Assays for HBsAg, HBV DNA, anti-HBc and anti-HBs of 285 units of packed red blood cells supplied by Taegu Red Cross Blood Center were performed to evaluate the correlation between the prevalence of HBV DNA and the serologic markers for hepatitis B virus. None of 285 plasma samples was positive for HBsAg, however, HBV DNA were detected by polymerase chain reaction in 2 samples which both presented only with anti-HBc positivity.. Of 204 samples tested for anti-HBs, 96 samples(47.1%) were positive and among 216 samples tested for anti-HBc, 80 samples(37.0%) were positive. Of 193 samples tested for both anti-HBs and anti-HBc, 80(41.1%) were all negative and 48(24.9%) were positive on both tests. Those samples which showed positivity only to anti-HBc were 25(13.0%). Considering the above results, transfusion-transmitted hepatitis B virus infection could be prevented by discarding anti-HBc positive blood, however, that may bring insufficient supply of donor bloods in the country like Korea where the prevalence of anti-HBc is high. Anti-HBc positive blood unequivocally positive for anti-HBs should be considered noninfectious for HBV and should be allowed to be transfused. It would reduce the amount of discarding donor blood as the routine blood donor screening tests presently used at Korea Red Cross Blood Center supplemented by anti-HBs and anti-HBc testing.
Blood Donors ; Daegu ; DNA* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Plasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; Red Cross ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Calcium* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Metabolism* ; Ovulation Induction* ; Ovulation*

No abstract available.
Female ; Fibronectins* ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Plasma* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is diagnosed through history, physical examination, imaging studies and polysomnography. Clinical examination of this condition may point to hypertrophic tonsils and crowded oropharynx. The objective of this study is to investigate the usefulness of modified Mallampati grade (MMG) and tonsil grade (TG) in predicting the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. METHODS: MMG and TG were divided into 4 and 5 groups, respectively, according to their severity. Medical records were collected from 94 patients who had received polysomnography and otorhinolaryngologic examination for snoring and sleep apnea at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center from March 2002 through April 2004. Patients were divided into two groups according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) : control (n=24), and patients with sleep apnea (n=70). RESULTS: Patients with higher MMG and TG had higher AHI, and MMG and TG proved to have a statistically significant correlation with AHI (p< 0.05) CONCLUSION: MMG and TG were reliable predictors of OSA and helpful parameters in deciding treatment method.
Humans ; Medical Records ; Oropharynx ; Palatine Tonsil ; Physical Examination ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Snoring

No abstract available.
Pleural Effusion*

BACKGROUND: Core temperature decreases rapidly after the induction of general anesthesia, because the heat is redistributed to peripheral tissues. Thermoregulatory responses of volatile anesthetics have been tested, but their effects have not been directly compared. Therefore, we evaluated the thermoregulatory responses to sevoflurane, desflurane, and isoflurane. METHODS: Sixty healthy patients scheduled for laparoscopic myomectomy or radical hysterectomy were allocated into three groups; Group S (sevoflurane, n = 20), Group D (desflurane, n = 20), and Group I (isoflurane, n = 20). Anesthesia was maintained with 1 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane, desflurane, and isoflurane in a 50/50 mixture of N2O/O2. Patients were maintained in a normovolemic and normocapnic state. The core temperature and forearm minus fingertip skin-temperature gradient (an index of peripheral vasoconstriction) were monitored after the induction of general anesthesia. RESULTS: Each of the seven patients given sevoflurane, desflurane, and isoflurane vasoconstricted at a core temperature of 35.3 +/- 0.5degrees C, 33.6 +/- 0.4degrees C, and 35.2 +/- 0.4degrees C, respectively. The vasoconstriction threshold was the lowest in patients anesthetized with desflurane. The core temperature gradient (Ti-Tf) was significantly higher in patients that were anesthetized with desflurane than in those that were anesthetized with sevoflurane or isoflurane. The core temperature of desflurane was significantly lower than that of sevoflurane or isoflurane 15 minutes after the induction of anesthesia until 180 minutes of anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the core temperature is maintained at a higher level in patients that have been anesthetized with sevoflurane or isoflurane than in those that have been anesthetized with desflurane.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics ; Forearm ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Isoflurane ; Laparoscopy ; Methyl Ethers ; Vasoconstriction

BACKGROUND: The injection of rocuronium causes pain and withdrawal responses. This study was designed to determine an appropriate dose of remifentanil to prevent the withdrawal responses associated with injection of rocuronium in children. METHODS: Fourty five ASA physical status I and II pediatric patients were randomly allocated into three groups; Group I (placebo; normal saline 3 ml, n = 15), Group II (remifentanil 0.3microg/kg, n = 15), Group III (remifentanil 0.5microg/kg, n = 15). After the induction of anesthesia with 5 mg/kg of thiopental sodium, patients in groups I, II, and III received normal saline 3 ml, remifentanil 0.3microg/kg, and remifentanil 0.5microg/kg, respectively. After one minute, rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg was injected over 10 seconds. The patient's response after injection was graded using a four-point scale. The patient's heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured at pre-anesthesia (T0), 1 minute after injection of thiopental sodium (T1), test drug (T2), and rocuronium (T3). RESULTS: The incidence of withdrawal responses was 100%, 66.7%, and 20% in groups I, II, and III, respectively. In addition, the severity of withdrawal responses was lowest in group III. CONCLUSIONS: Remifentanil 0.5microg/kg was an appropriate dose to prevent the withdrawal responses on injecting rocuronium.
Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Arterial Pressure ; Child ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Piperidines ; Thiopental

Fibrous histiocytomas (FHs) are skin or deep tissue tumor that include a heterogenous group of tumors. The common origin of these tumors are a histiocyte and these tumors are composed of fibroblasts and histiocytes. FHs commonly occurs in the sun-exposed skin and subcutaneous tissue, but its incidence in the head and neck is rare. We experienced a case of FH in the infratemporal fossa and parapharyngeal space in a 29-year-old woman. The patient showed hyperesthesia in the right chin and some facial swelling. We could successfully remove the mass without sacrifice of important structures by infratemporal fossa approach with osteotomy of mandible.
Adult ; Chin ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Head ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous* ; Humans ; Hyperesthesia ; Incidence ; Mandible ; Neck ; Osteotomy ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether GnRH-agonist (GnRH-Ag) using in IVF-ET affects apoptosis of human granulosa-luteal cells and expression of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) protein involved in the apoptosis of the cells. METHODS: Granulosa-luteal cells obtained during oocyte retrieval were cultured and treated with 10(-5) M GnRH-Ag. Apoptosis of the cells by the treatment was confirmed using DNA fragmentation analysis 24 h after culture. The presence of PBR protein within the cells was examined by immunofluorescence staining and the expression of the protein was analyzed by Western blotting. In addition, it was measured for progesterone and nitric oxide (NO) produced by granulosa-luteal cells after GnRH-Ag treatment. To evaluate the relationship between NO production and PBR expression, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as a NO donor was added in media and investigated the expression of PBR protein by Western blotting. RESULTS: Apoptosis increased in the granulosa-luteal cells 24 h after GnRH-Ag treatment, whereas the expression of PBR protein significantly decreased. Furthermore, the production of progesterone and nitric oxide (NO) by the cells significantly fell from 12 h after the treatment. In the results of Western blotting after SNP treatment, the expression of PBR protein increased in the treatment with SNP alone to the granulosa-luteal cells, but was suppressed in the treatment with GnRH-Ag and SNP. Additionally, the staining result of PBR protein in the cells showed the even distribution of it through the cell. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that GnRH-Ag treatment induces apoptosis, decreasing expression of PBR protein and NO production in human granulosa-luteal cells. The present study suggests that one of the apoptosis mechanism of human granulosa-luteal cells by GnRH-Ag might be a signal transduction pathway via NO and PBR.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; DNA Fragmentation ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans* ; Luteal Cells* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroprusside ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Progesterone ; Receptors, GABA-A ; Signal Transduction ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pregnancy*