Association between complement factor H gene polymorphisms and neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Koreans.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to investigate the association between the complement factor H (CFH) gene and exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korean patients.

Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral leukocytes of patients with exudative AMD (n = 114) and control subjects (n = 187). The sole criterion for exudative AMD was the presence of choroidal neovascularization.

Application of targeted quantitative proteomics analysis in human cerebrospinal fluid using a liquid chromatography matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer (LC MALDI TOF/TOF) platform.

Targeted quantitative proteomics by mass spectrometry aims to selectively detect one or a panel of peptides/proteins in a complex sample and is particularly appealing for novel biomarker verification/validation because it does not require specific antibodies. Here, we demonstrated the application of targeted quantitative proteomics in searching, identifying, and quantifying selected peptides in human cerebrospinal spinal fluid (CSF) using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer (MALDI TOF/TOF)-based platform. The approach involved two major components: the use of isotopic-labeled synthetic peptides as references for targeted identification and quantification and a highly selective mass spectrometric analysis based on the unique characteristics of the MALDI instrument.

[Clinical characteristics of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a tertiary referral center].

Background/aims: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is still responsible for significant morbidity in spite of various therapeutic advances. The aims of this study were to evaluate the success rate in managing UGIB and predicting factors that affected clinical courses.

Methods: From August 2003 to April 2005, medical data (registered in a standard database categories) of 318 patients who underwent endoscopic examination to evaluate UGIB were analyzed.

Time Dependent Gene Expression Changes in the Liver of Mice Treated with Benzene.

Benzene is used as a general purpose solvent. Benzene metabolism starts from phenol and ends with p-benzoquinone and o-benzoquinone. Liver injury inducted by benzene still remains a toxicologic problem.

Proteomic biomarker identification for diagnosis of early relapse in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer recurs at the rate of 75% within a few months or several years later after therapy. Early recurrence, though responding better to treatment, is difficult to detect. Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry has showed the potential to accurately identify disease biomarkers to help early diagnosis.

Evaluation of esophageal function in patients with esophageal motor abnormalities using multichannel intraluminal impedance esophageal manometry.

Aim: To evaluate the functional aspect of esophageal motility in healthy subjects and in patients who were referred for esophageal function testing using multichannel intraluminal impedance-esophageal manometry (MII-EM), and to assess the clinical utility of MII-EM.

Methods: From September 2003 to January 2004, we performed the MII-EM on healthy volunteers and all the patients who were referred for esophageal function testing. Each patient received 10 liquid and 10 viscous swallows.

Diagnosis of early relapse in ovarian cancer using serum proteomic profiling.

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry data has been increasingly analyzed for identifying biomarkers to help early detection of the disease. Ovarian cancer commonly recurs at the rate of 75% within a few months or several years later after standard treatment. Since recurrent ovarian cancer is relatively difficult to be diagnosed and small tumors generally respond better to treatment, new methods for the detection of early relapse in ovarian cancer are urgently needed.

Cross-cultural validation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life in Korea.

Patients' responses to quality-of-life questionnaires are dependent on the cultural milieu. The aims of this study were to translate the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life questionnaire, which was developed in the West, into Korean and to validate the translated questionnaire in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Translation of the original questionnaire was performed according to accepted linguistic validation guidelines.

Anterior elevation maps as the screening test for the ablation power of previous myopic refractive surgery.

Purpose: We classified the Orbscan anterior elevation maps in normal eyes (under myopic, emmetropic and hyperopic conditions) and in those after myopic refractive surgery. We did this classification to demonstrate how Orbscan anterior elevation maps are useful in screening for the existence and extent of previous myopic refractive surgery. Such a classification can help clinicians interpret preoperative and postoperative topographies.

Impact of physiological variables and genetic background on myocardial frequency-resistivity relations in the intact beating murine heart.

Conductance measurements for generation of an instantaneous left ventricular (LV) volume signal in the mouse are limited, because the volume signal is a combination of blood and LV muscle, and only the blood signal is desired. We have developed a conductance system that operates at two simultaneous frequencies to identify and remove the myocardial contribution to the instantaneous volume signal. This system is based on the observation that myocardial resistivity varies with frequency, whereas blood resistivity does not.

The effect of mosapride on esophageal motility and bolus transit in asymptomatic volunteers.

Goals: To evaluate the effect of mosapride, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine-4 agonist, on esophageal motility and bolus transit in asymptomatic volunteers.

Study: Twenty healthy subjects participated in two experiments, 7 days apart, and we utilized a randomized, double-blind cross-over design with 3-day pretreatments of placebo or mosapride. All subjects underwent combined intraluminal impedance manometry.

Detection of vulnerable plaque in a murine model of atherosclerosis with optical coherence tomography.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to identify the components of vulnerable plaques in a well-established murine model of human atherosclerosis.

Background: Although the pathologic features that predict plaque rupture at autopsy are well known, the development of a technology to identify these high risk features in vivo is lacking. OCT uses reflected light to provide histology-like images of plaque with higher resolution than competing imaging modalities.

Effect of postoperative refractive error on visual acuity and patient satisfaction after implantation of the Array multifocal intraocular lens.

Purpose: To determine the ideal target refraction to optimize visual acuity (VA) and patient satisfaction after implantation of Array SA40N multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) (AMO).

Setting: Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.

Methods: The study prospectively enrolled 188 eyes of 163 patients and assigned them to 1 of 3 groups according to their postoperative refractive status: Group 1 (43 myopic eyes, -0.

Transthoracic echocardiography and carotid Doppler ultrasound for detection of cardiac and carotid artery disease in patients with acute retinal artery obstruction.

We reviewed the medical records of patients with acute retinal artery obstruction (RAO) and evaluated the importance of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and carotid Doppler ultrasound in determining causes of cardiac and carotid artery origin in RAO. A retrospective case study conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology, Inha University Hospital, Korea comprised 26 patients presenting with acute RAO who underwent systemic evaluation, TTE and carotid Doppler ultrasound between June 1, 1997 and December 31, 2003. Among these 26 patients, abnormal cardiac findings were detected in 12 (46%) and abnormal carotid findings in 4 (15%).

In vivo conjunctival reconstruction using modified PLGA grafts for decreased scar formation and contraction.

The in vivo reconstruction of conjunctiva was investigated by using modified poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) 50/50 scaffolds. The porous PLGA matrices were prepared by a solvent-casting particulate-leaching method with NaCl, then modified with collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA) or/and human amniotic membrane (AM) component. The growth of corneal epithelial cells and human stromal fibroblasts on the scaffolds was investigated in vitro.

Repair of scleromalacia using preserved scleral graft with amniotic membrane transplantation.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of preserved scleral graft with amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) for the surgical repair of scleromalacia.

Methods: A prospective study of eight eyes (eight patients) was performed. We grafted glycerin-preserved sclera onto the areas of scleral thinning with impending perforation and then covered them with an amniotic membrane with a thick basement membrane instead of a conjunctival flap.