OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze the association between the severity of sleep apnea, sleep and mood related scales, and activity during sleep in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients. METHODS: One hundred seventy six drug-free male patients confirmed as OSAS (average age=43+/-11 years) were selected through nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG). OSAS was diagnosed with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >5, mean AHI was 39.6+/-26.0. Sleep related scales were Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Morningness-Eveningness Scale (MES). Mood related scales were Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) I, II and Profile of Mood States (POMS). NPSG was performed overnight with both wrist actigraphy (WATG). Parameters produced from WATG were total activity score, mean activity score and fragmentation index. We analyzed the correlation between each scale, AHI scored from NPSG and activity score analyzed from WATG. RESULTS: ESS showed significant positive correlation with PSQI, BDI, BAI and STAI I, II, respectively (p<0.01). SSS showed significant positive correlation with PSQI and BAI (p<0.05, p<0.01). BAI showed significant positive correlation with total activity score, mean activity score and fragmentation index (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.05). Total activity score showed significant positive correlation with ESS and BAI, respectively (p<0.05). Fragmentation index showed significant positive correlation with ESS, PSQI and BAI (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.05). AHI, indicator of sleep apnea is showed no significant correlation with each sleep and mood related scale. CONCLUSION: The degree of daytime sleepiness tends to be associated with night sleep satisfaction, depression and anxiety, and the activity during sleep rather than the severity of sleep apnea.
Actigraphy ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Male ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Weights and Measures ; Wrist

A case of 42-year-oldI kidney transplant patient who developed invasive carcinama of the cervix after immunoauppresawe therepy is reported and the literature related to this diease is revuewed. The iatmgenic immunosuppresaionn renal transplantation recipients has been associated with increased incidence of malignancy in these patients. In particular, immunosuppressed women are al greater risk of developing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and buman papillomavirus type 16 or 18 infection. So, all such individuals are required to receive periodic gynecologic examination before renal transplantation and at regular intervals thereafter so that the development of CIN may be diagnosed at an early Stage and treated effestively.
Allografts* ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation

BACKGROUND: Development of rapid drug susceptibility testing provides the opportunity for rapid identification of individuals with drug resistant tubercle bacilli, allowing selection of appropriate therapeutic regimens. METHODS: A total of 502 drug resistant isolates were subjected to reverse blot hybridization assay to detect mutations within genes (rpoB, katG, inhA, and ahpC) associated with rifampicin (RMP) and isoniazid (INH) resistance. RESULTS: Among the 264 RMP resistant strains (RMPR) tested, the most prevalent mutation was the Ser531Leu seen in 121 strains (46%). The second common mutation occurred in 84 strains (32%) at codon 526. And 27 strains (10%) showed the mutation at codon 516. Among all 469 INH resistant strains (INHR), the katG mutation was responsible for INH. The inhA mutation was present in 88 strains (19%). In 11 isolates (2%), coexisting of the katG and inhA mutations were identified. Reverse hybridization assay successfully detected over 80% of INHR and over 92% of RMPR among Korean isolates. CONCLUSION: Reverse hybridization was useful for rapid detection of INHR and RMPR.
Codon ; Genotype ; Isoniazid* ; Korea ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Rifampin*

PURPOSE: Systemic inflammatory reaction (SIR) is an important determinant of cardiovascular (CV) mortality in CRF patients. UA is an end-product of purine metabolism, and recent studies have demonstrated that an elevated serum UA level is associated with an increased level of inflammatory mediators. Since hyperuricemia is one of the most prevalent complications in CRF and is linked to CV disease, we hypothesized hyperuricemia in CRF may play an important role in the development of CV disease by inducing SIR. METHODS: PBMCs were isolated by density gradient centrifugation in 21 CRF patients and age and sex-matched 20 healthy adults. CRP expression was evaluated by real time PCR and ELISA in PBMC stimulated with UA (0.3-12 mg/dL). RESULTS: There was no difference in constitutional CRP expression in PBMC from control and CRF patients. UA induced CRP mRNA (RT-PCR) and protein (ELISA) expression in PBMC, which was blocked by the organic anion transport inhibitor, probenecid (1 mM), suggesting entry of uric acid into cells was responsible for CRP expression. PBMC from CRF patients showed a significantly higher CRP production by UA compared to healthy control. There was no correlation between serum UA level and % increase in CRP production by UA. CONCLUSION: The exaggerated CRP expression by UA can be another mechanism of SIR and increased CV morbidity in CRF patients. Prospective studies with uric acid-lowering therapy are necessary to confirm clinical significance of these interesting in-vitro findings.
Adult ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Hyperuricemia ; Inflammation ; Metabolism ; Mortality ; Probenecid ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Uric Acid*

Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; Lactic Acid ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Palate, Soft ; Polyglycolic Acid ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; Salivary Glands

Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM) is a rare serpiginous cutaneous eruption caused by accidental penetration and migration in the skin with infective larvae of nematode that normally do not have the human as their host. Although CLM has a worldwide distribution, the infection is most frequent in warmer climates. More recently, they have been increasingly imported from the tropics or subtropics by travelers. We experienced two patients who had pruritic serpiginous linear eruption in their skin for a few weeks after traveling to the endemic areas (Brazil and Thailand, respectively). After the treatment with albendazole, the skin lesions resolved with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. We report herein two cases of cutaneous larva migrans successfully treated with albendazole.
Adult ; Albendazole/therapeutic use ; Anthelmintics/therapeutic use ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Larva Migrans/*drug therapy/pathology ; Male ; *Travel ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: Endothelial dysfunction is an event in the atherosclerotic process usually considered reversible at its early stage. Early detection, therefor, may improve the prognosis in the cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the vascular function in hemodialysis (HD) patients and to explore its relation to other various parameters with a specific emphasis on systemic inflammatory reaction (SIR), nutritional status and the presence of ischemic heart disease (IHD). METHODS: Flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (FMD) was measured, using Doppler sonogram, in 37 stable HD patients, 11 healthy people and 24 hypertensive controls. Nitroglycerine- induced endothelium-independent vasodilatation (EIV) and peak reaction time (PT) of each FMD and EIV were also measured. RESULTS: FMD in HD patients was decreased compared to healthy group whereas it was comparable in HD patients and hypertensive control. EIV in HD patients was significantly decreased compared to healthy and hypertensive controls. PT of each FMD and EIV was significantly delayed in HD patients. Each FMD and EIV showed a negative correlation with serum hsCRP level, but no significant correlations of FMD with other parameters were noted. Both FMD and EIV were further decreased in HD patients with IHD than non-IHD group. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed a characteristic pattern of vascular dysfunction in HD patients: the impaired endothelial and smooth muscle function with a delayed reaction time. Importantly, SIR was one of the important factors determining vascular dysfunction in HD patients. Further studies will be necessary to define the causative role of SIR on endothelial dysfunction and the effect of inflammation- modulating therapy.
C-Reactive Protein ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Nutritional Status ; Prognosis ; Reaction Time ; Renal Dialysis ; Vasodilation

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to compare hydration status between young and elderly end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis (HD) and to analyze factors related to overhydration. METHODS: We measured fluid status before a mid-week HD session in clinically stable 47 patients on maintenance HD using bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) device. In addition, weight and blood pressure (BP) were recorded during the treatment. RESULTS: Participants were divided into young (<65 years, n=32) and elderly (> or =65 years, n=15) patients. In elderly patients, pre-HD diastolic BP, intracellular water (ICW), and lean tissue index (LTI) were significantly lower and extracellular water (ECW)/total body water (TBW) was significantly higher than in young patients. However, there were no differences in pre-HD body mass index (BMI), ultrafiltration volume, pre-HD systolic BP, TBW, ECW, and fat tissue index between the two groups. ECW/TBW ratio and LTI were significantly correlated with age. In a multivariate regression analysis, age and pre-HD pulse pressure were significantly associated with ECW/TBW. CONCLUSION: Although BMI and TBW of elderly ESRD patients were similar to those of young patients, ICW and LTI were lower and ECW/TBW was higher in elderly patients than in young patients. Therefore, clinical manifestations related to overhydration may develop more frequently in elderly patients compared with young patients.
Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Body Water ; Edema ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Renal Dialysis ; Spectrum Analysis ; Ultrafiltration ; Water

