No abstract available.

The objective of this study is to measure eosinophil count and Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP) levels of tears and sera in patients with acute allergic conjunctivitis and normal subjects and to assess the correlation of this mediator with allergic conjuctivitis and the clinical usefulness. Seventeen subjects were selected on the basis of clinical manifestation, history, skin prick test, total IgE. Serum IgE and eosinophil count were increased in 10patients, and eosinophilia in conjunctival epithelium were present in 11subjects. ECP in tears were increased in patients significantly (12.0+/-8.0 vs 3.9+/-3.8ng/ml,p=0.01), but not in serum (52.5+/-43.1 vs 28.3+/-25.9ng/ml). There was significant relationship beween serum and tear eosinophil count(p=0.004,r=0.66). But there was no significant correlation between eosinophil count and ECP in serum (p>0.05m r=0.19), and no significant correlation between eosinophil count of conjectival epithelium and tears ECP (p=0.043, r=0.05). In conclusion, ECP in tears may be very important role in allergic conjunctivitis and is more reliable indicatior of diagnosis clinically rather than eosinophil count in tear and conjunctival epithelium.
Child* ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic* ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Skin

Anthracosis is a very common disease of the bronchus, while anthracosis of the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare. Only a few cases of anthracosis of the esophagus have been reported and no cases of anthracosis of the terminal ileum are known, except one patient in Korea who was described as having melanosis ilei. A black pigmented lesion was detected in the terminal ileum on colonoscopic examination of a 51-year-old woman. Histological examination revealed a pigmented lesion beneath the mucosal epithelial layer and lymphoid follicular hyperplasia. The lesion consisted of an aggregation of histiocytes containing abundant tiny black pigments. She has taken oral charcoal for 7 years. We diagnosed anthracosis of the terminal ileum caused by oral charcoal and report a case of charcoal-induced anthracosis of the terminal ileum.
Anthracosis ; Bronchi ; Charcoal ; Esophagus ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Ileum ; Korea ; Melanosis ; Middle Aged

Currently, there are a few reports on viral coinfection that causes an acute watery diarrhea in Korean children. So, to evaluate the features of coinfectious viral agents in children with acute watery diarrhea, we enrolled 155 children with acute watery diarrhea from July 2005 to June 2006. Fecal samples were collected and evaluated for various viral infections such as rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus and astrovirus. The mean (+/-standard deviation) age of the children was 2.71+/-2.37 yr. The detection rate of viral agents was most common in children between the ages of 1 and 3 yr. Rotavirus was detected in 63 children (41.3%), norovirus in 56 (36.2%), adenovirus in 11 (7.1%), and astrovirus in 1 (0.6%). Regarding rotavirus, there were 38 (60.3%) cases with monoinfection and 25 (39.7%) with coinfection. For norovirus, there were 33 (58.9%) cases with monoinfection and 23 (41.1%) with coinfection. Coinfection with rotavirus and norovirus was most common, and occurred in 20/155 cases (12.9%) including coinfection with adenovirus. So, rotavirus and norovirus were the most common coinfectious viral agents in our study population with acute watery diarrhea.
Acute Disease ; Adenovirus Infections, Human/epidemiology ; Astroviridae Infections/epidemiology ; Caliciviridae Infections/epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diarrhea/epidemiology/*virology ; Feces/virology ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Norovirus/isolation & purification ; Rotavirus Infections/epidemiology ; Virus Diseases/complications/*epidemiology/virology

p27Kip1 has been recognized as a negative regulator of cell cycle. Reduced level of p27 expression is associated with development and aggressiveness of several human tumors. To investigate the role of p27Kip1 on progression of colorectal adenocarcinoma, we studied 40 cases of human colorectal adenocarcinomas for expression of p27Kip1 protein using an immunohistochemical method, and compared these results with known prognostic parameters of colorectal adenocarcinoma. Among 40 cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas, p27Kip1 expression was detected in the nuclei of tumor cells in 14 cases (35%). The expression rate of p27Kip1 protein was significantly lower in the cases with lymph node metastasis (25.8%) than in those without lymph node metastasis (66.6%) (p<0.05). But it did not correlate with other parameters such as tumor size, histologic grade, vascular invasion, and Ki-67 labeling index. The results suggest that reduced expression of p27Kip1 protein plays a role in biologically aggressive behavior of colorectal adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Cell Cycle ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

The mainstay of diagnosing scrub typhus is through serologic testing. However, because of the delay of several days from the onset of the illness to the increase in the antibody titer, diagnosis can be difficult in the early stage of the illness. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical usefulness of adenosine deaminase activity (ADA) in diagnosing scrub typhus. A total of 104 patients were enrolled during the study period. Of these patients, 59 patients were diagnosed with scrub typhus and the mean serum ADA level was 46.7+/-11.6 U/L. High serum ADA levels strongly supported the diagnosis of scrub typhus, especially in patient without eschar. The remaining 44 patients did not have scrub typhus and 95% (42/44) of them had normal serum ADA levels. Therefore, evaluating serum ADA level could help diagnose patients with acute febrile disease such as scrub typhus, especially in its early stage of disease progression.
Adenosine ; Adenosine Deaminase ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Scrub Typhus ; Serologic Tests

