Early recognition of coalescence in pneumoconiotic lesions is important because such coalescence is associated with the respiratory symptoms and deterioration of lung function. This complicated form of pneumoconiosis also has worse prognosis than does simple pneumoconiosis. High resolution computerized tomography(HRCT) provides significant additional information on the stage of the pneumoconiosis because it easily detects coalescence of nodules and emphysema that may not be apparent on the simple radiograph. The Purpose of this study is to clarify the role of HRCT in detection of large opacity and the relationship of change between the coalescence of nodules or emphysema and lung function in dust exposed workers. 1. There was good correlation between the HRCT grade of pneumoconiosis and ILO category of profusion. 5(9.09%) in 55 study population had confluent nodule extending over two or more cuts on HRCT. HRCT could identify the pneumoconiotic nodules which was not found by simple radiography in 6 workers with category 0/0. 2. No significant difference was observed coalescence of nodules and emphysema by dust type. 3. There was no significant difference in pulmonary function according to ILO and HRCT classification. 4. HRCT could detect the significant reduction in FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEER, FEF25, FEF50, and FEF75 and remarkable increase in RV and TLC in study persons with emphysema compared with non-emphysema group. 5. Emphysema was found more often in nodules-coalescence group than small opacity group by HRCT. We found that HRCT could easily detect areas of coalescence and complicated emphysema compared to plain chest X-ray. Also our data suggest that it is primarily the degree of emphysema rather than the degree of pneumoconiosis that determines the level of pulmonary function.
Classification ; Dust ; Emphysema ; Humans ; Lung ; Pneumoconiosis* ; Prognosis ; Radiography ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Erythrocyte Membrane* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hydroxyl Radical* ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Macrophages, Alveolar* ; Mineral Fibers*

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: A 10-year retrospective lumboperitoneal(LP) shunt surgery was reviewed in order to verify the several prognostic factors including the etiology, the findings of brain computed tomography(CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), and the effect of lumbar drainage which have been implicated in the result of LP shunt. PATIENTS AND MEHTODS: A series of 32 patients who underwent LP shunt surgery between March 1988 and May 1998 for the management of communicating hydrocephalus was reviewed. RESULTS: The etiology of communicating hydrocephalus was subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) in 19 cases(59.4%), head trauma in 10 cases(31.2%), intracerebral hemorrhage in 2 cases(6.3%), meningitis in 1 case(3.1%), tumor in 1 case(3.1%), and idiopathic in 2 cases(6.3%). The mean follow-up period was 1.2 years(range, 2 week to 8.5 year). Among them, twenty four patients(75%) were clinically improved after shunt operation. The result of LP shunt was not related to the etiologies and many findings of brain CT/MRI such as ventricular index, Evan's index, periventricular low density, obliteration of cerebral sulci and cortical atrophy. However, the result of LP shunt was significantly related to the effect of preoperative lumbar drainage(p=0.0184). CONCLUSION: This result suggests that the effect of preoperative lumbar drainage has a significant role in predicting the result of LP shunt in patients with communicating hydrocephalus.
Atrophy ; Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Meningitis ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Appointments and Schedules* ; Hepatitis B Vaccines* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Vaccination*

To see the effectiveness of preoperatively administered furosemide for preventing Hypo-osmolarity and hyponatremia during TURP, 30 patients undergoing TURP were followed every preoperatively, 30 min intra-operatively as well as immediate postoperatively, 6 hours and 24 hours postoperatively with measurements of serum sodium, serum potassium and serum osmolarity. Among the 30 patients, 15 patients (experimental group) were administered furosemide immediately before TURP, the other 15 patients (control group) were not administered. We compared the changes of serum sodium, serum potassium and osmolarity of experimental group with those of control group. The result showed that the serum sodium and serum osmolarity were decreased significantly (p<0.01) in control group, but were not decreased significantly in experimental group. Thus, the preoperatively administered furosemide may prevent the dilutional hyponatremia and hypo-osmolarity during TURP, and may be helpful in high risk patient such as congestive heart failure and poor renal function.
Furosemide* ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Osmolar Concentration* ; Potassium ; Sodium ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate

Dilated cardiomyopathy, which mostly has an idiopathic etiology or is caused by genetic inheritance or infection, can cause irreversible congestive heart failure. Hypocalcemia is a rare etiology of reversible dilated cardiomyopathy. Here we report the case of a two-month-old girl with congestive heart failure who was diagnosed as having dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to hypocalcemia. After calcium and vitamin D replacement therapy, the patient showed a rapid reduction in hypocalcemic tetany and a rapid recovery of left ventricular function. The cause of the hypocalcemia was vitamin D deficient rickets. She was exclusively breast-fed as an infant, and her mother had a vitamin D deficiency and was diagnosed with osteomalacia.
Calcium ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia ; Infant ; Mothers ; Osteomalacia ; Rickets ; Tetany ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamins ; Wills

Allergic disorders such as atopic dermatitis and asthma are common hyper-immune disorders in industrialized countries. Along with genetic association, environmental factors and gut microbiota have been suggested as major triggering factors for the development of atopic dermatitis. Numerous studies support the association of hygiene hypothesis in allergic immune disorders that a lack of early childhood exposure to diverse microorganism increases susceptibility to allergic diseases. Among the symbiotic microorganisms (e.g. gut flora or probiotics), probiotics confer health benefits through multiple action mechanisms including modification of immune response in gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Although many human clinical trials and mouse studies demonstrated the beneficial effects of probiotics in diverse immune disorders, this effect is strain specific and needs to apply specific probiotics for specific allergic diseases. Herein, we briefly review the diverse functions and regulation mechanisms of probiotics in diverse disorders.
Animals ; Asthma ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Developed Countries ; Humans ; Hygiene Hypothesis ; Immune System Diseases ; Insurance Benefits ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Metagenome ; Mice ; Probiotics ; Sprains and Strains

Background: Many acute and chronic lung diseases including pneumoconiosis are characterized by the presence of increased numbers of activated macrophages. These macrophages generate several inflammatory cell chemoattractants, by which neutrophil migrate from vascular compartment to the alveolar space. Recruited neutrophils secrete toxic oxygen radicals or proteolytic enzymes and induce inflamatory response. Continuing inflammatory response results in alteration of the pulmonary structure and irreversible fibrosis. Recently, a polypeptide with specific neutrophil chemotactic activity, inlerleukin-8(IL-8), has been cloned and isolated from a number of cells including: monocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts. IL-1 and/or TNF-alpha preceded for the synthesis of IL-8, and we already observed high level of IL-1 and TNF- alpha in the pneumoconioses. So we hypothesized that IL-8 may be a central role in the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis. In order to evaluate the clinical utility of IL-8 as a biomarker in the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, we investigated the increase of IL-8 in the pneumoconiotic patient and the correlation between IL-8 level and progression of pneumoconiosis Method: We measured IL-8 in the serum of 48 patients with pneumoconiosis and 16 persons without dust exposure history as a control group. Pneumoconiotic cases were divided into 3 groups according to ILO Classification: suspicious group(n=16), small opacity group(n=16) and large opacity group(n=16). IL-8 was measured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. All data were expressed as the mean +/- standard deviation. Results: 1) The mean value of age was higher in the small opacity and large opacity group than comparison group, but smoking history was even. Duration of dust exposure was not different among 3 pneumoconiosis groups. 2) IL-8 level was 70.50 +/-53.63 pg/ml in the suspicious group, 107.50+/-45.88 pg/ml in the small opacity group, 132.50+/-73.47 pg/ml in the large opacity group and 17.85+/- 33.85 pg/ml in the comparison group. IL-8 concentration in all pneumoconiosis group was significant higher than that in the comparison group(p<0.001). 3) IL-8 level tended to increase with the progression of pneumoconiosis. Multiple comparison test using Anova/Scheffe analysis showed a significant difference between suspicious group and large opacity group(p<0.05). 4) The level of IL-8 was correlated with the progression of pneumoconiosis(r=0.4199, p<0.05). Conclusion: IL-8 is thought to be a good biomarker for the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis.
Chemotactic Factors ; Classification ; Clone Cells ; Dust ; Early Diagnosis ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-8* ; Lung Diseases ; Macrophages ; Monocytes ; Neutrophils ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Pneumoconiosis ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

The authors requested a correction in the authorship as JS Hwang to be the sole first author based on their careful re-evaluation of the authors' contribution. This correction does not affect any of the content of the article.