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Purpose: Effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administration on lipid storage, and its subsequent effect on insulin sensitivity have not yet been adequately examined. Thus, we investigated the effects of rhGH treatment on muscle triglyceride (TG) and ceramide content, and insulin sensitivity after 4 weeks of rhGH administration in rats. Materials and Methods: Fourteen rats were randomly assigned to two groups: rhGH injection group (GH, n = 7) and saline injection group (CON, n = 7). GH received rhGH by subcutaneous injections (130 μg·kg-1·day-1, 6 days·week-1) for 4 weeks, while CON received saline injections that were equivalent in volume to GH group. Intramuscular TG and ceramide content and hepatic TG content were measured. To determine insulin sesitivity, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and muscle incubation for glucose transport rate were performed in rats, and used as indicators of insulin sensitivity. We also examined plasm lipid profiles. Results: After 4 weeks of rhGH treatment, the GH group had higher muscle and liver TG contents than the CON (p < 0.05). Ceramide content in GH was significantly greater than that in CON (p < 0.05). GH also had higher plasma levels of FFA (p < 0.05), glucose and insulin responses during OGTT (p < 0.05), and lower glucose transport rates in submaximal insulin concentration (p < 0.05) as compared with CON. Results indicate that rhGH treatment is associated with insulin resistance in rats. Conclusion: rhGH treatment elevated muscle TG and ceramide content, and hepatic TG content. Thus, elevation of these compounde by rhGH treatment could contribute to the development of insulin resistance in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have suggested that the specific stroke subtype may influence the presence of leukoaraiosis in patients with ischemic stroke. We investigated the association between stroke subtype and leukoaraiosis in Korean patients with ischemic stroke by MRI. Methods: There were 594 patients included in this study that were classified as large artery disease, lacune and cardioembolic stroke. For large-artery disease, the analysis focused on the intracranial or extracranial location of the stenosis, and the multiplicity of the stenotic lesions. Leukoaraiosis grading was performed according to the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Results: There was a significant association between leukoaraiosis and the stroke subtypes; the large-artery-disease group had a higher prevalence of leukoaraiosis than did the other groups (55.4% in the large-artery-disease group, 30.3% in the lacunar group and 14.3% in the cardioembolic group, P = 0.016 by chi-square test). On the multivariate linear regression analysis, age, the presence of hypertension, previous stroke and stroke subtype were independently associated with the presence of leukoaraiosis. In the sub analysis of the large-artery-disease group, the leukoaraiosis had a tendency to be more prevalent in the mixed and intracranial stenosis group than did the extracranial stenosis group (45.5% in the mixed group, 40.3% in the intracranial group and 26.9% in the extracranial group, P = 0.08 by chi-square test). Conclusion: The association of leukoaraiosis with large-artery disease in this study might be due to the relatively high prevalence of intracranial occlusive lesions in Korean stroke patients compared to other ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality used as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules and recurrent thyroid cancers. In Korea, RFA for thyroid nodules was first performed in 2002, and a large population study was published in 2008. The Task Force Committee of the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) developed its first recommendations for RFA in 2009, which were revised in 2012 and 2018. The KSThR guideline was the first guideline for RFA of thyroid nodules worldwide and has become a guideline for physicians to perform thyroid RFA in Korea and other countries around the world. These guidelines have contributed significantly to the establishment and widespread use of RFA worldwide. In addition, since 2015, the KSThR has conducted intensive hands-on courses depending on the level of the participants. In this article, the authors introduce the history of eduction for RFA conducted by the KSThR and describe the learning curve of RFA and current training programs in Korea, along with future directions for training programs.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and complication rates of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and repeat surgery in the treatment of locally recurrent thyroid cancers. Materials and methods: A total of 221 patients with locally recurrent thyroid cancers who underwent either RFA (n = 96) or repeat surgery (n = 125) between March 2008 and March 2017 were retrospectively enrolled (range of follow-up, 1–10 years). Each cohort consisted of 70 patients after propensity score adjustment. Patients with more than three recurrent lesions were excluded. The primary and secondary end points were recurrence-free survival and complication rates, respectively. Recurrence-free survival curves were compared via the log-rank test. The complications—voice changes, hypocalcemia, and immediate procedural complications—were compared between the groups. In addition, pretreatment serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels and those at the last follow-up were also compared between the two groups to examine therapeutic efficacy. Results: After propensity score matching, both groups showed no significant differences in baseline characteristics. The recurrence-free survival rates were comparable between the RFA and surgery groups (p = .2). There were no significant differences in mean serum Tg levels and their mean decrease after treatment between the groups (p = .891 and p = .963, respectively). Immediate procedural complications and voice changes also showed no significant between-group differences (p = .316, p = .084, respectively). Hypocalcemia occurred only in the repeat surgery group (n = 18). Overall complications were significantly more frequent in the repeat surgery group (RFA, n = 7; surgery, n = 27; p

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility and efficacy of combined low-dose, time-resolved (TR) and single-phase high-resolution (HR) contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA) as a pre-angiographic study for spinal vascular disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Seventeen consecutive patients with suspected spinal vascular disease were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent combined low-dose TR CE-MRA and three-dimensional single-phase HR CE-MRA at 3 Tesla, followed by conventional spinal digital subtraction angiography (DSA) within 90 days. Six patients underwent additional spinal MRA and DSA for treatment follow-up. Spinal lesions were analyzed in terms of presence, disease type, laterality, spinal level, and number of arterial feeders. RESULTS:Low-dose TR CE-MRA helped proper localization of subsequent HR CE-MRA in two patients with high or low level of the lesion. For initial detection of spinal vascular disease, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CE-MRA were 93.3% (n = 14/15), 100% (n = 3/3), and 94.4% (n = 17/18), respectively. In characterization of dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF), perimedullary AVF, spinal cord arteriovenous malformation (AVM), and extraspinal AVM, CE-MRA correctly characterized in 86.7% (n = 13/15) among the positive findings, and in 88.9% (n = 16/18) among the several patients including negative results. CE-MRA showed matched per-case localization of arterial feeders within 1 vertebral level in 80% (n = 12/15), and matched per-lesion localization in 78.3% (n = 18/23). CONCLUSION:Combined low-dose TR CE-MRA and single-phase HR CE-MRA at 3 Tesla was an effective and accurate non-invasive tool for the pre-angiographic evaluation of spinal vascular diseases in a single session.