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: 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

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the intraoperative phlebotomy with acute hemodilution and autologous transfusion as an approach to blood conservation during cardiac operation, 126 patients were grouped into autologous transfusion group(Group I, n=54), prospective control group(Group II, n=22), and retrospective control group(Group III, n=50). Intraoperative hemodilution was practiced in autologous transfusion group before extracorporeal circulation. After an extracorporeal circulation, the units of blood phlebotomized were transfused. Hematocrit, platelet count, PT(prothrombin time), PTT(partialthromboplastin time), MAP(mean arterial pressure), and amount of homologous transfusion were measured immediately after induction, during bypass, and at the intensive care unit. Blood loss was measured at 12 hours and 24 hours after arrival at intensive care unit. Incidence of hemologous transfusion was 62% in group I, 86.4% in group II, and 100% in group III. Patients received 2.2+/-0.4 units in group I, 4.1+/-0.8 units in group II and 6.7+/-0.5 units in group III. Coagulation studies showed no significant improvement in autologous transfusion group who received fresh autologous blood. There was no difference in blood loss postoperatively among 3 groupes. In conclusion, our data suggest that the use of autologous transfusion with hemodilution reduces usage of homologous blood in all cardiac surgery procedures.
Extracorporeal Circulation ; Heart* ; Hematocrit ; Hemodilution* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Phlebotomy ; Platelet Count ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery*

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