Bone scan using (99m)Tc-MDP is the most accurate and reliable method for the early detection of fracture, and that is the screening procedure of choice for the demonstration of bone metastases. It is well known that it has superior sensitivity to radiography for this purpose. We report the case of 41 years old man with known primary tumor and metastatic vertebral fracture presenting false negative bone scan finding.
False Negative Reactions ; Mass Screening ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Spinal Fractures

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the value of basal follicular stimulating hormone level on clinical outcome in women undergoing IVF-ET. METHOD: A descriptive and retrospective study of 730 cycles of IVF-ET chosen from 2002 to 2004 in CHA fertility center. RESULTS: Basal FSH screening appeared to be a fairly informative predictor of achiving pregnancy especially in GnRH agonist long protocol in women undergoing IVF-ET. In addition, basal FSH level shows significant difference compared ongoing pregnancy with early abortion group in GnRH antagonist group. CONCLUSION: Therefore, we were able to predict the ovarian response and IVF-ET outcome using FSH level. Furthermore, this information allow more precise counseling for patients.
Counseling ; Female ; Fertility ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: Umbilical cord blood is an effective alternative to bone marrow as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. But the amount of collected umbilical cord blood and its contents are limited and obtaining an adequate volume of umbilical cord blood is essential for successful transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence the volume of umbilical cord blood. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the maternal, neonatal and placental factors that were obtained by medical record review was conducted. The variables that were evaluated for this study were mother's age, parity, gestational age, presence of maternal diabetes mellitus, route of delivery, multiple births, neonatal sex and birth weight, and placental weight. Total 484 deliveries were evaluated from March 2003 to April 2004. The statistical significance of observed differences was calculated using t-test and multiple regression analysis; p-value<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Gestational age, neonatal birth weight, placental weight, parity, number of fetus and maternal diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with a greater volume of collected umbilical cord blood. Obstetric factors that influenced the total nucleated cell concentration were gestational age, neonatal birth weight, placental weight, number of fetus, and route of delivery. CONCLUSION: To prolong a gestational age as far as possible, at least beyond the 37 completed weeks of gestation, and modifying a method of vaginal delivery or cesarean section rather than conventional vaginal delivery method can increase significantly the volume of collected cord blood and the yield of the concentration of total nucleated cell.
Birth Weight ; Bone Marrow ; Cesarean Section ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Fetal Blood* ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Multiple Birth Offspring ; Parity ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Umbilical Cord*

OBJECTIVE: Clinical evaluation of the efficacy of ultrasound-guided embryo transfer (ET) comparing with embryo transfer without ultrasound guidance (Non-US). METHODS: From January 2003 to April 2003, we examined the efficacy of ultrasound-guided embryo transfer (ET) on clinical outcome from in-vitro fertilization (IVF-ET) cycle. One hundred thirty patients were prospectively randomized into two groups: 69 patients had ultrasound-guided ET (US) and 61 patients had clinical touch embryo transfer without ultrasound guidance (Non-US). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to age, cause of infertility, and the characteristics of the IVF cycle. The pregnany rate (42.0%: 40.9%, p=0.9043) and implantation rate (26.6%: 23.1%; p=0.5057) were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: There was no significant improvement in pregnancy and implantation rates, following the use of ultrasound guidance during ET, but ultrasound assistance would suggest that decrease in cervical and uterine trauma, decrease in the total duration of ET time, and increase in the easy transfer rate can play a positive role in embryo transfer.
Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Infertility ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program on mental health and coping behavior for children of alcoholics. METHOD: Data was collected from January to February, 2003. The subjects were 20 adolescents from 13 to 18 years old. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test with the SAS program. RESULT: There were statistically significant differences in mental health, active coping, positive cognitive restructuring, and support-seeking for problem solving between the experimental group and the control group. CONCLUSION: The stress management program helped children of alcoholics by enhancing self-esteem, providing information about alcohol, and improving emotional and problem focused coping abilities. This eventually enhanced mental health.
Stress, Psychological/*therapy ; *Mental Health ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Child of Impaired Parents/*psychology ; *Alcoholism ; Adolescent ; *Adaptation, Psychological

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of GnRH antagonist multi dose protocol in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for IVF-ET or ICSI with GnRH agonist long protocol. METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2004, total of 583 cycles which underwent IVF-ET or ICSI using r-FSH were enrolled in this study. 447 cycles of the study group were performed in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation by using GnRH antagonist multi dose protocol and 136 cycles of the control group were performed by using GnRH long protocol. We compared patients characteristics, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation outcomes and IVF-ET outcomes between two groups. RESULTS: Patients characteristics and baseline hormone levels were not different between the two groups. The duration of stimulation was significantly shorter in study group comparing with control group (12.8+/-1.5 days vs 13.7+/-1.7 days, p<0.05). There were no differences between the two groups in the number of follicles, endometrial thickness and serum E2 level on hCG day. The pregnancy rate seemed to be lower in the study group (32.4% vs 35.4%), but the difference was not statistically significant. There were also no differences in number of oocytes retrieved, matured oocytes, fertilized oocytes and transferred embryos between two groups. CONCLUSION: GnRH antagonist multi dose protocol in COH might be a simple and effective method compared with GnRH agonist long protocol.
Embryonic Structures ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of genetic background between MTHFR C677T genotype and infertile females with polycystic ovarian syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared 86 infertile females with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with 100 healthy fertile females with one or more offspring. Pyrosequencing analysis for MTHFR C677T variation was performed on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product of study group. To validate pyrosequencing data of C677T variation for randomly selected 50 samples, we compared the pyrosequencing result with the PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) result of MTHFR C677T genotype. RESULTS: The prevalence of the C677T mutant homozygous (TT) was significantly lower (p=0.0085) in females with PCOS (8.14%) than in fertile females (21.00%). MTHFR 677 TT genotype had a decreased risk (3.7-fold) of PCOS compared with wild type (MTHFR 677 CC). CONCLUSION: Our data support a role for MTHFR mutant homozygous (677 TT) genotype in reducing risk in Korean infertile females with Polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Female* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Korea* ; Oxidoreductases* ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVES: Controversial arguments exists on both the case for and against on the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion in association to tissue and age. The debate continues as to whether this mutation is a major contributor to the phenotypic expression of aging and common degenerative diseases or simply a clinical insignificant epiphenomenon. The objective of this study was to determine whether the accumulation of mtDNA deletion is correlated with age-related and tissue-specific variation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty-seven tissues from blood, ovary, uterine muscle, and abdominal muscle were obtained from patients ranging in age from 31~60 years. After reviewing the clinical reports, patients with mitochondrial disorder were excluded from this study. The tissues were obtained at gynecological surgeries with the consent of the patient. Total DNA isolated from blood, ovary, uterine muscle, and abdominal muscle was amplified by two rounds of PCR using two pairs of primers corresponding to positions 8225-8247 (sense), 13551-13574 (antisense) for the area around deleted mtDNA and 8421-8440 (sense), 13520-13501 (antisense) for nested PCR product. A statistical analysis was performed by c2-test. RESULTS: About 0% of blood, 94.8% of ovary, 71.4% of uterine muscle, and 86.1% abdominal muscle harbored mtDNA deletion. When we examined the proportion of deleted mtDNA according to age deletion rate was 90% of ovary, 63.6% of uterine muscle, 77.7% of abdominal muscle in thirties and 100% of all tissue in fifties. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the mtDNA deletion is varied in tissue-specific pattern and increases with aging.
Abdominal Muscles ; Aging ; Animals ; DNA ; DNA, Mitochondrial* ; Female ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Mice ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Myometrium ; Ovary ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) has been described as an important candidate for mediation of neurotoxicity after brain ischemia. This study was purposed to evaluate the effects of a PARP inhibitor on hypoxic-ischemic injury in the neonatal rat brain. In this study, a highly potent inhibitor of PARP, 3, 4-Dihydro-5-[4-(1-piperidinyl) butoxy]-1 (2H)-isoquinolinone (DPQ) was investigated. METHODS: Seven-day old Sprague-Dawley rat pups were used. The right common carotid artery was ligated under halothane anesthesia. After a recovery period of 3 hours, they were exposed to 8% oxygen at 37degreesC for about 120 minutes. The animals were divided into four groups: the pre-treatment group (n = 13) and post-treatment group (n = 21) were given DPQ 10 mg/kg and the pre-control group (n = 7) and post-control group (n = 14) were given a vehicle for controls. Pre-treatment and pre-control groups were injected 30 minutes prior to the hypoxic injury while post-treatment and post-control groups were injected 30 minutes after the hypoxic period intraperitoneally. The right cerebral hemisphere of the rats were examined with localized (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy on day 1 and 7 after the hypoxic insult. Lipid/N-acetyl aspartate (Lip/NAA) and lipid/creatine (Lip/Cr) ratios were used as apoptotic markers. On day 14, the degree of brain injury was scored by morphological changes. RESULTS: In the DPQ treated groups, the Lip/NAA and Lip/Cr ratios were lower than those of the control groups on day 1 after the hypoxic-ischemic injury (P < 0.05). However on day 7, only the ratios of the pre-treatment group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The degree of morphological changes of the brain injury on day 14 were lower in the DPQ treated groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DPQ exerts a neuroprotective effect in cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury probably by inhibiting apoptosis especially in the early stage after an insult. Acute inhibition of PARP can have a therapeutic value in preventing ischemic brain injury.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Aspartic Acid ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Cerebrum ; Halothane ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Negotiating ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Oxygen ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: This study was designed to verify preemptive effects of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) infusion on postoperative pain in women having a total abdominal hysterectomy. METHOD: The research design was a nonequivalent control group post test only design. The participants in this study were 50 women who were scheduled for a total abdominal hysterectomy at a University affiliated Hospital in Suwon, Korea. The subjects were divided into two groups. For the experimental group, IV-PCA infusion was started before the skin incision and for the control group, IV-PCA infusion was started after the skin was closed. Each group was evaluated in terms of pain score by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the number of times they pushed the button for IV-PCA at postoperative hours 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24. The data were collected from July 1 to December 10, 2001. Collected data was analyzed by SPSS/PC+ program. RESULT: 1. There was no difference between the two groups, over six points for the number of times the control button for IV-PCA was used. Group differences and interaction effect were not significant. 2. There was no significant difference in pain scores between the two groups, over seven time points. A significant interaction effect was observed between groups and measurement points in time. 3. There was a significant difference in the requirements for additional analgesia between the two groups, 32% of the control group received additional analgesia. CONCLUSION: Preemptive analgesics administration may have a better effect in relieving postoperative pain than the usual analgesic treatment which is started after surgery.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Analgesics ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Korea ; Pain, Postoperative ; Research Design ; Skin