No abstract available.
Apgar Score ; Humans* ; Umbilical Cord*

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Gallstones* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Arachnoid Cysts* ; Arachnoid* ; Humans

A rate com;lication of hysterectomy is complete prolapse and inversion of vagina. This can occur whether the hysterectomy was abdominal or vaginal and cystocele and/or enterocele is often associated with this condition. Traditionally, prolapse has been treated by surgery, the types of operation for prolapse are generally but not always, carried out through the vaginal rather than through the abdominal surgical route. We experienced five cases who had repair of posthysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse by transabdominal sacral colpopexy and report with brief review of literatures.
Cystocele ; Hernia ; Hysterectomy* ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse* ; Prolapse ; Vagina

OBJECTIVES: Depression, sleep complaints and cognitive impairments are commonly observed in the elderly. Elderly subjects with depressive symptoms have been found to show both poor cognitive performances and sleep disturbances. However, the relationship between sleep complaints and cognitive dysfunction in elderly depression is not clear. The aim of this study is to identify the association between sleep disturbances and cognitive decline in late-life depression. METHODS: A total of 282 elderly people who underwent nocturnal polysomnography in a sleep laboratory were enrolled in the study. The Korean version of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery developed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) was applied to evaluate cognitive function. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and subjective sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI). RESULTS: The control group (GDS< or =9) when compared with mild (10< or =GDS< or =16) and severe (17< or =GDS) depression groups, had significantly different scores in the Trail making test part B (TMT-B), Benton visual retention test part A (BVRT-A), and Stroop color and word test (SCWT)(all tests p<0.05). The PSQI score, REM sleep duration, apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index were significantly different across the three groups (all indices, p<0.05). A stepwise multiple regression model showed that educational level, age and GDS score were predictive for both TMT-B time (adjusted R2=35.6%, p<0.001) and BVRT-A score (adjusted R2=28.3%, p<0.001). SCWT score was predicted by educational level, age, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and GDS score (adjusted R2=20.6%, p<0.001). Poor sleep quality and sleep structure alterations observed in depression did not have any significant effects on cognitive deterioration. CONCLUSION: Older adults with depressive symptoms showed mild sleep alterations and poor cognitive performances. However, we found no association between sleep disturbances (except sleep apnea) and cognitive difficulties in elderly subjects with depressive symptoms. It is possible that the impact of sleep disruptions on cognitive abilities was hindered by the confounding effect of age, education and depressive symptoms.
Adult* ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Depression* ; Education ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Sleep, REM ; Trail Making Test

Primary angiosarcoma of the female reproductive system is extremely rare, and its management is not well understood. We experienced a very rare case of angiosarcoma arising in the uterus of a 37-year-old woman who presented abdominal distension. At laparotomy, the uterus was observed to be enlarged and deformed by multilobulated hemorrhagic mass. Tumor deposits were present on both ovaries and the omentum. The operation consisted of total abdominal hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy, and omentectomy. Microscopic examination showed that the tumor consisted mostly of solid sheets of pleomorphic and spindle cells forming irregular, communicating cleft-like spaces. Well-formed vascular channels lined by atypical endothelial cells were seen in differentiated areas. Some vessels were partially lined by normal endothelial cells and partially by neoplastic endothelial cells. Papillary architecture composed of epithelioid tumor cells was noted in a focal area. The tumor cells were immunoreactive for factor VIII-related antigen, Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1, CD31 and CD34. Weibel-Palade bodies were not seen in the tumor cells. She received adjuvant chemotherapy, but died 13 months after the diagnosis.
Adult ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Diagnosis ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparotomy ; Omentum ; Ovary ; Ulex ; Uterus* ; von Willebrand Factor ; Weibel-Palade Bodies

No abstract available.
Sinusitis*

Background: Thyroperoxidase(TPO) is one of the most important autoantigens in autoimmune thyroid disorders and autoantibody to TPO is found in almost every patients with various autoimmune thyroid diseases. Human TPO was already cloned and the completed nucleotide sequences are well known. In human thyroid tissues, several variants mRNA's of TPO are found in addition to the wild type. Especially the variants lacking exon 10(TPOΔexon10) and exon 16(TPOΔ exon16) are found in very large amount in both normal and Graves thyroid tissues. The significance of these variants TPO mRNAs are largely unknown. The authors tried to investigate the autoantigenic role of these variant TPO. Methods : To produce variant TPO cDNAs, oligonucleotide directed mutagenesis was performed using cDNA for wild type human TPO as template. The produced variants cDNAs were transfected into Cos-7 cells and variants TPO proteins were tested against patients sera showing high titers of anti-TPO antibody. Results: Seven of 12 Graves sera reacted with TPOΔexon 10 and 8 Graves sera with TPOΔ exonl6. Eight of 15 Hashimoto sera reacted TPOΔexon16 and 9 with TPOΔexon16. The reactivity with variants TPO was not related to clinical findings. Conclusion: These two variant TPOs, that is TPOexon10 and TPOΔexon16, could act as an autoantigen if they were translated in vivo, and could play a role in autoimmune thyroid disease. Their exact role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disorders are to be clarified.
Animals ; Autoantigens ; Base Sequence ; Clone Cells ; COS Cells ; DNA, Complementary ; Exons ; Humans ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; RNA, Messenger ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland

PURPOSE: Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is very difficult because of no specific clinical and laboratory findings. It also takes at least 48 hours of incubation period to isolate the organism by culture study. So several laboratory tests have been evaluated for their usefulness in rapid detection of the neonatal sepsis. Those are evaluated either singly or in combination with a defined scoring system include leukocyte count with differential count, platelet count, C-reactive protein level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, haptoglobin level, fibronectin level, leukocyte alkaline phosphatase and so on. But no single test or combination with others has proved superior to the leukocyte count and differential count as a reliable indirect indicator of neonatal bacterial infection. We performed this study to determine the appropriate screening test for early detection of neonatal sepsis. METHODS: During the period of May 1991 through April 1997, we selected 200 neonates who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Kon-Kuk University Medical Center Seoul Hospital. All of the cases were retrospectively evaluated and divided two groups; sepsis group-88 neonates who were confirmed by blood cultures, and control group-112 neonates who had no evidence of neonatal bacterial infection. RESULTS: The results were as follows; 1) The sex ratio of male to female was 1.5:1 in the sepsis group and showed significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). The incidence of neonatal sepsis in prernature infant was higher in sepsis group than control group (P<0.05), and mean body weight was lower in sepsis group (2351.4148.3g) than control group (Z821.8 142.6g) significantly (P<0.05). 2) Predisposing perinatal factors associated with neonatal sepsis were premature rupture of membrane (> or = 24hrs) (14.5%) meconiurn staining (6.8%), asphyxia (Apgar score < or = 6 at 5mins) (5.7%), eclampsia and preeclampsia (4.5%), maternal infection (3.4%) and bleeding (including placenta previa, abruptio placenta) (1.1%) in order of frequency. Among th, only premature rupture of membrane was significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). Others risk factors including umbilical catheterization, endotracheal intubation, ventilatory care, total parenteral nutrition were also signi- ficant difference between two groups (P<0.05). 3) The common presenting symptoms of neonatal sepsis were jaundice (48.9%), poor feeding (45.5%), ternperature instability (43.2%), lethargy (30.7%), irritability, dyspnea, diarrhea, vomiting, tachypnea, and cyanosis in order of frequency. Among the above symptoms, poor feeding, dyspnea and cyanosis were significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). 4) The peripheral blood findings (leukocyte count, platelet count, ESR) showed no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05). The acute phase reactants (APR) score above two (37/88) and positive C-reactive protein (51/88) in the sepsis group were regarded as significantly high compared to the control group. 5) In the cases with APR score above two including positive C-reactive protein and abnormal total leukocyte count, sensitivity was 17.0%, specificity 97.3% positive predictive predictive value 83.3%, and negative predictive value 60.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The higher frequency of neonatal sepsis was proved in the cases of APR score above two including positive C-reactive protein. In the cases with abnormal total leukocyte count and APR score above two including positive C-resctive protein, the specificity was 97.3% and the positive predictive value was 83.8%. So APR score above two including positive C-reactive protein and abnormal total leukocyte count could be regarded as an useful test method for early detection of neonatal sepsis.
Academic Medical Centers ; Acute-Phase Proteins ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Asphyxia ; Bacterial Infections ; Blood Sedimentation ; Body Weight ; C-Reactive Protein ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Cyanosis ; Diarrhea ; Dyspnea ; Early Diagnosis* ; Eclampsia ; Female ; Fibronectins ; Haptoglobins ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Jaundice ; Lethargy ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Membranes ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Placenta Previa ; Platelet Count ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Rupture ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Sepsis* ; Sex Ratio ; Tachypnea ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Protein kinase C (PKC) is known to be related with development of various cells. In the heart, each isoform reacts differentially against agonists and the reaction changes during development. In this study, the roles of PKC isoforms (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta) were investigated through the localization of mRNA expression in the developing rat heart with in situ hybridization histochemistry. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The mRNA expression pattern of PKC isoforms (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta) was investigated with in situ hybridization histochemistry in developing and adult rat hearts. Whole body parasagittal sections were used for embryonal day 14 (E14), E16, E18 and heart sections were used for just born (P0), postnatal day 7 (P7), P14, P21 and adult rat. RESULTS: The expression of PKC alpha was found from E14, peaked at P7, and gradually decreased to adult level. The expression of PKC beta was observed from P14, peaked at P21, and decreased to adult level. The expression of PKC delta in the heart was observed from E14, peaked at P0, and abruptly disappeared at P14. The expression of PKC epsilon was observed from E14, peaked at P0, after that gradually decreased and disappeared at adult rat heart. The expression of PKC gamma and zeta was not found from any stage of developing rat heart. CONCLUSION: From these results, it is suspected that each PKC isoform may be differentially related with development of heart. The strong expression of PKC alpha, delta, epsilon around perinatal period, rapidly developing stage, suggests that PKC alpha, delta, epsilon may be related with rapid development of rat heart. And the late postnatal expression of PKC beta suggests that PKC beta may be related with maturation of rat heart.
Adult ; Animals ; Heart* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Protein Isoforms ; Protein Kinase C* ; Protein Kinase C-epsilon ; Protein Kinases* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger*