Primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease of unknown origin. The small and medium sized intrahepatic bile ducts are destroyed by an inflammatory process, which, it has been suggested, is of the autoimmune type. It is strongly associated with the presence of antimitochondrial antibodies, predominantly IgM and IgG. The liver changes are classified into four stages, of which stage IV represents the development of cirrhosis, which required orthotropic liver transplantation in the longrun. The prevalence rates was reported 128 per millon in Sweden , but the disease is relatively rare in Oriental area. In medical treatment, long-term administration of ursodeoxycholic acid improves both clinical and biochemical signs, slows the progression of the disease and reduces the complication requiring liver transplantation. We report two cases of PBC, one with histologically proven cirrhosis, and the other with bile duct destruction consistent with stage III and hypothyroidism.
Antibodies ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Fibrosis ; Hypothyroidism ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary* ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation ; Prevalence ; Sweden ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid

Esophagorespiratory fistulas resulting from Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection are rare. Whereas most esophagorespiratory fistulas are absolute indication for direct surgical closure, this may not be necessary in the case of those of tuberculous origin. If diagnosed early, the infection and the complicating fistula could be treated effectively with anti- tuberculous chemotherapy without the need for surgical intervention. Despite the sugges- tion of a trend away from direct surgical closure in recent years, it seems that anti tuberculous chemotherapy may not result in healing of the fistula in all patients. So we report a case of tuberculous esophagorespiratory fistula that has severe aspiration pneumorua and effectively treated with implantation of silicone-covered self-expandable metal stent and antituberculous chemotherapy.
Drug Therapy ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Silicones* ; Stents* ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula

PURPOSE: Several factors including dialysis adequacy are now known to be related to clinical outcomes of CAPD patients. In our study, the long term effects of dialysis adequacy, residual renal function, nutritional indices, and peritoneal membrane transport characteristics on the outcomes of CAPD patients were evaluated. METHODS: Prevalent or incident 127 patients were enrolled from February 1998 to January 1999. Follow-up was terminated in January 2003. In 41 patients, parameters of adequacy were reevaluated, and the effects of parameter change over time on patient outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-two were male. Twenty-nine (23%) were diabetic. Mean age was 47+/-2.9 years, and the mean follow up period was 45+/-.8 months. The baseline serum albumin was 3.7+/-.5 g/dL. nPCR was 0.8+/-.2 g/kg/d, and %lean body mass was 68.4+/-4.3. Kt/V was 2.0+/-.7, and Ccr was 64.5+/-8.8 L/wk/1.73 m2. The estimated GFR was 1.1+/-.3 mL/min. The multivariated analysis demonstrated that diabetes, serum albumin, and the patent residual renal function were independent factors of the patient and technique survival. Membrane transport characteristic was a predictor of technique survival. Among patients for whom the parameters of adequacy were reevaluated, a more rapid decrease of serum albumin and a more rapid increase of membrane transport characteristics were associated with increased risk of either death or technique failure. CONCIUSION: Nutritional indices and presence of residual renal function have a significant impact on the clinical outcome. The decrease of serum albumin and the increase of membrane transport characteristic have negative impacts on patient and technique survival.
Dialysis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Membranes ; Nutrition Assessment* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Serum Albumin

PURPOSE: Several factors including dialysis adequacy are now known to be related to clinical outcomes of CAPD patients. In our study, the long term effects of dialysis adequacy, residual renal function, nutritional indices, and peritoneal membrane transport characteristics on the outcomes of CAPD patients were evaluated. METHODS: Prevalent or incident 127 patients were enrolled from February 1998 to January 1999. Follow-up was terminated in January 2003. In 41 patients, parameters of adequacy were reevaluated, and the effects of parameter change over time on patient outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-two were male. Twenty-nine (23%) were diabetic. Mean age was 47+/-2.9 years, and the mean follow up period was 45+/-.8 months. The baseline serum albumin was 3.7+/-.5 g/dL. nPCR was 0.8+/-.2 g/kg/d, and %lean body mass was 68.4+/-4.3. Kt/V was 2.0+/-.7, and Ccr was 64.5+/-8.8 L/wk/1.73 m2. The estimated GFR was 1.1+/-.3 mL/min. The multivariated analysis demonstrated that diabetes, serum albumin, and the patent residual renal function were independent factors of the patient and technique survival. Membrane transport characteristic was a predictor of technique survival. Among patients for whom the parameters of adequacy were reevaluated, a more rapid decrease of serum albumin and a more rapid increase of membrane transport characteristics were associated with increased risk of either death or technique failure. CONCIUSION: Nutritional indices and presence of residual renal function have a significant impact on the clinical outcome. The decrease of serum albumin and the increase of membrane transport characteristic have negative impacts on patient and technique survival.
Dialysis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Membranes ; Nutrition Assessment* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Serum Albumin

Uremic encephalopathy is a well-known complication in uremia and may result from changes of cerebral metabolism due to uremic toxins. Specific morphological changes have not been observed and pathogenesis is still unclear. We experienced a case with uremic encephalopathy in whom reVersible abnormalities were observed on brain magnetic resonance image (MRI). A 61-year-old man with chronic renal faliure due to diabetic nephropathy started automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) one year ago (therapy time: 10 hours, number of cycles: 5, fill volume per cycle: 2 L). He developed gait disturbance and dysarthria after he dwelled icodextrin contained 2 L dialysate over night instead of APD. In that time, his weekly Kt/V and creatinine clearance were 1.5 and 87.5 L/week/1.73 m2, respectively. On brain MRI, low signal in T1 image and high signal in T2 image were seen in putamen and globus pallidus bilaterally. Insufficient peritoneal dialysis adequacy was documented, and the patient was switched from APD to continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). After than, his symptom gradually improved. On follow-up MRI 2 months later, previous lesion has disappeared.
Brain ; Creatinine ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Dysarthria ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gait ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Putamen ; Uremia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Korean phonetically balanced (PB) word list (Ham's Korean PB Word List) is currently the most commonly used word list for speech discrimination test. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency characteristics of the Ham's Korean PB word list and to compare frequency characteristics of the Ham's Korean PB word list with that of the 21st Century Sejong words, which represent characteristics of the contemporary spoken Korean language. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The 300 syllables most commonly used were collected from the words in 21st Century Sejong project. The 21st Century Sejong words were weighted according to the frequency of usage. The 21st Century Sejong words and words from the Ham's Korean PB word list were analyzed using an acoustic analysis program that has the MATLAB function. RESULTS: Syllables with frequencies above 2,000 Hz comprise 34% of the 21st Century Sejong words and 16% of the Ham's Korean PB word list. The Ham's Korean PB word list does not represent the high frequency characteristics of the contemporary spoken Korean language. The 21st Century Sejong words have more 'eu', 'i' and open syllables than the Ham's Korean PB word list. CONCLUSION: The Ham's Korean PB word list does not reflect the high frequency characteristics of the contemporary spoken Korean language included in the 21st Century Sejong words. Therefore, a new PB word list that incorporates a greater number of syllables with high frequency characteristics is required.
Acoustics* ; Audiometry, Speech ; Speech Acoustics ; Speech Discrimination Tests

We evaluated the risk of coronary-artery disease in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) by measuring the coronary-artery calcium scores with electron beam CT (EBCT). A total of 81 CRF patients were divided into three groups; pre-dialysis (group I, n=35), hemodialysis (group II, n=31) and peritoneal dialysis (group III, n=15). The several serum biochemical markers and calcium score levels by EBCT were determined. The Ca x P products were significantly higher in groups II (p<0.05) and III (p<0.01) than in group I. The serum calcium levels were significantly higher in group III than in both group I (p<0.01) and II (p<0.05). The serum calcium level in 15 patients with a calcium score > 400 was significantly higher than the 66 patients with a score < or =400 (p<0.01). The calcium score was significantly higher in the 15 patients with cardiovascular complications than in the 66 patients without cardiovascular complications (628.9+/-904.8 vs. 150.4+/-350.9, p<0.01). EBCT seemed to be a good diagnostic tool for evaluating the risk of coronary-artery disease ''noninvasively'' in CRF patients who are at increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Calcinosis/etiology/metabolism/*radiography ; Calcium/blood/*metabolism ; Coronary Arteriosclerosis/etiology/metabolism/radiography ; Coronary Vessels/*metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/complications/metabolism/*radiography/therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Renal Dialysis ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Risk Factors ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mallory-Weiss syndrome refers to a laceration or lacerations in the region of the gastroesophageal junction due to vomiting, retching, or coughing induced by several causes, and preceding hematemesis. In the last several years, endoscopic therapies have dramatically changed the need for emergency surgery in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. There is only little information however, regarding the indication criteria and the efficacy of endoscopic therapies in severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding, due to Mallory-Weiss syndrome. This study was designed to assess the usefulness and the indications of endoscopic O-ring band ligation. METHODS: Thirty patients with Mallory- Weiss syndrome who were experiencing a related hemorrhage were studied. Among these, 5 patients with active bleeding or a visible vessel revealed during an endoscopic examination were treated with O-ring band ligation. Patients with blood clots or linear tears received only conservative treatment.
Cough ; Emergencies ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Hematemesis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Ligation* ; Mallory-Weiss Syndrome ; Vomiting