No abstract available.
Blood Platelets* ; Blood Transfusion*

OBJECTIVES: We evaluate the efficacy of transcellualr K-lowering effect at 1 hour following mono-therapy compared to that of dual-therapy , and aimed to find the sage and rapid method for acute therapy of hyperkalemia before dialysis in 10 ESRD patients with maintenance hemodialysis. METHOD: For ten patients of end stage renal failure with body weight between 55 and 65 Kg and a predialysis plasma potassium greater than 5.5 mEq/L, we studied in three separated phases separated from one another by at least 1 week. After 1 hour following mono-therapy (2mEq/Kg of NaHCO3 in interavenous infusion, 10 units of regular insulin with 50ml of 50% glucose in i.v. push, or 15mg of salbutamol in nebulizer) or dual therapy(NaHCO3 + Insulin with glucose, NaHCO3 + salbutamol, or salbutamol + insulin with glucose) for hyperkalemia, we compared the efficacy and safety of each transcellular K shifting methods. RESULTS: Bicarbonate infusion induced a signigicant raise in plasma bicarbonate and pH from baseline values in both mono-therapy and dual-therapy without any significant difference each other. Among mono-therapeutic regimens, bicarbonate alone failed to lower plasme K from baseline levels (-0.1+/-0.15 mEq/L, P=NS) whereas two other regimens effectively lowered plasma K (-0.62+/-0.06 mEq/L in insulin with glucose, -0.57+/-0.04 mEq/L in salbutamol, P vs. basal <0.05 in both). The K-lowering effects in the three combined regimeds of dual therapy were more prominent as compared to that of three regimens of monotherapy (-0.96+/-0.08 mEq/L in NaHCO3 + salbutamol, -1.20+/-0.6 mEq/L in NaHCO3 + insulin with glucose, and -1.20+/-0.10 mEq/L in salbutamol + insulin with glucose, respectively)(P<0.05). Two patients in monotherapy with salbutamol alone were resistant to the hypokalemic effect, however in dual therapy with simultaneous administration of salbutamol and bicarbonate resolved it. Also, hypoglycemia (<60mg/dL of fasting glucose) was noted in 4 patients in mon-therapy of insuli with glucose alone, 2 in dual-therapy of insulin with glucose + NaHCO3, but none in insulin with glucose + salbutamol. CONCLUSION: Dudal-therapeutic regimens lowered plasma potassium more effectively than mono-therapeutic regimens, and among them, the combination of insulin with glucose plus salbutamol could be recommended as an efficacious and safe modality in the acute therapy of hyperkalimia in ESRD patients.
Albuterol ; Body Weight ; Dialysis ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hyperkalemia* ; Hypoglycemia ; Insulin ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Plasma ; Potassium ; Renal Dialysis* ; Renal Insufficiency

Cord blood is a useful source of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells for bone marrow reconstitution. The number of umbilical cord blood transplants is increasing worldwide. In this a case 15- month-old boy with acute myeloid leukemia was treated with umbilical cord blood transplant from an HLA-3 loci mismatched unrelated donor. Granulocyte recovery greater than 500/mm3 occurred at day 49, and the platelet recovered greater than 20,000/mm3 independent of transfusion at day 81 after stem cell infusion.
Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow ; Fetal Blood* ; Granulocytes ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Male ; Stem Cells ; Umbilical Cord* ; Unrelated Donors*

PURPOSE: A sensitive assay to detect minimal residual disease in neuroblastoma is necessary for accurate assessment of disease status and optimal treatment. In this study, we compared the usefulness of sensitive methods, flow cytometry and RT-PCR for the detection of minimal residual disease in neuroblastoma. METHODS: Eighteen patients who were newly diagnosed and treated at Severance Hospital since 1999 were included in this study. Samples from bone marrow, peripheral blood, and peripheral blood stem cell product were examined for tumor cell contamination by RT-PCR (TH RT-PCR) to detect tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA and by flow cytometry identifying CD9+/CD56+/CD45- cells. RESULTS: We analyzed 20 cases from 18 patients, which were assayed by both methods at the same time. Among 20 cases, 16 cases showed same results, which were compatible with histologic results and clinical course, and 4 cases showed different results. One case of them showed positive result in histology and flow cytometry, but negative result in TH RT-PCR. The other 3 cases showed negative results in flow cytometry, but positive results in TH RT-PCR, and 1 patient of them relapsed. Among 16 patients, 2 patients, showing positive results in only TH RT-PCR, relapsed. CONCLUSION: Detection of minimal residual disease using TH RT-PCR and flow cytometry was effective and useful in evaluating disease status and deciding for proper treatment.
Bone Marrow ; Flow Cytometry* ; Humans ; Neoplasm, Residual* ; Neuroblastoma* ; RNA, Messenger ; Stem Cells ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

No abstract available.
Cytarabine* ; Cytosine* ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Idarubicin* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocytes on the hepatic lobule mipate from portal zone to centrilobular mea as the DNA synthesis within it. And also, the xenobiotic reactions reveal characteristic differences associated with zone specific metabolism in the liver acinus. In this study, the zonal distribution of ethylnitrosourea (ENU)-induced hepatic precancerous lesion was stereologically investigated. METHODS: Nine B6C3F1 mices were given I.p. injection of ENU (60 ug/pn body weight) when the pups were 15 days old prior to sacrifices at 8 weeks of life. All the 150 consecutive sections, 3 p m in thickness, were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and identified the basophilic precancerous lesions with 80-165 p m diameter in equatorial plane by the Zeiss microprojector. And then the distances from the center of selected foci to terminal hepatic vein or portal vein branches were estimated under the microscopic fields. As a control group, the same estimations were performed from the random points by the appointments of random digit table. RESULTS: Mean distance between ENU-induced 52 hepatocellular foci and the nearest terminal hepytic vein was 181.15+112.39 p m (Mean+ SD), but that of randomly selected 104 points was 291.73+157.98pm (Mean+5D) (Students t-test, p<0.0005). Substantially, 52.7% of ENU-induced 52 hepatocellular foci were within 300 p m from the terminal hepatic vein, but randomly selected 104 points were only 50.9% (Shapiro Wilk W test, w=0.819857, p=0.048038). Mean distance from ENU-induced 52 foci to portal vein was 398.85+149.98pm (Mean+SD), but that from the randomly selected 104 points was 315.87+145.79 pm (Mean+SD)(Students t-test, p<0.0005). CONCLUSION: Stereologically, ENU-induced mice liver cell foci distribute non-randomly to Zone III, centrilobular zone of mouse hepatic acini where promote invasion toward terminal hepatic veins.
Animals ; Appointments and Schedules ; Basophils ; Cholestasis ; DNA ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Ethylnitrosourea ; Fluconazole ; Hematoxylin ; Hepatic Veins ; Hepatocytes ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Mice* ; Portal Vein ; Veins

PURPOSE: Peripheral T-cell lymphomas(PTCL) show diverse clinical and histological characteristics and should be understood as mixtures of heterogeneous entities. Although many clinical and biological parameters have been proposed for classifying PTCL into different prognostic groups, few parameters have turned out to be appropriate for classification. To investigate the clinical significance of FUO presentation in PTCL, comparisons of clinical parameters were performed using non-FUO presentation as a control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 66 cases of Korean PTCL were divided into FUO group and non-FUO group according to the presentation and compared with each other. RESULTS: Among 66 patients of PTCL, 19 patients presented with FUO. Compared with non-FUO group, FUO group showed no significant age and sex ratio differences. FUO group showed more advanced stage, worse performance status than non-FUO group. Predominant sites of definite diagnosis were skin, gastrointestinal tract and liver in FUO group and nasal cavity and paranasal sinus in non-FUO group. There were no significant differences between histologic classifications of both groups. Survival analysis revealed significant differences between both groups. FUO group showed significantly shorter survival. Prognostic factor analysis(multivariate) was done with stage, LDH level, performance status, and FUO status. FUO status, stage and performance status were significant determinants of survival, but LDH level proved to have no prognostic implication. CONCLUSION: PTCL with FUO presentation showed such distinct characteristics that the authors propose fever of unknown origin(FUO) as a clinical parameter for classifying PTCL. Further studies are needed to identify biological parameters which characterize PTCL with FUO presentation.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Fever of Unknown Origin* ; Fever* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymphoma* ; Nasal Cavity ; Prognosis ; Sex Ratio ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy and the influencing factors of partial coherence interferometry in intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation for cataract surgery. METHODS: In 86 eyes of 69 patients who had undergone cataract surgery, we measured axial length using both IOLMaster and contact type ultrasonography, calculated the target refraction with SRK II formula and compared the result with the measured value after operation. We also evaluated the factors influencing the accuracy of the power calculation such as age, sex, type of cataract, severity of nucleosclerosis, corneal power, and preoperative refraction. RESULTS: In IOLMaster and contact type ultrasonography, the mean axial lengths were 23.70 +/- 1.27 mm and 23.55 +/- 1.28 mm (p<0.01), and the mean absolute errors (MAE) of refraction were 0.53 +/- 0.26D and 0.66 +/- 0.39D (p<0.01) respectively. The eyes of longer axial length showed larger MAE than those of shorter axial length (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Partial coherence interferometry was more accurate than contact type ultrasonography in IOL power calculation. The factor associated with the accuracy of partial coherence interferometry was the axial length.
Cataract ; Humans ; Interferometry* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: The noradrenaline system is involved in the reward effects of various kinds of abused drugs. Betaxolol (BTX) is a highly selective β1-antagonist. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of BTX on methamphetamine (MAP)-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and hyperactivity in mice. METHODS: The mice (n=72) were treated with MAP or saline every other day for a total of 6 days (from day 3 to day 8; 3-times MAP and 3-times saline). Each mouse was given saline (1 mL/kg) or MAP (1 mg/kg, s.c.) or BTX (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or MAP with BTX (5 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min prior to the administration of MAP (1 mg/kg, s.c.) every other day and paired with for 1 h (three-drug and three-saline sessions). We then compared the CPP score between the two groups. After the extinction of CPP, the mice were given BTX (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline (1 mL/kg) 24 h prior to a priming injection of MAP, and were then immediately tested to see whether the place preference was reinstated. RESULTS: The repeated administration of BTX 30 min prior to the exposure to MAP significantly reduced the development of MAP-induced CPP. When BTX was administered 24 h prior to the CPP-testing session on day 9, it also significantly attenuated the CPP, but did not result in any change of locomotor activity. In the drug-priming reinstatement study, the extinguished CPP was reinstated by a MAP (0.125 mg/kg, s.c.) injection and this was significantly attenuated by BTX. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that BTX has a therapeutic and preventive effect on the development, expression, and drug-priming reinstatement of MAP-induced CPP.
Animals ; Betaxolol* ; Methamphetamine* ; Mice* ; Motor Activity ; Norepinephrine ; Reward