OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to estimate the incidence of abnormal liver function and risk factors in male employees of an industry in Ulsan City. METHODS: Five hundreds and seventy nine male employees were selected as the study cohort and 533(92.1%) of them were followed after one year. The blood sample was collected to test for AST, ALT, gamma-GTP, total-cholesterol, fasting blood sugar and a self-administered questionnaire on life style was done. General characteristics(age, marital status, educational level), job department, exposure status for organic solvents, life style(alcohol, smoking, exercise, diet), past history of liver disease, family history of liver disease, drug intake, HBsAg, blood glucose, total-cholesterol were considered as risk factors. The result of liver function test after 1 year follow-up was treated as dependent variable. The operational definition of abnormal liver function was as follows; those who had abnormal liver functions in the two repeated tests with one month interval. RESULTS: The annual incidence of abnormal liver function was 9.6 per 100 and age-standardized incidence was 9.5. BMI, alcohol, past history of liver disease, and meat intake were significantly related to the incidence(p<0.05). In multiple logistic regression analysis, BMI(RR=2.70, 95% CI=1.41-5.16) and alcohol(RR=1.98, 95% CI=1.08-3.60) were proved as the significant variables. By stratified analysis considering changing pattern of alcohol and BMI, the relative risk of the BMI normal-normal and alcohol intake high-high group was 2.24(95% CI=1.09-4.62) and that of the BMI obese-obese and alcohol intake high-high group was 5.66(95% CI=2.69-11.88) compared with that of BMI normal-normal and alcohol intake low-low group. CONCLUSIONS: The age-standardized annual incidence of abnormal liver function was 9.5 per 100 in male employees. Thus, an active effort for reducing alcohol intake and controlling BMI should be done to reduce the incidence.
Blood Glucose ; Cohort Studies ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Life Style ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Function Tests ; Liver* ; Logistic Models ; Male* ; Marital Status ; Meat ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Solvents ; Ulsan

No abstract available.
Head* ; Neck*

No abstract available.
Chromosome Aberrations*

Therapeutic plasma exchange is used in almost every condition in which there is a plasma factor thought possibly to the etiology or pathogenesis of a disease or one of its manifestations. In order to evaluate plasma exchange using fresh frozen plasma as replacement solution, eighty four therapeutic plasma exchanges were carried out in eighteen patients. In standardized procedures, 1.5 times the calculated plasma volume was replaced with a Hartman's solution and fresh frozen plasma. Anticoagulation was achieved using a whole venous blood to 2.5% trisodium citrate in the ratio of 10 to 1. Total calcium, phosphorus, glucose, urea nitrogen, creatinine, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, creatine kinase, IgG, C3, total white and red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and differential count were not significantly affected by the procedure. In contrast, serum cholesterol, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, ionized calcium, IgM, C4 and platelet were significantly decreased by the plasma exchange. All these measurements had returned to the first pre-exchange level within 24 hours, while the C4 and platelet count took between 24 and 72 hours, and the IgM level, between 72 hours and 1 week. These data indicated that in an isovolemic plasma exchange there was a transient but rapidly reversible effect on all the components studied, with C4 and platelet count, returning more slowly to pre-exchange level than the others, and IgM levels responding the slowest. In summary, plasma exchanges using fresh frozen plasma as replacement solution were assumed to be not significantly affected the function of various organs.
Alanine Transaminase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amylases ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Bilirubin ; Blood Platelets ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Citric Acid ; Creatine Kinase ; Creatinine ; Erythrocyte Count ; Glucose ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Nitrogen ; Phosphorus ; Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma Volume ; Plasma* ; Platelet Count ; Urea

The Taylor's approach is a special paramedian approach to enter the L5-S1 interspace. The L5-S1 interspace is the largest in vertebral column. This approach is particularly useful when the interspace has been narrowed by pathologic bone destruction such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. Surgery in geriatric patients is associated with a markedly higher incidence of perioperative complication or mortality rate. Optimal anesthetic management of geriatric patients depends on understanding of the normal anatomy and physiologic changes in response to drug in aging. We studied of 3-geriatric patients with Taylor's approach. These patients had problems with respiratory dysfunction and anatomic constraints, which make other approaches unfeasible.
Aging ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Osteoarthritis ; Spine

No abstract available.
Urinary Tract*

A mathematical model is presented for the calculation of the depth absorbed dose in water phantom irradiated by high energy Photon beam(10MV X-ray), based on transport theory. The parameters of this model are obtained from the experimental values which were simulated by non-linear regression process method. The calculated absorbed dose distribution is extended to 3-D by using trial function from beam profile field sizes, SSD and depth in water phantom irradiated by high energy Photon beam. The calculated values using this model are in good agreement with the measured values.
Models, Theoretical ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Water

No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Kidney*

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has become established as the most useful serological marker for monitoring patients with prostate cancer. However, the benefits of serum PSA values are controversial in screening procedures for prostate cancer due to the rather low specificity of PSA test. To determine if different assays yield comparable results, we compared the IMx PSA enzyme immunoassay and the ELSA PSA monoclonal immunoradiometric assay. We analyzed 72 serum specimens from 68 patients with prostatic disease (12 patients with cancer, 47 benign hyperplasia and 9 prostatitis) and 13 from normal controls by both assays. Results from the assays revealed close linear correlation but the ELSA PSA assay yielded values 1.5 times those of the IMx PSA assay In 13 patients with histologically diagnosed benign prostatic hyperplasia, number of patient with PSA value over l0 ng/ml measured by IMx and ELSA assay were 2(15% ) and 4(31%), respectively. We conclude that the proportional bias between assays demonstrates a need for improved standardization of PSA assays.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Immunoenzyme Techniques* ; Immunoradiometric Assay* ; Mass Screening ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Diseases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Blood Platelets* ; Platelet Factor 4*