BACKGROUND: Identification of specific antinuclear antibodies is useful for the diagnosis, subclassification and determination of prognosis in autoimmune disorders. In many diseases, multiple autoantibodies are detected, and simultaneous detection of multiple autoantibodies has been shown to be useful. Recently, a commercial kit (EL-ANA/6 profiles, TheraTest Laboratories, USA) losing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for detection of six specific autoantibodies is avallable. In this study, we attempted to compare the results of EL-ANA/6 profiles with those of routinely used methods and evaluated usefulness of EL-ANA/6 profiles. METHODS: EL-ANA/6 profiles were performed with 28 sera which were positive for fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA) Simultaneously we tested anti-dsDNA antibodies with immnofluorescent (If) method and anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies with double immunodiffusion (DID). To evaluate specificity, EL- ANA/6 profiles tests were performed on 10 sera from healthy blood donors. RESULTS: Ten sera of healthly blood donors were all negative for EL-ANA/6 pro biles. In the results of EL-ANA/6 profiles on sera positive for FANA, the concordance rate with IF method for the anti-dsDNA antibodies was 89.3% (25/28) and the con- cordance rates with DID for anti-Sm, anti-Sm/RNP, anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies were 85.7% (24/28), 82.1% (23/28), 92.9% (26/28) and 82.1% (23/28), respectively. In 16 discordant settings, thirteen (81.3%) were negative on DID and positive on EL-ANA/6 profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the EL-ANA/6 profiles show good concordance rates with If and DID. EL-ANA/6 profiles showing quantitative profiles for multiple autoantibodies is useful for diagnosis and tool)ow-up of autoimmune disorders.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Antinuclear* ; Autoantibodies ; Bile ; Blood Donors ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunodiffusion ; Prognosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Dexamethasone* ; Psychotic Disorders*

Metabolic acidosis (MA) is associated with increased proteolysis, increased osteoclast activity and blunted cardiac muscle response, but the effect of MA on various clinic al parameters in CAPD patients is not well known. To evaluate the effects of MA on serum albumin level and other nutritional parameters in CAPD patients, we studied 106 CAPD patients retrospectively who have had monthly biochemical measurement and urea kinetic studies every 6 months for more than 2 years. The patients were divided into three groups according to their mean total CO2 (tCO2) level of the 2-year follow-up (Group l; mean tCO2 < 22mM/L, Group ll; 22mM/L < or = mean tCO2 < 26mM/L, and Group lll; mean tCO2 > or = 26mM/L), and the clinical, biochemical, and urea kinetic data were compared among the three groups. 1)The mean age of the subjects was 46.9+/-12.2 years with a sex ratio of 1.2:1, the mean CAPD duration 28.3+/-21.8 months, mean body weight (Bwt) 59.0+/-8.9kg, %Bwt/IBW 104.1+/-11.5%, %LBM/Bwt 75.5+/-11.1% and well-nourished patients by subjective global assessment (SGA) were 65%. 2)The mean BUN, creatinine, total protein and albumin of all patients were 55.6+/-13.6mg/dL, 12.3+/-3.5mg/dL, 6.6+/-0.7g/dL and 4.0+/-0.4g/dL, respectively. In urea kinetic study, the mean NPCR, weekly Kt/ Vurea, SCCr and RRF were 0.96+/-0.16g/kg/day, 2.02+/-0.37, 63.7+/-18.4L/week/1.73m2, and 0.99+/-1.32ml/ min, respectively. 3)The mean age was significantly higher in group l (51.0+/-10.8) than those of group ll (47.0+/-12.4) and lll (42.6+/-11.4) (P<0.05). %Bwt/IBW of group l (114.4+/-15.8%) was also significantly higher than those of group ll (104.6+/-12.6%) and lll (103.5+/-13.7 %) (P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in sex ratio, CAPD duration, %LBM/Bwt, and SGA among the three groups. 4)The mean tCO2 in group l, group ll, and group lll were 20.6+/-1.2mM/L, 23.9+/-1.1mM/L, and 27.3+/-0.8mM/L, respectively. Compared to group lll, group l had significantly higher BUN (61.1+/-14.3 vs. 46.1+/-7.2mg/dL, P<0.05) and serum albumin (4.04+/-0.31 vs. 3.75+/-0.39g/dL, P<0.05), in spite of comparable dialysis dose and albumin loss into dialysate. 5)NPCR (1.02+/-0.21g/kg/day vs. 0.88+/-0.14g/kg/ day, P<0.05) and ultrafiltration volume (1.4+/-0.4 vs. 1.0+/-0.3, P<0.05) were significantly higher in group l than those of group lll. But there were no significant differences in Kt/Vurea, SCCr, RRF, and 24-hour dialysate loss of protein/albumin among the three groups. 6)No differences were observed among the three groups in the changes of body weight, %Bwt/IBW, %LBM/Bwt, BUN, albumin, NPCR, and RRF from the baseline values after the 2-year follow-up. 7)There were significant inverse correlations between the mean tCO2 level and NPCR (r=-0.33, P<0.001), %Bwt/IBW (r=-0.32, P<0.001), RRF (r=-0.29, P<0.005), and serum albumin level (r=-0.24, P<0.05). But, creatinine, %LBM/Bwt, and Kt/Vurea did not show any correlation with the mean tCO2 level. 8)Using stepwise multiple regression analysis, NPCR (beta=-0.3491, P<0.001), %Bwt/IBW (beta=-0.046, P<0.001), and ultrafiltration volume (beta=-0.0012, P< 0.005) were independent factors affecting the mean tCO2 level. In conclusion, low total CO2 level in long-term CAPD patients may reflect increased protein intake and mild to moderate degree of metabolic acidosis may not affect the nutritional status of well-dialyzed CAPD patients.
Acidosis* ; Body Weight ; Creatinine ; Dialysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Myocardium ; Nutritional Status ; Osteoclasts ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Proteolysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin* ; Sex Ratio ; Ultrafiltration ; Urea

No abstract available.
Sensation* ; Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer*

Congenital self-healing reticulohistiocytosis (CSHRH) is a rare Langerhans cell disorder usually showing spontaneous resolution within 3-4 months. By electron microscopy, the identification of Birbeck granules and laminated dense bodies in the infiltrated cells is mandatory for the diagnosis of CSHRH. However, in some reported cases, Birbeck granules could not be demonstrated and only cytoplasmic dense bodies were seen. If the lesion is more advanced, Birbeck granules are transformed to lysosomes, i.e., 'unique phagosomes', in which they are degraded. A 2-month-old Korean girl presented with congenital, numerous red-brown pigmented papules on the left side of trunk and upper extremity without systemic symptoms. A biopsy specimen demonstrated papillary dermis containing epidermotropic infiltrates of histiocytes with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Some had kidney-shaped nuclei and PAS-positive cytoplasmic inclusions. Immunohistochemically, infiltrating cells expressed S-100 protein and ultrastructurally, no Birbeck granules but many dense laminated bodies and unique phagosomes were found. It was ten months since the skin lesions developed that they have started resolving.
Biopsy ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Infant ; Lysosomes ; Microscopy, Electron ; Phagosomes ; S100 Proteins ; Skin ; Upper Extremity

Malignant histiocytosis is a rare, usually fatal malignant neoplasm of reticuloendothelial systems. The disease is associated with fever, malaise, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pancytopenia, jaundice, and purpura. A 44-year-old female patient is described who had multiple, purple crusted nodules and plaques in the skin. In the laboratory study, pancytopenia was noted on the peripheral blood. In addition many atypical histiocytes were seen on the bone marrow aspiration. A lesional biopsy showed nodular infiltrations of atypical histiocytes in the dermis and some erythrophagocytosis was seen. Immunohistochemically, the histiocytes were weakly stained for lysozyme and α-l-antichymotrypsin, but were unstained for S-100 protein, cytokeratin, CEA(carcinoembryonic antigen), pan T/B marker CD30(ki-1), UCHL-1 LCA(leukocyte common antigen), and α-l-antitrypsin.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Dermis ; Female ; Fever ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytic Sarcoma* ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Keratins ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mononuclear Phagocyte System ; Muramidase ; Pancytopenia ; Purpura ; S100 Proteins ; Skin ; Weight Loss

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate differences in unmet dental care needs according to employment status and if factors have relevance to unmet dental care needs due to "economic burden" and "no time to spare for visiting". METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the factors that affected the prevalence of unmet dental care needs due to "economic burden" and "no time to spare for visiting" in an economically active population comprised of subjects aged 20-64 years. RESULTS: Compared to regular workers, part-time workers experienced 1.28-times more unmet dental care needs, while students experienced 0.64-times fewer unmet dental care needs. With regard to reasons related to "economic burden", the rate of experiencing unmet dental care needs was 1.37-times higher for part-time workers than for regular workers. Regarding reasons related to "no time to spare for visiting", the rate of experiencing unmet dental care needs was 0.51-times lower in part-time workers compared with regular workers. In economically inactive people, these values were 0.51-times lower in the unemployed, 0.37-times lower in students, 0.23-times lower in house workers, 0.20-times lower in subjects with disease and injury, and 0.20-times lower in early retirees compared to regular workers. CONCLUSIONS: Part-time workers experienced more unmet dental care needs compared with regular workers. With regard to "economic burden", a significant difference in unmet dental care needs was observed between regular workers and part-time workers. Additionally, regarding "no time to spare for visiting", people who were economically inactive because of unemployment, student or house-worker status, diseases and injury, and retirement experienced fewer unmet dental care needs compared with regular workers.
Dental Care* ; Employment* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence ; Retirement ; Unemployment

We experienced two AB3 and a B3 from a 27-year-old student and his family. B3 subgroup was confirmed by delayed and weak mixed-field agglutination with anti-B serum, adsorption-elution test, serum and saliva hemagglutination inhibition test and family study. We report a family case of AB3 and B3 with brief review of literatures.
Adult ; Agglutination ; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests ; Humans ; Saliva

We experienced two AB3 and a B3 from a 27-year-old student and his family. B3 subgroup was confirmed by delayed and weak mixed-field agglutination with anti-B serum, adsorption-elution test, serum and saliva hemagglutination inhibition test and family study. We report a family case of AB3 and B3 with brief review of literatures.
Adult ; Agglutination ; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests ; Humans ; Saliva

A case of contact dermatitis due to herb onintment is described in a 24 year-old female patient. After topical application of herb ointment, she developed erythematous papules and plaques on the face and neck. Patch test revealed positive reactions to ammoniated mercury, thimerosal, and the herb ointment. Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis of the herb ointment showed a striking peak for mercury.
Dermatitis, Contact* ; Electron Probe Microanalysis ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Patch Tests ; Strikes, Employee ; Thimerosal ; Young Adult