No abstract available.
Autoantibodies* ; Humans

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: The detection of specific autoantibodies in the sera of patients with systemic rheumatic diseases plays a key role in the differential diagnosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) is known as sensitive and semiquantitative method to detect autoantibodies and ELISA kits using a recombinant fusion protein as antigen have been developed. So, various commercial ELISA have recently become available in a diagnostic laboratory. We investigated the clinical value of antinuclear autoantibodies using commercial ELISA kits. METHODS: The serum of 90 patients were tested for autoantibodies to SSA/Ro, SSB/La, nRNP/Sm and Sm antigens by ELISA using four commercial kits, EL-ANA(TM) (TheraTest, IL, USA), DIASTAT(TM)(SHIELD, DUNDEE, UK), QUANTALit(TM) (INOVA, CA, USA), Varelisa(TM) (elias, WI, USA). We evaluated the clinical usefulness of panel test of Varelisa(TM) in the diagnosis of systemic rheumatic diseases. RESULTS: The concordance rates of four ELISA kits for autoantibodies to SSA/Ro, SSB/La, RNP/Sm and Sm antigens were 83.6%, 74.5%, 87.5% and 80.0%, respectively. Using panel test of Varelisa(TM), positive rates of autoantibodies to Ul-snRNP, nRNP/Sm, Sm, SSA/Ro, SSB/La, Scl-70, CENP and Jo-1 antigens in SLE were 30.0, 40.0, 33.3, 46.7, 20.0, 20.0, 10.0, and 0%, respectively. Of 30 patients with SLE, 16 (53.3%) were positive for 2 or more antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: EL-ANA(TM), QUANTALite(TM) and Varelisa(TM) show more positive rates than DIASTAT(TM). The difference in the positive rates among four commercial ELISA kits may come from the different antigen sources. The panel test of 8 autoantibodies using Varelisa(TM) ELISA kit offers discriminative power and enhances the specificity of the assay in patients who lack clear evidence of clinically definite autoimmune disease.
Antibodies ; Autoantibodies* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Histidine-tRNA Ligase ; Humans ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Staphylococcal Protein A

No abstract available.
Blood Donors* ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Antibodies*

Computed tomographic findings of 24 cases of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis were retrospectively analyzed. We classified the CT findings as 4 types: type 1(homogeneous soft tissue density mass), type 2(central low density with peripheral rim enhancement and with preservation of surrounding fat plane), type 3(central low density with peripheral rim enhancement and with obliteration of surrounding fat plane), type 4(large confluent low density mass, so called "cold abscess") As a result, there were 2 cases(8.3%) of type 1, 7 cases(29.2%) of type 2, 9 cases(37.5%) of type 3, 3 cases(12.5%) of type 4, 1 cases(4.2%) of type 1 combined with type 3, and 2 cases(8.3%) of type 2 combined with type 4. So 22 cases(91.7%) revealed central low density and peripheral rim enhancement, which suggest necrosis. The maximum thickness of enhancing rim was above 2mm in all of 64 definable necrotic lymph nodes and above 4mm in 42(65.5%) lymph nodes, suggesting that the wall of necrotic tuberculous lymphadenitis tends to be thick. We conclude that CT is useful not only for the diagnosis but also for the evaluation of the extent and the status of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis.
Diagnosis ; Lymph Nodes ; Necrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node*

This study was to analyze the changes of levels of alkaline phosphatase before and after enucleation of jaw cysts combined with bone grafting, and to evaluate biochemically the effectiveness of the early detection of bone healing and infection as a prognostic marker. Eighteen patients (13 males, 5 females) with cystic lesions of the jaws were divided into two groups. The bone graft group underwent enucleation and bone graft. The control group underwent only enucleation. Both groups were measured levels of ALP before surgery, and plus-minus 4 weeks postoperatively. The more discriminating results were obtained in the bone graft group. The results were as follows : 1. Levels of ALP after enucleation of jaw cysts were decreased in all patients with and without bone graft. 2. The bone graft group showed more marked decrease in variation of levels of ALP than the control group.(p=0.008) This should be considered as a result of increased osteoblastic activity and new bone formation. 3. Such variation could be used as a prognostic marker for bone healing after cyst operation. In the cost/benefit ratio, measurement of ALP activity could be useful as a convenient procedure in routine clinical practice.
Alkaline Phosphatase* ; Bone Transplantation ; Humans ; Jaw Cysts ; Jaw* ; Male ; Odontogenic Cysts ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcus neoformans is an increasingly important pathogen in the immunosuppressed hosts. The aim of this study was to determine any change of the clinical features and to evaluate the laboratory diagnosis in cryptococcosis patients. METHODS: The clinical features of cryptococcsis patients who were diagnosed in Severance Hospital during the 1983~1995 were reviewed retrospectively and various diagnostic laboratory tests, especially latex cryptococcal antigen test were evaluated. RESULTS: The number of crytococcosis patients increased over the years. Twenty-six patients had various underlying diseases including two AIDS patients. Of the 43 patients, 41(95%) had CNS infections, while the patients with non-CNS infections were 10(23%). Latex antigen test, culture, India ink preparation, and Gram stain were positive in 100%, 87 %, 60% and 51%, respectively. Positivity of latex antigen test, India ink preparation, and culture persisted in average 69 days, 26 days, and 12 days, respectively in recovered patients. CONCLUSION: The number of cryptococcosis patients is an increasing trend in the Severance Hospital probably due to the increase of immunocompromised patients, and latex antigen test is a highly sensitive and reliable screening test for the laboratory diagnosis.
Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Cryptococcosis* ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine* ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; India ; Ink ; Latex ; Mass Screening ; Meningitis ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis is common etiological agent of sexual transmitted disease. We evaluated two real-time PCR assays for the detection of C. trachomatis; Cobas TaqMan CT test v2.0 (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland) and AdvanSure CT/NG real-time PCR (LG Life Sciences, Korea). And we compared performance of two real-time PCR assays with Cobas Amplicor CT test (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland). METHODS: Seventy-nine cervical swab specimens collected from patients with suspected C. trachomatis infection were tested using CTM CT, ADVANSURE, and AMPLICOR for the detection of C. trachomatis. RESULTS: Twenty-five (31.6%) samples showed positive results in all three assays. The positive and negative concordance rates among three assays were 100%. CONCLUSIONS: CTM CT and ADVANSURE showed excellent agreement with AMPLICOR. Therefore, these assays were reliable for the evaluation of C. trachomatis infection.
Biological Science Disciplines ; Chlamydia ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Humans ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

One hundred sixty-three patients with graded degrees of uncomplicated stable chronic renal failure were studied to investigate the quantitative relationship between serum acid-base and electrolyte composition and serum creatinine level. Even in patients with a mild degree of renal failure, the serum total carbon dioxide (tCO2) content was reduced significantly. Progressive decrements in tCO2 were noted in the more severe degrees of renal failure with the reciprocal relationship between tCO2 and serum creatinine concentration. Depending upon the degree of chronic renal failure, the type of metabolic acidosis was different. In patients with a moderate degree of renal failure, hyperchloremic acidosis was noted with anion gap remaining normal. As the renal failure progressed to a more severe degree, this pattern of hyperchloremic acidosis changed to anion gap acidosis with a normal serum chloride level. The highest anion gap was 25 mEq/L in the patient with serum creatinine concentration 24.7mg/dL.
Acid-Base Equilibrium* ; Acidosis/etiology* ; Adult ; Carbon Dioxide/blood ; Chlorides/blood ; Creatinine/blood ; Electrolytes/blood* ; Human ; Hyperkalemia/etiology ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/complications ; Middle Age ; Sodium/blood