PURPOSE: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is a pivotal phenomenon in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD). Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is a known uremic toxin that induces ED in patients with chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether AST-120, an absorbent of IS, improves microvascular or macrovascular ED in HD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective, case-controlled trial. Fourteen patients each were enrolled in respective AST-120 and control groups. The subjects in the AST-120 group were treated with AST-120 (6 g/day) for 6 months. Microvascular function was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry using iontophoresis of acetylcholine (Ach) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) at baseline and again at 3 and 6 months. Carotid arterial intima-media thickness (cIMT) and flow-mediated vasodilation were measured at baseline and 6 months. The Wilcoxon rank test was used to compare values before and after AST-120 treatment. RESULTS: Ach-induced iontophoresis (endothelium-dependent response) was dramatically ameliorated at 3 months and 6 months in the AST-120 group. SNP-induced response showed delayed improvement only at 6 months in the AST-120 group. The IS level was decreased at 3 months in the AST-120 group, but remained stable thereafter. cIMT was significantly reduced after AST-120 treatment. No significant complications in patients taking AST-120 were reported. CONCLUSION: AST-120 ameliorated microvascular ED and cIMT in HD patients. A randomized study including a larger population will be required to establish a definitive role of AST-120 as a preventive medication for CVD in HD patients.
Acetylcholine ; Adult ; Carbon/*therapeutic use ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology/*prevention & control ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Endothelium, Vascular/*physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Iontophoresis ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/complications/*physiopathology/*therapy ; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry ; Male ; Microcirculation/physiology ; Middle Aged ; Nitroprusside ; Oxides/*therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; *Renal Dialysis ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Recently, many studies have investigated that Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism may be not a only cause for hyperhomocysteinemia, but also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease or atherosclerosis in renal failure patients. In this study, we analyzed MTHFR polymorphisms in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients, and investigated relationship between MTHFR polymorphism and peripheral atherosclerosis. METHODS: One hundred twenty eight CRF patients with GFR < 30 mL/min were enrolled. We analyzed their MTHFR polymorphism by standard PCR/restriction fragment length polymorphism and measured their ankle brachial index (ABI) using blood pressure cuff and Doppler stethoscope. Plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folic acid levels were measured. 170 healthy peoples were enrolled for control group. RESULTS: The distribution of MTHFR 677 polymorphism of CRF patients was as follows: CC genotype, 33.6%; CT, 47.7% and TT 18.7%. Plasma homocysteine concentration was higher in TT group than in CC group (p < 0.05). The distribution of MTHFR 1298 polymorphism of CRF patients was as follows: AA type, 63.78%; AC, 33.07% and CC 18.7%. The distributions of MTHFR polymorphisms in control group were not different from patients group, respectively. There was no definite correlation between ABI and plasma homocysteine concentration. A trend of lower ABI in TT type compared with CC type within CRP patients group, but no statistical significance was shown. CONCLUSIONs: No difference of the distribution of MTHFR polymorphism was noted between CRF patients and healthy population. In CRF patients, MTHFR C677T mutation was closely associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, but both did not significantly influence to peripheral arterial disease.
Ankle Brachial Index ; Atherosclerosis* ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Folic Acid ; Genotype ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)* ; Peripheral Arterial Disease ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Plasma ; Renal Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Stethoscopes ; Vitamin B 12