BACKGROUND: Oxygen concentrators are convenient to operate and economical for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, oxygen concentrators are not manufactured domestically and the COPD patients are currently treated with imported oxygen concentrators. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of domestically developed prototype oxygen concentrator before clinical application, the efficacy and safety of the domestic oxygen concentrator were evaluate by comparing with the imported one. Meterial and METHODS: The clinical tests were performed on 36 hyperhydrosis patients from April 1999 to August 1999. Domestic and imported oxygen concentrators were in turn applied to the same patient, who inspired oxygen for 60 minutes at a rate of 3 liters per minute through nasal prong. The oxygen concentrator, which was applied first, was randomly allocated. The arterial partial oxygen pressure (PaO2) was estimated to compare the efficacy; and the carboxy hemoglobin(COHb), pH, arterial CO2 partial pressure, pulse rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate to compare the safety before and after applying each oxygen concentrator. A student t-test was used to analyze the results. RESULTS: In respect to efficacy, the difference in the change of PaO2 before and after the application between two concentrators was not statistically significant. In respect to safety, the differences in the changes of COHb, pH, partial pressure of arterial CO2, pulse rate, blood pressure, respiration rate between two concentrators were also not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The domestically developed oxygen concentrator, showed satisfactory efficacy and safety when compared with the imported one.
Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Oxygen* ; Partial Pressure ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Respiratory Rate

Adrenal Cortex Hormones* ; Prospective Studies* ; Stents*

Normal human B cells produce autocrine growth factor in response to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I strain (SAC). However, the functional role and molecular nature of the B cell derived-B cell growth factor (B-BCGF) are largely unknown. We have tried to investigate the nature of B-BCGF using mAb for several years. We report here that B- BCGF is capable of binding to hemoglobin (Hb). The concentrated culture supernatant from tonsillar B cells stimulated with SAC for 24 h was loaded into the fast protein liquid chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. The peak with BCGF activity was shown to have a M.W. of 16-18 Kda in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver stain. Amino acid sequence of the fraction was found to identical to human hemoglobin (Hb) by more than 85%. However, Hb itself had no BCGF activity. The presence of Hb in culture supernatant was due to the contamination of SRBC during B cell purification. SRSC were completely removed from B cells by percoll-gradient centrifugation and B cells were stimulated with SAC and exogenous Hb was added to the cultures. The Hb fraction from FPLC again showed a BCGF activity. These data strongly suggested that BCGF binds to Hb. We confirmed this in dot blot as well as Western blot. The M.W of Hb-binding BCGF was 20 Kda. This information may provide a rapid progress in research of BCGF.
Amino Acid Sequence ; B-Lymphocytes ; Blotting, Western ; Centrifugation ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Silver ; Staphylococcus aureus

The purpose of this study is to morphologically evaluate the results of arthroscopic meniscal repair by sec- ond-look arthroscopy. We performed the arthroscopic meniscal repair in 40 menisci of 39 knees between March 1994 and August 1997. Among them, 18 menisci of 17 knees were evaluated by second-look arthroscopy at 3 rnonths postoperatively. Lateral meniscus was 9 and medial meniscus was 9. The morpho- logical results were classified with completely healed, incompletely healed, and failed. The overall results showed that 13 menisci completely healed, 3 menisci incompletely healed, 2 menisci failed. The type of tear was 14 peripheral longitudinal tears, 1 oblique tear(incompletely healed), 1 transverse tear(completely healed with augmentation of fibrin clot), 1 tear at posterior tibial attachment, and 1 complex tear(completely healed). 3 menisci had associated lesions that had not been treated, of which 1 incompletely healed, 2 failed. Chronic cases, in which time interval between injury and repair was 6 weeks later, were 8 menisci(4 completely healed, 2 incompletely healed, and 2 failed). 10 long peripheral longitudinal tears of more fhan 2.5cm were resulted in 6 completely healed, 2 incompletely healed, and 2 failed. 5 longitudinal tear with a wide peripher- al rim(>2mm) were resulted in 1 completely healed, 2 incompletely healed, and 2 failed. The good result was expected when the tear was repaired in acute phase after injury and associated lesion was treated. For chronic tears, tears of avascular zone and wide longitudinal tears, the healing enhancement techniques such as fibrin clot insertion, abrasion of meniscus and synovium, and trephination must be taken into consideration.
Arthroscopy* ; Fibrin ; Knee ; Logic ; Menisci, Tibial ; Synovial Membrane ; Trephining

