BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatitis C virus(HCV) was known to most common etiologic agent of chronic liver disease in United states and Japan. Although hepatitis B virus(HBV) was well known to be a its major etiologic agent in Korea, it has been showed that HCV and HBV are associated with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma as major causative agent of chronic liver disease. Interferon alpha therapy is generally accepted as effective single agent for chronic hepatitis or to decrease the chronicity of acute hepatitis C. So, we evaluated the efficacy of interferon alpha in hepatitis C. METHODS: 46 patients who were positive for anti-HCV antibody and HCV RNA were included in this study. Liver biopsy was per formed on all patients and all of them were tested as negative for serum HBsAg, anti Hbe. Patients were divided into 2 groups . 30 patients received interferon therapy(treated group) and 16 patients received no therapy(untreated group). We compared the change of liver function test and HCV RNA before and after therapy between two groups. Treated group was subdivided into 5 groups according to response to interferon therapy '. Non-response, partial response, breakthrough, relapse and sustained response. RESULTS: 1) The mean age and sex distribution were 49.9 year old, male 19, female 11 in treated group and 48.7 years, male 12, female 4 in untreated group. 2) The number of patients with acute hepatitis, chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were 1, 2, 23, 4 in treated group and 0, 1, 12, 3 in untreated group, respectively. 3) The mean follow up period was 1.7 year and 2.3 years in treated and untreated group, respectively. 4) The activity of serum ALT before and after therapy were 195+ 134.6 IU/L, 87.4+ 40.5 IU/L and 186.7+ 106.4 IU/L, 157+ 87.1 IU/L in treated and untreated group, respectively. Serum ALT after therapy in treated group was significantly lower than untreated group(P<0.01). 5) The number of patients for patterns of reponse in treated group was non-response 5, partial response 8, breakthrough 1, relapse 4, sustained response 12 and there was no difference in age among them(P>0.05). 6) The case of negative conversion for HCV RNA in treated group was 12, but there was no case in untreated group. 7) Sex distribution of sustained response was 6(31% ) of 19 male, 6(54.5%) of 11 female and 12 patients(40.0%)(1 of 1 patients with acute hepatitis, 1 of 2 chronic persistent hepatitis, 10 of 23 chronic active heaptitis) included in sustained reponse, but any patients with liver cirrhosis had response. 8) Mean total dose and duration of interferon therapy was non-response 10353.6 million unit(MU)/5.8month(M), partial response 20025.06MU/6.4 M, breakthrough 36000.0MU/5.0M, relapse 11700.0MU/3.3M, sustained response 28100.0MU/6.6M, respectively. 9) 3 of 7 patients who were followed up over 1 year in sustained response and mean time to the relapse was 2.2 years. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that interferon alpha therapy is effective in patients with hepatitis C and further study and attempts should be performed to augument the efficacy of interferon alpha for the treatment of hepatitis C.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons* ; Japan ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Recurrence ; RNA ; Sex Distribution ; United States

One hundred seven consecutive patients aged 3 years to 34 years with simple ventricular septal defect were prospectively investigated with 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography to assess the echocardiographic criteriae in defining the anatomic site of the VSD. The anatomy was confirmed in all patients at operation. Two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography correctly categorized the site and extension of VSDs in 104 of 107(97%). All doubly committed subarterial VSDs were correctly diagnosed as an area of discontinuity beneath the pulmonary valve in the parasternal short-axis plane taken at the aortic root level. Forty eight of 49 perimembranous VSDs with infundibular extension showed an area of discontinuity beneath the right aortic cusp in the parasternal long axis plane of the left ventricle. Of 17 perimembranous VSDs with trabecular extension, 16 had an area of discontinuity around the medial papillary muscle in the short axis plane taken at the level of high left ventricular outflow tract(LVOT). All 5 perimembranous VSDs with inlet extension showed an area of discontinuity adjacent to the septal leaflet attachment in the short axis plane taken at the level of high LVOT. One muscular trabecular VSD was categorized correctly by the short axis view and the apical 4-chamber view. Thus, these 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic criteriae are a simple and reliable in identifying the anatomic site of VSDs.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bays ; Classification* ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler* ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Papillary Muscles ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Valve

To obtain the basic data of prognosis of acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication, one hundred and sixteen cases of CO intoxication defined by carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and admitted via emergency room of Yeungnam University Hospital from Oct. '85 to April' 89 have been clinically analyzed and evaluated, including delayed postanoxic encephalopathy (DPE) and the following results were obtained. 1. The ratio of male to female was 1:1.5 and mental state was drowsy mostly (26.2% of 116 cases) 2. The more disturbed the mental state, the more decreased was the arterial pH and PaCO₂, which may be the result of metabolic acidosis. 3. The early laboratory findings in patients of CO intoxication were as follows: leukocytosis-65.5%, increase of hematocrit-23.3%, hyperglycemia-19.8%, increase of GPT-19.8% increase of creatinine-0.9% and glucosuria-12.1%. 4. The early findings of EKG were abnormal in 35.3%: change of rhythm-25.0%, abnormal ST segment 15.5% (change of rhythm and abnormal ST segment-5.2%) but the conduction disorder was not present. 5. The abnormal EEG above mild degree was 93.1%, of which moderate was most frequent (80.2%). 6. The incidence of DPE was 7.8% among all admitted CO patients. DPE cases had long duration of exposure time (8 hours), severe leukocytosis (20,000) and an abnormal EEG (MA).
Acidosis ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Brain Diseases ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Carboxyhemoglobin ; Clinical Study* ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Incidence ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Prognosis

No abstract available.
Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Ulcer*

No abstract available.

In order to evaluate the long-term effect of single lateral rectus muscle recession for the moderate angle exotropia(20-3-PD), we retrospectively studied 30 cases which were recessed by 8-9mm. The average follow-up period was 35.8 month. At 6 month postoperatively, the success rate was 75% in 8mm recession group and 84% in 8.5mm group, 88% in 9mm group. At the last follow-up, the success rate was 62%, 38%, 22% respectively. The recession of single lareral rectus muscle for the moderate angle exotropia was successful during the early postoperative period. But, its success rate was gradually decreased in the long-term follow-up especially for exotropia over 25PD. So, we should consider to recess lateral rectus muscle more than 8-9mm or choose the classic surgical method such as both lateral rectus recession or recession-resection for exotropia over 25PD.
Exotropia* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Cryptococcosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Nerve conduction studies help delineate the extent and distribution of the neural lesion. The nerve conduction was studied on upper (median, ulnar and radial nerves) and lower (personal, posterior tibial and sural nerves) extremities in 83 healthy subjects 23 to 66 years of age, and normal values were established (Table 1). The mean motor terminal latency (TL): median, 3.6 (±0.6) milliseconds; ulnar, 2.9 (±0.5) milliseconds; radial nerve, 2.3 (±0.4) milliseconds. Mean motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) along distal and proximal segments: median, 61.2 (±9.1) (W-E) and 57.8 (±13.2) (E-Ax) meters per second; ulnar, 63.7 (±9.1) (W-E) and 50.6 (±10.0) meters per second. Mean sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV): median, 34.7 (±6.7) (F-W), 63.7 (±7.1) (W-E) and 62.8 (±12.3) (E-Ax) meters per second; ulnar, 38.0 (±6.7) (F-W), 63.4 (±7.5) (W-E) and 57.0 (±10.1) (E-Ax) meters per second; radial, 45.3 (±6.8) (F-W) and 64.2 (±11.0) (W-E) meters per second; sural nerve, 43.4 (±6.1) meters per second. The amplitudes of action potential and H-reflex were also standardized. Mean H latency was 28.4 (±3.2) milliseconds. And, the fundamental principles, several factors altering the rate of nerve conduction and clinical application of nerve stimulation techniques were reviewed.
Action Potentials ; Adult* ; Extremities ; H-Reflex ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Neural Conduction* ; Radial Nerve ; Reference Values ; Sural Nerve

Moriccas technique, neuroadenolysis of the pituitary gland through direct injection of alcohol, was performed 5 times on three cancer patients at chonnam university hospital. Two of the three patients had complete pain relief. During this procedure there was no any severe complications except diabetes insipidus, but it was treated uneventfully with indomethacin and fluid administration. Although several theories including destructiorr of the thalamic and hypothalamic nerve pathway, pituitary hormone and endorphin on the mechanism of pain relief by the neuroadenolysis have been reported, it is still not clearly determined. This technique is considered to be an exceedingly useful method for management of intractable pain in inoperable cancer patients.
Diabetes Insipidus ; Endorphins ; Humans ; Indomethacin ; Jeollanam-do ; Pain, Intractable ; Phenol* ; Pituitary Gland

No abstract available.
46, XX Disorders of Sex Development* ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital* ; Female* ; Humans