No abstract available.
Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery*

This is a clinical study of 129 cases of colorectal cancer who were treated in the department of surgery, Inchon Christian Hospital from January 1989 to December 1996. The results were as follows; 1) The peak age incidence was 7th decade and the ratio between male and female was 1.87 : 1 2) The most frequent site of the tumor was the rectum(59.7%). 3) In the right and left colon cancer the most frequent symptom was abdominal pain and in the rectal cancer the most frequent symptom was bloody stool. 4) The duration of symptoms prior to admission was within 3months(58%). 5) The diagnostic methods were digital examination, sigmoidoscopy colonofiberscopy, barium enema and abdominal CT scanning. 6) The most frequently performed operation was Abdominoperineal resection(27%). 7) The staging of tumors was performed according to modified Dukes' classification and Dukes C was most frequent(55.1%). 8) The most common histopathologic type was adenocarcinoma(98%). 9) The most common macroscopic finding was ulcerative pattern. 10) The most common distant metastatic site was pelvic organ(12%). 11) The most common post-operative complication was wound infection(10.1%). 12) The 5year survival rate was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier's method : the overall 5year survival rate was 60.7%.
Abdominal Pain ; Barium ; Classification ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Enema ; Female ; Humans ; Incheon ; Incidence ; Male ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Survival Rate ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ulcer ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Abscess*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Fistula* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Empyema, Tuberculous* ; Superficial Back Muscles*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence and clinical characteristics of entecavir (ETV) resistance is not well known. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of genotypic resistance in nonresponders and virologic breakthrough (VBT) patients. METHODS: The medical records of 76 chronic hepatitis B patients treated for a least 6 months from October 2006 to October 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. We divided patients into two groups: nucleoside analogue (NA)-naive patients (n=38) and LAM experienced patients (n=38). NA-naive and LAM experienced patients received ETV at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/day, respectively. The virologic response and VBT were investigated in both groups. We used the multiplex restriction fragment mass polymorphism (RFMP) method to test genotypic resistance at the rtI169, rtT184, rtS202, rtM204, and rtM250 sites. RESULTS: Age, gender, serum ALT, and HBV DNA level before treatment did not differ between the groups. Neither VBT nor nonresponse was observed in the NA-naive group, whereas VBT and nonresponse were observed in three patients each in the lamivudine (LAM)-experienced group; all six patients had YMDD mutation at study enrollment, all three patients with VBT had genotypic resistance to ETV, but the three nonresponse patients did not have genotypic resistance to ETV. CONCLUSIONS: We suspect that VBT is mostly associated with genotypic resistance to ETV. However, nonresponse might be associated with the continuance or reselection of the YMDD mutant in LAM-experienced patients.
Adult ; Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Viral/genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Guanine/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B/genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*drug therapy/virology ; Humans ; Lamivudine/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/genetics ; Retrospective Studies

Nonspecific immune parameters such as natural killer(NK) activity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity(ADCC), production of leukocyte migration inhibitory factor(LlF) and levels of immune complex(IC) were assessed in 47 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 20 with degenerative arthritis (DA) and 40 healthy controls. Peripheral blood (PB) as well as synovial fluid (SF) were collected from both RA and DA patients before treatment. Mononuclear cell suspensions and sera were prepared and submitted for the in vitro tests; 4-hr chromium-release assays using human K562 and mouse L1210 cells as targets for NK and ADCC assays respectively, 2-step agarose assay for LIF and platelet aggregation test for IC. Results revealed that 1) LIF activity of PB lymphocytes (PBL) from both RA and DA patients showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease as compared with that from healthy controls. 2) PB-NK activity from RA patients showed an insignificant decrease as compared with that from DA or healthy controls. However, mononuclear cells isolated from SF (SFL) of RA patients exhibited significantly(P < 0.02) lower NK activity than PBL from the same patients. 3) In ADCC assays with PBL no significant differencies were observed among the 3 groups. 4) Higher titers of IC were detected in both PB and SF from RA patients than DA, and a negative correlation was found between serum IC levels and PB-NK activity. These data are discussed in light of previous reports, and a hypothesis regarding a decreased nonspecific cell-mediated immunity in conjunction with an increased humoral immune response, particularly in local sites, is proposed as one of the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of RA.
Adult ; Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity ; Antigen-Antibody Complex/immunology ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology* ; Female ; Human ; Killer Cells, Natural/immunology ; Leukocyte Migration-Inhibitory Factors/biosynthesis ; Male ; Middle Age ; Synovial Fluid/immunology

In canine acute pancreatitis (AP), inappropriate release and activation of zymogen proteases within the pancreas results in the consumption of serum antiproteases. The aim of this study was to examine whether the serum concentrations of α₂-macroglobulin (A2MG), α₁-antitrypsin (A1AT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) differ between dogs with AP and healthy dogs. Twenty healthy dogs and 20 dogs with AP were included in this study. Concentrations of A2MG, A1AT, and CRP were measured in the sera of healthy dogs and dogs diagnosed with AP. Serum A2MG and A1AT concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with AP than in healthy dogs, whereas the serum CRP concentration was significantly higher. In addition, the concentrations of A2MG and A1AT were significantly higher in AP survivors than in AP non-survivors, while the CRP concentration was significantly lower. However, in both AP survivors and non-survivors, the CRP concentrations showed a negative correlation with A2MG concentrations but not with A1AT. These findings indicate that serum antiproteases and CRP concentrations might be associated with the mortality rate of AP in dogs.
Animals ; C-Reactive Protein ; Dogs ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Protease Inhibitors ; Survivors ; Trypsin

In canine acute pancreatitis (AP), inappropriate release and activation of zymogen proteases within the pancreas results in the consumption of serum antiproteases. The aim of this study was to examine whether the serum concentrations of α₂-macroglobulin (A2MG), α₁-antitrypsin (A1AT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) differ between dogs with AP and healthy dogs. Twenty healthy dogs and 20 dogs with AP were included in this study. Concentrations of A2MG, A1AT, and CRP were measured in the sera of healthy dogs and dogs diagnosed with AP. Serum A2MG and A1AT concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with AP than in healthy dogs, whereas the serum CRP concentration was significantly higher. In addition, the concentrations of A2MG and A1AT were significantly higher in AP survivors than in AP non-survivors, while the CRP concentration was significantly lower. However, in both AP survivors and non-survivors, the CRP concentrations showed a negative correlation with A2MG concentrations but not with A1AT. These findings indicate that serum antiproteases and CRP concentrations might be associated with the mortality rate of AP in dogs.

A 2-year-old spayed female Border Collie presented with visual deficits and behavioral changes. Neurological examination revealed bilateral menace response deficit with a normal pupil light reflex. Cerebral cortical thinning, cerebral sulci and cerebellar fissure widening, ventriculomegaly, and cerebral atrophy were observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Histopathology revealed fluorescent lipopigment accumulation in the cerebrum, and the dog was diagnosed with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. This is the first case report describing the changes in clinical signs, MRI findings, and histopathologic changes in neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in Korea.