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

No abstract available.
Expressed Emotion* ; Humans

Biopsy has proved to be of value in the diagnosis of many inflammatory and malignant diseases, and needle biopsy of the synovial membrane in arthritis is well established and often employed as the final diagnostic aid in patient with joint disease. Authors have carried out synovial needle biopsy in 76 joints with Franklin-Silverman needle used commonly in liver biopsy. The results obtained were as followa; 1) Of seventy five biopsies attempted, adequate amount of tiasue was obtained in 51 of 53 knee cases (96.2%), 11 of 14 wrists (78.6%). 3 of 5 elbows (60%), 1 of 3 ankles (33.3%). Adequate amount of tissue was obtained in 66 cases and the overall succese rate was 88%. 2) Histopathological diagnosis was made in 53 of 75 cases (70.7%). In 12 cases, correct specimens were obtained but proved to be incompatible with the diagnosis done by either clinical data or open biopsy. 3) Histopathological diagnoses were made in 25 of 35 cases of rheumatoid arthritis (71.4%) 14 of 18 cases of tuberculous arthritis (77.8%), 7 of 13 cases of degenerative arthritis (53,8%), 4 of 6 cases of suppurative arthritis (66.7%), 2 cases of traumatic arthritis (100%), and one case of villonodular synovitis (100%). 4) The complications resulting from this proedure were pare; mild transient hemarthrosis was found in only 5 cases We also discovered that for an accurate diagnosis multiple specimens should be obtained because otherwise the specimens were too small to interprete histopathologically. In addition we concluded that the success rate depended not upon the sorts of needle used but rather more upon the biopsy technique. Franklin-Silverman needle biopsy proved to be a simple, safe and reliable procedure for diagnosis of the synovial diseases in which conventional arthrotomy is inadvisable and other diagnostic procedures are inadequate.
Ankle ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Diagnosis ; Elbow ; Hemarthrosis ; Humans ; Joint Diseases ; Joints ; Knee ; Liver ; Needles ; Osteoarthritis ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis ; Wrist

Holoprosencephaly is a rare and complex malformation affecting the cleavage of the developing forebrain and is usually associated with defects of the mid Face. We have experienced a case of holoprosencephaly, diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound examination at 31 weeks of pregnancy in a 31-year-old primigravida woman. This case is characterized by holoprosencephaly, cleft palate, cleft lip, left renal aplasia and right renal hypertrophy. The chromosomal study showed a deletion of the long arm of chromosome 7, 46, XX, del(7)(q32), We report with a terminal deletion of chromosome 7q associated with atypical clinical picture and holoprosencephaly.
Adult ; Arm ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 ; Cleft Lip ; Cleft Palate ; Female ; Holoprosencephaly ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney* ; Pregnancy ; Prosencephalon ; Ultrasonography

The authors reviewed findings of enhanced abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scans to the difference between a higher dose of conventional ionic contrast media(iothalamate meglumine) and a lower dose of a new, nonionic contrast material (ioversol). One hundred adult patients were divided into two groups. Each group consisted of 50 patients. Iothalamate meglumine and ioversol were intravenously administered in each group. The ratio of the male to female in the former was 28.22, and the latter 29:21. We examine the degree of renal streak artifact and measure the Hounsfield number of urine in renal collecting system. There were significant differences of the degree of the streak artifact depending upon the osmolality of contrast media used and that was related with urine CT number (P value<0.005). We authors conclude that nonionic low osmolar contrast media is prone to cause streak artifacts and distortions of renal image than conventional ionic high osmolar contrast media.
Adult ; Artifacts* ; Contrast Media* ; Female ; Humans ; Iothalamate Meglumine ; Kidney* ; Male ; Osmolar Concentration

No abstract available.
Delivery of Health Care* ; Family Practice* ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Insurance* ; Korea*

No abstract available.
Korea*

No abstract available.
Korea*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Suicide, Attempted*