The authors analyzed data from 15 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy to evaluate the hemodynamic changes and left ventricular cineangiogram as compared with normal control. Mean right atrial pressure, right ventricular systolic pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure and mean pulmonary wedge pressure were signigicantly elevated in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Left ventricular enddiastolic volume was increased in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy(139.9+/-58.73 ml/m2). Cardiac index, left ventricular ejection fraction and circumferential fiber shortening were significantly reduced in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy as compared with normal control(p<0.001). Hypokinetic, diffuse wall motion abnormalities of left ventricle were common in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. A few cases of akinetic or dyskinetic segmental wall motion abnormalities were present. Left ventricular configurations in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were globe shape(53.4%) as compared with pear core shape(90%) of normal control. Associated mitral regurgitations in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy confirmed by left ventricular cineangiogram were 53.3 percent. Mild to moderate mitral regurgitations were often present(46.6%).
Atrial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Pyrus ; Stroke Volume

No abstract available.
Balloon Valvuloplasty* ; Constriction, Pathologic*

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-1alpha is interesting lymphokine to cardiologists because it has been implicated as a regulatory protein in the development and clinical sequale of atherosclerosis, including the modulation of low density lipoprotein metabolism, the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell mitogenesis, the stimulation of leukocyte adherence to endothelium, and procoagulant activity. But most interleukin-1alpha remains in the cytosol of cells in its precursor form, and is transported to cell surface. and associated with cell membrane. Therefore considerable amount of interleukin-1alpha, contrast to interleukin-1beta, is not released by cells into the extracellular space and the circulation. Despite of increased production of interleukin-1alpha, circulating level may not be elevated because of autocrine and paracrine action of that. In order to elucidate whether interleukin-1alpha is systematically elevated or not in patients with coronary artery disease who are complaining of chest pain, we undertook this study. METHODS: We isolated lymphocytes from peripheral blood in patients and control group. After the peripheral lymphocytes were cultured in the presence or absence of phytohemmagglutinin in RPMI-1640 media for 24 hours, we measured the content of interleukin-1alpha in supernatant by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: 1) In the absence of phytohemagglutinin, the mean value of Interleukin-1alpha in the supernatant was 29.13+/-17.42 pmol/ml in control group and 27.28+/-18.80 pmol/ml in patients group(p=NS). 2) In the presence of phytohemagglutinin, the mean value of Interleukin-1alpha in the supernantant was 36.53+/-20.72 pmol/ml in control group and 152.13+/-91.85 pmol/ml in patient group(p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Significant increase of interleukin-1alpha in the presence of phytohemagglutinin in the patient group means that the peripheral lymphocytes in patients with coronary artery disease are activated to produce interleukin-1alpha.
Atherosclerosis ; Cell Membrane ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Cytosol ; Endothelium ; Extracellular Space ; Humans ; Interleukin-1alpha* ; Interleukin-1beta ; Leukocytes ; Lipoproteins ; Lymphocytes* ; Metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Radioimmunoassay

In order to determine the prevalence of Necator americanus, 182 fecal samples were collected from school children in the Taegu vicinity. These sample were subsequently cultured by the Harada-Mori technique. Necator americanus was differentiated from Ancylostoma duodenale using the bases of morphological characteristics of filariform larvae. Necator americanus was not found in the vicinity of Taegu.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda- Necator americanus ; epidemiology

This is a retrospective analysis of 64 patients who was treated with postoperative radiation therapy after radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy (53 patients) or total abdominal hysterectomy(11 patients) for uterine cervix cancer between May 1980 and September 1991 at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Kyung Hee University Hospital. Most patients were FIGO IB (31 patients) and IIA (25 patients), and median period of follow-up was 5.1 years. Of these patients, 24 received adjuvant whole pelvis irradiation of 6000 cGy and 40 received 5000-5500 cGy whole pelvis irradiation and/or intracavitary radiation (7 patients). The actuarial overall and relapse free 5 year survival rate were 71.0%, 68.3% respectively. The survival rates by stage were 79.1% in stage I, and 61.2% in stage II. Treatment failure was noted in 18 of 64 patients (28.1%), locoregional failure in 8(12.5%), distant metastasis in 8(12.5%), paraaortic node metastasis in 1 and one patient had concurrent locoregional and distant metastasis. The univariate analysis of prognostic factors affecting to overall survival rate represented lymph node status, the number and site of metastatic lymph node, parametrial invasion, the thickness of cervical wall invasion, and size of cancer mass. Histology, vessel invasion, endometrial extension, hemoglobin level, resection margin status, age, radiation dose were not significant prognostic factors. Complication relating to operation and postoperative radiation were variable according to radiation therapy method: 6000 cGy RT group 8/24(33.3%), 5000-5500 cGy+ICR 3/7(42.9%), 5000-5500 cGy external RT only group 3/33(9.1%). In conclusion, the results suggest that postoperative radiotherapy is necessary in high risk patients for locoregional control and improving survival rate, and higher dose not improve results but only increases complication.
Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pelvis ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Failure ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Maxillary Sinus Neoplasms* ; Maxillary Sinus*

For seven years from 1962 to 1968, fecal specimens of the patients were examined not only for the discovery of intestinal protozoa and helminths, but also to provie data on the incidence of intestinal parasites among the residents of Kyungpook Province, Korea. The Formalin-ether sedimentation, Lugol solution, and Heidenhain's iron-hematoxylin stained films were prepared for the recovery of intestinal parasites. Of 2,414 samples of feces examined, 35.7 percent were found to be infected with one or more species of protozoa. Among six species of protozoa detected, Entamoeba coli was observed most frequently(15.3%) followed by Entamoeba histolytica (11.9%), and then the Enteromonas hominis least often(1 case). For the survey of helminth, of a total of 5,288 fecal specimens examined, 86.7 percent were positive for one or more species of helminths. Trichocephalus trichiurus revealed the highest infection rate (83.6%), while Trichostrongylus orientalis was next (61.6%), and Ascaris lumbricoides was unexpectedly low(40.9%). The incidence for hookworm and Clonorchis sinensis was 22.4 percent and 29.8 percent respectively. Triple infections were found more frequently than double infections, and mixed infections of six or more species of helminths were observed in 3.8 percent of specimens.
parasitology-helminth-protozoa-nematoda-cestoda-trematoda ; Entamoeba coli ; Entamoeba histolytica ; Enteromonas hominis ; Endolimax nana ; Iodamoeba butschlii ; Giardia lamblia ; Trichocephalus trichiurus ; Trichostrongylus orientalis ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; hookworm ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Enterobius vermicularis ; Paragonimus westermani ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; Taenia species ; epidemiology ; stool examination ; Formalin-ether ; sedimentation ; Lugol solution ; Heidenhain's iron-hematoxylin

MRI has proved to be very reliable in evaluating the menisci and cruciate ligaments. On MRI, several diagnostic criteria of ruptured ACL were reported. Boeree and Ackyroyd reported that when the ACL is ruptured the PCL may appear to be curled up or sigmoid. But these morphologic changes may be shown in the normal ACL, so the quantitative analysis of these morphologic changes in considered as a way to increase the diagnostic sensitivity. We have used 1.0 tesla MRI scanner(SIMENS W. Germany) with a surface coil. We compared two groups of patients; a ruptured ACL group(16 patients) in which had indicated and arthroscopy confirmed rupture of the ACL and control group(46 patients), in which had shown the ACL to be entirely normal. At first, we made a line(basal line) between the femoral attachment and tibial attachment of the PCL and decided the point(apex) which was located far distant from the line. And we made a line(A line) between the femoral attachment and apex of the PCL, another line(B line) between the tibial attachment and apex of the PCL. We divided the basal line into the four areas. We measured the each angle between basal line and A line(angle a), between basal line and B line(angle b). And we measured the entire length of basal line, each height of the PCL previously divided point of the basal line(H1, H2, H3) and the apex of the PCL on the basal line. We compared the control group and ruptured ACL group by t-test from the measured factors angle a, angle b, H1, H2, H3, H4, and length of basal line. We studied factors which were able to decide whether the ACL was ruptured or not in MRI finding by logistic regression. 1. H1, the distance from the basal line to the PCL at 1/4 point on the basal line, were 5.7±1.6 mm in ruptured ACL group, 4.7±1.3 mm in control group, so there was statistically significant increase in ruptured ACL group. 2. The angle a were 56.0±14.4° in ruptured ACL group, 39.7±10.1° in control group, so there was statistically significant increase in ruptured ACL group. 3. From the measured factors angle a was able to decide whether the ACL was ruptured or not in MRI and the slope of angle a in logistic regression was 0.1. In conclusion, when the apex of the PCL is located at proximal 1/4 of the PCL and PCL and greater curve, above signs will be considered to be a sign of ruptured ACL in MRI.
Arthroscopy ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Rupture ; Tears

PURPOSE: This study is to compare the rate and pattern of anastomotic leakage (AL) for rectal cancer after laparoscopic vs. conventional open surgery at high and low rectal anastomosis and to evaluate whether the number of linear staples used for distal rectal resection is related to AL in laparoscopic group. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-seven patients who underwent a curative resection for rectal cancer between March 2002 and February 2006 were studied retrospectively (107 laparoscopic, 90 open). The proportions of patients with anastomosis above vs. below 5 cm from AV were not different between the laparoscopic and the open groups; (above/below: 54/53 and 41/49, respectively, P=0.57). The protective stoma rate, the overall rate of AL, the rate of AL according to the height of the anastomosis, and the number of distal linear staples were evaluated for both groups. RESULTS: Clinical AL occurred in 11 of 107 patients (10.3%) for the laparoscopic group and in 5 of 90 patients (5.6%) for the open group. The rates of AL in patients without protective stoma were not significantly different for high rectal anastomosis (6.0% for laparoscopic vs. 2.6% for open, P= 0.63) and for low rectal anastomosis (25.8% for laparoscopic vs. 12.1% for open, P=0.21). The risk of AL was 4.9 times higher when 3 linear staples were used than when 2 linear staples were used in the laparoscopic group. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistical difference in AL between the laparoscopic group and the open group. The rate of AL could be reduced by using fewer linear staples for distal rectal resection in the laparoscopic group.
Anastomotic Leak* ; Humans ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Retrospective Studies*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha*