BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a single administration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in promoting the angiogenesis and thereby reducing the formation of capsular contracture. METHODS: We treated 24 female Sprague-Dawley rats with (1) 5 mM Tris Buffer and 150 mM NaCl 0.1 cc, (2) VEGF 15 µg/0.1 cc, (3) VEGF 150 µg/0.1 cc during placement of the implant, or (4) VEGF 150 µg/0.1 cc and VEGF 300 µg/0.2 cc. We histopathologically measured the thickness of the capsule and the number of blood vessels. RESULTS: All experimental groups had a significant difference in the thickness of the capsule compared to the control group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between experimental group 2 and experimental group 3. The number of blood vessels formed around the capsule was significantly greater in all the experimental groups compared with the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the experimental groups. There was a significant negative correlation between the thickness of the capsule and the number of blood vessels (Spearman's correlation coefficient, 0.2732; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A single administration of VEGF reduced formation of the capsule and increased the vascularity around the implant, supporting the hypothesis that prevention of tissue ischemia can be a treatment strategy for capsular contracture.
Animals ; Blood Vessels ; Breast Implants ; Contracture ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Silicon* ; Silicones* ; Tromethamine ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Rheumatic Diseases*

BACKGROUND: With the increase of interest in health promotion, doctor's role in health promotion has been progressively emphasized. Although there were many findings which showed that interventions by doctors can result in important changes in the health behaviors of patients, little was known about patients perception of doctor's intervention. Therefore, we attempted to find out about the factors related to patients interests in health behaviors (smoking, alcohol drinking, body weight, and exercise) and patient's perception of the need for doctor's intervention in changing these health behaviors. METHODS: The study subjects were patients who visited either two private clinics (265 patients) or the department of family medicine in a tertiary hospital(410 patients) located in Seoul. Questionnaires concerning demographic characteristics, patients interests, health behaviors, and their perception of the need for doctors intervention in changing health behaviors were administered to the study subjects between March 1997 and June 1997. We examined the factors which had significant relatianship with patient's interest and the perceptions of the need for doctor's intervention in health behaviors with multiple linear logistic regression analysis. The relationship between patients interests in health behavior and the perception of the need for doctor's intervention was evaluated with Spearman's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Patient's interest and the perception of the need for doctors intervention in smoking was significantly higher in males, smokers, and private clinic patients. Patients interest in alcohol drinking was significantly higher in males, exsmokers, and drinkers. Patient's perception of the need for doctor's intervention in drinking was significantly higher in males, smokers, drinker's, and those who had chronic disease. Patient's interest in body weight control was significantly higher in females, exsmokers, tertiary hospital patients, and those who viewed themselves as obese. Patients perception of the need for doctor's intervention in body weight control was significantly higher in private clinic patients and those who viewed themselves as obese, and was significantly lower in those who recognized their body frame as normal. Patients interest in exercise was significantly higher in those who were older and who was exercising more than once a week. Patient's perception of the need for doctor's intervention in exercise was significantly higher among tertiary hospital patients. Significant relationship between patient's interest and the perception of the need for doctor's intervention in health behaviors, especially in smoking and drinking habit, was observed in private clinic patients as well as those in tertiary hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of patients interest in health behaviors and their perception of the need for doctor's intervention in health promotion was significantly different according to the type of health behavior, the individual health habits, the demographic characteristics, and the type of medical center used by the patient. Therefore, doctors should pay more attention to providing interventions that affect the health behaviors of patients in consideration of these factors.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Weight ; Chronic Disease ; Drinking ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Leflunomide is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug that has been available in Korea since 2003. Leflunomide induced interstitial pneumonitis has been reported as an adverse effect in other countries but not in Korea. A 57-year-old woman was treated with leflunomide since she had been resistant to methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine and sulfasalazine. She developed high fever, dyspnea, and non-productive cough 3 months after the administration of leflunomide. She was diagnosed leflunomide-induced interstitial pneumonitis based on history, physical, laboratory, radiologic and pathologic findings. The patient was treated by prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day with cholestyramine 24 g/day, resulting in dramatic improvement. Here we report a case of leflunomide induced pneumonitis treated successfully with high dose steroid.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cholestyramine Resin ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Hydroxychloroquine ; Korea ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial* ; Methotrexate ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia ; Prednisolone ; Sulfasalazine

No abstract available.

Rheumatic manifestations in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are common but actual arthritis as a presenting feature appears to be very rare. We experienced a case of NHL presenting as polyarthritis in a 24-year-old woman. Eight months ago she was admitted to the hospital due to polyarthritis and skin rash. She had pleural and pericardial effusion. Antinuclear antibody was positive and rheumatoid factor was negative. Joint X-ray showed periarticular osteopenia at both knees, wrists, hands and feet. Prednisolone, salsalate and anti-tuberculosis drugs were administered under the impression of either probable lupus or rheumatoid arthritis and pleural tuberculosis. After then pleuropericardial effusion and skin rash improved. But polyarthralgia persisted and she developed right cervical lymphadenopathy. On her second admission she was found to have a round mass in left lower lung field and multiple mediastinal lymph node enlargement. Cervical lymph node biopsy revealed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She received 8 cycles of systemic chemotherapy until 1996 July. NHL was remitted completely and polyarthralgia disappeared. We report a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as polyarthritis and literatures are reviewed.
Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Arthralgia ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biopsy ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Drug Therapy ; Exanthema ; Female ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin* ; Pericardial Effusion ; Prednisolone ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Tuberculosis, Pleural ; Wrist ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The rate of malignancy in the follicular neoplasm (FN) or Hürthle cell neoplasm (HCN) of the thyroid gland is estimated as approximately 20~30%. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and frozen section examination are restricted in differentiating between benign and malignant. The aims of this study are to compare the differences of clinicopathologic features and to determine the risk factors for malignancy in patients with FN or HCN. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of patients with FN or HCN who were diagnosed by FNAB, and underwent surgery at our institution between Jan. 2005 to Jun. 2010. We analyzed the risk factors for malignancy and the differences of clinicopathologic features in patients with FN or HCN. RESULTS: A total of 290 patients were enrolledin this study; 160 (55.2%) patients underwent thyroidectomy, 97 (60.6%) patients had FN, and 63 (39.4%) had HCN. Forty one (25.6%) patients were diagnosed as malignancy of these, 22 (22.7%) patients were FN and 19 (30.2%) were HCN (P=0.29). Two (2.1%) patients with FN and 10 (15.9%) with HCN (P=0.002) comcomitant papillary thyroid carcinoma were indentified by FNAB. Classification of nodules according to ultrasonographic findings in both neoplasms (P<0.05) and galectin-3 in FN (P<0.05) were predictive factors for malignancy. In addition, galectin-3 was a predictive factor for malignancy in indeterminate nodules on ultrasonography (USG) (P=0.028). CONCLUSION: Classification of nodules according to ultrasonographic findings and galectin-3 expression is helpful in predicting carcinoma of patients with FN or HCN.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Classification ; Frozen Sections ; Galectin 3 ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule* ; Thyroidectomy ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: Mixed connective tissue disease(MCTD) was first described by Sharp and coworkers in 1972 as distinct rheumatic diseases characterized by the overlapping features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclcrosis (SSc) and dermatomyositis/polymyositis and associated with the serologic marker anti-nRNP antibody at high titer. METHODS: We reviewed 18 cases(all females) of MCTD who were admitted or visited to rheumatism center of Hanyang University Hopital, from October 1989 to September 1992. RESULTS: 1) The average age at onset of MCTD was 38.6 years. The average duration of the disease was 5.3 years. 2) Raynaud's phenomenon was found in 100%. Arthritis was found in 13 cases but rheumatoid factor was found in 15 cases. 3) Hand swelling was found in 15 cases and myositis was found in 56% (10 cases). 4) All patients with MCTD have anti-nRNP antibodies by high titer. In general, the titer does not correlate with disease activity. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggested that the clinical features of MCTD in Korean patients revealed similar to those of previous reports regarding foreign ethnic groups.
Antibodies ; Arthritis ; Connective Tissue ; Ethnic Groups ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease* ; Myositis ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Rheumatoid Factor

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to understand the pathogenesis of the enophthalmos of Horner's syndrome. METHODS: We performed right cervical sympathectomy in 10 Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200~300 grams at 8 weeks of age. We obtained bilateral extraocular muscle and fat from all 10 rats. These tissues were observed under light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: After 8 weeks, ptosis and enophthalmos were seen in the right eye in all rats. We found no change bilateral fat, but the right extraocular muscle fibers had smaller diameters than the left. The right intermuscular distance was longer than the left upon light microscopy and the right extraocular muscle contained fewer and smaller mitochondria than the left extraocular muscle upon electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, it is believed that enophthalmos resulted from extraocular muscle atrophy that resulted from decreasing metabolism of mitochondria in Horner's syndrome. However, enophthalmos in Horner's syndrome requires more intensive study.
Animals ; Enophthalmos ; Eye ; Horner Syndrome ; Light ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mitochondria ; Muscles ; Muscular Atrophy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sympathectomy

The ultimate goal of periodontal therapy is the regeneration of periodontal tissue and the repair of function. For more than a decade there have been many efforts to develop ma- terials and methods of treatment to promote periodontal tissue regeneration. Recently many efforts are concentrated on the regeneration potential of material used in traditional medicine. Safflower(Carthamus tinctorius L.) seed extract(SSE) have long clinically used in Korea to promote bone formation and prevent osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of SSE on bone formation in human osteoblastic cell line. Human fetal osteoblastic cell line(hFOB 1.19) was cultured with DMEM and SSE(1microgram/ml, 10microgram/ml, 100microgram/ml, 1mg/ml) at 34degrees C with 5% CO2 in 100% humidity. The proliferation, differentiation of the cell was evaluated by several experiments. Cell proliferation was significantly increased at 10microgram/ml, 100microgram/ml, 1mg/ml of SSE after 3 and 7 days incubation(p<0.05). Cell spreading assay was significantly increased at 100microgram/ml of SSE after 3 days and 1microgram/ml, 10microgram/ml, 100microgram/ml, 1mg/ml of SSE after 7 days(p<0.05). Alkaline Phosphatase(ALP) level was significantly increased in 10microgram/ml, 100microgram/ml of SSE(p<0.05). Collagen synthesis was significantly increased at 10microgram/ml, 100microgram/ml, 1mg/ml of SSE(p<0.05). A quantified calcium accumulation was significantly increased at 10microgram/ml, 100microgram/ml of SSE(p<0.05). ALP and osteocalcin mRNA was expressed in 100microgram/ml of SSE by RT-PCR. These results indicate that SSE are capable of increasing osteoblasts mineralization and may play an important role in bone formation.
Calcium ; Carthamus tinctorius* ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Collagen ; Humans ; Humidity ; Korea ; Medicine, Traditional ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocalcin ; Osteogenesis* ; Osteoporosis ; Regeneration ; RNA, Messenger