No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Embryonic Structures* ; Humans*

BACKGROUND: The Amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis Direct Test (AMTDT) has been developed for the direct detection of M. tuberculosis complex in respiratory specimens. Traditional methods for diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis such as the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain have their well-known limitations. We investigated the usefulness of the AMTDT for a wide range of non-respiratory specimens to establish early diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: 346 specimens (219 urine, 117 pleural fluid, 6 ascitic fluid, 2 lymph node, 1 gastric aspirate, and 1 pus specimens) from 340 patients referred from November 1997 to September 1998 were tested by the AMTDT. The AMTDT results were evaluated by comparing with clinical diagnosis and smear results. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the AMTDT were 82.9%, 93.8%, 64.2%, and 97.6%, respectively. There were no difference in sensitivity and specificity between pleural fluid and urine specimens. In 31 specimens from tuberculosis patients concurrently tested with AMTDT and stain, 15 were only AMTDT positive and 4 were only stain positive. Among the results considered to be false positive, 47.2% of cases were shown as being less than 150,000 relative light units (RLU). In 30 specimens from tuberculosis patients during or after treatment, all six of the patients with reactivation or aggravation were AMTDT positive, and one case was considered to be false positive. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the efficacy of the AMTDT in diagnosing extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Prudent interpretation of the AMTDT's results is recommended in case of that being less than 150,000 RLU.
Ascitic Fluid ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Suppuration ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Graft Survival ; Humans ; Renal Artery ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the relative diagnostic capability of magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) and CT angiography(CTA) in the evaluation of intracranial aneurysm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRA and CTA were performed in 14 intracranial aneurysms (Including four which were ruptured) confirmed in the II patients involved by conventional angiography(CA). The size(in largest dimension) of the aneurysms ranged between 3 mm and 20 mm and the mean was 10.5 mm. For MRA, the 3D TOF method, with magnetization transfer suppression, wasused at 1.5T. For CTA, twenty seconds after beginning the injection of contrast media(100mL with use of a power injector at the rate of 3 mL/sec), CT scanning(30-second exposure and 60-mm length) was performed with a table speed of 2 mm/sec and a section thickness of 2mm. The resulting data were reformatted by MIP. MRA and CTA were compared with regard to the detection of aneurysms and their neck, size, shape, direction, intensity and relationship to adjacent bony structures or vessels. RESULTS: All aneurysms were clearly visualized with CTA. Inone case with a 3-mm aneurysm, however, this was not defined on MRA. Of the 13 aneurysms demonstrated by both MRA and CTA, eight were seen equally well with both modalities. CTA was considered to be superior to MRA in fivecases, either because calcification in the aneurysm wall was seen only on CTA(n = 3) or because the relationship with adjacent bony structures were seen better with CTA(n = 2). With CTA, the intensities of the aneurysm were homogeneous in all cases ; with MRA, however, the intensities of three large aneurysms were different. CONCLUSION: MRA and CTA may be useful in the evaluation of intracranial aneurysm, CTA has specific advantages over MRA inthe evaluation of large aneurysms, calcification of aneurysm wall and relationship with adjacent bony structure.
Aneurysm ; Angiography* ; Cerebral Angiography ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography* ; Neck

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is known to mediate ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced skin inflammation However, there is still ambiguity as to which NOS isotype mediates the process in vivo. Furthermore, contradictory results have been reported on which cell types respond to UVB irradiation in vitro. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the change of inducible NOS (iNOS) expression in vivo as a result of UVB radiation on the skin of a rat. METHOD: To examine the time-course change in iNOS expression in the rat skin, the rats were exposed to 400 ml/cm2 of UVB radiation, and skin samples were taken at various time intervals up to 48 h. iNOS expression on the skin of a rat was evaluated by both Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: From Western blot analysis, UVB irradiation induced inducible NOS (iNOS) expression in the epidermis at 12-48 h postirradiation with a peak expression at 24 h. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that UVB-induced iNOS expression was localized to the epidermis and infiltrating inflammatory cells in the upper dermis of the rat. CONCLUSION: iNOS was induced by UVB irradiation on the skin of a rat, mainly in the epidermis. Therefore, iNOS is supposed to be one of the major mediators with regard to inducing an inflammatory response in UVB-irradiated rat skin in vivo.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Inflammation ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II* ; Rats* ; Skin*

The incidence of mercury sensitivity in millitary personnel without contact dermatitis was investigated using the patch test with 1% ammoniated mercury and 0.1% thimerosal. A questionaire study relating to mercury exposure was also performed in 124 subjects. We also investigated whether the several vaccines curently in use in Korea contain mercury products. The results were as follows . 1. Ammoniated mercury sensitivity was in 10.8% and thimerosal sensitivity was 6.1% in all tested subjects, a similar percentage observed in patch test clinic of the authors. 2. Vaccination history was statistically related significantly, to the senstivity to mercury allergens (P<0.05). 3. All subjects sensitized to thimerosal were also allergic to ammoniated mercury, suggesting crosssensitivity. 4. Hepavax-B, D. P.T., Japanese encephalitis vaccine, and fluvax, currently in use in Korea, contain thimerosal as a preservative.
Allergens ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Encephalitis, Japanese ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Military Personnel* ; Patch Tests ; Thimerosal ; Vaccination ; Vaccines

BACKGROUND: The cornified cell envelope (CE) is a unique structure found in the terminal differentiation of the skin. The precursor proteins of the CE are composed of many candidate structural proteins, among which invalucrin and filaggrin are important ones to participate in the complicated process of forming, the complex structure. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of expression of involucrin and filaggrin as markers of terminal differentiation in various skin disorders including tumors. METHODS: Immunohistochemical studies were performed in the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin samples of non-tumors (41 cases) and tumors (43 cases).
Skin*

BACKGROUND: The incidence of Cutaneous malignant tumors has increased recently and they have varied in their developing patterns according to social and environmental influences. However, we have little clinical data about the cutaneous malignant tumors in the Chonnam provinee. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to analyze the clinical characteristics of cutaneous malignant tumors observed in the Chonnam province and to compare them with the data previously reported in Korea. METHOD: We clinically analyzed 427 cases of cutaneous malignant tumors during a 10 year period betwecn January 1987 and Oetober 1996, at the Department of Dermatology, Chonnam Univemity Hospital in Kwangju. RESULTS: 1. The average armual incidence of cutaneous malignant tumors among the total number of outpatients was 1.00+/- 0.25%. The incidence tended to increase with time from 0.90+/-0.29% in the first 5 year-period to 1.15+/-0.09% in the late 5 year-period. The increasing rate was most pronmient in basal cell carcinoma. 2. The most common tumor in the 427 patients with malignant tumor was basal cell carcinoma (52.5%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (19.9%), malignant melanoma (13.3%), metastatic carcinoma (3.7%), malignant lymphoma (2.3%). 3. The mean age of onset was 60.7+/-16.0 years old (male; 59.6+/-15.0, female; 61.9+/-17.1) in the in the group as a whole; 63.9 in BCC, 63.3 in SCC and 55.8 in malignant melanoma. The ratio of men to women was 1.14:l. 4. The most common site of a11 malignant tumors was the head and neck (64.6%), where 89.3% of BCC, 58.8% of SCC, and 15.8% of malignant melanoma developed. The next common site was the lower exlremities and feet (15.7%) followed by the trunk (7,7%), and upper extremities and hands (7.3%).
Age of Onset ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Dermatology ; Female ; Foot ; Gwangju ; Hand ; Head ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do* ; Korea ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Melanoma ; Neck ; Outpatients ; Upper Extremity