While there have been not a few reports on the seroepidemiological characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Korea, most of them, however, have had several limitations; operational definition of HBV infection, validity of detection methods of HBV serologic markers, size of the study population, and confirmation of the vaccination history against HBV, etc. In order to avoid such limitations, authors randomly selected 1,495 healthy adults among the 217,511 insured (target population) of Korean Medical Insurance Corporation, living in seoul, and tested HBV(HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc) of all the subjects were tested, 392(26.2%) of interview failure cases 742 nonvaccinee were excluded from the actual population. Finally, the serologic markers tested of 742 nonvaccinee (study population) only were analyzed for the seroepidemiologic observation of the natural infection of HBV. The seroepidemiological characteristics of HBV infection in Korea were as follows ; 1 Point prevalence of HBs antigenemia was 11.7(9.1-14.3)% in male, which was slightly higher than that of female, 9.5(3.7-15.3)%. This level was one of the highest among those of Asian-Pacific countries. Decreasing tendency of HBsAg prevalence after the age of 50 was observed, which seems to be due to selective attrition of HBV chronic carriers among the healthy adults and/or to the limited-lasting duration of the HBs antigenemia, in part. 2. Point prevalence of anti-HBc(78.8% in male, 50.9% in female) was higher than that of anti-HBs(65.2% in male, 46.6% in female), respectively. And both of them were higher in male than in female. Increasing tendency of the prevalence of both antibodies was observed by age, which seems to be largely due to recurrent infection in adults and to some cumulative effect, in part, of their relatively longer-lasting duration. 3. The level of HBV infection defined by positive for at least one of the 3 serologic markers of HBV by RIA method was 84.7(81.8-87.6)% in male and 61.2(51.9-70.5)% in female, which was also one of the highest among those of Asian-Pacific countries. The proportion of susceptible population to HBV infection among healthy adults was 15.3% in male and 38.8% in female. 4. The relative frequency of current or past infection and chronic carrier among HBV infected person was estimated. The currently or past infected was estimated 75.7% in male and 71.8% in female, and chronic carrier state, 13.8% in male and 14.1% in female. The analysis of the geometric mean of the antibody titer in anti-HBs positive sera indicated also to be compatible with the above findings, suggesting that active, even though inapparent, infection of HBV occur so frequently among healthy adults in Korea.
Adult* ; Antibodies ; Carrier State ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Radioimmunoassay ; Seoul* ; Vaccination

The aim of this study was to assess the degree of association between individual stress and the amount of smoking among male senior students of a medical college. The questionnaire survey was conducted twice for collecting the data on stress level in terms of BEPSl score, smoking amounts, alcohol intake, and residence type in 1992 and 1993. Among the 223 responders, 39.9% were smokers. In the smokers, the association between stress level and smoking amount was significant after controlling for alcohol intake and residence type (P < 0.l). Especially in the group of living without family, the association was more significant (p=0.06). Therefore, it is recommendable that the stress management program is called upon for the student smokers to reduce smoking amount.
Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke* ; Smoking*

