No abstract available.
Arthritis* ; Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee*

Neurotoxicity in the workplace may occur with exposure to scores of chemicals. Although large acute outbreaks of the occupational neurological disease are rare, the incidence of occupational neurotoxicity in its subtler aspects is unknown. A working knowledge of both the major occupational neurotoxic solvents and the tools used by clinical neurologists and neurotoxicologists to evaluate neurotoxicity in working population is a necessity for the occupational physician. To investigate the effects of carbon disulfide(CS2) on the peripheral nerve system using the nervous conduction study, 105 male workers working in the spinning room of a viscose rayon factory were examined and compared with a sex and age matched, unexposed 105 male controls using t-test analysis. 72.4% of CS2-exposed workers complained of neurological symptoms, and the abnormal cases in nerve conduction study were 48.6%. The abnormal cases of nerve conduction study increased in number according as the age and duration of exposure increased. In this study, asymptomatic workers were confirmed to have subclinical neuropathy by nerve conduction study. Also as there were abnormal cases even in its duration of exposure below 4 years, nerve conduction study turned out to be ways of discovering of early peripheral neuropathy. In nerve conduction study, the amplitude, velocity, F-wave latency and H-reflex of the motor and sensory nerves in both upper and lower extremities were significant different between CS2-exposed workers and the controls. From the pathological viewpoint, both segmental and axonal degenerations were assumed in this study.
Axons ; Carbon Disulfide* ; Carbon* ; Disease Outbreaks ; H-Reflex ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Neural Conduction ; Peripheral Nerves ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Solvents

The incidence of allergic disease in pediatric outpatient department of a hospital, where primary care is undertaking, was studied from Apr. 1, 1989 to Mar. 32, 1990. The results were as follows, 1) The incidence of respiratory tract disease was the highest with the value of 57.2% of the total patients, followed by gastrointestinal tract disease(13.9%), infectious disease (6.7%), visit for preventive medicine (6.7%), allergic disease (3.0%), neurologic disease (2.9%), cardiovascular disease (2.8%) etc. 2) The allergic patients were 3.0% of total patient and sex ratio was M:F=1.4:1. 3) The allergic patients were most prevalent in1~3 years of age group (46.6%)followed by under 1 year old group (22.4%), and 4~6 years of group (21.3%). 4) The allergic disease was most prevalent in fall (42.8%), followed by spring (20.4%), and winter(19.0%). 5) Among the allergic disease, asthma was most frequent (67.4%), followed by allergic rhinitis(11.8%), atopic dermatitis (10.6%), urticaria (9.3%). 6) Bronchial asthma was most prevalent among 1~3 years of age group (51.9%) and in fall (50.0%) 7) Allergic rhinitis was most frequent among 1~3 years of age group (40.9%) and in fall (34.8%). 8) Atopic dermatitis was most frequent among under 1 year of age group(64.4%)and in spring and winter(28.8%). 9) Urticaria was most frequent among 1~3 years of age group (36.5%) and in summer (32.7%). 10) The percentage of each allergic disease to the total outpatient was as follows; asthma (2.0%), allergic rhinitis(0.40%), atopic dermatitis(0.3%), urticaria (0.3%). 11) Sex ratio of each allergic disease was as follows; asthma (1.5:1), allergic rhinitis(1.6:1), atopic dermatitis (1.1:1), urticaria (1.4:1). With these findings, we ovserved that allergic disease is the fifth most common disease group among the pediatric out patients, covering 3.0% of total patients. Recently, we have had the idea that the prevalence of allergic disease is increasing remarkably. The findings of this study can be used as one of basic data for the study of prvalence and increase of allergic disease with further similar trials afterward.
Asthma ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Communicable Diseases ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Mortuary Practice ; Outpatients* ; Prevalence ; Preventive Medicine ; Primary Health Care ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; Rhinitis ; Sex Ratio ; Urticaria

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

Recently, accumulation of knowledge on cerebrovascular microanatomy and its hemodynamics and advances in interventional equipments, especially microcatheters, could make superselective embolization as well as for an adjunctive preoperative procedures The authors performed superselective angiography and embolization with Tracker microcatheter in 25 procedures out of 15 patients with brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Complete embolization was done in 7 prtients (46.7%), nearly complete embolization in 6 patients(40.4%), and partial embolization in 2 patients (13.3%). The overall curative success rate of embolization was 86.7%. Five patients showed no complication at all. Mild complications, however, were observed in 7 patients (46.8%). Severe complications such as AVM or Tracker rupture were observed in 3 patients (20%). In conclusion, superselective embolization is and effective method for the treatment of brain AVMs, and multiple session embolizations could reduce the complication rate and increase the success rate.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Brain* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Methods ; Preoperative Care ; Rupture

The hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome is a primary immunodificiency disorder characterized by recurrent staphylococcal infections and markedly elevated serum IgE level. Clinical features are coarse face and severe infections of the skin-furunculosis or chronically pruritic dermatitis and sinopulmonary tract infection from infancy by coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus, or Candida albicans etc. The patients's serum IgE level is elevated but the basic immunologic pathogenesis not fully understood. We have experienced a case of hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome in a 26/12-year-old who had suffered from recurrent staphylococcal pneumonias and abscesses and chronically pruritic dermatitis from 1 month of age with elevated serum IgE level. A brief review of the related literature is presented.
Abscess ; Candida albicans ; Coagulase ; Dermatitis ; Immunoglobulin E ; Pneumonia, Staphylococcal ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Staphylococcus aureus

No abstract available.
Histiocytosis*

Williams syndrome is a progressive and multisystemic disorder. We experienced one case of Willams syndrome which was characterized by elfin facies, mental retardation, diffuse aortic hypoplasia, mitral regurgitation and chronic nonparoxysmal sinus tachycardia. The tachycardia has been managing with beta-blocker successfully. We presented a case of unusual form of Williams syndrome with a reivew of literatures.
Facies ; Intellectual Disability ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Sinus ; Williams Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Knee*

BACKGROUND: Soluble IL-2R, soluble CD8 and TNF-alpha are elevated in sera of some patients with hematological malignancies, and a marked elevation of these cytokines could be used to assess disease activity and prognosis in this malignancy group. METHODS: The serum levels of sIL-2R, sCD8 and TNF-alpha were assessed in 28 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and 32 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 39 cases of healthy control subjects to define clinical usefulness as prognostic markers by sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: In MDS patients, serum sIL-2R levels were significantly higher as compared with controls, and a more pronounced increase of serum sIL-2R levels was found in patients with RAEB RAEB-t and CMML as compared with RA and RARS. Serum sCD8 levels were higher as compared with controls, but not related with FAB classification. In patients with leukemic conversion. sCD8 levels tended to be higher as compared with patients with non-conversion. The sIL-2R levels of AML patients were significantly higher than controls, and a significant correlation was detected between the levels of sIL-2R and WBC counts. Higher sIL-2R levels( >2000 U/ml) tended to affect both complete remission rate and survival. Serum sCD8 levels were higher than controls, but not related to FAB classification. No differences of serum TNF-alpha levels were detected as compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, this study indicates that serum sIL-2R and sCD8 are significantly increased in some patients with MDS and AML, and increased levels of serum sIL-2R and sCD8 may be useful for predicting prognosis of these patients.
Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts ; Classification ; Cytokines ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Prognosis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*