No abstract available.
Compliance* ; Oxygen* ; Positive-Pressure Respiration* ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Ventilation*

No abstract available.
Compliance* ; Oxygen* ; Positive-Pressure Respiration* ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Ventilation*

No Abstract Available.
Case-Control Studies*

OBJECTIVES: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) is the treatment of choice and has been shown to reduce the frequency of nocturnal respiratory events, improve sleep architecture, and decrease daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, little is known about the compliance of nCPAP treatment in Korea. Our objective was to look into the nCPAP compliance and examine the factors influencing it. METHODS: We reviewed the records of one hundred and twenty consecutive patients with OSAS referred for nocturnal polysomnography with nCPAP pressure titration during the period of January 1995 through April 1999 to the Seoul National University Hospital. We performed a telephone interview and obtained data from eighty-three patients. RESULTS: In sixty patients who had accepted nCPAP treatment, twenty-six patients (43.3%) were still using nCPAP device, while thirty-four patients (56.7%) stopped using it. Fifteen patients (25%) were using nCPAP device everyday. In thirty-four patients who discontinued nCPAP use, twenty-five patients (73.5%) did within the first three months, and thirty-one (91.2%) within the first year. Significant predictor of long-term nCPAP use was the presence of subjective daytime sleepiness before nCPAP application. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term compliance with nCPAP treatment appears to be associated with the presence of subjective daytime sleepiness before nCPAP application. Long-term compliance with nCPAP may be mostly predicted from the usage pattern within the first three months of use.
Compliance* ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure* ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Polysomnography ; Seoul ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic significances of angiogenesis and bc1-2, and association of each other, we investigated the correlation of microvessel count for angiogenesis and bcl-2 expression in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analysed immunohistochemistry staining from paraffin blocks in a series of 145 women with breast cancer. Immunohistochemical staining to detect factor VIII-related antigen highlighted the microvessels within primary invasive breast carcinoma. Using light microscopy, we counted microvessels per 200X field in the most active areas of neovascularization. To determine the bcl-2 immunoreactivity, we used a monoclonal antibody directed against the bcl-2 protein. RESULTS: The median of microvessel count (MVC) was 31.5, and the proportions of tumors with low and high MVC were 51% and 49%. Eighty (55.2%) cancers showed the bcl-2 immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm. The microvessel count were correlated with lymph node status (p <0.001), tumor size (p=0.001), and lymphatic invasion around tumor (p=0.009). bcl-2 expressions were corelated with estrogen receptor positivity (p<0.001) and progesterone recepter positivity (p=0.029). The microvessel counts were negatively correlated with bcl-2 expression (p=0.006). CONCLUSION: This study suggest that the angiogenesis which was investigated by micro- vessel counts was negatively correlated with bcl-2 expression.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cytoplasm ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Microscopy ; Microvessels ; Paraffin ; Progesterone ; von Willebrand Factor

BACKGROUND: V. parahaemolyticus, an important seafood-borne pathogen, is the causative agent of gastroenteritis in humans. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of the thermostable hemolysin (tdh) gene and the tdh-related hemolysin (trh) gene were investigated, and as many as 72 different O:K serovar combinations were determined from diarrheal patients and environmental sources in Gyeongbuk provinceas during the 2000-2001. METHODS: A total of 50 strains of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from diarrheal patients and environmental sources were analyzed for the tdh gene and trh gene. The strains were analyzed for kanagawa phenomenon (KP) with the wagatsuma blood agar medium test. Furthermore, the strains belonging to O and K serotypes were determined. DNA sequence determination of the tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed. RESULTS: In the KP experiments of V. parahaemolyticus, 80% of the strains isolated from diarrheal patients showed positive, but all of the strains isolated from environment sources were negative The distribution of O and K serotypes were O3:K29, O3:K6, and O3:K31, atc. isolated from diarrheal patients, and O2:K28, O3:K29, and 04:K34 atc. isolated from environmental sources. As for the tdh and trh gene of V. parahaemolyticus, the tdh gene was detected from 88.0% of diarrheal patients and 16.0% of environmental sources. The trh gene was not detected from diarrheal patients and 8.0 % of environmental sources, whereas all urease positive strains possessed the trh gene. The DNA sequence of tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed the difference, tdh nucleotide sequence was found among the V. parahaemolyticus. CONCLUSION: V. parahaemolyticus is distributed with high frequency in the environmental sources such as sea water, fishes and shellfishes sampled at the Gyeongbuk coastal area, and the O3:K6 strains producing TDH were confirmed, which is prevalent throughout the world, from diarrheal patients. Thus, it is very important to establish a measure to prevent food poisoning by V. parahaemolyticus.
Agar ; Base Sequence ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Fishes ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gastroenteritis ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Humans ; Seawater ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Shellfish ; Urease ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio* ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

BACKGROUND: V. parahaemolyticus, an important seafood-borne pathogen, is the causative agent of gastroenteritis in humans. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of the thermostable hemolysin (tdh) gene and the tdh-related hemolysin (trh) gene were investigated, and as many as 72 different O:K serovar combinations were determined from diarrheal patients and environmental sources in Gyeongbuk provinceas during the 2000-2001. METHODS: A total of 50 strains of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from diarrheal patients and environmental sources were analyzed for the tdh gene and trh gene. The strains were analyzed for kanagawa phenomenon (KP) with the wagatsuma blood agar medium test. Furthermore, the strains belonging to O and K serotypes were determined. DNA sequence determination of the tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed. RESULTS: In the KP experiments of V. parahaemolyticus, 80% of the strains isolated from diarrheal patients showed positive, but all of the strains isolated from environment sources were negative The distribution of O and K serotypes were O3:K29, O3:K6, and O3:K31, atc. isolated from diarrheal patients, and O2:K28, O3:K29, and 04:K34 atc. isolated from environmental sources. As for the tdh and trh gene of V. parahaemolyticus, the tdh gene was detected from 88.0% of diarrheal patients and 16.0% of environmental sources. The trh gene was not detected from diarrheal patients and 8.0 % of environmental sources, whereas all urease positive strains possessed the trh gene. The DNA sequence of tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed the difference, tdh nucleotide sequence was found among the V. parahaemolyticus. CONCLUSION: V. parahaemolyticus is distributed with high frequency in the environmental sources such as sea water, fishes and shellfishes sampled at the Gyeongbuk coastal area, and the O3:K6 strains producing TDH were confirmed, which is prevalent throughout the world, from diarrheal patients. Thus, it is very important to establish a measure to prevent food poisoning by V. parahaemolyticus.
Agar ; Base Sequence ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Fishes ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gastroenteritis ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Humans ; Seawater ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Shellfish ; Urease ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio* ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

We present a case with congenital absence of the infrarenal portion of inferior vena cava and lilac venous system, showing unusual venous collaterals including the left ovarian venous collateral via parametrial venous complex, and a mesenteric-periureteric venous connection. The venous collateral pathways were demonstrated by computed tomography and venography.
Phlebography ; Vena Cava, Inferior

PURPOSE: We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of fluoroscopy-guided bone biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 31 patients with various skeletal lesions underwent fluoroscopy-guided bone biopsies. The targets were long bones in 16 cases, pelvic bones in 7 cases, spines in 6 cases, and ribs in the rest 2 cases. RESULTS: The overall accuracy was 71%(22/31). The accuracy was 100% in case of primary sarcoma and multiple myeloma. But it was low in malignant lymphoma(1/4), malignant fibrous histiocytoma(0/1), and nonossifying fibroma(0/1). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous fluoroscopy-guided bone biopsy is a simple, safe, not-expensive, and rather accurate diagnostic procedure in evaluation of bone tumors. In addition to that, it is useful in the managment planning and fllow-up of the patients.
Biopsy* ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; Pelvic Bones ; Ribs ; Sarcoma ; Spine

No abstract available.