The etiology of nephrotic syndrome in unknown. The characterization were proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, generalized edema and hyperlipidemia. To assess the recurrence factors in the nephrotic syncrome, we measured serum immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM), albumin, complement, cholesterol and the 24-hour total urine protein at the initial relapse of nephrotic syndrome. Each data of frequent and infrequent relapsed nephrotic syndrome were compared. In total 67 cases, 18 cases were frequent relapsers and 26 cases were infrequent relapsers and 23 cases were normal control without renal disease. The levels of IgG and albumin in frequent relapser were 304 mg/dl and 1.59 g/dl as compared with 440 mg/dl and 2.06 g/dl in infrequent relapsers. The levels of IgG and albumin were signifecantly lower in frequent relapser than infrequent relapsers (p<0.05). This study might be useful to predict that very low levels of IgG and albumin at the first relapse might be related to high risk chances of frequent relapse in children with nephorotic syncrome.
Child ; Cholesterol ; Complement System Proteins ; Edema ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulins ; Nephrotic Syndrome* ; Proteinuria ; Recurrence*

No abstract available.

We herein present a rare case of a 42-year-old man with primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma(MZL) of the B-cell type on his shin. MZL is known to be the cutaneous counterpart of MALT(mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue) lymphoma. Histopathologically, MZL is characterized by multi-nodular infiltrates of centrocyte-like and centroblast-like marginal cells with bottom-heavy patterns, lymphoplasmacytoid differentiation, typical distribution of tumor cells in the marginal zone and follicular colonization by tumor cells. This B-cell lymphoma of a benign grade should be differentiated from mantle cell lymphoma and follicular center cell lymphoma.
Adult ; B-Lymphocytes ; Colon ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone* ; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell

Dentocutaneous fistula of the face neck is an infrequent manifestation of chronic dental infection. A periapical dental abscess may be initiated by disease, trauma, or thermal or chemical injury and develops into an extensive necrosis of surrounding tissue. Diagnostic errors can result in multiple excision, biopsies, and ineffective long-term antibiotic therapy. Awarness that periapical dental abscess is the most common etilolgic factor of cutaneous sinus tracts involves the face & neck will facilitate their early diagnosis and prevent needless treatment or anxiety for the patient. From 1994 to 1998, we have performed 6 cases of dentocutaneous fistula. Among of them, three were men and the others were women, age ranged from 18 to 66-year-old, and morbidity period was from 3 weeks to 3 years, the follow-up period ranged from 5 to 18 months (mean period 11 months). In conclusion, an understanding of the pathogenesis of cutaneous fistulae arising from dental infections will lead to proper early diagnosis and treatment without unnecessary surgery.
Abscess ; Aged ; Anxiety ; Biopsy ; Cutaneous Fistula ; Diagnostic Errors ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Fistula* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Necrosis ; Unnecessary Procedures

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is introduced as a marker of disease. At present, a variety of method may be used to quantify expression of this protein. Antigen capture-ELISA is a sensitive and accurate quantification method previously used with ovine, rat, and human IL-6 proteins. However, it has never been reported to quantify porcine IL-6 protein using capture ELISA. In this study, we generated and characterized a set of IgY and mono-specific polyclonal antibodies to recombinant porcine IL-6 (rpIL-6), and combining these with a sensitive and specific capture-ELISA for a diagnostic purpose. cDNA encoding the mature protein coding region of porcine IL-6 was cloned and expressed with pQE-30UA expression vector. rpIL-6 was then expressed and purified by using Ni-NTA resin. Protein mass of 24 kDa was found with SDS-PAGE and the identity of the protein was confirmed by Western-blot. Production of polyclonal antibodies against rpIL-6 was performed using the purified rpIL-6 in mice and hens. An antigen capture-ELISA was developed with the antibodies after their extraction. To compare the IL-6 level in the different sanitary state of farms, pig sera were randomly collected and concentration of IL-6 in the sera was measured with the antigen capture-ELISA. The capture-ELISA with the optimal concentration of antibodies, in this study, was able to detect about 10 ng/ml of rpIL-6. IL-6 levels determined with the capture-ELISA in pig sera showed positive correlation with the sanitary states of the farms. These results suggested that the developed antigen capture-ELISA could be a good tool for the screening of microbial infection in pig farms.
Animals ; Biological Markers/blood ; Blotting, Western/veterinary ; Chickens ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary/genetics/isolation&purification ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel/veterinary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods/*veterinary ; Female ; Immunoglobulins/*blood ; Interleukin-6/*immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Recombinant Proteins/immunology ; Swine/*immunology

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to compare nosocomial infection rates between intensive care units of military and civilian hospitals. METHODS: From July to December 2000, we surveyed the intensive care unit of Armed Forces Capital Hospital (AFCH). We compared device use ratios and device-day infection rates with those of Korean Society for Nosocomial Infection Control (KOSNIC) and National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system. RESULTS: During the period of study, 185 cases were admitted and 24 nosocomial infections were detected: 7 cases of pneumonia, 6 urinary tract, 3 blood stream, 3 cardiovascular system, 3 surgical site infections, 1 skin and soft tissue, and 1 central nervous system infection. Ventilator, urinary catheter and central venous catheter use ratios were 0.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.16), 0.58 (0.56-0.60) and 0.33 (0.31-0.35). The ratios of NNIS were 0.41, 0.67 and 0.50. Ventilator-, urinary catheter- and central venous catheter-day infection rates were 18.69(11.36-53.32), 6.65 (3.36-14.20) and 1.95 (1.44-9.92). However, the rates of KOSNIC were 9.93, 5.29 and 3.62. The rates of NNIS were 11.24, 6.14 and 5.55. CONCLUSIONS: In AFCH ventilators were used less frequently than NNIS, but more ventilator-associated pneumonia were developed than KOSNIC and NNIS.
Arm ; Cardiovascular System ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Central Venous Catheters ; Cross Infection* ; Hospitals, Military ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Military Personnel* ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; Rivers ; Skin ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract ; Ventilators, Mechanical

PURPOSE: This present study aims at comparing the degree of corneal opacity after LASEK according to the status of corneal epithelial flap in myopia of low, moderate and high myopic patients. METHODS: In this study, 75 eyes of 39 patients treated with LASEK were examined during three months. We subdivided into three groups which were high myopia(>or=-6 diopter), moderate myopia(>or=-3 diopter, <-6 diopter), and low myopia(<-3 diopter) group. The corneal epithelial flap was classified into good, moderate, and poor flap according to the state after repositioning epithelium, also the corneal opacity was described by Fantes classification and measured at post-LASEK one, three day, one week, one month, and three months. RESULTS: The 10 eyes of 12 eyes with poor corneal flap had corneal opacity of grade 1 and over at 1 month. The corneal opacity of four eyes among them improved less than trace at 3 months. The degree of corneal opacity by corneal epithelial flap had a significant difference in low and moderate myopic groups at first month after the surgery. The more the myopic degree was, the more the degree of corneal opacity was. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of corneal opacity was affected by the status of corneal epithelial flap. Therefore, careful managements of epithelial flap were needed during LASEK.
Classification ; Corneal Opacity ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted* ; Myopia ; Refractive Errors

The authors report a case of thoracic meningomyelocele. The patient had not have any presenting symptoms until adult age. We confirmed it with radiological(postmyelography CT and MRI) and pathological diagnosis. Pre-, post- and intraoperative SSEP(somatosensory evoked potential) monitoring were performed. Characteristically, the mass contained accessory cord which attached to inner cyst wall with multiple fibrous bands. Meningomyelocele was completely removed without any neurologic sequelae.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Meningomyelocele*

PURPOSE: Approximately 10% of the general population in western countries have gallstones. The compositions of gallstones, however, vary with location and ethnicity. The purpose of this study is to analyze the gallbladder stones of patients in Chungbuk and mainly to compare the compositions of the gallstones with those in other reports. METHODS: The patients in this study included gallbladder stone patients (N=318) who were operated on in Chungbuk National University Hospital from January 1992 to December 1997. By gross inspection of their cut surface structures, the gallstones were classified as pure cholesterol stones, mixed stones, brown stones, and black pigment stones. The chemical compositions of the stones (N=35) that were collected during January and February 1997 were analyzed using high- pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: By inspection, 31 (9.7%) stones were classified as pure cholesterol stones, 54 (17%) as mixed stones, 27 (8.5%) as brown stones, and 206 (64.8%) as black pigment stones. The results of HPLC analysis were as follows; 5 (15%) stones had cholesterol contents higher than 90% of their composition, 5 (15%) stones 50 to 90%, and 25 (70%) stones less than 20%. CONCLUSION: Of the galldder stones of patients in Chungbuk 73.3% were pigment stones. This result was compatible with the HPLC results (70% of the stones have less than a 20% cholesterol content). The classification of the gallbladder stones of the patients in Chungbuk shows that the incidence of black pigment stones is very high while that of cholesterol stones is low. The difference is even greater when compared with the data in other papers published in Korea. The causes of the difference be remained to be clarified.
Cholesterol ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Chungcheongbuk-do* ; Classification ; Gallbladder* ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea

After surgical operation in patients with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), normal pressure perfusion breakthrough (NPPB) is one of the major complications. Brain perfusion SPECT with acetazolamide stress was known to be useful to evaluate the vascular reserve in several neurological and neurosurgical conditions. The authors performed acetazolamide brain perfusion SPECT in patients with AVM and compared the brain perfusion in the post-operative clinical courses. The acetazolamide brain perfusion SPECT was helpful in defining the prognosis of the patients with AVM. We describe 4 patients with AVM who had acetazolamide brain perfusion SPECT to examine the prognosis.
Acetazolamide* ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Brain* ; Humans ; Perfusion* ; Prognosis* ; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*