Association study of 5-HTT gene polymorphism with fear during childbirth / 대한산부인과학회지

The fear and anxiety in the biological processes of childbirth have been of clinical interest, but the studies addressing this subject are rare, particularly where the outcome of the pregnancy has been favourable. In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms were studied for understanding the fear during childbirth in 534 Korean pregnant women. The frequencies of each SNP were 5-HTT -15375 insdel (44 bp) 0.24, -1002A>C 0.10, -922A>C 0.11, +18784A>C 0.073 in Korean pregnant women (n=534). No polymorphisms was found in 5-HTT +3746G>C The relationship between the fear during childbirth and genetic polymorphisms was investigated by multiple regression analysis adjusting for parity in 293 women who gave birth to a child vaginally and made a reply to Delivery Fear Scale (DFS) which was the measuring instrument for the fear during childbirth among 534 Korean pregnant women. There was no genetic association between the 5-HTT gene polymorphism and fear during childbirth. The results of this study show that the psychological, social, environmental factors play the major role in the fear during childbirth whereas this gene (5-HTT) most likely has only a minor effect in its etiology. And other genes and the interactions between them have been thought to make complex effects. In order to identify the fear during childbirth, further studies will have to be focused on the comprehensive research of the social, psychological, environmental factors and the interaction of the connected genes.

Experimental Model for Research on the Blood-Ocular Barrier

PURPOSE: The eyeball has 2 blood-ocular barriers, i.e., the blood-retinal and blood-aqueous barriers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if triolein emulsion could disrupt the barriers, and we wanted to suggest as an experimental model for future blood-ocular barrier studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The triolein emulsion was made of 0.1 ml triolein and 20 ml normal saline, and this was infused into the carotid artery of ten cats (the experimental group). As a control group, only normal saline was infused in another ten cats. Precontrast and postcontrast T1-weighted MR images were obtained at 30 minutes and 3 hours after embolization in both groups. The signal intensities were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively in the anterior and posterior chambers and also in the vitreus fluid. Statistical analysis was performed by employing the Kruskal Wallist test, Dunn's Multiple Comparison test and the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: In the control group, no contrast enhancement was demonstrated in the anterior or posterior chamber or in the vitreus fluid of the ipsilateral or contralateral eyeball on the 30 minutes MR images. The anterior chambers of the ipsilateral and contralateral eyeballs revealed delayed contrast enhancement on the 3 hour MR images. In the experimental group, the 30 minute-postembolization MR images were not different from those of the control group. The 30 minute-postembolization MR images demonstrated delayed contrast enhancement in the anterior chamber of the ipsilateral and contralateral eyeballs and in the posterior chamber of the ipsilateral eyeball. The delayed contrast enhancement of the posterior chamber of the ipsilateral eyeball was statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated significant contrast enhancement in the posterior chamber with infusion of the triolein emulsion, and this can serve as a model for blood-aqueous barrier studies.

Clinical Usefulness of Virtual Angioscopy Using 3D MR Angiography DICOM Images / 대한의료정보학회지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate of virtual angioscopy was implemented using MR(magnetic resonance) angiography image of carotid artery. METHODS: The endoscopy system provides a 3D volume rendered image as a navigation map and has the multi planar reformation image along the path and a 2D axial image as a reference image. We segmented the common carotid artery and internal, external carotid artery from the MR angiography image. We used the coordinates as a navigation path for virtual camera that were calculated from medial axis transformation. We used the perspective projection and marching cube algorithm to render the surface from volumetric MR angiography image data. RESULTS: The virtual angioscopy is highly recommended as a diagnosis tool with which the specific place of stenosis can be identified and the degree of stenosis can be measured qualitatively. CONCLUSION: Virtual angioscopy is one of the powerful tool for non-invasive carotid artery and many in-vitro, in-vivo studies have shown the artery stenosis detection. Inside of the carotid artery is one of the body region not accessible by real optical endoscopy but can be visualized with virtual endoscopy.