Characterization of Glycosyl Inositol Phosphoceramides from Panax ginseng using Nanospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is one of the most popular medicinal herbs in the world. This plant is known to have many health benefits and contain a wide variety of bioactive components. However, the knowledge on its lipid compound is still far from being fully explored. Although glycosyl inositol phosphoceramides (GIPCs) are the main sphingolipids in plant tissues, GIPCs of P. ginseng are unknown. The present study employed nanoESI-MS n , which generated characteristic fragmentation pattern that were used for the structural identification of P. ginseng GIPCs. In addition to detecting a typical mass fragmentation pattern for GIPC in positive ion mode, novel fragmentation correlating with cleavage of the last carbohydrate and fatty acyl chain of the ceramide moiety was identified. In total, 42 GIPC species were detected in P. ginseng. The major P. ginseng GIPC structure was hexose (R 1 )-hexuronic acid-inositol phosphoceramide, with three types of R 1 (amine, N-acetylamine, or hydroxyl). The most intense peak was found at m/z 1136.3 ([M+H] + ion), corresponding to a GIPC (d18:0/h16:0, R 1 = OH). Only three GIPC subtypes showed significantly different levels in five- and six-year-old P. ginseng tap roots.

Hypopituitarism Secondary to Paraclinoid Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm / 대한내과학회지

Pituitary insufficiency due to a sellar aneurysm is relatively uncommon. The prevalence of this disorder was <0.2% in a large cohort of patients with panhypopituitarism. While uncommon, a vascular sellar lesion should be included as a differential diagnosis for a sellar mass resulting in hypopituitarism. We report herein a case of hypopituitarism with hyperprolactinemia secondary to a large (1.7-cm) saccular aneurysm at the left paraclinoid internal carotid artery.

A case of levocetirizine-induced liver injury

Levocetirizine is a second-generation nonsedative antihistaminic agent that has been demonstrated to be safe and effective for treating allergic disease. There was only one case report of levocetirizine-induced liver toxicity, but a liver biopsy was not performed. In this article, we present the first case of levocetirizine-induced liver injury with histologic findings. A 48-year-old man was hospitalized with jaundice and generalized pruritus that had developed after 2 months of therapy with levocetirizine for prurigo nodularis. Laboratory findings revealed acute hepatitis with cholestasis. A liver biopsy demonstrated portal inflammation and hepatitis with apoptotic hepatocytes. The patient fully recovered 3 weeks after withdrawing levocetirizine. Although levocetirizine is safe and effective, physicians should be aware of its potential hepatotoxicity.

A Case of Churg-Strauss Syndrome / 대한류마티스학회지

Churg-Strauss syndrome(CSS) or the syndrome of allergic granulomatosis and angiitis is a kind of rare systemic vasculitis characterized by bronchilal asthma, peripheral eosinophilia, paranasal sinus abnormality, mono or polyneuropathy, pulmonary infiltrates nonfixed and pathological findings such as prominent eosinophilic infiltration, necrotizing angiitis and extravascular granuloma formation. Clinical features of CSS includes asthma, pulmonary infiltrates, cutaneous lesions, neuropathy, cardiac involvement, gastrointeastinal involvement, renal involvement and musculoskeletal involvement. The diagnosis of CSS is made on the basis of both clinical and pathologic features. We experienced a 30-year-old man who presented peripheral eos'lnophilia, asthma of two year's duration, lower extremity weakness and lung infiltrations. His lung and skin biopsy showed eosinophilic infiltrates and eosinophilic vasculitis. He was diagnosed as Churg-Strauss syndrome based on the clinical manifestations and pathologic finding of lung and skin. He was managed with 3 times of plasmapheresis and methylprednisolone 1.0 g/day of 3 days followed by oral prednisolone 50rag/day and cyclophosphamide 2mg/kg. Clinical symptoms, laboratory and X-ray findings of the patient were improved at 7 days after treatment. After discharge, he has been treated with cyclophosphamide and low dose prednisolone. We report a case CSS with review of the literatures.

A case of pulmonary embolism associated with hepatocelluar carcinoma / 결핵

No abstract available.

Solitary pulmonary metastasis of gestational choriocarcinoma / 결핵

No abstract available.

Cohort Infant Mortality Rate of Gunwee and Hapchun Counties and an MCH Center in Taegu / 예방의학회지

No abstract available.

A Follow-up Study of Fertility and Pregnancy Wastage of Women in Rural Area / 예방의학회지

To measure the fertility rate and pregnancy wastage of women in rural area, 3,780 married women under 50 years old who were not sterilized either woman or husband in Gunwee county were followed up for 2 years. Seventeen Myun health workers visited these women periodically to check the status of their family planning practice and menstruation. Pregnant women were interviewed for their past obstetric history and followed up to the time of delivery. Family planning was practiced in 51.6% of the 6,826 women-years observed during the period from April 1, 1985 to March 31, 1987. Pregnancy, abortion and delivery covered 7.6% of the observed women years and family planning was not practiced in 36.5% of the women-years. When sterilized women at the beginning of the study were included, the family planning practice rate was 72.1% which was slightly higher than the national family planning practice rate. However, 28% of the women of 30-39 years old had not practiced family planning although they had 2-3 children and they used more such less effective methods as safe-period method and condom than the women of 20-29 years old. Overall pregnancy rate was 14.3 per 100 woman-years. Women of 25-29 years old had the highest pregnancy rate of 27.4 per 100 woman-years. Pregnancy wastage including spontaneous and induced abortions and still births was 22.0% of all pregnancies and it increased with the age of women; 15.8% in women less than 30 years old and 43.7% in women of 30 years and over. Women who terminated the pregnancy with induced abortion had more pregnancies, more previous induced and spontaneous abortions and shorter pregnancy interval than those women who terminated with live birth. Pregnant women terminated with a live birth had received 4.2 prenatal cares on the average. Eighty-five percent of deliveries occurred at a medical facility and 15% at home which was substantially lower home delivery rate than the other rural area of Korea. This may be due to the effects of the demonstration project for the primary health care in 1970s in Gunwee county. These findings suggest that family planning service in rural area should be strengthened by promoting the use of more effective contraceptive method among women over 30 years of age.