Analysis of familial tendency in skeletal class III malocclusion

The purpose of this study was to examine the familial tendency of the patients with mandibular prognathism in three generations and to define the relationship between the familial tendency and the skeletal class III morphology. The probands of this study were 103 orthognathic surgery patients with skeletal Class III malocclusions who had undergone (48 men, 55 women) mandibular set-back surgery. A questionnaire was given to patients who sought surgical treatment for excessive mandibular length, and all answers were confirmed in interviews. Lateral cephalograms were analyzed in cranial base parameters, mandibular positional parameters and mandibular skeletal parameters. In the examined families, 58.3% had at least one member other than the proband who had mandibular prognathism. The affected ratio of total relatives was 4.5%, and the value was higher in first-degree (13.4%) than second-degree (5.9%) and third-degree relatives (1.7%). The affected ratio was 51.9% in the offsprings who had at least one affected father or mother. The comparison of the groups according to the familial tendency showed no significant craniofacial skeletal measurments. In conclusion, skeletal class III malocclusion showed high familial tendency, suggesting a significant genetic influence in the etiology. However, the patient's familial tendency did not show the special craniofacial patterns compare to the subjects without familial tendency.

Two Cases of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura in Brother and Sister at Similar Period

Henoch-Sch nlein purpura(HSP) frequently follows upper respiratory infection, and one of the causes of this disease is inferred to beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection, but the relationship is still unclear. Familial tendency of this disease is unclear, too. Also genetic relationship of this disease has been in a controversy yet. We experienced two cases of HSP in brother and sister at similar period, and report this case with review of related literatures.

Investigations of Familial Tendency in Idiopathic Hypercalciuria of Childhood / 대한신장학회잡지

Idiopathic hypercalciuria is one of the major causes of asymptomatic hematuria in children and adults. However, the etiology of idiopathic hypercalciuria(IH) is not conclusive. In spite of many hypothesis about its genetic predisposition, the evidence for a genetic basis in the pathogenic mechanism of IH is fragmentary. In this study, we evaluated familial tendency and environmental factors influencing the pathogenesis of this disorder in patients with IH and their families. We investigated 24 children with IH and their 72 first-and second-degree relatives in this study. Twenty four patients had visited department of Pediatrics, Korea University Guro Hospital between July 1991 and July 1994 and had been diagnosed as IH. We measured fasting urine Ca/Cr ratio of 72 relatives of patients and if it is over 0.21, measured excreted calcium level of 24-h urine and serum Ca, P, Mg, BUN, Cr concentrations and PTH level. To analyse some environmental factors, we interviewed them(24 patients and their 72 relatives) about socioeconomic statuses, medications, history of conditions leading to secondary hypercalciuria, and preference for calcium-rich foods. 1) Out of 24 patients, 15 were absorptive hypercalciuria(AH) and 9 were renal hypercalciuri(RH). 2) The family investigations revealed IH in 9 out of 72 relatives of the 24 index patients and also showed a familial tendency in 12.5%. The familial tendency was 26.7% in families of children with AH(4 of 15 families) and 55.6% in families of children with RH(5 of 9 families)(p<0.05). 3) In personal interviews, there were no significant differences of nutritional habit between patients with AH and patients with RH. And then, the mean urine Ca/Cr ratio was significantly higher in the group preferring calcium-rich diet(18 persons) than in the group preferring calcium-low diet(14 persons) (p<0.05). We conclude that idiopathic hypercalciuria, especially, renal hypercalcuria, seems to have a familial tendency.