Background/Aims: There is increasing evidence that supplementation with pre- and probiotics appears to have positive effects on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a new synbiotic formulation on gastrointestinal symptoms in elderly patients with IBS. Methods: Sixty-seven IBS patients aged ≥60 years were randomly assigned to either a placebogroup (n=34) or a synbiotic group (n=33). During a 4-week intervention, subjects used a placebo or a synbiotic containing Lactobacillus paracasei DKGF1 and extracts of Opuntia humifusa once a day. Patients were evaluated with the subject global assessment, visual analog scale, and Bristol stool chart. The primary outcome was the overall responder rate and the secondary outcome was the responder rates for abdominal symptom reduction at week 4. Results: Overall, responder rates were significantly higher in the synbiotic group (51.5%) than in the placebo group (23.5%) (p=0.017). Abdominal pain (58.8% vs 81.8%) and psychological wellbeing (26.4% vs 60.6%) were noticeably improved in the synbiotic group (p=0.038 and p=0.004, respectively). However, there were no significant differences in gas and bloating symptoms (p=0.88 and p=0.88, respectively). In patients with constipation-dominant and diarrhea-dominant IBS (n=16), the synbiotic significantly improved abdominal pain and defecation symptoms (responder rates for the placebo vs the synbiotic: 22.2% vs 85.7%, p=0.04). There were no adverse events in either group. Conclusions The results indicate that this new synbiotic supplement can potentially relieve abdominal symptoms in elderly IBS patients.

PURPOSE: Plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) binds to low-density lipoprotein. The levels of Lp-PLA2 reflect the plaque burden, and are upregulated in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We investigated the diagnostic value of Lp-PLA2 levels and found that it might be a potential biomarker for ACS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We classified 226 study participants into three groups: patients without significant stenosis (control group), patients with significant stenosis with stable angina (SA group), and patients with ACS (ACS group). RESULTS: Lp-PLA2 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were significantly greater in the ACS group than in the SA group (p=0.044 and p=0.029, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Lp-PLA2 levels are significantly associated with ACS (odds ratio=1.047, p=0.013). The addition of Lp-PLA2 to the ACS model significantly increased the global chi2 value over traditional risk factors (28.14 to 35.602, p=0.006). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for Lp-PLA2 was 0.624 (p=0.004). The addition of Lp-PLA2 level to serum hs-CRP concentration yielded an integrated discrimination improvement of 0.0368 (p=0.0093, standard error: 0.0142) and improved the ability to diagnose ACS. CONCLUSION: Lp-PLA2 levels are related to plaque stability and might be a diagnostic biomarker for ACS.
1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase/*blood ; Acute Coronary Syndrome/*blood/physiopathology ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angina Pectoris ; Biological Markers/blood ; C-Reactive Protein/*metabolism ; Coronary Angiography ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, LDL/*blood ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/blood ; ROC Curve ; Risk Factors

Emergency Medicine is a medical specialty that provides comprehensive emergency care. The spectrum of emergency medicine includes humanity as well as medical care for emergency patients. Since the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine has been established and the training course for emergency residents has begun, quality improvement of the training course still remains to be one of the most important issues in emergency medicine. This report is to understand the current status of training of emergency residents and to improve the quality of training of emergency residents. The survey was performed with questionnaires regarding current status of training and opinions to improve quality of training. The questionnaires were sent to all emergency physicians and emergency residents registered to the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine via an electronic mail or a printed letter. The response rates were 49.6% for emergency physicians and 35.8% for emergency residents. On the basis of the result of this survey, we suggest five proposals for improving the quality of resident training course. These include complete adherence of each institution to training guidelines presented by the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine, development of the education program compatible to each institution, shortening of length of training duration from 4 years to 3 years, promotion of the training environment, and introduction of evaluation examination to the training course.
Education ; Electronic Mail ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Medicine ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Quality Improvement ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic significances of p53 and cathepsin D in the prostatic carcinoma, we compared them to other prognostic factors, such as nuclear grade and clinical stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The material consisted of 40 paraffin-embedded, primary prostate carcinomas. We examined the expression of p53 and cathepsin D using immunohistochemical staining and compared their expression with the grade and stage. RESULTS: The expressions of p53 were noted in the nucleus of tumor cells and cathepsin D were noted in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Thirteen of 40 tumors were positive for p53. There were more expressing p53 in samples (40%) from prostatic cancer with a high Gleason score group than in samples (28%) from prostatic cancer with low Gleason score group. The expression of p53 was 22% in clinical stage B and C groups and 35% in clinical stage D group. These results showed that p53 expression was not statistically correlated with Gleason score and clinical stage, but there were trends to increased p53 expression with high Gleason score and progressed clinical stage (p>0.05). Progressed clinical stage group showed higher expression of cathepsin D than early clinical stage group. However, there were no statistical correlations between expression of cathepsin D and Gleason score, and clinical stage (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the overexpression of p53 and cathepsin D may be associated with tumor differentiation and clinical stage, but have limited prognostic value in prostatic carcinoma.
Cathepsin D* ; Cathepsins* ; Cytoplasm ; Neoplasm Grading ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms

Preoperative assessment of electrocardiographical(EKG) abnormalities in the patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) is importment. Authors analyzed 58 SAH patients who had EKG abnormalities of neurogenic origin. EKG abnormalities consisted of T wave abnormality, arrhythmia, ST segment change, QT prolongation and U wave. Five patients were dead in this study because of brain swelling(3 cases) and cerebral spasm(2 cases). EKG abnormalities were normalized 13 days after aneurysmal SAH. Radioactive nuclear(99mTc-pyrophosphate) scan of myocardial revealed normal findings in the patients with EKG abnormalities of neurogenic origin. It is concluded that life-saving surgical intervention need not be delayed in the patients with EKG abnormalities of neurogenic origin. On the other hand, patients who had cardiac origin EKG abnormalities need a careful and detailed preanesthetic cardiac evaluation.
Aneurysm* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Brain ; Electrocardiography* ; Hand ; Humans ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

After spinal fixation using conventional stainless steel screw fixation system, postoperative evaluation of spinal canal and identification of screw positions are very difficult because of severe image halation on computerized tomography(CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). As a result, diagnosis is interfered in cases of screw malposition, infection, and when demonstration of spinal decompression is needed. For this reason, titanium implants have been developed. Titanium is neither magnetic nor paramagnetic, so it produces minimal artifacts on CT or MRI. Titanium pedicular screw system(DipasonTM) is one of these instruments. In this study, the authors investigated the compatibility of this instrument with CT and MRI postoperatively. The use of titanium pedicular screw system permits high quality image of spinal cord, nerve root and screws on CT and MRI.
Artifacts ; Decompression ; Diagnosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Stainless Steel ; Titanium*

The purpose of this study was to analyze and evaluate therapeutic results of stereotactic evacuation of hematoma, urokinase irrigation and external ventricular drainage(EVD) in comatose patients who had hypertensive supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage. The authors carried out stereotactic evacuation of hematoma and external ventricular drainage in the consecutive 45 cases who were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Chosun University Hospital. from Sep. 1990 to Jun. 1993. The therapeutic results were as follows : 1) The peak age incidences were 6th to 7th decades. The incidence was higher in female than male. The age was not related to the prognosis. 2) The hematoma was located at the basal ganglia in 37 cases, and the thalamic area in 8 cases. The prognosis was poorer as the area of hematoma extended more wider and deeper. 3) The volume of hematoma ranged from 8 to 155 ml. The prognosis of the patient was unfavorable in large volume of hematoma. 4) Intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH) occured in forty cases(89.9%) and mortality rate was 45%. The mortality rate was increased in cases with IVH than in case without it. 5) The mortality rates based on the Glasgow coma scale(GCS) on admission were 50% in GCS score 4 group, 50% in GCS score 5 group, 40% in GCS score 6 group, 27% in GCS score 7 group. Cases of low Glasgow coma scale on admission showed high mortality rate. 6) The overall mortality rate was 42%. These results suggest that stereotactic evacuation of hematoma and EVD decreased the mortality rate when compared with conservative treatment and conventional craniotomy in the literatures.
Basal Ganglia ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Coma* ; Craniotomy ; Drainage* ; Female ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive ; Male ; Mortality ; Neurosurgery ; Prognosis ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

