The Measurement of CSF glucose and CSF glucose-to-blood glucose ratio is a very useful laboratory test for the differential diagnosis of meningitis. We have observed the change of blood glucose & CSF glucose-to-blood glucose ratio according to the time of blood sampling in 84 patients with aseptic meningitis who had been admitted to the department of pediatrics, Dong Kang hospital from May 1993 to June 1993. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The blood glucose level examined with blood sample drawn just before lumbar puncture and one just after lumbar puncture was 98.29+/-16.20mg/dl and 106.49+/-19.47mg/dl, respectively. 2) The blood glucose level examined with blood sample drawn just before lumbar puncture and one 30 min. after lumbar puncture was 96.47+/-21.52mg/dl and 117.00+/-22.12mg/dl, respectively. 3) The CSF glucose-to-blood glucose ratios examined with blood sample drawn just before lumbar puncture and one just after lumbar puncture was 67.70+/-12.40% and 62.83+/-12.62%, respectively. 4) The CSF glucose-to-blood glucose ratios examined with blood sample drawn just before lumbar puncture and one just after lumbar puncture was 70.10+/-21.77% and 56.35+/-13.75%, reskpectively. We concluded that a simultaneous blood glucose level should be taken just before lumbar puncture.
Blood Glucose ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Pediatrics ; Spinal Puncture

Periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (PV-IVH)is one of the most important neurologic lesion of the low birth weight infants. Serial neurosonographic exeaminations were performed in 113 low birth weight infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Presbyterian Medical Center from November 1, 1990to July 31, 1991. The results were summarized as follows: 1) The incidence of PV-IVH in the study was 54% 2) According to Papile's grading system of PV-IVH, grade I was 32.8%, grade II was 45.9%, grade IIIwas 11.5% and grade IV was 9.8%. 3) The onset of PV-IVH was within the first 7 days of life in 82%. 4) Poor activity, apnea, bradycardia and hypotension were statistically significant clinical findings associated with PV-IVH(P<0.05). 5) The risk factors associated with PV-IVH were gestational age, birth weight, hyaling membrane disease, patent ductus arteriosus and artifical ventilation. 6) The mortality of PV-IVH was 0% for grade I, 10.7% for grade II,42.9% for grade III and 83.3% for gradeIV.
Apnea ; Birth Weight ; Bradycardia ; Diagnosis* ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Membranes ; Mortality ; Protestantism ; Risk Factors ; Ventilation

No abstract available.
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Odontogenic Cyst, Calcifying* ; Odontoma*

No abstract available.
Odontogenic Cyst, Calcifying* ; Odontoma*

Although Helicobacter pylori is considered the main etiological factor in gastric cancer, at least 5.4% of gastric cancer cases in South Korean patients are H. pylori-negative. However, false-negative H. pylori results should be considered. The definitions of H. pylori status in patients with atrophic gastritis but negative tests for H. pylori are variable. Inaccurate H. pylori detection systems can interfere with interpretation of the results. Even when H. pylori has been eradicated, gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia resulting from long-term colonization can occur. It is very difficult to determine whether patients with gastric cancer, who frequently have advanced gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia, have had previous H. pylori infection based on invasive tests. In addition, H. pylori-negative gastric cancers present with a more advanced pT classification and a more advanced stage than H. pylori-positive gastric cancers. Negative H. pylori status appears to be an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer, and is independent of other well-known clinical and pathologic prognostic variables.
Atrophy ; Classification ; Colon ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Helicobacter pylori ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE:Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, and stomach is the major site of ghrelin secretion. The purpose of this study is to compare the serum ghrelin concentrations between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and normal adults. We studied also whether serum ghrelin levels in the patients with type 2 DM are correlated with body mass index (BMI), serum insulin, lipid profiles, and creatinine levels. METHODS:Forty patients with type 2 DM and forty normal adults were included in this study. We measured heights and weights of the subjects and calculated their BMIs. Blood samples were obtained to measure the ghrelin concentration and their sera were stored at -20degreeC until used. In all subjects, serum ghrelin levels were measured using the commercially available Ghrelin(human) EIA kit. RESULTS:No differences of mean values were detected between the control group and the type 2 diabetic group for age, body weight, BMI, and the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and creatinine. But ghrelin level of the type 2 diabetic group (71.1+/-30.5 ng/L) was significantly lower than the control group (139.7+/-36.9 ng/L). In the control group, the ghrelin level showed positive correlation with HDL cholesterol (Pearson's correlation coefficient=0.37, P<0.05). In the diabetic group, the ghrelin level showed weakly positive correlation with insulin concentration. However, there was no significant relationship between serum ghrelin and various parameters in the diabetic patients group. CONCLUSION: In this study, ghrelin concentration in type 2 diabetic patients was lower than that in the control group. In the control group, serum ghrelin concentrations were positively correlated with HDL cholesterol. In the type 2 diabetic group, there was no significant correlation between insulin and ghrelin concentrations.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Ghrelin* ; Humans ; Insulin ; Receptors, Ghrelin ; Stomach ; Triglycerides ; Weights and Measures

We have experienced 113 cases of neonatal sepsis comfirmed by clinical manifestations and blood cultures from Jan. 1988 to Dec. 1992 at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Ulsan Dong-Kang Hospital and observed the incidence, predisposing perinatal factors, clinical manifestations, associated illnesses, laboratory findings, isolated microorganisms, antibiotics sensitivity test and mortality rate of neonatal sepsis according to onset of disease. The result were as follows: 1) The incidence of neonatal sepsis was 1.39% and male to female ration was 1.38:1. The incidence and sex difference between early onset and late onset disease were not significant. 2) Neonatal sepsis was more prevalent in premature infants (2.47%) than in fullterm infants (1.28%) and nore prevalent in low birth weight infants(3.01%) than in normal birth weight infants (1.25%). In premature infants, neonatal sepsis was more prevalent in early onset (63.2%) than in late onset diease (36.8%). In low birth weight infants, neonatal sepsis was more prevalent in early onset (64.8%) than in late onset dieases (35.7%P). 3) Predisposing perinatal factors, such as meconium staining, birth asphyxia, difficult delivery, premature rupture of membrane, maternal infection, toxemia and postpartum bleeding were slightly frequent in early onset disease. 4) Among the clinical manifestations, jaundice, respiratory symptoms, pallor, lethargy, poor feeding and hepatosplenonegaly were slightly frequent in early onset disease, but temperature instability and gastrointestinal symptoms were slightly frequent in late onset disease. 5) Among the associated illness, pneumonia, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, amnionitis, hyaline membrane disease and osteomyelits were more common in early onset disease, but gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, wound infection and meningitis were mors common in late onset disease. 6) The difference of laboratory findings between early onset and late onset disease was not significant. 7) Causative organisms were gram positive organisms in 87 cases(77.0%), gram negative organisms in 22 cases (18.6%) and mixed infections in 5 cases (4.4%). Among them, coagulase negative staphylococcus was the most common one and staphylococcus aureus was the second. The incidence of infections caused by coagulase negative staphylococcus and staphylococcus aureus, between early onset and late onset disease, was not significantly different. Streptococcal infection was more prevalent in early onset disease, especially all group B streptococcus caused early onset disease. 8) Gram positive organisms ware sensitive to Cephalothin (92.9%), Chloramphenicol (90.0%) and Ceftriaxone (88.9%). Gram negative organisms were sensitive to Amikacin (91.3%) and Colistin (82.6%). The difference of antibiotics sensitivity for organisms causing early onset and late onset diease were not significant. Gram negative organisms causing early onset disease were resistant to gentamicin and terramycin, but those organisms causing late onset disease were more sensitive to gentamicin (88.9%) and tobramycin (77.8%). 9) The mortality rate was 7.96%. It was higher in gram negative infections (23.8%) than in gram positive infections (4.6%). No significant difference of mortality rate between early onset and late onset disease was found.
Amikacin ; Amnion ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Ceftriaxone ; Cephalothin ; Chloramphenicol ; Chorioamnionitis ; Coagulase ; Coinfection ; Colistin ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; Gentamicins ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyaline Membrane Disease ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Jaundice ; Lethargy ; Male ; Meconium ; Membranes ; Meningitis ; Mortality ; Oxytetracycline ; Pallor ; Parturition ; Pneumonia ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Rupture ; Sepsis* ; Sex Characteristics ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcal Infections ; Streptococcus ; Tobramycin ; Toxemia ; Ulsan ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND: Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is a chemokine with a unique CX3C motif and is produced by endothelial cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, and interferon-γ. There have been several reports that the caspase/calpain system is activated in endotoxemia, which leads to cellular apoptosis and acute inflammatory processes. We aimed to determine the role of the caspase/calpain system in cell viability and regulation of fractalkine production in LPS-treated endothelial cells. METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated with 0.01–100 μg/mL of LPS to determine cell viability. The changes of CX3CL1 expression were compared in control, LPS (1 μg/mL)-, IL-1α (1 μg/mL)-, and IL-1β (1 μg/mL)-treated HUVECs. Cell viability and CX3CL1 production were compared with 50 μM of inhibitors of caspase-1, caspase-3, caspase-9, and calpain in LPS-treated HUVECs. RESULTS: Cell viability was significantly decreased from 1 to 100 μg/mL of LPS. Cell viability was significantly restored with inhibitors of caspase-1, caspase-3, caspase-9, and calpain in LPS-treated HUVECs. The expression of CX3CL1 was highest in IL-1β-treated HUVECs. CX3CL1 production was highly inhibited with a calpain inhibitor and significantly decreased with the individual inhibitors of caspase-1, caspase-3, and caspase-9. CONCLUSION: The caspase/calpain system is an important modulator of cell viability and CX3CL1 production in LPS-treated endothelial cells.
Apoptosis ; Calpain* ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 9 ; Cell Survival ; Chemokine CX3CL1* ; Endothelial Cells* ; Endotoxemia ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Interleukins ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Sputum* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*