Hepatitis G virus (HGV) is a single-strand RNA virus in the Flaviviridae family, it was recently identified from the plasma of a patient with chronic hepatitis. HOV infection may cause acute and chronic liver disease by blood transfusion, drug addicts, hemophilia, and multiple sexual partners. But clinical significance of infectious pathway is still unclear. In this report, we amplified HGV RNA by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) by primers within the highly conserved 5'-noncoding region (NCR) and used restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method for the polymorphism analysis of amplified HGV gene. HGV was shown to be present in 7 of 78 (9.0%) from HCV RT-PCR positive serum samples and 5 of 58 (8.6%) from HCV RT-PCR negative serum samples. From the RFLP method HGV divided into four genotypes in 12 positive samples. Therefore, HGV genotype was distributed at least four different types in Korea.
Blood Transfusion ; Drug Users ; Flaviviridae ; GB virus C* ; Genotype ; Hemophilia A ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Plasma ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length* ; RNA ; RNA Viruses ; Sexual Partners

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Prevalence* ; Renal Dialysis*

There has been no report on human infection of Hymenolepis diminuta in Korea until the first 3 cases were reported by our members after the identification of those eggs in stool in 1964. However, the distinct differentiation between H. diminuta and H. nana would often be difficult by the shape of eggs without adult worm. In 1965, authors found the additional case revealed the eggs in stool and succeeded to obtain three adult worms of H. diminuta from 10 years old boy in Pusan. The characteristic morphology of egg and adult worm were discussed to compare to those of H. nana. Conclusively, the first human infection of H. diminuta in Korea was reported after the identification both the eggs and adults worms
parasitology-helminth-cestoda ; Hymenolepis diminuta ; case report

No abstract available.
Clavicle*

No abstract available.
Clavicle*

When.direct approximation of the ends of the injured nerves is impossible, nerve autografting is widely used in these days. Authors tried to observe nerve regeneration in time sequence of nerve autografting and tried to find out the most optimal time for nerve autografting in experimental study. The Sprague-Dawley mice were used in performing nerve autografting and it performed with the segment of the opposite sciatic nerve as a donor nerve after resection of a sciatic nerve. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The regeneration of axon can be observed well in the first observation of 2 weeks after nerve autografting within 2 days, but active myelination can be observed apparently 4 weeks after grafting. 2. The groups of grafting within 2 days after nerve resection showed more rapid nerve regeneration and less atrophy of the reinnervated skeletal muscle than the groups of grafting over 1 week after nerve resection did. 3. In case which has been grafted at 4 weeks after nerve resection, there was abundant axonal proliferation at 4 weeks after grafting. 4. Changes of the reinnervated skeletal muscle in the groups of grafting within 2 days were subtle, but the groups of grafting after 1 week showed irregular neurogenic atrophy although nerve regeneration has been active at 8 weeks after grafting. 5. Although the functional effect can not be evaluated exactly, the result of autograft showed relatively good evidence of nerve regeneration even after grafting has been performed 16 weeks after the nerve injury.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Autografts ; Axons ; Humans ; Mice ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myelin Sheath ; Nerve Regeneration ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Sciatic Nerve ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Laminin, which is present in all basement membrane, is a multifunctional glycoprotein with diverse biological activities. Like fibronectin, it can influence cell adhesion, growth, morphology, differentiation, and migration as well as the assembly of the extracellular matrix. Laminin primarily affects cells of epithelial origin, and response varies depending on the cells. OBJECTIVE: Studies about the relationship of laminin and the pathogenesis or metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma(SCC). MEHTODS: In this study, we have examined the laminin B1 mRNA expression and localizing pattern of laminin in SCC, using Northern and slot-blot hybridization, in situ hybridization and immunoperoxidase stain. RESULTS: In Northern blot hybridization, 5.6Kb mRNA transcript was detected in control and SCC specimens. Slot-blot hybridization indicated theat amounts of laminin B1 mRNA expression in SCC was 677.0+/-268.5 densitometer absorbance unit, in control was 228.0+/-16.37 unit respectively. There is a 3-fold increase in SCC compared to control. In in situ hybridization, 35S-labeled laminin B1 cDNA-mRNA hybrid granules were detected along the basement membrane and adjacent cells of SCC. In immunoperoxidase stain, laminin has stained strongly and continuously along the basement membrane of the tumor nest in well differentiated SCC, and weakly and interrupted in poorly differentiated SCC. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that laminin might be related to the pathogenesisand metastasis of squamous cell carcinomas.
Basement Membrane ; Blotting, Northern ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Adhesion ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibronectins ; Glycoproteins ; In Situ Hybridization ; Laminin* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin*

