No abstract available.
Blood Pressure* ; Child* ; Humans ; Seoul*

PURPOSE: Twins have a higher mortality and morbidity than singletons. Co-twin with one fetal death is particularly at risk. We investigated the neonatal outcome of live co-twins when one fetus had died after the 20th gestational week, and associated risk factors. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in fifteen cases of twin pregnancy with single intrauterine fetal deaths after the 20th gestational week during the period from January 1996 to December 2000 at Chonnam University Hospital. RESULTS: Gestational age was 33.7+/-3.2 weeks, birth weight was 1,992+/-592 g. Interval between one fetal death being detected and the delivery of a live co-twin was 32.4+/-29.5 days. There were 11 cases(73.3%) of premature babies less than 37 gestational weeks. Main causes of preterm delivery were preterm labor and premature rupture of membranes. Hematologic findings suggesting disseminated intravascular coagulopathy(DIC) were not found in all mothers before delivery, and was not associated with DIC and encephalomalacia of the live co-twin. Perinatal outcome of fifteen live co-twins was as follows : six were normal(40%), three were DIC(20.0%), three were encephalomalacia(20.0%), one suffered intrauterine growth retardation, there was one case of twin to twin transfusion syndrome, and one of congenital heart disease(atrial septal defect with pulmonary stenosis). The occurrence of DIC and encephalomalacia in live co-twins was not related to placental chorionicity, birth weight, gestational week, and the interval between the detection one fetal death and the delivery of a live co-twin. CONCLUSIONS: We could not find any maternal hematologic problems in twin pregnancies complicated by one fetal death. Twenty percent of live co-twins showed DIC and encephalomalacia. However, its associated risk factors were not found. We need to investigate more closely the cases of live co-twins with one intrauterine fetal death.
Birth Weight ; Chorion ; Dacarbazine ; Encephalomalacia ; Female ; Fetal Death* ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetofetal Transfusion ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Heart ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Membranes ; Mortality ; Mothers* ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Rupture

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to test criterion-related validity of the Critical Patients' Severity Classification System (CPSCS) developed by the Hospital Nurses' Association by examining relationships with brain injury severity measured by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), recovery state measured by Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), and days of stay in ICU of brain injury patients. METHODS: Prospective correlational research design was adopted by including 194 brain injury patients admitted to ICU of one university hospital. RESULTS: The score of CPSCS appeared to significantly discriminate the severity of brain injury. Among nursing activities in CPSCS, Respiratory therapy, IV Infusion and Medication, Monitoring, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Treatment and Procedure were significant to discriminate the severity of brain injury. Respiratory therapy, Vital Signs, and Monitoring appeared to significantly discriminate the recovery states of 1- and 3-months. Nursing activities significantly contributed to predict the days of ICU stay were Respiratory therapy, ADL, and Teaching and Emotional Support. CONCLUSION: CPSCS developed by the Hospital Nurses Association appeared to be valid to discriminate or predict brain injury severity, recovery states, and days of stay in ICU for brain injury patients.
Activities of Daily Living ; Brain Injuries ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Glasgow Outcome Scale ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Research Design ; Respiratory Therapy ; Vital Signs

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is a sporadic disease classically including polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, cafe -au-lait spots, sexual precocity, and other hyperfunctional endocrinopathies. Recent investigations suggest an etiological role for activating embryonic somatic missense mutations in the gene for the a subunit of Gs (Gsa), the G protein that stimulates adenylyl cyclase. DNA from bone, ovary, and blood was analyzed by using polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. A embryological somatic mutation of Gsa gene encoding substitution of a Cys for Arg at amino acid 201 from cells of dysplastic bone and ovary was observed, and the distribution of mutant gene reveals mosaic pattern. We report a case of McCune-Albright syndrome with an activating mutation at codon 201 of Gsa subunit on ovary and bone tissue that was experienced recently.
Adenylyl Cyclases ; Bone and Bones ; Codon ; DNA ; Female ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic* ; GTP-Binding Proteins* ; Mutation, Missense ; Ovary ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Osteoprotegerin(OPG) is a soluble member of the tumor necrosis factor(TNF) receptor family and inhibits osteoclastogenesis by interrupting the cell-to-cell interaction between osteoblastic/stromal cells and osteoclast progenitors. OPG is expressed in many tissues including osteoblasts and may act on bone tissues in a paracrine and/or autocrine fashion. Futhermore, many cytokines and growth factors are known to influence the regulation of OPG expression in osteoblastic/stromal cells. The aims of the present study were to examine whether or not OPG was expressed in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) and to investigate the effects of IL-1beta, which were known as potent osteotropic agents, on the regulation of OPG mRNA in PBMCs. METHODS: PBMCs were isolated by centrifugation over Ficoll-Hypaque density gradients from postmenopausal women and cultured in 6-well plates containing alpha-MEM supplemented with 5% FBS. The expression of OPG mRNA in PBMCs was observed by RT-PCR in adherent and nonadherent cells on culture plates. To observe the effect of OPG expression by IL-1beta, we measured the concentration of OPG mRNA by altering the concentration and incubation time of IL-1beta. The measurement of OPG mRNA was done by semi-quantitative PCR and indicated as OPG/GAPDH. RESULTS: OPG was expressed both in cells attached to the surface of culture plates and in non-adherent cells for the incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The effect of OPG mRNA by IL-1beta tend to increase in accordance with the length of incubation time and maximizes at 12 hours of incubation time and shows 1.2-3.5 times higher than the standard level at the concentration of 0.5ng/ml. However, the increased quantity in concentration varies according to individuals.] CONCLUSION: OPG mRNA is expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and known to be increased by IL-1beta.
Bone and Bones ; Cell Communication ; Centrifugation ; Cytokines ; Female ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Necrosis ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteoprotegerin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger*