The Effects of Stress- and Sleep-Related Variables on the Quality of Life in Insomnia Patients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: We examined the effects of sleep variables and emotional factors including stress, anxiety and depression on the quality of life in insomnia patients. METHODS: We recruited 153 insomnia patients and 96 normal control (NC) subjects who visited three Public Health Centers in Kangwon-do from 2013 until 2015. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Korean version of Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ-K), Korean version of Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST), Hyperarousal Scale (HAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Anxiety-Sensitivity Index (ASI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Short Form-12 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-12) were administered for each subject. We compared the scores of the above scales between the insomnia and control groups, using analysis of covariance to control for age. Stepwise regression analysis assessed the association of these variables with SF-12 scores. RESULTS: The scores of PSQI, FIRST, HAS, ASI, BDI in insomnia patients were significantly higher than those of NC subjects, but the Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of SF-12 were lower. Stepwise regression analysis showed the scores of PSS and MEQ-K significantly predicted the MCS scores in NC subjects, and the BDI score predicted scores in insomnia patients. CONCLUSION: In our study, greater subjective stress and evening preference could explain lower mental quality of life in NC subjects. In insomnia patients, greater depression is an additional factor.

Evaluation of rep-PCR Genomic Fingerprinting for the Molecular Systematics Study of Yersinia Species

No abstract available.

Molecular Diagnosis of Recurrent Thyroid Cancer by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction of Thyroglobulin Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in Peripheral Blood / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: Differentiated thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Despite advances in the treatment of thyroid cancer, disease recurrence and metastasis may occur in as many as 20% of patients, and so continues to pose major problems in its clinical management. Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements, by immunoassay, are used to detect residual or recurrent thyroid cancer following thyroid ablation. However, the usefulness of immunoassay is limited by both the requirement for thyroid hormone withdrawal, to attain optimal test sensitivity, and interference by the antithyroglobulin antibody (Anti-Tg Ab). Recent studies have reported the clinical usefulness of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of Tg mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas. We performed this study to evaluate the usefulness RT-PCR of Tg mRNA in peripheral blood of patients with thyroid carcinoma following a total thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation therapy. METHODS: Forty cases that underwent a total thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation therapy were included in this study. Of the 40 patients, 35 were papillary carcinomas and 5 were follicular carcinomas. Ten normal control subjects were also studied. Tg mRNA was extracted. Then RT-PCR, and nested RT-PCR, were run with specific Tg primers. Concurrently, DNA sequencing of the isolates was carried out to prove the isolates were identical to the nucleotide sequence of the Tg. RESULTS: The Tg was detected in 4 of 19 patients, with either a residual thyroid bed, or metastasis, on a 131I whole body scan and in 1 of 21 patients with a negative radioiodine scan. Surprisingly, the Tg mRNA was detected in all the patients and normal controls. CONCLUSION: From our results we can not recommend Tg mRNA, detected by RT-PCR in peripheral blood, as a tumor marker superior to that of the Tg serum level. We consider an intensive re-evaluation of the method is required before considering its clinical applications.

A Case of Double Pylorus Associated with Chronic Bronchitis and Gastric Ulcer / 대한소화기내시경학회지

The double pylorus is a fistulous communication between gastric antrum and duodenal bulb. It appears to be an acquired lesion in the majority of cases. Upon routine endoscopic procedures, it is frequently seem to occur in males who are either alcoholics, diabetics, those with chronic renal failure, chronic lung disease. If it is no developing complications such as septal rupture, double pylorus is well response to medical treatment. A 51-year-old man who had been taking medication over a long period for the chronic bronchitis was admitted to this hospital because of epigastric soreness and indigestion for 1 month. Endosopic findings showed two large openings of the pyloric channel and gastric ulcer in the channel. We thought that this case was an acquired lesion reasult of repeated gastric ulcer. We report a case of double pylrous with the brief review of literatures.

The epidemiological studies on the filariasis in Korea II. Distribution and prevalence of malayian filariasis in southern Korea

During 1964 to 1967, a survey of 30,534 persons for filariasis was made on all over the country with the following results: Among 24,816 draftees from all over the country in the army recruitment camp 155(0.63 %) were found infected with Brugia malayi. Cheju Do showed the highest microfilaria rate(3.5 %), North Kyongsang Do(1.4 %) the next and South Cholla Do(1.2 %) the third. Blood films from 2,308 inhabitants were examined and 407(17.6 %) showed microfilaria in Cheju Do. 30(3.1 %) out of 974 inhabitants in North Kyongsang Do were found to be infected. The microfilaria rates were 2.0 per cent for 400 inhabitants of Chindo island in South Cholla Do. However, no positive case of microfilaria was found in the inhabitants of Kokumdo among 1,820 persons examined in South Cholla Do and of Namhae island(among 165 persons examined) in South Kyongsang Do. The mean microfilarial density per 20 cu. mm of blood was 52.6 in the inhabitants of Cheju Do, 12.2 in North Kyongsang Do and 27.3 in Chindo island(South Cholla Do). Any distinct relationship between the incidence of positive cases of microfilariae and age or sex of the cases was not observed in Cheju Do. However, in Norh Kyongsang Do and South Cholla Do the microfilaria rate of the male group is higher than the one of the female group of the inhabitants. From the above survey results it turned out that filariasis was found throughout Southern Korea except Kyonggi Do and South Kyongsang Do. A total 30,534 persons examined, 601(2.0 %) were found to be infected by Brugia malayi. Therefore, it seems that there are some endemic foci of malayian filariasis in three main areas such as North Kyongsang Do, South Cholla Do and Cheju Do.