It has been increasingly clear that the defence against Mycobacterium leprae(M. leprae) appears mainly to depend on cell-mediated rather than humoral immune mechanism. Nevertheless, the M. leprae is not only capable of producing specific humoral antibody, but also stimulating the formation of a variety of autoantibodies, since mycobacteria are known to exert adjuvant effect. Although the exact role of the autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of leprosy is not known, it is remarkable that the prevalence of autoantibodies has been reported different by several investigators, suggesting the possibility of geographical or racial difference. This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of some autoantibodies in Korean patients with leprosy. Eighty patients with leprosy registered at the Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hospital entered this study from February, 1977 through October, 1978, The diagnosis was made by clinical, histological, bacteriological and immunological assessments and the patients were classified according to the Ridley-Jopling scale. All patients were under anti leprosy chemotherapy with DDS (Diaminodiphenylsulfone) for various periods at the time of study. Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test was performed in 80 patients and the sera displaying reactive VDRL were subjected to re-examination by Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutinin Assay (TPHA). Rbeumatoid factor was sought by means of latex fixation test in 66 patients. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) was detected by means of latex agglutination reaction in 61 patients using polysterene latex complexed with calf thymus deoxyribonucleoprotein. Cryoprotein was detected as described elsewhere. Four of the 80 patients(5%) showed reactive VDRL, while rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody were not detectable in all cases. Cryoprotein was detected in 15 patients (27. 3 %). Compared with other reports on the prevalence of autoantibodies in Caucacian and African patients, we found a much lower frequency. This result may be expained partly by the racial or geographic difference in the pattern of leprosy as suggeste4 by Turk.
Agglutination ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Autoantibodies* ; Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Hemagglutinins ; Humans ; Latex ; Latex Fixation Tests ; Leprosy* ; Mycobacterium ; Prevalence* ; Research Personnel ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Seoul ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Thymus Gland ; Treponema pallidum

It is evident that an elevation of airway albumin excreation rate without clinical proteinuria strongly predicts a later progression on diabetic renal disease. So we studied the correlation between Microalbumin checkly RIA & Micral-Test®. We collected urine between 08:00 h and 08:00 h next day and then checked microalbuminuria by radioimmunoassay method and Micral-Test® The results are as follows: 1. There was significant correlation between microalbuminuria checked by RIA & Micral-Test® 2. There was poor correlation between diabetes duration or HV-A1c and maximal change in albumin excreation rate. 3. So we concluded that Micral-Test® can be used in laboratory instead of RIA.
Methods ; Proteinuria ; Radioimmunoassay

Many previously described nuclear medicine procedures to assess glomerular filtration rate have some problems because numerous blood sample is to be taken and they don't measure each separate renal function. Gates described isotopic method for the measurement of global and unilateral GFR based on the fractional renal uptake of (99m)Tc-DTPA 2 to 3 minutes after its intravenous injection. We evaluated GFR using (99m)Tc-DTPA in 57 people according to Gates method and compared with creatinine clearance. A good correlation was observed between creatinine clearance and GRF calculated by Gates' formula with an r value of 0.9(P<0.05). And also the relationship between parameters of (99m)Tc-DTPA renal scan images and GFR was taken. They were significantly correlated with GFR calculated by Gates' formula : r value 0.66 between relative intensity of peak renal to peak aortic activity(pK/pA) and GFR, -0.42 between time between aortic and kidney peak(A-K) and GFR and -0.48 between parenchymal renal activity at 25 min compared to peak kidney activity(25K/pK) and GRF. In conclusion, the determination of GFR according to Gates' formula shows good and reproducible of GRF with rapidity and simplicity. And the parameters from the renal scan images can use to estimate the renal function.
Creatinine ; Filtration* ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Injections, Intravenous ; Kidney ; Methods ; Nuclear Medicine

No abstract available.
Thyroid Dysgenesis*

Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata is a rare benign condition characterised by the occurrence of multiple leimyomas scatterred throughout the peritoneal cavity, giving the clinical impression of a wide spread malignant tumor. The histopathology of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata is that of a benign leiomyoma, probably originating from the multipotent subcoelomic mesenchymal cells. Three cases with malignant transformation were described among previous reported fifty cases. Many of the early reports described the disorder in premenopausal women, and now the histogenesis is considered to be a metaplastic change by abnormal tissue response to the relatively or absolutely elevated female sex hormone. We report a case of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata, which was diagnosed by multiple scattered submucosal and subseroal leimyomas of stomach, small bowel and colon, combined with advanced gastric cancer in a 58 years old man, Multiple submucosal tumors of the stomach combined with advanced gastric cancer were demonstrated by fibergastroscopy, upper gastrointestinal barium study and abdominal ultrasonography. During radical subtotal gastrectomy multiple submucosal and subserosal tumors of stomach, and subserosal tumors of small bowel and colon were observed and these tumors were confirmed as leiomyoma without malignant potential.
Barium ; Colon ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Leiomyomatosis ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Ultrasonography

Lawsonia intracellularis is not culturable with a standard bacteriologic culture. One step PCR assay as a clinical diagnostic method was developed for the rapid detection of porcine proliferative enteritis (PPE) caused by L. intracellularis. Primers were designed based on the p78 DNA clone of L. intracellularis. The one step PCR resulted in the formation of a specific 210-bp DNA product derived from L. intracellularis. The nonspecific amplification product was not detected with swine genomic DNA or other bacterial strains causing similar symptoms to L. intracellularis infection. The one step PCR was as sensitive as 100 pg of L. intracellularis genomic DNA. We applied this method to field specimens diagnosed as PPE by macroscopic observation. Of 17 mucosal scraping specimens, 16(94%) were identified as positive to PPE and 15(88%) of 17 feces specimens. These results suggest that the one step PCR can be used as a rapid diagnostic method for L. intracellularis infection.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA Primers ; Desulfovibrionaceae Infections/diagnosis/*veterinary ; Ileum/microbiology/pathology ; Intestinal Mucosa/microbiology/pathology ; Lawsonia Bacteria/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*diagnosis/microbiology

PURPOSE: Refractory status epilepticus refers to patients who do not respond properly to adequate first-line drug treatment such as diazepam, phenytoin, phenobaribital, lorazepam and show longer than 60 minute seizure. This study was designed to determine the efficacy and safety of midazolam given as a continuous infusion in the treatment of status epilepticus in children. METHODS: Midazolam was infused to twelve children with seizures, for whom two time repeated doses of 0.3mg/kg of diazepam, 20mg/kg of phenobarbital, and 20mg/kg of phenytoin failed to bring the episode under control. All patients received a bolus of midazolam(0.15mg/kg) followed by a continuous infusion at 1microgram/kg/min. The dose was increased every 15 min until the episode of seizure was brought under control. Time required to control seizures, infusion rate, and side-effects were monitored. RESULTS: The mean age of the patient population was 6.06 yrs(range 2 months to 16 yrs; 6 females and 6 males). In 11 patients, seizures were controlled in a mean time of 60.1 min(range 15-180 min). The mean infusion rate was 8.5microgram/kg/min(range 1-20). The total treatment duration was 17.6 days(range 1-54 days). One patient who was confirmed to have cortical dysplasia failed to respond. Two of the patients showed respiratory depression and bradycardia. CONCLUSION: Midazolam is an effective and safe drug to control refractory seizures in children with status epilepticus.
Bradycardia ; Child* ; Diazepam ; Female ; Humans ; Lorazepam ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; Midazolam* ; Phenobarbital ; Phenytoin ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus*

PURPOSE: To treat limbal stem cell deficiency, we investigated the epithelial characteristics in rabbits with total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) after reconstruction with autologous limbal corneal epithelial cells in vivo expanded on amniotic membrane. METHODS: The right eyes of 10 rabbits were rendered total LSCD, as verified by impression cytology. In the left eyes of 10 rabbits, in vivo limbal corneal epithelial cells culture was achieved. In group A (n=4), we evaluated the characteristics of the cultured limbal corneal epithelial cells and in group B (n=6) we evaluated the characteristics of the transplanted limbal corneal epithelial cells at postoperative 1, 2, and 4 weeks. RESULTS: Successful epithelial growth was observed on amniotic membrane in all eyes of group A. Transplanted epithelial cells were well remained in five eyes of group B. The epithelial cells of group A and B were confirmed with corneal specificity by immunohistochemical staining (AK-2, AE-5). CONCLUSIONS: The corneal surface with unilateral total LSCD can be successfully reconstructed by transplantation with autologous limbal corneal epithelial cells in vivo expanded on amniotic membrane.
Amnion ; Epithelial Cells* ; Rabbits ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stem Cells*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Teratoma*

No Abstract Available.
Epinephrine* ; Lidocaine*