No abstract available.
Cell Proliferation* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Humans*

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus* ; Humans* ; Methotrexate* ; Papaverine*

No abstract available.
Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Neurofibromin 1 ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: The antinociceptive effect and the potency of systemically administered morphine (micro-agonist), nalbuphine (agonist-antagonist), and ketorolac (cyclooxygenase inhibitor) was examined in rats using the formalin test. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250~300 g) received intraperitoneal injection of either saline or 3 doses of each test drug (0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg of morphine, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg of nalbuphine, and 10, 30, 100 mg/kg of ketorolac) 30 minutes prior to formalin injection. 50 microliter of 10% formalin was injected into the dorsal surface of the right hindpaw after 1 minute of 4% halothane induction. The construction of the dose-response curves and the determination of doses producing 50% maximum possible effect (ED50) were computed. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of morphine, nalbuphine and ketorolac resulted in the significant, dose-dependent supression of both phases, but nalbuphine has a ceiling effect at high dose for analgesia at the phase I of the formalin test. The rank order of relative potency in rats to the formalin test was nalbuphine (1.16)>morphine (1)>>ketorolac (0.1) in phase I, morphine (1)>nalbuphine (0.61)>>ketorolac (0.02) in phase IIa, and morphine (1)>nalbuphine (0.57)>>ketorolac (0.03) in phase IIb. CONCLUSION: Comparing the systemic analgesic potency, nalbuphine and ketorolac will be needed in dosages 1.5 and 50 times that of morphine, respectively. These results suggest that ketorolac is not good enough as a single analgesic drug in preemptive analgesia for major surgery.
Analgesia ; Animals ; Formaldehyde* ; Halothane ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Ketorolac* ; Male ; Morphine* ; Nalbuphine* ; Pain Measurement* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: We wanted to describe the MR imaging findings of endometrial cancer in patients with a history of prior radiation therapy for cervical cancer (ECRT) and we compare them to the MR imaging findings of patients with spontaneously occurring endometrial cancer (SEC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients with endometrial cancer that was diagnosed by operation or endometrial biopsy were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of past RT for cervical cancer: ECRT (n = 4) and SEC (n = 18). The MR images were retrospectively analyzed by consensus of two experienced radiologists. The MR imaging findings were analyzed by the size, shape and signal intensity of the mass, distension of the uterine cavity, the presence of cervical stenosis and the nature of the fluid collection. RESULTS: For the mass shape, all the ECRT lesions were polypoid masses. However, the SEC patients had 5 polypoid masses and 13 wall thickenings. The maximal diameter, signal intensity and enhancement pattern of the masses were not different between the ECRT and SEC patients. The width of the endometrial cavity varied between 3.9 cm in the ECRT patients and 0.4 cm in the SEC patients (p =0.002). All the ECRT patients had cervical stenosis. However, none of the SEC patients had cervical stenosis. CONCLUSION: MR imaging of ECRT patients demonstrated prominent distension of their uterine cavity and cervical stenosis, which may be the result of radiation fibrosis in the uterus.
Biopsy ; Cervix Uteri* ; Consensus ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Uterus

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the number of leiomyoma patients-exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) and to observe whether the serum concentration of BPA is related to leiomyoma growth. METHODS: A total of 158 patients were recruited for this study. Leiomyoma patients were divided into three groups, mild (n = 48), moderate (n = 32) and severe (n = 28), according to the size of leiomyomas. The control (n = 30) group was defined as having no leiomyomas. Transvaginal ultrasonography was used to identify and measure the leiomyomas. Serum BPA concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: BPA was detected in 87.0% out of a total of 158 samples, and in 86.0% out of 108 leiomyoma patients. In detail, the detection rates of serum BPA were 88.0% in the control group, 77.2% in the mild group, 90.0% in the moderate group and 96.0% in the severe group. The mean BPA concentration in the control group was 0.558 +/- 0.097 ng/mL, the leiomyoma groups, the mean BPA concentrations were 0.274 +/- 0.063 ng/mL (mild), 0.346 +/- 0.064 ng/mL (moderate) and 0.647 +/- 0.039 ng/mL (severe) (P = 0.0003). Values represent the mean +/- standard error. CONCLUSION: The detection rates of serum BPA in the control and leiomyoma groups were 88.0% and 86.0%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in the serum BPA concentrations between the control and leiomyoma groups. To verify the effect of BPA on leiomyoma growth, a close and sequential monitoring is recommended for people who are at risk for uterine leiomyoma.
Endocrine Disruptors ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Ultrasonography ; Uterus

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic sympathicotomy was thought to be a simple and safe method for hyperhidrosis. There is a significant decrease in heart rate during the procedure. Also it has been suggested that the effect of the degree of sympathetic block on cardiac function was affected by the preoperative level of sympathetic activity. Our hypothesis was that the higher heart rate before sympathicotomy the more heart rate change during the procedure because heart rate is one of the indicators of sympathetic activity. METHODS: Sixty two patients with essential hyperhidrosis undergoing thoracoscopic sympathicotomy were studied. During the procedure, we recorded blood pressure at left arm and heart rate after anesthetic induction as baseline values, immediately after left side sympathicotomy, and after right side sympathicotomy. Patients were divided by median value of preoperative heart rate (83 beats/min) into group I (n = 32), preoperative heart rate below 83 beats/min, and group II (n = 30), above 83 beats/min. RESULTS: The preoperative mean heart rates of group I and II were 72 +/- 7.9 beats/min and 100 +/- 12.5 beats/min respectively. After sympathicotomy, the decrease of heart rate compared to the preoperative value in Group I was 6.6%, which was significantly lower than that of Group II, 17.6%. After left sympathicotomy, the number of cases of heart rate decreasing more than 10% was higher in Group II (20/30 cases) than Group I (13/32 cases). CONCLUSIONS: The main result of this study showed that the higher heart rate before sympathicotomy the more heart rate change during procedure.
Arm ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis

BACKGROUND: Isobaric bupivacaine has same baricity as cerebrospinal fluid and therefore, so it remains at the level of injection. But, the risk of high spinal anesthesia exist, because increased intrathecal pressure is possible in prone position as isobaric bupivacaine has mild hypobaricity at body temperature but is isobaric at room temperature. So, we studied the influence of the position of the blockade of spinal anesthesia in isobaric spinal anesthesia. METHODS: We studied 26 patients undergoing elective surgery for which spinal anesthesia was considered appropriate. One group (the P group) were scheduled for surgery in the prone position with a frame (n = 13), the second group (the S group) were scheduled for surgery in the supine position (n = 13). Patients were injected with 12 mg of 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine at L3-4 in the lateral decubitus position with a 22 G spinal needle at the rate of 0.2 ml/sec. We then assessed anesthetic blockade level, heart rate, and blood pressure. RESULTS: The height of the sensory block in the prone position group was at the 10th thoracic dermatome, whereas in the supine position this was at the 8th thoracic dermatome at 15 minutes. There was a little difference between the two groups, but this was insignificant statistically. CONCLUSIONS: Both the supine and the prone positions are suitable for isobaric spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine. Isobaric spinal anesthesia in the prone position with a frame is as safe as in the supine position. Spinal anesthesia with isobaric bupivacaine is considered to have a low risk of high spinal anesthesia and a low complication level in the prone position with a frame, as for the supine position.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Blood Pressure ; Body Temperature ; Bupivacaine* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Needles ; Prone Position* ; Supine Position

In order to develop questionnaire estimating vinyl chloride monomer(VCM) exposure levels, to reset selection criteria for detailed tests, to measure current VCM exposure levels, to evaluate the mutagenic effects of VCM exposures and to develop multiphasic screening method of PVC- or VCM-handling workers, VCM concentrations of work environments were measured and tentative self-administrative questionnaire, physical examination, sister chromatid exchange(SCE) test and some clinical chemical test were applied to 195 men who had been handling VCM or PVC(Exposed Group) and 37, in the same factories without exposure to VCM or in polyethylene- or polypropylene-related factories(Control Group). Mean VCM concentrations of work environments were 0.268+/-0.183 ppm under PVC synthesis processes, 0.160+/-0.200 ppm under VCM synthesis process, 0.076+/-0.111 ppm under PVC pipe producing processes, 0.090+/-0.108 ppm under PVC wall paper, sheet, or film producing processes, 0.071+/-0.051 ppm under PVC floor producing processes, 0.243+/-0.250 ppm under PVC sash producing processes, and 0.020+/-0.031 ppm under triming process. VCM levels of work environments under manual resin mixing processes (0.209+/-0.168 ppm)were higher than those of the others (0.209+/-0.168 ppm) (p-value<0.05). There was no VCM-related symptoms, the positive response rates of which were higher in the Exposed Group. Overall abnormal rate in clinical chemistry test of the Exposed Group was higher than that of the Control Group, but due to extermely low exposure level of exposure group and to small sample size of the Control Group, no statistical significance was found(p-value>0.05). SCE frequencies of the Exposed Group were significantly higher than those of Contorl Group(p-value<0.05) and those of test-abnormal persons were higher than those of test-normal persons. SCE frequencies linearly increased with not only current but also cumulative VCM exposure levels(p-value<0.05). These results suggest that adverse health effect may ensue from VCM exposure to as low as 1 ppm. But SCE frequencies had no statistically significant correlation with drinking amounts, smoking amoutns, or radiation dose equivalents. Questionnaire was revised by referring to these results and formula estimating cumulative VCM exposure levels based on occupational history in questionnaire were made. In addition, were presented methods evaluating work environments and multiphasic screening test for PVC workers.
Chromatids ; Clinical Chemistry Tests ; Drinking ; Humans ; Male ; Multiphasic Screening* ; Patient Selection ; Physical Examination ; Polyvinyl Chloride* ; Polyvinyls* ; Questionnaires ; Sample Size ; Siblings ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vinyl Chloride*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the surgical completeness and outcome of total thyroidectomy in two patient groups: One treated by harmonic scalpel (HS) and one by conventional total thyroidectomy (CT). METHODS: Between March 2006 and December 2007, 104 patients had total thyroidectomy by HS and 108 patients underwent CT. We analyzed clinicopathological characteristics and stimulated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin (Tg), and anti-Tg antibodies at the time of ablation for both groups. RESULTS: Compared with the CT group, the HS group had shorter operating time and hospital stays and reduced postoperative drainage. At postsurgical ablation, mean serum TSH was 80.47 +/- 21.77 mU/L in the HS group and 69.74 +/- 21.17 mU/L in the CT group, with significant between-group differences (P < 0.001). Mean serum Tg levels after TSH stimulation were 1.57 +/- 3.17 and 3.95 +/- 10.14 ng/mL in the HS and CT groups, respectively, with significant between-group differences (P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: Total thyroidectomy with an HS is a relatively safe and effective technique for use in patients with PTC. The HS provides surgical completeness and has a beneficial effect on successful ablation.
Antibodies ; Carcinoma ; Drainage ; Factor IX ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin