BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: There is intense interest in soy isoflavone as a hormone replacement therapy for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. A new kind of isoflavone-enriched whole soy milk powder (I-WSM) containing more isoflavones than conventional whole soy milk powder was recently developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of I-WSM on bone metabolism in ovariectomized mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Sixty female ICR mice individually underwent ovariectomy (OVX) or a sham operation, and were randomized into six groups of 10 animals each as follows: Sham, OVX, OVX with 2% I-WSM diet, OVX with 10% I-WSM diet, OVX with 20% I-WSM diet, and OVX with 20% WSM diet. After an 8-week treatment period, bone mineral density (BMD), calcium, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) 5b, osteocalcin (OC), procollagen 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), and osteoprotegenin (OPG) were analyzed. RESULTS: BMD was significantly lower in the OVX group compared to the Sham group but was significantly higher in OVX + 10% I-WSM and OVX + 20% I-WSM groups compared to the OVX group (P < 0.05). Serum calcium concentration significantly increased in the OVX + 10% and 20% I-WSM groups. Serum ALP levels were significantly lower in the OVX + 10% and 20% I-WSM groups compared to the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). OC was significantly reduced in the OVX group compared to the Sham group (P < 0.05), but a dose-dependent increase was observed in the OVX groups supplemented with I-WSM. P1NP and OPG levels were significantly reduced, while TRAP 5b level was significantly elevated in the OVX group compared with the Sham group, which was not affected by I-WSM (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that I-WSM supplementation in OVX mice has the effect of preventing BMD reduction and promoting bone formation. Therefore, I-WSM can be used as an effective alternative to postmenopausal osteoporosis prevention.
Acid Phosphatase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone Remodeling ; Calcium ; Diet ; Female ; Functional Food ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Isoflavones ; Metabolism* ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Osteocalcin ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Ovariectomy ; Procollagen ; Soy Milk* ; Soybeans

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to clarify the epidemiology of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus 2009 (S-OIV) during the first month of outbreak at one of influenza clinic in Seoul, Korea. METHODS: We documented the epidemiologic and clinical features of S-OIV-confirmed cases who visited a university hospital in Northeastern Seoul between August 21 and September 20, 2009. Nasopharyngeal swab of patients with acute febrile respiratory illnesses were evaluated with rapid influenza antigen tests and multiplex RT-PCR for S-OIV and seasonal influenza A. RESULTS: A total of 5,322 patients with acute febrile respiratory illnesses were identified at our influenza clinic for the study period. S-OIV was confirmed in 309 patients by RT-PCR. The patients ranged from 2 months to 61 years of age and 189 patients (61.2%) were teenagers. Eighty-one patients had known contact with S-OIV-confirmed patients in schools (N=61), households (N=15), and healthcare facilities (N=3). Frequent symptoms were fever (94.5%), cough (73.1%), sore throat (52.1%), and rhinorrhea (50.5%). Gastrointestinal symptoms were also present in 10 patients (4.9%). Ten patients (4.9%) required hospitalizations. Seventy patients (22.7%) could not take oseltamivir at the first visits, however, all of them recovered without complication. Rapid antigen tests showed the sensitivity of 44.4% (130/294). Patients with positive antigen tests, compared with negative antigen tests, showed higher frequencies of rhinorrhea (60.8% vs 43.3%, P=0.004) and stuffy nose (33.8% vs 20.1%, P=0.012). CONCLUSION: S-OIV infections spread predominately in school-aged children during the early accelerating phase of the outbreak. Rapid influenza antigen tests were correlated with nasal discharge and obstruction.
Adolescent ; Child ; Cough ; Delivery of Health Care ; Family Characteristics ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Nose ; Oseltamivir ; Pharyngitis ; Seasons ; Viruses

PURPOSE: Factors related to nonurologic postoperative complications of laparoscopic surgery in the urologic area were examined. The most significant factors were isolated and analyzed to establish ways to reduce the complication rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 154 patients who had undergone laparoscopic surgery between March 2004 and March 2008 were reviewed. Age, anesthetic time, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, operative difficulty, blood loss (ml), body mass index (BMI), and complications were assessed. Complications were divided into 5 groups based on the modified Clavien classification. Grade 0 to 1 was defined as a no complication group and grades 2 to 5 as a complication group. The Armitage trend test was performed to study the relations between the factors and the complications. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the risk ratio of each of the factors and the most significant factors. RESULTS: Complications tended to increase as the anesthetic risk and anesthetic time increased (p=0.011, 0.013, respectively). Operative difficulty and blood loss were related to complications (p=0.018, p<0.001, respectively). The univariate analysis revealed that blood loss of more than 400 ml compared with less than 200 ml had a risk ratio of 18.2. Moderate and hard operative difficulties had a significant risk ratio of around 4, and high anesthetic risk had a high risk rate of around 5. The multivariate analysis showed that blood loss and high anesthetic risk were independent risk factors of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Blood loss and high anesthetic risk proved to be independent factors that are associated with complications. Surgeons must keep in mind the patient's anesthetic risk and try to minimize blood loss during the operation to reduce complications after a laparoscopic surgery.
Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Postoperative Complications ; Risk Factors ; Urology

PURPOSE: We compared renal function outcomes in patients undergoing open or laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients undergoing open or laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for kidney disease with a normal contralateral kidney were identified between January 2004 and December 2007. Renal function was calculated by using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Serial renal functions were checked from the day before surgery to 1 year after surgery. Exclusion criteria were preexisting renal insufficiency, urinary stone disease, and pancreatic and liver disorders. RESULTS: Forty-one and 30 patients were treated with open radical nephrectomy or laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, respectively. The operative time and urine output of patients who underwent open and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy were 211.7+/-5.8 and 330.8+/-15.6 and 196.4+/-19.6 and 130.7+/-12.1, respectively (p=0.001, p=0.013). The glomerular filtration rates of patients who underwent open or laparoscopic radical nephrectomy were insignificant from baseline to postoperative day 360 (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in renal function were detected in the groups of patients who underwent open or laparoscopic radical nephrectomy from baseline to long-term follow-up.
Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; Laparoscopy ; Liver ; Nephrectomy ; Operative Time ; Renal Insufficiency ; Urinary Calculi

This study aims to conduct the comparative analysis of the radiation dose according to before and after the calibration of the ionization chamber used for measuring radiation dose in the MDCT, as well as of CTDIW according to temperature and pressure correction factors in the CT room. A comparative analysis was conducted based on the measured MDCT (GE light speed plus 4 slice, USA) data using head and body CT dosimetric phantom, and Model 2026C electrometer (RADICAL 2026C, USA) calibrated on March 21, 2007. As a result, the CTDIW value which reflected calibration factors, as well as correction factors of temperature and pressure, was found to be the range of 0.479~3.162 mGy in effective radiation dose than the uncorrected values. Also, under the routine abdomen routine CT image acquisition conditions used in reference hospitals, patient effective dose was measured to indicate the difference of the maximum of 0.7 mSv between before and after the application of such factors. These results imply that the calibration of the ion chamber, and the correction of temperature and pressure of the CT room are crucial in measuring and calculating patient effective dose. Thus, to measure patient radiation dose accurately, the detailed information should be made available regarding not only the temperature and pressure of the CT room, but also the humidity and recombination factor, characteristics of X-ray beam quality, exposure conditions, scan region, and so forth.
Abdomen ; Calibration ; Head ; Humans ; Humidity ; Light ; Recombination, Genetic

The purpose of this study was to measure and evaluate radiation dose for MDCT parameters. Patient dose for various combination of MDCT parameters were experimentally measured, using MDCT (GE light speed plus 4 slice, USA), model 2026C electrometer (RADICAL 2026C, USA), standard Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) head and body CT dosimetry phantoms. In clinical situations, for a typical abdominal scan performed with MDCT at 120 kVp, 180 mAs, 20 mm collimation, and a pitch of 0.75, CTDIw, CTDIvol were measured as 20.2 mGy, 26.9 mGy, respectively. When scan length is assumed as 271.3 mm, DLP and measured effective dose of the abdominal would be calculated as 729.1 mGy cm, 10.9 mSv, respectively.
Head ; Humans ; Polymethyl Methacrylate

OBJECTIVES: Recently in schizophrenia high incidence of MTHFR(methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase), which is a main relating enzyme that reduce homocysteine level, genetic variations were reported. So we examined serum homocysteine level and MTHFR gene polymorphism in Korean schizophrenics. METHOD: We compared serum homocysteine level and MTHFR polymorphism between 235 schizophrenics (100male, 135female) and 235 normal controls(100male, 135female). C677T and A1298C polymorphism of MTHFR gene were analyzed. RESULTS: 1) C677T genetic mutation(CT and TT) were more frequent in schizophrenia group than normal control group(p<0.01). But the difference of A1298C mutation frequency was not found between two groups. 2) In schizophrenia patients, TT genotype of C677T mutation showed significantly higher homocysteine level (29.99uM/L) than other group(CT : 13.34uM/L, CC : 9.34uM/L p<0.01). 3) MTHFR 677 TT homogeneous mutation genotype showed two times more risk(odds ratio=2.15) than 677CC normal genotype in schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: Some schizophrenia patients with high homocysteine serum level may have C677T TT genotype. In that case, folate ingestion could be a good management for clinical improvement.
Eating ; Folic Acid ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mutation Rate ; Schizophrenia