We investigated the combined moisturizing effect of liposomal serine and a cosmeceutical base selected in this study. Serine is a major amino acid consisting of natural moisturizing factors and keratin, and the hydroxyl group of serine can actively interact with water molecules. Therefore, we hypothesized that serine efficiently delivered to the stratum corneum (SC) of the skin would enhance the moisturizing capability of the skin. We prepared four different cosmeceutical bases (hydrogel, oil-in-water (O/W) essence, O/W cream, and water-in-oil (W/O) cream); their moisturizing abilities were then assessed using a Corneometer(R). The hydrogel was selected as the optimum base for skin moisturization based on the area under the moisture content change-time curves (AUMCC) values used as a parameter for the water hold capacity of the skin. Liposomal serine prepared by a reverse-phase evaporation method was then incorporated in the hydrogel. The liposomal serine-incorporated hydrogel (serine level=1%) showed an approximately 1.62~1.77 times greater moisturizing effect on the skin than those of hydrogel, hydrogel with serine (1%), and hydrogel with blank liposome. However, the AUMCC values were not dependent on the level of serine in liposomal serine-loaded hydrogels. Together, the delivery of serine to the SC of the skin is a promising strategy for moisturizing the skin. This study is expected to be an important step in developing highly effective moisturizing cosmeceutical products.
Hyaluronic Acid* ; Hydrogel* ; Hydrogels* ; Liposomes ; Serine* ; Skin* ; Water

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the features and severity of depressive symptoms in peritoneal dialysis patients, and the relationship of depressive symptoms with levels of inflammation and oxidative stress (OS). METHODS: The diagnosis of depression was made using DSM-IV-TR and the depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) via a semi-structured interview. Levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) were determined as markers of lipid peroxidation. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were measured as antioxidants. RESULTS: 19 (28.8%) patients were diagnosed with depression (Major Depressive Disorder was 18.2%, Dysthymic disorder was 10.6%). OS markers were not different between patients with and without depression. Compared to non-depressed patients, depressed patients showed significantly higher depressed mood, feelings of guilt, suicidal ideation, sleep disturbances, psychomotor retardation, agitation, psychic and somatic anxiety, lower levels of work and activities, gastrointestinal and general somatic symptoms, and hypochondriasis. There was a significant positive correlation between HRSD scores and peritonitis (gamma=0.297, p=0.016), levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (gamma=0.406, p=0.001) and ferritin (gamma=0.276, p=0.025), while there was a significant negative correlation between scores of HRSD and levels of albumin (gamma=-0.313, p=0.010). CONCLUSION: Major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder were not related to inflammation and oxidative stress in peritoneal dialysis patients; however, depressive symptom severity was correlated with markers of inflammation and malnutrition. These results suggest that inflammation could have influence on depressive symptoms in peritoneal dialysis patients.
Anxiety ; C-Reactive Protein ; Catalase ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Dihydroergotamine ; Dysthymic Disorder ; Ferritins ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Guilt ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Inflammation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Malnutrition ; Oxidative Stress ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritonitis ; Suicidal Ideation ; Superoxide Dismutase

PURPOSE: Depression is common in patients with chronic renal failure on maintenance hemodialysis, though success rate of treatment is low. This study aimed to investigate the features and severity of the depressive symptoms and nutritional indices, and significant changes after antidepressant treatment. METHODS: The authors assessed 45 patients. Diagnosis of depression was made using DSM-IV-TR and the depressive symptoms were evaluated using Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression via semi- structured interview. Subjective global assessment, anthropometric measurements and nutritional indices such as Kt/V, nPCR were examined. Depressive patients were treated for 8 weeks with SSRI (citalopram), and all the variables were examined again after the treatment. RESULTS: 19 (42.2%) patients were diagnosed as depression. Nutritional status was not different between patients with depression and those without depression. Compared to non-depressed patients, depressed patients showed significantly higher depressed mood, guilty feeling, suicide idea, psychic and somatic anxiety, lower work and activities, psychomotor retardation, sleep disturbances, general somatic symptoms and hypochondriasis. After antidepressant treatment, depressed mood, guilty feeling, suicide idea, psychic anxiety, initial insomnia, middle insomnia, early awakening, work and activities and general somatic symptoms were improved significantly. TSF (p<0.05), handgrip strength (p<0.01) and hematocrit (p<0.05) were significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Antidepressant treatment is helpful not only for the improvement of depressive symptoms such as sleep and somatic symptoms but for the improvement of quality of life. Proper treatment should be more actively attempted for the hemodialytic patients with depression.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Quality of Life ; Renal Dialysis ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Suicide ; Tosyl Compounds

Acute thrombosis of the renal transplant artery is a well-known vascular complication of renal allograft that usually occurs within the first month post-transplant and often leads graft loss. The incidence of this complication varies between 0.8 and 3.5%. Beyond this period of time, this complication is distinctly uncommon except in rejected kidneys or in a kidney with high grade arterial stenosis. Here we are reporting a case of late renal transplant segmental infarction in 55 years old male patient who presented with sudden allograft pain, fever, and graft dysfunction 15 months after renal transplantation. Graft function improved slightly and became stable with the anticoagulation therapy.
Allografts ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Fever ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction* ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thrombosis ; Transplants

