No abstract available.
Chromosome Aberrations*

Therapeutic plasma exchange is used in almost every condition in which there is a plasma factor thought possibly to the etiology or pathogenesis of a disease or one of its manifestations. In order to evaluate plasma exchange using fresh frozen plasma as replacement solution, eighty four therapeutic plasma exchanges were carried out in eighteen patients. In standardized procedures, 1.5 times the calculated plasma volume was replaced with a Hartman's solution and fresh frozen plasma. Anticoagulation was achieved using a whole venous blood to 2.5% trisodium citrate in the ratio of 10 to 1. Total calcium, phosphorus, glucose, urea nitrogen, creatinine, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, creatine kinase, IgG, C3, total white and red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and differential count were not significantly affected by the procedure. In contrast, serum cholesterol, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, ionized calcium, IgM, C4 and platelet were significantly decreased by the plasma exchange. All these measurements had returned to the first pre-exchange level within 24 hours, while the C4 and platelet count took between 24 and 72 hours, and the IgM level, between 72 hours and 1 week. These data indicated that in an isovolemic plasma exchange there was a transient but rapidly reversible effect on all the components studied, with C4 and platelet count, returning more slowly to pre-exchange level than the others, and IgM levels responding the slowest. In summary, plasma exchanges using fresh frozen plasma as replacement solution were assumed to be not significantly affected the function of various organs.
Alanine Transaminase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amylases ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Bilirubin ; Blood Platelets ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Citric Acid ; Creatine Kinase ; Creatinine ; Erythrocyte Count ; Glucose ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Nitrogen ; Phosphorus ; Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma Volume ; Plasma* ; Platelet Count ; Urea

Although Malassezia furfur is normal skin flora causing superficial skin diseases, cases of fungemia have been reported recently in premature newborns or immunocompromised patients related to prolonged central venous catheterization for lipid supplementation. We report a case of M. furfur fungemia in a premature infant receiving intravenous lipid supplementation through central venous circulation. She was treated only with antifungal agents without removal of the catheter or discontinuation of lipid supplementation. Soon after, symptoms and signs of the patient seemed to be improved. However, central venous catheter was removed because of recurrent septicemia of Staphylococcus aureus and the culture of central venous catheter tip showed colonization of M. furfur.
Antifungal Agents ; Catheterization, Central Venous ; Catheters ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Colon ; Fungemia* ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Malassezia* ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Staphylococcus aureus

The diagnosis of acute undifferentiated leukemia is made when the leukemic cells cannot be classified using morphologic and cytochemical analyses, and do not express myeloid or lymphoid antigens. Trisomy 13 is a rare primary chromosomal abnormality in acute leukemia and associated with lineage inconsistency and poor prognosis. We report a rare case of acute undifferentiated leukemia showing negativity in periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) without any lineage-specific cell surface marker expression and having trisomy 13. The patient was a 72- year-old male who visited our hospital because of anemia and general weakness. On examination, leukocytosis with proliferated blasts (76%) in peripheral blood was noted. Bone marrow aspirate showed blast proliferation (74%) with morphologically hand-mirror type. The blast expressed CD34 (96%) and HLA-DR (76%) in immunophenotyping. Cytogenetic study of bone marrow cells showed 46,XY,+13,-21[15]/46,XY[5]. Induction chemotherapy was failed and differentiation to monocytic series was noted.
Anemia ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cytogenetics ; Diagnosis ; HLA-DR Antigens ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Leukemia* ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Peroxidase ; Prognosis ; Trisomy*

We report 3 cases of multiple myeloma showing ABO discrepancy with missed reaction in serum typing. They showed markedly decreased immunogolobulin level except for monoclonally increased abnormal immunoglobulin. Their blood group was confirmed by saliva test and addition of anti-globulin reagent. As serum immunoglobulin level is raised, the reactivity in serum typing showed improving tendency and ABO discrepancy appeared when immunoglobulin was markedly decreased.
Immunoglobulins ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Saliva

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin(R); Genetech, San Francisco, CA, USA) injections of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: Thirty patients (30 eyes) who underwent PPV for treatment of PDR and received a preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection of 1.25 mg were retrospectively analyzed. The study group (group 1, 30 patients, 30 eyes) was compared with a control group (group 2, 29 patients, 30 eyes and matched with the study group for preoperative parameters) who underwent PPV without preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection. RESULTS: In both groups, visual acuity improved but there was no statistical significance. Intraoperative vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 14 eyes (46.7%) from group 1 and 11 eyes (36.7%) from group 2. There was no statistical significance of intraoperative bleeding occurrence (p=0.3). Postoperative vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 4 eyes from group 1 and 14 eyes from group 2. The group 1 had a lower incidence of postoperative hemorrhage than group 2 (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection appears effective in decreasing early postoperative vitreous hemorrhage and maybe technically helpful in PPV for PDR.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Eye ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Retrospective Studies ; San Francisco ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Hemorrhage ; Bevacizumab

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin(R); Genetech, San Francisco, CA, USA) injections of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: Thirty patients (30 eyes) who underwent PPV for treatment of PDR and received a preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection of 1.25 mg were retrospectively analyzed. The study group (group 1, 30 patients, 30 eyes) was compared with a control group (group 2, 29 patients, 30 eyes and matched with the study group for preoperative parameters) who underwent PPV without preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection. RESULTS: In both groups, visual acuity improved but there was no statistical significance. Intraoperative vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 14 eyes (46.7%) from group 1 and 11 eyes (36.7%) from group 2. There was no statistical significance of intraoperative bleeding occurrence (p=0.3). Postoperative vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 4 eyes from group 1 and 14 eyes from group 2. The group 1 had a lower incidence of postoperative hemorrhage than group 2 (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab injection appears effective in decreasing early postoperative vitreous hemorrhage and maybe technically helpful in PPV for PDR.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Eye ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Retrospective Studies ; San Francisco ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Hemorrhage ; Bevacizumab

Though the pathogenic significance and the reservoir of Ewingella americana have not been clarified, this organism has caused several pathogenic infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. We report a pneumonia in a patient with chronic renal failure, who had chronic rejection of transplanted kidney. E. americana was identified to be the pathogen of pneumonia with clinical symptoms and signs and radiological examination. As soon as he was treated with ceftriaxone and isepamicin, clinical improvement was followed with no further growth of E. americana or other pathogenic isolates from sputum culture. This suggests to be the case of pneumonia caused by E. americana for the first time in the Korean literature.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Ceftriaxone/pharmacology ; Enterobacteriaceae/*metabolism ; Enterobacteriaceae Infections/*complications ; Gentamicins/pharmacology ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*complications/*microbiology ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Pneumonia/complications/*microbiology ; Sputum/metabolism ; Time Factors

Interleukin (IL)-12 activates T helper (Th) 1 cells to produce interferon (IFN)-gamma which inhibits atopic inflammation. IL-12 acts through interaction with its receptor, especially beta2 subunit. In several studies, the low production of IFN-gamma in peripheral mononuclear cells of atopic patients on response to IL-12 stimulation has been reported. Therefore we investigated the IL-12 receptor beta2 (IL-12R beta2) mRNA expression and RNA editing, nucleotide 2451 C-to-U conversion, to find the cause of low responsiveness to IL-12 in atopy. Quantitative real time PCR for mRNA expression and sequence analysis for RNA editing were performed in 80 atopic patients and 54 healthy controls. The expression of IL-12R beta2 mRNA was significantly lower in atopic patients than healthy controls (p<0.05). In sequence analysis, RNA editing on nucleotide 2451 was not found from either atopic patients or healthy controls. In additional evaluation, there was no relationship between expression of IL-12R beta2 mRNA and serum total IgE or blood eosinophil count. Reduced IL-12R beta2 mRNA expression in atopic patients indicate the reduced capacity to respond to IL-12 which induce IFN-gamma production and this may contribute to Th2-skewed immune response in atopy.
Sensitivity and Specificity ; Risk Factors ; Risk Assessment/*methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Receptors, Interleukin-12/*genetics/metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/*genetics/*metabolism ; RNA Editing/genetics ; Male ; Korea/epidemiology ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate/*epidemiology/*genetics/metabolism ; Humans ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/epidemiology/genetics ; Female ; Biological Markers/metabolism ; Adult

BACKGROUND: Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) have been reported in gram negative bacilli and are becoming increasingly important clinically because the enzymes hydrolyse almost all beta-lactams, including carbapenems. Thus, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of MBL types in imipenem-nonsusceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from a tertiary teaching hospital. METHODS: Imipenem-nonsusceptible strains, 128 P. aeruginosa and 93 A. baumannii, were collected from clinical specimens. Identification and susceptibility tests were determined by Vitek GNI and GNS cards. MBL production was determined by modified Hodge test and imipenem-EDTA synergy test. Multiplex PCR amplification of MBL genes including blaIMP-1, blaVIM-1 and blaVIM-2 were performed. RESULTS: Thirty-one P. aeruginosa (24.2%) isolates and 3 A. baumannii (3.2%) were found to be MBL producers. In P. aeruginosa, 20 (15.6%) and 11 (8.6%) isolates were positive for blaIMP-1 and blaVIM-2, respectively whereas 1 (1.0%) and 2 (2.2%) isolates in A. baumannii, respectively. CONCLUSION: IMP-1 is more prevalent MBL type than VIM-2 among imipenem-nonsusceptible P. aeruginosa unlike in other studies. Larger numbers of isolates and sequential studies are strongly recommended for the useful evaluation and monitoring of MBL production in the hospital setting to infection-control.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; beta-Lactams ; Carbapenems ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Pseudomonas ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa