Background: Thyroperoxidase(TPO) is one of the most important autoantigens in autoimmune thyroid disorders and autoantibody to TPO is found in almost every patients with various autoimmune thyroid diseases. Human TPO was already cloned and the completed nucleotide sequences are well known. In human thyroid tissues, several variants mRNA's of TPO are found in addition to the wild type. Especially the variants lacking exon 10(TPOΔexon10) and exon 16(TPOΔ exon16) are found in very large amount in both normal and Graves thyroid tissues. The significance of these variants TPO mRNAs are largely unknown. The authors tried to investigate the autoantigenic role of these variant TPO. Methods : To produce variant TPO cDNAs, oligonucleotide directed mutagenesis was performed using cDNA for wild type human TPO as template. The produced variants cDNAs were transfected into Cos-7 cells and variants TPO proteins were tested against patients sera showing high titers of anti-TPO antibody. Results: Seven of 12 Graves sera reacted with TPOΔexon 10 and 8 Graves sera with TPOΔ exonl6. Eight of 15 Hashimoto sera reacted TPOΔexon16 and 9 with TPOΔexon16. The reactivity with variants TPO was not related to clinical findings. Conclusion: These two variant TPOs, that is TPOexon10 and TPOΔexon16, could act as an autoantigen if they were translated in vivo, and could play a role in autoimmune thyroid disease. Their exact role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disorders are to be clarified.
Animals ; Autoantigens ; Base Sequence ; Clone Cells ; COS Cells ; DNA, Complementary ; Exons ; Humans ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; RNA, Messenger ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland

BACKGROUND: Recently technetium-99m sestamibi (99mTc MIBI), which dose not require withdrawal of thyroid hormone, has been used for imaging of thyroid carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical usefulness of Tc MIBI scintigraphy after total thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma. The results were compared with those of standard 131I scintigraphy. METHODS: One hundred twelve patients with a median age of 44 years (range, 14-76 years) were included in the study. After optimal endogenous thyroid stimulating hormone stimulation (>50 mIU/mL), whole body scintigraphy using 4 mCi of 'I and 20 mCi of Tc sestamibi were done simultaneously. Concomitantly serum thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels were checked. If abnormal findings on any of the scintigraphic methods or high levels of thyroglobulin (> 10ng/mL) were detected, diagnostic imaging studies were done to confirm the existence of the disease. And high dose (150-200 mCi) 'I was administered as therapy and then whole body scans were performed again after the therapy. The presence or absence of thyroid cancer was established by pathologic, radiologic, and/or high dose I scan findings. RESULTS: In 11 patients, Tc MIBI scan revealed positive accumulations which were not found on 131I scan, of whom 6 had elevated thyroglobulin levels. In these cases, 5 cases were interpreted to have normal thyroid remnant and 6 cases showed pathologic findings (2 lung, 1 lymph node, 1 lung and lymph node, 1 local recurrent cancer, and 1 false positive accumulation of 99mTc MIBI). Metastasis or residual cancer were confirmed histologically in 1 and radiologically in 4 cases. Negative 99mTc MIBI scans, despite of positive I scans, occurred in 9 patients, of whom 2 had abnormal thyroglobulin levels. Seven cases were interpreted to have thyroid remnant, 2 cases were confirmed to have lung metastasis, and another one was misinterpreted due to breast shadow. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these results suggest that 99mTc MIBI scan may have similar sensitivity and specificity for the detection of residual or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The 99mTc MIBI scan, especially in cases of negative 131I scan despite of abnormal thyroglobulin levels, can be used as a very useful complementary diagnostic tool.
Breast ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin ; Whole Body Imaging

No abstract available.
Chungcheongnam-do* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Sex Ratio*

No abstract available.
Female ; Labor, Induced* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hydronephrosis* ; Radioisotope Renography*

No abstract available.
Lithotripsy* ; Shock*

Calvarium protects the brain, the most important organ. The defect of calvarium results in not only deformity but also fatal injury from the trauma. The cranial bone defects result from 1) removal of bone flap for intracranial decompression or infection 2) fracture 3) excision of tumor 4) craniectomy for craniosynostosis. The goals of cranioplasty are to protect the brain from trauma and make the aesthetically acceptable contour. From 1990 to 1995, we experienced twelve cases of cranioplasty using autogenous bone graft; 5 cases with rib bone, 3 cases with iliac bone, 2 cases with calvarial bone, and 2 cases with rib and calvarial bones. The result was very excellent without any significant complications.
Brain ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Craniosynostoses ; Decompression ; Ribs ; Skull ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid*

A prospective study had been performed in infants with hydronephrosis due to ureteropelvic junction stenosis to determine adequate management plan. Forty infants (47 renal units) were selected for the study during the period from January 1995 to July 1997 in the Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center. They were diagnosed prenatally or early postnatally (<3 months of age) on the basis of renal ultrasonography and techotium-99m-mercap- toacetyltriglycerine (MAG3) scan. The antero-poste- rior pelvic diameter (APPD) was measured from serial renal ultrasonography and relative renal function and clearance half time (T1/2) were calculated from serial MAG3 scan. Those who had accompanying other urogenital anomalies or vesicoureteral reflux were excluded in this study. Follow-up tests (ultrasonography and MAG3 scan) and surgical corrections, if necessary, were performed according to the predetermined algorithrn. The male to female ratio was 3: 1. Hydronephrosis was involved the left side in 24 renal units, the right side in 9 renal units, and the bilateral sides in 14 renal units. All the hydronephrotic renal units were divided into 2 groups; Group A (19 renal units) those had taken surgical correction, and group B (28 renal units) those revealed spontaneous improvement without surgical correction. The mean follow-up duration was 7.2+/-6.3 months in group A and 14.1+/-12.6 months in group B. The mean APPD in the first postnatal renal ultrasonography was 19.4+6.8 mm in group A and 10.0+/-3.0mm in group B and this was statistically significant (P<0.01). The rela- tive renal function of group A in the first MAG3 scan was under 35% in 7 renal units and over 35M in 12 renal units. In group B, the relative renal function was over 35% in the all 28 renal units. Tl/2 in the first MAG3 scan was longer than 20 minutes in the all 19 renal units in group A. In group B, Tl/2 was shorter than 10 minutes in 15 renal units, between 10 minutes and 20 minutes in 6 renal units, and longer than 20 rninutes in 7 renal units. The mean APPD of the 7 renal units in group B of which Tl/2 was longer than 20 minutes was 12.62.6mm and that of group A was 19.4+/-6.8mrn and this was statistically significant (P<0.01). In conclusion, the renal ultrasonography and MAG3 scan can be used effectively to determine the degree of the stenosis of the ureteropelvic junction in hydronephosis during infancy. When the babies are diagnosed with hydronephrosis due to ureteropelvic junction stenosis in the early infantile period, serial renal ultrasonography and MAG3 scan play an important role in the decision of the management.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis* ; Infant ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Ultrasonography* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

A total of 33 patients with infective endocarditis were observed in the Guro and Hye Hwa Hospitals of Korea University Between September, 1981 and Feb, 1987. Among thses patients four patients presented with heart murmur and heart failure and had vegetation like findings observed on the two dimensional echocardiography. But these patients did not have any fever or leukocytosis in the peripheral blood and the repeated blood cultures were negative. They showed the immunologic phenomena of infective endocarditis such as microscopic hematuria in 4 patients, rheumatoid factor in 3 patients, false positive VDRL in one patient. The serum complement was decreased in 2 patients in whom it was checked. We report these 4 patients because we think these patients might be in the clinical stage in which the infecting organism is spontaneously cleared but the immunologic sequelae are remained.
Complement System Proteins ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Fever ; Heart Failure ; Heart Murmurs ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukocytosis ; Rheumatoid Factor