PURPOSE: The present study is an investigation of the progression and prognosis of acute intrinsic renal failure in neonates and children with a diagnosis of acute renal failure or other diseases on admission. METHODS: This research is based on a retrospective analysis conducted on 59 patients(male: female=2.2:1) diagnosed with acute intrinsic renal failure between January 2000 and June 2006 at Busan Paik Hospital. The clinical diagnostic criteria of acute renal failure used was serum creatinine <1.2 mg/dL, oliguria with urine output< or =0.5 mL/kg/hr and anuria with urine output <50 mL per day. RESULTS: Among those placed under investigation, 7 patients were neonates, 10 patients were 2 months-2 years old, 12 patients were 3-6 years old, 21 patients were 7-12 years old and 9 patients were 13-16 years old. It took 3.1+/-2.8 days on average until the diagnosis was made. The urine output distribution was 21 persons for the oliguria group, and 36 persons for the non-oliguria group, and 2 persons for the anuria group. For the underlying causes, 30 persons were classified in the primary renal disease group, 14 persons in the infection group, 9 persons in the malignancy group, and 6 persons were categorized in another group. As for age distribution, the infected group was predominantly neonates, whereas the dominant age ranges for the primary renal disease and infection categories were 2 months to 2 years old. Also, the primary renal disease was dominant among older children, aged 3 and up. No difference was detected according to seasonal prevalence. However, there was a high morbidity rate among hemolytic uremic syndrome diagnosed in the summer. Peritoneal dialysis was used to treat 4 patients. It took 10.0+/-6.7 days until the patients improved. 18 patients died. The non-oliguria group's mortality rate was lower than other groups. There was a high mortality rate in the neonates and malignancy group. CONCLUSIONS: Acute renal failure in childhood seems to take a better clinical course than in adulthood when there is an early diagnosis and proper treatment of underlying diseases.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Anuria ; Child ; Creatinine ; Early Diagnosis ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Oliguria ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons

From December 1987 to September 1988, clinical evaluation were performed at the Yeungnam University Hospital on 138 patients with exudative pleural effusion comparing with biochemical, bacteriologic, cytologic and pathologic studies. The results were as follows 1. Among these 138 cases, Incidence of tuberculosis was 57.3%, neoplasm 26.8%. High tendency in malignant pleural effusion occurred in elder age. 2. In tuberculosis pleural effusion, the rate of positive smear and culture for acid-fast bacilli in the pleural fluid was 3.7% and positive biopsy for granuloma 75%. 3. In malignant pleural effusion, the rate of positive cytology for cancer cell in the fluid was 42% and positive biopsy 60%. 4. Analysis in tuberculosis and malignancy showed the tendency of high pH, WBC, protein and of low glucose, but there were clinically not significant in differentiating malignant pleural effusion from tuberculous pleural effusion. 5. Among 23 cases in which the pleural tissue findings were chronic nonspecific reaction pathologically, tuberculosis (52.2%), malignancy (26%), and idiopathic (21.8%) eventually in follow up studies.
Biopsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Incidence ; Pleural Effusion* ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Tuberculosis

Eaton Lambert Syndrome (ELS) is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission. The defect of neuromuscular transmission is due to decrease in the release of acetylcholine quanta from nerve terminal. This syndrome is frequently associated with bronchogenic carcinoma. The diagnosis is established by electromyography, which characteristically shows 1) low amplitude of evoked compound muscle potential to a single supramaximal stimulus on nerve, 2) significant decremental response at low rates of stimulation 3) marked incremental response at high rates of stimulation. Our patient is 52year old man with dyspnea, coughing and muscle weakness of proximal lower limbs. He has small cell lung cancer and associated with ELS, Superior vena cava syndrome and has metastatic lesion on right supraclavicular lymph node confirmed by pathology. Metastatic mass and SVC syndrome are marked improved following chemotherapy and radiotherapy, however follow up EMG finding does not improved. We are here reporting one case which considered compatible for ELS, with a few elementary reviewed literatures.
Acetylcholine ; Carcinoma, Bronchogenic ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Dyspnea ; Electromyography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome* ; Lower Extremity ; Lymph Nodes ; Muscle Weakness ; Pathology ; Radiotherapy ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Pleural effusion is a common clinical problem and many clinical and laboratory evaluations, such as tumor marks, have been studied to discriminate malignant pleural fluid from benign pleural fluid. However their usefulness in the diagnosis of pleural effusion is still not established fully. We studied the diagnostic value of cyfra 21-1 in diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion. METHODS: Pleural fluid was obtained from 45 patients with malignant diseases(32 lung cancer patients, 13 metastatic malignant diseases) and 47 patients with benign diseases. The level of cyfra 21-1 in the pleural fluid and serum were determined using a CYFRA 21-1 enzyme immunoassay kit(Cis-Bio International Co.). The t-test was used for comparison between two diseases groups and receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves were constructed by calculating the sensitivities and specificities of the cyfra 21-1 at several points to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the cyfra 21-1. RESULTS: In patients with primary lung cancer, the level of cyfra 21-1 in the pleural fluid was significantly higher than those of patients with benign diseases and had positive correlations between the level of cyfra 21-1 in the pleural fluid and serum levels. In the ROC curve analysis of the pleural fluid, the curve for primary lung cancer group was located closer to the left upper corner and the cut off value, sensitivity and specificity of the cyfra 21-1 of the primary lung cancer group was determined as 22.25ng/ml, 81.8% and 78.7% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicates that the measurement of cyfra 21-1 level in pleural effusion has useful diagnostic value to discriminate malignant pleural effusion in primary lung cancer from benign pleural effusion.
Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Lung Neoplasms ; Pleural Effusion* ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; ROC Curve

Typhoid fever is an acute systemic febrile disease caused by Salmonella typhi. The classic picture of the disease consists of prolonged continuous or remitting fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rose spots and delirium. Salmonella infection can lead to diffuse organ involvement, including bone, lung, thyroid, kidney, liver, spleen, heart, pericardium, intestine and skin and cause a variety of complications. Pulmonary manifestations occur in only 1 percent of the patients. Mild cough with sticky sputum is the earliest symptom and bronchitis, pneumonia and lung abscess were presented. Recenfly we experienced a case of typhoid fever complicated by bronchitis, dysplasia in a 37-year-old male physician who was improved with ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin We report this case with a review of the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Bronchitis* ; Ceftriaxone ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cough ; Delirium ; Diarrhea ; Fever ; Heart ; Humans ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Lung Abscess ; Male ; Pericardium ; Pneumonia ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella typhi ; Skin ; Spleen ; Sputum ; Thyroid Gland ; Typhoid Fever*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the this study was to compare the effects of clonidine (a alpha2-adrenoceptor and imidazoline receptor agonist), yohimbine (a selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist) and idazoxan (a alpha2-adrenoceptor and imidazoline receptor antagonist) on extracellular monoamines and their metabolites by using the awakening animal microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) in brain regions, which are suggested to have regulatory role in depression. METHODS: We used intracerebral microdialysis in awakening rats by inserting probe through the dorsal hippocampus and occipital cortex especially in primary visual cortex, We studied respective effects of 2.0 mg/kg of clonidine, 5.0 mg/kg of yohimbine, and 5.0 mg/kg of idazoxan on the release of MHPG (a major metabolite of norepinephrine), norepinephrine (NE), DOPAC (a major metabolite of dopamine), and 5-HIAA (a main metabolite of serotonin) by intraperitoneal administration. RESULTS: Clonidine decreased the release of MHPG, NE, DOPAC, and 5-HIAA in both dorsal hippocampus and occipital cortex regions, and there were no significant differences in releasing pattern of all monoamines and their metabolites. Both yohimbine and idazoxan enhanced the release of MHPG, NE, DOPAC, and 5-HIAA in both brain regions, but there were significant differences in releasing pattern of NE and 5-HIAA. Idazoxan induced the delayed and higher efflux of NE and 5-HIAA in the primary visual cortex than yohimbine, but not in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonists increase basal monoamine output and enhance the metabolism of them in the hippocampus and primary visual cortex, and the imidazoline receptor has modulatory role in the regulation of monoamine release in primary visual cortex than hippocampus. It also suggests that high turnover rate of serotonin and norepinephrine in primary visual cortex may contribute to the pathophysiological role in depression.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid ; Animals ; Brain ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Clonidine ; Depression ; Hippocampus* ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid ; Idazoxan ; Metabolism ; Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol ; Microdialysis ; Norepinephrine ; Rats* ; Serotonin ; Visual Cortex* ; Yohimbine

Typhoid fever is an acute systemic febrile disease caused by Salmonella typhi. The classic picture of the disease consists of prolonged continuous or remitting fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rose spots and delirium. Salmonella infection can lead to diffuse organ involvement, including bone, lung, thyroid, kidney, liver, spleen, heart, pericardium, intestine and skin and cause a variety of complications. Pulmonary manifestations occur in only 1 percent of the patients. Mild cough with sticky sputum is the earliest symptom and bronchitis, pneumonia and lung abscess were presented. Recenfly we experienced a case of typhoid fever complicated by bronchitis, dysplasia in a 37-year-old male physician who was improved with ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin We report this case with a review of the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Bronchitis* ; Ceftriaxone ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cough ; Delirium ; Diarrhea ; Fever ; Heart ; Humans ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Lung Abscess ; Male ; Pericardium ; Pneumonia ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella typhi ; Skin ; Spleen ; Sputum ; Thyroid Gland ; Typhoid Fever*

High frequency ventilation (HFV) is a new ventilatory technique that uses very small tidal volume (less than the anatomic dead space) and high frequency, and classified 4 distinct types according to frequency and mode of gas delivery. The mechanism of gas transport of high frequency oscillation ventilation (HFOV) is somewhat different to other types of HFV. To evaluate the determinants of PaCO² in HFOV, a study was done with a HFOV on 9 cats, and the results are: 1) PaCO² was not correlated with frequency at the constant stroke volume (6 voltage) and bias flow (6 L/minutes). 2)PaCO² was correlated with stroke volume but not with bias flow under the constant frequency (15 Hz/min) and bias flow (3 to 6 L/min). From above results, the main determinant of PaCO² on artificial ventilation with HFOV was stroke volume, but further study between flow, the site of delivery to the airway and humidification of bias flow and CO² elimination is required in future research.
Animals ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Cats* ; High-Frequency Ventilation* ; Stroke Volume ; Tidal Volume ; Ventilation

Cold agglutinin disease is a kind of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, caused by cold agglutinin, serum autoantibodies activated at reduced body temperatures to produce red blood cell agglutination and hemolysis. In this paper we described a case of severe hemolytic anemia in a cold agglutinin disease patient treated with therapeutic plasma exchange. Therapeutic plasma exchanges were performed four times every other day. Over the same period, a total of 8 units of washed red blood cells were transfused. Then hemoglobin was increased from 4.0 g/dL to 7.8 g/dL. On the 12th hospital day hemoglobin level was decreased again to 4.2 g/dL and fludarabine chemotherapy was started on the 14th hospital day. The patient's symptoms were relieved and she was discharged on the 30th hospital day. As in this case, therapeutic plasma exchange could be considered as secondary therapy for temporary improvement of acute severe hemolytic anemia in cold agglutinin disease.
Agglutination ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* ; Autoantibodies ; Body Temperature ; Drug Therapy ; Erythrocytes ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Plasma Exchange*

PURPOSE: The isolated human chondrocytes for cartilage reconstruction and transplantation presents a major problem as these cells would change biologically in vitro. For more effective applications of these cells in the clinical field, it is necessary to get a large amount of cells in a short period without affecting their function and phenotype. METHODS: This study reports the effects of placenta extract on chondrocytes in vitro. We initiated this study on the basis of the hypothesis that placenta extract can influence both the proliferation of chondrocytes and their biologic functions(for example, to express cell specific gene or to produce their own extracellular matrix). Chondrocytes in monolayer culture with or without placenta extract were collected and analyzed by MTT assay, ECM assay, and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Placenta extract stimulated the proliferation of chondrocytes in monolayer culture. The phenotype of chondrocytes was well maintained during the expansion in monolayers. Chondrocytes expanded in the presence of placenta extract produced ECM, glycosaminoglycan, abundantly. Compared to chondrocyte expanded in culture medium only, chondrocytes expanded with placenta extract demonstrated higher COL2A1 expression that was biochemically comparable to primary chondrocytes. This study provides an evidence that placenta extract is helpful to expand chondrocytes during tissue cultivation, to maintain their differentiated phenotype and to promote their function. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that placenta extract during cultivation play an important role in controlling cell behaviors. Furthermore, these results provide a biologic basis for cartilage tissue engineering.
Cartilage ; Chondrocytes* ; Humans* ; Phenotype ; Placenta* ; Tissue Engineering