This study intended to obtain an useful information on the prevalence of subjective symptoms, and to clarify the interrelationships between blood lead and lead related symptoms in low level lead exposure. The 93 male workers exposed to lead and 56 male nonexposed workers were examined for their blood lead (PBB), Zinc-protoporphy (ZPP), hemoglobin (HB) and personal history, and completed 15 questionnaires related to symptoms of lead absorption; also measured lead concentration in air (PBA) in the workplace. The results obtained were as follow; 1. The means of blood lead (PBB), blood ZPP and hemoglobin (HB) among workers exposed to lead were 26.1+/-8.8 microgram/dl, 28.3+/-26.0 microgram/dl and 16.2+/-1.2g/dl; whereas those of nonexposed workers were 18.7+/-5.1 microgram/dl, 20.6+/-8.7 microgram/dl and 17.3+/-1.1g/dl. The means of above three indicies between two groups showed significant difference statistically (p<0.05). 2. The means of blood lead (PBB), blood ZPP and hemoglobin of workers exposed to different lead concentration in air were as follows; When it was below 25 microgram/m3 , the indices were 24.7+/-79, 26.1+/-26.8 microgram/dl and 16.4+/-1.1 g/dl respectively; These indices were 27.1+/-8.5, 23.9+/-10.92 /dl and 16.2+/-1.3 g/dl when the lead concentration in air was 25~50 microgram/m3; and they were 3.4+/-9.3, 42.3+/-31.3 microgram/dl and 15.5+/-1.2 g/dl when the concentration of lead was above 50 microgram/m3. Although there were statistical difference in blood lead and hemoglobin among three different lead concentration in air, there was no statistical difference of blood ZPP among the three groups with different exposure levels (p>0.05). 3. The most frequently by complained symptom was "Generalized weakness and fatigue", and fewest symptom was "Intermittent pains in abdomen". 4. Only two symptoms out of fifteen symptoms checked by themselves revealed significant difference between exposed and nonexposed groups. These were "Intermittent pains of abdomen" and "Joint pain or arthralgia" (p<0.05). No positive correlation was found between the levels of blood lead and symptom groups categorized as gastrointestinal, neuromuscular and constitutional symptoms. 5. Blood lead (r=0.3995) and ZPP (r=0.2837) showed statistically significant correlation with mean lead concentration in air, whereas correlations were not demonstrated between blood lead and lead related symptoms or blood ZPP and lead related symptoms. 6. Blood lead (PBB) and ZPP showed association (r=0.2466) and the equation PBB=23.75+0.0842 ZPP was derived. 7. On stepwise multiple regression, using blood lead level as a dependent variable and ZPP, hemoglobin (HB), age, work duration (WD) and symptom prevalence as a independent variables, only ZPP significantly contributed a lot to blood lead level. 8. While the ZPP measurement was found to be a good indicator in evaluating health effect of lead absorption in low level lead exposure, lead related symptoms were not sensitive enough to evaluate of lead absorption in low level exposure.
Absorption ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

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

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

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

Neurilemoma is a pure proliferation of Schwann cell and its ocular symptoms depend on the location of the tumor and its size. Neurofibromatosis is a multisystemic disease and has two distinct form : Neurofibromatosis type 1 described as peripheral neurofibromatosis and type 2 as central or bilateral acoustic neurofibromatosis. We experienced a case of orbital neurilemoma associated with neurofibromatosis in a 12-year-old male patient who presented with left orbital mass. We report this case with literature review.
Child ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurofibroma* ; Neurofibromatoses ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Neurofibromatosis 2 ; Orbit*

Neurological manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can mimic multiple sclerosis (MS) or Devic's syndrome (DS). We report a 16-year-old woman with recurrent myelitis and optic neuritis. She also had an antinuclear antibody, an anti double-stranded DNA antibody and a positive lupus erythematosus cell. Because MS is a diagnosis of exclusion, brainstem involvement is not compatible with DS. We therefore diagnosed her case as a SLE with recurrent myelitis and optic neuritis.
Adolescent ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Brain Stem ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Myelitis* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Neuromyelitis Optica ; Optic Neuritis*

Actinomycosis, in which the principal causative agent in man is known to Actinomyces israelii, is a chronic, suppurative diseases characterized by extensive fibrosis, multiple abscesses, and formation of sinus tracts that drain suppurative exudates. On the basis of the anatomical sites involved; it can be subclassified into the cervicofacial form, which is the most common form, pulmonary form and abdominal form. Kidneys are rarely affected. Clinically, radiologically, and at operation it is difficult to differentiate the renal actinomycosis from renal tuberculosis and renal carcinoma. The prognosis is excellent after nephrectomy followed by appropriate antibiotic therapy. We presented a case of renal actinomycosis with a brief review of the literatures.
Male ; Humans

No abstract available.
Rheumatic Diseases* ; Spondylarthropathies