No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Prevalence* ; Seoul* ; Urolithiasis*

OBJECTIVES: EEG coherence could imply the connectivity between two different areas of the brain, which is known to be important in the pathophysiology of bipolar I disorder(BPD I) and schizophrenia. The authors investigated EEG coherence in patients with BPD I and schizophrenia to examine the connectivity of the neural circuit. METHODS: EEGs were recorded in 15 schizophrenia and 14 bipolar disorder patients, and 14 age-matched normal control subjects from 16 electrodes with linked-ear reference. Spectral parameters and coherence were calculated for the alpha bandwidth(8-13Hz) by a multi-channel autoregressive model using 20 artifact-free 2-seconds epochs and the differences were compared among three groups by two different statistical methods; F-test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Furthermore, when there were significant differences among three groups, Scheffe's multiple comparison tests were provided and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests for the ordered alternative were given. RESULTS: In the intra-hemispheric comparison, left frontal coherence was increased in order of control, BPD I and schizophrenia. In the inter-hemispheric comparison, 1) inter-prefrontal coherence in BPD I was significantly higher than in normal controls, and 2) inter-prefrontal coherence in schizophrenia was significantly lower than in controls. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 1) both schizophrenia and BPD I are diseases having the abnormality of neural circuit connectivity in both frontal and prefrontal lobes, and 2) the abnormality is more severe in schizophrenia than in BPD I. Furthermore, the data support that a common pathogenetic process may reside in both schizophrenia and BPD I.
Bipolar Disorder* ; Brain ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography* ; Humans ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVES: Synapsin III near VCFS region on chromosome 22q affects. It could be an interesting candidate gene for schizophrenia. D22S280 is a highly polymorphic genetic marker residing in synapsin III. We examined association of D22S280 marker on synapsin III with Korean patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The subjects were 46 male Korean patients with schizophrenia and 60 male normal controls. Using polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, ABI 310 genetic analyzer, and GeneScan Collection 3.1 software, we confirmed genotypes of D22S280 marker. We examined Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and case-control association using SAS/Genetic 9.1.3. RESULTS: Genotypes of both schizophrenia and control groups were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We could not find any significant statistical differences in allele-wise(chi-square=10.4, df=6, p=0.098) and genotype-wise (chi-square=22.1 df=19, p=0.258) analyses of D22S280 marker between schizophrenia and normal controls. Individual allele analyses with df=1 showed significant differences in A1(p=0.025) and A7(p=0.034) allele, which were not significant following Bonferroni corrections(A1 : p=0.177, A7 : p=0.235). CONCLUSION: We couldn't find any association between schizophrenia and the synapsin III gene. Given the small number of subjects studied, further investigations are needed.
Alleles ; Case-Control Studies ; Electrophoresis ; Genetic Markers ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Schizophrenia* ; Synapsins*

BACKGROUND: Toxin immunoassay is widely used for rapid diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of Tox A/B Quik Chek test (TECHLAB, Blacksburg, VA, USA) compared to toxigenic culture. METHODS: From September 2006 to August 2007, 959 stools were examined by Tox A/B Quik Chek test and toxigenic culture (C. difficile culture plus tcdB PCR using colonies obtained from culture). RESULTS: Compared to the results of toxigenic culture, the sensitivity and specificity of Tox A/B Quik Chek test were 47.5% and 97.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of Tox A/B Quik Chek test was not high, but the specificity was high. Although Tox A/B Quik Chek test alone is not sufficient to diagnose Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, it may aid rapid diagnosis, early treatment and prevention of nosocomial spread of the infection, if supplemented by C. difficile culture or tissue culture cytotoxin assay.
Bacterial Proteins ; Bacterial Toxins ; Boron Compounds ; Clostridium ; Clostridium difficile ; Diarrhea ; Early Diagnosis ; Enterotoxins ; Immunoassay ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Volatile agents have been reported to protect myocardium against ischemia. But, there were a few clinical reports about the myocardial protection of inhalation agents. So we investigated the cardiac protection of sevoflurane in comparison with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). The study is a retrospective unrandomized study via the medical record review. METHODS: The records of 102 patients who received off-pump CABG were reviewed. One patient group received TIVA by midazolam and sufentanil continuous infusion (TIVA group, n = 68), and the other patient group received an inhalational anesthesia by sevoflurane (sevoflurane group, n = 34). Except maintenance of anesthesia, two groups of patients received an identical surgical, anesthetical, and postoperative care. At arrival in the intensive care unit, and after 1, 2, 3 and 5 days, serum cardiac enzyme levels were measured. RESULTS: All the median values of cardiac enzyme concentrations were lower in the sevoflurane group than TIVA group. Moreover, there were the significant differences between groups at the immediate postoperative CK-MB (median 4.7 ng/ml versus 5.9 ng/ml (P = 0.049)), 1-5 days postoperative LD (1 day 271.5 U/L versus 292 U/L (P = 0.045), 2 day 227.5 U/L versus 270 U/L (P = 0.009), 3 day 215 U/L versus 250 U/L (P = 0.030), 5 day 218 U/L versus 231 U/L (P = 0.005)), and 1, 3 postoperative troponin I level (0.485 ng/ml versus 1.12 ng/ml [P = 0.029], 0.090 ng/ml versus 0.235 ng/ml [P = 0.047] respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Sevoflurane lowered cardiac enzyme levels in comparison with TIVA after off-pump CABG anesthesia. These data suggest a cardioprotective effect of sevoflurane during CABG.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Intensive Care Units ; Ischemia ; Medical Records ; Methyl Ethers ; Midazolam ; Myocardium ; Postoperative Care ; Retrospective Studies ; Sufentanil ; Troponin I

PURPOSE: The 2005 resuscitation guidelines stipulate the need for monitoring CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) quality. Recently, several clinical investigations have shown that a real time monitoring and feedback system is effective for improving the quality of chest compressions during resuscitation. However little data exists regarding the accuracy of the monitoring system using an accelerometer sensor and a pressure sensor for the measuring of compression rate and depth. Our goal for this study was to investigate how well chest compression rate and depth can be estimated using the monitoring system. METHODS: Thirty seconds of continuous chest compressions were delivered on a standard skillmeter manikin lying on the floor with the monitoring system. The chest compressions were delivered with variations in compression rate (67~142 /min) and with variations in compression depth (22~61 mm). A total of 120 sets of compressions were delivered for validation of rate and depth. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient for compression rate between the monitoring system and the standard method was 0.999 (p<0.001), and Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean bias of -0.10+/-0.77/min, with limits of agreement ranging from -1.60 to 1.40 /min. The correlation coefficient for compression depth between two methods was 0.983 (p<0.001), and Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean bias of 4.2+/-2.0 mm, with limits of agreement ranging from 0.24 to 8.10 mm. CONCLUSION: Compared with a skillmeter manikin, a monitoring system for the quality of CPR estimates chest compression rate precisely, but overestimates chest compression depth by an average of 10.3%.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Deception ; Delivery of Health Care ; Floors and Floorcoverings ; Manikins ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Resuscitation ; Thorax

A case of microvenular hemangioma in a 38-year-old female is described. The patient presented with a slowly growing, solitary reddish nodule on Lt. posterior thigh, which measured 1x1 cm. Histologically, the tumor was an infiltrative growth throughout the dermis. It consisted of thin-walled, small sized, irregularly branched vessels. The vascular lumina were narrow. The flattened endothelial cells had oval to spindle-shaped nuclei and scant cytoplasm that were immunohistochemically positive for factor VIII-related antigen and smooth muscle actin. The tumor cells lacked cellular atypia, pleomorphism, and mitotic figures. We diagnosed this case as microvenular hemangioma.
Actins ; Adult ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Hemangioma* ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth ; Thigh ; von Willebrand Factor

Continuous measurement of arterial pressure is frequently required in the perioperative management of critically ill patients and major surgeries. The complications following arterial cannulation include hematoma, thrombosis, ischemia, infection, aneurysm formation at the site of catheter insertion, and so on. The authors report a case of the sheared catheter during the arterial cannulation and the subsequent surgical removal of its remnant.
Aneurysm ; Arterial Pressure ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Critical Illness ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Thrombosis ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the cell growth inhibition, regulation of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis through recombinant p53 adenoviral vector delivery into cervical cancer cell line SiHa, to explore the possibility of p53 gene therapy. METHODS: We infected SiHa with AdCMVp53 at 50 MOI. After 48 hours, the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis were investigated with FACS. The gene expression profiling associated with cell cycle was also investigated with cell cycle DNA membrane chip. RESULTS: SiHa cells were arrested in the G1 phase by AdCMVp53 and showed cell growth inhibition via apoptosis. The gene expression profiles involved in cell cycle including cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C (p57, Kip2), RAD9 (S.pombe) homolog, and MAD2 (mitoticarrest deficient, yeast, homolog)-like 2 were up-regulated by more than three-fold, as compared to control group. In contrast, 6 genes such as retinoblastoma-like 2 (p130), and cyclin H were down-regulated by more than three-fold. Several genes known as being differentially up- or down-regulated compared to control were confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blotting assays. CONCLUSION: The adenoviral p53 gene delivery into cervical cancer cell line, suggesting the possibility of p53 gene therapy in cervical neoplasia make the cell growth inhibition and changes of cell cycle-associated gene expression.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle Proteins* ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Line* ; Cyclin H ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p57 ; DNA ; G1 Phase ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Genes, p53 ; Membranes ; Transcriptome ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Yeasts

This study represents the first epidemiological study based on the national registry of primary immunodeficiencies (PID) in Korea. Patient data were collected from 23 major hospitals. A total of 152 patients with PID (under 19 yr of age), who were observed from 2001 to 2005, have been entered in this registry. The period prevalence of PID in Korea in 2005 is 11.25 per million children. The following frequencies were found: antibody deficiencies, 53.3% (n = 81), phagocytic disorders, 28.9% (n = 44); combined immunodeficiencies, 13.2% (n = 20); and T cell deficiencies, 4.6% (n = 7). Congenital agammaglobulinemia (n = 21) and selective IgA deficiency (n = 21) were the most frequently reported antibody deficiency. Other reported deficiencies were common variable immunodeficiencies (n = 16), X-linked agammaglobulinemia (n = 15), IgG subclass deficiency (n = 4). Phagocytic disorder was mostly chronic granulomatous disease. A small number of patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, hyper-IgE syndrome, and severe combined immunodeficiency were also registered. Overall, the most common first manifestation was pneumonia. This study provides data that permit a more accurate estimation PID patients in Korea.
Adolescent ; Agammaglobulinemia/congenital/epidemiology ; Age Distribution ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Common Variable Immunodeficiency/epidemiology ; Female ; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/epidemiology ; Humans ; IgA Deficiency/epidemiology ; IgG Deficiency/epidemiology ; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/*epidemiology ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Job's Syndrome/epidemiology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Registries ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/epidemiology ; Sex Distribution ; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome/epidemiology ; Young Adult