Yonsei medical journal
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Yonsei medical journal · Mar 2014
Effects of stress on mouse β-defensin-3 expression in the upper digestive mucosa.
Gastrointestinal integrity and immune surveillance are affected by stress. Stress also adversely affects mucosal barrier function. β-defensins constitute an integral component of the innate immune system as antimicrobial peptides, serving as the first line of defense against microbial pathogens at the epithelial surfaces of the upper digestive mucosa. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of stress on the expression profile of mouse β-defensin-3 in the upper digestive mucosa of mice with diabetes. ⋯ Our novel findings show that stress decreases mouse β-defensin-3 expression in the esophagus of mice with diabetes, possibly due to increased endogenous glucocorticoid production. It appears to be highly likely that stress management may normalize mucosal antimicrobial defenses in patients with diabetes.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jan 2014
Case ReportsRenovascular hypertension treated by renal artery embolization.
Renovascular hypertension is caused by narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys. There are several methods to treat renal artery stenosis, such as medications, percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty, and atherosclerosis. A boy presented to our hospital with severe hypertension. ⋯ Follow-up renin and aldosterone levels were gradually decreased. The main advantage of renal artery embolization is that it is minimally invasive compared with extensive surgical procedures. Therefore, renal artery embolization should be considered as an alternative to surgical nephrectomy in pediatric patients with renovascular hypertension.
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Yonsei medical journal · Jan 2014
Changes in sexual function and comparison of questionnaires following surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of surgical repair of pelvic organ prolapse on female sexual function and to assess correlations between the two using two current standardized questionnaires. ⋯ In this study, surgery for pelvic organ prolapse was shown to affect female sexual function. Moreover, menopause was associated with a change in postoperative sexual function.