In a large proportion of patients with chronic urticaria, at present, the definite tiology can't be found. There have been occasional attempts to identify the aIIergic causes uaing allergic skin tests, only ta suggest the Candicla albicans and. some food yeasts ae probabIe causes. Thia atady was designed to investgate how often patients with chronic urticaria from Chonnam Province react positively to skin tests with extracts of 42 common. allergene in the standard group Al-13 produced by Bencard Ltd. in England. The authora alao surveyed the clinical characteristics of 63 patients with chronic urtimria of more than 3 months duration, who bad visited the skin clinic of Chosun Univeresity HcepitaI from May. 1977 throug 3. Apr. 1979. The results were summarized as follows; 1. Among 63 patients, the maIe to female ratio was 1: l.2, and the peak incidence was in the 20s and 30s. 2, In regard to the duration of chroic urticaria, the highst frequency waa below one year duration. 3. Among 60s of the pa,tients who experienced seasonal changes, 32.4% had suffered aggravation during the winter. 4. The most common diseases combined with chronic urticaria were allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, occuring in 9.5% of all subjects. 5. Of thase examined, 69.8% showed positive reactions to the prick test with the peak incidence in the 20s and 30s. 6. Among 42 allergens used far the prick test, 28 allergens turned out to be possibly casal agents, the rnost frequent group of allergens involved were grain du sts (27.1%), animal hairs(21.8%) and moulds(16.5%) in that order of frequency and occupying over 65% of the total positive reactions. And the most frequently involved specific allergens were hay dust, mixed grain dust straw dust and tree in that order of frequency. Moreover, 90 of the involved allergens were inhalants. 7. In teen-agers, the reactions to grain dusts, animal ha.irs, rnoulds and pollens were the rnost frequent while reactions to food allergens were most frequent in the 20s, and cotton and house dust are most frequently involved in tbe 40s. 8. Multiple sensitivity was not:d in a majority of cases and the most frequent combination was 2 to 5 allergens. 9. The rnost common abnormal hematologic finding in chronic urticaria was eosinophilia.
Allergens ; Animals ; Edible Grain ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dust ; England ; Eosinophilia ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Pollen ; Rhinitis ; Seasons ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Urticaria* ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Lung*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mucous Membrane* ; Rats*

This study was designed to investigate factors relating to fiscal deficit for regional health insurance. The financial statements for the fiscal year 1990 of nationwide 254 regional medical insurance societies were analyzed. Important findings are summarized below: 1. There were differences in the main reason for the financial deficit among regions when deficit and surplus societies were compared by regions. The total revenue per enrollee, especially revenue from the premium contribution of a deficit society was significantly smaller than that of a surplus society in large cities and counties. On the other hand, the total expenditure per enrollee of a deficit society was larger than that of a surplus society in small cities. 2. Both low premium irate at the beginning of health insurance program and less effort to increase the premium rate were main factors for the smaller revenue from the contribution of a deficit society in large cities and counties. 3. Larger expenditures per covered person of a deficit society in small cities were explained with larger medical expenditures especially for out-patients services rather than larger administrative expenses. 4. A regression analysis showed that utilization rates in out-patient services were significantly associated with income and numbers of total medical care institution per capita within a region where a health insurance society located. Also expenses paid by insurer per visit were associated with the proportion of utilization for tertiary care hospitals as well as the proportion of utilization of public health centers.
Hand ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Insurance ; Insurance Carriers ; Insurance, Health* ; Korea* ; Outpatients ; Public Health ; Tertiary Healthcare

Myocarditis is defined as the myocardial inflammation caused by various infectious agents (such as virus, rickettsia , bacteria, protozoa, fungus and parasites). The clinical manifestations of myocarditis ranges from the asymptomatic state due to focal inflammation to fulminant fatal congestive heart failure secondary to diffuse myocardial involvement. Clinically, in some cases, it may simulate an acute myocardial infarction. We experienced a case of acute fulminant myocarditis that presented as acute myocardial infarction initially, and then progressed into and recovered from congestive heart failure and multiorgan failure.
Asymptomatic Diseases ; Bacteria ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Fungi ; Heart Failure* ; Inflammation ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocarditis* ; Rickettsia

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in the normal morphogenesis, maintenance, and repair of matrix and also have important functions in pathologic conditions characterized by excessive degradation of extracellular matrix, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, periodontitis and in tumor invasion and metastasis. In this study, expression of MMP-1 and -2 mRNA in retrodiscal tissue of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) was examined and compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surgical findings. MMP mRNAs in the retrodiscal tissue samples were detected by reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction. TMJ internal derangement (ID) was categorized as normal disc position, disc displacement with reduction, early stage of disc displacement without reduction (DDsR) and late stage of DDsR. TMJ osteoarthrosis (OA) was classified with normal, mild and advanced OA. The amount of synovial fluid collection was divided into not detected, small, large and extremely large amount on MR T2-weighted imaging. Perforation and adhesion were examined during open surgery of the TMJ. Six out of 37 samples were excluded because of little amount of extracted total mRNA. MMP-2 mRNA was detected whole joints, and so the MMP-2 mRNA seems to be expressed normally in retrodiscal tissue. However, MMP-1 mRNA was expressed in 8 of 31 joints. Frequencies of MMP-1 mRNA expression according to the TMJ IDs, amount of synovial fluid and surgical findings made no significant difference. MMP-1 mRNA was detected more frequently in OA groups (7/16 joints, 43.8%) than in normal bony structure group (1/15,joints, 6.7%). Expression of MMP-1 mRNA in retrodiscal tissue might be related with OA of the TMJ.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Collagenases ; Extracellular Matrix ; Gelatinases ; Joints ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Morphogenesis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteoarthritis ; Periodontitis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger* ; Synovial Fluid ; Temporomandibular Joint*

PURPOSE: To compare and evaluate device efficacy using white-to-white (WTW) diameter measurements by IOLMaster(R), Lenstar(R), Orbscan II(R), and a manual method with anterior segment photographs in normal eyes. METHODS: Three sets of WTW diameter measurements were obtained from 62 normal eyes of 31 patients, using the Orbscan II(R), Lenstar(R), IOLMaster(R), and a manual method with anterior segment photographs. Repeatability of each device was evaluated by coefficient of variation. ANOVA and Pearson's correlation were used to compare the differences among the devices. Bland Altman plot was performed to assess measurement agreement among the devices. RESULTS: The mean WTW distance was 11.79 +/- 0.46 mm with Orbscan II(R), 12.05 +/- 0.38 mm with Lenstar(R), 12.15 +/- 0.36 mm with IOLMaster(R), and 12.30 +/- 0.40 mm with a manual method. There were significant differences in the results among the methods (ANOVA, p < 0.05). There were significant correlations between the devices except Orbscan II(R) (Pearson's correlation, r > 0.8, p < 0.05). The coefficient of variation of Orbscan II(R) was larger than those of Lenstar(R) and IOLMaster(R). CONCLUSIONS: The WTW measurement using Orbscan II(R) has low correlations with other devices and lower repeatability. Our findings suggest that partial coherence interferometry should be considered as a new standard.
Biometry ; Eye ; Humans ; Interferometry

Background: Surgical treatment consisting of decompression and fusion is generally known to produce good clinical results for lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis. However, the clinical outcome of decompression alone, without fusion, remains unclear, and long-term follow-up results are scarce. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the 5-year clinical results of decompression only in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis. Methods: Among the patients diagnosed as having lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis, 36 patients who underwent decompression without fusion and were followed up for minimum 5 years were included in this study. The average follow-up period was 7.2 years, and the mean age of patients was 63.2 years. Visual analog scale (VAS) score and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were investigated pre- and postoperatively, and also radiologic displacement and instability were measured. In addition, patients who needed fusion or redecompression at the decompression site postoperatively were also investigated. Results: VAS score and ODI improved from an average of 7.8 points and 57 points preoperatively, respectively, to 1.4 points and 19 points at 5 years postoperatively, respectively. The degree of radiologic displacement increased from an average of 5.1 mm preoperatively to 6.4 mm at the final follow-up. Radiological instability was detected in five patients. Two patients (9.5%) required fusion. Conclusions The long-term follow-up results revealed that satisfactory clinical outcomes were obtained with decompression alone, without fusion, for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of third molar extraction on the periodontal status of the adjacent second molar. A total of 61 second molars in 31 adult periodontitis patients were examined. Among them, 27 second molars without adjacent third molars were included in the test group, and 34 second molars with third molar were included in the control group. Clinical parameters including plaque index, gingival index, and pocket depth and radiographic bone loss were measured around the second molar both in test and control group. The result showed that: (1) the mean plaque index and gingival index of control group were higher than these of the test group but the difference was not statistically significant, (2) the mean pocket depth of the control group was higher than the test group significantly at distal and buccal surface, (3) radiographic bone loss was greater in control group than test group significantly, (4) in Pearson correlation analysis between the age of extraction and radiographic bone loss in the test group, a positive relationship was shown(p<0.01). Within limitation of this study, it may be concluded that third molar extraction in periodontitis patients showed an improvement in periodontal status in contrast the patients group having third molar, therefore earlier a removal of third molar may minimize radiographic bone loss of the adjacent second molar.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans