Hantavirus is a genus of the Bunyaviridae family consisting following serotype groups: Hantaan, Seoul, Puumala, Prospect Hill, Thailand, Belgrade, Thotta palayam, Sin Hombre. Most of Hantavirus group have been associated with many clinically similar disease known collectively as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Hantaan virus is the prototype of the genus hantavirus, originally isolated from Apodemus agrarius. Bat was found as a natural host for Hantaan virus in Lee's lab for the first time. Then, Hantaan-like virus was isolated Hantaan-like virus from bat. To identify hantaviruses that are present in Korea among bats, bats were collected from Jeong-Sun, Won-Joo, Chung-Ju and Hwa-Cheon area, RNA was isolated from lung and serum. RT-PCR was performed with a universal primer from M segment. Nested RT-PCR was carried out to differentiate Hantaan, Seoul and Puumala virus using serotype specific primers. As we expected, Hantaan viruses were detected in bats and Seoul virus was not detected. Interestingly, Puumala viruses were also detected in bats from won-Ju, but not in other areas. Puumala virus is originally isolated from Clethrinomys glareolus, and cause light HFRS. Recently, Paradoxomis webbiana, a wild bird turn out to be a reservoir for Puumala virus in Korea. These data indicate that bat is a new natural reservoir of Puumala virus.
Animals ; Birds ; Bunyaviridae ; Chiroptera* ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Gangwon-do ; Hantaan virus* ; Hantavirus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lung ; Murinae ; Puumala virus ; RNA ; Seoul ; Seoul virus ; Thailand

No abstract available.
Capsid Proteins* ; Capsid* ; Genome*

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous pleurisy treatment improve symptoms such as fever, chest pain, cough, and prevents the progression to active pulmonary tuberculosis and the development of residual pleural thickening that decrease diaphragm and rib cage movement. This study investigated how the degree of residual pleural thidkening affects the pulmonary function. METHODS: Fifty seven patients who were initially diagnosed as having tuberculous pleurisy, were treated with anti-tuberculous medication for 6 months and had residual pleural thickening between May 1998 and January 2000 at the Eulji university hospital were reviewed. A chest X-ray and pulmonary function test(PFT, Sensormedics 2200) were perfored. The predicted value (%) of the forced vital capacity(FVC), forced inspiratory vital capacity(FIVC) and total lung capacity(TLC) were measured. The residual pleural thickening was defined the average of the summation in the lateral chest at the level of the imaginary line intersecting from the cardiophrenic angle to the diaphragmatic dome and the lowest part of the costophrenic angle between them. The results were sorted into three grades according to pleural thickness; <2mm(grade I), 2~10mm(grade II), 10mm(grade III). RESULTS: 1. FVC(% pred) and FIVC(% pred) were statistically different between grade I and III, and II and III. However, there was no difference between the TLC(% pred) between each of the groups. 2. The pleural thickness that cause restrictive dysfunction(FVC<80%) and a statisticall difference, is 3 mm. CONCLUSION: The larger the extent of the residual pleural thickness after antituberculous medication, the greater the reduction in the FVC, FIVC, TLC. A pleural thickness of 3 mm is recommended as a guideline for diagnosing a restrictive pulmonary dysfunction.
Chest Pain ; Cough ; Diaphragm ; Fever ; Humans ; Lung ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Ribs ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Pleural* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) behave more aggressively than other endometrial carcinomas and have a propensity for intraabdominal spread, simulating the behavior of ovarian carcinoma. Because of high relapsing rate, and high mortality rate of UPSC, many gynecologist studied about its treatment regimen and recommended many treatment method. Many investigators recommended that patients with UPSC should undergo a staging laparotomy and they suggested the surgery should include at least total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy, paraaortic lymphadenectomy, peritoneal washing and peritoneal cytology, By and large, adjuvant systemic Platinum based chemotherapy or, paclitaxel based chemotherapy and adjuvant whole abdominal irradiation or pelvic irradiation was prescribed. We experienced two cases of the UPSC stage IIIc and stage IV diagnosed after explolaparotomy. We present these cases and review the literatures about the optimal treatment regimen of UPSC.
Drug Therapy ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparotomy ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mortality ; Paclitaxel ; Platinum ; Research Personnel

No abstract available.
Female ; Fetomaternal Transfusion* ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Animals ; Chiroptera* ; Korea* ; Murinae* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Puumala virus

We describe below a case of Zellweger syndrome case with facial dysmorphism, profound hypotonia, and hepatomegaly. He died at the age of 2 months. Zellweger syndrome is a disease marked by the absence of hepatic and renal peroxisomes. Because peroxisomes have many vital anabolic and catabolic functions within the cell, their absence results in profound cellular dysfunction. A biochemical study of plasma revealed elevation of very long chains of fatty acids and pipecolic acid, consistent with peroxisomal disorder. The cultured skin fibroblasts showed a marked decrease in plasmalogen synthesis enzyme : dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyl transferase(DHAP-AT) The clinical characteristics and biochemical findings led to the diagnosis of Zellweger syndrome. The pattern of inheritance is autosomal recessive, hence genetic counseling can help the families. In infantile hypotonia patients with unknown cause, peroxisomal disorder should be included in the differential diagnosis. We report the first confirmed case of Zellweger syndrome by enzyme assay in Korea.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Enzyme Assays ; Fatty Acids ; Fibroblasts ; Genetic Counseling ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea* ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Peroxisomal Disorders ; Peroxisomes ; Plasma ; Skin ; Wills ; Zellweger Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: In Korea, clinical performance examination (CPX) has been included in license examination for medical doctors since 2009 in order to improve clinical performance of medical students. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of CPX to medical education. METHODS: Clinical competency in the differential diagnosis of secondary headache was compared between the incoming interns in 2009 unexposed to CPX and the incoming interns in 2010 exposed to CPX, using the data of patients who visited the emergency department due to headache (181 patients seen by 60 CPX non-exposed interns and 150 patients seen by 50 CPX-exposed interns). We obtained the data by reviewing electronic medical records and nominal lists of doctors. Clinical competency was assessed by sensitivity and specificity between the diagnostic impression by interns and the final diagnosis. The association between CPX exposure and clinical competency in secondary headache diagnosis was evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: When we assessed clinical competency on the basis of all listed diagnostic impressions, sensitivity and specificity were 67.9% and 80.0%, respectively, for headaches seen by CPX-exposed interns, and 51.7%, and 71.7%, respectively, for headaches seen by CPX non-exposed interns. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression analysis showed exposure to CPX was not associated with increased competency for identifying secondary headache. CONCLUSION: Exposure to CPX as a part of the medical license examination was not effective for the improvement of clinical competency of interns in identifying secondary headache.
Competency-Based Education ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Education, Medical ; Electronic Health Records ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Headache* ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Licensure ; Logistic Models ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Students, Medical

PURPOSE: A tumor and mature ovarian cystic teratoma rarely coexist, but since it may affect treatment andprognosis, appropriate pre-surgical diagnosis is important. The purpose of this study was to evaluate thedifference in CT findings between a tumor coexisting with a mature ovarian cystic teratoma and a simple matureovarian cystic teratoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of seven cases of tumor coexisting with mature ovariancystic teratoma were reviewed. In each case, size, margin, nature, septation, solid portion, ascites, invasion,and metastasis were analysed. RESULTS: Coexistent tumors were histopathologically diagnosed as squamous cellcarcinoma in three patients, carcinoid in three, and fibrothecoma in one. In contrast with a simple matureteratoma, a tumor coexisting with a mature cystic teratoma developed in older patients and had a more solidportion, which showed contrast enhancement but did not show calcification or a fat component. Where a tumor andmature cystic teratoma coexisted, ascites and the invasion of adjacent structures were also common. CONCLUSION: If, in an older patient, CT scanning reveals an ovarian cystic tumor with a large solid portion but nocalcification or fat, coexistent tumor should be suspected.
Ascites ; Carcinoid Tumor ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovarian Cysts ; Teratoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: This study was to analyse the factors affecting youth smoking, especially self-efficacy and perceived social norm, based on the stage of change. METHODS: A self-reported survey was conducted during the period from the 21st of April to the 17th of May, 2008. Data were collected from 10,707 students of 12 middle schools in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon. The data were analysed with SPSS/WIN 15.0. RESULT: The smoking possibility was 2.18 times higher in the male students than in female students, and 1.76 times higher in 8th-grade students and 2.48 times higher in 9th-grade students than in 7th-grade ones. Smoking possibility increased when students had more experience in alcohol, more friends who smoke, or worse relationship with their parents. Also this study showed that high-level self-efficacy and perceived social norm were acting as inhibiting factors of smoking. CONCLUSION: To reduce the youth's smoking rate, smoking prevention programs should provide educational chances to learn knowledge and skills on how to reject smoking temptation. Also, someone significant like parents should make it clear to the youth that they do not want their children to smoke.
Adolescent* ; Child ; Female ; Friends ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Incheon ; Male ; Parents ; Seoul ; Smoke* ; Smoking*