No abstract available.
Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Shock* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

PURPOSE: Airway eosinophilic inflammation is a characteristic feature of asthma. Sputum analysis can be used as a non-invasive tool to assess severity of the airway inflammation. This study was performed to compare relationships between sputum eosinophils to other parameters of airway inflammation and to evaluate the clinical utility of sputum eosinophils and ECP in childhood asthma. METHODS: A total of 40 asthmatic children over 6 years of age were divided into two groups : Group A of 15 current symptomatic subjects and Group B of 25 stable asymptomatic subjects with history of asthma for 2 weeks. Eosinophils in induced sputum were compared with the severity of asthma symptom, pulmonary function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness by methacholine, sputum ECP, blood eosinophils and serum ECP. RESULTS: 1) Asthmatics had a significantly higher proportion of sputum eosinophils than the control subjects (15.2+/-17.8% VS 3.8+/-4.5%, P<0.01). Group A had a significantly higher proportion of sputum eosinophils than group B (22.9+/-21.7% VS 11.2+/-14.8%, P<0.05). 2) Sputum eosinophils were correlated with symptom scores in asthmatics (r=0.76, P<0.01), inversely correlated with FEV1 in group A (r=-0.65, P<0.01) and with LogPC20 in group B (r=-0.45, P<0.05). 3) Sputum eosinophils were correlated with sputum ECP for group A; r=0.77 (P<0.01) and for group B; r=0.39 (P<0.05) but not correlated with serum ECP. 4) Sputum eosinophils were correlated with blood eosinophils in group A (r=0.67, P<0.05), but not in group B. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the proportion of eosinophils and the level of ECP in induced sputum may be sensitive and accurate means of assessing the airway inflammation in childhood asthma, and their relationships with blood eosinophils or serum ECP are to be studied further.
Asthma* ; Child ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Methacholine Chloride ; Sputum*

No abstract available.
Drug Eruptions* ; Imatinib Mesylate*

Avascular necrosis of the carpal lunate (Kienbock's Disease) was first described by Peste in 1843. It's etiology is still unknown. Since Lippman, in 1949, there have been many operative treatments for this disease but they had many complications and technical difficulties. The treatment of Kienbock's disease by resection of the lunate and replacement with fascia lata through the dorsal approach is very simple in operation method and its results were satisfactory in follow up study for postop 12, 18 months. We report two cases of Kienbock's disease with brief review of literature.
Fascia Lata ; Fascia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Methods ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis

Acromioclavicular joint injuries are frequently seen with the recent increase of traffic and industrial accidents. The treatment of complete separation of the acromioclavicular joint has been, and is still, a subject of controversy. In view of a recent trend, anatomical reduction of acromioclavicular joint, and rigid internal fixation method is preferable, especially in type 3 injury. We operated on 16 cases of complete acromioclavicular separation by the technique of coracoclavicular wiring from March 1983 to Feb. 1987. The following results were obtained. 1. The functional results were excellent; 12 cases(75%), good; 3 cases(19a%), and fair ; 1 cases(6%). 2. The complications include wire reakage ; 1 case(6%), bony erosion ; 3 cases(19%) and subluxation, 1 case(6%). 3. The advantages of coracoclavicular wiring. 1) Avoids violation of acromioclavicular joint but does not restrict rotation of the clavicle. 2) The operation is simple to perform. 3) Postoperative immobilization is minimal. 4) Removal of the wire is easy under local anesthesia. 5) This method corresponds to the coracoclavicular ligment biomechanically. Therefore, coracoclavicular wiring is thought to be a good operative method in the treatment of complete acromioclavicular separation.
Accidents, Occupational ; Acromioclavicular Joint ; Anesthesia, Local ; Clavicle ; Immobilization ; Methods

Injuries to the ligament, bone and other supporting structures of the knee joint have a tendency to increase becsuse of the increasing traffics, popularity of sports and industrial accidents. It is well known that the knee joint is burdened on motion and weight bearing and structurally it is more frequently injuried than other joints. When there is injury to the knee, it is frequently combined with injury to ligaments and other supporting structures rather than pure tibial condyle fracture. There remains a residual instability of the knee joint because of neglecting of the injured ligaments if treatment is concerned only with tibial condyle fracture. To obtain complete recovery from the injury, early diagnosis, prompt treatment and well planned exercise are important. Thirty patients with ligaments injury and tibial condyle fracture who were treated at the Depsrtment of Orthopaedic Surgery of Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital from 1983 to 1987 have been reviewed. Through combined operative and conservative treatment, excellant and good results were obtained in 93% of the cases.
Accidents, Occupational ; Clinical Study ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Ligaments ; Protestantism ; Sports ; Weight-Bearing

In order to investigate the beneficial effects of 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg Korean garlic juice against the embryotoxicity of 20 mg/kg methylmercury chloride (MMC, CH3HgCl), pregnant Fisher 344 rats were simultaneously orally administered on day 7 of gestation. On day 20 of gestation the dams were laparotomized under ether anesthesia, and the fetuses were removed and examined for toxicity of methylmercury. Garlic juice depressed the toxicity in terms of some parameters. In the case of simultaneous treatment with 0.1 g/kg garlic juice and MMC, rates of increase were 17.5% in maternal body weight, 13.2% and 41.9% in fetal and litters' weight respectively, and 37.0% in fetal survival rate. Decreasing rates were 10.0% in maternal death rate, and 6.9% and 31.3% in pre- and post-implantation loss respectively. Decreasing rates of mercury levels in dams were 67.2% in liver, 57.6% in brain, 47.2% in kidney, 42.1% in spleen and 40.9% in blood. As well, decreasing rates of mercury level in fetuses were 54.9% in all body burden, 55.9% in liver, 46.7% in kidney and 37% in brain, respectively. The number of fetal ossification centers were reduced by 23.8% to 58.0% following simultaneous treatment with 1.0 g/kg garlic juice. These findings indicated that garlic juice effectively inhibited the embryotoxicity of methylmercury in pregnant Fischer 344 rats.
Animal ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Embryo/drug effects* ; Embryo Loss/prevention & control ; Embryo Loss/chemically induced ; Female ; Fetal Weight/drug effects ; Garlic* ; Methylmercury Compounds/toxicity* ; Methylmercury Compounds/pharmacokinetics ; Osteogenesis/drug effects ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred F344 ; Tissue Distribution

PURPOSE: A large number of studies have demonstrated that rhinitis and asthma commonly occur together, and that a temporary relationship between the onset of rhinitis and asthma with rhinitis frequently preceding the development of asthma. We studied to know whether there were asthmatic airway inflammations in subjects with allergic rhinitis with bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine who had no asthma symptoms. METHODS: Thirty seven children with an allergic rhinitis who visited the pediatric allergy clinic from January 1998 through June 1999 were enrolled. They were grouped into two groups according to the degree of airway responsiveness to methacholine, and 19 bronchial asthma patients with had no asthma attacks for 2 months were compared as control group.; AR-Mch (+) group (n=19) had a PC20-Methacholine lower than 10 mg/mL: AR-Mch (-) group (n=18) had a PC20-Metacholine greater than 10 mg/mL. The relationship of PEFR variability, sputum eosinophils, and nasal eosinophils with bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine in each groups was compared. RESULTS: 1) The PC20-Methacholine was 5.7+/-3.5 mg/mL in the AR-Mch (+) Group, 1.9+/-2.7 mg/mL in the BA Group. 2) Sputum eosinophil was 14+/-6.9% in the AR-Mch (+) Group, 8.1+/-5.2% in the AR-Mch (-) Group, 29.6+/-16.9% in the BA Group, and sputum eosinophils of the AR-Mch (+) Group was higher than that of the AR-Mch (-) Group. 3) PEFR dinural variation was 7.0+/-2.6% in the AR-Mch (+) Group, 5.0+/-2.9% in the AR-Mch (-) Group, 14.0+/-6.0% in the BA Group, and PEFR dinural variation in AR-Mch (+) Group was higher than that of the AR-Mch (-) Group. 4) The PC20-Methacholine was not correlated with PEFR dinural variation in both the AR-Mch (+) Group and the BA Group. 5) The PC20-Methacholine was correlated with sputum eosinophils only in the BA Group. 6) Nasal eosinophils were not correlated with sputum eosinophils in the AR-Mch (+) and the BA Group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that patients with allergic rhinitis who had bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine might have eosinophilic inflammation in the lower airway and increased dinural PEFR. Further studies are necessary to evaluate whether asthma symptoms will be developed in these allergic rhinitis children.
Asthma ; Child* ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; Methacholine Chloride ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Rhinitis* ; Sputum*

No abstract available.
Leg*

PURPOSE: Segmental parenchymal excretion delay on Tc-99m DISIDA scan is caused by intrahepatic bile duct obstruction. However, the diagmostic value for intrahepatic bile duct obstruction is unknown. We conducted this study to assess the positive predictive value of segmental excretiom delay for the diagnosis of intrahepatic bile duct obstruction, and additional benefit over other noninvasive radiologic studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 43 patients (48 scans) Who showed segmental parenchymal excretion delay on Tc-99m DISIDA scan. The results of abdominal CT or ultrasonography, which was done within 1 month of Tc-99m DISIDA scan, were compared with scintigraphic findings. RESULTS: The etiology of segmental parenchymal excretion delay was determined by ERC or PTC in 31 scans, and follow-up studies in 13 scans. No causes were identified in 4 scans. The positive predictive value of segmental parenchymal excretion delay for intrahepatic bile duct obstruction was 92% (44/48). On the other hand, 13% (5/38) of CT and 28% (5/18) of ultrasonography were normal. In 18% (7/38) of CT and 17% (3/18) of ultrasonography, only intraheipatic bile duct dilatation was noted without any diagnostic findings of intrahepatic bile duct obstruction. CONCLUSION: Segmental parenchymal excretion delay on Tc-99rn DISIDA scan had a high positive predictive value for the diagnosis of intrahepatic bile duct obstruction. Tc-99m DISIDA scan may be useful for the diagnosis of intrahepatic bile duct obstruction, especially in patients with nondiagnostic CT or ultrasonography. The diagnostic usefulness need to be confirmed by further prospective studies. KW: Tc-99m DISIDA, Segmental parenchymal excretion delay, Intrahepatic bile duct obstruction.
Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography