Pulmonary vascular hypertension is characterized by migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells accompanying abnormal synthesis and accumulation of extracellular proteins in vascular wall. The aim of this study is to define the role of endogneous TGF-betas and PDGF in the process of remodeling vessels through determining the temporal and spatial distribution of these growth factors in hypertensive pulmonary vessels in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rat. Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed 12 hours, 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, and 56 days after treatment. The morphometric analysis of medial thickening and immunohistochemical study using antibodies to TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, TGF-beta3, and PDGF were performed. Immunoreactivities for TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta3 were increased from the 14th day in the medial smooth muscle cells and PDGF showed increased expression from the 21st day in the medial smooth muscle cells. No difference in TGF-beta2 immunoreactivity was found between control and experimental groups. The expression of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta3 and PDGF increased in medial layers with the progressive thickening of pulmonary arteries which was considered to have close relation to medial hypertrophy of pulmonary arterioles. In the case of PDGF, however, the morphologic change occurred before increase in immunoreactivity was observed in the medial layer of pulmonary arterioles. Moreover, the function of isoforms of TGF-beta has yet to be completely elucidated; the different affinity to receptors and the degree of expression of these receptors that are supposed to affect the function of growth factors. Thus, further studies are needed.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Arterioles ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Hypertrophy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Monocrotaline ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Protein Isoforms ; Pulmonary Artery ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Transforming Growth Factor beta2 ; Transforming Growth Factor beta3

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

BACKGROUND: A hand hygiene policy has been introduced by the Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals (JCI); the purpose of this policy is to ensure that systematic standards are continuously practiced at hospitals in order to improve the quality of medical care and the safety of patients and health care workers. This policy requires that phlebotomists wear new gloves and disinfect their hands before attending a patient to prevent nosocomial infections and to protect the phlebotomists. This study aimed to assess the responses of patients and guardians regarding the hand hygiene procedures. METHODS: Between January and February 2010, a questionnaire survey was performed at our hospital for 310 outpatients, 93 inpatients, and 189 guardians. RESULTS: In all, 70.8% of respondents answered that phlebotomists did not require considerable time to remove and wear gloves, and 69.9% responded that phlebotomists could readily detect veins even with their gloves on. Besides, 81.9% respondents thought that it was sanitarily important for phlebotomists to remove their gloves and disinfect their hands after a venipuncture, whereas only 2.8% thought that this practice caused discomfort. CONCLUSION: The patients and guardians recognized that the hand hygiene procedures were important for their own safety and encouraged their application rather than considering them uncomfortable or inappropriate. Introduction and maintenance of the hand hygiene policy of JCI would not be difficult because patients or guardians recognized its importance.
Accreditation ; Cross Infection ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dietary Sucrose ; Gloves, Protective ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Joints ; Outpatients ; Phlebotomy ; Veins

No abstract available.
Blood Cells* ; Leukemia*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Fetus* ; Humans ; Humerus* ; Radius* ; Ulna*

A rare case in the pattern of the origin of the celiac artery was observed in the cadaver of a 64 year old Korean male and the results are summarized as follows. The superior mesenteric artery originated from the abdominal aorta at the level of the intervertebral dusk between first and second lumbar vertebra. At a point 4cm from the origin of the superior mesenteric arterr, a common trunk appeared and ran 1cm and then divided into the common hepatic artery and the splenic artery. The common hepatic artery divided into the right gastric artery and the proper hepatic artery at a point 4.5cm after the bifurcation. A common trunk formed by the left inferior phrenic artery and the lefts gastric artery arose from the abdominal aorta about 0.8cm about the origin of the celiacomesenteric trunk.
Aorta, Abdominal ; Arteries ; Cadaver ; Celiac Artery* ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Spine ; Splenic Artery

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the asthma management educational program given to the allergic asthmatics receiving immunotherapy due to house dust mite on the disease related to knowledge, stress, and self-efficacy. METHOD: The subjects of this study were the patients received immunotherapy to house dust mite at a week interval after being diagnosed for house dust mite allergic asthma at the respiratory center of a hospital affiliated to the university. They were divided into the experimental group of 29 patients who received asthma management education, the control group of 32 patients, and 61 patients in total. Experimental treatment, as an asthma management educational program, was the group education of one time and the reinforcement education of three times with environmental therapy and immunotherapy to house dust mite. RESULTS: The results revealed that the improvement in disease related knowledge, the improvement in self-efficacy and the decrease in stress, were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The asthma management educational program had an effect on improving the disease related knowledge and self-efficacy, and decreasing the stress of the patients asthmatics allergic to house dust mite.
Asthma* ; Dust* ; Education ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Respiratory Center

No abstract available.
Appendix* ; Fetus*

No abstract available.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections* ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses*