No abstract available.
Sturge-Weber Syndrome*

Present study aimed to investigate the immunological activities of cell wall associated protein antigen solubilized with Triton X-100 (TSP) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and conducted on 43 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (newly diagnosed, medicated within 12 months and chronic refractory patients) and 17 normal healthy controls. These immunological responses were compared with those induced by the PPD or 30 kDa antigen from M, tuberculosis H37Rv culture filtrates, identified as biologically important secreted proteins. Proliferative responses to mycobacterial antigens were compared in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy subjects and pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Signiticant blastogenic responses to the TSP were observed in healthy tuberculin reactors, newly diagnosed and some of antituberculosis drug-medicated patients by H-thymidine incorporation assay. IL-12 p40 and IFN-r mRNA expressions to the TSP were markedly increased, whereas IL-10 and TNF-a mRNA expressions were decreased at a 5 day-stimulation by PBMC in healthy tuberculin reactors, newly diagnosed and medicated patients. However, patients with chronic refractory tuberculosis exhibited more depressed IL-12 p40 and IFN-r mRNA expressions to all of the antigens than another groups. Interestingly, very low IL-10 and TNF-a mRNA expressions cultured with the TSP were also shown. These data suggest that the TSP may be involved in the macrophage activation by induction of Th1 stimulatory signals, such as IL-12, and suppression of Th1 inhibitory cytokine, IL-10.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Antibody Formation* ; Lymphocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Twins*

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. All patients with ulcers who are infected with H. pylori receive antimicrobial therapy. Therefore diagnosis of H. pylori infection is imperative for the treatment gastritis or ulcer patients. We evaluated the four diagnostic methods and three culture media for the isolation of H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rapid urease test(CLO test), modified Gram stain, culture, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed with 108 gastroscopic biopsy specimens from patients with peptic ulcer or chronic gastritis. Among them 40 specimens were inoculated onto each of 5% sheep blood agar, e99 Yolk emulsion (EYE) agar, and 7% horse blood agar containing antibiotics. RESULTS: The positive rates were the highest by the PCR(72%), 67% by modified Gram stain, 64% by CLO test, and 57% by culture. Among the three media the horse blood agar (selective medial) gave the highest isolation rate (48%), followed by sheep blood agar (45%), and EYE agar (38%). CONCLUSION: Though PCR was the most sensitive method for the detection H. pylori modified Gram stain was sensitive enough, simple, rapid, and economical as the routine diagnostic method of H. pylori. For the culture of H. pylori combination of sheep blood agar as nonselective media and horse blood agar as selective media would show the highest isolation rate.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy* ; Culture Media* ; Diagnosis ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Horses ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sheep ; Ulcer ; Urease

Some of the proteins of mycobacteria are preferentially associated with the cell wall and are powerful immunogens, and humoral antibody responses to these mycobacterial antigens may occur in patients with tuberculosis. In this study, Triton X-100 solubilized protein (TSP) antigen was isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by overnight shaking with 1% Triton X- 100/PMSF and 10-90% ammonium sulfate precipitation. IgG and IgM antibody levels against TSP, crude protein from the unheated cultrue filtrate (CF#) and 30 kDa antigens were determined in the sera of 80 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 99 healthy controls with PPD (+) and (-). High IgG reactivity to TSP and CF antigen was observed in tuberculosis patients. Mean IgG antibody titers against all of three mycobacterial antigens were differed significantly (P<0.01) between patients and controls but IgM showed no difference. By the cut-off value adding 2 standard deviation to the mean absorbance of controls, the sensitivity and specificity of the IgG antibody to TSP antigen were 93.9% and 77.5%. The specificity to TSP antigen was a litttle higher than those obtained by CF and 30 kDa antigen. From the above results, the TSP antigen may be useful for the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
Ammonium Sulfate ; Antibody Formation ; Cell Wall ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Neptune* ; Octoxynol* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

PURPOSE: Headache is a frequent symptom in pediatric practice, but the prevalence of chronic recurrent headache was estimated in several studies with wide variations, because of inadequate expression and differences in case definition in children. Headache classification of International Headache Society is usually used in adults, but the application of it to children is uncommon, so we tried to diagnosis children with headache by using International Headache Society Classification. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical pictures, physical examinations including neurologic examination, PNS series, EEG and CT or MRI in 53 children with nonprogressing recurrent headache over than one month, who visited to pediatric department of Dong-A University hospital from January, 1995 to Feburary, 1996 and diagnosed them by using International Headache Society Classification. RESULTS: 1) The sex ratio between male and female was 1:1.2. 2) Diagnosed groups consisted of children with migraines in 22 cases(41.5%), tension-type headache in 19 cases(35.9%), coexisting migraine and tension-type headaches in 5 cases(9.4%), miscellaneous headaches not associated with structual lesion in 1 case(1.9%), headache associated with vascular disorders in 2 cases(3.8%), headache associated with nonvascular intracranial disorder in 1 case(1.9%), headache due to facial pain in 3 cases(5.6%). 3) Of 22 migraine cases, 13 cases(59.1%) had migraine with aura, 8 cases(40.9%) have migraine without aura and of 19 tension-type headache cases, 8 cases(42.1%) have episodic type, 11(57.9%) cases have chronic type. 4) Of 53 cases with recurrent headache, 3 cases(6%) had abnormal findings in CT or MRI. 5) Of 53 cases with recurrent headache, 9 cases(17%) had abnormal findings in EEG. CONCLUSIONS: International Headache Society Classifications are useful, but the diagnostic criteria are too strict for children, especially in migraine and tension type headache.
Adult ; Child* ; Classification* ; Diagnosis ; Electroencephalography ; Facial Pain ; Female ; Headache* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; Migraine with Aura ; Migraine without Aura ; Neurologic Examination ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Sex Ratio ; Tension-Type Headache

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis* ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

No abstract available.
Reference Values*