Many factors exert an influence on enzyme activity and thus on the rate of reactions that they catalyse. The most important of these factors are pH, temperature, substrate concentration, and the concentration of some inhibitors present. A solution of the enzyme diastase, which breaks down molecules of the polysaccharide starch to the disaccharide maltose by hydrolysis, was provided. Activity of these enzyme was measured by the rate at which starch was removed from the reaction mixture. These experiments were designed to study this reaction rate under varying conditions and the following results were obtained. 1. The range of optimum pH for this enzyme at room temperature was 4.0-7.0 and the optimum pH was 5.0. 2. The range of optimum temperatures for this enzyme at pH 7.0 was 30-50 degrees C and the optimum temperature was 40 degrees C. 3. The relationship between the enzyme activity and substrate concentration could be expressed by the Michaelis-Menten equation. The limiting velocity of these enzyme at room temperature and pH 7.0 was 415 microgram starch removed/ml of reaction mixture/min and Km, Michaelis constant, was 343 microgram/ml. 4. Inhibitors NaCl and HgCl2 blocked this enzyme activity completely at 1% and 0.01% respectively.
Amylases* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hydrolysis ; Maltose ; Mercuric Chloride ; Starch ; Water*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Sepsis* ; Vibrio cholerae* ; Vibrio*

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhotic patients is a serious emergency which is associated with high mortality. Cirrhotic patients commonly have, in additian to esophageal varices, other upper gastrointestinal lesions which accont for occasional bleeding episodes. Since the theapy of bleeding esophageal varices differs from the treatment of nonvariceal bleeding, delay and inaccuracy in determining the source of bleeding contribute ta high mortality. (continue...)
Emergencies ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality

After portal vein occlusion, portal to portal collaterals (hepatopetal) develop from preexisting periportal vessels or recanalization of the thrombosed portal vein, undergo compensatory enlargement, bypass the obstructed extrahepatic occlusion and reconstitute the intrahepatic portal branches. Angiographically, collateral veins are seen as multiple tortous winding veins in the porta hepatis and are described as a cavemous transformation of the portal vein. When the common bile duct or gall bladder is compressed by collateral veins, a cholangiogram demonstrates multiple smooth intramural defects and jaundice can develop due to the partial obstruction of the bile duct. Demonstration of the cavernous transformation of the portal vein can be done by ultrasonography, abdominal computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance, but Doppler ultrasonography and direct or indirect portography are needed to evaluate its hemodynamic change. We present a 35-year-old female patient complaining repeated jaundice, in whom common bile duct and gall bladder varices accompanied by cavernous transformation of the portal vein and intrahepatic stones were diagnosed by ultrasonography, abdominal computed tomography, ERCP, and Doppler ultrasonograpy and confirmed by surgery. ERCP demonstrated the irregular contour of the common bile duct and gall bladder due to multiple smooth intramural defects. Doppler utrasongraphy revealed the unique flow signal of portal vasculature from the tortous vessls in the porta hepatis and from the vascular structures on the wall of the gall bladder.
Adult ; Bile Ducts ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Common Bile Duct* ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Portal Vein ; Portography ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Varicose Veins* ; Veins ; Wind

No abstract available.
Spectrophotometry, Atomic*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prognosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma is extremely poor because of its large size, portal vein thrpombosis, extrahepatic metastasis and underlying liver cirrhosis. The aim, of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasound screening test for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in high-ridk populations. METHODS: We analysed 119 patients who were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma by ultrasonography screening test in Yonsei University Severance Hospital from the period of January 1990 to December 1996. RESULT: The mean follow-up duration to the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was 30 months (range 3-75). The number of patients with single lesion was 89(75%). The mean diameter of the tumor was 3.0 cm (range 1-10) , 82 patients (70%) had masses measured less than 3cm in diameter. The Number of patients with elevated serum alphafetoprotein level above 400ng/ml was 29(25%). The median survival was 28 months in screening group, significant compared with 7 months in control group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound follow-up in high-ridk group of hepatocellular carcinoma mede it possible to detect small tumors in a high percentage of cases. This may lead to an increase in the number of potentially curable tumors and hence an increase in the overall survival rate. So ultrasound screening test is important in the high-ridk group of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mass Screening* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Portal Vein ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Ultrasonography*

The causes of jaundice in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are usually attributed to the underlying liver diseases or extensive hepatic destruction by tumor. Obstructive jaundice by the intraluminal tumor fragment of intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile duct in hepatocellular carcinoma is exceedingly rare and usually diagnosed by operation or autopsy. Recently, we observed a patient in whom the fragment of tumor from the primary hepatocellular carclnoma obstructed the common hepatic duct, which was confirmed by peroral choledochoscopy. Using peroral choledochoscopy. we could see the mass located at the common hepatic duct and diagnose histologically by cytologic examination of aspirated material of common bile duct. We describe here this rare case with review the literature on primary hepatocellular carcinoma with jaundice caused by biliary obstruction.
Autopsy ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Common Bile Duct ; Hepatic Duct, Common* ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Obstructive* ; Liver Diseases

No abstract available.
Myxoma* ; Perineum*

No abstract available.
Female ; Lymphoma* ; Ovary*

Primary gallbladder cancer is a highly malignant tumor and is characterized by early metastasis and rapid progression of disease. Since the majority of patients have unresectable disease, laparotomy, instead of providing relief of symptoms, often adds to the morbidity and needs to be avoided in patients with advanced disease. Clinical features, peritoneoscopic findings, and comparison of peritoneoscopy with radiologic studies were reviewed in 29 patients, who underwent peritoneoscopy, with primary gallbladder cancer at Severaace Hospital, College of Medicine, Yonsei University between Aug. 1982 and Mar. 1994. (continue...)
Gallbladder Neoplasms* ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy* ; Laparotomy ; Neoplasm Metastasis