The development and differentiation of cells in the spinal ganglion were studied by electron microscopy in human fetuses ranging from 12 mm to 260 mm crown rump length. At 12 mm embryo the primitive neuroblasts which had a single process, contained a large numbers of free ribosome and mitochondria but very little rough endoplasmic reticulum. At 30 mm fetus, the primitive spinal ganglion consisted of bipolar neuroblasts, satellite cells and undifferentiated cells. Spindle-shaped bipolar neuroblasts formed spinal ganglion of loosely grouped cells at 50 mm fetus. Two neuroblast cell types, a small cell contained large clumps of rough endoplasmic reticulum at periphery, could be distinguished. At 80 mm fetus, the spinal ganglion constituted of bipolar neuroblast with apparently random distribution of small and large neurons with processes, together with satellite cells and blood vessels. The presences of a large numbers of neurotubules in the Golgi-central region were one of the first sign of further maturation of the neuroblast. During next prenatal stage from 120 mm on fetus, the ganglion cells were large and contained much rough endoplasmic reticulum, neurotubules and extensive Golgi complex. A large number of neuroblasts became transformed into unipolar cells from 180 mm to 260 mm feuts. Nissl bodies appeared during this stage. The ganglion-satellite cell boundary became complicated with increasing age, then enlarging in parallel with the increase in volume of the nerve cell. During next prenatal stage up to 180 mm fetus, the unipolar ganglion cell increased in number and size, and the cytoplsm contained all intracytoplasmic structures which were also found in mature spinal ganglion except for large pigment granules.
Blood Vessels ; Crown-Rump Length ; Embryonic Structures ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Fetus* ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Ganglion Cysts ; Golgi Apparatus ; Humans* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mitochondria ; Neurons ; Nissl Bodies ; Ribosomes

Bone and joint involvement develops in approximately 10 percent of patients with tuberculosis and half of these affected patients have tuberculosis of the spine. In the treatment of tuberculous spondylitis evacuation of the contents of the abscess, including the bone sequestra and the sequestrated intervertebral discs, combined with removal of all avascular bone and anterior fusion with a strut graft has widely applied since Hodgson and Stock published their successful results in 1960. Surgical approaches to the vertebral bodies at different levels, either anterior, anterolateral or modified approach, have been described in order to improve the exposure. The upper lumbar vertebral lesion is well exposed by the lateral or anterolateral approaches. But exposure of the lumbosacral lesion is limited because of iliac bone and other surrounding vital organs. We describe a surgical approach to lumbosacral spine which allows an adequate exposure of the vertebral bodies from L4 to S1. The transabodminal midline approach seems to be useful method for the lumbosacral vertebral body lesion, allows adequate exposure and easy reconstruction.
Abscess ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Joints ; Spine ; Spondylitis* ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis

Moyamoya disease is a progressive occlusive cerebrovascular disease that can cause severe permanent disability. To minimize the ischemic deficit, various surgical methods have been tried. Six cases treated surgically are presented, 10 sides with encephaloarteriosynangiosis and 1 side with superficial temporal-middle cerebral artery anastomosis and encephalomyosynangiosis. Among these six cases, three cases were associated with intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage, and two cases were associated with intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage and demonstrable aneurysm, and the other was associated with cerebral infarction. All patient were reviewed and had not ischemic deficit or rebleeding during the follow-up period. The patient's clinical status and results are presented and literatures that have been reported are reviewed.
Aneurysm ; Cerebral Arteries ; Cerebral Infarction ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Moyamoya Disease