Even though phototherapy is an effective means of treating hyperbilirubinemia, adequate binocular shields are essential to prevent light hazard of retina during phototherapy. The phototherapy to young albino rabbits was performed under various conditions; exposured for 12, 24, and 48 hours, continuity or intermittence of irradiation, and use of shields. Although there was no definite pathologic change in indirect ophthalmoscopic examination, severe damage was seen at electron microscopic level. In all experimental groups, swelling and edema of photoreceptor were seen. at right after phototherapy. Futhermore, more severe damage was seen in case of intermittent irradiated group and prolong exposed group. In mydriatic eyes, severity of damage was similiar to non mydi iatic eyes, but area of retinal damage was more extensive than non-mydriatic eves.. In control group which was protected by binocular shields during phototherapy, no significant abnormality was found.
Dermatitis, Phototoxic* ; Edema ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Phototherapy ; Rabbits ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde* ; Telescopes

PURPOSE: Leptin and adiponectin levels show gender differences in adults, both of which are higher in women. We aimed to describe the gender differences in leptin and adiponectin levels according to pubertal development, and relationships of leptin, adiponectin, and leptin/adiponectin ratio (L/A) with sex steroids. METHODS: Seventy-seven healthy children (36 boys and 41 girls) were enrolled, and were divided into prepuberty, early puberty (Tanner stage 2 or 3), and late puberty (Tanner stage 4 or 5). Fasting plasma levels of leptin, adiponectin, testosterone, estradiol, and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured. RESULTS: 1) There was no gender difference in leptin and adiponectin in prepuberty. In early puberty, leptin was higher in girls, and in late puberty, both leptin and adiponectin were higher in girls than in boys. The L/A did not show any gender difference in our participants. 2) Leptin correlated with percent weight for height (%WFH) in both genders, and also with Tanner stage, estradiol, and FAI in girls. Adiponectin correlated inversely with %WFH, Tanner stage and FAI in boys. The L/A showed positive relationships with %WFH, Tanner stage and free androgen index (FAI) in both genders, and also with estradiol in girls. 3) In multiple regressions, age, %WFH, estradiol, and FAI were independently related to Ln (leptin) (R2=0.603). FAI was independently related with Ln (adiponectin) (R2=0.063), and the %WFH and estradiol with Ln (L/A) (R2=0.434). CONCLUSION: Gender differences of leptin and adiponectin become apparent with the progression of puberty. Estrogen is independently related to leptin levels, and androgen is related to both leptin and adiponectin.
Adiponectin* ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Estradiol ; Estrogens ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Plasma* ; Puberty* ; Steroids ; Testosterone

Manipulation of the sensory branches of the trigeminal nerve is known to cause autonomic changes, such as bradycardia or asystole, known as the trigemino-cardiac reflex. In this case, the patient underwent microvascular decompression due to trigeminal neuralgia and developed sudden bradycardia, followed by abrupt asystole with a concurrent fall in the systolic blood pressure. There was spontaneous return of cardiac rhythm and blood pressure, but two more episodes of sinus bradycardia occurred during the surgery.
Blood Pressure ; Bradycardia ; Heart Arrest* ; Humans ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery* ; Reflex, Trigeminocardiac ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

PURPOSE: Occult papillary thyroid carcinomas (OPC) are defined as tumors measuring < or =15 mm in size. They are believed to be a less aggressive subset of papillary cancers, which behave more like benign lesions, and are often treated more conservatively. However, some groups have reported a high incidence of metastases from papillary microcarcinomas and favor an aggressive surgical resection followed by radioiodine therapy. We review our experience in an attempt to characterize the biology and optimal treatment for OPCs. METHODS: From October 2001 to March 2006, among impalpable thyroid nodules detected incidentally during screening exams, 214 patients underwent surgery for occult papillary thyroid cancer (OPC) at Kangnam Cha University hospital. The data from these patients were analyzed retrospectively. The mean follow up period was 19.9+/-11.7 (max : 53, min : 1) months. RESULTS: The mean age of these patients was 41.4 year, and 188 (87.7%) were female. 41% of the patients underwent a total or neartotal thyroidectomy, 42% had a central lymph node dissection and 41% had radioiodine ablation therapy after surgery. Of the 214 patients, 40 (18.7%) had lymph node metastases. The LN metastases were associated with the tumor size (P=0.0007), extracapsular invasion (P=0.0268) and multifocality (P=0.0024), but there was no association with age and gender. The incidence of the LN metastases (20%) and extracapsular invasion (59.1%) were higher in the tumors between 0.5~1.0 cm in size. With a follow-up up to 53 months, 3 patients had a local recurrence (0.014%) but no patients currently has active disease. No patients with OPC died died during this period. CONCLUSION: In OPC patients, a progressively increasing frequency of signs of tumor aggressiveness with increasing tumor size was observed but a small size itself could not guarantee a low risk or low recurrence rate. The prevalence of LN metastases and extracapsular invasion were higher in tumors > 0.5 cm in size. Therefore, we prefer near-total or total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection. Early detection and treatment of OPC might be warranted by the routine use of thyroid USG and USG-guided FNA.
Biology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Mass Screening ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prevalence ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyroidectomy

Several investigators have described an interaction between muscle relaxants and hydrocortisones which have showed different results. The exact mechanism of this action is not clear and ther conflicting results have further confusion. The experimental methods were two ways. In the one of method, a group that vecuronium 0.1mg/kg was given intravenously is control and a group that hydrocortisones of various doses(0.3, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg) were administered into vein when T1 was appeared is compared. In the another of method, a control group was anticholinesterase(pyridostigmine 0.12 mg/kg, robinul 0.004mg/kg) were given at the time when T1 reached 25% and a group treated with hydrocortisone 0.5 mg/kg when T1 was appeared is compared. Neuromuscular blockade was measured by recording the twitch response following ulnar nerve stimulation by EMG(ABM, Datex Co. 2Hz 30mA supramaximal voltage). The recovery time from 25% to 75% recovery of twitch height was measured according to recovery index(RI). The results obtained were as follows: `) The RI of control group treated with vecuronium 0.1mg/kg alone was 40.32+/-20.24 minutes and the group which hydrocortisone 0.5mg/kg was combined, was shorten to 18.79+/-5.17 minutes, but in the group combined with hydrocortisone 1.0mg/kg and 0.3mg/kg, the RI was also tended to short, but not significant. 2) In the RI of vecuronium 0.1mg/kg, anticholinesterases were given, was 8.46+/-5.06 minutes and the group combined with hydrocortisone 0.5mg/kg was shorten to 4.77+/-1.82 minutes significantly. Conclusively, in the small doses of hydrocortisone, there is a effect of antagonism to the vecuronium induced blockade and a potentiated effect to the anticholinesterase activity to the vecuronium.
Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone* ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Research Personnel ; Ulnar Nerve ; Vecuronium Bromide* ; Veins

Background: Estrogen status is important for maintaining the homeostasis of bone. Estrogen has direct effects on bone cells, through binding to the high-affinity estrogen receptor. Several recent studies suggest that there might be genetically determined variations in biosynthesis and function of estrogen receptor in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Also the main cause of postmenopausal osteoporosis is decreased level of serum estrogen, whereas there had been some suggestion that the remaining estrogen have some effect on bone metabolism after menopause. We investigated the relationship between estrogen receptor gene PvulI polymorphism and bone mineral density(BMD), and the relationship between 18 urinary metabolites of estrogen and BMD in Korean postmeno- pausal osteoporosis. Methods: We examined the PvuII polymorphism of the estrogen receptor gene in 5' upstream region and the first intron by restrietion frapnent length polymorphism analysis in 62 postmeno- pausal wornen, BMD was measured by DEXA. The urinary estrogen metabolites were determined by GC/MS(Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) at Korean Institute of Science and Techno- logy Doping Control Center. Results: BMD of the spine and the femoral neck correlated with body weight, height, body mass index as we expected. There was no polymorphism of PvuII restriction site on 5 upstream region of estrogen receptor gene. Whereas the prevalen~ee of the PP, Pp, pp genotype in the first intron of estrogen receptor was 12.9%, 45.2%, 41.9%, respectively. But, there was no correlation between PvuII genotype and the spinel and femoral neck BMD. 2(OH)E2 among 18 urinary metabolites of estrogen, showed a negative correlation with the spinal and femoral neck BMD(r =-0.2551, p<0.05, and r =-0.3341, p<0.01, respectively), and the ratio of 16a(OH)E2/2(OH)E1> revealed a positive correlation with the spinal BMD(r =0.3057, p<0.05). In stepwise multiple regression analysis, body weight, 2(OH)E2, 16a(OH)E1, 2(Meo)E1 were independent predictors of the spinal bone density, and body weight and 2(OH)E2 were independent predictors of the femoral neck bone density. Conclusion: These results suggested that restrietion fragment length polymorphism analysis of the estrogen receptor gene with PvuII restriction enzyme was not helpful for early detection of patients at risk of developing osteoporosis. However, the ratio of 16-hydroxylation to 2-hydroxylation of estrogen metabolism was reduced in postmenopausal women and high catecholestrogen formation might be a greater risk factor for osteoporosis.
Body Height ; Body Weight ; Bone Density ; Estrogens ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Genotype ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Introns ; Menopause ; Metabolism ; Miners ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Risk Factors ; Spine

The indirect fluorescent antibody(IFA) test was used to detect serum IgG and IgM antibodies to Trichomonas vaginalis in 31 vaginal trichomoniasis, 7 candidiasis and in 20 non-infected healthy wonem with antigen prepared from axenic culture of Trichomonas vaginalis isolated from vulvovaginitis patient. The results were as follows: In 31 vaginal trichomoniasis the positive reactions of IgG antibody were 27 in the 1/8 dilution or higher and 4 in the 1/4 dilution whereas in healthy women the reaction showed signigicantly low as in the 1/4 dilution of below. The sensitivity and specificity of IFA test for IgG antibody to trichomonad antigen in this study were 87.1% and 100%, respectively. No significant difference of IgM antibody levels between vaginal trichomoniasis and healthy women was observed. No relation between the levels of IgG and IgM antibodies to trichomonad antigen by IFA test was observed. No relation between the time lapse and the level of serum IgG antibodies in IFA test of vaginal trichomoniasis was regarded. In conclusion the present study suggests that IFA test in trichomoniasis could be a useful tool for detection of anti-trichomonad IgG antibodies and applicable as an immundiagnostic method.
parasitology-protozoa ; Trichomonas vaginalis ; trichomoniasis ; diagnosis ; IgM ; IgG ; immunology

BACKGROUND: Carolic restriction as a treatment for obesity causes catabolism of body protein stores and produces negative nitrogen balance. GH administration causes acceleration of lipolysis and promotion of nitrogen conservation. We evaluated the effects of GH treatment and caloric restriction on lipolysis, anabolic effects and body composition in obese subjects. METHODS: 24 obese (20% over IBW) subjects (22 women and 2 men; 22-46yr old) were fed a diet of 25kcal/kg IBW with 1.2g protein/kg IBW daily during treatment. The subjects were assigned at random to either treatment with recombinent human GH (n=12, 0.06U/kg IBW every other day) or placebo (n 12, vehicle injection) for 12 weeks. Body fat was assessed by impedence and abdominal fat, visceral fat area at the umbilicus level and muscle area of mid thigh level were measured using computed tomography. RESULTS: Fraction of body weight lost as fat lost was significantly greater in GH treatment than in placebo group (1.21+-0.48%/kg, vs 0.52+-0.28%/kg, p0.05). GH treatment caused significant decrease in visceral fat area (35.3% vs 28.5%, p<0.05). In placebo group, there were significant loss of muscle area (-4.8 +-2.6cm ) and lean body mass (-2.62 +-1.51kg) after treatment. In contrast, GH treatment group had more increase in muscle area (3.5+-2.3cm ) and lean body mass (1.13 +-1.04kg) and positive nitrogen balance (1.81+-4.06g/day). GH injections cuased a 1.6-fold increase in IGF-I, despite caloric restriction. GH responses to L-dopa stimulation were blunted in all subjects and GH responses were increased after treatment. Both group showed hyperinsulinemia during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and after treatment, they had decreased in insulin secretion. However, GH treatmnent group had not significant decrease, because GH might induce insulin resistance. FFA response areas during OGTT markedly decreased after treatment in both group. In GH treatment group, more decrease of FFA responses might result from the antilipolytic effect by higher level of insulin or more decrease in amount of fat. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that in obese subjects fed hypocaloric diet, GH accelerates body fat loss and exerts anabolic effects.
Abdominal Fat ; Acceleration ; Adipose Tissue ; Adult* ; Anabolic Agents ; Body Composition ; Body Weight ; Caloric Restriction ; Diet* ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Levodopa ; Lipolysis ; Male ; Metabolism ; Nitrogen ; Obesity ; Thigh ; Umbilicus

Endoscopic hysterectomy is increasingly selected as a current trend to minimize invasion, tissue trauma and early recovery. However it has disadvantages of the difficulty to learn and needs expensive equipments. So we developed a new minimally invasive method of vaginal hysterectomy-minilaparotomically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (MAVH) in order to complement the current laparoscopic surgery. The principle of MAVH is based on suprapubic minilaparotomical incision and uterine elevator that allows access and maximal exposure of the pelvic anatomy and an easy approach to the surrounding anatomy enabling division of round ligaments, Fallopian tubes, tuboovarian ligaments, and dissection of bladder peritoneum. After then, the vaginal phase of MAVH is done by the traditional vaginal hysterectomy. We enrolled 75 consecutive cases and in 73 cases thereof MAVH was accomplished successfully. The technique of MAVH is simple and easy to learn and it involves a small incision causing less pain and complications. This practice does not require expensive equipments. MAVH is considered as a safe and effective alternative method for abdominal hysterectomy in most cases.
Adult ; Aged ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Human ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal/*methods ; *Laparotomy ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Treatment Outcome

Renal angiomyolipomas are benign mixed mesenchymal tumors, which are composed of atypical blood vessel, smooth muscle and fat cells. A 34-year-old woman presented with a palpable right abdominal mass, accompanied with discomfort. A CT scan showed a large right perinephric mass, with heterogeneous density, surrounding the kidney, with enlargement of the regional lymph nodes. The presumptive diagnosis was one of a malignant tumor of the retroperitoneum, with lymph node metastasis or an angiomyolipoma, involving both the kidney and lymph nodes. A right radical nephrectomy, including the tumor, was performed. The final diagnosis was an angiomyolipoma arising from the kidney, with the dissected lymph nodes having the same pathology. There was no evidence of a tumor recurrence during the six month follow-up period. This was an unusual case of a multicentric angiomyolipoma.
Adipocytes ; Adult ; Angiomyolipoma* ; Blood Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lymph Nodes* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy ; Pathology ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed