No abstract available.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
alpha-Fetoproteins* ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Blood Coagulation Factors* ; Fibrinogen*

No abstract available.
Blood Coagulation Factors* ; Fibrinogen*

Therapeutic plasma exchange is used in almost every condition in which there is a plasma factor thought possibly to the etiology or pathogenesis of a disease or one of its manifestations. In order to evaluate plasma exchange using fresh frozen plasma as replacement solution, eighty four therapeutic plasma exchanges were carried out in eighteen patients. In standardized procedures, 1.5 times the calculated plasma volume was replaced with a Hartman's solution and fresh frozen plasma. Anticoagulation was achieved using a whole venous blood to 2.5% trisodium citrate in the ratio of 10 to 1. Total calcium, phosphorus, glucose, urea nitrogen, creatinine, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, creatine kinase, IgG, C3, total white and red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and differential count were not significantly affected by the procedure. In contrast, serum cholesterol, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, ionized calcium, IgM, C4 and platelet were significantly decreased by the plasma exchange. All these measurements had returned to the first pre-exchange level within 24 hours, while the C4 and platelet count took between 24 and 72 hours, and the IgM level, between 72 hours and 1 week. These data indicated that in an isovolemic plasma exchange there was a transient but rapidly reversible effect on all the components studied, with C4 and platelet count, returning more slowly to pre-exchange level than the others, and IgM levels responding the slowest. In summary, plasma exchanges using fresh frozen plasma as replacement solution were assumed to be not significantly affected the function of various organs.
Alanine Transaminase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amylases ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Bilirubin ; Blood Platelets ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Citric Acid ; Creatine Kinase ; Creatinine ; Erythrocyte Count ; Glucose ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Nitrogen ; Phosphorus ; Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma Volume ; Plasma* ; Platelet Count ; Urea

No abstract available.
Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma*

No abstract available.
Chromosome Aberrations*

BACKGROUND: CSF can be leaked from the nose or ear due to fractures, tumors or surgical procedures in the skull base region, and the threat of impending meningitis necessitates early identification of it. Since 2-transferrin occurs practically in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and not in other body fluid, its detection from the rhinorrhea or otorrhea can be used for the diagnosis of CSF leakage. We carried out immunofixation-silver stain (IF-SS) method for detection of 2-transferrin in the CSF in order to know optimal identification condition of specific cerebrogenic marker. METHODS: The fresh CSF sample was collected by spinal tapping. 2-Transferrin was estimated by quantifying the total transferrin by nephelomertry (Behring, Germany). 2-Transferrin of CSF was identified by electrophoresis using Titan gel high resolution protein system (Beckman, USA), immunofixation with anti-human transferrin antibody (Dako, Denmark) and then stained with silver nitrate. Serial dilutions of CSF were performed to know the detection limit of 2-transferrin. To know the influence of blood mixing, tests for mixed specimen of serum and hemolysate in CSF were performed. To evaluate the specimen storage condition, tests for different temperature and storage time were performed . RESULTS: By IF-SS method, identification limit of 2-transferrin was 0.5 mg/dL in 1:4 diluted CSF with distilled water. And 2-transferrin could be detected in condition of mixing serum protein (7.5 g/dL) or hemoglobin (13 g/dL) with CSF up to 6 : 4. At various sample storage condition, such as 37degrees C, room temperature, and 4degrees C, band intensity decreased abruptly after 1 day, and it was not detected 5 days later. Mean while, in -20degrees C and -70degrees C, 2-transferin band was detected after 10 days. CONCLUSIONS: IF-SS method was sufficiently sensitive and specific for invalidation by blood contamination, and seems to be used as effective identification of 2-transferrin in the CSF without sample concentration, less diagnostic test for CSF leakage.
Body Fluids ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Ear ; Electrophoresis ; Limit of Detection ; Meningitis ; Nose ; Saturn ; Silver Nitrate ; Skull Base ; Spinal Puncture ; Transferrin* ; Water

Vibrio metschnikovii is worldwidely distributed in the aquatic environment and human infections are very rarely associated, such as septicemia, urinary tract infection, wound infection, and peritonitis. V. metschnikovii is negative in nitrate reduction and oxidase reaction, and these findings are different from other vibrio species. V. metschnikovii was isolated from the ascitic fluid and blood of a patient with peritonitis, sepsis and renal insufficiency. This patient was a 41-year old man who suffered from post-necrotic liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B, gastric ulcer, esophageal varix bleeding, and alcoholism. He had neither history of ingestion of seafoods nor exposure to seawater before onset of illness. He was successfully treated with antimicrobial agents. This is the first case report of septicemia and peritonitis by V. metschnikovii in Korea.
Adult ; Alcoholism ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Ascitic Fluid ; Eating ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Oxidoreductases ; Peritonitis* ; Renal Insufficiency ; Seafood ; Seawater ; Sepsis* ; Stomach Ulcer ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vibrio* ; Wound Infection