PURPOSE: To investigate the levels of radiation exposure of an operator which may be influenced by the wearing an apron, type of procedure, duration of fluoroscopy and operator's skill during various interventional procedures MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiation doses were measured both inside and outside the apron(0.5mm lead equivalent) of the operator by a film badge monitoring method and the duration of fluoroscopy was measured in 96 procedures prospectively. The procedures were 30 transcatheter arterial embolizations (TAE), 25 percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainages (PTBD), 16 stone removals (SR), 15 percutaneous needle aspirations (PCNA) and 10 percutaneous nephrostomies(PCN). To assess the difference of exposure by the operator's skill, the procedures of TAE and PTBD were done separately by groups of staffs and residents. RESULTS: Average protective effect of the apron was 72.8%. Average radiation exposure(unit:micro Sv/procedure) was 23.3 in PTBD by residents, 10.0 in PTBD by staffs, 10.0 in SR, 8.7 in TAE by residents, 7.3 in TAE by staffs, 9.0 in PCN and 6.0 in PCNA. Average radiation exposure of residents were 1.9 times greater than those of staffs. CONCLUSION: Radiation exposure was not proportionally related to the duration of fiuoroscopy, but influenced by wearing an apron, various types o[procedure and operator's skills.
Aspirations (Psychology) ; Film Dosimetry ; Fluoroscopy ; Needles ; Pregnenolone Carbonitrile ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Panax ginseng is known to decrease the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced testicular toxicity. Thus, we aimed to reveal the differences between Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolium extract for their effects on TCDD-induced toxicity. METHODS: Forty rats were divided into four groups; the control group, the TCDD only group, the TCDD plus Panax ginseng group, and the TCDD plus Panax quinquefolium-treated groups. Ginseng extract was given orally to rats from day one to twenty-one. TCDD was intraperitoneally administered to rats at a single dose of 50 microgram/kg on the seventh day. The pathologic changes were then examined. The changes of body weight, cholesterol and GOT in the serum were also examined. RESULTS: The TCDD toxicity was prominent in the thymus, liver and testis. The thymus showed atrophy and an inverse pattern of lymphocyte density in the cortex and medulla. The liver revealed central necrosis with fatty changes. On electron microscopy, the seminiferous tubules showed destruction of the spermatogonia, clear spaces or vacuolar changes and degeneration in the Sertoli cells or germ cells. The above mentioned TCDD-induced changes were reduced in the rats that were administered with Panax ginseng, whereas Panax quinquefolium did not reduce these changes. CONCLUSION: The protective effects of Panax ginseng on the TCDD-induced toxicity were more effective than those of Panax quinquefolium.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymphocytes ; Male* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Necrosis ; Panax* ; Rats* ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Sertoli Cells ; Spermatogonia ; Testis ; Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin ; Thymus Gland

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography for limited finger joint mobility in diabetes and association between limited finger joint mobility and the presence of diabetic chronic complications. METHODS: Ultrasonography were performed in 13 non insulin-dependent diabetes with limited finger joint mobility and 15 non insulin-dependent diabetes without limited finger joint mobility matched for similar ages, sexes and durations of diabetes. Controls consisted of 12 healthy volunteers with no evidence of diabetes mellitus. Ultrasonography was used to measure flexor tendon and tendon sheath thickness of the third and fourth fingers in the volar aspect of both hands. We evaluated neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy in all diabetic patients and investigated association between limited finger joint mobility and the presence of diabetic chronic complications. RESULTS: Thickness of flexor tendon sheath of the third and fourth fingers were significantly increased in the diabetes with limited finger joint mobility compared to the diabetes without limited finger joint mobility (p<0.01). Also, flexor tendon thickness of the third finger was significantly increased in the diabetes with limited finger joint mobility compared to the diabetes without limited finger joint mobility (p<0.05). The diabetes with limited finger joint mobility had a significantly increased frequency of the diabetic chronic complications (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In the diabetes with limited finger joint mobility, thickening of flexor tendon sheath and tendon were shown by ultrasonography. This finding suggests that ultrasonography can be used to diagnose limited finger joint mobility in the diabetes. Limited finger joint mobility is closely associated with diabetic chronic complications.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Finger Joint* ; Fingers* ; Hand ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: Plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamases (PABL) are cephalosporinases that confer resistance to a wide variety of beta-lactam drugs and that may thereby create serious therapeutic problems. The PABL-producing organisms are a major concern in nosocomial infections and should there-fore be monitored in surveillance studies. Although reported with increasing frequency in Korea, the occurrence and genotypic distributions of PABL in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae remain unknown. METHODS: We tested a total of 911 consecutive, nonduplicate isolates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae at 12 university hospitals and a commercial laboratory in Korea. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested using the disk diffusion method. PABL production was determined by the modified Hodge test and multiplex PCR. The PCR differentiated the six PABL-specific families in E. coli and K. pneumoniae. RESULTS: Overall, 110 (12.1%) yielded cefoxitin non-susceptible isolates and that 28 (3.1%) demonstrated PABL producers by multiplex PCR. Based on the species, of 544 E. coli and 367 K. pneumoniae isolates tested, 8 (1.5%) and 20 (5.4%), respectively, demonstrated PABL producers. The genotypes of PCR amplification showed that the MOX, DHA, and CIT family were harbored by 4, 2, and 2 of 8 PABL-producing E. coli, and the DHA, MOX, and EBC family were harbored by 13, 6, and 1 of 20 PABL-producing K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that the occurrence of PABL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae is relatively high and the kinds of genotypes are variously distributed in Korea.
beta-Lactamases ; Cefoxitin ; Cross Infection ; Diffusion ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Genotype ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae* ; Klebsiella* ; Korea* ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pneumonia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement has been known to be a useful marker for determining the clonality as well as detecting minimal residual disease in B cell malignancies. This study was performed to establish single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for the detection of IgH gene rearrangements in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue of patients with B cell lymphoma and determine the type of JH segments used. METHODS: We obtained formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 44 patients diagnosed with B cell lymphoma at Ajou University Hospital from January 2005 to January 2007 and reviewed medical records retrospectively. After the extraction of DNA, PCR was performed using VH3 and JHPST primers to detect the third complementarity determining region (CDR3) gene of IgH. Sequence analysis of the PCR products was also done in 23 patients. RESULTS: The CDR3 gene rearrangements were detected in 26 (59%) out of 44 patients with B cell lymphoma. Sequence analysis of the amplified CDR3 gene was successful in 16 (70%) of 23 patients. JH3, JH4, JH5, and JH6 segments were used for CDR3 gene rearrangements in 3 (25%), 4 (33%), 1 (8%), and 4 (33%) patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although there are some limitations due to a low sensitivity less than 60%, single PCR using consensus primers could be an effective tool for the detection of CDR3 gene rearrangements in routine laboratory settings. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the CDR3 PCR products will provide basic information necessary for further studies.
Complementarity Determining Regions ; Consensus ; DNA ; Formaldehyde* ; Gene Rearrangement* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sequence Analysis

PURPOSE: To report an epidemiologic study of keratoplasty in which we analyze basic data of corneal transplants and corneal donations in Korea. METHODS: From June 2004 through October 2004, questionnaires were distributed to 25 hospitals. The questionnaires were about the characteristics of patients registered in eye banks for keratoplasty from May 2001 to April 2003, and about the results of keratoplasties performed from May 2002 to April 2003. RESULTS: The leading corneal diseases in patients registered for keratoplasty were infectious keratitis (22.0%), trauma (21.0%), and pseudophakic and aphakic bullous keratopathy (13.8%), in that order. The leading indications in corneal recipients were: trauma (15.5%), pseudophakic and aphakic bullous keratopathy (13.7%), and infectious keratitis (10.7%), in that order. In 233 cases of keratoplasties, penetrating keratoplasty was performed in 229 cases (98.3%) and lamellar keratoplasty was performed in 4 cases (1.7%). The most common combined surgery was cataract extraction. Common causes of graft failure were rejection of donor cornea and infection. Imported donor corneas were used in sixty-one cases (26.2%) among the 233 total keratoplasties. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed an epidemiologic data base of patients registered for keratoplasty, corneal donation, and the results of keratoplasties throughout Korea.
Cataract Extraction ; Cornea ; Corneal Diseases ; Corneal Transplantation* ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Eye Banks ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Korea* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To report an epidemiologic study of keratoplasty in which we analyze basic data of corneal transplants and corneal donations in Korea. METHODS: From June 2004 through October 2004, questionnaires were distributed to 25 hospitals. The questionnaires were about the characteristics of patients registered in eye banks for keratoplasty from May 2001 to April 2003, and about the results of keratoplasties performed from May 2002 to April 2003. RESULTS: The leading corneal diseases in patients registered for keratoplasty were infectious keratitis (22.0%), trauma (21.0%), and pseudophakic and aphakic bullous keratopathy (13.8%), in that order. The leading indications in corneal recipients were: trauma (15.5%), pseudophakic and aphakic bullous keratopathy (13.7%), and infectious keratitis (10.7%), in that order. In 233 cases of keratoplasties, penetrating keratoplasty was performed in 229 cases (98.3%) and lamellar keratoplasty was performed in 4 cases (1.7%). The most common combined surgery was cataract extraction. Common causes of graft failure were rejection of donor cornea and infection. Imported donor corneas were used in sixty-one cases (26.2%) among the 233 total keratoplasties. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed an epidemiologic data base of patients registered for keratoplasty, corneal donation, and the results of keratoplasties throughout Korea.
Cataract Extraction ; Cornea ; Corneal Diseases ; Corneal Transplantation* ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Eye Banks ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Korea* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants