Comparison of Interleukin-8 Levels in Long-Distance Runners and Healthy Sedentary Non-Athletic Control Subjects

We have previously demonstrated that the level of leukocytes and neutrophils significantly increased immediately and 30 min after exercise. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is an inflammatory cytokine that acts as a chemokine on neutrophils. In the present study, we evaluated the correlation between the number of neutrophils and leukocytes, and between the number of neutrophils and plasma IL-8 level. Long-distance trained runners (TRs, n = 10) and untrained sedentary control subjects (SEDs, n = 10) ran for one hour at 70% of heart rate reserve. In the TR, the number of neutrophils correlated significantly with the number of leukocytes in the blood. However, there was no correlation between the number of neutrophils and the plasma IL-8 concentration in both groups. Expressions of IL-8 protein and mRNA were markedly higher in the TRs as compared to the SEDs at three time intervals (pre-exercise, immediately after exercise, and post exercise). In conclusion, our results show that 1) the neutrophil level was dependent on the level of leukocytes 2) there was no correlation between the neutrophils count and plasma IL-8 concentration and 3) a higher plasma IL-8 level in athletes may be a unique characteristic of intensive training.

Early effect of alcohol on endothelial function according to the kinds and the amounts of alcohol in healthy subjects / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: It is not clear how much amount is favourable to coronary heart disease, although cardioprotective effects of red wine were reported. Furthermore, there is no report showing the effects of soju, the popular liqour in Korea on endothelial function. We performed this study to know early effects of alcohol on endothelial function in healthy subjects according to the kinds and the amounts of alcohol. METHODS: Endothelial function was measured by using high-resolution ultrasound in 20 healthy subjects. Ten subjects were crossover studied according to the types of alcohol (120 cc of red wine and 45 cc of soju) and the other ten subjects were studied using the half dosage of the same alcohol. RESULTS: The endothelial function can be impaired during 1 to 2 hours after alcohol ingestion (Soju 45 cc and red wine 120 cc, p<0.05), then recovered to baseline level. However, these impaired endothelial functions were associated with an increased brachial artery diameter. The endothelial function was recovered to baseline level more earlier in case of red wine than that of soju 2 hours vs 3 hours. Red wine 60cc and Soju 22.5 cc can improve the endothelial function in healthy subjects 2 and 3 hours after ingestion, respectively. These effects were not related with vasodilatory effects of alcohol. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that small amounts of alcohol can improve the endothelial function in healthy subjects independently with the vasodilatory effects of alcohol.The amounts of alcohol showing beneficial effects on endothelial function were lower than our expectation (a half cup).

Age, Gender, and Number of Atherosclerotic Risk Factors are the Independent Factor of Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Coronary Atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The endothelial function is impaired in patients with atherosclerosis risk factors as well as in those with atherosclerotic disease, such as coronary artery disease. This study was performed to evaluate the impact of individual risk factors and their number in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, who already had an impaired endothelial function. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The endothelial function was measured in 884 consecutive patients (mean age; 59 years old, 486 male) undergoing coronary angiography, using high-resolution ultrasound. The flow-mediated brachial artery dilation (FMD, %) was used to measure the endothelial function. The risk factors were classified according to the hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking and dyslipidemia, and their number classified from 0 to 4. RESULTS: The FMD was lower (3.85+/-2.1% vs. 4.27+/-2.1%, p<0.005) in patients with hypertension (n=431) than in those without (n=453); however, no significant difference was shown according to the presence of other risk factors. A multivariate analysis showed age (beta=-0.204, p<0.001), gender (beta=0.118, p<0.01) and the number of risk factors (beta=-0.150, p<0.01) were independent risk factors of the FMD in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the FMD was significantly associated with the number of risk factors in our study subjects (r=-0.083, p<0.05, n=884). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the increased number of risk factors, old age and male are independent factors for endothelial dysfunction, even in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, who already had an impaired endothelial function.

Is Arterial Stiffness Useful in Differentiating Patients with Coronary Artery Disease from Risk Factor Only Patients?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The endothelial function, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and arterial stiffness are known as surrogates of atherosclerosis, but it is not clear whether these surrogates can discriminate patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) from those with risk factor. The intention was to compare these 3 surrogates in patients with CAD and those with risk factor only. SUCJECTS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients with CAD (mean age:58, 32 men), 18 age and sex matched healthy people (mean age:52, 9 men) and 16 patients (mean age:53, 12 men) with atherosclerosis risk factor only were enrolled. The endothelial function (flow-mediated brachial artery dilation, FMD) and CIMT were measured by high-resolution ultrasound and the arterial stiffness by an oscillometric method. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the CAD and risk factor groups (3.46+/-1.3% vs. 5.77+/-2.54%, p0.05) in the measured FMD. The CIMT showed a significant difference between the CAD and healthy groups (0.89+/-0.14 mm vs. 0.78+/-0.07 mm, p0.05). There were significant differences among all groups in relation to the arterial stiffness (CAD group:1524+/-289 cm/sec, risk group:1342+/-202 cm/sec, healthy group:1195+/-119 cm/sec, p<0.05). The arterial stiffness showed significant correlation with the FMD (r=-0.322, p=0.005) and CIMT (r=0.310, p=0.007). CONCLUSION: Of the 3 surrogates, the arterial stiffness measurement showed the best reliability in differentiating the CAD from the risk factor only groups as well as from healthy subjects. This study suggests the arterial stiffness can be used as a novel noninvasive test for early diagnosis of CAD in patients at high risk of atherosclerosis.

Major Hemothorax Induced Hypovolemic Shock Fallowing Administration of Intrapleural Urokinase / 결핵및호흡기질환

Exudative pleural effusion can arise from pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancer, etc. Early drainage is needed for prevention of complications such as pleural fibrosis, thickening, bronchopleural fistulae and decline of lung function. Intrapleural Instillation of fibrinolytic enzymes has been used for 50years as an adjunct in the removal of fibrous material, hematoma and pus from the thoracic cavity. By the local fibrinolytic effect on fibrinous exudates within the pleural space, fibrinolytic agent has improved results of chest tube or pig tail drainage. But there were no controlled randomized studies, so significant controversy exists concerning the efficacy of this therpy, especially tuberculous pleurisy. Furthermore about complication, severe spontaneous bleeding has not been reported with intrapleural urokinase. Intrapleural fibrinolytic enzymes has shows no systemic complication. When it is administrated intravenously, not into intrpleural space, major bleeding is reported about 1-3% of patient, especially they had systemic disease, such as coagulation abnormalities. This case report presents a patient who suffered major hemothorax induced hypovolemic shock following the administration of 100,000 units of urokinase intrapleurally. He was 25-year old male with tuberculosis pleurisy without systemic illness demonstraion.

A Case of Adrenocortical Carcinoma with Concurrent Cushing's Syndrome and Primary Aldosteronism / 대한내분비학회지

An adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignancy, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Eighty percent of adrenal tumors are functional, and commonly secrete glucocorticoids alone (45%), glucocorticoids and androgens (45%) or androgen alone (10%). Less than 1% of all cases secrete aldosterone. A case of a 75 year old female patient was experienced, presenting with anadrenocortical carcinoma and associated concurrent Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism. She had complained of left flank pain for 5 months, and also showed clinical features of Cushing's syndrome, hypertension, hypokalemia and a left abdominal mass. An abdominal CT* demonstrated a large left adrenal mass, with necrosis, and a hemorrhage in the left upper abdomen. The plasma renin activity was 0.51 ng/ml/hr, and the serum aldosterone level was increased by 46.4 ng/dL. A low and high dose dexamethasone suppression test revealed no suppression. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a adrenocortical carcinoma. After complete removal of the mass, she received mitotan and prednisolone as adjuvant therapies. Liver and bone metastasis occurred after 6 months of treatment, so was treated with palliative radiotherapy for the bone metastasis

A Case of Adrenocortical Carcinoma with Concurrent Cushing's Syndrome and Primary Aldosteronism / 대한내분비학회지

An adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignancy, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Eighty percent of adrenal tumors are functional, and commonly secrete glucocorticoids alone (45%), glucocorticoids and androgens (45%) or androgen alone (10%). Less than 1% of all cases secrete aldosterone. A case of a 75 year old female patient was experienced, presenting with anadrenocortical carcinoma and associated concurrent Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism. She had complained of left flank pain for 5 months, and also showed clinical features of Cushing's syndrome, hypertension, hypokalemia and a left abdominal mass. An abdominal CT* demonstrated a large left adrenal mass, with necrosis, and a hemorrhage in the left upper abdomen. The plasma renin activity was 0.51 ng/ml/hr, and the serum aldosterone level was increased by 46.4 ng/dL. A low and high dose dexamethasone suppression test revealed no suppression. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a adrenocortical carcinoma. After complete removal of the mass, she received mitotan and prednisolone as adjuvant therapies. Liver and bone metastasis occurred after 6 months of treatment, so was treated with palliative radiotherapy for the bone metastasis

A case of aspergillosis within pulmonary sequestration diagnosed by MDCT / 대한내과학회지

The bronchopulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital malformation of the lung, concerning about the abnormal feeding systemic artery, needed for invasive angiography for definite diagnosis. This case report is described that patient diagnosed by multi-detectional computed tomography (MDCT) without angiography and combined with aspergillosis within an intralobar seqestration. He was 43-year old male patient with left submandibular mass. On chest PA, abnormal cystic lesion was shown in left lower lung field. There were multiple cysts with internal air-fluid level in left lower lobe on computed tomography. By useing MDCT, we could reconstruct internal structures and feeding artery, arising from thoracic aorta. We could confirm the intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestration. Lobectomy of the left lower lobe was done. On histologic finding, there was intralobar type pulmonary seqestration with chronic inflammation with hyphae of aspergillus species focally.

The Effect of the Cross-pins on the Fixation Stiffness using Finite Element Method in Fracture of Femoral Shaft / 대한정형외과연구학회지

PURPOSE: A compression plate fixation was generally used in the fracture of a femoral diaphysis but it produced the stress shielding problem which resulted in a decrease of bone mass and impaired mechanical properties. This study was designed to compare with the stiffnesses of three different internal fixation types ; fixation with only plate, with only cross-pins, and with both a plate and cross-pins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To compare the stress distribution and stiffness of three types of fixation devices, the device-bone system are analyzed under axial compression(70Kg) and 3-point bending(500Nmm) in planes using the 2-D finite element method(ABAQUS 5.8). Also the stiffness of each device was evaluated at seven different time points during fracture healing by increasing Young's modulus of callus. RESULTS: The plate fixation model had the highest stress distribution and occurred the stress concentration in the cortex beneath the plate. During the healing of bone fracture, the fixation with cross-pins relatively had a higher compression and bending stiffness. The fixation with only cross-pins was as stiff as that with an only plate in bending but less stiff than in compression. CONCLUSION: The internal fixation added to cross-pins may decrease the stress shielding problems due to dispersing the stress concentration and also improve the stiffness of a device-bone system.

The Effect of Cyclic Compressive Strain on the Differentiation of Osteoblast-Like Cells (MC3T3-E1) in 3-D Scaffold / 대한정형외과연구학회지

We examined the effect of an applied cyclic compressive strain on the growth and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cultured in a three-dimensional chitosan scaffold. The specially designed testing apparatus for mechanical stimulus was developed for uniaxial cyclic compressive strain. Cyclic compressive strain was applied over a period of 17 days with 150 cycles per day at a frequency of 0.5hz. Strain magnitude was 2.5% of the scaffold length. Control group and mechanically stimulated group were incubated and harvested at the indicated times. (day 3, 7, 10, 14, 17) The total amount of protein and alkaline phosphatase activity were examined. The total amount of protein of the control group was higher than that of the mechanically stimulated group. This was due to cell death for the nodule formation and calcium deposit of the mechanical stimuli group which resulted in cell differentiation. The alkaline phosphatase activity increased slightly in the control group. However, in the mechanical stimuli group, it increased significantly and reached its peak level on day 7 and subsequently its activity dropped to a level that was higher than the level at day 4(p < 0.05). Conclusively, it can be noted that the mechanical stimulus significantly accelerated the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells.

Heterotopic Partial Liver Transplantation Using Inbred Cirrhotic Rat: Concept of Host Hepatectomy / 대한이식학회지

Clinical heterotopic liver transplantation(HLT) has been carried out in the several institutions since 1962. Recently, Rotterdam group reported a successful clinical series of HLT in spite of several negative viewpoints against orthotopic liver transplantation. Among the successful HLT cases till now, several occurrences of hepatocellular carcinoma in the native liver had been reported. In the current study, a thirty percent liver was transplanted heterotopically in the dimethylnitrosoamine(DMN)-induced cirrhotic rats and the feasibility of host-hepatectomy after regeneration of the graft was tested, and we are going to introduce the concept of host liver resection(HR) to the clinical auxiliary liver transplantation. Of the thirty syngeneic partial HLT with portal blood input only, 16 rats died following transplantation and three rats dies after HR. The DMN-induced cirrhotic liver specimen showed a microscopic finding of nodular cirrhosis with thick intralobular fibrous septa. Grafts examined at three posttransplant weeks appeared architecturally normal and well regenerated and the atrophied host livers were small hard showing micronodularity on the surface. Of all the animals examined, no host liver tissues were regrowing after one month following near total HR. We conclude that HLT can be performed in the clinically relevant cirrhotic rats and HR is feasible after graft regeneration and expect that this experimental model can be used for the study of cirrhosis and HLT.

A Rat Model of Heterotopic Partial Liver Transplantation with Mesocaval Shunt / 대한이식학회지

Heterotopic partial liver transplantation(HLT) in the rat is relatively simple method to orthotopic liver transplantation. Addition of mesocaval shunt which diverts almost intestinal blood to systemic circulation provides only splenopancreaticoduodenal blood for the graft. The usefulness of our novel model is first, evaluating the pure effect of pancreaticoduodenal blood to liver regeneration, second, evaluating the contribution of splanchnic viscera to liver reperfusion injury. In the first group (conventional HLT, C-HLT), the thirty percent graft liver was transplanted just below the host liver with whole portal blood input. In the second group(mesocaval shunt added HLT, M-HLT), the superior mesenteric vein was diverted to systemic circulation and portal blood from the spleen-pancreas-duodenum supplied the graft. The graft weight at 2 posttransplant weeks was significantly increased in the C-HLT group compared with the M-HLT group, which suggests pancreatic blood alone is not sufficient to regenerate the partial liver grafts. There was no significant difference in the graft survival between two groups, which implies the influence of intestine to postreperfusion injury is negligible.

A standardization study of EWHA defense mechanism test / 신경정신의학

No abstract available.