The mainstay of diagnosing scrub typhus is through serologic testing. However, because of the delay of several days from the onset of the illness to the increase in the antibody titer, diagnosis can be difficult in the early stage of the illness. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical usefulness of adenosine deaminase activity (ADA) in diagnosing scrub typhus. A total of 104 patients were enrolled during the study period. Of these patients, 59 patients were diagnosed with scrub typhus and the mean serum ADA level was 46.7+/-11.6 U/L. High serum ADA levels strongly supported the diagnosis of scrub typhus, especially in patient without eschar. The remaining 44 patients did not have scrub typhus and 95% (42/44) of them had normal serum ADA levels. Therefore, evaluating serum ADA level could help diagnose patients with acute febrile disease such as scrub typhus, especially in its early stage of disease progression.
Adenosine ; Adenosine Deaminase ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Scrub Typhus ; Serologic Tests

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early and midterm results of superficial femoral artery (SFA) stenting with self-expanding nitinol stents and to identify the factors affecting patency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SFA stenting was performed in 165 limbs of 117 patients from January 2009 to December 2013. Patients were followed-up for the first occurrence of occlusion or stenosis based on computed tomography and duplex scan results and a decrease in ankle brachial index of >15%. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (mean, 15.3+/-3.2 months), no early thrombotic reocclusions occurred within 30 days, but in-stent restenosis developed in 78 limbs. The primary patency rates at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were 78%, 66%, 42%, and 22%, respectively, and the secondary patency rates were 85%, 72%, 58%, and 58%, respectively. TASC II C or D lesions, stent length >8 cm, number of patent tibial arteries and diabetes were significantly associated with reintervention. CONCLUSION: The midterm results of stenting for SFA occlusive disease were disappointing because the primary and secondary patency rates at two years were 22% and 58%, respectively. Reintervention after SFA stenting remains a major problem, particularly in patients with diabetes mellitus or long TASC II C or D lesions.
Ankle Brachial Index ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Endovascular Procedures ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Stents* ; Tibial Arteries

BACKGROUD: To study the prevalence of abnormalities found in routine preoperative eletrocardiograms (ECGs) and to analyze abnormal ECG findings in different age groups. METHODS: 9,709 patients undergoing elective surgery requiring anesthesia at Busan Paik Hospital from January to December 2002 were retrospectively studied. Preoperative ECGs were analyzed in terms of age, sex and specific abnormal ECG findings that might alter anesthetic management. RESULTS: 1,683 of 9,709 patients (17.3%) had abnormal electrocardiogram findings. The incidences of ventricular hypertrophy, bundle branch block, myocardial ischemia, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and atrioventricular block were 5.3%, 4.1%, 3.9%, 2.5%, 1.0% and 0.5%. Those over 75 years, 43% had abnormal findings and the incidence of myocardial ischemia, arrhythmia and ventricular hypertrophy were 11.7%, 9.7% and 8.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of unexpected preoperative ECG abnormalities among elective surgery patients is high, especially among older patients. Given the wealth of information provided by preoperative ECG at low cost, ECG is necessary to establish the components of routine preoperative assessment for cardiovascular disease, especially for older adults.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrioventricular Block ; Bundle-Branch Block ; Busan ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Incidence* ; Mass Screening* ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies

To evaluate the effect of anabolic steroid(AS) on body composition and protein metabolism in malnourished CAPD patients, 7 CAPD patients who were proved to be malnourished by subjective global assessment received 200mg of AS, nandrolone decanoate, by intramuscular route monthly for 5 months. We analyzed the body composition, biochemical nutritional markers, plasma and dialysate amino acids(AA) before and after administration of AS. The mean age was 53.6+/-11.5 years, the sex ratio was 2:5, and the duration of CAPD was 28.5+/-18.7 months. Two patients were diabetics. Five months after AS administration, %lean body mass seemed to increase from 52.6+/-11.7 to 57.3+/-11.0%(P>0.05), but there were no significant changes in body weight and body mass index. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (172.4+/-88.5 vs. 204.1+/-85.8ng/ml, P<0.05) and transferrin(213.6+/-55.4 vs. 239.0+/-55.3mg/dl, P<0.05) were significantly increased, and serum total CO2(31.1+/-4.5 vs. 25.9+/-2.5mM/L, P<0.05) were significantly decreased. Urea nitrogen appearance(4.0+/-2.0 vs. 3.6+/-1.6g/ day) seemed to be decreased. Both plasma essential AA(EAA) level(738.3+/-206.5 vs. 492.5+/-187.2micromol/L, P<0.05) and peritoneal EAA loss(565.0+/-186.1 vs. 377.4+/-113.9micromol/day, P<0.05) decreased significantly after administration. Plasma total and non- essential amino acids(NEAA) level tended to be increased and peritoneal total and NEAA loss seemed to be decreased without statistical significance. In conclusion, AS seems to have anabolic effect and be useful in the correction of malnutrition in CAPD patients.
Amino Acids ; Anabolic Agents ; Body Composition* ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Metabolism* ; Nandrolone ; Nitrogen ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Plasma ; Sex Ratio ; Urea