No abstract available.
Partial Thromboplastin Time*

I have examined the effects of a growth factor, transforming growth factor(TGF)-B 1, on the rates of proteoglycan synthesis, aggregation potenital, and phenotypic expression of proteoglycans from human cervical intervertebral discs maintained in a cell culture system. A cell culture system for transitional and nuclear regions of degenerated human cervical intervertebral disc disc was devised to assess the biosynthetic response, assayed by 35S-sulfate incorporation into proteoglycan and protein synthesis assayed by 35S-methionine incorporation. And I had the data as the TGF-B 1 has an effect on the proteoglycan synthesis in quantitative and qualitative analysis in the cell culture system of the human intervertebral disc. TGF-B 1 may be used as a therapeutic alternative to degenerated disc disease.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Proteoglycans ; Transforming Growth Factors

PURPOSE: To evaluate the degree of injury of the spinal cord in relation with the space available for the spinal cord at the level of injury, the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal at the uninjured levels, and the Pavlov ratio at the uninjured levels in fractures and dislocations of the lower cervical spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records and radiographs of patients who had sustained an acute fracture or dislocation of the cervical spine from 1990 to 1995. We collected patients from Orthopedic and Neurosurgical department of Chonbuk University Hospital and at Orthopedic department of Presbyterian Medical Center. Of the 69 patients analyzed, twelve had no neurological deficit, eleven had an isolated nerve-root injury, twenty-two had an incomplete injury of the spinal cord, and twenty-four had a complete injury. We measured above three parameters from the plain lateral radiographs and assessed the difference by one-way ANOVA and unpaired t-test. RESULTS: 1. The mean space available for the spinal cord at the level of injury was 12.9 millimeter for the complete injury of the spinal cord,13.8 millimeter for the incomplete injury, 14.7 millimeter for an isolated nerve-root injury, and 15.7 millimeter for no neurological deficit group. The overall difference among the groups was significant (F=6.98, P=0.0004). The patients who had a complete injury of the spinal cord and those who had an incomplete injury of the spinal cord were significantly different from the patients who had an isolated nerve-root injury and those who had no neurologic deficit (P=0.002). 2. The mean sagittal diameter of the canal at the proximal and distal uninjured level was 14.3 and 14.6 millimeter for the complete injury of the spinal cord, 14.9 and 14.9 millimeter for the incomplete injury, 15.5 and 16.6 millimeter for an isolated nerve-root injury, and 16.9 and 16.5 millimeter for no neurological deficit group. The patients who had a complete injury of the spinal cord and those who had an incomplete injury of the spinal cord were significantly different from the patients who had an isolated nerve-root injury and those who had no neurologic deficit (P=0.001). 3. The mean Pavlov ratio at the proximal and distal uninjured level was 0.90 and 0.86 for no neurologic deficit group, 0.85 and 0.87 for an isolated nerve-root injury, 0.76 and 0.75 for the incomplete injury of the spinal cord, and 0.76 and 0.76 for the complete injury. The patients who had a complete injury of the spinal cord and those who had an incomplete injury of the spinal cord were significantly different from the patients who had an isolated nerve-root injury and those who had no neurologic deficit (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The patients who sustained a permanent injury of the cord usually had had a narrower sagittal diameter (<14mm) and a lower Pavlov ratio (<0.80) of the spinal canal before injury. Patients who had a large sagittal diameter of the canal may be more likely to be spared a permanent injury of the spinal cord following a fracture or dislocation of the cervical spine compared with patients who have a narrow canal. These findings demonstrated that the severity of the injury of the spinal cord was in part associated with the space available for the cord (at risk:<13mm) after the injury, as measured on plain lateral radiographs.
Dislocations* ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Orthopedics ; Protestantism ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine*

We report a case of bacteriologically proven salmonella infection on the thoracic vertebra in a patient with previous history of pulmonary tuberculosis, in the non-endemic area with no history of sickle cell disease and typhoid fever. A forty-three years old female patient was admitted because of severe back pain, chest pain, lower extremity weakness and intermittent high fever elevation. On plain X-ray there was narrowing of T11-12 disc space with adjacent vertebral body destruction localized centrally around the disc and paravertebral abscess. She had an old history of pulmonary tuberculosis and treated with antituberculosis medication twenty years ago. We treated this patient by abscess drainage, anterior curettage and iliac corticocancellous strut bone graft over the T11 to T12 by anterior transthoracic approach. Histopathological diagnosis was chronic vertebral osteomyelitis with chronic inflammatory reaction. Pus culture reported to have grown salmonella typhi group D, sensitive to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin and tetracycline. We could establish the diagnosis and effectively treat the disease with early surgical intervention.
Abscess ; Ampicillin ; Anemia, Sickle Cell ; Back Pain ; Chest Pain ; Chloramphenicol ; Curettage ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Female ; Fever ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Osteomyelitis ; Salmonella Infections ; Salmonella typhi ; Salmonella* ; Spine* ; Spondylitis* ; Suppuration ; Tetracycline ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Typhoid Fever

BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to assess the utility of prenatal triple-marker (alpha- fetoprotein (AFP), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and unconjugated estriol (uE3) testing for chromosomal abnormalities in women with Down syndrome screen-positive results. METHODS: Total 1,082 women between 15 and 21 weeks' gestation received second trimester Down syndrome risk evaluation by triple marker testing. AFP, beta-hCG and uE3 were measured by Coat-A-Count(R) IRMA (Diagnostic Products Corporation, LA, USA), The risk for Down syndrome was calculated using a commercially available software program (AFP Expert; Benetech Medical System, Toronto, Canada) by use of a Down syndrome risk cutoff value(1:270 at midtrimester). Karyotypes were reviewed for 32 (54.2%) of these patients who received prenatal chromosome analysis. RESULTS: Fifty nine (5.5%) patients of the 1,082 women screened were identified as positive. Two chromosome abnormalities (47,XYY and 46,XX, int (9) ) were found in the 32 patients who underwent prenatal chromosome analysis (6.3%). Any cases on the abnormal serum tests torn out not to be associated with trisomy 21. CONCLUSIONS: Although triple marker screen appears to be an effective method detecting chromosome abnormalities there is a high false positive rate. Therefore, new screening test that reduce false positive rate is need to be introduced.
Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Down Syndrome ; Estriol ; Female ; Fetal Proteins ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Mass Screening ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Prenatal Diagnosis*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin* ; Humans ; Osmolar Concentration*

No abstract available.
Hemorrhage*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Urinary Retention*

No abstract available.
Risk Assessment*