Journal of Korean medical science
-
The aim of current study was to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of ocular sarcoidosis in a Korean population. We conducted a retrospective study of 104 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis seen at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, from 1993 to 2007. Medical records, photographs, and fluorescein angiograms were reviewed. ⋯ All ocular inflammation was well managed with topical steroid and/or systemic steroid with relatively good final visual outcomes. Ocular complications such as cataract (12 eyes, 30%), glaucoma (6 eyes, 15%), vitreous opacity (1 eye, 3%), cystoid macular edema (3 eyes, 7%), neovascularization (2 eye, 5%), and epiretinal membrane (4 eye, 10%) were related to ocular sarcoidosis. In Korea, where sarcoidosis is very rare, our study indicates relatively low ocular and predominantly non posterior segment involvement with relatively good visual prognosis.
-
J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2009
Non-association between polymorphisms of the frizzled receptor genes and bone mineral density in postmenopausal Korean women.
We investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the frizzled (FZD) genes in the Wnt signal pathway and circulating osteoprotegerin (OPG), soluble receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (sRANKL) levels, bone turnover markers, and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. The SNPs in the FZD1, FZD5, FZD6, FZD7, and FZD9 genes were analyzed by direct sequencing in 371 postmenopausal Korean women. ⋯ No significant differences in the adjusted BMD of lumbar spine and femoral neck and serum levels of OPG, sRANKL, and bone markers were noted among the single or haplotype genotypes of the L345M and E664A SNPs in the FZD6 gene and the distributions of these single or haplotype genotypes were not different according to the bone mass status. In conclusion, the polymorphisms of the FZD genes are not associated with BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck, bone turnover markers, or circulating OPG-sRANKL in Korean women.
-
J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2009
Cytogenetic characterizations of central nervous system tumors: the first comprehensive report from a single institution in Korea.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors incorporates morphology, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, and immunologic markers. Despite the relatively large number of CNS tumors with clonal chromosome abnormalities, only few studies have investigated cytogenetic abnormalities for CNS tumors in Korea. Thus, we investigated 119 CNS tumors by conventional G-banded karyotypes to characterize patterns of chromosomal abnormalities involving various CNS tumors, and 92.4% of them were cultured and karyotyped successfully. ⋯ There was a significant increase in the frequencies of karyotypic complexity according to the increase of WHO grade between grades I and II (P=0.0422) or IV (P=0.0101). Abnormal karyotypes were more complex at high-grade tumors, suggesting that the karyotype reflects the biologic nature of the tumor. More detailed cytogenetic and molecular characterizations of CNS tumors contribute to better diagnostic criteria and deeper insights of tumorigenesis, eventually resulting in development of novel therapeutic strategies.
-
J. Korean Med. Sci. · Jun 2009
Advanced surface reconstruction technique to build detailed surface models of the liver and neighboring structures from the Visible Korean Human.
Unlike volume models, surface models, which are empty three-dimensional images, have small file size, so that they can be displayed, rotated, and modified in a real time. For the reason, the surface models of liver and neighboring structures can be effectively applied to virtual hepatic segmentectomy, virtual laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and so on. The purpose of this research is to present surface models of detailed structures inside and outside the liver, which promote medical simulation systems. ⋯ From the segmented images, serial outlines of each structure were stacked; on the popular commercial software, advanced surface reconstruction technique was applied to build surface model of the structure. A surface model of the liver was divided into eight models of hepatic segments according to distribution of the portal vein. The surface models will be distributed to encourage researchers to develop the various kinds of medical simulation of the abdomen.