The prognosis of chronic hepatitis C is very variable. In some, the disease is progressive and cirrhosis can develop from chronic hepatitis C. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) may act as a trigger towards hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis. Interferon has been used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in abroad. 16 patients with chronic C liver disease were treated with alpha-interferon (alfa-2b : "Intron A" Schering Corp. Kenilworth, NJ). All patients were given alpha-interferon in subcutaneous doses of 3 million units three times weekly for 1 to 9 months. During therapy, CBC and ALT levels were checked weakly to monthly. After therapy,. patients were followed for 1 to 8 months. Among 16 patients treated with alpha-interferon, progressive decrease of ALT levels was observed in 14 (87.5%). In 11 patients (68.8%), ALT levels fell into the normal range during therapy, and in 9 of 11, within one month after therapy. 6 months after the completion of therapy in 4 of 9 patients (44.4%) whose ALT levels were in the normal range. alpha-interferon seems to have effect in controlling disease activity in patients with chronic hepatitis C. But the changes in the usage of alpha-interferon, dose and duration, long term follow up and more convenient and simple tests for HCV detection are recommended for the better effect and the exact evaluation on the effect of alpha-interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons ; Liver Diseases ; Prognosis ; Reference Values

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver*

No Abstract Available.
Mammals*

PURPOSE: Spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy (HP) is a rare .condition, however, the rising incidence after in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) may present serious problems as the diagnosis of this potentially fatal condition is often missed. The purposes of this study were to investigate the frequency of HP after IVF-ET, to analyze the clinical presentation and the outcome of coincidental intrauterine pregnancy, and to evaluate the value of routine transvaginal ultrasonography in early diagnosis and treatment of HP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 11 cases of HP among 484 pregnancies after IVF-ET (The incidence was 2. 3%) in recent 2 years. We evaluated the clinical findings and the findings of transvaginal sonography in those 11 patients. RESULTS: The combined extrauterine pregnancies were tubal (n=9), cornual (n=l), and both the tubal and cornual (n=l). Vaginal bleeding was absent in 4 cases and one of them was asymptomatic. HP may be suspected if there was an elevated serum hCG in the absence of intrauterine multiple gestations. In all cases, the condition was diagnosed by transvaginal sonography performed prior to surgical intervention. The coincidental intr'auterine pregnancies were ended in successful full-term delivery in 7 cases, while one pregnancy was ongoing at that time. CONCLUSION: The incidence of HP was evidently higher in IVF-ET than in spontaneous pregnancies. Transvaginal sonography was useful in accurate diagnosis in clinically suspected cases and even in asymptomatic cases. Routine transvaginal sonography played an important role in early diagnosis and prompt management of HP.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Ultrasonography* ; Uterine Hemorrhage

Although Lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil are efficacious drugs for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B patients, their efficacy is far from completely satisfactory. The risk of liver cirrhosis and HCC begins to increase at an HBV DNA level of 10(4) copies/ml. Even with latent or past HBV infection, episomal covalently closed circular DNA(cccDNA) plays a key rolein the persistence, relapse and resistance of HBV in its natural course or during therapy. The annual incidence of HCC in YUMC is 1.8% and 4.7% patients/year in the antiviral treatment and control groups, respectively. The ability to achieve a high rate of sustained HBV suppression with low risk of drug resistance is the ultimate goal in the treatment of chronic HBV infection. The efficacy of universal immunization with striking reductions in the prevalence of HBV in localized countries needs to be spread worldwide. With hepatitis B immunization and effective antiviral therapy, global control of HBV infection and HBV-related complications, including HCC, are possible by the end of the first half of the 21st century.
Adenine ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Collodion ; DNA ; Drug Resistance ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Immunization ; Incidence ; Lamivudine ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Organophosphonates ; Prevalence ; Recurrence ; Strikes, Employee

No abstract available.
Scleroderma, Localized*

Among 85 patients with anti-HCV positive chronic liver disease, only 21.2% have past history of blood transfusion and over half the cases, they do not have any suspicious risk factors for HCV infection. 3 of 85 families show anti-HCV positive family members. On the other hand, 40 of 60 patients with HBsAg positive chronic liver disease show HBsAg positive family members. In Korea, HBV is transmitted mainly through vertical and intrafamilial infection but HCV disease might be rather horizontal and sporadic than vertical. To define the evident source of infection in sporadic hepatitis C, first of all, simple test with high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of HCV infection would be needed.
Blood Transfusion ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Hand ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis C ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Demineralized homogenous bone matrix is reported to have no antigenic activity and its osteoinductive prcoess is faster than that of undemineralized homogenous bone. The present authors studied on the osteoinduction of demineralized human osteosarcoma in rat's muscle pouch. The results showed that demineralized human osteosarcoma tissue can induce new bone though there were inflammatory signs and giant. cell reaction. The osteoinductive process seemed to be delayed compared to that of demineralized homogenous bone matrix. The authors believed that further immunological investigations are needed to clarify the cause of these tissue response.
Bone Matrix ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma

No abstract available.
Knee*

PURPOSE: This study performed to identify the association between various nutritional indices including biochemical, anthropometric variables and mortality in Korean elderly. METHODS: Among a total of 151,000 subjects over 40 years of living in Jung-up district, 1051 was selected using a random cluster sample method. Between Dec 1996 and Feb 1997, they underwent the blood tests and anthropometric measurements. Three years later, on Dec 2000, we investigated the mortality of the 340 subjects that had been over 65 years at the enroll time. RESULTS: Of the 1051 subjects(M:F=410:641), 340 were over 65 years at the enroll time, 34(10%) had died by 3 years follow up. After adjustment of age and sex, decreased Hb, Hct, serum protein, albumin, increased serum creatinine were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality(p<0.05) among the variables. Especially serum albumin remained strong predictors of mortality after cont rolling for other significant variables(RR=0.15, 95% CI=0.03-0.63, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: We confirmed the strong independent association with serum albumin and mortality in the rural community dwelling ambulatory elderly Koreans.
Aged* ; Creatinine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Mortality ; Nutrition Assessment ; Rural Population ; Serum Albumin