BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The selection of allergen panels is a prerequisite to effectively test for innumerable allergens scattered throughout the environment. However, the selection of the pre-existing panel has been vague and contains some allergens that have not been verified as being common in Korea. This study was aimed to produce allergen panels in Korea. METHODS: For 12 months in 1996, sera were tested by the chemiluminescent assay of Multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST-CLA: Immunosystems, Mountain view, U.S.A.). A total of 2, 467 specimens that either tested positive or were negative but had high total IgE level were pooled together. The pooled ser a were assayed for 60 allergens supplied by Dexall Acti Tip System (Dexall biomedical Labs. Inc., Gaithersburg, U.S.A.), a recently developed enzyme immunoassay. According to the Allerg Ens Unit (Allergen Unit:AU), 12 of the most frequently encountered and 6 of the leaot frequent allergens with reactions between classes 3 and trace were selected. RESULTS: The 12 most frequently encountered allergens were : Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, house dust, timothy grass, perennial rye, mugwort, birch, oak, hazel nut, common ragweed, alder and dog dander. The 6 least frequently encountered were : wheat, egg-white, cat epithelium, milk, cockroach and shrimp. CONCLUSION: The 12 allergens we chose proposed to be the minimally required panel of frequently encountered allergens in allergy testing. We conclude that the 12 most frequent allergens should be tested with the total IgE level as a major panel (panel-M) and that the 6 least frequently encountered allergens may be tested separately when needed, as a minor panel (panel-m).
Allergens ; Alnus ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Betula ; Cats ; Cockroaches ; Dander ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Dogs ; Dust ; Epithelium ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Immunoglobulin E ; Korea ; Luminescent Measurements ; Milk ; Nuts ; Phleum ; Secale ; Triticum

No abstract available.
Interleukin-2* ; Interleukins* ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Receptors, Interleukin-2*

Accidental or suicidal fatalities of paraquat (Gramoxon) poisong are occasionally seen in the emergency room or intensive care unit in this country. In most cases, respiratory symptoms and eventual death by respiratory distress occur within several days. The most striking pathologic change is fibrosis of the lung due to widespread proliferation of fibroblastic cell. We experience a 21-year-old woman with huge bulla on left lung and diffuse fibrosis in other site, who ingested paraquat 10 months ago. After thoracoscopic removal of bulla, the patient survive without progression of pulmonary complication till now.
Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Paraquat ; Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Strikes, Employee ; Young Adult

Electron microscopic study of two malignant fibrous histiocytomas confirmed the presence of previously described tumor cells in the literature. In addition, there existed intermediate cells with morphologic features of both myofibroblasts and histiocytes, or both histiocytes and smooth muscle cells. Our result supported the idea that malignant fibrous histiocytoma may be derived from the undifferentiated mesenchymal cells that differentiate primarily along a fibroblastic and histiocytic cells.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae causes pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infection and has been recently reported to be associated with coronary atherosclerosis. The difference between C. pneumoniae and other Chlamydia spp. has been demonstrated by serologic study, DNA analysis and ultrastructural observation. However, studies concerning the developmental cycle of C. pneumoniae are relatively short. This study was conducted to investigate the morphological changes and developmental characteristics of C pneumoniae in the HeLa cell. METHODS: To observe the intracellular inclusion of C. pneumoniae, the cultured HeLa cell monolayer was stained with Jones' iodine and Giemsa. The ultrastructures were examined with an electron microscope at 6, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr after inoculation of elementary bodies. RESULTS: The C. pneumoniae organisms which formed intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in HeLa cells were negative on iodine stain. In Giemsa-stained preparation, the inclusion bodies of variable sizes with a bluish purple color were identified in the cytoplasm of infected HeLa cells. After 6 hrs of infection, the elementary bodies with electron-dense spicule shaped substance of C. pneumoniae were enclosed by the HeLa cell membrane and were taken the host cell by endocytosis. After 24 hrs of infection, the electron-dense material in the elementary bodies were disappearing and the elementary bodies were transforming into reticulate bodies. After 48 hrs of infection, the reticulate bodies of C. pneumoniae were seen dividing by binary fission. Small electron-dense round bodies(miniature bodies) appeared near completion of division. After 72 hrs of infection. about half of the reticulate bodies were transformed into elementary bodies. Newly formed elementary bodies had a pear-shaped structure and large periplasmic space. After 96 hrs of infection. mature elementary bodies with condensed electron-dense material and a rigid outer membrane were observed. Miniature bodies were located in the cytoplasm of the elementary bodies. CONCLUSIONS: These unique morphological changes in HeLa cell culture show the developmental characteristics of C. pneumoniae.
Chlamydia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; Endocytosis ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Iodine ; Membranes ; Periplasm ; Pneumonia ; Respiratory Tract Infections

Although embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma has been frequently reported in genitourinary tract, head and neck, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the biliary tree is an extremely rarte. It must be considered in differential diagnosis of jaundice in childhood. About 35 cases have been reported in world literatures, since first description on 1875, by Moxon and Wilks. We present a case of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the biliary tree in a 25 months old boy with brief review of literatures. Since chief complaints of this case were jaundice and loss of appetite, the first clinical diagnosis was infectious hepatitis. On ultrasound examination, there is a space occupying lesion in right lobe of liver and it was diagnosed as hepatoma. Choledochoduodenostomy with biopsy was done. The operation revealed dilated common bile dut and both hepatic ducts which were filled with light brown jelly like materials and diagnosed as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma on frozen and permanent senions. In gross and histologic characteristics, this tumor resembles embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma(sarcoma botryoides) in other locations. In spite of chemo-and radiotherapy after operation, the boy was died.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Biopsy

Breast carcinoma has been infrequently reported in children. About 25 cases have been reported in world literatures since first description in 1913, by Bryan. We present a case of juvenile breast carcinoma in a 17 months old girl with brief review of literatures. Grossly, the submitted specimen is grayish white and measured by 1.3x1.0x0.8 cm in size. It is not encapsulated and its cut surfaces are homogeneous. Microscopic examination showed a neoplastic proliferation of duct cells forming mainly glandular spaces with focal papillary pattern, solid sheets or cribriform pattern. The glandular spaces were filled with collections of PAS-positive eosinophilic secretory materials. The individual cell varied from columnar to polygonal and showed moderate hyperchromatism and variation of nuclear size. Mitoses and necrosis are not found. Tumor cell invasion into the stroma was found.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans

Hypertensive encephalopathy is usually defined as malignant hypertension associated with central nervous system abnormalities such as headache, seizure, hypertension, altered consciousness, increased intracranial pressure, and retinopathy. The pathogenesis of hypertensive encephalopathy is uncompletely understood, although it seems to be related to hypertensive cerebrovascular endothelial dysfunction, disruption of the blood-brain barrier with increased permeability, cerebral edema, and microhemorrhage formation. Magnetic resonance imaging shows a characteristic posterior leukoencephalopathy that predominantly affects the white matter of the parieto-occipital regions. Hypertensive encephalopathy is a rare manifestation of hypertensive emergency that requires proper diagnosis and management to avoid a irreversible brain damage. We report a patient who developed hypertensive encephalopathy after cesarean section without preeclampsia or chronic hypertension and a case presented with a brief review of the literatures.
Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain ; Brain Edema ; Central Nervous System ; Cesarean Section* ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Malignant ; Hypertensive Encephalopathy* ; Intracranial Pressure ; Leukoencephalopathies ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Permeability ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Seizures

Temeliescu first demonstrated that bladder expansion could be evaluated by serial instillations of contrast medium. If bladder capacity is not exceeded, each instillation results in a symmetrical expansion of the normal bladder. When the muscular wall of the bladder is infiltrated by tumor, its capacity to expand is lost at the site of invasion. There are several methods of staging bladder tumors. To standardize the nomenclature and to facilitate the exchange of information, the I.U.C.C. had adopted a clinical stage classification. The value of a standardized classification is obvious. From a prognostic point of view one of the most important features is to determine if the tumor has invaded muscle. Careful bimanual examination under anesthesia will properly stage the tumor in about 80 per cent of cases. However, this degree of accuracy is only achieved by those seeing large numbers of bladder tumors. In certain instances, accurate staging of this disease is still a problem, which has led to the development of additional X-ray technique and non-operative means of more precisely staging the tumors. Angiography, double contrast barium cystography and perivesical gas insufflation have been used to visualized bladder tumors. However, these various techniques are of little assistance in determine the degree of invasion and, consequently, little additional information may be obtained, furthermore, certain techniques are distressing to the patient and are not without serious morbidity. Complications of angiography include hemorrhage, aneurysm formation, impaired vascular supply to the lower limbs and embolism. In addition these techniques require highly skilled personnel and elaborate equipment, thereby restriction their use. Fractionated cystography is a simple method of evaluating muscle invasion by a bladder tumor. It requires no complicated equipment and carries little or no morbidity. The time required for doing the procedure is little more than that for conventional cystograms. 10 cases of bladder tumors done fractionated cystography, which were admitted to our Urologic Department during Jan., 1970 to present, were reported. Utilizing a modification of Temeliescu's technique, we have been studying bladder tumors since Jan. 1970. They were investigated by comparing with previous papers.
Anesthesia ; Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Barium ; Classification ; Embolism ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Insufflation ; Lower Extremity ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

Ninety-six cases of urinary tract fistulas, which were admitted to Severance Hospital during the period from Jan. , 1960 to Dec. 1969, were analyzed clinically and statistically. They were investigated by comparing with previous papers. 1) The rate of urinary tract fistulas accounted for 2.4 per cent of the total admissions to the Urologic Department and 0.057 per cent of Obstetrics and Gynecologic Department during 10 years. Twenty-eight cases of all fistulas were in men and sixty-eight in women. The age distribution was much the same as that found in previous literature. The most common age was from 20~50 years with 91.7 per cent. 2) The most commonly involved site was the bladder with 64.5 per cent and the most common fistula type was vesicovaginal with 42.6 per cent of those involving bladder. 3) About forty-seven per cent of all fistulas occurred after previous pelvic operation, seventeen per cent due to carcinoma of pelvic organs and thirteen per cent due to abnormal delivery. Chemicals, radiation, infection, trauma, foreign body and stone of the urinary tract were listed frequently as an etiologic factors. 4) The incidence of ureteral injury during radical hysterectomy was variable in the literature, but it accounted for 10 per cent generally. Among the 10 per cent of ureteral injury, ureteral fistulas developed in 20 per cent of our cases, but in 12 per cent of Meig's. 5) There are many surgical approaches to repair urinary tract fistulas according to the surgeon's taste, fistula type, location, size or number, previous attempts and adhesion of surrounding tissues. No two fistulas are exactly alike, and surgical approach to any fistula must be well thought before the time of operation. The operation must be fitted to the fistula, not the fistula to the operation. 6) To repair urinary tract fistula is today a somewhat difficult problem, and the operative failure rate in our 41 cases of vesicovaginal fistula was 34.4 per cent.
Age Distribution ; Female ; Fistula* ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Incidence ; Male ; Obstetrics ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesicovaginal Fistula