Goodpasture's syndrome is a disease that is characterized by hemoptysis, anemia, and glomerulonephritis with renal failure. Goodpasture reported a case of a young man who expired as a result of a pulmonary hemorrhage and glomerulonephritis at the recovery phase after an influenza infection in 1919. In 1958, Stanton et al. described a combined case of these two diseases as Goodpasture's syndrome. Since then, antiglomerular basement membrane antibody(anti-GBM Ab) has been confirmed to play an important role in the mechanism of this syndrome, and it was reported that this syndrome was an autoimmune disease. The triad of alveolar hemorrhage, glomerulonephritis and circulating anti-GBM Ab forms the basis of a diagnosis of Goodpasture's syndrome. When patients are affected by disease, the relief of symptoms can be accomplished by eliminating the anti-GBM Ab from the circulatory system through hemodialysis, plasmapheresis and immunoabsorption. However, the patients usually die from a massive pulmonary hemorrhage when the diagnosis or treatment is delayed. The incidence of Goodpasture's syndrome is common in the western world, but it is extremely rare in Korea with only five cases being reported. In three of these cases, pulmonary hemorrhage and renal failure was the initial manifestation. Therefore, hemodialysis or plasmapheresis were absolutely essential treatments. We report a case of Goodpasture's syndrome in Korea with a normal renal function.
Anemia ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Basement Membrane ; Diagnosis ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Plasmapheresis ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Western World

BACKGROUND: It has been known that pulsatile flow is physiologic and more favorable to tissue perfusion than nonpulsatile flow. The purpose of this study is to directly compare the effect of pulsatile versus nonpulsatile blood flow to renal tissue perfusion in extracorporeal circulation by using a tissue perfusion measurement system. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Total cardiopulmonary bypass circuit was constructed to twelve Yorkshire swines, weighing 20~30 kg. Animals were randomly assigned to group 1 (n=6, nonpulsatile centrifugal pump) or group 2 (n=6, pulsatile T-PLS pump). A probe of the tissue perfusion measurement system (QFlow(TM)-500) was inserted into the renal parenchymal tissue. Extracorporeal circulation was maintained for an hour at a pump flow of 2 L/min after aortic cross-clamping. Tissue perfusion flow of the kidney was measured at baseline (before bypass) and every 10 minutes after bypass. Serologic parameters were collected at baseline and 60 minutes after bypass. RESULT: Baseline parameters were not different between the groups. Renal tissue perfusion flow was substantially higher in the pulsatile group throughout the bypass (ranged 48.5~4 in group 1 vs. 65.8~8.3 mL/min/100 g in group 2, p=0.026~0.45). The difference was significant at 30 minutes bypass (47.5+/-18.3 in group 1 vs. 83.4+/-28.5 mL/min/100 g in group 2, p=0.026). Serologic parameters including plasma free hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine showed no differences between the groups at 60 minutes after bypass (p=NS). CONCLUSION: Pulsatile flow is more beneficial to tissue perfusion of the kidney in short-term extracorporeal circulation. Further study is suggested to observe the effects to other vital organs or long-term significance.
Animals ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Creatinine ; Extracorporeal Circulation* ; Kidney ; Perfusion* ; Plasma ; Pulsatile Flow ; Swine

BACKGROUND: Recent data showed prolonged administration of direct thrombin inhibitor might be needed to counteract the persistent thrombin activity and reduce the neointimal hyperplasia after arterial injury. We hypothesized that prolonged administration of LB30057, orally active direct thrombin inhibitor, might inhibit the vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation in vitro and neointimal hyperplasia in rat carotid injury model. METHODS: In phase I, thrombin stimulated [methyl-3H] thymidine uptake was measured after LB30057 administration in cell culture study using rat aortic SMC. In phase II, LB30057 (low-dose: 5mg/kg, bid: mid-dose: 25mg/kg, bid: high-dose: 50mg/kg, bid) or placebo was administrated orally twice a day starting from 30minutes before injury until sacrifice for 14days in separated 2 sets of experiment. The histo-morphometric analysis for lumen area, intimal area, medial area, intima-to-medial ratio was performed. RESULTS: In vitro rat aortic SMC culture study, LB30057 inhibited thrombin-induced thymidine uptake. The mean neointimal area was significantly less in high-dose and mid-dose group than placebo group (high-dose vs. placebo: 0.14+/-0.02mm2 vs. 0.25+/-0.02mm2: mid-dose vs. placebo: 0.16+/-0.02mm2 vs. 0.29+/-0.03mm2, p<0.005) respectively and the mean ratio of neointima to medial area were significantly less in high-dose and mid-dose group than in placebo group (high-dose vs. placebo: 1.20+/-0.57 vs. 1.94+/-0.67, mid-dose vs. placebo: 1.58+/-0.29 vs. 2.39+/-0.27, p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean area of internal elastic lamina, external elastic lamina and mean luminal area between groups. In 2nd set experiment, the mean neointimal area (placebo: 0.29+/-0.03mm2, mid-dose: 0.16+/-0.02mm2: p<0.005), the mean area of internal elastic lamina and external elastic lamina were significantly less in mid-dose group than in placebo group. The mean ratio of neointima to medial area was significantly less in mid-dose group(1.58+/-0.29) than in placebo group (2.39+/-0.27) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: LB30057 inhibits SMC proliferation in a dose dependent manner. Prolonged 14-day oral administration of LB30057 is effective in reducing the neointimal hyperplasia in rat carotid balloon injury model.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Proliferation* ; Hyperplasia* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Neointima ; Phenobarbital ; Rats* ; Thrombin* ; Thymidine

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and useful as well as the ness, systemic effect andeffectiveness, of preoperative TACE when used in patients with unresectable or high risk hepatoblastoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated four patients with pathologically proven hepatoblastoma. One was maleand three were female, and they were aged between 8 and 27 (mean, 15) months. All underwent selective hepaticangiography and chemoembolization after superselection of tumor feeding vessels. Cisplatin 90mg/m2 (50-80mg),adriamycine 40mg/m2 (20mg) and lipiodol suspension 4cc ere used and chemotherapeutic angents. Embolization wasthen performed, gelfoam particles. TACE was repeated at intervals of 3 weeks, and after the second episode, allpatients underwent hepatic resection. To evaluate changes in the size, volume, internal texture and margin of themass, as well as the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs, we performed contrast-enhanced CT and checkedAFP, CBC and GOT/GPT before and after TACE. RESULTS: In all patients, TACE was successfully performed and majorproblems related to the procedure and toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents used were not noted. The largestdiameter and volume of tumors were reduced by 33% (from 8.3 to 5.6cm) and 69% respectively. Tumor necrosis wasevident in all patients. Lipiodol uptake by tumors was homogenous and tumors were well distinguished from normalparenchyma. Compared to pre-TACE, serum alpha-feto-protein was reduced from 994(range:615-1690ng/ml) to 46ng/ml(42-47ng/ml)after the second TACE, and six months after surgery was in the normal range(13ng/ml;3-23ng/ml).SGOT/SGPT levels were temporally elevated after TACE but normalized within a few weeks. CONCLUSION: TACE can be auseful technique for preoperative treatment of hepatoblestomas. In tomors which are high-risk or inoperable, thetherapeutio agents involved were not shown to be toxic.
Cisplatin ; Ethiodized Oil ; Female ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Hepatoblastoma* ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A twenty four-year-old female patient had suffered progressive dyspnea for 6 years until death. She denied any symptoms suggestive of connective tissue disease, or deep vein thrombosis. She suffered an episode of pontine infarct in 1995. Four years after diagnosis of primary pulmonary hypertension, she died of sudden death during hospitalization. Gross features of pulmonary arteries at autopsy were as follows: left main pulmonary artery showed dilation of the lumen and thickening of the wall, and right main pulmonary artery was markedly dilated and contained fresh thrombus. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of lung tissue showed plexiform lesions of pulmonary arteries, complete luminal obliteration of pulmonary arterioles and dilated lesion of pulmonary arterioles, and capillaries. This patient represents a typical case with a primary pulmonary arteriopathy with plexiform lesions with thrombotic lesion, demonstrating the importance of thrombosis in situ in the pathogenesis of primary pulmonary hypertension. To our knowledge, this is the first autopsy report on the primary pulmonary hypertension in Korea.
Arterioles ; Autopsy ; Capillaries ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Death, Sudden ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Hematoxylin ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Korea ; Lung ; Phenobarbital ; Pulmonary Artery ; Thrombosis ; Venous Thrombosis

Chronic fatigue of the respiratory muscles has contributed to the decreased ventilatory capacity and reduced excercise tolerance of individuals with COPD, especially in kyphoscoliosis. Nasal mask BiPAP has been shown to be useful for the patient with nocturnal muscle fatigue and COPD. A 35-year-old man with severe kyphoscoliosis was admitted to ICU due to acute respiratory failure. He had been diagnosed of COPD and had been intubated with mechanical ventilatory support for 7 times. This time he was intubated with ventilatory support, too, in ICU and readmitted to the ICU for severe hypoxemia and hypercarbia from general ward. Thereafter he refused the intubation. Nasal mask BiPAP ventilatory support system was applied and IPAP, EPAP level being adjusted to the 12, 4 cmH2O under monitoring vital signs and arterial blood gas analysis. His condition was improved and discharged home with support of nasal mask BiPAP system after 33 day-stay in the ICU.
Adult ; Anoxia ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Intubation ; Masks* ; Muscle Fatigue ; Patients' Rooms ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Respiratory Muscles ; Vital Signs