No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant ; Infant Mortality* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Nurseries*

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Statistics as Topic*

No abstract available.
Tetany*

To obtain normal serum TSH concentrations in newborn infants and children and to observe the effect of body cooling on serum TSH concentrations during the early postnatal period, the author studied ten newborn infants and one hundred and twenty-two normal and healthy subjects from 3 days to 16 years of age. Immediately after delivery, a group of five newborn infants were placed in a warmed incubator(35-37degrees C) and another group of five newborn infants were placed in a crib at room temperature (22-30degrees C) during the first 48 hours of life. Total two hundred twenty-one blood samples including ten maternal blood, ten cord blood, and umbilical arterial blood drawn through an indwelling catheter at 10, 30, and 60 minutes. 1,2,3 and 4 hours, and femoral venous blood sampled at 24 and 48 hours of life from ten newborn infants were measured by applying radioimmunoassay technique. The results are as follows: 1. Mean TSH concentration was significantly higher in cord blood (10.5 microU/ml) compared to maternal blood(6.6microU/ml). This finding suggests a fetal-maternal highly significant TSH gradient at term. 2. In the early postnatal period, serum TSH concentrations increased rapidly to peak level (mean of 74.0microU/ml) at 30 minutes of life and then fell very gradually to mean concentration of 10.3microU/ml at 48 hours of life-the level close to the cord blood concentration of 10.5microU/ml. 3. Mean serum TSH concentrations of various age groups were 10.6microU/ml in neonates of age 3-7 days, 8.1microU/ml in infants of 1-12months, 5.7microU/ml in preschool children of age 1-5 years, 5.8microU/ml in school children of age 6-11 years, and 4.5microU/ml in adolescents of age 12-16 years. 4. The infants group placed at room temperature reached higher peak serum TSH concentrations sooner than the infants group placed in incubators. This difference suggests that extrauterine cooling is capable of increasing TSH secretion in the normal neonates. The elevation in serum TSH concentrations observed in incubated infants indicates that neonatal hyperthyrotropinemia could be caused by stimuli other than exposure to cold.
Adolescent ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Fetal Blood ; Humans ; Incubators ; Infant ; Infant Equipment ; Infant, Newborn* ; Radioimmunoassay

Background: In addition to its antidiabetic effects, metformin has pleiotropic effects, such as the inhibition of carcinogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the association between metformin use and pancreatic cancer risk in the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-National Health Screening Cohort (HEALS). Methods: Of the individuals in the Korean NHIS-HEALS, 29,271 men and 19,091 women were included in the final analysis after propensity score matching based on age, body mass index, and smoking status. The study population was categorized into three groups: metformin non-users with diabetes mellitus (DM), metformin users with DM, and non-diabetic users. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to examine the association between metformin use and pancreatic cancer. Results: The median follow-up period was 12.9 years. The estimated pancreatic cancer incidence was highest in metformin users with DM, regardless of sex (P<0.001), and lowest in non-diabetic men and female metformin non-users (P=0.053). The hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for pancreatic cancer incidence in metformin users and non-diabetic individuals were 1.116 (0.648–1.923) and 0.447 (0.259–0.771) in men and 2.769 (1.003–7.642) and 1.451 (0.529–3.984) in women, respectively, after full adjustment. Conclusion Women with diabetes using metformin are at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer than women with diabetes not using metformin. Meanwhile, men with DM using metformin have a similar risk of pancreatic cancer as men with DM not using metformin.

OBJECTIVE: The bystander effect, the phenomenon that non-transduced tumor cells can be killed along with the transduced cells, enables suicidal gene therapy feasible in spite of low efficiency of gene transfer at present time. Increment of thymidine kinase activity in the cells through double copy insertion of HSVtk gene may lead to increased bystander effect in vitro and in vivo, therefore enhancing the therapeutic potential of suicidal gene therapy. To examnine this hypothesis, we did an experiment to improve bystander effect by using double transfer of HSVtk gene into 9L tuomr cells. METHODS: We transduced 9L glioblastoma cells which had one copy or two copies of HSVtk gene using retroviral vector. Two different retroviral vector plasmids containing HSVtk gene were made employing pBabePuro or LXSN plasmid whose selection markers were puromycin and G418, respectively(LtkSP and LtkSN). Recombinant retrovirus was produced from ecotrophic PA317 packaging cells. Infection of the 9L cells with LtkSP recombinant retrovirus and selection with puromycin was done in vitro to make 9L/LtkSP(9LtkS). These cells were infected again with LtkSN recombinant retrovirus and selected under G418 to establish cells containing two copies of HSVtk gene, 9L/LtkSP/ LtkSN(9LtkD). RESULTS: By measuring the intracellular amount of phosphorylated 3H-GCV, 9LtkD cell lines showed significantly increased HSVtk activity, being 70% higher than that of 9LtkS cell lines. The sensitivity to GCV was also markedly increased. In vitro bystander effect, examined by coculturing with HSVtk gene transduced cells and 9L cells, was significantly increased on 9LtkD cell lines. To evaluate the in vivo bystander effect, 9LtkD/9L(20%:80%) cells or 9LtkS/9L (20%:80%) cells were implanted into the brains of Fisher 344 inbred rats, followed by administration of ganciclovir. Rats implanted with 9LtkD/9L cells showed better tumor regression and longer survival than those of 9LtkS/9L after treatment with ganciclovir. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that increasing herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase activity by introducing double copy of HSVtk gene into tumor cells would improve in vitro and in vivo bystander effect, and lead to enhanced efficacy of suicidal gene therapy.
Animals ; Brain ; Bystander Effect* ; Cell Line ; Ganciclovir ; Genetic Therapy ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma ; Herpes Simplex* ; Phosphotransferases* ; Plasmids ; Product Packaging ; Puromycin ; Rats ; Retroviridae ; Simplexvirus* ; Thymidine Kinase ; Zidovudine

A 14 years old female patient with chronic myelocytic leukemia was presented. Characteristic blood features of peripheral blood smear and bone marrow findings, clinical symptoms and signs, Philadelphia chromosome are confirmative for the diagnosis of the disease. Pertinent literatures and references were also reviewed briefly.
Adolescent ; Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukemia, Myeloid* ; Philadelphia Chromosome*

We report two cases of ectopic kidney with the review of literatures.
Kidney*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the morphologic changes of the injured hepatic acini following ligation of common bile duct and to investigate the pathophysiologic process of hepatic failure and biliary liver cirrhosis in the extrahepatic cholestasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The common bile ducts of 18 rabbits were ligated partially. The rabbits were killed and selective microangiography was carried out with infusion of barium suspension via portal vein 4 to 24 weeks after ligation. Selective microangiography was also carried out in two normal rabbits. The microangiographic findings were evaluated and correlated with histopathologic features. RESULTS: The sinusolds of the liver acinus showed distortion, varying degrees of luminal widening, and irregularities in architecture. Terminal branches of the portal vein (TPV) showed increased number of branches, luminal narrowing, tortuosity, distortion, and beaded appearance. Peribiliary plexi were found as thin curvilinear, barium-filled structures along the wall of the dilated bile duct. The microangiographic findings were well correlated with histopathologic findings. The grades of microangiographic and histopathologic findings were poorly correlated with the duration of the ligation of CBD. CONCLUSION: Changes in microvasculature of the liver acinus following partial ligation of common bile duct were demonstrated by microangiography. Although the microvascular changes were evoked secondary to the injury, they might have some active roles in the pathophysiologic process in the liver.
Barium ; Bile Ducts ; Cholestasis, Extrahepatic ; Common Bile Duct* ; Ligation* ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Failure ; Liver* ; Microvessels ; Phenobarbital ; Portal Vein ; Rabbits

PURPOSE: We evaluated the clinical and radiological results of arthroscopic ankle fusion using 2 medial screws which had advantages of less morbidity, early weight-bearing and high union rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From April, 2002 to March, 2004, 8 patients who had ankle osteoarthritis were treated by ankle fusion using 2 medial screws under arthroscopy; five patients with post-traumatic osteoarthritis, two with post-infectious arthritis and one with paralytic foot. There were 5 male and 3 female. Average age was 67 years old ranging from 57 to 71 years. We evaluated them clinically preoperative and postoperative using AOFAS score, VAS pain scale and patient's satisfaction. In regard to radiological fusion, we checked them by simple AP, lateral and mortise view. Follow up period was average 11 months (range, 6~24 months). RESULTS: All ankles were successfully fused with 2 medial screws under arthroscopy. The mean time of fusion was 10.5 weeks (range, 8~14 weeks). Patient's satisfaction checked at 6 months after operation had favorable results (excellent and good 75%). One case had pain on medial malleolar area because of screw's protrusion. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic ankle fusion using 2 medial screws was good modality of ankle fusion with less morbidity and early weight-bearing in some cases of ankle arthritis.
Aged ; Ankle* ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Reactive ; Arthroscopy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Male ; Osteoarthritis ; Weight-Bearing