No abstract available.
Bacteria* ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic*

No abstract available.
Bacteria* ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic*

No abstract available.
Clostridium difficile* ; Clostridium* ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel*

No abstract available.
Clostridium difficile* ; Clostridium* ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel*

The proper quality control and quality assurance of clinical laboratory require not only ceaseless efforts of all lab-related personnel but also systematic programs supported and monitored by institutions or academic societies nationwide. For an external quality control program, 'The Korean Association of Quality Assurance for Clinical Laboratory' is performing proficiency tests and inter-laboratory comparison programs twice a year. This program includes cytogenetics for prenatal tests, constitutional abnormalities and neoplasia, molecular genetics for viruses, tuberculosis, leukemia, genotyping and diagnosis of muscular dystrophy, and neonatal screening of congenital metabolic diseases. For an internal quality control program, each laboratory is mandatory to make the policies for validation of protocols and reagents, training and credentials of individuals performing analysis, sample identification, safety for laboratory staff, and other compliance issues. In addition to those programs, proper testing of quality control materials, periodic monitoring of failure rates, careful review of laboratory errors, statistical analysis of the results, comparison with clinical information, and other programs for quality improvement are also needed. For those purposes, clinical laboratories must be enrolled in an approved external inspection program. 'Laboratory Accreditation Program' of 'Korean Society of Laboratory Medicine' gives an accreditation to each laboratory on a one-or two-year basis. A laboratory's ability to perform proper genetic testing is inspected for hundreds of checklist items encompassing laboratory management, chemistry, cytogenetics and molecular genetics. The programs above have been enhancing the lab quality and welcomed by most institutions and labs that experienced the inspection.
Accreditation ; Checklist ; Chemistry ; Compliance ; Cytogenetics ; Diagnosis ; Genetic Testing* ; Indicators and Reagents ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukemia ; Metabolic Diseases ; Molecular Biology ; Muscular Dystrophies ; Neonatal Screening ; Quality Control ; Quality Improvement ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the urinary concentrations of hydroxyridinium crosslinks of collagen in patients with osteoarthritis(OA) or rheumatoid arthritis(RA), and to compare its clinical correlation with the classic indices of the disease activity of RA. METHODS: Concentrations of urinary pyridinoline (Pyd) and deoxypyridinoline(Dpd) were measured in urinary samples collected from 18 control patients, 35 patients with OA, 45 patients with RA by competitive enzyme immunoassay using microplate coated with monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: 1) Mean urinary concentrations of Pyd in OA patients were 33.5nmol/mmol creatinine, in RA patients were 50.0nmol/mmol creatinine which were higher than the values in controls (25.1 nmol/mmol creatinine). Also, mean concentrations of Dpd in OA patients were 9.2nmol/mmol creatinine, in RA patients were 10.1nmol/mmol creatinine which were higher than the values in controls(5.6nmol/mmol creatinine)(p<0.01). 2) Mean urinary concentration of Pyd was 50.0 nmol/mmol creatinine in RA patients, which was significantly higher than the values in OA(33.5 nnmol/mmol creatinine)(p<0.05), but the mean Dpd concentratians were not significantly different between the two groups. 3) The concentrations of urinary Pyd in RA patients was significantly correlated with the biologic markers indicating inflammatory activity such as ESR(r=0.68, p<0.001), CRP(r=0.72, p<0.001) and the number of tender joint(r=0.66, p<0.01) CONCLUSION: Urinary concentrations of Pyd and Dpd were significantly higher in OA and RA patients than in controls, Especially urinary Pyd concentrations were significantly increased in RA patients than in OA patients, and strongly correlated with disease activity index of rheumatoid arthritis. The mean Dpd concentration, bone specific analogue, in RA patients was not significantly different from that of OA patients and it was not correlated with disease activity index Thus measurement of urinary Pyd might provide a sensitive, noninvasive biochemical marker for studying activity of RA.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biomarkers ; Collagen ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND: Clonorchiasis is a trematodiasis caused by chronic infestation of liver flukes, Clonorchis sinensis(CS). We usually diagnosed clonorchiasis with stool examination. Intradermal(ID) test and radiologic findings have been also used for diagnosis. However, studies associated with ID test were very rare. So, we evaluated the stool examination and ID tests for CS detection associated with radiologic findings. METHODS: We analyzed 69 cases of patients requested stool parasite examination and ID test concurrently. For stool parasite examination, formalin ether precipitation method was used. Abdominal US and/or CT were also reviewed. Eosinophil counts and liver function test(LFT) were evaluated. Clinical diagnosis were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of ID CS test were 63% and 71.4% respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 58.6% and 75.0% respectively. US/CT findings showed 10% sensitivity and 52.9% specificity. Positive and negative predictive values of US/CT were 11.1% and 50% respectively. Paragonimiasis westermani ID test showed 17.2% positivity in CS ID test positive cases. No statistical differences were observed among groups in eosinophil and LFT results. Hepatobiliary diseases were the main clinical impression in CS ID test positive groups. CONCLUSION: For the diagnosis of clonorchiasis, stool examination was the most effective method. ID test and radiologic examination still have some limitations in diagnosis because of cured past infestation, small number of parasitic infestation or irreversible anatomical changes etc. However, ID test could have a better supplementary role for diagnosis of clonorchiasis rather than US/CT.
Clonorchiasis* ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Ether ; Fasciola hepatica ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Intradermal Tests* ; Liver ; Liver Function Tests ; Paragonimiasis ; Parasites ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: HLA-B27 is associated with an increased incidence of specific spondyloarthropathies(SpA), most notably ankylosing spondylitis(AS). I evaluated the cases referred for HLA-B27 antigen using flowcytometry (FCM) to find the clinical characteristics of the patients and the diagnostic utilities of median fluorescence intensity (MFI) in HLA-B27 program. METHODS: I evaluated 443 subjects of HLA-B27 cases using FACScan flowcytometry, consisted with software for automated calibration and analysis, calibration beads, and the anti-HLA- B27 fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/anti-CD3 phycoerythrin (PE) monoclonal antibodies (all from Becton Dickinson, San Jose, CA). RESULTS: Of the total 443 cases, the positive rate in male cases was 44% (132/300) and it was higher than that of female cases (22.4%, 32/143). The gating procedure was failed in one sample of 443 (0.23%). The positive rates in each diagnostic criteria were as follows; AS 61.6%, gout 20.0%, herniated intervertebral disc 20%, lower back pain 25.6%, polyarthritis 16.0%, psoriatic arthritis 20.0%, rheumatoid arthritis 28.3%, reactive arthritis 26.9%, SpA, undifferentiated 31.8% and uveitis/iritis 23.8%. In AS group, 89 cases (95.7%) showed MFI values higher than 150. CONCLUSION: About 62% of AS group showed HLA-B27 positivity using FCM and the positive rates of other diseases group in SpA categories were around 20-30%. If we considered MFI value 150 as differential value, about 95% of HLA-B27 positive AS cases might not need further confirmatory study to differentiate HLA-B7.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Psoriatic ; Arthritis, Reactive ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Calibration ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescence ; Gout ; HLA-B27 Antigen* ; HLA-B7 Antigen ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intervertebral Disc ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Phycoerythrin ; Spondylarthropathies ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing

The authors analysed bone marrow findings of sixteen cases of culture proven typhoid fever to reveal the pathologic changes according to the disease stage. The most frequent finding was chronic granulomatous inflammation (eight cases). Infection (bacteria) associated hemophagocytic syndrome (four cases), reactive marrow (two cases), and non specific findings (two cases) were also encountered. Granulocytic hyperplasia with hemophagocytosis appeared at the early stage and was followed by infection (bacteria) associated hemophagocytosis and granuloma in proliferative stage. In lysis (late) stage, granulomatous inflammation was noted. However, resolution of granulomatous inflammation was not distinct. Some nuclear debris and phagocytosis were remarkable in well-formed granulomas. Thrombocytopenia was the most remarkable peripheral blood finding at the time of biopsy. Anemia, leukopenia, and pancytopenia were also observed in descending order.
Adult ; Bone Marrow/microbiology/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Salmonella typhi/isolation & purification ; Thrombocytopenia/pathology ; Typhoid Fever/microbiology/*pathology

No abstract available.
Malignant Atrophic Papulosis*