No abstract available.
Tricuspid Atresia*

The present study was carried out in order to investigate the relationship between immune function and the activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis in patients with major depression. The subjects were 16 female major depressives and 16 female healthy controls. We measured mitogen-induced production of IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6 and serum level of IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6 and basal plasma cortisol levels at 8 00 a.m. We measured post-DST(dexamethasone suppression test) cortisol levels in 16 major depressives. The result were as follows : 1) Basal cortisol level was significantly higher in the patients with major depression than in the healthy controls(14.4+/-4.6 microgram/dl, 10.1+/-5.2microgram /dl, respectively, p<0.05). 2) IL-2 production was significantly lower in the patients with major depression than in the healthy controls(1747.3+/-387.9 pg/ml, 2520.2+/-884.1 pg/ml, respectively, p<0.05). There were no significant differences in IL-1 beta and IL-6 production between the patients with major depression and the healthy controls. 3) Serum level of IL-2 was detectable in 12 of 16 patients with major depression and in 10 of 16 healthy controls. There was no significant difference in serum level of IL-2 between two groups. Serum level of IL-1 beta was detectable in 3 of 16 patients with major depression and of 16 healthy controls. We could not detect serum level of IL-6 in both groups. 4) There was significant negative correlation between IL-2 production and post-DST cortisol level(r= -0.89) in the 16 patients with major depression. There was significant negative correlation between serum level of IL-2 and post-DST cortisol level(r= -0.97) in the 12 patients with major depression. There was significant negative correlation between serum level of IL-2 and basal cortisol level(r= -0.65) in the 12 patients with major depression. But there was no significant correlation between IL-2 production and basal cortisol level in the 16 patients with major depression. These findings suggest that immune function is decreased in major depression and the decreased immune function is highly related to the hyperactivity of the HPA axis.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Interleukin-1* ; Interleukin-1beta* ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Plasma

The Duodenal diverticulum is the rare cause of the common bile duct obstruction. We experienced a case of the diverticulum of the second portion of duodenum in a 59-year-old male, who complained recurrent attacks of right upper abdominal pain and fever since 16 months prior to admission. Duodenoscopic finding and UGI study revealed a typical duodenal diverticulum just side to the papilla of Vater. Diverticulectomy and cholecystectomy was performed and after than, he has been free front above mentioned symptoms. We reported a case of duodenal diverticulum which caused recurrent common bile duct obstruction.
Abdominal Pain ; Cholecystectomy ; Common Bile Duct* ; Diverticulum* ; Duodenum ; Fever ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of the present study were to investigate the effect of gamma-radiation on the expression of inhibin-alpha proteins and genes for inhibin alpha, betaA, and betain the ovary. METHODS: Immature mice were whole-body gamma-irradiated with 25% of a lethal dose. At time 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after the irradiation,the ovaries were collected and used for immunohistochemistry for inhibin-alpha, and RT_PCR for inhibin-alpha, betaA, and betaB. RESULTS: The expression of the immunoreactive inhibins-alpha was maintained at 12 hours post-irradiation and reduced thereafter. The expression of inhibin-alpha mRNA was significantly increased with the time after the irradiation. However there were no significant changes in the expression of betaA and betaB mRNAs. CONCLUSION: It might be thought that inhibin acts as one of the regulatory factors in the gamma-radiation-induced follicular atresia in mice
Animals ; Female ; Follicular Atresia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inhibins* ; Mice* ; Ovary* ; RNA, Messenger

This study was designed to investigate effectiveness of fragmentation during lithotripsy using 103 intrahepatic stones collected from 10 patients. Who had previously undergone biliary surgery. The size of each stones was measured and sonography was performed for the evaluation of the sonographic type of the stones. In vitro lithotripsy was performed on individual stones using piezoelectric lithotriptor to evaluate the fragmentation rate and average number of shock waves for fragmentation. Chemical analysis of each stone was done to determine chemical composition including calcium, bilirubin, and cholesterol. The size of the stones was from 5mm to 20 mm in diameter. Sonographic type I(echo of whole stone with posterior acoustic shadow) was 68, and type II(are-like strong surface echo of stone with clear posterior acoustic shadow) was 35 in number. The majority(78%) of stones I group 1 (5-9mm in diameter) showed sonographic type I characteristics, and 62% of stones in group 3(larger than 15mm in diameter) showed sonographic type Ii characteristics. There was a positive correlation between the size and sonographic type of stones. Fragmentation rates of stones were 100% in group 1. 71.9% in group 2 (10-15 mm in diameter), 43.8% in group 3. Respectively. Fragmentation rates of stones with sonographic type I and II were 91.2%, 65.7%. respectively. The average number of shock waves for partial and complete fragmentation was 2753±4937 and 6219±10133. Respectively. There was a positive correlation between the number of shock waves for fragmentation and diameter of stones (r=0.618. p<0.05). There was no correlation between the number of shock waves for fragmentation and chemical composition of stones. In conclusion, the most important variable determining the degree of fragmentation of intrahepatic stones using ESWL is not their chemical composition but their size and sonographic characteristics.
Acoustics ; Bilirubin ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Lithotripsy* ; Shock* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins*

PURPOSE: To establish the optimal inclusion criteria for the patients with gallbladder stones to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy(ESWL) by retrospectively analyzing our current results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data obtained from 201 patients with gallbladder stones treated with ESWL and oral chemolytic agent from November 1989 to July 1992 were restroepectively analyzed. Ninety-six had radiolucent stones and 105 had radiopaque stones. We used piezoelectric lithotriptor(EDAP LT. 01) and there were no limitation in number of sessions or total number of shock waves. ESWL was repeated until the size of the largest fragment is smaller than 4 mm. Follow up ultrasound was done in every three months after the successful fragmentation. Average length of the follow up was 205 days. We analyzed the rate of successful fragmentation, number of shock waves needed to achieve successful fragmentation according to the size, number of stones as well as the presence of the calcification. Stone-free rate after 6 months was also calculated from all subgroups and compared to each other. RESULTS: The rate of successful fragmentation was 76.2% for radiolucent stones and 66.6% for radiopaque stones(p > 0.05) after 46,731 and 56,111 shock waves respectively(p > 0.05). The rate of successful fragmentation was highest in patients with single, radiolucent stone smaller than 2cm(91.7%) followed by single radiolucent stone larger than 2cm(83.3%), multiple calcified stones smaller than 2cm(77.4%) and single calcified stone smaller than 2cm(72.1%). The rate of complete stone clearance after 6 month follow-up was highest in patients with single radiolucent stone smaller than 2cm(63.3%) and followed by multiple calcified stones smaller than 2cm(37.3%), single calcified stone smaller than 2cm(33.9%)(p <0.05). CONCLUSION: To obtain better results with ESWL in patients with gallbladder stone, the authors propose a more strict inclusion criteria, which is the patient with a single, radiolucent stone smaller than 2cm.
Follow-Up Studies ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Lithotripsy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins* ; Humans* ; Progesterone* ; Superovulation*

No abstract available.
Fertilization in Vitro* ; Superovulation*

No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation*