The results regarding an association between the polymorphism sites in the dopamine D1 receptor gene and schizophrenia compelled us to study the distribution of the polymorphism in Korean schizophrenia and controls. Eighty-eight schizophrenic patients and normal controls were examined by case-control study for distribution of the polymorphism of the dopamine D1 receptor gene in Korean popualtion to minimize the effect of racial differencies in gene frequencies. The frequencies of the B1 and B2 in schizophrenic patients were 0.11 and 9.89, respectively. And 0.10 and 0.90 in normal control. There was no significant differences in the frequencies in the allele B1 and 2 between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. The author present here the evidence of a lack of alleic association between the polymorphism of the dopamine D1 receptor gene and Korean schizophrenic. The assumption that the dopamine D1 receptor gene has genetic role in the development of schizophrenia was not supported by this case-control study.
Alleles* ; Case-Control Studies ; Dopamine* ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Receptors, Dopamine D1 ; Receptors, Dopamine D2 ; Schizophrenia*

A review has been made of mortality trends in Korea from 1958 to 1907 analyzing the data by sex, age and cause of death. The crude death rates and age specific death rates were estimate6 by the model of N. Keyfitz life table which had teen developed by the data of the 1960's national census. The cause specific death rates shown in this article are based on the following: all deaths occurring in the death-registration are expressed as a numberator, while the denominator was estimated from the regular national census data by interpolation method. It is estimated that only an average of about 40% of deaths which occurred during a year were registered during 1958 to 1967. The validity and the reliability of the diagnosis of causes of death seem to be extremely poor in this country. Therefore the cause specific death rates in this article are aimed to reveal trends of causes of registered death and not for the actual level of death rates. For 10 years very interesting mortality trends were observed : 1. The trend in the crude death rates was downward slowly. 2. The estimated death rate for the infant in 1960 was still high up to 100 per 1,000. 3. The rates for mortality attributed to such infectious diseases as pneumonia, bronchitis, gastroenteritis and measles decreased an average 40-60%. 4. The death rates for over-all tuberculosis decreased only 9.8%. 50% of the decrease was contributed by those in the less-than-15 year age group. 5. The death rates for chronic diseases, such as vascular diseases affecting the central nervous system, malignant neoplasm, major heart diseases and all accidents rose about 40-60%. 6. The rank order of the 10 leading causes of death showed large changes over the years, except for pneumonia and tuberculosis which occupyed 1st and End places respectively. Vascular diseases affecting the central nervous system moved from 5th to 3rd place and malignant neoplasm from 6th to 4th palace. The major heart diseases moved from 10th to 6th place and all accidents from 10th to 7th place. On the other hand, gastroenteritis moved from 3rd to 5th place and influenza from 4th to 8th place.
Adolescent ; Bronchitis ; Cause of Death ; Censuses ; Central Nervous System ; Chronic Disease ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Gastroenteritis ; Hand ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infant ; Influenza, Human ; Korea* ; Life Tables ; Measles ; Mortality* ; Pneumonia ; Tuberculosis ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: To analyze the significance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) from tracheal aspirates (TA) taken immediately after birth in the development of chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLD), and to analyze the risk factors for CLD according to the preceding illnesses. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was done in 75 inborn preterm infants admitted to a university hospital NICU and intubated at birth for the respiratory care. TA was taken to measure IL-6 by ELISA and to perform UU PCR. The patients were grouped into four, according to the history of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and chorioamnionitis (CA). RESULTS: PCR positive rate of UU was 25.3%. Positive PCR was significantly frequent in the patients with CLD or CA. IL-6 in TA was significantly higher with CLD, CA, or positive PCR. Risk factors for CLD were increased IL-6, positive UU PCR, and PDA in all patients. The risk factors for CLD were PDA in RDS(+)CA(-) group [OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.15-3.89]; PDA [OR 12.0; 95% CI 2.50-57.67] and IL-6 (>284.7 pg/mL) [OR 3.75; 95% CI 1.01-13.90] in RDS(+)CA(+) group; and IL-6 (>284.7 pg/mL) [OR 8.25; 95% CI 1.54-44.14] in RDS(-)CA(+) group. CONCLUSION: PDA was a risk factor for CLD following RDS and increased IL-6 for CLD following CA. Inflammatory response of fetal lung, measured by IL-6 and UU PCR in TA at birth in preterm infants, was associated with CA and might be a risk factor for the development of CLD.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Chorioamnionitis ; Cohort Studies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Interleukin-6* ; Lung Diseases* ; Lung* ; Parturition* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Ureaplasma urealyticum* ; Ureaplasma*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Transplantation*

Two cases of malignant histiocytosis, in which skin involvement was a prominent finding at initial clinical presentation, are reported. 1nteresting histopathologic findings, including Langerhans granule in one case and numerous eosinophils in another, were observed. In one case remission was achieved with BACOP chemotherapy (Bleomycin, Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, and Prednisone). In the other case, the patient died nine months after the onset of the disease without any treatment.
Cyclophosphamide ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Eosinophils ; Histiocytic Sarcoma* ; Humans ; Skin ; Vincristine

