No abstract available.
Erythroblastosis, Fetal* ; Infant, Newborn

Both fibronectin and vitronectin bind to Pneumocystis carinii (P. carinii) and mediate the attachment of the organisms to respiratory epithelial cells. Surfactant A and D play a role in the interaction between P. carinii and host cells. In this study we examined the expression of fibronectin, vitronectin, surfactant-A and D in the interaction between P. carinii and alveolar epithelial cells by immunohistochemistry and pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy. The experimental rat model of P. carinii pneumonia was induced by administration of low protein diet (8%) and drinking water containing dexamethasone (2 mg/liter) for 6 to 8 weeks. The primary antibodies for light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistries were monoclonal antibodies including fibronectin (1:100) and vitronectin (1:100), and polyclonal antibodies including surfactant A (1:50) and D (1:50), respectively. Light microscopic immunohistochemistry for the fibronectin, vitronectin, surfactant-A and D showed strong expressions on the P. carinii and surface linings of type I alveolar epithelial cells. The electron microscopic immunohistochemistry of the fibronectin and vitronectin showed a strong immunoexpression along the surface pellicles and tubular extensions of P. carinii trophozoites, and surface membranes of the type I epithelial cells. The surfactant-A and D proteins showed a strong expression on the pellicles of P. carinii and surface membranes of the type I epithelial cells, but a weak expression on the free-floating surfactant materials. In conclusions, the trophozoites of P. carinii were mostly attached to type I epithelial cells. The fibronectin, vitronectin, surfactant-A and D were strongly expressed, and played an enhancing role in the binding between the P. carinii organisms and the type I alveolar epithelial cells.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Dexamethasone ; Diet, Protein-Restricted ; Drinking Water ; Epithelial Cells* ; Fibronectins* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Membranes ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Models, Animal ; Pneumocystis carinii* ; Pneumocystis* ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis* ; Trophozoites ; Vitronectin*

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of malignancy in western nations with serious health problem, and it has become the leading cause of cancer death of males, second only to stomach cancer, in Korea. A review of the histopathology of 1363 cases (1231 patients) of lung carcinoma, diagnosed at the Keimyung University Medical center from 1987 to 1996, was performed to reclassify the type of carcinomas and to investigate the change in the distribution of histologic types of lung carcinoma according to age, sex and year. Among the 1363 cases, 132 patients underwent a surgical operation after biopsy. The diagnosis of each case was proven by histopathologic analysis of surgical specimens (13.2%) and biopsy materials (86.8%). The histologic types in our study were basically based on modified WHO classification (1982) and on new WHO classification (1999). The classification of small cell carcinoma was based on International Association for the Small Cell Lung Cancer (IASLC, 1988). Of the 1231 patients with lung carcinoma, 1012 were male and 219 were female (male to female ratio was 3.6:1). According to the analysis of age distribution, the most prevalent age group was 60~69 years in both sex as (n=516, 42.0%). Changing trends in sex distribution of lung carcinoma patients showed that the proportion of men had decreased throughout the years, whereas the proportion of women had significantly increased. Histologically, squamous cell carcinoma was the most common (n=624, 50.7%), followed by small cell carcinoma (21.1%), adenocarcinoma (18.1%), large cell undifferentiated carcinoma (2.1%), adenosquamous carcinoma (0.4%), and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (0.4%), in order of frequency. In men, squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent type (55.1%). In women, adenocarcinoma was the most frequent type (39.7%). In both sexes, adenocarcinoma was the most common type in patients under the age of 40 (n=12, 41.4%), while squamous cell carcinoma proved the most frequent type in patients over the age of 40 (n=617, 51.3%). Changing trends of histologic types of lung cancer showed that the incidences of squamous cell carcinoma had significantly decreased throughout the years, whereas those of adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma had increased. In conclusion, the results showing increases in the percentage of female patients and in the number of cases of adenocarcinoma were noteworthy, and well correlated with other related reports.
Academic Medical Centers ; Adenocarcinoma ; Age Distribution ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Male ; Sex Distribution ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: Intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH) is a major risk factor for neurodevelop- mental handicap in very low birth weight infant. So we carried out to determine the efficacy of indomethacin in reducing the incidence of intraventricular heorrhage in very low birth weight infant. METHODS: A prospective, random trial was carried out to determine the efficacy of indomethacin in preventing intraventricular hemorrhage. A total of 46 infants of less than 1500g birth weight admitted to NICU of IL Sin Christian Hospital from August 1995 to June 1997 were analyzed. Randomly, 23 infants were given indomethacin and 23 infants were not given as control group. Serial cranial ultrasound examination was performed. RESULTS: There were no differences in the birth weight, gestational age, sex, Apgar score, blood pressure, intake and output within the first 3 days between the indornethacin and control groups. Of 23 infants given indomethacin, four had germinal matrix or intraventricular hemorrhage, in comparison with 10 of 23 control infants(P=0.045). CONCLUSION: Prophylactic indomethacin lowers the incidence of IVH in very low birth weight infants.
Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Blood Pressure ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Indomethacin* ; Infant ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography

A thymoma often occurs in patients with myasthenia gravis, but the development of multiple thymoma is very rare. The authors report the radiologic and pathologic findings of multiple invasive thymoma in a 59-year-old male with myasthenia gravis.
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Thymoma*

Experiments were conducted to define the optimal constituents of culture medium and atmospheric condition for growth of Campylobacter pylori. Two clinical isolates were streaked onto various media, incubated in two different atmospheric conditions (microaerophilic condition and carbon dioxide incubator), and growth was assessed semiquantitatively according to relative colony size and extent of growth through the streak. The growth obtained on Campy media, composed of GC agar base plus 1% hemoglobin, 0.2% activated charcoal, 1% IsoVitaleX, vancomycin 6mg /L nalidixic acid 20mg/L and amphotercin 2 mg/L, was used as reference. Our conclusions were as follows: Tryptic soy agar base was not acceptable for the growth of C. pylori. The organism grew in both atmospheric conditions, but generally showed a scantier growth in the carbon dioxide incubator than under the microaerophilic condition, however GC agar containing 1% hemoglobin and 0.2% activated charcoal supported well the growth of C. pylori in the carbon dioxide incubator. The authors have found that the GC agar base supplemented with 1% hemoglobin and 0.2% charcoal was the most satisfactory medium and a microaerophilic condition was optimal atmospheric condition for the growth of Campylobacter pylori in this study.
Agar ; Biopsy* ; Campylobacter* ; Carbon Dioxide ; Charcoal ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Incubators ; Nalidixic Acid ; Vancomycin

PURPOSE: This study firstly examined the pattern and prevalence of drinking. Secondly, we investigated the association between various psychosocial work environment and problem drinking among Korean male workers in different age groups. METHODS: The study sample was a weighted population of 3,289 (3,289 survey samples) men aged 20 to 64 years who responded to the 2006 Korean Working Condition Survey. Social support from colleague and supervisor, work autonomy, psychological wellbeing at work, and intellectual and emotional work demand were assessed. RESULTS: After considering sociodemographic factors, smoking, occupational characteristics and other psychosocial work environment factors, problem drinking was associated with "intellectual work demand" for the 20~34 year old group. Social support from colleague and supervisor was significantly associated with problem drinking in the 35~49 year old group. For the 50~64 year old group, problem drinking was associated with 'work autonomy'. CONCLUSION: The present study clarified that certain psychosocial work environmental factors relate to problem drinking, and the association varies among different age groups.
Aged ; Drinking ; Humans ; Male ; Polymethacrylic Acids ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking

Alveolar macrophages participate in the host defense against P. carinii, but the mechanisms in degradation and clearance of the organism from lung has not been well established. We observed the transmission and scanning electron microscopic features and evaluated the expression of TNF-alpha and Surfactant-D in the interaction of P. carinii with alveolar macrophages. Expression of TNF-alpha and Surfactant-D in the experimentally induced P. carinii pneumonia in rat was examined by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy. Electron microscopically, the alveolar macrophages phagocytized trophozoites and cysts of P. carinii micro-organisms. Immunohistochemically TNF-alpha was strongly expressed in the cytoplasms of alveolar macrophages. Postembedding immunogold labeling for Surfactant-D protein was expressed on the pellicles of trophozoites and cysts, P. carinii micro-organisms in the cytoplasms of macrophages, free floating surfactant materials and multilamellar bodies of type II epithelial cells. We conclude that alveolar macrophages interacted with P. carinii micro-organisms respond with increased expression of TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha may bind to P. carinii and exert a direct toxic effect upon the micro-organisms. Surfactant-D protein may augment binding of P. carinii to the alveolar macrophages and enhance the clearance of the micro-organisms.
Animals ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar* ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Pneumocystis carinii* ; Pneumocystis* ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis* ; Rats ; Trophozoites ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

No abstract available.
Fallopian Tubes* ; Female ; Infertility* ; Spermatozoa*

PURPOSE: Antenatal dexamethasone administration is associated with a significant lowering respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) incidence, but can increase neonatal infection. Ambroxol has been accepted as an alternative treatment to dexamethasone and is of at least equal efficacy but without adverse reaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ambroxol versus dexamethasone in RDS incidence and neonatal infection. METHODS: In this study, 30 infants, who received prenatal dexamethasone therapy, were compared retrospectively to 19 infants who received prenatal ambroxol therapy and 45 infants who received placebo during 28 to 34 weeks' of gestation. RESULTS: RDS incidence was comparable in both the dexamethasone (10.0%) and ambroxol (10.5%) groups but higer in the control group (26.6%). The puerperal infection rate in the mothers of these infants was 33.3% in the dexamethasone group, 10.5% in the ambroxol group and 20.0% in the control group. Neonatal infection in the 28 days following delivery was 56.6% in the dexamethasone group, 26.3% in the ambroxol group and 26.6% in the control group. Neonatal infection rate of the dexamethasone group was higher than ambroxol and control groups (P<0.05). When premature rupture of membrane was controlled, the sepsis rate (<28 days) was significantly lower in the ambroxol group than in the dexamethasone group (P<0.05), but puerperal infection and sepsis (<7 days) were not significantly different. CONCLUSOIN: Ambroxol was as effective as the dexamethasone in reducing the RDS incidence. Neonatal and puerperal infection were significantly higher in the dexamethasone group than in the ambroxol group.
Ambroxol* ; Dexamethasone* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Membranes ; Mothers ; Pregnancy ; Puerperal Infection ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Sepsis