This study was undertaken to identify the protein antigens reacting with IgM antibodies in the sera of various stages of syphilis before and after treatment, employing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), immunoblotting and immunoperoxidase stain. The results were as follows : 1. Before treatment, the most strongly reacting antigens of T. pallidam precipitated by IgM antibodies in the sera of patients were polypeptides of molecular weights 47,000, 34,000 and 29,500. So it was observed that those were the major antigens of T. pallidum reacting with IgM antibodies. 2. After observing protein antigens of T. pallidum reacting with IgM antibodies in the sera of patients with syphilis before and after treatment, it was seen that in primary, secondary and early latent syphilis there was a loss of several antigens and s decrease in reactivity, but no changes occurred in late latent and reinfected syphilis. 3. From the observation of the reaction between serum antibodies of patients with trested syphilis and major antigens of T. pallidum, an evident decrease in reactivity was observed only with protein antigen of molecular weight 47,000 which reacts with IgM antibody. From the above results, it could be concluded that of molecular weight 47,000 could contribute to the assessment of the diagnosis of syphilis and the efficacy of treatment.
Antibodies* ; Diagnosis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin M* ; Molecular Weight ; Peptides ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate ; Syphilis* ; Syphilis, Latent ; Treponema pallidum* ; Treponema*

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the prevalence of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in Korean inpatients using antipsychotics and the relationship between TD and sociodemographic, clinical variables. METHODS: This study was done from January to Feburary, 2003, at the Seoul National Mental Hospital. A cross-sectional assessment of randomly selected inpatients (n=324;mean age=39.73+/-9.63years) with DSM-IV schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar disorder was performed with standard rating instrument for TD and extrapyramidal symptoms. The relations between the prevalence of TD and sex, age, length of medication and dosage of antipsychotics, clozapine, and other psychotropic medication, EPS were analyzed with Chi-square test or t-test. RESULTS: Using Schooler and Kane's criteria, 20 subjects (6.17%) had TD. TD was significantly less prevalent in patients receiving clozapine. There was no other significant difference between the TD and without TD groups with respect to type of antipsychotics, other psychotropic drug, antiparkinsonian drug, mood stabilizer augmentation. CONCLUSION: The result of this study have confirmed the lower prevalence of TD among inpatients using antipsychotics compared to previous investigations. The study has also replicated the association of TD with older age. Clozapine use was associated with lower prevalence rate of TD.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Bipolar Disorder ; Clozapine ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Movement Disorders* ; Prevalence* ; Schizophrenia ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: The obese patients increased recently in Korea due to excessive energy intake and decreased physical activity. We are well known that obesity is associted with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, angina pectoris, hypertension, but not known to influence of weight gain to change in cardio-vascular risk factors. Once, the study of obesity are many but the study of influence of weight gain are small in Korea. This study investigated to influence of weight gain in cardio-vascular risk factors. METHODS: We gatherd case and control group among persons who has taken twice medical examination except disease person from October 1990 to October 1995 at SungAe General hospital. In our study, total 167 case, compare weight gain group(>3kg) with control group to change in cardiovascular risk factor. RESULTS: Sex, age, smoking history, obesity index were not statistically significant difference between two group in the first medical examination. systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, HDL, total cholesterol/HDL were not statistically significant difference between two group for weight gain. Total cholesterol and triglyceride, LDL were stastistically significant increased. CONCLUSIONS: Weight gain was increased of total cholestrol and triglyceride, LDL, so weight control was important.
Angina Pectoris ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Energy Intake ; Fasting ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Weight Gain*

This study was conducted to identify the protein antigens reacting with IgG antibodies in the sera of variaus stages of syphilis before treatment, the antigens common to both Treponema pallidum and Treponema phagedenis, and the antigens specific only to T. pzllidum, employing sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS PAGE) and immunoblotting. Before treatment, the most strongly reacting antigens of T. pallidum precipitated by IgG antibodies in the sera of patients were polypeptides of molecular weights 47, 000, 36,500, 15,500 and 14,000. Eleven antigens common to both T. palbdum and T. phagedenis were observed, and antigens of molecular weights 86,500, 68,500,15,500 and 14,000 showed to be specific only to T. pallidum. From the results obtained, it could be concluded that of the major antigens of T. pallidum, the antigens of molecular weights 15,500 and 14,000 could serve to develop newer serologic tests for syphilis.
Antibodies* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Molecular Weight ; Peptides ; Serologic Tests ; Sodium ; Syphilis* ; Treponema ; Treponema pallidum

No abstract available.
Wilms Tumor*

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is becoming major health problem in old age and menopausal women, and osteoarthritis is most common joint disease in both ages. The inverse relationship between osteoporosis and osteoarthritis was first noticed 20years ago. However the subject had not been studied in korea. Thus, our objectives is to examine the influence of osteoarthritis on bone density measurements. METHODS: The study group consisted of 120 women, aged over 40 years, who visited for health examination in Health Center of Poondang Jesaeng general hospital from October 1998 to April 1999. Bone mineral density(BMD) of the lumar spine was measured, using dual energy X ray absorptiometry(Lunar, Expert XL), and lateal lumbar spine radiograph was taken. Severity of osteoarthritis were scored on osteophytes, disk space narrowing and vertebral body sclerosis. RESULTS: Postmenopausal women had signifcantly lower BMD than premenopausal women(p<0.001). Age(r= 0.545, p<0.001), body mass index(r=0.264, p<0.01) and education(r=0.284, p<0.01) were significantly correlated with BMD, but smoking, exercise, radiogrphic OA variables not correlated. However, stepwise multiple regression analysis using osteoporosis related variables and OA variables is indicated that menopausal status, body mass index, age, osteophytes were significantly associated factor with BMD, and lumbar osteophytes explained 2.7% of variation in lumbar spine BMD. CONCLUSION: We conclude that, among women, lumbar BMD is highier in those with osteophytosis of the lumbar spine. The effect is largely directed by osteophytes being included in the BMD measurement.
Body Mass Index ; Bone Density* ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Joint Diseases ; Korea ; Osteoarthritis* ; Osteophyte ; Osteoporosis ; Sclerosis ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spine*

Parkinson's disease is a relatively common neurologic disorder that afflicts approximately 1% of the population over 50 years old. Many drugs currently used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease may interact with anesthetic drugs. Brief interruption of levodopa during surgery may result in exacerbation of Parkinson's symptoms. However, safe and effective way to administer levodopa during surgery are not widely known. We report the perioperative treatment of a patient with Parkinson's disease by using intraoperative administration of levodopa through nasogastric tube and feeding jejunostomy tube. This method of levodopa administration successfully prevented the exacerbation of Parkinsonian symptoms.
Anesthetics ; Humans ; Jejunostomy ; Levodopa* ; Middle Aged ; Nervous System Diseases ; Parkinson Disease*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Fetus* ; Heart Block* ; Heart*

Most of the basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are effectively treated using standard conventional therapeutic modalities, but the complete removal of the tumor is difficult if the subclinical extension of BCCs is deep and wide. These difficulties are solved by Mohs micrographic surgery which provides the highest possible cure rates and the lowest normal tissue loss. Mohs micrographic surgery is an ideal method for the treatment of skin cancer in that it provides unsurpassed cure rates and maximum preservation of normal tissue by complete surgical margin control. We studied 40 patients with 40 basal cell carcinomas (22 primary, 18 recurrent) treated by Mohs micrographic surgery from January, 1992 through October, 1995 at Dong-A University Hospital. We evaluated the depth and lateral margins of excision by Mohs microgrphic surgery according to the anatomic locations, histologic type, size, and primary/recurrent state of basal cell carcinomas. There was no recurrence during follow-up period up to 3 years. We can draw the guidelines for complete surgical margin control out of our results. The guidelines are as follows. 1. The frist excision should be done with lateral safety margin of 2 mm in primary BBCs. 2. The frist excision should be done with lateral safety margin of 4 mm in recurrent BBCs. 3. The frist excision should be done with lateral safety margin of 4 mm in longer than 15 mm-sized BBCs. 4. The additional excision should be done with the every 2 mm lateral safety margin until the tumor completely removed. 5. The frist excision should be done with the surgical depth to periosteum, perichondrium especially in BBCs on nose.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mohs Surgery* ; Nose ; Periosteum ; Recurrence ; Skin Neoplasms

A 34-year-old woman complained of left facial palsy and numbness on the left thigh that began two weeks prior with headaches. Brain MRI revealed ill-defined patchy T2 weighted high signal intensities in the right medial temporal lobe and thalamus without contrast enhancement. Ten days later, when she complained of sensory symptoms below the 7th thoracic cord, we found an enhancing lesion in the lower cervical cord on the MRI. The result from the brain biopsy was consistent with anaplastic astrocytoma.
Adult ; Astrocytoma* ; Biopsy ; Brain* ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spinal Cord* ; Temporal Lobe ; Thalamus ; Thigh