No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Female ; Oligomenorrhea ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients develop hypoaldosteronism which frequently caused hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis and diabetic hypoaldosteronism is associated with selective unresponsiveness of aldosterone to angiotensin A-II, but mechanism of defect in A-II stimulated aldosterone response still remain unclear. METHODS: To elucidate the mechanism of defect in A-II stimulated aldosterone response, author evaluated the responses of aldosterone production to A-II, K+, and ACTH in adrenal glomerulosa cells prepared from streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, Inositol triphosphate (IP3) generated by activation of phospholipase C (PLC) and arachidonic acid and lysophospholipids generated by activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) were measured in A-II stimulated glomerulosa cells. Radiocalcium efflux and aldosterone response to second messenger of A-II such as PLC, IP3, PLA, AA and protein kinase C activator, 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol 13 acetate (TPA). RESULTS: 1. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels were not different among control rats, untreated and insulin treated diabetic rats. 2. Basal, ACTH and K+ -stimulated aldosterone production were similar in cells from the three groups (p<0.05), but A-II stimulated aldosterone production was significantly decreased in cells from untreated diabetic rats compared with control and insulin treated diabetic rats (p0.05). 4. Aldosterone responses to PLC, IP3, AA and TPA were significantly decreased in glomerulosa cells from diabetic rats compared with control and insulin treated diabetic rats (p<0.05), but aldosterone response to PLA2 was similar among the three groups (p>0.05). 45Ca efflux to PLC, IP3 PLA2 and AA were similar among the three groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that decreased A-II-stimulated aldosterone response was present in glomerulosa cells from streptozotocin induced diabetic rats and reversed by insulin treatments. The main defect of altered A-II response of zona glomerulosa might be located in the step after activation of phospholipase and increase of intracellular calcium, and activation of PKC, or distal to that could be one of the causative mechanism.
Acidosis ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Aldosterone* ; Angiotensin II ; Angiotensins* ; Animals ; Arachidonic Acid ; Calcium* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia ; Hypoaldosteronism ; Inositol ; Insulin ; Lysophospholipids ; Phospholipases A2 ; Phospholipases* ; Plasma ; Protein Kinase C ; Rats* ; Renin ; Second Messenger Systems ; Streptozocin ; Type C Phospholipases ; Zona Glomerulosa*

OBJECTIVES: Subacute thyroiditis is a nonsuppurative inflammation of thyroid gland and is probably caused by a cytopathic virus. Typical clinical symptoms and features of subacute thyroiditis vary widely during the course of illness. It has a clinical course, evolving from hyperthyroidism through a temporary hypothyroidism to recovery. However, the final outcome of this disease remains unpredictive in some patients. Permanet hypothyroidism occurs infrequently. METHODS: Thirty-three patients proven to have subacute thyroiditis at the Ewha Womans University Hospital from September 1993 to November 1995 were studied. We analyzed their clinical features, laboratory findings, and duration of recovery to cha- racterize the course of the disease. RESULTS: 1) Total 33 patients were studied: 31 patients were female and 2 patients were male. Their mean age was 42.6+/-8.3 years old. The peak months were August through October in this study. 2) Initial mean ESR was 73.0+/-35.2mm/hr, mean T3 was 217.3+/-73.9ng/dl, mean T4 was 15.2+/-8.5microgram/ dl, and TSH was 0.06+/-0.09microIU/ml. The positive rates of antithyroglobulin and anitmicrosomal antibodies were 31% and 6% respectively, and TSH receptor antibody was elevated in one patient. 3) In the thyroid scan, 91% showed both lobes nonvisualisation, and 9% showed one lobe nonvisualization. Radioactive iodine uptake(RAIU) at 24 hour was 2.4+/-3.3%. 4) With the predisolone therapy, 90% of patients completely recovered, 57% of these patients had no hypothyroid phase and remaining 33% of them had hypothyroid phase during course of the disease. Three of the patients had permanent hypothyroidim. 5) The average duration of recovery was 3.2+/-1.4 months and it has no correlation with initial thyroid hormone levels, antithyroid antibodies and duration of steroid administration. CONCLUSION: There was no historical, physical, laboratory findings that help us predict those patients likely to have an exacerbation of the disease.
Antibodies ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypothyroidism ; Inflammation ; Iodine ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis, Subacute

Background: Postpartum thyroiditis is a painless, destructive lymphocytic inflammation of the thyroid gland that occurs during the postpartum period and is associated with a high prevalence of serum thyroid autoantibodies. Clinical symptoms and laboratory fi#ndings of postpartum thyroiditis vary widely during the course of illness and the final outcome of this disease remains unpredictive in some patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical course and the predictors of the outcome of the disease. Methods: Thirty-eight patients proven to have postpartum thyroiditis at the Ewha Womans University Hospital were studied. We analyzed their clinical features, laboratory findings and duration of recovery to characterize the course of the disease. Results: Their mean age was 29.0±3.3 years and the time of diagnosis was 4.9±1.9 months after delivery. The prevailed months of delivery were November through January in this study. Twenty six patients were hypothyroid and 12 were thyrotoxic at initial thyroid function. The positive rates of antithyroglobulin and anitmicrosomal antibodies were 92%, 67% in the hypothyroid group and 75%, 67% in th thyrotoxic group respectively. TSH receptor antibodies were negative in all patients. In the hypothyroid group the titers of antimicrosomal antibodies were significantly higer than the thyrotoxic group. The titers of antimicrosomal antibodies were positively correlated with serum TSH and negatively correlated with serum T4. In all patients, the titers in thyroid function tests returned to the normal range without long-term hypothyroidism. Conclusion: The titers of antimicrosomal antibodies were significantly higher in the hypothyroid group than the thyrotoxic group. Thus the titers of antimicrosomal antibodies can help guide the physician in the care of patients with postpartum thyroiditis who will probably be hypothyroid. In this study, we were surprised that all patients became euthyroid without permanent hypothyroidism.
Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Clinical Study ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Inflammation ; Postpartum Period ; Postpartum Thyroiditis ; Prevalence ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Reference Values ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis

No abstract available.
Aging* ; Gonadal Hormones* ; Gonads*

No abstract available.
Aging* ; Gonadal Hormones* ; Gonads*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Insulin

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, A1C) is a widely used marker of chronic glycemia, reflecting average blood glucose levels over a 2- to 3-month period of time. Recently role of A1C in diagnosing diabetes has been extensively reviewed and International Expert Committee and American diabetes Association recommended the use of the A1C test to diagnose diabetes, with a threshold of > or = 6.5%. The diagnostic A1C cut point of 6.5% is associated with an inflection point for retinopathy prevalence, as are the diagnostic thresholds for plasma glucose levels. But A1C levels vary with different races. Meta-analyses for previous studies regarding A1C cut off value for plasma glucose in Koreans and determination of A1C cut point based on the development of diabetic microvascular complications in community based cohorts should be performed to establish diagnostic A1C cut point in Korean population.
Blood Glucose ; Cohort Studies ; Continental Population Groups ; Glucose ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Korea ; Plasma ; Prevalence