BACKGROUND: To assess the clinical utility of new DNA extraction method, the authors attempted PCR using mycobacterial DNA extracted by Chelex 100 ion exchange resin method for 63 clinical samples in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and compared with proteinase K method, simultaneously. METHODS: We used Chelex 100 ion exchange resin for preparation of DNA. Decontaminated sputums were mixed with resin and incubated at 56degrees C and 100degrees C without opening tube. After centrifugation, supernatants were used directly as template for PCR. 245 bps in primary PCR and 188 bps in nested PCR were amplified and analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis EtBr staining. RESULTS: Chelex 100 ion exchange resin method is more simple, rapid and reliable than proteinase K method, and during sample preparation, carry-over contamination loss of amplificated DNA, influence of organic solvents and cross-contamination are diminished. The results of PCR products are interpreted more distinctively in Chelex 100 ion exchange resin method than proteinase K method. CONCLUSIONS: In the basis of the results, it could be suggested that extraction of mycobacterial DNA by Chelex 100 ion exchange resin is more simple, rapid reliable method than that of conventional method for detection of mycobacterial DNA in patients with tuberculosis by polymerase chain reaction.
Centrifugation ; Diagnosis* ; DNA* ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Endopeptidase K ; Humans ; Ion Exchange ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Solvents ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

The antigenic domain of the major surface protein (Nc-p43) of Neospora caninum was examined by polymerase chain reaction of its gene fragments and recombinant expression as GST fusion proteins. The fragments of Nc-p43 were as follow: a total open reading frame (OFR), T; OFR without signal sequence and C-terminal hydrophobic sequence, S; N-terminal 2/3 parts of S, A; C-terminal 2/3 parts, P; N-terminal 1/3 part, X; middle 1/3 part, Y; and C-terminal 1/3 part, Z, respectively. The DNA fragments were cloned into pGEX-4T vector. Recombinant plasmids transformed into Escherichia coli of BL21 pLysS (DE3) strain were induced to express GST or GST fused fragments of Nc-p43 such as 69 kDa protein for T, 66 kDa for S, 52 kDa for A, 53 kDa for P, and 40 kDa proteins for X, Y, and Z, respectively in SDS-PAGE. The Nc-p43 fragments of T, S, and P reacted with a bovine serum of neosporosis while those of A, X, Y, and Z together with GST did not in the western blot. These findings suggest that the antigenic domain of Nc-p43 of N. caninum may be localized in the C-terminal 2/3 parts. Together with A19 clone in SAG1 of Toxoplasma gondii (Nam et al., 1996), the P fragment of Nc-p43 could be used as efficient antigens to diagnose and differentiate those infections with both species.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Biological Markers/analysis ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Coccidiosis/diagnosis ; Neospora/*immunology ; Protozoan Proteins/*analysis/genetics/immunology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Vero Cells/parasitology

Acute infarcts of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) territory are unusual. Furthermore incomplete AICA infarcts are perplexing because of its variations of vascular anatomy and inconsistent clinical features. We present a case with clinical features of AICA infarction, which consist of ipsilateral peripheral-type facial palsy, vertigo, and contralateral facial and upper limb sensory changes without motor weakness. The patient had hypertension and was a current smoker. The high signal intensity on inferior pontine tegmental area was found on MRI and the R2 interneuronal dysfunction was note on Blink reflex. The angiographic findings didn't show any focal vascular lesions, which is contrary to the pathogenesis of AICA infarction published previously. On the clinical ground, the present case reserves to attention in that patients with peripheral-type facial palsy should be properly evaluated and with thorough neurological examination and we could differentiate between the incomplete AICA infarcts such as Gasperini syndrome and Bell's palsy.
Arteries ; Bell Palsy ; Blinking ; Facial Paralysis* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Interneurons ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Examination ; Upper Extremity ; Vertigo

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite recent advances in liver surgery, complication and mortality rate in hepatectomy are still high compared to other abdominal surgeries. Intraoperative stress such as bleeding, vascular occlusion, excessive mobilization and prolonged operation time is the most important factor in postoperative complications. Anterior approach avoiding hepatic mobilization and vascular occlusion in right hepatic lobectomy is a useful method for decreasing intraoperative stress. We investigated the effectiveness of anterior approach in right hepatic lobectomy. METHODS: We studied 33 cases of right hepatic lobectomy for malignant tumor between January 1993 and June1997. Thre were 13 cases of Anterior approach (group A) and 20 cases of classic right hepatic lobectomy (group B). We analyzed liver function test, arterial ketone body ratio(AKBR), operation time, blood transfusion during operation, hospital stay, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Total bilirubin levels at first and seventh postoperative days were 2.1+/-0.6mg/dl, 0.9+/-0.2mg/dl in group A and 2.7+/-1.3mg/dl, 1.0+/-0.3mg/dl in group B. AST were 189+/-65.3 IU/L, 43+/-13.5 IU/L in group A and 325+/-67.8 IU/L, 51+/-18.2 IU/L in group B. ALT were 169+/-30.5 IU/L, 52+/-17.4 IU/L in group A and 295+/-70.3 IU/L, 52+/-16.6 IU/L in group B. AKBR at intraoperative and immediate postoperative period were 0.58+/-0.06, 0.62+/-0.03 in group A and 0.38+/-0.04, 0.40+/-0.08 in group B. Neither operation time (in group A : 380.5+/-61.1 minutes, in group B : 342.9+/-54.8 minutes), transfusion volume during operation (group A : 1222+/-802cc, group B : 1410+/-476cc), nor hospital stay (group A : 22.8+/-3.5 days, group B : 19.1+/-1.4 days) were different between the two groups. Complication rate was lower in group A compared to that of group B (30.8% vs. 40.0%). There was 1 mortality in group B and no mortality in group A. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that right hepatic lobectomy through the anterior approach is a useful surgical procedure to reduce intraoperative surgical stress and postoperative complications.
Bilirubin ; Blood Transfusion ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatectomy ; Length of Stay ; Liver ; Liver Function Tests ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Frontotemporal Dementia ; Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

PURPOSE: The incidence of unhealed chronic fistula is about 7% and the cancer can occur in the longstanding unhealed fistula. The most of the cancer is mucinous adenocarcinoma. The report is diverse about treatment, adjuvant chemotherapy and prognosis. The purpose of this study is review of the clinical characteristics and survival of the anal cancer arising from chronic fistula-in-ano. METHODS: The number of patients was 10. The diagnosis is made under pathological examination at the Kanbuk Samsung Hospital from 1983 to 2000. The retrograde study was done with patients' records and telephone questionnaire. The survival rate was calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: All patients were male. The patients had symptoms of anal discharge and anal swelling suggesting the anal fistula. The patients had history of anal surgery. The external openings were multiple. Seven patients had mucinous adenocarcinoma. The prognosis was poor. Among 8 patients' follow-up data, except one patient, 7 patients died within 43 months. CONCLUSIONS: The anal cancer can occur in longstanding unhealed fistula. In our series, all patients were male, and they had multiple opening fistula. The patient who had small size tumor have only survived. Through meticulous exploring and deep biopsy of the fistula, early detection is best method to treat the anal cancer arising from chronic fistula-in-ano.
Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Anus Neoplasms* ; Biopsy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Diagnosis ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prognosis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rectal Fistula ; Survival Rate ; Telephone

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that younger patients with lung cancer have characteristic features that differ from those in older patients. The prognosis for young patients with this disease is controversial. This study aimed to determine the clinicopathological characteristics, the survival rate, and the risk factors associated with the overall survival rate in younger patients with lung cancer. METHODS: The records of 120 young(age≤40) patients with histologically confirmed lug cancer in the Korea Cancer Center Hospital(KCCH) between Jan. 1992 to 1998, 120 older(age>40) patients were randomly selected as the controls. RESULTS: More female patients(45.0% vs. 20.0%, p<0.001) and more adenocarcinoma cases(64.2% vs. 38.3%, p<0.001) were found in the younger group, when compared to the older patients. In NSCLC, advanced disease(stage III B and IV) was more common in the younger patients(90.2%) than in the older patients(62.7%) (p<0.001). The Median survival was 8.6 months in the younger patients and 12.2 months in the older(p=0.003). In a multivariate analysis, only the advanced-stage was an independent negative prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: Lung cancer in the younger age group presents with a more advanced stage resulting in a poor survival rate, which suggests that lung cancer in this population is more aggressive than in older patients.
Adenocarcinoma ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: A fistula in ano is a granulating track between the anorectum and the perianal region or perineum. A typical fistula may consist of the track, the primary (internal) opening and secondary (external) opening. Its hallmark is frequent discharge through external opening. Sometimes this track become occluded and a sinus remains. Therefore abscence of an external opening should not be taken as evidence that there is no fistula, and then this study is aimed to make clear perianal sinus as another form of fistula in ano. METHODS: This study is a clinical analysis of 17 patients with perianal sinus, who were treated at the Department of General Surgery of Pundang-CHA hospital from June, 1995 to December, 1998. As comparative group, 91 patients of typical fistula in ano were also taken in same period. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 4.6:1 in sinus group, 4.1:1 in fistula group. The prevalent ages were in the third decade in both group. The main symptoms of sinus group were a palpable mass (94.1%), pain & discomfort (35.3%) but that of fistula group were purulent discharge (87.9%) and pain (28.6%). The most frequent duration of illness was 6 months~1 year (52.9%) in sinus group, within 6 months (40.7%) in fistula group. The distributions of sinus size were 7 cases (41.2%) in <1 cm, 8 cases (47.0%) in 1~2 cm and 2 cases (11.8%) in >2 cm. The most common type was intersphincteric in both group. The operative procedures included excision with fistulectomy in 4 cases (23.5%), lay open of sinus with fistulotomy in 11 cases (64.7%), seton procedure in 2 cases (11.8%). The mean hospital stay was 5.0 day in sinus group, 4.9 day in fistula group. CONCLUSIONS: There was no distinct difference in the clinical features or characteristics between the both groups, therefore perianal sinuscould be taken as fistula in ano and treated similar procedures.
Female ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Perineum ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

No abstract available.
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt