Uterine fibroid, or leiomyoma, is a common benign neoplasm in women, but serious complications are rarely reported. We present the case of a 48-year-old woman with acute onset of abdominal pain. She was hemodynamically unstable, and computed tomography revealed abundant fluid collection in the peritoneal cavity, suggesting hemoperitoneum. During emergency exploratory laparotomy, the subserosal vein overlying a uterine fibroid was identified as the source of bleeding. Hemostasis was accomplished with fibroid excision. Spontaneous hemorrhage originating from a uterine fibroid is extremely rare, but may lead to life-threatening conditions. Therefore, in female patients with acute abdominal pain and hemoperitoneum, uterine fibroid may be a potential etiology and emergency exploratory laparotomy should be considered.

Uterine fibroid, or leiomyoma, is a common benign neoplasm in women, but serious complications are rarely reported. We present the case of a 48-year-old woman with acute onset of abdominal pain. She was hemodynamically unstable, and computed tomography revealed abundant fluid collection in the peritoneal cavity, suggesting hemoperitoneum. During emergency exploratory laparotomy, the subserosal vein overlying a uterine fibroid was identified as the source of bleeding. Hemostasis was accomplished with fibroid excision. Spontaneous hemorrhage originating from a uterine fibroid is extremely rare, but may lead to life-threatening conditions. Therefore, in female patients with acute abdominal pain and hemoperitoneum, uterine fibroid may be a potential etiology and emergency exploratory laparotomy should be considered.

PURPOSE: Cigarette smoking (CS) is one of the major risk factors of cerebral atherosclerotic disease, however, its level of contribution to extracranial and intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ECAS and ICAS) was not fully revealed yet. The purpose of our study was to assess the association of CS to cerebral atherosclerosis along with other risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All consecutive patients who were angiographically confirmed with severe symptomatic cerebral atherosclerotic disease between January 2002 and December 2012 were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for ECAS and ICAS. Thereafter, CS group were compared to non-CS group in the entire study population and in a propensity-score matched population with two different age-subgroups. RESULTS: Of 1709 enrolled patients, 794 (46.5%) had extracranial (EC) lesions and the other 915 (53.5%) had intracranial (IC) lesions. CS group had more EC lesions (55.8% vs. 35.3%, P<0.001) whereas young age group (<50 years) had more IC lesion (84.5% vs. 47.6%, P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, seven variables including CS, male, old age, coronary heart disease, higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, multiple lesions, and anterior lesion were independently associated with ECAS. In the propensity-score matched CS group had significant more EC lesion compared to non-CS group (65.7% vs. 47.9%) only in the old age subgroup. CONCLUSION: In contrast to a significant association between CS and severe symptomatic ECAS shown in old population, young patients did not show this association and showed relatively higher preference of ICAS.
Atherosclerosis ; Blood Sedimentation ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Disease ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D is regarded as one of the major nutrients that significantly influence bone metabolism. This study aims to look at the effect of supplementary vitamin D on bone mineral density (BMD) in female osteoporosis patients. METHODS: The retrospective hospital record review was performed on 282 patients who were diagnosed with osteoporosis and treated with selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) between January 2015 and December 2016. Of these patients, 151 were treated with SERMs only while 131 were treated using both SERMs and vitamin D supplements. The BMD and any occurrence of osteoporotic fracture episode were investigated after one year. The result of two groups was compared to find the significance of vitamin D. RESULTS: Overall, improvement in BMD score was observed in 76% of the patients. The BMD of the SERMs only group improved by 3% in spine and 1% in the hip while that of the SERMs with vitamin D group improved by 6% and 1% respectively. Statistical significance was noticed in the spine only. One distal radius fracture and one single level vertebral fracture occurred in patients of SERMs group while two distal radius fractures occurred in SERMs with vitamin D group. There was no occurrence of around hip fracture in both groups. CONCLUSION: The result of the current study suggests that additional vitamin D may have some additive effect on improving BMD of the spine. Further study with the larger study population and the extended study period is recommended.
Bone Density ; Female ; Hip ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Radius Fractures ; Retrospective Studies ; Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators ; Spine ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) is a strong target antigen for the determination of infection with Plasmodium species specifically. However, a more effective antibody is needed because of the low sensitivity of the current antibody in many immunological diagnostic assays. In this study, recombinant Plasmodium vivax LDH (PvLDH) was experimentally constructed and expressed as a native antigen to develop an effective P. vivax-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb). Two mAbs (2CF5 and 1G10) were tested using ELISA and immunofluorescence assays (IFA), as both demonstrated reactivity against pLDH antigen. Of the 2 antibodies, 2CF5 was not able to detect P. falciparum, suggesting that it might possess P. vivax-specificity. The detection limit for a pair of 2 mAbs-linked sandwich ELISA was 31.3 ng/ml of the recombinant antigen. The P. vivax-specific performance of mAbs-linked ELISA was confirmed by in vitro-cultured P. falciparum and P. vivax-infected patient blood samples. In conclusion, the 2 new antibodies possessed the potential to detect P. vivax and will be useful in immunoassay.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Diagnosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Limit of Detection ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium*

After invasion of red blood cells, malaria matures within the cell by degrading hemoglobin avidly. For enormous protein breakdown in trophozoite stage, many efficient and ordered proteolysis networks have been postulated and exploited. In this study, a potential interaction of a 60-kDa Plasmodium falciparum (Pf)-heat shock protein (Hsp60) and Pf-calpain, a cysteine protease, was explored. Pf-infected RBC was isolated and the endogenous Pf-Hsp60 and Pf-calpain were determined by western blot analysis and similar antigenicity of GroEL and Pf-Hsp60 was determined with anti-Pf-Hsp60. Potential interaction of Pf-calpain and Pf-Hsp60 was determined by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assay. Mizoribine, a well-known inhibitor of Hsp60, attenuated both Pf-calpain enzyme activity as well as P. falciparum growth. The presented data suggest that the Pf-Hsp60 may function on Pf-calpain in a part of networks during malaria growth.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Calpain/genetics/*metabolism ; Chaperonin 60/chemistry/genetics/*metabolism ; Erythrocytes/parasitology ; Humans ; Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plasmodium falciparum/chemistry/enzymology/genetics/*metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Protozoan Proteins/chemistry/genetics/*metabolism ; Sequence Alignment

PURPOSE: Smoking is a well known risk factor for stroke. The cerebral arteries may be uniquely susceptible to the atherosclerotic effects of smoking, such that it has a different risk profile for stroke compared with other atherosclerosis risk factors. It remains uncertain whether smoking is associated specifically with intracranial (IC) or extracranial (EC) atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease. The aim of this study design will be to evaluate the association between smoking and severe IC stenosis, adjusting for other atherosclerosis risk factors, particularly age distribution. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study design. Participants are patients (n=1714) with severe atherosclerotic stenosis undergoing cerebral catheter angiography because of stroke or transient ischaemic attack. All atherosclerotic steno-occlusive lesions are described in terms of location (anterior versus posterior circulation, IC versus EC, or intradural versus extradural). The atherosclerotic or stroke risk factors for analysis include age, gender, smoking history, number of lesions (single versus multiple), cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, family history, dyslipidemia, history of previous stroke, alcohol intake, metabolic syndrome and body mass index. Statistical analysis includes univariate analysis followed by multivariate logistic regression. The relationship between IC atherosclerotic stenosis and smoking will be assessed. Differences in risk factor distribution is analysed according to age at intervals of 10 years. Significant risk factors associated with IC atherosclerotic stenosis will also be assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. SUMMARY: This is an analytical study design that intends to measure the association between IC or EC atherosclerotic stenosis and smoking and other risk factors. We anticipate that it will have the power to detect any relationship between smoking and IC atherosclerotic lesions especially in younger patients.
Age Distribution ; Angiography ; Atherosclerosis ; Body Mass Index ; Catheters ; Cerebral Arteries ; Cohort Studies ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyslipidemias ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Logistic Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Stroke

Breast is a typical female sexual physiologic organ that is influenced by steroid hormone from menarche until menopause. Therefore various diseases can be developed by continuous action of estrogen and progesterone. Breast diseases are mainly categorized as benign and malignant. It is very important to distinguish the malignancy from breast diseases. However, it is very difficult to diagnose malignancy in pregnant and lactating women even though the same breast diseases took place. Therefore, we will review breast diseases such as breast carcinoma during pregnancy and lactation.
Breast ; Breast Diseases ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Lactation ; Menarche ; Menopause ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Pregnancy ; Progesterone

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of alendronate for premenopausal women with low bone density not resulted from secondary causes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty thee women who was diagnosed low bone mineral density (BMD) before menopause were included. All patients were evaluated by history taking, physical examination, and laboratory investigation to rule out underlying secondary causes of osteoporosis. They were randomized into two groups: Group I was administered oral alendronate 70 mg per week and Group II was not. All the participants received calcium carbonate 1,250 mg and cholecalciferol 1,000 IU daily. Bone mineral density by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was measured before and after 1 year of treatment. RESULTS: At baseline, there were no significant differences among the two groups in patient's age, body mass index (BMI), and BMD. After 1 year of treatment, Group I showed significant increase in BMD. CONCLUSIONS: In premenopausal women with low BMD in the absence of secondary causes for osteoporosis, alendronate treatment for 1 year may increase BMD. We suggest that management of low bone density in the premenopausal women without secondary causes should be considered.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Alendronate ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Calcium Carbonate ; Cholecalciferol ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; Osteoporosis ; Physical Examination ; Premenopause

OBJECTIVETo study on effect of concentration of catalpol and 5-hydroxy methyl-2-furaldehyde (5-HMF) from Rehmanniae Radix at various processing.

METHODThe Rehmanniae Radix was dried and prepared from the steaming process with 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol at 90 degrees C and 100 degrees C each other. And the changes of catalpol and 5-HMF was determinated. The extraction of 5-HMF and catalpol was sonicated in 30% methanol for 2 h. The analysis of 5-HMF and catalpol was conducted by HPLC with reversed-phase C-18 column and detected under UV 284 nm, 204 nm. Elution was carried out at 1.0 mL min(-1) with 3% acetonitrile.

RESULTFrom this analysis, we found out that the content of catalpol was decreased with the number of processing times, and content of 5-HMF was increased with the number of processing times at various processing. The temperature and concentration of ethanol can effect on content of catalpol and 5-HMF at processing. The Cooked Rehmanniae Radix processed at 100 degrees C, 10% ethanol is best. And the content of 5-HMF processed for more than 7 times was accorded with standard of Korea phamcopoetia.

CONCLUSIONAnalyze the effect of concentration of catalpol and 5-HMF from Rehmanniae Radix at various processing, and provide the foundation for further study.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Ethanol ; Furaldehyde ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Hot Temperature ; Iridoid Glucosides ; Iridoids ; analysis ; Plant Tubers ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rehmannia ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods