The echocardiographic study was performed to 13 cases with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and 105 normal persons between Nov. 1980 and Feb. 1982 in Heart center, Paik Hospital, In-Je Medical College, Busan, Korea. The left ventricular functions in the Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were compared with those in the normal. The results were followings: 1. There were 10 male and 3 female of 13 cases with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, whose ages were above 20 years old. 2. LVDeD 4.29+/-0.60cm, LVSeD 2.85+/-0.66cm, LVDeV 82.06+/-24.66ml and LVSeV 26.91+/-9.21ml in the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy were significantly changed with those in the normal. 3. E.F. 68.63+/-10.46% and F.S. 34.32+/-6.43% in the Hypertrophic Cardiomopathy were significantly increased with those in the normal. 4. VSTh 1.66+/-0.37cm, LVPWTh 1.04+/-0.29cm in the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy were significantly increased with those in the normal.
Busan ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Echocardiography* ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Streptomyces*

No abstract available.
Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Humans* ; Hypertension* ; Pregnancy*

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin II (Ang II) appears to play important roles in the pathogenesis of hypertension. However, the mechanism by which Ang II induces vascular smooth muscle contraction is not fully understood. The phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) is an essential trigger of the cascade that initiates of smooth muscle contraction. In this study, we investigated the role of MLC phosphorylation on Ang II-induced vascular smooth muscle contraction. METHODS: Rat thoracic aortas were used as an experimental substrates. We measured isometric tension, myosin light chain phosphorylation, intracellular Ca2+ concentration, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, and tyrosine phosphorylation. RESULTS: 100 nM Ang II increased smooth muscle contraction transiently in rat thoracic aorta. Ang II also increased intracellular Ca2+ and 20 kDa MLC phosphorylation. Pretreatment with 10microM verapamil and 30microM La3+ abolished the contraction developed at 30 seconds by Ang II, whereas pretreatment with 10microM verapamil and 30microM La3+ abolished the contraction and the intracellular Ca2+ increase induced at 2 minutes by Ang II. Moreover, pretreatment of 10microM verapamil, 30microM La3+ and 1microM thapsigargin abolished the contraction as well as intracellular Ca2+ increase developed at 30 seconds and 2 minutes by Ang II. However, MLC phosphorylation was not affected. GF109203X attenuated Ang II-induced contraction more so than ML-7. 100 nM Ang II increased tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, 68 and 125 kDa proteins. The 125 kDa protein was confirmed as paxillin in primary vascular smooth muscle cell culture. CONCLUSIONS: Ang II-induced contraction involves Ca2+-dependent and independent components, and Ca2+-dependent contraction by Ang II is mediated by voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel. Moreover, protein kinase C and the mitogen-activated protein kinase activation pathway are involved in Ang II-induced contraction.
Angiotensin II ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Calcium ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Hypertension ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Myosin Light Chains ; Paxillin ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Kinase C ; Protein Kinases ; Rats* ; Thapsigargin ; Tyrosine ; Verapamil

Color Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed to detect and evaluate semiquantitatively the severity of mitral regurgitation in 38 patients who underwent left ventriculography. The sensitivity and specificity of the technique in the detection of mitral regurgitation was 84% and 100% as compared with left ventriculography.Mitral regurgitation in the false negative cases was mostly mild. On the bases of the farthest distance reached by the regurgitation flow signal from the mitral value orifice, the severity of regurgitation was graded on a four point scale and these results were compared with those of angiography. A significant correlation(r=0.87) was found between Doppler imaging and angiography in the evaluation of the severity of mitral regurgitation.Also results was obtained for the evaluation based on the area covered by the regurgitant signals in the left atrial cavity & the regurgitant jet area(RJA) experssed as a percentage of the left atrial are(LLA) obtained in the same plane(RJA/LLA%). In conclusion, Color Doppler echocardiography is a useful noninvasvive thechique that is not only sensitive and specific in the identification of mitral regurgitation but also provides accurate estimation og its severity.
Angiography ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although drug-eluting stents (DESs) effectively reduce restenosis following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), they also delay re-endothelialization and impair microvascular function, resulting in adverse clinical outcomes. Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) capturing stents, by providing a functional endothelial layer on the stent, have beneficial effects on microvascular function. However, data on coronary microvascular function in patients with EPC stents versus DESs are lacking. METHODS: Seventy-four patients who previously underwent PCI were enrolled in this study. Microvascular function was evaluated 6 months after PCI based on the index of microvascular resistance (IMR) and the coronary flow reserve (CFR). IMR was calculated as the ratio of the mean distal coronary pressure at maximal hyperemia to the inverse of the hyperemic mean transit time (hTmn). The CFR was calculated by dividing the hTmn by the baseline mean transit time. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (age, 67.2 +/- 9.6 years; male:female, 15:6) with an EPC stent and 53 patients (age, 61.5 +/- 14.7 years; male:female, 40:13) with second-generation DESs were included in the study. There were no significant differences in the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics of the two groups. Angiography performed 6 months postoperatively did not show significant differences in their CFR values. However, patients with the EPC stent had a significantly lower IMR than patients with second-generation DESs (median, 25.5 [interquartile range, 12.85 to 28.18] vs. 29.0 [interquartile range, 15.42 to 39.23]; p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Microvascular dysfunction was significantly improved after 6 months in patients with EPC stents compared to those with DESs. The complete re-endothelialization achieved with the EPC stent may provide clinical benefits over DESs, especially in patients with microvascular dysfunction.
Aged ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease/diagnosis/physiopathology/*therapy ; *Coronary Circulation ; Coronary Vessels/*physiopathology/radiography ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; *Endothelial Progenitor Cells/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microvessels/*physiopathology/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/*instrumentation ; Prosthesis Design ; *Re-Epithelialization ; *Stents ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Resistance

