Melatonin affects diverse physiological functions through its receptor and plays an important role in the central nervous system. In the present study, we compared immunoreactivity patterns of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), an enzyme essential for melatonin synthesis, and melatonin receptor type 1B (MT2) in the spinal cord of young adult (2~3 years) and aged (10~12 years) beagle dogs using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. AANAT-specific immunoreactivity was observed in the nuclei of spinal neurons, and was significantly increased in aged dog spinal neurons compared to young adult spinal neurons. MT2-specific immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm of spinal neurons, and was predominantly increased in the margin of the neuron cytoplasm in aged spinal cord compared to that in the young adult dogs. These increased levels of AANAT and MT2 immunoreactivity in aged spinal cord might be a feature of normal aging and associated with a feedback mechanism that compensates for decreased production of melatonin during aging.
Age Factors ; Aging/physiology ; Animals ; Arylalkylamine N-Acetyltransferase/*analysis/immunology/physiology ; Blotting, Western ; Dogs ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Male ; Receptor, Melatonin, MT2/*analysis/immunology/physiology ; Spinal Cord/*chemistry/immunology/physiology

Epithelial colon polyps are largely divided into hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps. Adenomatous polyps are premalignant lesions, whereas hyperplastic polyps are regarded as benign lesions. However, this histological classification has been blurred, as cases of malignant changes in hyperplastic polyposis, mixed hyperplastic adenomatous polyps (MHAPs), and serrated adenomas in the colon have been reported. Rare cases of MHAP have been reported, and are mainly found at the proximal colon with a relatively large size. MHAPs seem to be an intermediate stage of the hyperplastic polyp-adenoma sequence or a collision tumor. Here, we report on a case of a single polyp in the rectum diagnosed with a MHAP combined with an invasive adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Colon ; Polyps ; Rectum

Klippel - Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is characterized by a cutaneous vascular nevus of the involved extremity, bone and soft tissue hypertrophy of the extremity and venous malformations. We present a case of KTS with splenic hemangiomas and rectal varices. A 29-year-old woman was referred for intermittent hematochezia for several years. She had history with a number of operations for cutaneous and soft tissue hamangiomas since the age of one year old and for increased circumference of her left thigh during the last few months. Abdominal CT revealed multiple hemangiomas in the spleen, fusiform aneurysmal dilatation of the deep veins and soft tissue hemangiomas. There was no evidence of hepatosplenomegaly or liver cirrhosis. Colonoscopy revealed hemangiomatous involvement in the rectum. There were rectal varices without evidence of active bleeding. Upon venography of the left leg, we also found infiltrative dilated superficial veins in the subcutaneous tissue and aneurysmal dilatation of the deep veins. The patient was finally diagnosed with KTS, and treated with oral iron supplementation only, which has been tolerable to date. Intervention or surgery is not required. When gastrointestinal varices or hemangiomatous mucosal changes are detected in a young patient without definite underlying cause, KTS should be considered.
Adult ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Hemangioma/*complications ; Humans ; Iron, Dietary/therapeutic use ; Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Rectum/blood supply ; Spleen/blood supply ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; *Varicose Veins

Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a valuable modality for directly examining the small bowel in a relatively noninvasive and safe manner. CE is being increasingly used for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, Crohn's disease, drug induced ulcer and small bowel tumor. Although capsule retention is a relatively infrequent complication, small bowel obstruction and strictures have been considered contraindications to CE. But some authors have reported that capsule endoscopy can be safely used to help identify the etiology and site of small bowel obstruction, and the retention of the capsule indicates the presence of a lesion requiring surgery. We report here on a case of small bowel obstruction and capsule retention by a small bowel ulcer, and the small bowel ulcer was not found when performing capsule endoscopy.
Capsule Endoscopy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Crohn Disease ; Endoscopy ; Hemorrhage ; Retention (Psychology) ; Ulcer

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor is a common type of gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumor. Depending on the patient's age, compliance and health status, and the level of suspicion of malignancy, tumors < or =3 cm in size are typically monitored annually by endoscopic ultrasonography. The examination interval can be extended if no size change is noted on consecutive examinations. We report here on a 44-year-old female who presented with abdominal discomfort and displayed no size change of her gastrointestinal stromal tumor on three consecutive endoscopies over a 44-month interval. The patient was diagnosed with malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor on the basis of the evident ulceration seen on esophagogastroduodenoscopy and the inhomogenous echo noted on the endoscopic ultrasonography and the pathologic findings by gastric wedge resection.
Adult ; Compliance ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Endosonography ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Humans ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations in follicular fluid (FF) with the ovarian response as well as the age in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). METHODS: This study was performed in 72cycles who underwent COH for in vitro fertilization at infertility clinic of Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital and Pusan National University Hospital from Aug., 2003 to Dec., 2003. Each FF was collected at the oocyte retrieval according to the follicular size and VEGF concentrations in FF were assessed. We analyzed the correlation of VEGF concentrations in FF with ovarian response as well as the age in women undergoing COH. RESULTS: In 72cycles, the clinical pregnancy rate was 37.5% (27cycles). There were no significant differences in patient's age, ampules of gonadotropin used, estradiol (E2) level on the day of hCG administration, the number of oocyte retrieved, and fertilization rate between pregnant and nonpregnant groups. However, positive correlation was found between the follicular size and VEGF concentrations in FF in pregnant and nonpregnant groups. No significant correlation was found between age and VEGF concentrations in FF. There were no significant differences in the VEGF concentrations in FF between pregnant and nonpregnant women by age. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that VEGF concentrations in FF cannot be the marker for the prediction of ovarian response, and have no correlation with all parameters of COH including patients' age with exception for the follicular size.
Busan ; Estradiol ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Follicular Fluid* ; Gonadotropins ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Infertility ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy Rate ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

Finite Element Analysis ; Models, Theoretical ; Tooth

BACKGROUND: Unlike 99mTc-Sestamibi, microbubbles used during myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) exist only in the vascular space. Therefore, there may be a difference in the pattern of myocardial perfusion between MCE and 99mTc-Sestamibi Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess myocardial perfusion using MCE with intravenous infusion of perfluorocarbon-exposed sonicated dextrose albumin microbubbles (IV MCE), and to compare it with SPECT and MCE with intracoronary injection of sonicated Hexabrix (IC MCE). METHODS: Seventeen patients with AMI (male 13, age 59.5+/-8.8 years, anterior MI 10) underwent IV MCE at 8.1+/-3.7 days after onset. SPECT and IC MCE were also performed at 1.2+/-1.0 days and 2.0+/-1.5 days from IV MCE respectively. Any revascularization procedures were not performed between three studies. Perfusion defect by three methods was scored semiquantitatively as 1 : normal perfusion, 0.5 : moderate defect, and 0 : severe defect at 16 segments of the left ventricle. RESULTS: 1) Perfusion defect in infarction territory was detected in 15 patients with SPECT, 12 patients with IV MCE and 11 patients with IC MCE. 2) Concordance of perfusion score at each segment was 93% between IV MCE and IC MCE, 65% between IV MCE and SPECT, and 64% between IC MCE and SPECT. 3) With IV MCE, perfusion defect was observed in all 32 segments which were considered as having defect (score 0 and 0.5) by IC MCE. However, defect by IV MCE was found only in 31 out of 108 segments considered as having defect by SPECT. CONCLUSION: In the assessment of myocardial perfusion in pts with AMI, IV MCE and IC MCE showed similar results. However, there was some discrepancy in the extent of perfusion defect between MCE studies and SPECT.
Echocardiography ; Glucose ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Infarction ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Microbubbles ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Perfusion* ; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi ; Tomography, Emission-Computed ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

BACKGROUND: Echocardiographic automatic boundary detection(ABD) is a new on-line technique which automatically outlines the left atrial endocardial border and instantly calculates the left atrial area and volume from two dimensional echocardiographic images. To determine if left atrial volume can be derived using the ABD method, 70 patients with various etiology of heart disease(mean age 51) underwent complete echocardiographic examination with both the ABD method and conventional two-dimensional echocardiographic measurement. METHODS: End-systolic left atrial volume was obtained on-line from the apical four chamber view using ABD(ABD LAVOL). Left atrial length was also measured from an apical view. Left atrial volume was calculated using ellipsoid model(2D LAVOL) and method of disc(MANUAL LAVOL) by two-dimensional echocardiography. RESULTS: The end-systolic left atrial volume by ellipsoid model, method of disc and ABD were 87+/-31ml, 57+/-25 and 60+/-28ml, respectively. I.inear regression analysis revealed that the ABD LAVOL is closely correlated with 2D LAVOL and MANUAL LAVOL(ABD LAVOL vs 2D LAVOL, SEE=22ml, r=0.65, p<0.001; ABD LAVOL vs MANUAL LAVOL, SEE=6ml, r=0.97, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ABD echocar-diography is a new on-line technique which may be used to accurately calculate left atrial volume in patients with various heart diseases.
Echocardiography* ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Humans

To estimate the incidence rate of coronary heart disease in Korea, of all residents of the Taegu city aged 25 or above, those who had an acute MI or fatal coronary event between 1 July 1996 and 30 June 1997 were registered. Seven hundreds and eight patients were registered during the study period(685 were identified at hospital and 23 were autopsy cases). Age-standardized annual incidence rate of men in city area was 93 per 100,000(95% CI; 61-142) and 33(95% CI; 16-67) in women(100 in men and 20 in women aged 35-64). The incidence was rapidly increased after age 40 in men, however, in women after age 60. Twenty-eight-days case fatality rate was 45% in men and 47% in women. However, in the age group of 45-59 case fatality rate in women was two times higher than that in men. In conclusion, crude annual incidence rate of CHD in city area was 73 per 100,000 in men and 33 in women. The age-standardized annual incidence of CHD in men(93 per 100,000) was 3.2 times higher than that in women (33 per 100,000) in Korea.
Autopsy ; Coronary Disease* ; Daegu ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality