고려대학교 안산병원 신경과, 3 강원대학교 의학과대학원 진단검사의학전공Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) test is a standardized ultrasound procedure that screens for and monitors atherosclerosis in a safe and non-invasive manner, even in individuals with no symptoms of heart disease. The purpose of this study was to research the relationship between CIMT, as measured by ultrasonography, and the degree of individual perceived stress. There was a total of 168 (male: 46, female: 122) university students in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, without other diseases. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. CIMT was measured in the right and left common carotid arteries 1 cm below the bifurcation, and internal carotid artery, using non-invasive high-resolution Medison Accuvix V20 prestige ultrasound equipment and perceived stress, was measured with the 10-item PSS (Perceived Stress Scale) questionnaire. This study indicates that PSS may be appropriate to estimate perceived stress levels and weight. Failure to control stress anxiety could lead to weight and CIMT soaring to dangerous levels, resulting in a myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident. There was a statistically significant difference between left CIMT (p＜0.05) and weight (p＜0.05) according to each stress classification. The results of this study suggest that the weight measurement is influenced in part by one's generalized stress levels. Future continuous studies should be conducted to test the influences of perceived stress and generalized anxiety on CIMT when these are many continuous variables.

Silver (Ag) has been widely used in commercial products and medical fields since ancient times because of its antibacterial effect. It is harmless and non-toxic to the human body. For this reason, recent research has actively evaluated antimicrobial activity using silver (Ag). In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of a silver-based compound, silver phosphate (Ag 3 PO 4) on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and the activation of human immunity. First, the inhibitory effect of Ag 3 PO 4 on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus was confirmed by a growth curve and a colonyounting method. As a result, the growth inhibitory effect increased as the concentration of Ag 3 PO 4 increased. Specifically, treatment with 5 μg/mL of Ag 3 PO 4 resulted in no bacteria growth, and the colony-counting method showed a remarkable inhibition. In addition, the expression of cytokine IL-8 by Ag 3 PO 4 was examined to investigate the cellular immune system activation by Ag 3 PO 4. After pretreatment of Staphylococcus aureus for 1 hour with 50 μg/mL Ag 3 PO 4 , an increased IL-8 mRNA expression resulted. In cells treated with Ag 3 PO 4 , we found that the expression of IL-8 was enhanced in a time-dependent fashion compared to non-treated cells. These results indicate that Ag 3 PO 4 induces antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and activates human immunity. These results are expected to contribute to the future study of the mechanism of silver (Ag) and silver-based compounds in relation to antibacterial activity.

동남보건대학교 임상병리과, 2 고려대학교 안산병원 신경과, 3 강원대학교 의학과대학원 진단검사의학전공This study examined the associations of smoking, alcohol drinking habits and both with the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in university students. This study was performed using a CAGE (test for alcohol: cutting down, annoyance by criticism, guilty feeling, and eye-openers) questionnaire, FTND (the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence) questionnaire, and CIMT of university students. No statistically significant differences were observed among the CIMT results according to each CAGE level classified into 3 groups. The results of CIMT according to the FTND smoking categorization showed that the smoking group was higher than nonsmoking group (P＜0.01). A statistically significant difference was observed between the left and right CIMT regarding smoking and drinking (P＜0.01). In the only drink risk group, the left CIMT (19.84 rank) showed a low-ranking. The CIMT on the left (42.38 rank) and right (42.81 rank) showed high scores in the group with only the risk of smoking (P＜0.01). These results suggested that there are distinct differences in CIMT and relevant risk factors between smokers and drinkers, particularly among those with a high smoking status. This study had several limitations: the study population was small; the relatively young age of the study subjects; and limited of focus on smoking, drinking and CIMT. In conclusion, cigarette smoking significantly exacerbates the adverse effects and higher CIMT on the subclinical atherosclerosis risk in young adults, which underscores the importance of prevention and cessation of cigarette smoking in young adults.

The PWV among four groups were not significant different after experiment. However, there were significant differences in the waist/hip ratio (F=9.197, p=0.000), muscle mass (F=74.295, p=0.000), and %fat (F=35.045, p=0.000) from body composition. And there were significant differences in the SBP (F=3.525, p=0.017) after experiment. In conclusion, these data show that regular exercise is associated with arterial compliance (PWV range, right or left PWV) and differed from genders. In other words, this paper may support the concept that regular exercise program may exert a protective effect on arterial compliance, body composition and cardiovascular systems.

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