BACKGROUND: BK virus is a polyomavirus associated with a range of clinical presentations from asymptomatic viruria with pyuria to ureteral ulceration with ureteral stenosis in renal transplant patients. BK viral Infection of renal allografts has been associated with diminished graft function in some individuals. We tried to detect BK virus in urine and plasma from Korean renal transplant recipients, renal transplant candidates, and healthy donors. METHODS: To detect BK virus in urine and plasma, we used PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragments length polymorphism) with BamHI. The study was performed from 118 renal transplant recipients, 18 renal transplant candidates, and 25 healthy donors. RESULTS: BK virus DNAs were detected in 21.2% of urine and 0.9% of plasma from renal transplant recipients. BK virus DNA was detected in neither urine nor plasma from healthy donors and renal transplants candidates. Among a total of eight patients who were clinically suspected of having BK nephropathy, three were PCR positive for BK virus and two were decoy-cell cytology positive. Six patients were diagnosed as BK nephropathy by tissue pathology. Among them, BK virus was detected by PCR in urine from five patients, and decoy cells were shed from five patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BK virus detection by polymerase chain reaction in urine may be a non-invasive and sensitive tool for diagnosing and monitoring BK nephropathy.
Allografts ; BK Virus* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; DNA ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Pathology ; Plasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Polyomavirus ; Pyuria ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplantation* ; Transplants ; Ulcer ; Ureter

Apoptosis is a programmed, physiologic mode of cell death that plays an important role in tissue homeostasis. As for the central nervous system, ischemic insults can induce pathophysiologic cascade of apoptosis in neurophils. Impairment of astroctye functions during brain ischemia can critically influence neuron survival by neuronglia interactions. We aimed to elucidate the protective effect of ketamine on apoptosis by energy deprivation in astrocytes. Ischemic insults was induced with iodoacetate/ carbonylcyanide mchlorophenylhydrazone (IAA/CCCP) 1.5 mM/ 20 micrometer or 150 micrometer/2 micrometer for 1 hr in the HTB-15 and CRL-1690 astrocytoma cells. Then these cells were reperfused with normal media or ketamine (0.1 mM) containing media for 1 hr or 24 hr. FITC-annexin-V staining and propidium iodide binding were determined by using flow cytometry. Cell size and granularity were measured by forward and side light scattering properties of flow cytometry system, respectively. An addition of keta-mine during reperfusion increased the proportion of viable cells. Ketamine alleviated cell shrinkage and increased granularity during the early period, and ameliorated cell swelling during the late reperfusion period. Ketamine may have a valuable effect on amelioration of early and late apoptosis in the astrocytoma cells, even though the exact mechanism remains to be verified.
Anesthetics, Dissociative/*pharmacology ; Annexin A5/pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; Astrocytes/metabolism ; Astrocytoma/*drug therapy/pathology ; Brain/pathology ; Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone/pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Size ; Cell Survival ; Central Nervous System/drug effects/pathology ; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry/*methods ; Humans ; Indicators and Reagents/pharmacology ; Iodoacetates/pharmacology ; Ischemia/pathology ; Ketamine/metabolism/*pharmacology ; Light ; Neurons/metabolism/pathology ; Neutrophils/metabolism ; Perfusion ; Propidium/pharmacology ; Scattering, Radiation ; Time Factors ; Uncoupling Agents/pharmacology

Phase and Amplitude Image were developed to overcome the subjective nature of interpretation for cinematic endless loop display of radionuclide gated blood pool scan. To evaluate the usefulness of color coded phase image in coronary artery disease, we conducted a clinical study with coronary angiography and phase image in 23 patients, and compared the results of those studies. 1) The results of coronary angiography revealed normal coronary artery in 6, 1 vessel disease in 11, 2 vessel disease in 4, and 3 vessel disease in 2 patients. 2) Color-coded Phase Image revealed abnormal phase area in 2/2(100%) of 3 vessel disease patients and in 3/4(75%) of 2 vessel disease patients, in 5/11(45%) of 1 vessel disease patients, and only 1/6(16%) of normal coronary artery. 3) Among the patients who disclosed abnormal phase image, 5 patients of 2-or3-vessl disease revealed abnormal phase through whole left ventricular area, but 3 patients with right coronary artery lesion and 2 patients with left antrior descending artery lesion showed localized abnormal phase area, infero-apical and anterior portion respectively, which were in accord with each coronary lesion. We concluded that the phase image may be useful in evaluation of the regional wall motion abnormalities in the patients of coronary artery disease. Further studies seem to be neccessary to clarify the sensitivity and specificity of the phase image in the each disease entity group.
Arteries ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a mentoring program to improve the exercise and dietary habits of adolescents. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was used. The independent variable was a mentoring program for improvement of exercise and dietary habits of adolescents, in which the mentors were nursing students and the mentees were female middle school students. The dependent variables were weekly exercise frequency, weekly exercise time, perception of exercise benefit, frequency of vegetable intake, and dietary habits. The intervention was conducted by various methods such as group education, individual approach through the mentor-mentee relationship, and multimedia approaches. RESULTS: At follow-up, the perception of the exercise benefit was significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group. The weekly exercise frequency and frequency of vegetable intake in the intervention group were significantly greater after the intervention than those before the intervention. CONCLUSION: This mentoring program is potentially of an effective health promotion program for adolescents and will enable nursing students who participate in the program as mentors to gain confidence in their professional capability.
Adolescent ; *Adolescent Psychology ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; *Exercise ; Female ; *Food Habits ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; *Mentors ; Program Development ; Students/psychology