No abstract available.
Anesthesia* ; Liver Transplantation*

This study was conducted to determine the level of inflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with meningitis. All the CSF of the patients were examined by Gram and acid-fast stain, culture, and PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycoplasrma spp..The levels of sugar, protein and leukocytes count were also evaluated in the CSFs. Concentrations of Interleukin (IL)-1B, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in the CSF were evaluated by the ELISA kit (Genzyme, USA). General bacteria, tubercle bacilli, and Mycoplasma spp. were not detected with stain and culture methods, but, Mycoplasma spp. was detected by PCR method from four (6.3%) patients with meningitis. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-cx in the control group were 0.6+/-0.2, 896.8+/-107.6, 50.1+/-5.1, and 4.8+/-1.4 pg/ml, respectively. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a in the patients with aseptic meningitis were 3.8+/-0.6, 1261.6+/-144.3, 466.7+/-42.3, and 10.8+/-2.0 pg/ml, respectively. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a in the patients with mycoplasmal meningitis were 10.2+/-8.1, 1979.5+/-133.8, 459.7+/-96.4, and 17.5+/-5.1 pg/ml, respectively. There were significantly differences in the levels of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a between control and patients with aseptic meningitis or Mycoplasmal meningitis (each p<0.001). These results suggest that increased levels of IL-1B, IL-8, and TNF-a could be higly suggestive of meningitis.
Bacteria ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Interleukin-8* ; Interleukins ; Leukocytes ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Risk Factors*

The congenital ball-and-socket ankle joint is a rare condition and is associated with congenital shortening of the lower extrimity and various skeletal abnormalities of the foot. This disease entity was reported in the German literature by Politzer in 1931 and in the English literature by Lamb in 1958. Several series have been reported since, suggesting that the condition may not be as rare as generally thought. This case is, to our knowledge, the first reported in this country.
Ankle Joint ; Ankle ; Foot

No abstract available.
Animals ; Gene Expression* ; Genes, Immediate-Early* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Charcoal* ; Drug Therapy* ; Mitomycin* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: Microdeletion syndromes not detectable by conventional cytogenetic analysis have been reported to occur in approximately 5% of patients with unexplained mental retardation (MR). Therefore, it is essential to ensure that patients with MR are screened for these microdeletion syndromes. Mental retardation syndrome multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MRS-MLPA) is a new technique for measuring sequence dosages that allows for the detection of copy number changes of several microdeletion syndromes (1p36 deletion syndrome, Williams syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, Miller-Dieker syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome, Alagille syndrome, Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, and Sotos syndrome) to be processed simultaneously, thus significantly reducing the amount of laboratory work. METHODS: We assessed the performance of MLPA (MRC-Holland, The Netherlands) for the detection of microdeletion syndromes by comparing the results with those generated using FISH assays. MLPA analysis was carried out on 12 patients with microdeletion confirmed by FISH (three DiGeorge syndrome, four Williams syndrome, four Prader-Willi syndrome, and one Miller-Dieker syndrome). RESULTS: The results of MLPA analysis showed a complete concordance with FISH in 12 patients with microdeletion syndromes. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these results, we conclude that MLPA is an accurate, reliable, and cost-effective alternative to FISH in the screening for microdeletion syndromes.
*Chromosome Deletion ; Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias/genetics ; DiGeorge Syndrome/genetics ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence/*methods ; Laboratories, Hospital ; Mental Retardation/*diagnosis/genetics ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/*methods ; Prader-Willi Syndrome/genetics ; Williams Syndrome/genetics

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and has been described as a useful tumor marker and one of the poor prognostic indicators in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To investigate the role and cellular localization of TGF-beta1 during multistep hepatocarcinogenesis we performed a quantitative analysis of TGF-beta1 mRNA and immunohistochemical expression of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta receptor II (TGF-betarII) in female Sprague-Dawley rats. The experimental groups included neoplastic lesions produced by Solt-Farber's protocol, regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy, and normal control. Quantitative change of TGF-beta1 mRNA was analysed by competitive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). TGF-beta1 protein and TGF-betarII expression were evaluated by immunohistochemical stain. The discrete tumor nodules were detected on 14th day and then increased in number and size. Three HCCs were induced on 8th or 9th month. RT-PCR demonstrated TGF-beta1 mRNA band in all examples of the normal and regenerating liver, nodules and HCCs. Competitive RT-PCR displayed higher TGF-beta1 mRNA in nodules, HCCs and regenerating liver than in normal controls. Hepatocytes from control and regenerating livers showed weak immunoreactivity for TGF-beta1. In contrast, the cytoplasm of hepatocytes of nodules in 7th, 8th and 9th month and HCCs were intensely stained for TGF-beta1. Some sinusoidal cells showed immunoreactivity for TGF-beta1 in all experimental groups. In early phase of carcinogenesis, the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in liver of 12h, 1d and 3d showed transiently increased immunoreactivity for TGF-beta1 and The immunoreactivity decreased thereafter. TGF-beta1 mRNA was also detected in the neoplastic hepatocytes by in-situ hybridization. Although TGF-betarII expression was correlated with TGF-beta1 immunoreactivity during early phase of carcinogenesis, hepatocytes in most nodules in 7th, 8th, 9th month and carcinomas showed decreased or little immunoreactivity for TGF-betarII. Based on the above results, it is concluded that TGF-beta1 expression increases not only in precancerous nodules but also in HCCs and its increase seems to be correlated with decrease or loss of TGF-betarII expression although its mechanism remains unclear. Hepatocytes may be a major cellular source of TGF-beta1 during hepatocarcinogenesis.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cytoplasm ; Diethylnitrosamine* ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Liver ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley* ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1* ; Transforming Growth Factors*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the association of family support, self-efficacy, health literacy and perceived health status with health-promoting behavior (HPB) in married immigrant women. METHODS: A cross-sectional based survey was conducted to collect data from married immigrant women living in Gyeongsang province. Questionnaires included Health promoting lifestyle profile II, General self-efficacy scale, Korean Health literacy assessment and perceived health status. RESULTS: 157 subjects participated in the study (mean age, 30.47±6.83). Their duration of living in Korea was 63.05±50.11 months. Of the participants, 59.2% were Vietnamese. The level of HPB, perceived health status, health literacy, support of family and self-efficacy were 2.58±0.42, 3.39±0.86, 25.12± 20.99, 3.83±0.70 and 3.61±0.53 respectively. Factors affecting the HPB of the participants were support from family (β =.45, p<.001) and self-efficacy (β=.16, p<.05). The explanatory power of these two variables was 34.2%. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the factors influencing the HPB of married immigrant women include support from family and self-efficacy. A variety of programs should be provided for families so that they can support those women to help them increase their HPB. It is recommended that more various programs be provided to increase their self-efficacy.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Female ; Health Literacy* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Self Efficacy

Solar urticaria is a fairly uncommon but Well recognized clinical entity characterized by erythema and wheal with itching immediately following exposure to sunlight or artifical radiation. A 33-year-old female had a six-year duration of urticaria, tightness of chest and dizziness that appeared within 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight. The action spectrum of this patient was between 320 and 400nm and the passive and reverse passive transfer test were negative. Solar urticaria of our patient appeared to belong to type g in the classification of Harber et al(1963). The patient was treated with antihistamines and repeated exposure to sunlight for inducing tolerance. After 3 months of the treatment, the symptoms did not appear even after 3 hours of exposure to sunlight.
Adult ; Classification ; Dizziness ; Erythema ; Female ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Intradermal Tests ; Pruritus ; Sunlight ; Thorax ; Urticaria*