Normal lymphocyte transfer (NLT) test is composed of two peaks of delaycd. hypersensitivity reaction of erythema and/or induration developed at the site of intradermal inoculatioa of allogenic lymphocyte. It has been suggested that NLT test is a px.siblc homograft raaction, how var tlv exact mecha.nism is remained to be resolved. In leprosy, there has been accumulating evidenc. indicating defective cell mediated. immunity detected by varioua immunological tests. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the immune capability of patients with leprosy using NLT test. A total of 20 hea,lthy volunteers, 20 lepromatous and 22 tuberculoid leprosy patients who were under antileprosy chemotherapy with DDS for varying periods, entered this study. Lymphocytes from hepatitis associati antigen (HAA) negative donor were isolated with Ficoll- Hypaque density gradient method and the cell concentration was adjusted by normal saline so as to give 2, 5 million cells per 0. 1 ml. Each recipient was given 0. 1 ml lymphocyte suspension on the flexor surface of th right forearm intrad.ermally using 1 ml tuberculi n syringe with a 26 gauge needle. The appearance and the size of induration was checked daily for 2 weeks. In this atudy, the NLT reaction pattem was classified as follows: a. normal pattem showing the first peak and second peak of reaction. b. first peak only showing the first peak, but no second peak, of reaction. c. flat pattem showing neitger the first peak nor the second peak of reaction The results were as follows: 1. There were normal pattem in sixteen persons(80%) and first peak only in 4 persons(20%) among twenty healthy human volunteers. 2. There were normal pattem in four patients(20%), first peak only in six patients(30%) and flat pattem in ten patients(50%) among twenty letromatous leprosy patients. 3. There were normal pattem in twelve patients(54.5%), first peak only in eight patients(36.4%) and flat pattem in two patients(9.1%) among twenty-two tuberouloid leprosy patients. These findings suggest that NLT test may be useful in evaluating the immune capability in leprosy and host factor in belived to be important in the development of both first and second peaks of NLT test.
Allografts ; Diatrizoate ; Drug Therapy ; Erythema ; Forearm ; Healthy Volunteers ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunologic Tests ; Leprosy* ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Lymphocytes* ; Needles ; Syringes ; Tissue Donors ; Volunteers

Recently, several reports of extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis demonstrated by technetium-99mTc-IDAs scan have shown that 99mTc-IDAs can be used to detect extrahepatic metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma. We report here a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with pulmonary nodules that were demonstrated as metastasis in nature by the use of the 99mTc-DISIDA. The findings in this case and several reports reviewed here suggest that the 99mTc-DISIDA scan may be a useful diagnostic agent that can detect the extrahepatic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma and stage the disease. But more clinical study in needed to establish the position of 99mTc-DISIDA in the field of diagnosis of extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Clinical Study ; Diagnosis ; Lung* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin

No abstract available.
Animals ; Linoleic Acid* ; Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid*

In order to investigate the beneficial effects of 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg Korean garlic juice against the embryotoxicity of 20 mg/kg methylmercury chloride (MMC, CH3HgCl), pregnant Fisher 344 rats were simultaneously orally administered on day 7 of gestation. On day 20 of gestation the dams were laparotomized under ether anesthesia, and the fetuses were removed and examined for toxicity of methylmercury. Garlic juice depressed the toxicity in terms of some parameters. In the case of simultaneous treatment with 0.1 g/kg garlic juice and MMC, rates of increase were 17.5% in maternal body weight, 13.2% and 41.9% in fetal and litters' weight respectively, and 37.0% in fetal survival rate. Decreasing rates were 10.0% in maternal death rate, and 6.9% and 31.3% in pre- and post-implantation loss respectively. Decreasing rates of mercury levels in dams were 67.2% in liver, 57.6% in brain, 47.2% in kidney, 42.1% in spleen and 40.9% in blood. As well, decreasing rates of mercury level in fetuses were 54.9% in all body burden, 55.9% in liver, 46.7% in kidney and 37% in brain, respectively. The number of fetal ossification centers were reduced by 23.8% to 58.0% following simultaneous treatment with 1.0 g/kg garlic juice. These findings indicated that garlic juice effectively inhibited the embryotoxicity of methylmercury in pregnant Fischer 344 rats.
Animal ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Embryo/drug effects* ; Embryo Loss/prevention & control ; Embryo Loss/chemically induced ; Female ; Fetal Weight/drug effects ; Garlic* ; Methylmercury Compounds/toxicity* ; Methylmercury Compounds/pharmacokinetics ; Osteogenesis/drug effects ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred F344 ; Tissue Distribution

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stem cell factor (SCF), B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and Interleukin (IL)-31 are related to allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis or asthma. But they have not been sufficiently investigated in connection with IgEmediated allergic rhinitis. In this study, we evaluated the association between plasma concentrations of these cytokines and allergic rhinitis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A comparative study of the concentrations of plasma SCF, BAFF and IL-31 were conducted between persistent allergic rhinitis patients and a healthy control group using ELISA. RESULTS: Plasma BAFF and IL-31 concentrations were significantly increased in allergic rhinitis group (BAFF, 1,255 pg/mL, Plasma BAFF and IL-31 concentrations were significantly increased in the allergic rhinitis group (BAFF, 1,255 pg/mL, p<0.001;IL-31, 221 pg/mL, p<0.001) than in the control group (BAFF, 1,089 pg/mL;IL-31, 153 pg/mL). But the level of SCF did not exhibit any difference between the allergic rhinitis patients and the control group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that plasma BAFF and IL-31 might be associated with the inflammatory mechanism of persistent allergic rhinitis patients.
Asthma ; Cytokines ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Humans ; Interleukins ; Plasma ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Stem Cell Factor ; Stem Cells

PURPOSE: Composite tissue allotransplantation is a new therapeutic modality to reconstruct major tissue defects of the head and neck region and extremities. However, there is a serious ethical debate about whether the risks posed by the life-long immunosuppression that a recipient would have to take justify the benefits of receiving this non-life saving procedure. The purpose of this study is to examine differences between expert and non-expert groups in risk acceptance and expectations regarding hand and foot allotransplantations. METHODS: The author conducted a survey of 345 subjects in total (lay public n=110; medical students, n=120; doctors, n=115), using a questionnaire-based instrument, the Louisville Instrument for Transplantation (translated to Korean). RESULTS: Of the three groups studied, risk acceptance was found to be lowest in the doctor group and highest in the non-expert group, and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). The expectations of aesthetic and functional improvement from the procedure, however, were found to be highest in the non-expert group and lowest in the doctor group, and the differences were also significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study shows that the three populations have noticeable differences in risk acceptance and expectations regarding hand and foot allotransplantations. Therefore, accurate and sufficient information on these procedures should be provided to patients from both medical and ethical perspectives.
Extremities ; Foot ; Hand ; Head ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Neck ; Students, Medical ; Transplants

PURPOSE: We performed this study to evaluate the risk of rehospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) infection among premature infants discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit(NICU). METHODS: We performed a retrospective study for rehospitalization for RSV infection and risk factors among premature infants who were admitted to NICU and discharged between May 2001 and April 2003 in Wonkwang University Hospital. RSV detection was utilized by direct fluorescent antibody tests in nasopharyngeal aspirates. We also reviewed various risk factors including gestational age, birth weight, sex, ventilatory care, surfactant administration, chronic lung disease(CLD), siblings in school or kindergarten age, and month of discharge. RESULTS: The rehospitalization rate for RSV infection was 6.6%(26/381) in premature infants and 22.2%(4/18) in premature infants with CLD. The most common season of rehospitalization for RSV infection was between November to January, this was 69.2%(18/26) in premature infants, the same as children: 61.2%(93/152). The risk factors for RSV rehospitalization among premature infants were CLD, siblings in school or kindergarten age and discharge between October to December from NICU. CONCLUSION: The risk for RSV rehospitalization among premature infants from NICU was low. Preterm infants subject to risk factors of CLD, siblings in school or kindergarten age, and discharge between October to December from NICU, were most likely to require hospitalization for RSV disease. In CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis for RSV infection should be considered one month before discharge from NICU in the RSV season between October and December.
Birth Weight ; Child ; Gestational Age ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Lung ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Seasons ; Siblings

Purpose: : The COVID-19 pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on society. Understanding the changes perceived by medical students is meaningful in that it can suggest the direction of future changes in medical education. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 social distancing on psychosocial changes in medical students. Methods: : Anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19, changes in fatigue caused by social distancing, areas where significant changes occurred, and changes in social activity participation and media use behavior among medical students who have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years by an online survey. Two hundred twenty-one who are 1st and 2nd-year medical students responded, and we analyzed the results by frequency analysis, independent t-test, paired-sample t-test, and ANOVA. Also, we analyzed Post hoc tests with Tamhane T2, which does not assume equal variance. Results: : The second year of medical school showed higher anxiety and depression than the first. The students who experienced COVID-19 showed lower anxiety, and the more severe the degree of corona blue experience, the higher the anxiety and depression. And the fatigue felt by medical students is higher now than during COVID-19. Areas where the changes due to COVID-19 were seen a lot, were lifestyle attitudes, learning methods, and human relationships. And also, social activities and media medical students use increased after social distancing. Conclusion : Before and After COVID-19 Social Distancing, medical students have experienced many psychosocial changes.

No abstract available.
Brachial Plexus ; Sternotomy