No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Microbubbles*

No abstract available.
Colloid Cysts* ; Colloids* ; Lateral Ventricles*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Phototherapy* ; Riboflavin*

It is generally believed that the defense against mycobacterium leprae is largely mediated through cell-mediated immunity(CMI) and several investigators have reported a defective CMI in patients with leprosy. especially the lepromatous from. This study was undertaken to ennumerate the peripheral T-cell population in leprosy patients for evaluation of one aspect of its immune status. Fiftu-two patients with leprosy(26 tuberculoid, 17 active lepromatous, 9 inactive lepromatous) entered in this study. All the patients are under regular antileprosy chemotherapy for varing periods(10 months to 14 years). Peripheral blood T0lymphocytes were enumerated by the E-rosette technique and compared with normal healthy control. The results were as follows: The mean T-cell percentage in peripheral blood was 50.6% in 17 active lepromatous leprosy patients, 62.2% in 9 inactive lepromatous leprosy patients, 67.7% in 26 tuberculoid patients and 69.5% in 17 normal healthy controls, There was marked decrease in the peripheral T-cell ratio in active lepromatous group (p<0,005) and less marked decrease in inactive lepromatous group (0.01.
Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Research Personnel ; T-Lymphocytes

No abstract available.
Coronary Circulation* ; Heart* ; Rats, Inbred SHR*

PURPOSE: This study is designed to find out the clinical characteristics, growth status, and response to growth hormone treatment in children with organic growth hormone deficiency(GHD) after treatment of brain tumors. METHODS: Fifty-three children with organic GHD were evaluated for pituitary function, serum insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1), and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3) concentrations. We also observed their growth status and corresponding change with or without growth hormone treatment. RESULTS: The causes of organic GHD were craniopharyngioma(47%), germinoma (19%), and medulloblastoma(17%), and 18 children(35%), diagnosed with brain tumors, presented with symptoms suggesting hormonal deficit. Initial height was -2.5+/-.2 SDS in craniopharyngioma, -1.7+/-.1 SDS in germinoma, and -2.1+/-.6 SDS in medulloblastoma, and children with craniopharyngioma showed the highest obesity rate, at 21.4+/-9.3%. After treatment for brain tumors, children with craniopharyngioma had the lowest values of peak GH, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 concentrations, which were 1.1+/-.3 ng/mL, 74.1+/-6.6 ng/mL(-1.7+/-.2 SDS), and 1.9+/-.0 mg/L(-2.0+/-.1 SDS) respectively. The numbers of deficient hormones increased from 2.4+/-.1 to 3.2+/-.2 after treatment of brain tumors(P<0.05). Nine children showed normal or accelerated growth velocity(growth velocity 7.0+/-.8 cm/yr) without GH replacement and they had higher body mass index(BMI), IGF-1 concentrations, and IGFBP-3 SDS(P<0.05) compared to the others(growth velocity 1.9+/-.9 cm/yr). Height SDS increased every year during the first three years of GH treatment(P<0.05), 0.5+/-.4 SDS(n=20) for the first year, 0.4+/-.4 SDS(n=14) for the second, and 0.3+/-.5 SDS(n=11) for the third, and it increased by 1.1+/-.9 SDS(n=11) in total. CONCLUSION: The numbers of deficient pituitary hormones were increased after operation, irradiation, and/or chemotherapy. Children with GHD showed good response to GH replacement. Some children grew normally in spite of growth hormone deficiency, and their BMI, serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 SDS were increased compared to those of the decreased growth group. This study suggests that further studies are needed to determine the mechanism of growth with low GH concentrations.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Child* ; Craniopharyngioma ; Drug Therapy ; Germinoma ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Medulloblastoma ; Obesity ; Pituitary Hormones

The fetal hemoglobin, which is structurally different from adult hemoglobin, has higher affinity for oxygen and higher resistance to denaturation with alkali than adult hemoglobin. Intrauterine growth retarded neonates have higher mortality and morbidity than normal neonates. In this article, to determine the changes of fetal hemoglobin by gestational age in infants appropriate in weight for gestational age (AGA)and to explain the mechanism underlying the increased fetal hemoglobin synthesis in intrauterine growth retarded newborn infants, the proportion of fetal hemoglobin and adult hemoglobin at birth and 1 month of age was checked in 25term infants small for gestational age(TSGA). The results were compared with 50 preterm infants appropriate in weight for gestational age (paga) and 40 term infants appropriate in weight for gestational age (TAGA). The results were as forllows. 1)The decrease of fetal hemoglobin by gestational age in infants of AGA at birth was statistically significant (p<0.01). 2) The fetal hemoglobin at birth was 74.47+/-2.4%n the TSGA group, 78.01+/-5.05% in the PAGA group and 68.32+/-4.84% in the TAGA group. The differnce between each group was statistically significant (p<0.01). 3) The fetal hemoglobin at one month of age was 55.68+/-3.76% in the TSGA group, 35.74 (13.33%in the PAGA group and 59.96+/-5.53% in the TAGA group. The difference between TSGA and TAGA infants was not significant (p>0.05). 4) The decrese rate of fetal hemoglobin between first day and one month of postantal age was 54.2% in the PAGA infants, 25.2% in the TSGA infants and 12.2% in the TAGA infants. 5) The fetal hemoglobin at forty weeks of postconceptional age was 13.20+/-5.09%in the transfused PAGA group, 62.34+/-3.01% in the nontransfused PAGA group, 64.08+/-2.08% in the TSGA group and 68.32+/-4.12% in the TAGA infants. The difference between transfused PAGA group and other groups was statistically significant (p<0.05).
Adult ; Alkalies ; Fetal Hemoglobin* ; Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature ; Mortality ; Oxygen ; Parturition

BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia in human hypertension and in various animal models of hypertension may be due to abnormal maximal coronary vasodilator reserve and disturbaces of coronary vasomotion. The vascular reactivity defects in hypertension have been associated with the defective endothelium and sympathetic neural activation. However, such abnormalities in hypertension need to be elucidated. In the present study the effectsof cardiac ischemia reperfusion on coronary circulation, intramyocytic adenylates and purine nucleosides were examined in Langendorff-perfused Sprague Dawley rat (SD) and spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) hearts. Coronary venous and cardiac lactate and cardiac pyruvate were also measured. It should be noted that in the regulation of coronary flow the intrinsic flow autoregulation is highly variable due to coexisting metabolic flow control, and that natural coronary flow and cardiomyocytic energy state are normally reciprocally related in perfused heart. METHODS: For the Langendorff heart perfusion, bicarbonate perfusion buffer (pH 7.40+/-0.02,37degrees C) was equilibrated with 95% O2 : 5% CO2 and contained 5mM glucose (+5U/1 insulin) and 2mM pyruvate as energy-yielding substrates. Global hypoperfusion ischemia was induced by lowering coronary perfusion pressure of 100 to 40 cmH2O, followed by 20 min reperfusion. RESULTS: During the ischemia and reperfusion, metabolic acidosis and enhanced venous lactate output in SHR were observed with increases in coronary vascular resistance and myocardial oxygen consumption.In addition, coronary reactive hyperemia during reperfusion was depressed. Although ischemia-induced increase in combined adenosine plus inosine were abolished during prolonged reperfusion, SD still exhibited coronary vasodilation. The depressed reactive hyperemia in SHR was associated with decreases in cardiac adenosine triphosphate (ATP) pool and creatine phosphate/inorganic phosphate (CrP/Pi) ratio and an increase in cardiac lactate/pyruvate ratio. CONCLUSION: This abnormal vascular reactivity during ischemia and reperfusion in SHR may be in part due to an alteration in the cardiac energy state and hence to a mismatch between myocardial metabolic demand and supply.
Acidosis ; Adenosine ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Coronary Circulation ; Creatine ; Endothelium ; Glucose ; Heart* ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Hypertension ; Inosine ; Ischemia ; Lactic Acid ; Models, Animal ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Oxygen ; Perfusion* ; Purine Nucleosides ; Pyruvic Acid ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Reperfusion ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasodilation

No abstract available.
Acantholysis* ; Captopril* ; Penicillamine* ; Rifampin* ; Skin*

PURPOSE: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of developing retinal blood vessels in extremely premature infants. In the 1950's, the relationship of ROP and prolonged administraion of oxygen was demonstrated by many randomized clinical trials. After than, Oxygen use was severely restricted and the incidence of ROP was decreased. However, with the development of modern intensive care, ventilator, artificial surfactant, and other technology, the survival of extremely premature infants and incidence of ROP are increasing So we studied the time of development and risk factors of ROP. We also studied to decide the optimal time of mass screening in the preterm infants. METHODS: We studied 436 infants who was admitted in NICU of Ewha Womans Uninvesity Hospital for the treatment of RDS, prematurity or other reasons. They were examined by indirect opthalmoscope to schedule. RESULTS: 1) Among 436 infants, 49 infants (11.2%) were diagnosed as a retinopathy of prematurity. 2) The indicence of ROP increased with small gestational ages and low birth weights and the mean gestational age in the group of ROP was 30.9+/-4.0weeks and mean birth weight was 1450+/-352gms. 3) Mean age of first diagnosing time was 5.6 weeks after birth and the range of distribution was very wide. But mean age of first diagnosing time in gestational age was 36.3 weeks and it's range was narrow 4) The risk factors of ROP were prolonged use of oxygen, high concentration of oxygen with ventilator, frequent apnea, sepsis, hyaline membrane disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, the use of xanthine derivatives, phototherapy over than 1 week, surfactant treatment, perinatal asphyxia. CONCLUSION: Retinopathy of prematurity has a relationship with small gestational period, low birth weights, long duration of high oxygen, and other risk factors. The optimal period of mass screening in preterm infants for ROP is from 33 weeks to 36 weeks gestational age rather than chronological age after birth.
Apnea ; Appointments and Schedules ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hyaline Membrane Disease ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Critical Care ; Mass Screening ; Oxygen ; Parturition ; Phototherapy ; Retinal Vessels ; Retinopathy of Prematurity* ; Risk Factors* ; Sepsis ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Xanthine