Potter's syndrome was originally described as combination of bilateral renal agenesis and unique progeric facial characteristics in 1946 by Potter. In cases of severe renal maldevelopment such as bilateral polycystic kidney or marked hypoplasia, similar facial features has been also associated. At 1963, Potter and Osathanondth reported classification of polycystic kidney as Type I-IV by microdissection study. Recently authors experienced an autopsy case of polycystic kidney with characteristic potter face, and other combined malformations such as; absence of both ureters and urinary bladder, pulmonary hypoplasia, undescended testes and oligohydramnios, fetal growth retardation and breech presentation. According to the classification of polycystic kidney of Potter and Osathanondth, this presenting case is compatible with type IIB.

OBJECTIVES: Depression, sleep complaints and cognitive impairments are commonly observed in the elderly. Elderly subjects with depressive symptoms have been found to show both poor cognitive performances and sleep disturbances. However, the relationship between sleep complaints and cognitive dysfunction in elderly depression is not clear. The aim of this study is to identify the association between sleep disturbances and cognitive decline in late-life depression. METHODS: A total of 282 elderly people who underwent nocturnal polysomnography in a sleep laboratory were enrolled in the study. The Korean version of the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery developed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) was applied to evaluate cognitive function. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and subjective sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI). RESULTS: The control group (GDS< or =9) when compared with mild (10< or =GDS< or =16) and severe (17< or =GDS) depression groups, had significantly different scores in the Trail making test part B (TMT-B), Benton visual retention test part A (BVRT-A), and Stroop color and word test (SCWT)(all tests p<0.05). The PSQI score, REM sleep duration, apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index were significantly different across the three groups (all indices, p<0.05). A stepwise multiple regression model showed that educational level, age and GDS score were predictive for both TMT-B time (adjusted R2=35.6%, p<0.001) and BVRT-A score (adjusted R2=28.3%, p<0.001). SCWT score was predicted by educational level, age, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and GDS score (adjusted R2=20.6%, p<0.001). Poor sleep quality and sleep structure alterations observed in depression did not have any significant effects on cognitive deterioration. CONCLUSION: Older adults with depressive symptoms showed mild sleep alterations and poor cognitive performances. However, we found no association between sleep disturbances (except sleep apnea) and cognitive difficulties in elderly subjects with depressive symptoms. It is possible that the impact of sleep disruptions on cognitive abilities was hindered by the confounding effect of age, education and depressive symptoms.
Adult* ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Depression* ; Education ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Sleep, REM ; Trail Making Test

A 58-year-old female with an episode of gross hematuria two months before and fever and chill for the past three days presented oliguric acute renal failure. She has taken NSAID intermittently for 18 years due to rheumatoid arthritis, and herb medicine for one week two months ago when gross hematuria developed. Physical examination revealed mild tenderness on costovertebral angles. Her blood pressure was 170/100 mmHg, the urinalysis showed >300 mg protein with many RBCs and 10-20 WBCs and the serum creatinine was 5.8 mg/dl. A renal biopsy performed on the 4th hospital day showed that it was overwhelmed by severe tubular lesions which reveal intratubular obstruction by massive erythrocyte casts and tubular necrosis. The glomeruli showed focal minimal crescents with many red blood cells entrapped in the crescents and in the capillaries. Immune deposits were not present. A renal failure resolved spontaneously and the patient was discharged three weeks later with creatinine of 2.4 mg/dl. In this patient, acute renal failure was considered to be due to a tubular lesion related to the glomerular bleeding from focal glomerulonephritis revealing minimal crescents.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biopsy ; Blood Pressure ; Capillaries ; Creatinine ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Fever ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Hematuria* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Physical Examination ; Renal Insufficiency ; Urinalysis