Objective　To study diagnostic significance of blink reflex(BR) in cranial Guillain-Barré Syndrome (cGBS). Methods　A comparative study was carried out on BR in 7 cGBS cases and 39 normal subjects.Results　As compared with controls,the cGBS group showed significant differences on latency and amplitude of R1,R2i, R2c component of BR,M wave and R1 conduction time (R1CT) inside the cranial part(P<0.001). Conclusion　The result suggested that BR and facial electromyogram were of great significance in the diagnosis of cGBS and might provide an objective index for clinical differential diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the effect of total sleep deprivation (TSD) shown in the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra in healthy young men. Method 20 healthy young male volunteers (19～22 years old) were subjected to 50 hours of TSD. EEGs were recorded 8 times (6 hours intervals) during TSD. EEG power was calculated for six bands at all 16 derivations.Results 50 hour TSD induced an increase in ? power at the other derivations except both occipitals ( P

Objective To investigate the role of Catbindin-D28k in the kidney on calcium metabolism.Methods VDR/CaBP-D28k double knockout(KO)mice was made.Body weight,diet intake and serum,urinary parameters and length,density of the long bones,histological staining of the tibia of WT,CaBP-D28(-/-),VDR(-/-)and VDR(-/-)/CaBP-D28k(-/-)mice were determined on regular and high Ca-Lac diet.Results On a regular diet,the double KO mice were growth-retarded more and smaller than VDR KO mice.Compared with VDR KO mice,the double KO mice had higher urinary calcium excretion and rachitic skeletal phenotype,which were manifested with higher serum parathyroid hormone levels,lower bone mineral density,and more distorted growth plate with mole osteoid formation in the trabecular region.On high calcium and high lactose diet,blood-ionized calcium levels were normal in both VDR KO and the double KO mice.However,in contrast to VDR KO mice,the skeletal abnormalities were not completely corrected in the double KO mice.Conclusion These results directly demonstrate that CaBP-D28k plays a critical role in maintaining calcium homeostasis and skeletal mineralization and suggest that its caleemic role can be mostly compensated by CaBP-D9k.

Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita(CMTC) is a rare congenital cutaneous vascular anomaly. The major skin findings are persistent, fixed cutis marmorata, telangiectasia, and phlebectasia. In approximately 50 % of patients, the disorder tends to be associated with various con-genital anomalies. We describe in this report a 4-month-old male infant with CMTC. The patient had red or violet marbled patches, telangiectases, and atrophy on the right arm present at birth. During the follow up period of 12 months, there was no change in the cutis marmorata pattern and telangiectases, whereas the atrophy has been less prominent than at the initial visit.
Arm ; Atrophy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Parturition ; Skin ; Telangiectasis ; Viola

A K+-channel blocker, 4-aminopyridine(4-AP) increases neurotransmitter release from motor nerve terminals and has been shown to restore neuromuscular transmission in the myasthenic syndrome. It has been reported that the intravenous injection of 4-AP in the myasthenic patients caused many central adverse effects including anxiety and restlessness, but did not affect the blood pressure. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of intracerebroventricularly administered 4-AP on the blood pressure and to elucidate the mechanism of the action in urethane-anesthetized rabbits. Intracerebroventricular(icv) 4-AP produced pressor effects in a dose-dependent fashion, but intravenous(iv) 4-AP of the same dose did not altered the blood pressure. Tetraethylammonium, a K+-channel blocker which differs from 4-AP structurally, had little effect on the blood pressure, but 3,4-diaminopyridine, another derivative of the aminopyridine, produced pressor effect similar to 4-AP. The pressor effect of icv 4-AP was not affected by the treatment with iv phenoxybenzamine and chlorisondamine, and in bilateral adrenalectomized rabbits. These results suggest that the 4-AP pressor effect is not related to the periphral sympathetic nerve nor adrenal gland. The pretreatment with icv phentolamine and prazosin did not altered the 4-AP pressor. However, the icv 4-AP pressor effect was significantly attenuated by the treatment with icv yohimbine, and significantly potentiated by the treatment with icv clonidine. The treatment with icv diltiazem markedly inhibited the icv 4-AP pressor effect. It is concluded that 4-AP-sensitive K+-channels in rabbit brain might play a role in the regulation of blood pressure and that the 4-AP pressor effect is closely related to the central alpha2-adrenoceptors and L-type calcium channels.
4-Aminopyridine* ; Adrenal Glands ; Anxiety ; Arterial Pressure* ; Blood Pressure ; Brain ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; Chlorisondamine ; Clonidine ; Diltiazem ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Phenoxybenzamine ; Phentolamine ; Prazosin ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Rabbits ; Tetraethylammonium ; Yohimbine

BACKGROUND: The keratinocyte growth factor(KGF) is a recently identified mitogen for epithelial cells produced by nomal stromal fibroblasts. ln the skin, KGF has been shown to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and differentiatian. Dendritic epidermal T cells(DETC) are skin-specific members of the epithelial y 8 T-cell family that reside normally in the murine epidermis. The DETCs recognize antigen expressed by damaged or diseased neighboring keratinoctyes and consequently secrete cytokines sueh as IFN- y, lL-2, IL-4, GM-CSF. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to observe the expression of KGF mRNA in keratinocyte and DETC as well as to investigate the cytokine-mediated intercellular communication between kerati- nocyte and DETC. METHODS: Using a RT-PCR(reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), we examined the expression of KGF mRNA in keratinocyte and DETC, and compared the level of KGF mRNA between resting and activated DETC with Con-A (concanavalin A).
Cytokines ; Epidermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 7* ; Fibroblasts ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; Keratinocytes* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: As information technology evolves rapidly computer-based surveillance systems for nosocomial infection have been developed. Well designed computerized system could provide an opportunity for improving, enlarging, and conducting hospital-wide surveillance more efficiently in the situation with limited resources. Recently, we launched a new computerized monitoring system in a hospital where digital medical information system has been operated without paper chart. METHODS: We developed a new surveillance program based on the total Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Numerous critical medical information can be easily accessible through this system without further work. This includes major demographic data, essential information from the inpatient medical record, the laboratory information system, and the pharmacy information, Comprehensive Clinical Data Repository (CDR) system was also developed. CDR is potentially very useful to conduct a hospital-wide surveillance by integrating all the available information. RESULTS: This system consists of several programs in the EMR and the CDR environment. In the EMR system, inquiry for patients with fever, case ascertainment and registration of nosocomial infections, inquiry for patients with indwelling devices, microbiological reports, and data on antibiotic prescriptions were included. The CDR has integrated comprehensive inquiries for frequency of major pathogens in clinical isolates and their trends of antibiotic resistance, nosocomial infection rates based on the duration of the devices or hospitalization, and the history of antimicrobial usage based on defined daily dosage. Data obtained from the EMR and the CDR systems could be easily accessed by infectious diseases specialists and healthcare workers of infection control services at any place within the hospital. A new reporting system has been built up to facilitate identification of notifiable diseases among the list of diagnoses on the EMR. In addition, the "Alert" notice was designed to highlight isolation precautions for indicated cases. CONCLUSION: This new computerized surveillance program might be a valuable model to which other hospitals can refer to develop newer version of programs in the future.
Clinical Laboratory Information Systems ; Communicable Diseases ; Cross Infection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Electronic Health Records* ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Information Systems ; Inpatients ; Medical Records ; Pharmacy ; Prescriptions ; Specialization

Twenty-nail dystrophy is an idiopathic nail dystrophy in which all twenty nails are uniformly and simultaneously affected with excess longitudinal ridging and loss of lustre. The pathogenesis is controversial, and the treatment is unsuccessful. It is thought to have a self-limiting and reversible nature when it develops in childhood, but in adults, it is unusual and exists persistently. We re-port here two cases of adult patients with dystrophy of all twenty nails, whose ages were 58 and 55. The disease had been present for one year and may be associated with alopecia areata in the 58 year old and an idiopathic condition in the 55 year old. Negative results were obtained on mycological studies. Biopsies taken from the nail bed revealed marked hyperkeratosis consistent with nail dystrophy.
Adult ; Alopecia ; Alopecia Areata ; Biopsy ; Humans

A case of a 21-year old female with Maffucci's syndrome is presented where the patient developed multiple cutaneous spindle-cell hemangioendotheliomas. She had multiple pea to walnut sized, non-tender, normal skin colored or slight bluish nodules and bony mass-like lesions on the left upper extremity and hand. A histological examination of the lesions showed that they were composed of irregularly dilated, thin walled cavernous blood spaces containing phleboliths and collapsed vascular spaces separated by spindled fibroblastic cells. Radiologically, the bony lesions showed radiolucent densities with calcified spots within the second proximal phalanx and metacarpal bone of the left hand, which were consistent with enchondromas.
Chondroma ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Hand ; Hemangioendothelioma* ; Humans ; Juglans ; Peas ; Skin Pigmentation ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: Paraquat, a globally used herbicide, is highly toxic to human beings. Hence, we reviewed some cases of paraquat poisoning in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical and laboratory findings of 50 patients poisoned with paraquat retrospectively. The patients were admitted to the department of internal medicine in the Eumseong KeumWang hospital from January 2008 to December 2008. RESULTS: Among 50 cases of paraquat poisoning, 28 cases were male. Twenty-four cases (48%) were over 60 years old. Fourty-nine patients ingested paraquat on purpose as suicidal attempts, while 1 patient underwent accidental ingestion. Seven patients swallowed less than one mouthful of paraquat, of which 4 patients survived. Eleven patients swallowed two mouthfuls of paraquat, of which 8 patients survived. Thirty-two patients swallowed over three mouthfuls of paraquat and they all died. Thirty-one patients with leukocytosis died. Twenty-one patients with metabolic acidosis died. Increased levels of blood amylase and glucose were related to high mortality, and increased level of blood creatinine was related to severe mortality. Hemoperfusions were accomplished in 27 patients of paraquat poisoning, of which 12 patients survived. CONCLUSION: Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide. When patients arrive at the hospital, laboratory findings, urine paraquat concentrations, arrival time, and the amount of paraquat consumed must be considered for treatment plan.
Acidosis ; Amylases ; Creatinine ; Dithionite ; Eating ; Glucose ; Hemoperfusion ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Mouth ; Paraquat ; Retrospective Studies