Operators of hospital sterilizers who use ethylene oxide (EtO) were studied to determine the exposure of EtO level and the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) from June 12 to July 20, 1997. To evaluate SCEs in the peripheral blood cells, we selected 22 workers at the central supply room of 4 university hospitals and 22 unexposed workers at the same hospitals according to match sex, age, and smoking habit and also did questionnaires. The mean air concentrations (8-hr TWA) of EtO at 4 university hospitals were less than 1 ppm. The SCE frequencies in exposed workers to EtO and controls were normally distributed. The SCE frequencies in exposed workers to EtO and controls were 6.42+/-.63, 5.86+/-.69, respectively and their differences were statistically significant (p=0.0093). But there were no statistically significant differences in smoking, alcohol intake, coffee drinking. Especially smokers who exposed to EtO were increased SCE statistically significant than the exposed group who did not smoke.
Blood Cells ; Coffee ; Drinking ; Ethylene Oxide* ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Occupations* ; Questionnaires ; Siblings* ; Sister Chromatid Exchange* ; Smoke ; Smoking

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; HL-60 Cells* ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma*

PURPOSE: In spite of curative surgery and early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy, the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer involving the serosal surface is poor. The aim of this study was to analyze p53 protein overexpression in these patients and to clarify the usefulness of p53 mutation as a prognostic indicator. METHODS: p53 protein overexpression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 123 gastric cancer specimens. The correlation between p53 protein overexpression and clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Overexpression of p53 protein was identified in 67 (54.5%) tumors and was more frequent in differentiated tumors than in undifferentiated tumors (67.4% vs. 46.8%; P=0.026). However, there were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of p53 protein overexpression according to age, sex, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, pathologic stage, and Lauren classification. There was no statistically significant difference in 5-year survival rate according to the p53 protein overexpression (P=0.565). CONCLUSION: Overexpression of p53 protein could not predict the effectiveness of early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Therefore, it could not be used as a prognostic indicator in patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy and early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetic patients. METHOD: Electrodiagnostic study was performed to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome and polyneuropathy in 266 (male 151, female 115) diabetic patients. General charateristics, diabetes related factors, anthropometric factors were compared between non-carpal tunnel syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome groups to identify the risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome. RESULTS: Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetic patients was 16.2 % (43 subjects). Female, farming, wrist depth width ratio (>or=0.7) were associated with carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetic patients. In right hand, odds ratio was 12.82 (95% confidence interval: 2.97~55.3) in female, 5.15 (95% confidence interval: 1.17~22.7) in farming, 28.53 (95% confidence interval: 1.80~451.1) in wrist depth width ratio (>or=0.7). The similar results were also observed in left hand. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that occupation, sex, and anthropometric factor like wrist shape were more associated with carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetic patients than diabetes mellitus itself.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Polyneuropathies ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors* ; Wrist

Arthroplasty ; Diagnosis ; Ear Canal ; Hearing Disorders ; Hearing ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth ; Noise ; Temporomandibular Joint

BACKGROUND: Astrocytes, representing a major non-neuronal cell population in the central nervous system (CNS), contain opioid receptors and are actively involved in several brain functions. This study is designed to evaluate the effects by which morphine contributes to cytotoxicity of nitric oxide (NO) species including NO and peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) in primary astrocytes isolated from the cerebral cortexes of 1 - 2 day Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: The cultured cells were pretreated with morphine and exposed to 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) which simultaneously generates NO and superoxide, thus possibly forming peroxynitrite. The cell damage was assessed by using an MTT (methylthizol-2-yl-2, 5-diphenyl, tetrazolium bromide) assay. Morphological nuclear changes of the cells after exposure to SIN-1 for 24 hours was evaluated by using 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. RESULTS: Morphine significantly protected primary rat astrocytes in a dose-dependent manner from the death mediated by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of nitric oxide, and SIN-1. Moreover, it was found that naloxone antagonized the protective effect of morphine on SIN-1-induced cell death, revealed as apoptosis by the occurrence of morphological nuclear changes characteristic of apoptosis. Morphine also inhibited the nuclear condensation of SIN-1-treated cells, however the action of morphine was antagonized by pretreatment of naloxone. The protective role of morphine on SIN-1-induced cytotoxicity was inhibited by DL-Buthionine-[S, R]-sulfoximine (BSO). Furthermore, the effects of morphine on SIN-1-induced cytotoxicity were blocked by pretreatment of Gi protein inhibitor, pertussis toxin, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3 kinase) inhibitors, Wortmannin and LY294002. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that morphine may protect primary rat astrocytes from NO species via the signaling cascades involving G-protein and PI3-kinase, and possibly regulates the anti-oxidant, glutathione (GSH).
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Astrocytes* ; Brain ; Cell Death* ; Cells, Cultured ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Cortex ; Glutathione ; GTP-Binding Proteins ; Humans ; Morphine* ; Naloxone ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroprusside ; Peroxynitrous Acid ; Pertussis Toxin ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Opioid ; Superoxides ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: Infection with hepatitis B virus has been a major health problem. Chronic viral hepatitis B is the principal cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatoma. A number of studies have showed that a course of interferon (INF) treatment induces a long-term remission in 20~40% of patients. Compared with the use of lamivudine, INF therapy is followed by delayed clearance of HBsAg and the treatment improves the natural history of chronic hepatitis B. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the use of different dosages of alpha-interferon treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: We conducted a one-and-a-half year, randomized clinical trial of interferon in 24 Korean chronic hepatitis B patients with a positive HBeAg, and excluded other liver problems with biopsies. The patients were randomly assigned to receive 5 million units (n=10) of interferon-alpha2b and 10 million units (n=14) of interferon-alpha2b three times weekly for 16/24 weeks. Patients were followed for 12 months after the cessation of the therapy, and the patients received a second biopsy. RESULTS: After treatment with interferon, 29.2% of the patients became negative for HBeAg and the presence of HBV DNA. Fifty percent of the patients showed histological improvement. The differences of the loss of HBeAg, HBV DNA and histological improvement between the two groups were not significant. HBV DNA and ALT were not valuable as predictive variables in treatment efficacy. However, the rate of histological improvement in patients with a low ALT level was higher. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of different doses of interferon-alpha2b during treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B did not show a significant difference in efficacy.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons ; Lamivudine ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Natural History ; Treatment Outcome

Reconstruction of upper lip defects presents a challenge to the facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Flatness, shortness, and retrusion of the upper lip of cleft patients are caused by a combination of the initial maxillary hypoplasia, the subnormal maxillary growth, and the lack of upper lip soft tissue. Although the routine use of Abbe flaps has been questioned, various modifications of the flap have been used for the repair of deficient upper lip soft tissue. Between 1991 and 2000, the author performed a variety of Abbe flaps in 10 patients. The patients consisted of 5 males and 5 females (3 unilateral clefts, 3 bilateral clefts, 2 cancers and 2 traumas). Mean age at the time of the procedures was 28.5 years (from 16 to 48 years). The pedicles of the flaps were divided 10 to 14 days postoperatively. The follow-up period ranged from 9 to 27 months (mean=17 months). To evaluate the outcome of Abbe flaps objectively, an anthropometic ratio was measured in preoperative and postoperative photographs. This values were compared with the values found in non-cleft patients. Each patient showed a more natural contour of the upper lip. We have found that Abbe flaps were clinically useful, and our results were functionally and cosmetically acceptable. This study indicates that the lips are in better harmony postoperatively than they were preoperatively.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lip* ; Male ; Plastics

PURPOSE: The potential therapeutic application of the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), was recently proposed. However, there have been some problems with the use of TRAIL, due to the appearance of TRAIL-resistant cells in MM. The effect of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on the rate of apoptosis induced by TRAIL was evaluated in MM cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using TRAIL-sensitive (RPMI- 8226) and TRAIL-resistant (ARH-77 and IM-9) MM cell lines, the cell viability, induction of apoptosis, and change in the caspases were examined after treatment with TRAIL alone, or in combination with various concentrations of As2O3. RESULTS: Incubating the cell lines with As2O3 augmented the TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the MM cell lines, according to the As2O3 concentration. Apoptosis was mediated through caspase activation. When TRAIL was used alone, caspase8 was activated in the RPMI-8226 cell lines, but not in the ARH-77 and IM-9 cell lines. When As2O3 was added to TRAIL, caspase-9 was activated in the ARH-77 and IM-9 cells. CONCLUSION: The use of As2O3, in combination with TRAIL, would help enhance the level of TRAIL-induced apoptosis, and overcome the TRAIL-resistance, in MM cells.
Apoptosis* ; Arsenic* ; Caspase 9 ; Caspases ; Cell Line* ; Cell Survival ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Necrosis*

Objectives of this study is to determine the effect of a critical pathway on hospital stays and outcomes after cleft lip and palate repair. During a period of eleven months from March 2000 to January 2001, twenty six cases to applied by critical pathway for cleft lip and palate were followed up. Comparisions were made between the precritical pathway and postcritical pathway groups. The results of this study showed that expenses of treatment for cleft lip and palate was reduced to 20%, 30% respectively, after critical pathway. After critical pathway, hospital stays for cleft lip and palate was reduced to from 7 days to 4 days, from 9 days to 6 days, respectively. Postoperative complications was not increased. Patient satisfactions was increased because of the detailed explanations and reduced hospital stays. Conclusively, significant decreases in length of hospital stay are seen, and cost reductions can be realized after critical pathway.
Cleft Lip* ; Critical Pathways* ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Palate* ; Postoperative Complications