Proinflammation and antiapoptosis related gene expression in carpal tunnel syndrome -- Kim et al. 48 (1002): 465P -- Society of Nuclear Medicine Annual Meeting Abstracts

I decided to concentrate on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome reports from South Korea. The reason for my curiosity is based on improved flight connections between Helsinki-Vantaa and Seoul. I wrote about that in my previous post yesterday.

Susan K.N. is also checking to find out for potential connections with ties to CTS diagnostics. South Korea has a population of 49 million people. It's one of the major economic powers and one wealthiest countries in Asia.

I need to find more background information and will bee looking for articles and research papers from places like Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea and Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.

Here is a CTS study made in South Korea.

Proinflammation and antiapoptosis related gene expression in carpal tunnel syndrome -- Kim et al. 48 (1002): 465P -- Society of Nuclear Medicine Annual Meeting Abstracts: "Objectives: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common disorders by under pressure of the median nerve at the wrist in these days.

However, pathological mechanism of CTS is unknown. We carried out this study to identify the changes of gene expression and to evaluate possible mechanism in CTS.


Methods: 120 CTS patients and 30 control patients were included in this study. Patients with a history of:

1. diabetes,
2. hypertension,
   
3. thyroid diseases, and
4. arthritis were excluded.
   

CTS patients were divided to three experimental groups-Mild, Moderate, and Severe group-according to elecrodiagnosis.

Helge: I guess electrodiagnosis means ENMG and / or nerve conductivity measuring (e.g. made possible by the Mediracer hand-held device.)

Radioactive cDNA microarrays (Nylon membrane including 1,152 genes) were used to examine the difference of gene expression profile in CTS..."

Helge: Here is information about the researchers involved.

Research Support (if any): We thank Dr. Yoon S. Cho-Chung (Cellular Biochemistry Section, BasicResearch Laboratory, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD) and Dr Kevin G Becker (DNA Array Unit, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD) for valuable advices on cDNA microarray. This study was partially supported by grant of the Korea Health 21 R&D Project, Ministry of Health and Welfare, R. O. K (Hmp-00-GN-01-0002 & 03-PJ10-PG13-GD01-0002). This work was partially supported by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) grant funded by the Korea Government (MOST) (No. R13-2003-016-03002-0 & No. M20502240001-06L0224-00111).

Information about South Korea from Wikipedia

South Korea is a major economic power and one of the wealthiest countries in Asia. It is a developed country with a high standard of living, having a trillion dollar economy that is the third largest in Asia and 13th largest in the world.


Forming the G20 industrial nations and the world's top ten exporters, it has the world's sixth largest foreign exchange reserves and is defined as a High-income economy by the World Bank, a Developed market by the FTSE Group and an Advanced economy by the IMF and CIA. South Korea and Japan are the only two OECD members in Asia.


Today, the Asian Tiger is leading the Next Eleven nations and is one of the world's fastest growing developed economies. South Korea has a very high-tech and modern infrastructure, and is a world leader in technologically advanced goods such as electronics, automobiles, ships, machinery, petrochemicals and robotics, headed by Samsung, Hyundai and LG.

Royal mediracing at University Hospital Leicester, UK

Hi Helge, Princess Anne visiting "CTS One-Stop Clinic" by Blue Sky Orthopaedic (Operating Nurse Malcolm Clarke, Mr Timothy Green and Mr Pankaj Pathak with Mediracer Device, in picture 2778). The patient at the right (see hand and electrodes) is ready for testing with Mediracer.

Blue Sky Orthopaedic Ltd arose as a direct result of the success of the Carpal Tunnel Service set up in Leicester, UK in 1999.

The service, specializing in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was an overwhelming success, leading to interest from other centres that wanted to duplicate the service.

The group of clinicians, Malcom Clarke, Chris Kershaw, Tim Green, Martyn Newey and Pankaj Pathak felt they could offer something unique.

A more formal organisation was required and so Blue Sky Orthopaedic was set up in December 2003, to provide surgical and medical services.

• http://www.blueskyortho.co.uk

Malcolm wrote 9.3.2008: "Have enclosed some photographs of the recent Royal Visit to Syston. Hope you like them best wishes Malcolm."

Helge: Thanks for the Royal mediracing photos and the information about Blue Sky Orthopedic. I've a photograph of the Carpal Tunnel Surgery that will be covered in my next blog posting.

PS: The mediracer is a new carpal tunnel syndrome testing device. For more information see mediracer.com.