By means of a sensitive radioirnrnunoassay method,ferritin was assessed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 50 hospitalized subjects to evaluate its potential value for the diagnosis of tuberculous rneningititis. The rnean ferritin value obtained in the controls was 4.29ng /rnl with ranging between 1.7 and7.4ng/rmL The differences of CSF ferritin content between controls and patients with aseptic rneningitis as well as other non-infectious neurologic disorder were not significant. But rnarked elevation ranging 14 and 88ng/rnl (rnean, 37.4ng/rnl) were observed in patients with tuberculous rneningitis. And the ratio of CSF ferritin to serum ferritin in paients with tuberculous rneningitis was elevated significantly rnore than those in other groups inculuding controls, patients with aseptic rneningitis and other non-infectious neurologic disorder. The level in the serurn and CSF were independent, but that in CSF correlated vrith its total protein content. Results of this study suggest rneasuring CSF ferritin level are a valuable adjunct in differentiating aseptic meningitis from uncomplicated tuberculous meningitis.
Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Diagnosis ; Ferritins* ; Humans ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Nervous System Diseases ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal

A 18-month-old girl was seen because of an yellowish brown papular eruptions on the face, earlobes and neck of one year duration. A skin biopsy specimen revealed circumscribed cellular infiltrates composed of predorninantly pleornorphic histiocytes. Electron microscopy of biopsy material disclosed numerous worm like particles and coated vescles in limited area of the cell cytoplasm, consistent with the findinga described in benign cephalic histiocytosis. After six months of her first visit, the individual papules became flattened.
Biopsy ; Coated Vesicles ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytosis* ; Humans ; Infant ; Microscopy, Electron ; Neck ; Skin

The degenerative spondylolisthesis is one of the most common causes of the prominent central and recess stenosis which are produced by the hypertrophy of the facet joints and anterior slipping of the posterior arch. The resulting neurogenic symptoms in the legs are the major causes of the surgical treatment in the degenerative spondylolisthesis and the complete decompression is indicated for these types of spinal stenosis. The decompression procedures performed in the degenerative spondylolisthesis makes more unstable and induce the late instability and the post
Clinical Study ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Daegu ; Decompression ; Decompression, Surgical ; Hypertrophy ; Korea ; Leg ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis ; Zygapophyseal Joint

No abstract available.
Athletes* ; Forearm* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Metabolism* ; Phosphorus*

Patients admitted with the clinical symptomatology of a progressive myelopathy associated with radiologic findings compatible with spondylotic degeneration of the cervical spine and who manifest appropriate neurophysiological abnormalities should be considered as candidates for surgical treatment. The authors have undertaken a study of 20 patients who had received decompressive surgical procedures and possible follow up studies for CSM, which was defined as a myelopathy related to osteophytic overgrowth and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament(OPLL) in the cervical spinal canal causing impingement upon the spinal cord from Sep.93. To Aug. 1995. It was concluded with the following results. 1) man was exclusively prevalent in most cases. 2) age at surgery: There was a signigicant negative correlation between the age at surgery and the recovery rate. 3) Original cause of compression: There was no signigicant difference between the CSM and OPLL. 4) The involved level : three level involvement was the most common(8cases), followed by two level(6 cases), four level(3 cases), and single level(2 cases). There was no correlation between the preoperative Harsh scale and the number of the involved level. 5) Recovery rate: excellent(Grade O.I). 12 cases(60%), good(Grade II, IIIA), 4 cases(20%), poor(Grade IIIc, IV, V), 4 cases(20%).
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spine

PURPOSE: To investigate the characteristics and the results of long-term follow-up of limbal epithelial cells cultivated in vivo on amniotic membranes (LIVAM) in corneal limbal deficiency. METHODS: Twenty-two eyes of twenty-two patients diagnosed with corneal limbal deficiency underwent transplantation of in vivo cultivated corneal limbal epithelial cells on the amniotic membrane. Biopsy and immunohistochemical staining (AE5, MUC5AC) of the amniotic membrane cultivated for one week were performed to verify that the cultivated epithelial cells on the amniotic membrane were corneal epithelial cells. Impression cytology was performed to evaluate the characteristics of the transplanted corneal limbal epithelial cells at postoperative 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. RESULTS: Successful epithelial growth was observed on the amniotic membrane at one week. The epithelial cells were confirmed to be corneal epithelial cells by immunohistochemical staining. Transplanted in vivo cultivated corneal epithelial cells were confirmed to have corneal specificity by impression cytology and immunohistochemical staining at postoperative 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: In vivo cultured corneal epithelial cells showed morphological and immunohistochemical findings similar to those of normal corneal epithelial cells. Transplanted in vivo cultivated corneal epithelial cells were maintained and showed the characteristics of corneal epithelial cells. Transplantation of in vivo cultivated corneal limbal epithelial cells can be performed to reconstruct the corneal limbus in treating corneal limbal deficiency.
Amnion ; Biopsy ; Epithelial Cells ; Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Limbus Corneae ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transplants

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -alpha plays a major role in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD), a systemic vasculitis primarily affecting young children. We performed this study to examine the serum levels of TNF-alpha and to investigate a possible relation to promoter polymorphism at positions -238 and -308 in KD patients in Korea. We obtained 48 paired serum samples from 24 patients in the acute and subacute stages of KD, and control sera from 12 age-matched children who were having routine blood samples taken before elective surgical procedures. Our studies showed a significant increase in serum levels of TNF-alpha measured in the acute stage of KD (24.1+/-9.4 pg/mL) compared to those in the subacute stage (11.8+/-5.8 pg/mL; p < 0.01) and normal controls (10.4+/-4.9 pg/mL; p < 0.01). Previous studies report that the presence of the A allele at positions -308 and -238 may be associated with higher TNF-alpha levels. However, our results showed that the frequency of the A allele at position -308 in the KD patients was the same as the controls (2 out of 24, 8.3% vs. 8.3%, odds ratio (OR) = 1.00), while the frequency of the A allele at position -238 in the KD patients was lower than the controls (0/24, 0% vs. 8.3%, OR=0.00) ; this difference though was not statistically significant. We concluded that although TNF-alpha levels were significantly elevated in the acute stage of KD, there was no significant difference in the frequency of the A allele at positions -238 and -308 between the KD and control groups in Korean patients.
Case-Control Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Human ; Korea ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/*blood/*genetics ; *Polymorphism (Genetics) ; Promoter Regions (Genetics) /*genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor/*genetics/*metabolism

Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia is characterized by multiple and dense areas of consolidation on chest radiographs and computed tomographic scans, persistent symptoms, a requirement for steroid therapy and possible relapses. The finding of increased BAL eosinophils is most helpful in diagnosis of patients presenting with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. Therefore, although biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, it is usually not required if the clinical findings are characteristic and if the response to a trial of corticosteroids is rapid and complete. The male patient, aged 40years, presented with cough, chest pain, weight loss and peripheral infiltration of right middle lobe on the chest radiograph and chest computed tomographic scans. We confirmed chronic eosinophilic pneumonia with bronchoalveolar lavage analysis and transbronchial lung biopsy. We herein report a lobal type of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia with a brief review of literature.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Biopsy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Pulmonary Eosinophilia* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Recurrence ; Thorax ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: The prevalence and morbidity of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis are increasing worldwide. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was a standardized method to evaluate the prevalence of these diseases, and to compare it between countries. Using the standardized protocol, proposed by ISAAC Steering Committee, the prevalence of allergic diseases in Korean children was reported in 1995 and 2000. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence and changing patterns of morbidity of allergic diseases in Korean children for recent 10 years. METHODS: From October 2006 to November 2006, Korean ISAAC written questionnaires were completed by the parents of 37,365 children attending 438 elementary schools in Seoul and 14 provinces. The questionnaires consisted of the questions about wheezing, rhinitis and eczema. RESULTS: The prevalences of "wheeze, ever", "wheezing, last 12 months", "diagnosis of asthma, ever" and "treatment of asthma, last 12 months" were 10.53%, 4.7%, 7.81% and 2.51%, respectively. The prevalences of "rhinitis, ever", "rhinitis, last 12 months", "diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, ever" and "treatment of allergic rhinitis, last 12 months" were 37.7%, 32.8%, 27.94% and 21.44%, respectively. And prevalences of "itchy eczema, ever", "itchy flexural eczema, last 12 months", "diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, ever" and "treatment of atopic dermatitis, last 12 months" were 20.99%, 15.91%, 28.22% and 13.91%, respectively. CONCLUSION: From the results of this study, the prevalence of asthma decreased slightly compared to previous studies. In contrast, the prevalences of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis are still increasing in Korean children in 2006.
Asthma ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eczema ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiratory Sounds ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial

MRSA strains cause serious nosocomial infections. The rate of MRSA among Staphylococcus aureus isolated in Korea is about 70 - 80%. The treatment for MRSA infection is vancomycin. But vancomycin has several side effects and its therapeutic rate is 60 - 75%. Therefore the disinfectants play an important role in preventing and treating MRSA infection. In this study, 44 MRSA isolates were obtained from Wonkwang University Hospital, and examined for the efficacy of disinfectants commonly used in hospital. The tested disinfectants were chlorohexidine (Hibitan(R)), H2O2, tego, Gentian Violet, potadine, chlorohexidine gluconate (Microshield(R)), boric acid, alcohol, zepanon, acetic acid, and combinations of these disinfectants. MRSA studied were killed after exposure to chlorohexidine gluconate (Microshield (R)), alcohol, zepanon, alcohol+potadine, and alcohol+Gentian Violet within 30 seconds. But, tego, boric acid, and Gentian Violet+acetic acid could not kill MRSA after 30 minutes. Agar dilution minimal inhibitory concentration test was done with cephalothin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, erythromycin, fusidic acid, gentamicin, mupirocin, oxacillin, penicillin G, rifampin, tetracycline, and vancomycin. We found that bactericidal activity of vancomycin, fusidic acid, and mupirocin were good. In conclusion, this study provided useful information: 75% alcohol is the best disinfectant for wound dressing, 4% chlorohexidine gluconate(Microshield(R)) is useful for hand washing, and zepanon is useful for ward cleansing. Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was not found in our study.
Acetic Acid ; Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Bandages ; Cephalothin ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Cross Infection ; Disinfectants* ; Erythromycin ; Fusidic Acid ; Gentamicins ; Gentian Violet ; Gentiana ; Hand Disinfection ; Korea ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Mupirocin ; Oxacillin ; Penicillin G ; Rifampin ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tetracycline ; Vancomycin ; Viola ; Wounds and Injuries