A myocardial beidge is an anatomic arrangement in which an epicardial coronary artery becomes engulfed for a limited segment by mycardial fibers. Myocardial bridges are not uncommon finding at coronary angiography and are identified by the systolic narrowing of the affected artery, mainly the left anterior descending coronary artery. The significance of myocardial beidges is controversial. These are frequently found at autopsy, and have been associated with episodic angina, tachcardia-induced ischemia amd sudden death during strenuous exercise. It has been suggested that clinical mamifestations of myocardial ischemia could be the result of severe reductions in the myocardial blood flow during the systole caused by the mylcardial bridge. We report two cases of myocardial damage occuring in a previous asymptimatic patients, hacing myocardial beidge in a left anterior descending coronary artery. This report strengthens the view that myocaridal bridges may, on occasion, cause ischemis
Arteries ; Autopsy ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Death, Sudden ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Systole

BACKGROUND: Propofol has a high incidence of pain with intravenous injection, and different methods have been used to minimize the incidence and severity of this pain. In this study, we have compared the effect of lidocaine pretreatment with that of ketamine pretreatment on propofol injection pain. METHODS: Ninety healthy female patients scheduled for general anesthesia were randomly divided into three groups; saline group (n=30), lidocaine group (n=30) and ketamine group (n=30). Each patient received 2 ml of pretreatment solution (normal saline, 1% lidocaine, 0.5% ketamine) via 18G angiocatheter inserted in the antecubital fossa after applying an arm tourniquet inflated to 50 mmHg. The tourniquet was released 1 minute later, followed by intravenous injection of 2.5 mg/kg of propofol. The assessment of pain was made at the induction of anesthesia and in the recovery room, and the severity of pain was classified as none, mild, moderate, severe by one observer. RESULTS: The severity and incidence of pain diminished significantly in the lidocaine group and the ketamine group compared with the saline group at the induction of anesthesia (p<0.05) and there was no significant difference between the lidocaine group and the ketamine group. We had similar results in the recovery room and one patient from the saline group and the ketamine group had no recall regarding injection pain. CONCLUSION: Intravenous ketamine pretreatment is as effective as intravenous lidocaine pretreatment in alleviating the propofol injection pain.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arm ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injections, Intravenous ; Ketamine* ; Lidocaine* ; Propofol* ; Recovery Room ; Tourniquets

Avascular osteonecrosis has frequently occured in patients who have undergone transplantation of a kidney and generally has been considered to be a complication of the use of corticosteroids. But there are controversies regarding their dosage and duration of use in its influence on prevalence of avascular osteonecrosis. We analyzed the cases of our patients who underwent transplantation of a kidney and who we were able to follow up more than 8 months. l. Of a total of 300 patients, osteonecrosis developed in 24 joints of 12 patients. 2. Osteonecrosis was more frequently found in group of patients who were administered with larger doses of steroid. 3. Rejections of the transplanted kidney occured more frequently in those groups with osteonecrosis. 4. Most of rejections occured within 3 months after renal transplantation. 5. It took 4–26 months (average 12.3 months) the osteonecrosis could be found. 6. There were no differences in blood concentration of calcium phosphate and creatinine between osteonecrosis and non-osteonecrosis group. 7. Replacement arthroplasties were done in 10 joints without significant complication.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Arthroplasty, Replacement ; Calcium ; Creatinine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Osteonecrosis ; Prednisolone ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: High flow rate (FR) and pressure limit (PL) strategy with time-cycled pressure-limited (TCPL) ventilator is employed routinely in the neonates. Theoretical basis of this strategy is the two-compartment theory that the lung with acute respiratory failure consists of units with different compliance and resistance. But such constant pressure strategy has the risk of ventilator induced lung injury. We compared the ventilatory indices and clinical outcomes of two different strategies, high FR-constant pressure and low FR-constant FR in the ventilator care of the neonates with acute respiratory failure. METHODS: For the neonates born in our hospital and treated with mechanical ventilation from March to August in 1997, two different ventilator strategies were employed randomly with flow control ventilator. In the high-FR group, the FR was fixed at 10 L/ min and the PL was adjusted according to the arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA) results. In the low-FR group, the FR was adjusted to 10 mL/kg of tidal volume. Sixty neonates were enrolled, 32 in high-FR and 28 in low-FR group. Ventilatory indices and clinical outcomes were statistically cornpared in the two groups. RESULTS: Perinatal factors were not different in the two groups. Initial ventilator settings, ABGA results and ventilatory indices were not different. The tidal volume, fraction of inspired oxygen, peak inspired pressure and oxygenation index were higher and dynamic compliance was lower in the high-FR group compared to the low-FR group after 3 to 72 hours of ventilator care. In clinical outcomes, incidences of pulmonary interstitial emphysema, pneumothorax and chronic lung disease were significantly lower in the low-FR group. CONCLUSION: Low-FR with constant FR strategy resulted in better clinical outcomes in the ventilator care of neonates. We conclude that constant FR strategy prevents damage of the better compliant lung units and decreases the incidence of acute and chronic complications of ventilator care.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Compliance ; Emphysema ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn* ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Oxygen ; Pneumothorax ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Tidal Volume ; Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury ; Ventilators, Mechanical