Male genital tract inflammatory conditions may be associated with unexplained infertility. The presence of cytokine such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was reported in the semen of infertile men. However, the effect of these cytokines on human sperm function is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in-vitro effects of TNF-alpha on human sperm motility with computer assisted sperm analysis. Washed sperm from 16 normal men were incubated without and with TNF-alpha(0.1, 10, 1000 ng/ml). The changes of parameters of sperm motility were recorded at different time intervals (0, 5, 24 hour). There was no significant change of parameters of sperm motility in the incubation with TNF-alpha. It is suggested that TNF-alpha alone does not interfere with the sperm motility and more studies are needed.
Cytokines ; Humans ; Infertility ; Male ; Semen ; Sperm Motility* ; Spermatozoa* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

Cheilitis granulomatosa is one of the rare dermatoses which is characterized by a sudden onset and a progressive course termination in chronic enlargement of the lips Usually, enlargement of lip is the only symtom without ulceration, fissurign or scaling. It may be considered a part of the Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome and the etiology is still unknown. A 35 year old female with the clinlcal symptoms of cheilitis granulomatosa is presented; the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic study.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Lip ; Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome ; Skin Diseases ; Ulcer

Twenty four hyperlipidemic patients, consist of 13 males and 11 females, were administration a new hypolipidemic agents, Pantethine, and blood lipid level were checked sereally for 16 weeks. The following results are obtained. 1. The serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol are markedly increased by 11.8%. 2. The serum cholesterol level are reduced mildly by 4.8% & it seems to be insignificant. 3. The serum triglyceride level are moderately reduced by 10.7%. 4. In 11 female patients, pantethine are more than effect on male patients. 5. Pantethine has been well tolerated in most patients. With a consideration of remakable safety, it is promising that pantethine are effective in reducing cholesterol, Triglyceride and increasing high density lipoprotein-cholesterol level.
Cholesterol ; Female ; Humans ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; Male ; Triglycerides

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether radial rigidity measured using RigiScan(R) represents the intracorporeal pressure effectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1998 to May 1999, total of 23 patients with erectile dysfunction were evaluated by RigiScan(R) and duplex ultrasonography after the intracorporeal injection of prostaglandin E1. Peak systolic velocity and end diastolic velocity were measured by duplex ultrasonography and then the resistance index was calculated as (peak systolic velocity-end diastolic velocity)/(peak systolic velocity). Radial rigidity of penile tip and base was measured by RigiScanR . The results were analyzed statistically by PC-SPSS version 7.5. RESULTS: There were statistically significant correlations between radial rigidity of penile tip and base and the resistance index by Spearman's correlation analysis, respectively (r=0.680, p<0.001)(r=0.703, p<0.001). When radial rigidity of penile tip and base exceeded 60% of maximum, radial rigidity of penile tip and base again correlated well with the resistance index, respectively (r=0.659, p=0.020)(r=0.759, p=0.011). Based on clinically determined degree of erection, radial rigidity of penile tip and base represented the intracorporeal pressure effectively. CONCLUSIONS: Radial rigidity measured by RigiScan(R) represents the intracorporeal pressure effectively.
Alprostadil* ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Male ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Stroke*

No abstract available.
Beclomethasone* ; Budesonide* ; Hydrocortisone*

PURPOSE: To determine whether the preoperative residual urine fraction(RF) correlates with the change in the maximal flow rate(Qmax) in patients treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 1995 to June 1999, 81 men aged 54 to 82 years (mean: 65.4 +/- 6.7 years) with BPH were examined with Qmax and residual volume using uroflometry and ultrasonography, respectively, before and after transurethral resection of the prostate. The RF was defined as the postvoiding residual/premicturition volume x100. Statistical analysis was performed by simple linear regression using SPSS. RESULTS: The magnitude of improvement in Qmax postoperatively was greatest in patients who had preoperative Qmax < 12mL/sec and RF > 25, followed by Qmax < 12mL/sec and RF < 25, Qmax > 12mL/sec and RF > 25, and Qmax > 12mL/sec and RF < 25. The extent of improvement in Qmax in patients had a value < 12mL/sec was significantly better than that in patients who had a value > 12mL/sec. Among patients who had a Qmax > 12mL/sec preoperatively, the improvement in those who had an RF > 25 was significant better than that in patients who had an RF < 25. CONCLUSION: We suggest that RF and Qmax may have the value as indicator for surgery of benign prostatic hyperplasia preoperatively. The higher RF and Qmax, the poorer postoperative Qmax are anticipates in the patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Residual Volume ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate* ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To estimate the influences of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life and determine the item that has the most predicting ability for quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chronic prostatitis-like symptoms were measured by the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index. of 28,841 men aged 20 years dwelling in the community, 16,321 men(a response rate 56.6%) completed self-administered questionnaires. A total of 1,057men who complained symptoms suggestive of chronic prostatitis were included in the study. The influences of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life were determined by the logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to provide the predicting ability of each item quality of life. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, pain and urinary symptoms were associated with an increased likelihood of impaired quality of life, and pain contributed more than urinary symptoms. Among items of pain and urinary symptoms, pain severity had the most predicting ability for impact, overall quality of life and quality of life impact domain. The areas under the ROC curves for impact, overall quality of life and quality of life impact domain were 71.3%, 69.3% and 67.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary symptoms as well as pain may be associated with an increased likelihood of impaired quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. In addition, our findings suggest that pain severity is the most influencing factor for quality of life in this population.
Academies and Institutes ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prostatitis ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; ROC Curve

Postpubertal mumps may result in ochitis and permanent testicular atrophy may develop following infection. This present study was initiated to evaluate the preventive effect of interferon-alpha2B on infertilty after mumps orchitis. There were 21 patients with mumps orchitis between May 1990 and June 1997. Patients were randomly distributed into 2 groups: group 1 patients (n=13) maintained therapy with interferon-alpha2B (3x10(6) IU per day) and group 2 were managed by conservatively. All of the patients were evaluated with testis size measurement, mumps virus titer, hormone level, and if possible semen analysis. For group 1 patients symptoms disappeared within 2 to 3 days and the volume of testis returned to normal within 11 days and testis atrophy was not observed in all patients in follow up. But asthenospermia was continued in 4 patients (unilateral 2, bilateral 2). For group 2 patients symptoms disappeared within 5 to 6 days and the volume of testis returned to normal within 10 days and testis atrophy was observed in 3 patients (unilateral 2, bilateral 1) in floow up. Asthenospermia was continued in 4 patients (unilateral 2, bilateral 2). Sperm count and morphology were recovered all the recover in group 1, 4 patients had persistent reduced sperm count and morphology in group 2, respectively. These observations suggest that systemic interferon-alpha2B treatment is highly effective in preventing infertility as well as testicular atrophy after mumps orchitis.
Atrophy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infertility* ; Male ; Mumps virus ; Mumps* ; Orchitis* ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Testis

BACKGROUND: The role of clinical pharmacists in medication therapy to improve clinical and economic outcomes has been reported in the literature. This study was conducted to analyze the changes in details of medication interventions before and after the introduction of clinical pharmacists into the care of neurocritical care unit (NCU) patients, and to evaluate the economic effects of clinical pharmacists by calculating the avoidance cost. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted reviewing the electronic medical records from June 2013 to May 2014 (before), and from June 2016 to May 2017 (after). We calculated the number and rates of intervention, the acceptance rates of it, and also reviewed the list of interventions. We calculated avoidance cost if there was no intervention. RESULTS: The monthly mean number of interventions increased from 8.0 (±5.7) to 31.7 (±12.8) (P < 0.001) and the frequency of intervention also increased from 0.8% to 1.6% (P=0.003). The most frequently provided pharmacist intervention was nutritional support before introduction of clinical pharmacists and discussions on the medication plan after. The number of classified interventions was 14 before introduction of clinical pharmacist services and 33 after. The calculated cost avoidance associated with a clinical pharmacists' integration was 77,990,615 won per year. CONCLUSION: Introduction of clinicals pharmacist into the NCU was associated with increased intervention rates and expanded types of clinical interventions. The cost avoidance achieved by the pharmacists' interventions can be further explored to evaluate if similar expansions of pharmacists' services achieve similar results in other settings.
Costs and Cost Analysis ; Electronic Health Records ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Medication Reconciliation ; Nutritional Support ; Pharmacists ; Retrospective Studies