• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2006

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of capsule endoscopy (CE) for the diagnosis of small bowel diseases. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 66 patients (mean age: 52.1 years, male/female: 39/27), who underwent CE at Yeungnam University Hospital from August 2003 to March 2006. Results: Suspicious gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding presenting as anemia or history of gross bleeding was the most common reason to perform CE (71.2%). Other indications included GI symptoms (21.2%) such as abdominal pain/discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, and others (7.6%). In studies performed for GI bleeding (n=47), ulcer/erosion was the most common finding (n=22, 46.8%) followed by tumor (n=5, 10.6%), angiodysplasia (n=3, 6.4%), polyp (n=3, 6.4%), active bleeding (n=1, 2.1 %), ulcer with stenosis (n=1, 2.1%), and normal findings (n=12, 25.5%). Of these, a bleeding focus was detected in 32 cases (68.1%) undergoing CE studies. Among 14 patients with GI symptoms, only two patients had typical findings related with symptoms. Surgical resection was performed in five cases with tumor. Of these, four were diagnosed as gastrointestinal stromal tumor and the other one was a lymphangioma. There were no complications associated with the CE procedure. Conclusion: Capsule endoscopy is a safe, noninvasive diagnostic tool for small bowel diseases and may be useful for the diagnosis of small bowel hemorrhage including obscure bleeding. However, further studies are needed to confirm its utility for abdominal symptoms other than hemorrhage because of the low diagnostic yield.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.221-240
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• 2005

Background: Doxorubicin has proved to be a useful chemotherapeutic agent especially for osteogenic sarcoma. It induces cancer cell death via apoptosis. Materials and Methods: To explore and analyze the changes of gene expression during doxorubicin induced apoptosis on human osteogenic sarcoma, Saos-2 cell, cDNA microarray was performed. After treatment with doxorubicin, total RNA was purified and expressed genes were investigated with a 17k human cDNA microarray. Results: For analysis of the cDNA microarray, the genes were filtered using the sum of the median value of Cy3 and Cy5 signal intensity of greater than 800. Expression of 264 genes was changed by more than 2 fold, and the expression of 35 genes was changed more than 3 fold after treatment with doxorubicin. The genes were primarily related to cell death, cell growth and maintenance, signal transduction, cellular component, transport, and metabolism. Conclusion: Treatment with doxorubicin induced expressional change of many genes. Some of the genes might be related with apoptosis directly or indirectly. Further study is now needed to characterize these genes.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.199-210
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• 2005

Background: The role of obesity in prostate cancer etiology remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between obesity and prostate cancer risk. Materials and methods: Between January 2000 and June 2005, 286 patients suspected of having prostate cancer underwent prostate biopsy. The clinical records of the 286 study patients were retrospectively reviewed with regard to age, Body Mass Index (BMI), serum PSA, TRUS, and prostate biopsy results. They were stratified by BMI into three groups according to the cutoffs recommended for Asian populations: normal, BMI less than 23 $kg/m^2$; overweight, BMI 23 to 25 $kg/m^2$; and obese, BMI greater than 25 $kg/m^2$. Results: As for BMIs, 132 (46.2%) were normal, 95 (33.2%) overweight and 59 (20.6%) were obese. A total of 99 (34.6%) patients were diagnosed as having prostate cancer. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, no significant association was observed between BMI and prostate cancer detection. Conclusion: We initially hypothesized that obesity may be biologically associated with increased prostate cancer development. However, our study did not show a significant association between BMI and prostate cancer.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 2005

Background: Computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to evaluate the degree of sinus involvement in cases of inverted papilloma (IP). However, CT cannot differentiate tumor from adjacent inflammatory mucosa or retained secretions. By contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been reported to be useful in distinguishing IP from paranasal sinusitis. This study investigated whether preoperative assessment with MRI and CT accurately predict the extent of IP.1) Materials and methods: CT and MRI were retrospectively reviewed in 9 cases of IP. Patients were categorized into stages based on CT and MRI findings, according to the staging system proposed by Krouse. The involvement of IP in each sinus was also assessed. Results: Differentiation of IP from inflammatory disease may be more successful in routine cases where the inflammatory mucosa has low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and very high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. CT imaging could not differentiate tumor from adjacent inflammatory mucosa or retained secretions. Conclusion: Preoperative MRI of IP can predict the location and extent of the tumor involvement in the paranasal sinuses and sometimes predicts malignant changes.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2005

Background: This study was performed to evaluate the incidence and clinical characteristics of symptomatic pneumothorax in the full-term neonate. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 32 symptomatic pneumothorax patients in the full term neonates who admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit in Ulsan Dong Kang General Hospital from January, 2000 to December, 2004. The subjects were divided into two groups according to underlying causes; spontaneous pneumothorax group and secondary pneumothorax group, then each clinical characteristics were assessed. Results: Spontaneous pneumothorax patients were 10(31%) and secondary pneumothorax patients were 22(69%). Overall incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax was 0.4%. Most common cause of secondary pneumothorax was pneumonia. Twelve cases(54.5%) among secondary pneumothorax patients were associated with mechanical ventilator care. Clinical characteristics, courses and managements were similar between two groups, but more shorter duration of admission and chest-tube insertion in spontaneous pneumothorax group Conclusion: The patient with symptomatic pneumothorax needs careful observation and proper management with or without underlying respiratory diseases.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.319-330
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• 1995

The influence of normal late pregnancy on insulin action and insulin secretion was studied in the Sprague-Dawley female rats. On 20th day after mating, intravenous glucose tolerance test(IVGTT) was performed in non pregnant control and pregnant rats. As results of IVGTT, glucose disappearance rate was not significantly different in both groups, but secretory response of insulin was significantly(p<0.05) increased in pregnant rat. And the ratio of insulin/glucose was significantly higher in pregnant rats, which means existence of insulin resistance. These insulin resistance was overcomed by increased secretory response of pancreatic insulin. Insulinogenic index(${\Delta}$ insulin/glucose - 5 min) was highly significantly (r=0.62, p<0.01) correlated with progesterone concentration. Glycogen level and amounts of $^{14}C$-glucose incorporated into glycogen after IVGTT were significantly(p<0.05) decreased in the liver, but were not changed significantly in soleus. Glycogen synthase activity of soleus and liver was not differ significantly in the both groups. Insulin binding at varying concentrations of insulin to crude membrane of pregnant liver was not significantly different from control. In conclusions, although these pregnant rats were normal glucose tolerance due to increased secretory response of insulin, that was correlated with progesterone concentration, pregnant rat had insulin resistance. The mechanisms of insulin resistance were not related to defect of insulin binding phase and glycogen synthase, but suggest pre-receptor and/or postreceptor phase.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.306-318
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• 1995

To evaluate the intractability of partial epileptic patients by variables, the author studied 113 patients (uncontrolled: 45, controlled: 68) who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University from January, 1991 to August, 1993. The results were as follows. The items related to complex partial seizures, multiple seizure types and a histories of status epilepticus or clusters of seizures were significantly associated with drug-refractoriness (p<0.01). A high frequency of seizures before evaluation was associated with a poor outcome(p<0.01). The presences of known etiology of seizures, neurologic abnormalities and psychiatric disturbance were associated with limited treatment responses(p<0.01, p<0.05, p<0.01). An abnormal EEG findings such as background slowing, focal slowing, epileptiform discharges or secondarily bilateral synchrony were statistically significant (p<0.01). Age at onset, sex, distribution of epileptic foci, duration of seizure before evaluation, family history and abnormal neuroradiologic findings were not statistically significant. By these results, it was suggested that having at least four factors of the above variables were associated with limited treatment response.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.292-305
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• 1995

This study was carried out to develop a Korean language version of Zung's self-rating depression scale (SDS). The subjects consisted of 173 males and 161 females drawn from various groups of the general population by a cluster of sampling methods. In order to analyze the data on depression scores, Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient method was carried out, as well as reliability and factor analysis, by the SPSS/PC+ program. The results obtained were as follows: The mean average of the total depression scores were $40.60{\pm}8.66$ for the subjects. Thirty-seven subjects (11.1%) showed high depression scores of 50 or over. Test-retest reliability(coefficient r=0.82, p <0.001), internal consistency(coefficient r=0.84, p <0.001) were satisfactory. Factor analysis using oblique technique rotation yielded five factors. The items of confusion, indecisiveness, decreased libido, diurnal variation, and psychomotor retardation were scored higher by the subjects. The items of suicidal rumination, psychomotor agitation, constipation, irritability, and weight loss were scored lower.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 1995

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of total lactate dehydrogenase, total creatine kinase, LD1/LD2 ratio, CK-MB and newly developed troponin T in acute myocardial infarction. The level of troponin T was $0.01{\pm}0.02{\mu}g/L$ in 34 healthy person, but the peak vaule of acute myocardial infarction ranged in 4.7-24.2 ${\mu}g/L$. Total lactate dehydrogenase was peaked in 1 to 3 days after chest pain and then progressively decreased, but LD1/LD2 ratio was persistently higher than 1.0 for 10 days in most patients. Total creatine kinase and CK-MB were peaked in 1-2 days, and normalized in 3-4 days, so they were useful in early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, but not for the late stages of acute myocardial infarction. Troponin T is early elevated and persistently high level for more than 10 days. Comparing with total lactate dehydrogenase, total creatine kinase, LD1/LD2 ratio and CK-MB, troponin-T test improves the efficiency of serodiagnostic method for the detection of ischemic myocardial damage.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1995

A monoclonal antibody to PCNA, which can be used on routinely processed tissue, was applied to 25 cases of gastric adenomas and 64 cases of gastric adenocarcinomas in order to diffentiate adenoma and adenocarcinoma and also to evaluate the prognostic value in adenocarcinoma. The results were summerized as follows: The peNA labelling index was $29.14{\pm}12.77%$ in control, $44.09{\pm}17.11%$ in adenoma and $80.15{\pm}10.69$ in adenocarcinoma, resulting in significant increase in adenocarcinoma compared to adenoma. In adenocarcinoma, no significant correlation was observed between PCNA labelling index and histologic grade, and there was increased tendency of PCNA labelling index in proportion to depth of invasion without statistical significance. The PCNA index was significantly increased in advanced adenocarcinoma compared to early gastric carcinoma, and also in positive nodal metastasis group than in negative group. From above results, the PCNA stain will be able to provide a helpful method for the differential diagnosis between gastric adenoma and adenocarcinoma, and could be a useful prognostic factor in adenocarcinoma if other factors are considered together.