Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in kidney transplant recipients.

Renal transplant recipients currently survive many years with a consequent increase in the risk of presentation with vascular diseases. So aortic reconstruction in transplant patients has been increasingly reported the most common procedures involving abdominal aorta aneurysms (AAAs). The most important problem during the operation is ischemic injury to the transplanted kidney during aortic clamping.

Second and third kidney transplantations.

We reviewed the results of second and third kidney transplantations at our center. Among 1500 patients who had undergone kidney transplantation from 1968 to October 2005, we discovered 77 (male 55 and female 22 of overall mean age = 48.9 years) second transplantations and 5 (male 4, female 1; mean age = 46.

Psychological burdens are associated with young male transsexuals in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to compare differences of the psychological burdens between young male transsexuals and age-gender matched non-transsexuals with standardized psychiatric rating scales in Korea. A total of 43 biologically unrelated young male transsexuals and 49 age-gender matched non-transsexuals participated in the study. All subjects completed Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS), Self-Esteem Scale (SES) and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III).

Two cases of pulmonary paragonimiasis on FDG-PET CT imaging.

Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is useful in cancer diagnosis owing to its sensitivity to the differences in glucose metabolic rate between benign and malignant diseases, especially in the lung. One pitfall in PET imaging of lung disease, however, is the overlap in metabolic rate of inflammatory and neoplastic entities. Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic disease that causes the pulmonary and pleural inflammation.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer: in comparison with vascularity, Ki-67, p53, and histologic grade.

The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) positivity of tumor recurrence and vascularity, Ki-67, p53, and histologic grade in patients with ovarian cancer. Nineteen patients with recurrent ovarian cancer underwent FDG PET before second-look surgery. Archival paraffin-embedded tissue materials were used to assess histologic grade including architectural pattern, mitotic activity, and nuclear pleomorphism; intratumor microvessel density (MVD); Ki-67; and p53.

Comparison of venlafaxine extended release versus paroxetine for treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

This trial was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine extended release (XR) and paroxetine for treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Sixty patients who met DSM-IV criteria for GAD were randomly assigned to either venlafaxine XR or paroxetine for 8 weeks. Efficacy was assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) scale at the baseline, week 1, week 4, and week 8.

The effects of botulinum toxin A on mechanical and cold allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Purpose: Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) has been used to treat many disorders related to excessive muscle contraction, but there are few studies evaluating its effects on neuropathic pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effects of BoNT-A in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared by ligating the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves to produce neuropathic pain.

Adjunctive risperidone, olanzapine and quetiapine for the treatment of hospitalized patients with bipolar I disorder: a retrospective study.

This study evaluated the overall effectiveness and tolerability of atypical antipsychotics (risperidone vs. olanzapine vs. quetiapine) used in the treatment of bipolar inpatients.

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD: Ala-9Val) gene polymorphism and mood disorders: a preliminary study.

This study examined the relationship between a MnSOD gene (MnSOD) polymorphism (Ala-9Val) and mood disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar I disorder (BD). Eighty patients with BD, 61 patients with MDD and 106 healthy controls were enrolled in this study and genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-based method. The patients with MDD and BD, and the controls had a similar distribution of the genotypes and alleles in the Ala-9Val MnSOD polymorphism.

Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of zinc-citrate compound (CIZAR(R)) on human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line, OVCAR-3.

Objective: Zinc inhibits the growth of several carcinoma cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The intracellular concentration of zinc and its dynamic changes are critically important in cell biology. We investigated the effects of zinc-citrate compound (CIZAR) on normal human ovarian epithelial cells (NOSE) and human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line, OVCAR-3.

Decreased plasma antioxidants in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Objectives: It has been suggested that oxidative injuries have an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we assess whether the plasma levels of albumin, bilirubin, and uric acid would be altered in the AD patients compared to those of the healthy controls. Furthermore, we tried to find the correlations between plasma antioxidant levels and the cognitive function in AD patients.

Immunostimulatory DNA inhibits allergen-induced peribronchial angiogenesis in mice.

Background: Airway remodeling in asthma is associated with angiogenesis.

Objective: We have examined whether immunostimulatory sequences of DNA (ISSs) inhibit allergen-induced airway angiogenesis and expression of angiogenic cytokines in a mouse model of airway remodeling.

Methods: Mice sensitized to ovalbumin were challenged repetitively with ovalbumin for three months to develop airway remodeling and angiogenesis.

Antipsychotic treatment may alter T-helper (TH) 2 arm cytokines.

The alteration of T helper 1 (TH1) and TH2 responses and related cell-mediated immunity has been supposed to be associated with the immunological pathogenesis in the development of schizophrenia. Increasing evidence suggested the alteration of cytokines in accordance with the antipsychotic treatment as well, so that this study aimed at investigating the aberration of TH1 and -2 cytokines before and after antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia. Thirty-five schizophrenic patients with antipsychotic naïve or free more than 2 months participated in the study.

Cytotoxic effect of zinc-citrate compound on choriocarcinoma cell lines.

This study investigated the cytotoxic effect of zinc-citrate compound (CIZAR) on choriocarcinoma cell lines. Primary cultured normal trophoblast cells (NPT), human tumorigenic poorly differentiated trophoblast cell line (HT), and choriocarcinoma cell line (BeWo) were exposed to different concentrations of CIZAR and cultured at different times. Cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma manifest as gingival hyperplasia in a renal transplant recipient.

Gingival hyperplasia is a frequent complication in transplant patients who receive cyclosporine or calcium channel blockers. We studied an unusual case involving a renal transplant recipient with post-transplant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that manifested as gingival hyperplasia. We initially consider that it was a side effect of cyclosporine and nifedipine.

Serum heat shock protein 70 and its correlation with clinical characteristics in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Objectives: Previous studies have reported that in cochlear cells, heat shock protein (HSP)70 is expressed after ototoxic stimuli. We performed this study to investigate the possibility of HSP70 being found in circulation and to observe its possible clinical role in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

Methods: A total of 67 patients with SSNHL and age-sex matched normal controls were included in this study.

Racial distinction of the unknown facial identity recognition mechanism by event-related fMRI.

A body of evidence exists indicating that the function of the fusiform area of the face is selectively involved in the perception of faces, and in particular, in perceiving racial differences. In the present study, we investigated the neural substrates of the face-selective region (the fusiform face area, FFA) in the ventral occipital-temporal cortex and examined their role in case of same-racial face recognition by employing event-related fMRI. Twelve healthy subjects (Oriental-Koreans) performed the familiarity judgment tasks while they were being presented with familiar and unknown faces of Oriental-Koreans and Caucasian-Americans.

Possible role of Fas/Fas ligand-mediated apoptosis in the pathogenesis of fixed drug eruption.

Background: Although epidermal and dermal T cells play roles in the pathogenesis of fixed drug eruption (FDE), not much is known about keratinocyte death and its precise mechanism in FDE.

Objectives: Our aim is to elucidate the mechanism that underlies keratinocyte death in FDE, that is, the role of apoptosis and its signalling pathway.

Methods: We first examined the involvement of apoptosis in the active FDE lesions by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labelling (TUNEL) assay and immunohistochemical analysis of caspase-3.

Intraabdominal cryptococcal lymphadenitis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Cryptococcal infection is a rare, yet well recognized complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We present a case of mesenteric and retroperitoneal cryptococcal lymphadenitis resulting in the obstruction of the stomach and proximal duodenum in a patient suffering from SLE, while recently she did not receive any immunosuppressive treatment. A 42-yr-old woman was admitted due to high fever and diffuse abdominal pain for three weeks.

Laparoscopic radical cystectomy with extracorporeal urinary diversion: preliminary experience.

Aim: We present our experience with the fi rst eight patients who underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and extracorporeal urinary diversion. Patients, operative data and the surgical techniques are presented.

Methods: Between June 2003 and April 2004, seven men and one woman with organ-con fi ned muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy with urinary diversion.

Inhibitory effect of pravastatin on transforming growth factor beta1-inducible gene h3 expression in a rat model of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy.

Background/aims: Overexpression of transforming growth factor beta1-inducible gene h3 (betaig-h3) is associated with renal scarring in several models of renal disease. We investigated the inhibitory effect of pravastatin on betaig-h3 expression in a rat model of chronic cyclosporin A (CsA)-induced nephropathy.

Methods: Adult Sprague Dawley rats kept on a low salt diet (0.

Clinical variables associated with early administration of antipsychotics in bipolar mania.

This study evaluated the clinical variables associated with the early administration of antipsychotics for the treatment of bipolar mania. 63 out of 97 inpatients with bipolar I disorder according to the DSM-IV criteria and who were consecutively admitted to the Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, between September 2002 and March 2004, were included in the study.

Interaction analysis between 5-HTTLPR and TNFA -238/-308 polymorphisms in schizophrenia.

This study investigated the potential interaction between the polymorphisms of serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4, a 44 base pair insertion/deletion in the promoter region, 5-HTTLPR) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene (TNFA; -238G/A and -308G/A polymorphisms) on the development of schizophrenia, as well as the interaction of the three polymorphisms in relation to symptomatology, family history, onset age and antipsychotic treatment response. Genomic DNA analyses with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the genotyping. One hundred and fifty-two (152) patients with schizophrenia and 152 normal controls participated in the study.