BACKGROUND/AIMS: In order to determine the relationship between the HBV precore mutant and the severity of liver disease in Korea, we performed liver biopsies in patients with HBV related chronic liver disease and compared the types of mutations and histologic findings in the same liver tissue simultaneously. METHODS: HBV DNA in liver tissues was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The precore mutants were detected by PCR-SSCP(single strand conformation polymorphism), cloning the amplified PCR products and direct sequencing for them. RESULTS: 1. HBV DNA was detected in liver tissues of 28 cases among 30 patients with PCR. And with SSCP, the most cases were mixed type infections. 2. The HBV precore mutants were found in 12 cases among the total number of 28 cases(42.9%) and all mutations were G to A change at nucleotide 1896, creating a stop codon at codon 28. However, 10 cases among 12 mutants were associated with simultaneous another mutation at different positions or regions;9 cases at core gene region, 2 cases at nucleotide 1856(C to T change at codon 15), one case at core promoter, and one case with double mutations at nucleotide 1837 and 1846 respectively. Also, all HBV precore mutants were combined with wild type HBV sequence. 3. The relationship between HBV precore mutants and HBeAg status revealed that 4 cases from 13 HBeAg positive(30.8%) and 8 from 15 HBeAg negative or Anti-Hbe positive(53.3 %) were mutants. 4. In analysis of the types of mutants and histopathological findings of liver diseases, 6 among 15 chronic active hepatitis(40.0%), all 3 cases with hepatocellular carcinoma(100,0 %), 2 among 4 asymptomatic carriers with minimal histopathologic changes(50.0%) and a case with chronic lobular heaptitis(100.0%) showed precore region mutation. CONCLUSION: The patterns of HBV precore mutants in Korea could be summarized as followings. Firstly, most of the mutations are composed of G to A change at nucleotide 1896. Secondly, the most of the mutants at nuclmtide 1896 have been associated with simultaneous mutations at core promoter, core gene, and rarely at other positions, and manifested usua'ly mixed type viremic conditions. Thirdly, although precore mutation could be occurred in asymptomatic carrier, this type of mutation might be closely related with chronic or severe liver disease. However, it needs further investigations hereafter.
Biopsy ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Codon ; Codon, Terminator ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational

This descriptive study measured the quality of life and the sexual satisfaction for ostomates as an attempt to give nurses basic data to improve life satisfaction of ostomates. The research design was a descriptive study and the data were obtained by Quality of Life questionnaire, and Sexual Satisfaction questionnaire. These data were collected from 21 ostomates undergoing treatment in four university hospitals and one hospital and 36 ostomates depending on one medical agency by direct obtaining method and mailing method from March. 3, to March 24,1997. Data analysis was cone by the SAS computer program and Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation Coefficient, and Cronbach-alpha were used. The results of this study were as follows : 1. The item mean score for quality of life for the ostomates was 3.03. For six subscales in the quality of life scale, the mean scores of subscales were in order of the highest 3.46 for family relationship, and the second scored subscales were economic life(2.84) and physical state(2.96). 2. The item mean score of sexual satisfaction for the ostomate was 2.86. 3. The result of analysis of relationship between quality of life and sexual satisfaction was significant(r=0.21, p=0.05). The relationship between sexual satisfaction and each subscale of quality of life were significant with the self-esteem (r=0.34, p=0.01), physical state(r=0.21, p=0.01). In conclusion, it was found that the quality of life and sexual satisfaction of ostomates were low. The quality of life and sexual satisfaction was correlated. Although chronic disease affect to quality of life and sexual satisfaction, an adequate nursing intervention will improve the life satisfaction.
Chronic Disease ; Family Relations ; Hospitals, University ; Nursing ; Postal Service ; Quality of Life* ; Research Design ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The measurement of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity is valuable for diagnosis and management of bronchial asthma. Methacholine or histamine is used for the pharmacologic provocation test. Usually a methacholine bronchial provocation test is performed by a dosing technique with counted number of breaths. A dosimeter is indispensable in the dosing technique. Recently a timed tidal breathing technique which dose not need an expensive dosimeter was introduced. We measured the degree of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity to histamine using a simple timed tidal breathing technique. METHOD: Forty two healthy volunteers, 12 patients with bronchial asthma(BA), 10 patients with rhinitis(RH) and 10 patients with upper respiratory infection(URI) participated in the study. The subject's nose was clipped and inhalation continued during tidal breathing for 2 minutes via a face mask. FEV1 was measured at 30 seconds, 90 seconds after inhalation and inhalation of next solution was continued until there was a fall in FEV1 of 20%. Histamine PC20 was defined as the concentration at 20% fall of FEV1 and it was obtained from the log dose-response curve by linear interpolation. RESULTS: Inhalation of serial dilution of histamine could be performed in all patients without significant side of effects. The geometric mean±standard deviation of histamine PC20 in healthy volunteers is 8.27±2.22mg/ml, BA group 0.33±3.02mg/ml, RH group 0.85 ±3.24mg/ml, and URI group 1.47±1.98mg/ml. CONCLUSION: Histamine bronchial provocation test using timed tidal breath method is a simple and suitable tool for management of patients with bronchial hyperreactivity.
Asthma ; Bronchial Hyperreactivity ; Bronchial Provocation Tests* ; Diagnosis ; Healthy Volunteers ; Histamine* ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Masks ; Methacholine Chloride ; Nose ; Respiration*

PURPOSE: This research was carried out to examine if music therapy is effective in decreasing elderly people's depression level and in increasing their life satisfaction level. METHODS: This study used the quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control group and the pre-test and post-test design, and was conducted from the 26th of July to the 26th of September in 2004. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by Y.esavage et al. (1983) to measure depression level and one developed by Yoon (1982) to measure life satisfaction level. The subjects were 80 elderly people who were the members of an elderly welfare center in G city. The subjects were divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n=40). RESULTS: The first hypothesis' The depression level will be lowered in the experimental group who received music therapy' was supported (t=3.856, p=.000). The second hypothesis' The life satisfaction level will be raised in the experimental group who received music therapy' was supported (t=2.040, p=.045). The results above suggest that music therapy can be an effective nursing intervention for reducing the depression level and increasing the life satisfaction level of elderly people.
Aged* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Music ; Music Therapy* ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Schizophrenia*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*

No abstract available.
Animals ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Linoleic Acid* ; Mice*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the indication for intracavitary Urokinase(UK) in the treatment of Ioculated pleural effusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed CT and US in 31 patients who were treated with intracavitary UK in Ioculated pleural effusion. In each patient, a single chest catheter (10-12F) was insected under imaging guidance. When the amount of drainage was less than 100ml/day, UK was instilled through the catheter until less than 50ml/day was drained. On follow-up chest radiographs of more than 1 month, we classified the results of treatment into 3 groups:(1) completely effective (lung expansion, over 80%);(2) partially effective (20-80%); (3) ineffective (below 20%) group. Sonographic pattern of pleural fluid was classified into anechoic, septated, and honeycomb appearances and the thickness of parietal pleura was measured on CT. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were completely effective, nine were partially effective, and six were ineffective. patients with completely or partially effective outcome had anechoic and linear septated appearance on had less than 4mm of parietal pleural thickness on CT. Of six ineffective patients, US showed linear septated in one patient and honeycomb appearance in five patients and the thickness of parietal pleura on CT was 3 mm in one patient, 4ram in two patients, 5mm in one patient, and 6mm in two patients. CONCLUSION: UK instillation through percutaneous catheter was an effective method in the treatment of Ioculated pleural effusion. However, we found near complete reaccumulation of pleural fluid when honeycomb appearance of pleural fluid on US or more than 5mm parietal pleural thickness on CT was observed, which might suggest that we should consider the other kinds of treatment method in those patients.
Catheters ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Insects ; Pleura ; Pleural Effusion* ; Rabeprazole ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*

PURPOSE: A number of studies have been published on the effect of growth hormone therapy over 1-3 years in children with growth hormone deficiency(GHD) & Familial short stature(FSS). So far final height data are seldomly available. Final heights of GH treated children with GHD & FSS were evaluated. METHODS: 10 Children with GHD and 69 children with with FSS were enrolled for the study. They were treated with GH 0.1IU/kg/daily in 10 GHD and 20 children with FSS. They were grown up and reached adult height. 49 children with FSS were not treated at all. Facors influencing final height were investigated. RESULTS: 1) All patients with GHD(Idiopathic 8 cases, Organic 2 cases) had additional gonadotropin deficiency and had multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. 2) At start of GH treatment boys of idiopathic GHD were 9.8 years old and 12.4 years old in girls and their mean height was 114.8cm(-2.8SDS), 123.0cm(-2.9 SDS)in boys and girls respectively. Boy with orgnaic GHD was 11.1 years and 6.7 years old in girl. Their height were 126.0cm(-1.5SDS) and 104cm(-1.2SDS) respectively. 3) Mean final height of idiopathic GHD was 167.6cm(-0.5SDS) in male and 161.0 cm(0.7SDS) and that of organic GHD was 173.0cm(0.5SDS) in male and 157cm (0SDS) in girl. 4) Mean Final height in untreated children with FSS was 159.8+/-.2cm(-1.6 SDS)in male and 149.6+/-.3cm(-1.4SDS) in female. Mean final height of GH treated in FSS was 162.5+/-.1cm(-1.5SDS) in male and 152.0+/-.4cm(-1.2SDS) in female But there was no statiscally difference between untreated and treated children in final height. 5) The age of onset of menarche was 12.74+/-.78 years old in GH treated group (n=12) and 12.45+/-.16 years old in untreated group(n=34). CONCLUSION: The GH administration in patients with GHD has been confirmed for growth promotion. but in case of FSS there was no significant difference between treated and untreated group. More further studies are needed for the confirmation of the efficacy of GH therapy in patients with FSS.
Adult ; Age of Onset ; Child* ; Female ; Gonadotropins ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Male ; Menarche