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*

OBJECTIVE: In a pregnant rabbit model using hysteroscopy-guided inoculation of E. coli, we investigated pregnancy outcome according to elapsing time with immediate antibiotic treatment after E. coli inoculation, and in turn determined which of the maintenance of pregnancy with antibiotic and tocolytic administration or prompt delivery in the management of preterm labor complicated with intrauterine infection offered the improvement of pregnancy outcome. METHODS: Timed-pregnant rabbits underwent hysteroscopy at 20-21 days of gestation(70%). Animals were inoculated with either E. coli(0.2 ml containing 10' cfu/ml) or saline, and administered ampicillin-sulbactam(100 mg/kg/day; Unasyn; Pfizer) in divided doses every 8 hours beginning 30 minutes after microbial inoculation until euthanasia with one of the following; 3 days(n 10), 5 days(n 8), or 7 days(n-8) after hysteroscopy. In the first study, which performed in animals with inoculation of E. coli, pregnancy outcome including fetal survival rate and results of microbial studies and placental pathology were compared among three groups. In second study, which performed in animals with inoculation with saline, pregnancy outcome were compared among three groups for the purpose of elucidating effects of antibiotic administration during inoculation-to-euthanasia interval on pregnancy outcome. RESULTS: Of rabbits inoculated with E. coli and receiving antibiotics immediately, the rate of fetal survival and positive intrauterine cultures in total and live fetuses decreased significantly, and the rate of placental inflammation in total and live fetuses increased significantly with time from intracervical inoculation with E. coli to euthanasia(p<0.05, respectively). Of rabbits inoculated with saline and receiving antibiotics immediately, the rates of fetal survival, positive intrauterine cultures in total and live fetuses, and placental inflammation in total and live fetuses have no difference with time from intracervical inoculation with saline to euthanasia. CONCLUSION: Fetal complications including fetal death could be induced in utero if persistent subclinical intrauterine infection was present in spite of earlier antibiotics administration initiated after inoculation of E, coli. Therefore, when treating with antibiotics in intrauterine infection, it is needed to observe and monitor the presence of persistent intrauterine infection, and if it is persistent, prompt delivery may be better than maintenance of pregnancy with antibiotic and tocolytic administration for the improvement of pregnancy outcome.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Euthanasia ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fetus ; Hysteroscopy ; Inflammation ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pathology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Rabbits ; Survival Rate

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 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

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

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

No abstract available.
Malignant Atrophic Papulosis*