The antiarrhythmic effect of oral Mexiletine was evaluated by Holter monitoring on 10 subjects with chronic high-frequency ventricular premature complexes and ventricular tachycardia referred to our cardiology clinic of Severance Hospital from June, 1982 through September, 1983. The frequency of the ventricular premature complexes and the ventricular tachycardia was measured by 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography on each patient before and during the administration of Mexiletine(450-600 mg/day). The results were as follows : 1) In 10 patients with ventricular tachycardia total suppression of ventricular tachycardial was demonstrated in 8 patients during the administration of oral Mexilletine. 2) The number of the ventricular premature complexes was reduced markedly in 6 out of the 10 patients. 3) Side effects occurred in 5 out of 10 patients. These include tremor, weakness, dry mouth, indigestion, anorexia, chest discomfort, and dizziness but were tolerated except in one.
Anorexia ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Cardiology ; Dizziness ; Dyspepsia ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory* ; Humans ; Mexiletine* ; Mouth ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Thorax ; Tremor ; Ventricular Premature Complexes

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) are weakly expressed in normal glomerular cells and vascular endothelial cells, but not in tubules. Granzyme B is a cytotoxic granule present in activated cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells. To determine the effect of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression and granzyme B-positive cells on histologic grade of rejection, we performed the immunohistochemical study on 19 renal biopsy specimens and one nephrectomy specimen from 14 patients with acute renal allograft rejection using monoclonal antibodies against theses proteins. According to severity of rejection based on Banff classification, three biopsies were classified as borderline, 4 grade I, 12 grade II, and 1 grade III. In all the cases with acute rejection, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were expressed in the tubular epithelial cells. The numerical score of ICAM-1 in the tubular epithelial cells was 1.0 in borderline cases, 1.3 0.4 in grade I cases, 2.2 0.8 in grade II cases, and 3.0 in grade III case. The staining intensity of ICAM-1 in the tubular epithelial cells was increased in accordance with histologic rejection grade (P<0.05). The staining intensity of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in the renal tubular epithelial cells was increased in accordance with the number of T lymphocytes in the renal parenchyme (r=0.46; P<0.05, r=0.61; P<0.01). The number of granzyme B-positive cells was 6.4 1.6/HPF in borderline cases, 8.1 2.5 in grade I cases, 19.6 11.7 in grade II cases, and 53 in grade III case. The number of T lymphocytes and granzyme B-positive cells was also increased in accordance with histologic rejection grade (P<0.05). These results suggest that ICAM-1 and granzyme B-positive cells may play an important role in the induction of renal allograft rejection and that the grading of severity of these parameters may be useful to predict the prognosis of renal allograft.
Allografts* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Biopsy ; Classification ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Granzymes* ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Nephrectomy ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocytes ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

No abstract available.
Apoptosis* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc*

No abstract available.

Renal blood flow was measured by single injection technique of HippuranI13 in 13 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and 11 control subjects. There was a significant decrease in renal blood flow in chronic glomerulonephritis particulary in those with elevated blood urea nitrogen. Renal blood flow was inversely proportionate to renal vascular resistance but no correlation was noted between renal blood flow and creatinine clearance.
Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Humans ; Renal Circulation* ; Vascular Resistance

BACKGROUND: Aprotinin, which is a nonspecific serine protease inhibitor, has an antiinflammatory and thrombogenic effect. However, it has an antithrombogenic effect during the cardiopulmonary bypass. This study was performed to evaluated the effects of aprotinin on the activated clotting time(ACT) and the total amount of the heparin used during the cardiopulmonary bypass. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From December 1998 to November 1999, 82 consecutive patients electively underwent open heart surgery at Gachon medical school. The patients were older than 18 years. Eighty two patients were classified into a control group(group C, n=36) and a aprotinin-treated group(group A, n=46). Body weight, height, body surface area(BSA), pump time(PT), aortic cross clamping time(ACCT), and body temperature(BT) were determined. Total amount of heparin and protamine during the CPB were also measured. ACT was determined before heparin administration, at 20, 40 and 60 minutes after heparin administration, and after protamine administration. RESULT: No significant differences were noted in either group in body weight, height, BSA, BT, and the total amoun of heparin and protamine. Group A demonstrated a significant(p<0.05) increase in age, PT, ACCT, and ACT at 20, 40, and 60 minutes after heparin administration. CONCLUSION: In summary, the use of aprotinin prime resulted in an increase in ACT. The total amount of heparin in aproinin-treated patient was similar to that of the control group in spite of having the prolonged pump time. Therefore aprotinin may reduce the requirement of heparin.
Aprotinin* ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Constriction ; Heart* ; Heparin* ; Humans ; Schools, Medical ; Serine Proteases ; Thoracic Surgery*

No abstract available.
Borrelia burgdorferi* ; Borrelia* ; Ixodes* ; Korea* ; Lyme Disease* ; Ticks*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Collagen* ; Insulin* ; Rats* ; Streptozocin*

BACKGROUND: Despite progress in surgical techniques and adjuvant treatments, the prognosis for advanced gastric cancer has not improved. Knowledge of the kinds of tumor markers that might indicate the postoperative prognosis for gastric cancer is important in detecting microscopic residual cancers but still needs to be developed. METHODS: The serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (sCEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (sCA19-9), as well as the CEA, the CA19-9, and the tissue-type plasminogen activator levels in peritoneal washings (pCEA, pCA19-9, pTPA) were measured in 57 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone laparotomies from Oct. 1996 to Mar. 1997. The relationships between the positivity of tumor markers and several clinicopathological factors were evaluated by using a univariate analysis. Also, the significance of tumor markers in predicting the survival and the recurrence of disease was analyzed. RESULTS: The positivity of pCEA and pCA19-9 increased according to the stage (p<0.01) and the presence of serosal invasion (P<0.01). When pCEA or pCA19-9 is positive, the rate of curative surgery in those patients was lower than it was in the patients with negative tumor markers (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). The positivities of pCEA, sCA19-9, pCA19-9 were higher in recurring cases than in nonrecurring cases after curative surgery (p<0.01, p<0.01, and p<0.05, respectively). The positivities of the tumor markers pCEA and pCA19-9 in the 4 cases with peritoneal seeding at the laparotomy were significantly different from those in the 53 cases with no peritoneal seeding (p<0.01) and (p<0.01), respectively pCEA. The risk of peritoneal recurrence after curative surgery was higher in pCEA positive cases than in negative cases (p=0.016) and in serosal positive and pCEA positive cases than in the other cases (p=0.016). CONCLUSION: pCEA and pCA19-9 are useful prognostic factors and an adjuvant treatment to prevent peritoneal recurrence should be considered, especially, in patients presenting positive pCEA with positive serosal invasion.
Biomarkers, Tumor* ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator

No abstract available.
Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*