic LBP was 13.4%, and more than two-thirds were non-specific chronic LBP. Chronic LBP had a significant impact on HRQOL. The presence of lumbar spinal pathoanatomical lesions affected mainly on the physical aspect of HRQOL. It influenced little on the mental health.
Comorbidity ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Male ; Mental Health ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence* ; Public Health ; Quality of Life*