Since 1856, Mayer13) coined the term “osteotomy” for a tibial resection for an angular deformity, various shapes and designs of osteotomies in long bone or pelvis have been popularized to treat the malunion, osteoarthritis of hip and knee, bow leg, L.C.P., or C.D.H. etc. The purpose of corrective osteotomy for tibia is so different from that of upper extremity because it must be restored the weight bearing alignment, and equalize or minimize the leg length discrepancy. We respectively reviewed 14 cases with various angular deformities on tibia who were treated at Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Catholic Medical College from Jan. 1976 to Dec. 1984. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Causes of angular or rotational deformities of tibia were malunion in 11, bow leg in 2 and partial closure of distal tibial epiphysis in l. 2. Ten cases of tibial deformities exceeded over the 10° of medial or lateral angulation and 15° of anterior or posterior bowing were corrected for normal weight-bearing alignment in lower leg. And a rotational deformity may be so disabling to walk as to require surgery. So four cases of tibial angular deformities combined with more than 20° of external rotation and 5° of internal rotation were corrected for normal good looking walks. 3. The maximum length that can be gained by an opening wedge osteotomy was near the point of maximum angluation, but it could be changed by the cause of deformity and patient's age. We've done 4 cases of opening and 10 cases of closing wedge osteotomy. 4. Angular deformity in one plane due to fracture in children under 10 years of age may be corrected spontaneously by growth, but deformities due to bow leg or epiphyseal injury cann't be expected any spontaneous correction of deformity by growth. So three cases of tibial deformities due to bow leg or epiphyseal injury in children were corrected in earlier after recognition of that deformities because of possible damage to articular cartilage and the combined rotational deformities. 5. A slight deformity if the angulation involves near a joint, knee or ankle could be seriously disabling and so must be correctcd earlier. 6. Functional results of the corrective wedge osteotomy in angular and rotational deformities of tibia were excellent, good, fair in 4, 7 and 3, respectively.
Ankle ; Cartilage, Articular ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Epiphyses ; Genu Varum ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Leg ; Numismatics ; Osteoarthritis, Hip ; Osteotomy ; Pelvis ; Tibia ; Upper Extremity ; Weight-Bearing

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many studies have shown that coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery prolongs the life of patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCD). Recently, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been applied to treat LMCD, with good clinical results. However, a significant portion of patients decline any revascularization therapy, so receive medical treatment only. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term clinical outcome in these patients with LMCD, according to the treatment strategies. SUBJECTS AND MEHTODS: The clinical outcomes of 281 consecutive patients, with significant LMCD, between January 1997 and December 2000, were evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups, according to their initial treatment strategies;1) CABG, 2) PCI and 3) medical treatment. The mean follow-up duration was 37.4+/-14.9 months. RESULTS: The 1- and 3-year survival rates in the CABG group (97.4+/-1.5% and 95.6+/-1.9%) were significantly higher than those of the medical group (89.8+/-3.9% and 76.1+/-5.9%;p=0.03). The survival rates in the PCI group (one year and 3-year survival rate, 98.1+/-1.3% and 93.8+/-2.5%) were similar to those of the CABG group (p=0.93). The incidence of 3-year MACE in the medical group (40.7%) was higher than those of the CABG (10.5%, p<0.001) and PCI groups (20.4%, p=0.007). There was no significant difference between the CABG and PCI groups (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: In patients with LMCD, a CABG remains the standard therapy for prolonging survival and lowering the incidence of MACE. PCI offers similar survival benefits in selected patients. Medical treatment is associated with a significantly higher mortality and MACE. Active revascularization therapy should be the treatment of choice for the patients with LMCD.
Angioplasty ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Disease* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of IL-10 on development of collagen-induced arthritis, on humoral and cellular immunity and on the endogenous production of IL-10 in DBA/1J mice. METHODS: DBA/1J mice were immunized with chicken type II collagen in Freund s complete adjuvant. Murine recombinant IL-10 was given intraperitoneally twice a week from the day of second immunization (week 3) in doses of 0.002ug, 0. 02ug and 0. 2ug for 3 different groups, respectively. Dexamethasone was injected in one group to suppress the arthritis development and this group was used as negative control group. Levels of anti-collagen antibodies, serum IL-10 and stimulation indices of splenic monocytes to collagen were measured at the end of study. RESULTS: The 0. 02ug IL-10 and 0. 2ug IL-10 treated groups developed earlier and more severe arthritis (week 6 and 8) compared to that of the control group while the 0. 002ug IL-10 group has shown similar course to the control group in terms of incidence and severity of arthritis, At week 10, all groups with or without IL-10 injections developed arthritis with similar degree of severity while dexamethasone group showed far less incidence and severity of arthritis. The serum levels of anti-collagen antibody, IL-10 and spleen monocyte stimulation indices to collagen antigen showed no difference among control group, IL-10 injected groups and dexamethasone injected group. CONCLUSION: This study shows IL-10 could worsen the arthritis in CIA with the dosage used in this study without significant influence on the level of anti-collagen antibodies or stimulation indices of spenic monocyte to collagen.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Experimental* ; Chickens ; Collagen ; Collagen Type II ; Dexamethasone ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Incidence ; Interleukin-10* ; Mice ; Monocytes ; Spleen

Tuberculosis of the lid is a rare disease that usually extends directly from surrounding tissues such as paranasal sinuses and lacrimal glands, or occurs possibly as a result of hematogenous spread. Primary tuberculous infection of lid also rarely occurs. The earliest lesion is a brownish red, soft papule that develops into an indurated nodule or plaque that may ulcerate. There is usually prominent lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis is established through tuberculin skin testing, stains for acid-fast organisms, and cultures. If diagnosis is delayed, complications including extensive orbital tissue damages, cold abscess, cutaneous fistula, and cicatricial ectropion may ensue. Lid tuberculosis should be differentiated from other granulomatous lesions of eyelid and also from other more commonly occuring orbital tumors. The combination therapy of Isoniazid, Rifampin, and Pyrazinamide is recommended for lid tuberculosis. We experienced a patient presenting with painless upper eyelid nodule that occurred about 3 weeks following upper lid blapharoplasty and treated her with anti-tuberculous medications after histological diagnosis of lid tuberculosis has been made. So, we report this rare case of lid tuberculosis with literature.
Abscess ; Coloring Agents ; Cutaneous Fistula ; Diagnosis ; Ectropion ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Orbit ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Pyrazinamide ; Rare Diseases ; Rifampin ; Skin Tests ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis* ; Ulcer