No abstract available.
Communicable Diseases* ; Korea*

No abstract available.
Salmonella enteritidis

This study was carried out to investigate the ultrastructural findings of rats after administration of 0.5% lead acetate with drinking water. The Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control and experimental groups. The control group was composed of 12 rats and was orally administered with 0.5% sodium acetate. The experimental group was composed of 36 rats and orally administered with 0.5% lead acetate. Two rats in the control group and four rats in the experimental group were sacrificed on day 2, and week 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 after administration. The kidney was extirpated and examined by electron microscopy. The results obtained were as follows: The blood lead concentration in the experimental group began to increase from the second day after administration and it increased gradually until the 6th week and it decreased at the 8 week. The urinary excretion of delta-ALA also increased from the secondary and gradually increased up to the 8th week. On electron microscopic examination, the proximal tubular cells showed fat droplets, dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial swelling, increased numbers of secondary lysosomes and myelin figure-like residual bodies and intranuclear inclusion bodies. All these findings peaked at the eighth week after administration. Ultrastructural findings after Timm sulphide silver reaction revealed the lead granules in the proximal tubular lumen and between the microvilli of the proximal tubular cells without membrane-bounded. It can be concluded that most of the changes of micro-organelles are compatible with degenerative changes of lead exposure and passive diffusion of lead granules are involved in the proximal tubular cells.
Rats ; Animals

This study was conducted to evaluate the relations between alcohol intake and blood lipid level in a group of 1,138 Korean adult men, ages 20 to 69 years. Total number of each of a variety of drinks in the previous two weeks was obtained by questionnaire and converted into grams of alcohol consumed in a week. The levels of blood lipid such as Cholesterol, HDL-Cholesterol, Triglyceride and LDL-Cholesterol were examined by enzyme method. We also observed the effects of various variables such as age, body mass index, smoking, exercise and blood pressure on blood lipid level. The results obtained were as follows; 1. Average weekly alcohol intake was 129.0+/-167.4 gm and that of 30-39 age group was the highest as 149.3+/-170.4gm. 2. Levels of Cholesterol, Triglyceride and LDL-Cholesterol tended to increase with increasing age, but level of HDL-Cholesterol showed no significant relationship with age. 3. The positive linear regressions of alcohol intake on HDL-Cholesterol and Triglyceride were noted statistically significant. 4. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the effect of alcohol on HDL-Cholesterol and Triglyceride was statistically significant and the contribution rates were 5.0% and 0.8%, respectively. And, in the case of HDL-Cholesterol, the alcohol intake was the most significant independent variable.
Adult* ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Hemorrhage*

No abstract available.
Funnel Chest*

Achilles tendon is the most powerful and the biggest tendon of the body and its rupture is frequently sports-related. Many authors reported the effects of mobilization, electricity, ultrasound and various drugs as factors influencing the injured tendon. We studied the effects of early passive mobilization after firm suture using plantaris tendon as tension suture material and reinforcing membrane on the repair of a ruptured Achilles tendon. From March 1992 to December 1995, twenty-two operations on the Achilles tendon were carried out in our hospital. 1. Fourteen patients were male and eight patients were female. The mean patient age was 38 years, ranging from 13 to 68 years. Average follow-up periods was 2 years and 7 months, ranging from 12 months to 3 years and 8 months. 2. The rupture site was 4.7cm proximal to the tendon insertion into the calcaneus on average. 3. We performed the operations with end to end suture technique. After approximation of the ruptured ends of the tendon with a No. 5 Ethibond tension suture using a modified Kessler stitch, placed plantaris tendon in a fascial needle and pass it circumferentially and distal plantaris tendon is fanned out and tacked over the repair. 4. Postoperative treatment was done as following protocol Short leg cast was done with equinus position for initial 3 weeks, and then cast was removed, hydrotherapy and passive exercises was employed. About 6 weeks after operation when the foot can be brought to right angle, a reverse 90degrees ankle stop short leg brace was applied for additional 6 weeks and partial weight bearing was aUowed. 5. Follow-up results were classified according to the Arner-Lindholm scale. We had 16 excellent results and 6 satisfactory results. After rigid suture it may be possible to introduce a regimen of progressive isometric stimulation and protected loading and streching combined with removable orthosis. Such early exercises are likely to improve the rate of rehabilitation over plaster immobilization.
Achilles Tendon* ; Ankle ; Braces ; Calcaneus ; Electricity ; Exercise ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Hydrotherapy ; Immobilization ; Leg ; Male ; Membranes ; Needles ; Orthotic Devices ; Rehabilitation ; Rupture* ; Suture Techniques ; Sutures ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography ; Weight-Bearing

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a highly infectious viral illness. The epidemics of influenza occur from the late fall to the early spring nearly every year and are responsible for several hundred thousand death per year all over the world. Influenza vaccine is the primary method for preventing influenza and its more severe complications. The efficacy of influenza vaccination have been well known in developed countries. The influenza vaccination has been recommended as one of the tentative immunization schedule for indicated persons since 1997 in Korea. But there are still no available data about them, even though nearly 5 - 8 million doses of influenza vaccine were used in a winter season. PURPOSE: To assess the clinical efficacy of influenza vaccine against influenza-like illness(ILI) among Korean elderly(age over 65). METHODS: Primary study design - a prospective field trial. Study subjects and method - We prospectively observed the 1,488 vaccinee and 1,425 non-vaccinee in a community(Nonsan city) from November 1 1998 to March 31 1999. The vaccinee were those who randomly selected 100-200 per 13 sub-region(Myon) in Nonsan city, and the non-vaccinee were those who had not vaccinated until January 1999 among the Nonsan city elderly cohort. This cohort was consisted of 5,787 elderly(over 1/3 of total elderly population) who had ever visited the community health center or 13 public health offices in Nonsan city in 1998. We followed up these two groups two times-in January and April 1999 - by telephone survey. The questionnaire included the questions about the health behaviors, medical history, socioeconomic condition, medical security type, physical function status, medical facility utilization in the season, symptom and signs of influenza-like illness, number and type of the flu, hospitalization or not. We did throat swap to isolate the virus of 490 patient who had influenza -like symptoms in the same period. RESULTS: Influenza vaccination was significantly reduced the incidence of influenza -like illness(fever or chilling sensation and cough or sore throat) in the vaccinated. The preventive effect of influenza-like illness among influenza risk group was about 32%(95% CI, 20%-44%). The illness duration of main symptoms of influenza-like illness(fever, cough) was significantly shorter in the vaccinee. The consistency of the survey was noted quite high from the analysis of the result of test-retest(104 person). CONCLUSION: Influenza vaccination significantly reduced the incidence of influenza-like illness(32%) among elderly.
Aged ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cohort Studies ; Community Health Centers ; Cough ; Developed Countries ; Health Behavior ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunization Schedule ; Incidence ; Influenza Vaccines ; Influenza, Human* ; Korea ; Pharynx ; Prospective Studies ; Public Health ; Seasons ; Sensation ; Telephone ; Vaccination* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Meningitis, Meningococcal* ; Pericarditis*

Androgen acts via the androgen receptor and can play a critical role in the development and growth of the prostate and the pathophysiology of prostatic diseases. Testosterone is the most abundant circulating androgen and is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent androgen, by steroid 5alpha-reductase. There are two 5alpha-reductase isoenzymes, type 1 and type 2, in humans and animals. Type 2 5alpha-reductase predominates in the prostate. While deficiency of type 2 5alpha-reductase causes male pseudohermaphroditism, increased DHT has been implicated in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. The aim of this article is to highlight the significance of 5alpha-reductase in the development and growth of the prostate and pathogenesis of prostatic diseases.
46, XY Disorders of Sex Development ; Animals ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; Prostate ; Prostatic Diseases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Receptors, Androgen ; Sexual Development ; Testosterone