PURPOSE: Thallous-201 chloride produced at Korea Cancer Center Hospital(KCCH) is used in detecting cardiovascular disease and cancer. Thallium impurity can cause emesis, catharsis and nausea, so the presence of thallium and other metal impurities should be determined. According to USP and KP, their amounts must be less than 2 ppm in thallium and 5 ppm in total. In this study, the detection method of trace amounts of metal impurities in [201Tl]TlCl injection with polarography was optimized without environmental contamination. MATERALS AND METHODS: For the detection of metal impurities, Osteryoung Square Wave Stripping Voltammetry method was used in Bio-Analytical System (BAS) 50W polarograph. The voltammetry was composed of Dropping Mercury Electrode (DME) as a working electrode, Ag/AgCl as a reference electrode and Pt wire as a counter electrode. Square wave stripping method, which makes use of formation and deformation of amalgam, was adopted to determine the metal impurities, and pH 7 phosphate buffer was used as supporting electrolyte. RESULTS: T1, Cu and Pb in thallous-201 chloride solution were detected by scanning from 300 mV to -800 mV. Calibration curves were made by using TlNO3, CuSO4 and Pb(NO3)2 as standard solutions. Tl was confirmed at -450 mV peak potential and Cu at -50 mV. Less than 2 ppm of Tl and Cu was detected and Pb was not detected in KCCH-produced thallous-201 chloride injection. CONCLUSION: Detection limit of thallium and copper is approximately 50 ppb with this method. As a result of this experiment, thallium and other metal impurities in thallous-201 chloride injection, produced at Korea Cancer Center Hospital, are in the regulation of USP and KP. Polarograph could be applied for the determination of metal impurities in the quality control of radiopharmaceuticals conveniently without environmental contamination.
Calibration ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Catharsis ; Copper ; Electrodes ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Metals, Heavy* ; Nausea ; Polarography* ; Quality Control ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Thallium ; Vomiting

It is well known that the murine T helper cell clones are divided by their lymphokine secretory activities. One is the Th-1 cell, producing IL-2 and IFN after stimulation and the other is the Th-2 cell, producing the IL-4 and IL-5. This study was undertaken to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of the bacterial lipopolysaccharide(LPS) on the lymphokine production in vivo and in vitro. The results were as follows: There were no effects on the lymphokine secretion by the in vitro treatment of the LPS. The in vivo treatment of the LPS decreases the capability of the production of IL-2 and IFN , whereas it increases the capability of IL-4 production. The altered capacity of the lymphokine production was recovered about 2 weeks after the treatment of the LPS. There were no differences on the lymphokine production between E-coli LPS and salmonella LPS. The capacity of the lymphokine production was the same in the treatment of a non-heated LPS or heated-LPS. The lymphokine production of the mice which were desensitized by the long term treatment of the LPS was not different from the control mice. The in vitro treatment of RU486 can block the alterations of the lymphokine production after the treatment of the LPS. In summary, one can tell that the LPS increases the secretion of the IL-4 through the endogenous secretion of the glucocorticoids.
Animals ; Clone Cells ; Glucocorticoids ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Mice ; Mifepristone ; Salmonella ; T-Lymphocytes* ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

This experiment was undertaken in order to find out if there is any morphological change in oocytes and two-cell embryos whose development have been suppressed by progesterone for six hours in vitro. It can be observed that some part of the outer side of nuclear membrane of the suppressed oocytes was damaged. The number of nuclear pores has decreased in suppressed oocytes and this suggests that progesterone might suppress the transport of intermediary metabolites between cytoplasm and nucleus. Sometimes, closely packed aggregates of parallel or irregular endoplasmic reticula were observed in suppressed oocytes. Microvilli of suppresed oocytes showed signs of degradation and the perivitelline space became apparent. Thus it is presumed that the egg membrane has constricted during cultivation under progesterone in vitro. The other cell organelles such as mitochondria, multivesicular bodies, cortical granules and fibrillar lattices showed no difference in morphology between treated and control (intact) oocytes. In two-cell embryos, there was also no evident morphological change except for the fact that many vacuoles appeared clearly in suppressed embryonal cells. In brief, there was no fundamental morphological change in the oocytes and the embryonal cells exposed to progesterone for six hours even though it inhibits their development. The action of progesterone should be investigated thoroughly.
Animal ; Embryo/cytology* ; Embryo/drug effects ; Female ; In Vitro ; Mice ; Oocytes/drug effects ; Oocytes/ultrastructure* ; Ovum/ultrastructure* ; Progesterone/pharmacology*

