This study investigated the relationship between the stimulated peak growth hormone (PGH) level and comprehensive metabolic markers for glucose and lipid metabolism, and liver steatosis in prepubertal children with GH deficiency (GHD).

Sixty-nine prepubertal children with GHD were divided into overweight/obesity (body mass index [BMI]≥85th percentile) and normal BMI groups. The associations between PGH level and metabolic parameters including homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profiles, AST, and ALT were evaluated.

The LDL cholesterol level was significantly higher in the overweight/obesity group than in the normal BMI group. PGH level was negatively associated with the BMI SD score (SDS) (r=−0.26, P=0.029) and ALT (r=−0.36, P=0.004) levels, whereas it was positively associated with the HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) level (r=0.38, P=0.002). In multivariate analyses, PGH level was positively associated with HDL-C level (P=0.002) and negatively associated with ALT level (P=0.028) after adjusting for age, sex, BMI SDS, HOMA-IR, and TG level.

PGH level in pre-pubertal children with GHD was positively and negatively associated with HDL-C and ALT, respectively, even if they were within normal range, regardless of BMI.

The insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) regulate the bioavailability and bioactivity of insulin-like growth factor. We aimed to evaluate whether the IGFBP-3 level undergo major changes during perioperative periods according to the different kind of anesthetic agents.

Eighteen adults scheduled for elective total abdominal hysterectomy were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to have either propofol or isoflurane for maintenance of general anesthesia. A venous sample was taken for analysis of IGFBP-3 at the following time points: before induction, at the time of peritoneal closure, 1 hour after extubation at recovery room, and 2 and 5 postoperative days. The samples were analyzed by enzyme linked immunosolvent assay.

Demographic data were similar between groups. In the both groups, the IGFBP-3 concentration decreased after anesthesia induction, reaching a nadir at the time of peritoneal closure without a significant difference between groups. In analysis between groups, the IGFBP-3 concentration in the isoflurane group on the postoperative 5th day was recovered to preoperative value and significantly higher than that in the propofol group (P<0.05).

This is the first study to show that the anesthetics used for general anesthesia affect the IGFBP-3 level during perioperative periods. The decrease of IGFBP-3 level following anesthesia induction in the isoflurane group was recovered to preoperative value, whereas that observed in the propofol group was not recovered on the postoperative 5th day. Further study is needed to establish the definitive effect of general anesthetics on IGFBP-3 and provide a comprehensive interpretation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of cord blood levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in preterm infants with maternal preeclampsia.

Thirty six preterm infants born at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital from January 2006 to August 2006 were studied after prior parental consent at mid-pregnancy. sFlt-1, PlGF, and VEGF levels in the cord blood of preterm neonate, with or without maternal preeclampsia, were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

There was no difference in sFlt-1 between infants with and without maternal preeclampsia. Infants with maternal preeclampsia had significantly lower PlGF levels (P=0.035) and higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratio (P=0.080) with borderline significance. Cord blood VEGF levels were not related to maternal preeclampsia. Infants with maternal preeclampsia had lower birth weight (P=0.030), lower neonatal platelet count without statistical significance (P=0.064) and more likely to be small for gestational age (P=0.057). Neonatal platelet count was significantly correlated with cord blood PlGF levels (r=0.674, P=0.032).

Increased sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and decreased PlGF may not only be related to the pathophysiology of maternal preeclampsia but also affect the neonatal platelet count and birth weight.

This study was performed to investigate the functional roles of hypoxia and HIF-1 α, leading to expression of VEGF and FGF in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

From September 2005 to february 2006, endometrial stromal cells were obtained from the patients with or without endometrosis at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Ewha Womans University Dongdaemun Hospital. These cells were cultured and treated with 100uM desferrioxamine (DFO) for 0hr and 2hr. After the extraction of total RNA, RT-PCR was performed and the expression level of HIF-1 α, VEGF and FGF mRNA were measured by β-actin as 1. Statistical analysis was performed by Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test (SPSS 12.0 version). A p value of 0.05 was considered as the limit for statistical significance.

Chemical hypoxia condition with DFO in normal endometrium results m the up-regulation of HIF-1 α, but it was significantly decreased in the eutopic endometrium of the patients with endometriosis. The expression of VEGF in normal control group was not changed, but it was increased in endometriosis group under chemical hypoxia. Hypoxia with DFO induced the overexpression of FGF in endometriosis group, compared that it was slightly decreased in normal endometrium.

Hypoxia and subsequent production of HIF-1 α might regulate angiogenesis by the expression of VEGF and FGF, that is related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. However, further studies are warranted to confirm.

There are controversial evidences that children gain weight to a significant extent after adenotonsillectomy, usually associated with a general improvement in health. This study is aimed to evaluate the growth disturbance in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy and the effect of adenotonsillectomy on subsequent growth in them.

Ninty-one children adenotonsillectomized had their weights recorded preoperatively, and reweighted twelve months after surgery.

The results showed the patients were generally not underweighted before surgery. Their median weight was on the 59.5 percentile. Their weights after surgery had increased by an average of 20 percent over what would have been expected. This increase in weight was not confined to underweight children but to the entire group.

Upper airway obstruction resulting from adenotonsillar hypertrophy might be suspected as a possible cause in the workup of children with suboptimum growth.

The production of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF), which is known to have strong angiogenic activity in gastric cancer, was evaluated.

Using Alkaline phosphoatase-labelled, synthetic oligonucleotide probe of bFGF genes, the expression of the gene was evaluated with in situ hybridization method in 9 fresh advanced gastric cancer tissues.

In situ Hybridization of bFGF mRNA showed positive reaction in 8 of 9 patients.

In view of profuse expression of angiogenic growth factor, future therapeutic targeting for angiogenesis could be reasonable in patients with gastric cancer.