A prospective study of vitamin B6, B12, folate, and homocysteine levels was carried out in 7 kidney transplant(KT) recipients. The first sample for the basal level was drawn on the morning of the KT day before the start of cyclosporine injection. Thereafter, serial blood samples were taken every day until the serum creatinine level decreased below 1.5 mg/dl and then every 2 or 3days until discharge. The serum creatinine level decreased to below 1.5 mg/dl within 3days except for cases 4 and 6. The homocysteine levels decreased markedly in synchronisation with serum creatinine levels increased during the first 7days and then declined together with serum creatinine levels but went up again after a few days. The levels of B6, and vitamin B12 do not continue to decrease after the levels of serum creatinine have decreased to 1.5mg/dl, while homocysteine levels go up progressively. In conclusion, contrary to our expectation, the level of homocysteine rebounds a few days after KT following a transient decline. A deficiency of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 does not seem to cause hyperhomocysteinemia in KT recipients. It is necessary to pay attention to hyperhomocysteinemia in KT recipients, especially when the recipients have an atherosclerosis-related complication.
Creatinine ; Cyclosporine ; Folic Acid ; Homocysteine* ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Plasma* ; Prospective Studies ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 6

No abstract available.
Humans ; Oligochaeta* ; Prospective Studies*

No abstract available.
Glomerulonephritis*

No abstract available.
Edema*

BACKGROUND: Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides have been used extensively in agriculture resulting in serious increases in poisoning. Levels of poisoning by carbamates and organic phosphorus compounds and the severity of associated symptoms are dependent not only on the degree of reduction of acetylcholinesterase activity in the nervous system but also on the rate of inhibition and the type of inhibitive action. The most striking differences between the clinical effects of the two groups of compounds are the much more rapid and spontaneous recovery from poisoning by carbamates and the relatively large difference between the smallest dosage of any carbamate that will cause mild illness and the lethal dosage of the same compound. The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical characteristics of acute intoxication by organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of 41 patients poisoned with organophsphates and 12 patients poisoned with carbamates, who were admitted to the department of internal medicine, Soonchunhyang Chunan hospital from January 1995 to December 1996. RESULTS: 1) The most common organophosphate was EPN (9 cases) followed by Dichlorvos (7 cases). In the carbamates group, Carbofuran (5 cases) was the most common followed by Methomyl (3 cases).2) The main cause of poisoning was ingestion for the purpose of suicide in both groups.3) The severity of poisoning was more acute in the organophosphate group than in the carbamate group.4) Altered consciousness and respiratory depression occurred more frequently in the organophosphate group than in the carbamate group. Six cases out of the organophosphate group suffered from respiratory depression 24 hours to 96 hours after poisoning.5) The activity of serum cholinesterase showed no significant difference between poisoning with organophosphates and with carbamates.6) The mortality rate was 22% in organophosphate intoxication and 16.7% in carbamate intoxication. The most common complication of organophosphate and carbamate intoxication was aspiration pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Carbamate insecticides exhibited less toxicity than organophosphates.
Acetylcholinesterase ; Agriculture ; Carbamates ; Carbofuran ; Cholinesterases ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Consciousness ; Dichlorvos ; Eating ; Humans ; Insecticides* ; Internal Medicine ; Methomyl ; Mortality ; Nervous System ; Organophosphates ; Phosphorus Compounds ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Poisoning* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Strikes, Employee ; Suicide

BACKGROUND: The effects of a muscle relaxant may differ in elderly compared with young adult patients for a variety of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic reasons. Atracurium is eliminated by nonorgan dependent pathway, Hofmann elimination and ester hydrolysis. So there are some arguments for age-related differences. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences of the onset and duration of atracurium in young and elderly. METHODS: Eighteen young adults (21-54 yr) and 18 elderly (>65 yr) patients anesthetized with nitrous oxide and enflurane. Atracurium (0.5 mg/kg) was given and then intubation was performed after T1 response was blocked more than 80%. Neuromuscular relaxation was measured by the first twitch of train-of-four (T1) response at the adductor pollicis after supramaximal stimulation of ulnar nerve at 2Hz every 12 sec. The onset (disappearance of T1) and duration of 5, 25, 50, 75% recovery time of T1 and recovery index (time for 25-75% recovery of T1) were recorded. RESULTS: Onset of block was not significantly different between the young and elderly. Recovery time of 5, 25, 50, 75% and recovery index were not prolonged in elderly compared with young adults. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences between young and elderly adults in onest time, recovery time of 5, 25, 50, 75% and recovery index when atracurium is used in a single bolus dose. The results suggest that atracurium in elderly patients has similar onset and action duration compared with younger patients.
Adult ; Aged* ; Atracurium* ; Enflurane ; Humans ; Hydrolysis ; Intubation ; Nitrous Oxide ; Relaxation ; Ulnar Nerve ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Surfactant protein C(SP-C) is a hydrophobic 5,000 dalton molecule. SP-C has the primary roles in accelerating surface spreading of a surfactant phospholipid. The filter hypbridization and solution hybridization assays are both rapid and sensitive and can be used to measure the RNAs complementary to any cloned DNA sequence. METHODS: The authors measured the SP-C mRNA levels quantitatively using solution hybridization and filter hybridization assays to obtain a standard curve equation to quantify the mRNA of unknown samples comparatively. RESULTS: 1. The minimum level of the specimens by solution hybridization was 3 pg for SP-C mRNA. 2. The standard curve equation of the solution hybridization assay between the counts per minute(Y) and the SP-C mRNA transcript input(X) was Y=6.46 X+244. The correlation coefficient was 0.9. 3. The minimum detection level of specimens by filter hybridization was 0.1 ng for SP-C mRNA. 4. The standard curve equation of the filter hybridization assay between the counts per minute(Y) and SP-C mRNA transcript input(X) is Y=2541.6 X+252.7. The correlation coefficient was 0.99. CONCLUSION: A comparison of CPM/filter in the linear range allowed an accurate and reproducible estimation of the SP-C mRNA copy number. Filter hybridization and solution hybridization assays are both rapid and sensitive and can be used to measure the RNAs complementary to any cloned DNA sequence. It is ideally suited to situations where accurate quantitation of multiple samples is required.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Clone Cells ; Protein C* ; Rats* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger*

Familial polyposis is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. It is characterized by the progressive development of hundreds to thousands of adenomsteus polyps in the large intestine. A patient who inherited the gene for familial polyposis is asually asymptomatic until after puberty, at which time polyps begin to appear. The disease at first non-malignant but after an interval of a few months or years, the development of colon cancer is inevitable. In Korea, several cases were reported, but almost all of the cases had incomplete familial histories. We experienced one case of familial polypasis in 33-year old Korean male who had no malignant changes in the adenomatous polyps. Among his family, his father and his brother have adenomatous polps in the colon and the rectum confirmed through total colonoscopy with biopsy. We report a case of familial polyposis of colon with a brief review of literatures.
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli* ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Fathers ; Humans ; Intestine, Large ; Korea ; Male ; Polyps ; Puberty ; Rectum ; Siblings

We live in a world where daily exposure to environmental chemicals is inevitable. Many studies point to environmental chemicals a major cause of neurological diseases. Properly intervening in and managing the exposure requires up-to-date information about neurotoxic chemicals that may lead to neurological disorders. The recent literature on the neurotoxic effects of environmental chemicals was reviewed, including both animal and human studies. Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and autism are closely associated with environmental chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenys (PCBs), dioxins, polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDE), and perfluoroalkyls. There is strong evidence linking environmental chemical exposure to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, it is important to pay close attention to a high risk-age group where the window of exposure is critical to causing neurological disease.
Alzheimer Disease ; Animals ; Autistic Disorder ; Dioxins ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Ether ; Ethers ; Humans ; Nervous System Diseases ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Parkinson Disease

A 62-year-old male was admitted for evaluation of a mass shadow on chest film. Chest PA showed 7×5cm lobulated homogenous mass in right upper medial area of lung. On chest computed tomography, there was a Barge irregularly lobulated mass with central necrotic low density area in apical segment of right upper lobe. Right upper lobectomy of the lung was performed. Partial adhesion to parietal pleura of posterior mediastinum and severe adhesion to right upper apicoposterior segment was found during the operation Microscopic and ultrastructural studies(including immunocytochemical stains) of the mass revealed malignant fibrous histiocytoma.
Coal* ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Humans ; Lung* ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Pleura ; Thorax