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. PURPOSE: To compare the progression of the kyphotic angle (KA) in a surgically treated group with the predicted outcome of a conservatively treated group. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Late onset kyphosis is a complication of tuberculous spondylitis making its prevention a major goal of surgery. METHODS: Twenty six consecutive patients underwent an anterior reconstruction and posterior instrumented fusion in conjunction with antituberculous chemotherapy. The mean follow up was 56 months (range, 28 to 112 months). The patients were divided into subgroups based on the involved region of the thoracic and the thoracolumbar spine, initial KA, and the initial vertebral body loss (VBL(x)). The predicted KA (KA(Pd)) was calculated using the formula, KA(Pd)=5.5+30.5 VBL(x), to predict the final gibbus deformity. Kyphotic angle progression (DeltaKA) based on the radiographic measurements after surgery (DeltaKA(R)), and the predicted outcome of conservative treatment (DeltaKA(P)) with chemotherapy were compared. RESULTS: Among the subgroups of the regions involved and initial KA, the DeltaKA was radiographically superior with a reduced amount of kyphogenesis in the surgery group than the predicted outcome of the conservatively treated patients (p<0.05). The radiographic DeltaKA was similar (p>0.05) with VBL(x)< or =0.5 in the VBL(x) subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that in the VBL(x) subgroup, an initial VBL(x)< or =0.5 is an indication of conservative antituberculous chemotherapy without surgery.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Spondylitis

PURPOSE: This study was designed to clarify the osseointegration of the titanium screw coated with CMP, in regard to the time schedule, through the characteristic of early osseointegration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mechanical, radiological and histomophometric measurements were performed in 28 rabbit tibial proximal metaphyseal cortical bone screws 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks after surgery for the in vivo comparison of the osseointegration of titanium screws (3.75 mm diameter, 5 mm length) with different surface treatments: CMP coating group, with the sol-gel method (experimental group) and uncoated group (control group). RESULTS: 1. Radiology: There were no differences between the two groups without a radiolucent line or in regard to the time schedule. 2. Histology: There were no differences between the two groups without a fibrous tissue intervening surface or in regard to the time schedule. 3. Torque test: The test results for the CMP coated group were 1.5 times higher than those for the uncoated group, which was statistically meaningful, but there was no difference in regard to the time schedule. CONCLUSION: CMP coating is an option to increase the osseointegration of the titanium screw.
Appointments and Schedules ; Bone Screws ; Ceramics* ; Osseointegration* ; Tibia ; Titanium ; Torque

BACKGROUND: The HLA system is known to be the most polymorphic gene cluster in the human genome. HLA allele and haplotype distribution varies widely among different ethnic groups. In this study, we examined the frequency of HLA class I alleles and haplotypes in 309 healthy Koreans. METHODS: We typed HLA-A, -B, and -C genes at the allelic level in 109 unrelated Korean individuals using a sequence-based typing. With the additional data of 200 healthy Koreans from dbMHC (http: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mhc/), allele and haplotype frequencies were estimated by the maximum likelihood method. Serological typing results of 49 individuals were compared with the results highly resolved. RESULTS: A total of 22 HLA-A, 41 HLA-B, and 21 HLA-C alleles were found in this study. Alleles showing frequencies of more than 10% in each HLA locus were A*2402 (22.5%), A*0201 (15.7%), A*3303 (14.4%), A*1101 (11.0%), B*5101 (12.1%), Cw*0102 (18.8%), and Cw*1402 (10.2%). The most common A-B-C haplotypes at a frequency of more than 3% were A*3303-B*5801-Cw*0302 (5.2%), A*2402-B*5101-Cw*1402 (4.5%), A*1101-B*1501-Cw*0401 (4.3%), A*3303-B*4403-Cw*1403 (4.0%), A*3001-B*1302-Cw*0602 (3.7%), and A*0207-B*4601-Cw*0102 (3.2%). Misassignment of HLA-C antigen by serotyping was detected in 11 (22.4%) of 49 individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Our results will be useful as a basic data for studies on anthropology, disease association, and bone marrow transplantation. Misidentification of HLA-C by serotyping is so high that it would be desirable to perform a DNA typing especially in unrelated bone marrow transplantation.
Alleles* ; Anthropology ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Ethnic Groups ; Genome, Human ; Haplotypes* ; Histocompatibility Testing ; HLA-A Antigens* ; HLA-B Antigens ; HLA-C Antigens ; Humans ; Multigene Family ; Serotyping

BACKGROUND: Decreased activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly people are related to decreased quality of life and death and are a clinically important issue. However, few studies have investigated the various characteristics and risk factors for a decline in ADL among elderly in-patients in geriatric hospitals in Korea. METHODS: In total, 163 elderly in-patients with dementia in three geriatric hospitals located in Incheon, Gwangju and Yongin, Korea were surveyed prospectively for associated factors of a decline in ADL after 6 months. RESULTS: On average, the subjects were 79.4+/-7.6 years old, and 67.5% were female. Approximately 63% had Alzheimer type dementia, 36.8% only attended primary school, 73.0% were widowed, and 38.7% had been admitted to hospitals for less than 1 year. The Korean version of the Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) score was 14.1+/-6.5, and the clinical dementia rating was 1.9+/-0.9. In total, 8.6% were bed-ridden and 59.5% and 64.6% had never experienced fecal and urinary incontinence, respectively. Total ADL scores declined after 6 months follow-up, and significantly associated factors were low K-MMSE score, fecal incontinence, and co-existence of fecal and urinary incontinence. CONCLUSION: Low K-MMSE scores, fecal incontinence, and the co-existence of fecal and urinary incontinence were associated with ADL declines in elderly in-patients with dementia in long-term care hospitals located in three cities in Korea.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Dementia ; Fecal Incontinence ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Long-Term Care ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Urinary Incontinence ; Widowhood

No abstract available.
Choline*

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of lateral buttress on the fracture healing of Jensen type 4 intertrochanteric fracture of the femur treated by dynamic compression hip screw (DCS) in elderly patients, retrospectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 1999 to February 2003, 54 patients, older than 65 years, of Jensen type 4 intertrochanteric fractures of the femur treated by DCS were included. The relationship between the structual integrity of lateral buttress measured by proximal-medial fragment angle (PMFA) and postoperative neck-shaft angle, penetrating length of lag screw, the sliding length and incidence of fixation loss were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 38 patients of group II (PMFA above 50 degree), 6 cases (15.8%) including 4 cases of cutting out of lag screw from femoral head, 1 case of nonunion and 1 case of excessive extrusion of lag screw failed radiologically. But there was no fixation loss case in 16 cases of group I (PMFA 50 and below 50). The neck-shaft angle in last follow-up was 138.1 degree in group I and 132.1 in group II. The sliding length of lag screw was 7.0 mm in group I and 12. 5 mm in group II (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Preoperative evaluation of intactness of lateral buttress measured by proximal-medial fragmentary angle is an useful method in treatment of Jensen type 4 intertrochanteric fractures treated by DCS in elderly patients.
Aged* ; Femur* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Healing ; Head ; Hip Fractures* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies

Purpose: A flatfoot that fails to form a longitudinal foot arch is a common lower limb deformity in children. This study evaluated the structural and functional effects of the insole for pediatric flexible flat foot (PFFF). Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine PFFF patients (20 boys and 9 girls, 58 feet) with bilateral symptomatic flatfoot deformities between February 2017 and May 2019 were included in this study. Sixteen patients (32 cases, study group) were treated with a pressured based 3-dimensional printing insole, and 13 patients (26 cases, control group) were followed up regularly without any treatment. Flatfoot was diagnosed by a lateral talo-first metatarsal angle of more than 4° in convex downward and talocalcaneal angles of more than 30° and a calcaneal pitch of less than 20°. The foot pressures, including the midfoot pressure, total foot pressure, and the ratio of the midfoot pressure to the total foot pressure, were evaluated by pedobarography. The clinical scores were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), and Pediatrics Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) scores. Results: The mean age of the study group was 9.16 years, and the mean age of the control group was 7.73 years. The mean follow-up period was 16 months. The change in the lateral talocalcaneal angle was –4.664°±1.239° in the study group and –0.484°±1.513° in the control group. A significant difference in the amount of change of the lateral talocalcaneal angle was observed between the two groups (p=0.034). The midfoot pressures were similar in the two groups. Conclusion Pressure based customized 3-dimensional printing insole in PFFF may have some effect on the hindfoot bony alignment, but it does not affect the changes in midfoot pressure.