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

Although Malassezia furfur is normal skin flora causing superficial skin diseases, cases of fungemia have been reported recently in premature newborns or immunocompromised patients related to prolonged central venous catheterization for lipid supplementation. We report a case of M. furfur fungemia in a premature infant receiving intravenous lipid supplementation through central venous circulation. She was treated only with antifungal agents without removal of the catheter or discontinuation of lipid supplementation. Soon after, symptoms and signs of the patient seemed to be improved. However, central venous catheter was removed because of recurrent septicemia of Staphylococcus aureus and the culture of central venous catheter tip showed colonization of M. furfur.
Antifungal Agents ; Catheterization, Central Venous ; Catheters ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Colon ; Fungemia* ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Malassezia* ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Staphylococcus aureus

The recently described '17p deletion syndrome' is a clonal hematologic disease which has characteristic dysgranulopoietic features, such as pseudo-Pelger-Huet hypogranulation and small vacuoles in neutrophils and is strongly associated with p53 mutation. The cases with 17p deletion are seen in 3~4% of myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia and about 30% of them are therapy-related. Hydroxyurea, which is considered to have relatively low leukemogenic potential, has therefore been widely used in chronic myeloproliferative disease. But the recent study has found that hydroxyurea administration is a considerable risk for later leukemic transformation and is closely associated with development of 17p deletion. We report one case of idiopathic myelofibrosis which developed 17p deletion with blast increment after hydroxyurea therapy for 3 years.
Hematologic Diseases ; Hydroxyurea* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lymphocyte Activation* ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; Neutrophils ; Primary Myelofibrosis* ; Vacuoles

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common pathogens of communityacquired pneumonia (CAP) which needs rapid diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic approaches. We evaluated a new rapid urinary antigen test kit, NOW S. pneumoniae antigen test (Binax Inc., Maine, USA), for the detection of the S. pneumoniae antigen in the urine of patients who were suspected of CAP. METHODS: A total of 115 urine samples were tested during April to July, 2004. Patients were divided into 2 groups: the first was the patients who were suspected of CAP and the second was the patients with other disorders. Urinary antigen test was performed done by immunochromatographic methods and results were read within 15 minutes. All the urine samples were random and unconcentrated. The patients were reviewed clinically, together with the results of sputum and blood cultures, urinalysis and other laboratory tests. RESULTS: Overall mean age was 62-years old and male proportion was 59%: Group 1 had mean age of 63-years old and male 54% whereas group 2 had 60-years old and 76%. S. pneumoniae antigen was detected in the urine from 14 (12.2%) of 115 patients. Of the 14 patients with positive urinary antigen tests, 12 were from 90 patients with CAP with fever, leukocytosis and appropriate radiological findings, giving the sensitivity of 13.3%; the remaining 2 patients were from 25 patients with other disorders. Only 2 of the 12 patients showed S. pneumoniae in sputum or blood cultures, respectively. Urinary antigen was not detected in 23 of the 25 patients with other disorders, giving the specificity of 92%. CONCLUSIONS: Since this simple and rapid urinary antigen test showed low sensitivity in this study, the clinical symptoms and signs and radiological findings of patients should be reviewed together with the results of the urine test for early and accurate diagnosis and treatment, consistent clinical symptoms and signs with radiological studies are inevitable. Thus further studies would be necessary. The urinary antigen test showed high specificity and therefore should be a useful adjunct to cultures to be in aid of the diagnosis of CAP.
Diagnosis* ; Fever ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Maine ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Urinalysis

We report 3 cases of multiple myeloma showing ABO discrepancy with missed reaction in serum typing. They showed markedly decreased immunogolobulin level except for monoclonally increased abnormal immunoglobulin. Their blood group was confirmed by saliva test and addition of anti-globulin reagent. As serum immunoglobulin level is raised, the reactivity in serum typing showed improving tendency and ABO discrepancy appeared when immunoglobulin was markedly decreased.
Immunoglobulins ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Saliva

Patients who underwent resection of maxilla due to benign or malignant tumor, or accident will have defect in palatal area. They get retention, support and stability from remaining tissues which are hardly optimal. The advantage of swing-lock attachment design is having multiple contacts on labial and lingual side of the abutment teeth by retentive strut and palatal bracing component. Because the force is distributed equally to abutment teeth, abutment teeth of poor prognosis can be benefited from it. It is also more advantageous to cover soft tissue defects which are hard to reach with conventional prosthesis. A 56-year-old female patient who had undergone a maxillectomy due to malignant melanoma complaining of loose and unstable surgical obturator. Surveyed crowns were placed on #12, 26, and 27. Teeth #11, 21, 22, and 23 had lingual rest seat and #24 had mesial rest seat to improve stability and support of the obturator. This clinical report presents the prosthetic management of a patient treated with obturator on the maxilla using swing-lock attachment to the remaining teeth.
Braces ; Crowns ; Denture Precision Attachment ; Female ; Humans ; Maxilla ; Melanoma ; Middle Aged ; Palatal Obturators ; Prognosis ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tooth

Interleukin (IL)-12 activates T helper (Th) 1 cells to produce interferon (IFN)-gamma which inhibits atopic inflammation. IL-12 acts through interaction with its receptor, especially beta2 subunit. In several studies, the low production of IFN-gamma in peripheral mononuclear cells of atopic patients on response to IL-12 stimulation has been reported. Therefore we investigated the IL-12 receptor beta2 (IL-12R beta2) mRNA expression and RNA editing, nucleotide 2451 C-to-U conversion, to find the cause of low responsiveness to IL-12 in atopy. Quantitative real time PCR for mRNA expression and sequence analysis for RNA editing were performed in 80 atopic patients and 54 healthy controls. The expression of IL-12R beta2 mRNA was significantly lower in atopic patients than healthy controls (p<0.05). In sequence analysis, RNA editing on nucleotide 2451 was not found from either atopic patients or healthy controls. In additional evaluation, there was no relationship between expression of IL-12R beta2 mRNA and serum total IgE or blood eosinophil count. Reduced IL-12R beta2 mRNA expression in atopic patients indicate the reduced capacity to respond to IL-12 which induce IFN-gamma production and this may contribute to Th2-skewed immune response in atopy.
Sensitivity and Specificity ; Risk Factors ; Risk Assessment/*methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Receptors, Interleukin-12/*genetics/metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/*genetics/*metabolism ; RNA Editing/genetics ; Male ; Korea/epidemiology ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate/*epidemiology/*genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/epidemiology/genetics ; Female ; Biological Markers/metabolism ; Adult

Corynebacterium xerosis is a normal flora of the skin, mucous membrane and gastrointestinal tract. Although not usually considered to be a pathogen, it occasionally causes serious infections in immunocompromised hosts. We report a case of a shunt infection by C.xerosis developed in a 58-year-old woman following the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The organism was also isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. The isolate was resistant to most of the antibiotics tested except for vancomycin. However, in spite of treatment with vancomycin, the patient was expired after 5 months.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Corynebacterium* ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Skin ; Vancomycin ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt*

Though the pathogenic significance and the reservoir of Ewingella americana have not been clarified, this organism has caused several pathogenic infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. We report a pneumonia in a patient with chronic renal failure, who had chronic rejection of transplanted kidney. E. americana was identified to be the pathogen of pneumonia with clinical symptoms and signs and radiological examination. As soon as he was treated with ceftriaxone and isepamicin, clinical improvement was followed with no further growth of E. americana or other pathogenic isolates from sputum culture. This suggests to be the case of pneumonia caused by E. americana for the first time in the Korean literature.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Ceftriaxone/pharmacology ; Enterobacteriaceae/*metabolism ; Enterobacteriaceae Infections/*complications ; Gentamicins/pharmacology ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*complications/*microbiology ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Pneumonia/complications/*microbiology ; Sputum/metabolism ; Time Factors