Immediate postoperative changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) were prospectively studied in 60 patients after extracapsular cataract extraction and posterior chamber lens implantations, according to three different preoperative managements for cecreasing IOPs. In group 1 (24 patients), no ocular pressure reducing agents were given but only ocular massage was performed preoperatively. In group 2 (17 patients), intravenous mannitol (1.52g/kg of body weight) and/or 60ml of 50% oral glycerine was administered 1 hour before surgery. In group 3 (19 patients), 500mg of acetazolamide was administered orally 90 minutes before operation in addition to the regimen of group 2. A significant lllcrease in mean IOP was found 6 hours after the operation in group 1 by 5.6mmHg and in group 2 by 8.8mmHg when compared witt baseline IOP (p<0.05). However, there was no significant IOP rise in group 3. Postoperative IOPs in excess of 21mmHg occurred in 10 patients (42% )of group 1, seven patients (41 %) of group 2 and six patients(30%) of group 3. An IOP greater than 30mmHg was found in two patients (8%) in group 1, two patients (12%) in group 2 and one patient (5%) in group 3. From this study, it was concluded that acetazolamide 500mg given 90 minutes before operation resulted in a reduction of immediate postoperative IOP rise.
Acetazolamide ; Cataract Extraction ; Cataract* ; Glycerol ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Mannitol ; Massage ; Ocular Hypertension* ; Prospective Studies ; Reducing Agents

No abstract available.
Aspirin* ; Epithelial Cells*

We introduced a method of splitting the lamellar scleral flap (LSF) after trabeculectomy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) to evaluate the postoperative wound strength which may reveal directly the anti proliferative effect of 5-FU. An 8-0 nylon sture was placed under the LSF at the time of trabeculectomy and both ends of the suture were drawn out from the conjunctiva. The wound strength was evaluated by pulling out the spitting suture at the end of second week after operation. Seventeen eyes of 16 patients underwent a primary trabeculectomy and placement of a splitting suture. 5-fU was injected subconjunctivally, 5mg every other day in the eyes during postoperative two weeks. Five (50%) of ten eyes of 5-FU group resulted in LSF splitting (p=0.0407, Fisher's exact test). This result may signify that the LSF splitting suture technique will be a helpful means to investigate the effect of post-trabeculectomy wound healing modulators in the early period postoperatively.
Conjunctiva ; Fluorouracil* ; Humans ; Nylons ; Suture Techniques ; Sutures ; Trabeculectomy* ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries

We introduced a method of splitting the lamellar scleral flap(LSF) after trabeculectomy with 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) to evaluate the postoperative wound strength which may reveal directly th6 antiproliferative effect of 5-FU. An 8-0 nylon sture was placed under the LSF at the time of trabeculectomy and both ends of the suture were drawn out from the conjunctiva. The wound strength was evaluated by pulling out the spitting suture at the end of second week after operation. Seventeen eyes of 16 patients underwent a primary trabeculectomy and placement of a splitting suture. 5-FU was injected subconjunctivally, 5 mg every other day in the eyes during postoperative two weeks. Five(50%) of ten eyes of 5-FU group resulted in LSF splitting(p=0.0407, Fisher's exact test). This result may signify that the LSF splitting suture technique will be a helpful means to investigate the effect of post-trabeculectomy wound healing modulators in the early period postoperatively.
Conjunctiva ; Fluorouracil* ; Humans ; Nylons ; Suture Techniques ; Sutures ; Trabeculectomy* ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are characterized by chronic airway inflammation resulting in airflow limitation. They include various phenotypes and endotypes in their disease entities. For that reason, they lack proper biomarkers and epoch-making progresses in treatment nowadays. Healthy airway has been believed to be sterile traditionally. However, with the help of nonculture sequencing techniques, researchers discovered that it is full of the commensal and symbiotic microbial flora. Therefore, microbiome has emerged as a possible biomarker and a clue to understand the pathogenesis of airway disease. Microbiome research in asthma has focused on the association between characteristics of microbiome, such as composition and diversity. However, now it refers to the role of microbiome, including Proteobacteria, in the development and pathogenesis of asthma and allergic diseases. Microbiome research in COPD has revealed its different composition according to the existence and severity of the disease. Also, differences in microbiome composition according to exacerbation state or specific treatment of COPD are reported. Therefore, many researchers pay attention to the possible role of microbiome as a biomarker or a treatment target in asthma and COPD. Herein, we review recent studies on microbiome research in asthma and COPD.
Asthma* ; Biomarkers ; Inflammation ; Microbiota* ; Phenotype ; Proteobacteria ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Research Design

A large number of bacterial pathogens have been identified as mediators of apoptosis in vitro and the induction of apoptosis might be an important step in the pathogenesis of these bacteria. In this study, we analyzed the interactions of Orientia tsutsugamuchi with J774 murine macrophage-like cells. The J774 cells were infected with Boryong strain of O. tsutsugamushi and the DNA was analyzed with agarose gel electrophoresis. We observed the typical laddering pattern of DNA fragmentation indicative of apoptosis in infected cells but not cells infected with heat-killed O. tsutsugamushi. We performed terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) assay to label the 3'-hydroxy ends of DNA breaks and observed intense brown staining of nuclei of infected macrophages. With Hoechst 33258 for staining nucleus, strong chromatin condensation was observed only in infected J774 cells. We also examined the cytokine secretion pattern of J774 cells during the rickettsial infection. The large amount of TNF-alpha and IL-10 were secreted after 24 hrs of infection, but the secretion of IL-1beta was increased in small amount. These results showed that O. tsutsugamushi induce apoptosis in murine macrophage-like cells by different mechanism from that of shigella which cause secretion of large amount of IL-1beta.
Apoptosis* ; Bacteria ; Bisbenzimidazole ; Chromatin ; Chungcheongnam-do ; DNA ; DNA Breaks ; DNA Fragmentation ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Interleukin-10 ; Macrophages ; Orientia tsutsugamushi* ; Shigella ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

PURPOSE: Locally administered corticosteroids have been widely used in the treatment of inflammatory eye disease. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the treatment effects and the complications of posterior subtenon steroid injection in uveitis patients. METHODS: Retrospective study was performed on 36 eyes of 32 patients diagnosed as uveitis and treated with subtenon steroid injection. RESULTS: Sixty eight consecutive injections of triamcinolone were performed, and the mean follow-up duration was 6.9 months (1~28 months). Visual acuity was improved in 28 (88%) of 32 patients, and mean time to improvement was three weeks after the injection. Intraocular pressure was increased (>21 mmHg) in 10 eyes (31%) of 10 patients, with mean onset of three weeks after the initial injection. The increased pressures was not controlled by medical treatment and additional filtration surgery was needed in 2 eyes (6%). Cataracts were newly developed or worsen in 5 eyes (15.6%) of 4 patients and 2 eyes underwent cataract surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Although a postrerior subtenon steroid injection effectively improved visual acuity in most uveitis patients, side effects, such as the increased intraocular pressure or cataract were developed. The complication rate as well as treatment effect should be taken into consideration when using this treatment method.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Cataract ; Eye Diseases ; Filtering Surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Retrospective Studies ; Triamcinolone ; Uveitis* ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy is common in chronic renal failure patients and may contribute increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the left ventricular morphology and function in renal transplant recipients to find the relationship between hemodynamic changes and morphologic and functional improvement after transplantation. METHODS: Serial echocardiographic evaluations were performed in 27 adults(20 men and 7 women) at the time of transplantaion and posttransplantation 1 month and 4 months. The average duration of hemodialysis was 16+/-24 months(mean+/-S.D.). RESULTS: At the time of transplantation, the hematocrit level was 21+/-6% and posttransplantation 1 month and 4 months, that was increased to 39+/-5% and 42+/-7%, respectively(p<0.001). Left ventricular mass index by echocardiography was decreased significantly from 246+/-87g/m2(pre-KT) to 169+/-38g/m2(post-KT 1 month) and 153+/-40g/m2(post-KT 4 months), respectively (p<0.001). Interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular posterior wall thickness were decreased significantly after 4 months of transplantation. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic dimensions were also decreased significantly after 1 month and 4 months of transplantation. Left ventricular volumes and cardiac output were also decreased significantly. But A/E ratio, ejection fraction and fractional shortening did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that pretransplant high output state was resolved radipidly(within 1 month) but the diastolic function did not improved after transplantation 1 month and 4 months.
Cardiac Output ; Echocardiography* ; Hematocrit ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Mortality ; Renal Dialysis ; Transplantation*

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus sine herpete(HZSH), which means herpes zoster ophthalmicus(HZO)without skin eruption, is one of the atypical manifestations of varicella-oster virus(VZV)infection. Idiopathic iridocyclitis or acute retinal necrosis without skin lesion secondary to varicella-oster virus are good examples. Diagnosing zoster iridocyclitis without skin eruption is difficult because in the absence of typical skin eruption it is difficult to suspect varicella-zoster virus as the cause of inflammation in the absence of typical skin eruption. We describe here a rare case of a pediatric patient with severe iridocyclitis in a pediatric patient after penetration of keratoplasty in whom VZV DNA was detected using the DNA amplification and polymerase chain reaction(PCR)method. To our best knowledge, this is the first case report of varicella-zoster virus iridocyclitis in a pediatric patient after penetrating keratoplasty.
Corneal Transplantation ; DNA ; Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Iridocyclitis ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating* ; Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute ; Skin

We included 46 children with renal disease who received systemic corticosteroid therapy in our study and examined the correlation between the corticosteroid use and ocular complications. The average age of patients was 9 +/-4 years and the male: female ratio was 17:6. Cases for corticosteroid treatment were nephrotic syndrome in 16, Henoch-Sch ''onlein purpura in 9, MPGN in 9, Ig A nephropathy in 8,and others in 3. The mean duration of corticosteroid therapy was 11 months(1~77), and the mean total dose at the time of examination was 16,259 mg (2,250~61,292). The incidence of cataract formation was 47.8% and all had posterior subcapsular type. The severity of cataract was grade I in 12, grade II in 8,grade III in 1, and grade IV in 1 according to the Crews' classification.The incidence of intraocular pressure above 18 mmHg was 75%, compared to 18 mmHg (2SD) in normal control. There was no significant relation between the total dose of corticosteroid and the cataract formation, the severity of cataract,and the incidence of increased IOP. Also, there was no relation between the duration of therapy and them. In conclusion, We found that the ocular complications in children do not relate with the dose of corticosteroid and the duration of therapy and may be closely related to the individual susceptibility. It is essential to examine the eye carefully and follow up regularly those children who receive the corticosteroid therapy.
Cataract ; Child* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Purpura