To evaluate and compare the clinical results of implantation of the AcrySof(r) with Hydrophilic Acrylic IOLs in early postoperative period(to 2 months), we retrospectively analyzed 34patients who had taken clear cornea incision and had been implanted with AcrySof(r)IOL in one eye and Hydrophilic Acrylic IOL in the other eye. There were no stastically significant difference in postoperative best corrected visual acuity, preoperative and postopearative astigmatic changes between AcrySof(r) and Hydrophilic Acrylic IOLs. But, the rates of postoperative capsular fibrosis and contracture of Hydrophilic Acrylic IOL was higher than those of AcrySof(r) IOL as well as postoperative complications. In conclusion, in the degree and rate of after-cataract, AcrySof(r)IOLs are more useful than Hydrophilic Acrylic IOLs. ;therefore, more excellent in long term visual prognosis. Further studies will be needed for the evaluation of clinical safety and efficacy.
Contracture ; Cornea ; Fibrosis ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Soluble IL-2R, soluble CD8 and TNF-alpha are elevated in sera of some patients with hematological malignancies, and a marked elevation of these cytokines could be used to assess disease activity and prognosis in this malignancy group. METHODS: The serum levels of sIL-2R, sCD8 and TNF-alpha were assessed in 28 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and 32 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 39 cases of healthy control subjects to define clinical usefulness as prognostic markers by sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: In MDS patients, serum sIL-2R levels were significantly higher as compared with controls, and a more pronounced increase of serum sIL-2R levels was found in patients with RAEB RAEB-t and CMML as compared with RA and RARS. Serum sCD8 levels were higher as compared with controls, but not related with FAB classification. In patients with leukemic conversion. sCD8 levels tended to be higher as compared with patients with non-conversion. The sIL-2R levels of AML patients were significantly higher than controls, and a significant correlation was detected between the levels of sIL-2R and WBC counts. Higher sIL-2R levels( >2000 U/ml) tended to affect both complete remission rate and survival. Serum sCD8 levels were higher than controls, but not related to FAB classification. No differences of serum TNF-alpha levels were detected as compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, this study indicates that serum sIL-2R and sCD8 are significantly increased in some patients with MDS and AML, and increased levels of serum sIL-2R and sCD8 may be useful for predicting prognosis of these patients.
Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts ; Classification ; Cytokines ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Prognosis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

To evaluate antioxidative effect of vitamin E, selenium and zinc sulfate on release of oxygen free radicals from polymorphonuclear leukocytes[PMNs], I measured the amount of superoxide release from human PMNs stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate[PMA]with addition of some antioxidant and antioxidative micronutrients using superoxide-dependent cytochrome c reduction.And to determine a protective effect of them on cultured bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells [RPE]from oxygen radicals, I measured a viability of bovine RPE using MTT assay after incubation with human PMNs and PMA. Vitamin E, selenuim and zinc sulfate are utilized at different concentrations of 1, 10 and 20 microM. Vitamin E and zinc sulfate inhibited superoxide production from PMNs stimulated by PMA from 10 microM concentration gnificantly. But in case of selenium, significant antioxidative effect was not found at each concentration.The antioxidative effect on cultured bovine RPE was evaluated using MTT assay.Among antioxidant and antioxidative micronutrients tested, vitamin E and zinc sulfate inhibited free radical damage to bovine RPE, they increased cell survival rate on culture at concentration of 1, 10 and 20 microM. In contrast, selenium did not increase cell survival rate significantly. With these results, it was found that vitamin E and zinc sulfate had antioxidative effect against superoxide release from PMNs and also protective effect of bovine RPE from free radical damages.Recent studies supported that peroxide may play an important role in causing tissue damage in human and experimental models of ocular inflammation and possibly in Behcet`s disease.It was suggested that antioxidant vitamins and minerals like vitamin E or zinc sulfate might be useful for management and/or prevention of these conditions.
Cell Survival ; Cytochromes c ; Epithelial Cells* ; Free Radicals ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; Micronutrients ; Minerals ; Models, Theoretical ; Myristic Acid ; Oxygen ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Retinaldehyde* ; Selenium* ; Superoxides* ; Vitamin E* ; Vitamins* ; Zinc Sulfate* ; Zinc*

No abstract available.
Head* ; Neck*

To examine the relationship between plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1[PAI-1]antigen concentration and diabetic retinopathy in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients, PAI-1 antigen levels and some fibri-nolytic parameters were studied in 89 non-insulin dependent diabetic patients[mean age 59.8 +/-11.3 years]and 25 normal adults as control[meanage 52.8 +/-14.7 years]. The diabetic patients were classified as three subgroups: no DR[n=34], NPDR[n=29]and PDR[n=26]according to the degree of retinopathy.The PAI-1 antigen concentration was measured by enzyme immunoassay[Innotest PAI Ag kit].The diabetic patients had a significantly higher mean PAI-1 antigen level [34.56 +/-17.80ng/milliliter ]compared to a control group[20.35 +/-15.78 ng/milliliter ][p<0.05].Plasma PAI-1 antigen level was significantly lower in diabetic patients with PDR[27.39 +/-15.54 ng/milliliter ]than in diabetics with no DR[36.87 +/-23.31 ng /milliliter ]or NPDR[39.43 +/-2 0.17 ng/milliliter ][p<0.05], probably because of more extensive systemic endothelial damage. These results support the hypothesis that impaired fibrinolysis due to elevated PAI-1 is associated with the development of retinopathy, and therefore the levels of PAI-1 can be used as useful indicator for the development and progression of proliferative retinopathy.
Adult ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Fibrinolysis ; Humans ; Plasma* ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1* ; Plasminogen Activators

OBJECTIVE: Using Lee et al (1996) model, we assessed the effect of opioid within the PAG on the manifestations of the neuropathic pain, and we studied the effects of naloxone on the analgesic effects of opioid. METHOD: Under pentobarbital anesthesia, male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with cannula in the ventral (n=10) and dorsal (n=6) PAG after the unilateral tibial and sural nerves were ligated and cut, leaving the common peroneal nerve intact. Pain sensitivity was assessed using the von Frey filament (8 mN) and acetone applied to the sensitive area for 1 week postoperatively. Rats with neuropathic pain were intracerebrally microinjected with DAMGO (0.1microgram/5microliter) and enkephaline (20microgram/5microliter) into the ventral and dorsal PAG and the pain sensitivity was assessed. Naloxone was injected to assess the observed change of pain sensitivity. RESULTS: Intracerebral microinjection of DAMGO and enkephaline into the ventral PAG, but not the dorsal PAG, increased the pain threshold which was reversed by naloxone. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that stimulation of the ventral PAG in neuropathic rats may reduce neuropathic pain via opioid-mediating pathway of the descending pain inhibition system.
Acetone ; Anesthesia ; Animals ; Catheters ; Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)- ; Enkephalins ; Humans ; Male ; Microinjections ; Naloxone ; Neuralgia* ; Pain Threshold ; Pentobarbital ; Periaqueductal Gray* ; Peroneal Nerve ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sural Nerve

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability of triple marker screening test in midtrimester pregnancy for fetal Down syndrome. METHODS: From October 1, 1996 to May 31, 1998 at Nowon Eulji Hospital, 3700 Pregnant women underwent serum tiple marker screening for Down syndrome during 15-20weeks of gestational age. The results of serum triple marker screenig tests for Down syndrome and the outcomes of pregnancies were retrospectively assesed. RESULTS: Sixty seven of 3700 cases(1.81%) were positive in screening test, and 3633(98.18%) cases were negative. Among 67 cases of positive screening test, 1 case(1.49%) was diagnosed as Down syndrome. Among 3633 cases of negative screening test, 4 cases(0.1%) were diagnosed as chromosomal abnormalies postnatally. Two of these 4 cases of chromosomal abnormalies were Down syndrome. CONCLUSION: With this results, sensitivity of triple marker screeing test for Down syndrome is very low as 33.3%. In order to increase the sensitivity, some compensatory adjustment is required in triple marker screening test.
Down Syndrome* ; Equidae ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is an uncommon, life-threatening infection of the subcutaneous tissue and superficial fascia. The clinical course of NF is rapid and progressive, and it is often fatal despite the appropriate therapy. The prognosis of NF depends on a timely diagnosis and then proper treatment. At onset it may not be possible to clearly distinguish NF from minor soft-tissue infections. Although infection are common due to the use of steroids and immunosuppressive agents in patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), it is interesting that NF has rarely been reported with SLE. Here, we present two cases of NF with SLE.
Fasciitis, Necrotizing ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Prognosis ; Steroids ; Subcutaneous Tissue

PURPOSE: The detection of epileptogenic lesion plays an important role in the management of patients with partial epilepsy. Although the development of MRI improved the examination of cerebral hemispheres greatly, many patients with neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) or extratemporal lobe epilepsy (extra-TLE) still show no lesion in conventional two-dimensional (2D) images. To increase the yield of MRI in those patients, we performed three-dimensional (3D) surface-projection rendering (SPR) of the cerebral hemispheres. METHODS: Conventional 2D MRI (T1, T2, FLAIR, thin slice SPGR) and 3D SPR were performed in 24 patients with neocortical TLE and extra-TLE, and 20 normal subjects. Sulcogyral patterns were evaluated blindly to clinical information. The locations of the epileptogenic zone, ictal onset zone (IOZ) and irritative zone (IRZ) were determined by intracranial EEG monitoring and epilepsy surgery. RESULTS: The 2D MRI identified epileptogenic lesions in five of the 10 neocortical TLE (50%) and five of the 14 extra-TLE (35.7%). 3D SPR revealed abnormal sulcogyral patterns in 9 of the 10 neocortical TLE (90%) and 9 of the 14 extra-TLE (64.3%). Cortical deformation zones with sulcogyral anomalies included the whole area of IOZ in 10 (55.5%) and IRZ in 6 (33.3%), overlapped with IOZ in 7 (38.9%) and IRZ in 11 (61.1%), were connected to IOZ in 1 (5.6%) and IRZ in 1 (5.6%). CONCLUSION: 3D SPR of volumetric MRI data can detect epileptogenic structural lesions of neocortical epilepsy that are not visible in the conventional 2D images.
Brain* ; Cerebrum ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

With the widespread use of laser in medical and industrial settings, the incidence of laser injury to the retina continues to grow among workers involved in handling lasers. Nd:YAG laser has recently been applied on a broad basis in ophthal-mology. We present our experience of accidental Nd:YAG laser injury to the retina resulting in macular hole formation and vitreous hemorrhage, and review the literatures briefly.
Incidence ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Neodymium* ; Retina ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Vitreous Hemorrhage