For the purpose of providing the basic data for health management of workers who are exposed to chromium and for improving the quality of working environment, the authors evaluated blood and urinary level of chromium, the occupational history, AST, ALT, Hb, Hct, nasal specular examination on 287 workers who have been dealed chromium compounds in 56 manufacturing industries of five types, that is, 38 metal plating services(plating), 4 manufacture of other fabricated metal products (fabricated metal product), 5 manufacturing of dyestuff(dyestuff), 6 dressing and dyeing of leather (leather), 3 others (manufacture of pottery and ceramic household wares, motor vehicles, electronic valves and tubes and other electronic components) and also measured the level of chromium in air from February to october 1993. The results were as follows; 1. The utilized type of chromium compounds was the hexavalent state in plating, fabricated metal product, dyestuff leather and the trivalent state in other, and atmospheric chromium concentration as geometric mean was 0.0138m3(0.001~0.068 mg/m3) in plating, 0.0115 mg/m3(0.006~0.015 mg/m3) in fabricated metal product, 0.068 mg/m3 (0.002~0.019 mg/m3)in dyestuff, 0.0083 mg/m3(0.002~0.028 mg/m3) in leather, 0.0039 mg/m3(0.003~0.005 mg/m3) in other by the type of industry and it exceeded TLV-TWA (0.05 mg/m3) in five(13.6%) of plating services. 2. The geometric mean of chromium in blood was 1.54 microgram/dl(0.10~3.62 microgram/dl) in planting, 0.94 microgram/dl(0.27~2.82 microgram/dl) in fabricated metal product, 0.51 microgram/dl(0.10~3.25 microgram/dl) in dyestuff, 0.87 microgram/dl(0.15~8.00 microgram/dl) in leather 0.55 microgram/dl(0.20~2.28 microgram/dl) in other by the type of industry(P<0.001). 3. The geometric mean of chromiurn in urine was 14.47 microgram/l(6.90~28.00 microgram/l) in planting, 4.63 microgram/l(0.24~43.00 microgram/l) in fabricated metal product, 5.93 microgram/l(1.00~33.00 microgram/l) in dyestuff. 11.09 microgram/l(0.80~48.00 microgram/l) in leather, 12.41 microgram/l(10.10~41.00 microgram/l) in other by the type of industry(P<0.001). 4 As the result of nasal specular examination, twenty four cases(8.4%) of nasal septal perforation among 287 total subjects was observed, and there were 17(9.7%) cases in plating, 4 cases(14.3%) in dressing and dyeing of leather. In the comparison of chromium concentration in blood and urine between the perforated group and nonperforated group the perforated group showed a significantly higher value as 1.883+/-3.055 microgram/dl and 0.793+/-0.815 microgram/dl(P<0.001). 21.31+/-34.610 microgram/L and 9.304+/-11.079 microgram/L(P<0.001). 5. The mean concentration of chromium in blood, urine and the mean level of AST, ALT, Hb and Hct in exposure group were higher than those of control group(P<0.001).
Bandages ; Ceramics ; Chromium Compounds ; Chromium* ; Electroplating ; Family Characteristics ; Motor Vehicles ; Nasal Septal Perforation ; Plants ; Threshold Limit Values

BACKGROUND: In treating minor-form or microform cleft lip, obtaining an optimal result is a challenge because of the visible scarring caused by traditional surgery. We present a refined method using muscle overlapping with a minimal skin incision in patients younger than 3 years, a group characterized by thin muscle. METHODS: The surgical technique involves restoration of the notched vermillion using Z-plasty, formation of the philtral column using overlapping of an orbicularis oris muscle flap through an intraoral incision, and correction of the cleft lip nasal deformity using a reverse-U incision and V-Y plasty. A single radiologist evaluated ultrasonographic images of the upper lip. RESULTS: Sixty patients were treated between September 2008 and June 2014. The age at the time of operation ranged from 6 to 36 months (mean, 26 months). The follow-up period ranged from 8 to 38 months (mean, 20 months) in minor-form cases and from 14 to 64 months (mean, 37 months) in microform cases. A notched cupid's bow was corrected in 10 minor-form cases and 50 microform cases. Ultrasonographic images were obtained from 3 patients with minor-form cleft lip and 9 patients with microform cleft lip 12 months after surgery. The average muscle thickness was 4.5 mm on the affected side and 4.1 mm on the unaffected side. CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of the proposed procedure include the creation of an anatomically natural philtrum with minimal scarring. This method also preserves the continuity and function of the muscle and provides sufficient augmentation of the philtral column and nostril sill.
Cicatrix ; Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lip ; Methods ; Microfilming* ; Skin* ; Surgical Flaps

Renal lymphoma is usually clinically silent and occurs late in the disease, after the diagnosis of generalized lymphoma has been established. Rarely, however, renal disease may be the earliest manifestation. Herein we report a case of malignant lymphoma involving kidney in a 41-year-old male who underwent radical nephrectomy because of a presumptive diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lymphoma* ; Male ; Nephrectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The most effective method of improving survival in patients with HCC is early diagnosis and curative hepatic resection. However, longterm survival after curative resection remains low because of high recurrence rate after resection. The purpose of the study is to assess the prognosis and the efficacy of the various treatment modalities on recurrent HCC after curative resection. METHODS: The clinical records of 50 patients with recurrent HCC were reviewed retrospectively who underwent curative surgery in Yonsei University, Severance Hospital from Jan. 1987 through Oct. 1994. The cummulative recurrent rate after resection, the response rate of treatment after resection, the median progression free survival and the survival after recurrence according to the treatment modalities were evaluated. RESULTS: The cummulative recurrent rate after resection was 3.9% at 3 month, 8.3% at 6 month, 14.1% at 12 month, 21.5% at 24 month, 23.4% at 36 month and 24.4% at 60 month. The response rate of treatment after recurrence was 23.7% (9 patients). The median progression free survival of the patient with reoperation and hepatic embolization was 13.9 months, that of conservative treatment group was 6.8 months and that of no treatment group was 4 months(p = 0.004). The survival after recurrence of HCC was 19.7 months in reoperation and hepatic embolization group, 11.4 months in multimodality group, 16.9 months in conservative treatment group and 8.4 months in no treatment group(p=0.0998). CONCLUSION: Reoperation and hepatic embolization for HCC after curative resection was effective in improving progression free survival, but overall survival were not significantly different according to the treatment modalities. This results proposed that reoperation and hepatic embolization for recurrent HCC after curative resection improve progression free survival.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Prognosis* ; Recurrence ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies

The gastric polyps may be premalignant lesions and they should be removed as possible. The gastric polyps can be remoued by various endoscopic methods. The safety and therapeutic effectiveness of snare polypectomy, neodymium YAG laser therapy and electrocutery were compared in a total number of 106 patients who were diagnosed as benign polyps by means of endoscopic biopsy.Safety was evaluated by the rate of complications such as perforation and bleeding, and therapeutic effectiveness was evaluated by the average numbers of treatment session of each modality. Average numbers of treatment session of snare polypectomy, laser therapy and electrocautery were 1.04, 1.38 and l.44, respectively. Average numbers of treatment session of snare polypectomy were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those of other two methods. Perforation was not occurred in any group. Bleeding rates after snare polypectomy, laser therapy and electrocautery were 17.4%, 1.0% and 3.8%, respectively. Bleeding was significantly (p<0,05) more frequent after snare polypectomy than after other two methods. In conclusion therapeutic effectiveness was best in snare polypectomy but complication was most frequent after snare polypectomy. There was no difference between laser therapy and electrocautery for therapeutic effectiveness and safety. Therfore, laser therapy and electrocautery caa be used for the removal of flat adenoma, alternatively.
Adenoma ; Electrocoagulation ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Neodymium ; Polyps ; SNARE Proteins

The gastric polyps may be premalignant lesions and they should be removed as possible. The gastric polyps can be remoued by various endoscopic methods. The safety and therapeutic effectiveness of snare polypectomy, neodymium YAG laser therapy and electrocutery were compared in a total number of 106 patients who were diagnosed as benign polyps by means of endoscopic biopsy.Safety was evaluated by the rate of complications such as perforation and bleeding, and therapeutic effectiveness was evaluated by the average numbers of treatment session of each modality. Average numbers of treatment session of snare polypectomy, laser therapy and electrocautery were 1.04, 1.38 and l.44, respectively. Average numbers of treatment session of snare polypectomy were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those of other two methods. Perforation was not occurred in any group. Bleeding rates after snare polypectomy, laser therapy and electrocautery were 17.4%, 1.0% and 3.8%, respectively. Bleeding was significantly (p<0,05) more frequent after snare polypectomy than after other two methods. In conclusion therapeutic effectiveness was best in snare polypectomy but complication was most frequent after snare polypectomy. There was no difference between laser therapy and electrocautery for therapeutic effectiveness and safety. Therfore, laser therapy and electrocautery caa be used for the removal of flat adenoma, alternatively.
Adenoma ; Electrocoagulation ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Neodymium ; Polyps ; SNARE Proteins

No abstract available.
Dust* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Pancytopenia*

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) directs class switch recombination (CSR) to IgA isotype, which is a predominant antibody in mucosal surfaces. Although IgA is preferentially committed in mucosal lymphoid tissues, it is not definitely established whether hallmarks of IgA CSR such as IgA germ-line transcripts (GLTalpha), post-switch transcripts (PSTalpha) and circle transcripts (CTalpha) are readily expressed in such tissues. Therefore, we compared the expression of these transcripts among mouse Peyer's patches (PP), mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and spleen. METHODS: Levels of GLTs, PSTs and CTs were measured by RT-PCR in isolated PPs, MLNs and spleen cells. RESULTS: GLTalpha and PSTalpha were well expressed in PP and MLN cells but in spleen cells. Similar patterns were observed in the expression of GLgamma2b and PSTgamma2b. On the other hand, these transcripts were only inducible in spleen cells upon stimulated with LPS and TGF-beta1. In addition, CTalpha and CTgamma2b were detected in PP cells. CONCLUSION: PP B cells readily express IgA GLT, PST, and CT. Overall expression patterns of these transcripts were similar in MLN cells. Thus, these results suggest that microenvironment of PP and MLN influences spontaneous IgA CSR, which lacks in systemic lymphoid tissues such as spleen.
Animals ; B-Lymphocytes ; Hand ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoid Tissue* ; Mice* ; Peyer's Patches ; Recombination, Genetic ; Spleen ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Essential thrombocytosis (ET) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by an anomalous increase in platelet production. Many patients with ET are asymptomatic. Few studies have reported ET-associated thromboembolism in large vessels such as the aorta. We report a patient with ET who presented with peripheral embolism from an abdominal aortic thrombus and developed acute limb ischemia. The patient underwent aortic replacement successfully. The patient’s platelet count was controlled with hydroxyurea, and no recurrence was noted over 2 years of follow-up.
Aorta ; Aorta, Abdominal* ; Blood Platelets ; Embolism ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydroxyurea ; Ischemia ; Myeloproliferative Disorders ; Platelet Count ; Recurrence ; Thrombocythemia, Essential ; Thrombocytosis ; Thromboembolism* ; Thrombosis