Rheumatoid patients have poor bone quality and also have an increased incidence of sepsis, delayed wound healing, and general overall complications. It is the purpose of this paper to assess the clinical and roentgenographic results of ABG total hip replacement in rheumatoid arthritis. Twenty-six total hip arthroplasties done in seventeen patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied prospectively. The average follow-up was 3 years and 4 months, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years and 7 months. The average age of the patients was 49.7 years (range 36-63) and there were sixteen females and one male. All patients fulfilled the 1987 revised criteria and there were eleven cases of protrusio acetabuli. All patients except two were taking oral steroids, nineteen cases were classed as Singhs index 1, five cases as Singhs index 2, and two cases as Singhs index 3. The Charnley approach with a trochanteric osteotomy was employed in all patients. Cup fixation was achieved with two spikes in twenty-one cases, two spikes and one screw in five cases, and in all cases the acetabular cup was angled at less than 45 from the horizontal. There was a gap between the acetabular cup and the acetabulum at DeLee and Charnley zone 1 in three cases, and at zone 2 in six cases. At 2 years, there was no radiolucency, reactive line or any sign of bone resorption. The development of cancellous and cortical densification was seen in Gruen's zone 2 and 6 for the first time in the 1 year radiographs. It became more prominent in the 2 year radiographs. The reactive bone line first became visible at the 6 month follow-up in the Gruen's zone 3 and 5. These lines extended more proximally, but it did not involve the proximal HA coated portion. Cortical hypertrophy of diaphysis was seen at Gruen's zone 3 and 5 in five cases. Rounding off of calcar was visible at zone 7 in six cases. There were no radiological changes of the femoral side in fourteen cases and the acetabular side in seven cases. There was one case of wire breakage, one case of trochanteric separation, and one case of intraoperative splitting of calcar. The result of the study indicated that the development of osseointegration in rheumatoid arthritis might be slow, but the clinical and radiological results were satisfactory. Further prospective follow up is necessary to determine whether the favorable early result of HA coated implant are maintained over longer periods.
Acetabulum ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Bone Resorption ; Diaphyses ; Durapatite* ; Female ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Incidence ; Male ; Osseointegration ; Osteotomy ; Prospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Steroids ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine, by reviewing the literature, whether treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia affects symptoms. METHODS: We retrieved the literature using MEDLINE search, with nonulcer dyspepsia and Hericobacter pylori and treatment as key words, which were reported from 1984 to 1998, and manual literature search. The criteria for inclusion was as follows; 1) The paper should have confirmed nonulcer dyspepsia as case definition. 2) The paper should have performed a randomized, blind trial. 3) Confirmation of Helicobacter pylori eradication should be done 4 weeks after treatment. 4) studies with no information on measurement of symptoms after treatment were not accepted. The percentage of patients with symptom improvement after eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection was calculated. Cumulative odds ratio was compared by fixed effect model and random effect model as sensitivity and funnel plot was used to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: The overall effect size of symptom improvement was calculated by cumulative odds ratio. Cumulative odds ratio of random effect model was 4.16(95% CI: 1.55-11.19). Before integrating each effect sizes into common effect size, the homogeneity test was conducted and random effect model was selected(Cochran's Q=41.08 (d.f=10, p<0.001)). The heterogeneity across studies was evaluated and the different methodological aspects of studies led to differences between study results. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia results more symptom improvement. In studies that shows the opposite results there are methodological aspects explaining the heterogeneity.
Dyspepsia* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Population Characteristics ; Publication Bias

PURPOSE: The gastric cancer is most frequent malignant disease in Korea. With increase of GNP and social welfare, lot of people pay attention to that. But many of gastric cancer patients who were diagnosed, are advanced -stage III or more- case and produces poor result of treatment. Nowadays many surgeons report that the resection of cancer mass and radical lymph node dissection, which called systematic lymph node dissection, can increase the longterm survival rate and curability of patients. For this purpose Maruyama and his colleagues made a program to predict the 5 year survival rate, cause of death, and the status of lymph node metastases. We put the basic datas of pateints in AGC into Maruyama's program and compare its result to final histologic reports. We would check sesitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive values between Maruyamas program and hitologic reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Sep. 1995 to Sep. 1996, We operated 55 patients with gastric cancer with this program in GNUH. We checked the histopathologic reports and put the data into the prediction program. The datas were sex, age, maximal size of tumor, differentiation, gross type and location. We compared status of lymph node metastases, TNM stages between the reports of histopathology and that of predictive program. RESULTS: In early stages the sensitivity and specificity of the program showed poor result but in advanced stages did not. The distribution of lymph node metastasis showed a same pattern. The patterns of perigastric lymph node metastasis were somewhat different according to the location of tumor. But its significance was not confirmed. We analysed the metastaic rate between lymph node groups and compared with the results between two reports. The sensitivity, and negative predictive value were 100% in each groups, and positive predictive value was also high. CONCLUSION: The systematic lymph node dissection is an effective and safe procedure in the surgical treatment of gastric cancer. We suggest that the techniques should be standardized and popularized in Korea. This procedure will improve the survival rate of gastric cancer patients and decrease the local recurrence of gastric cancer.
Cause of Death ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Recurrence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Social Welfare ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the allergen components and moderate-to-severe allergic reactions in patients with buckwheat allergy. METHODS: Fifteen patients with a history of buckwheat ingestion and a buckwheat specific IgE level> or =0.35 kU/L were enrolled. They were divided into 2 groups according to clinical severity scores, with 0-1 being asymptomatic-to-mild and 2-4 being moderate-to-severe symptoms. Immunoblotting was performed to investigate IgE reactivity toward buckwheat allergens and to measure intensity of each component by using a reflective densitometer. RESULTS: The proportions of positive band to the 16 kDa (62.5% vs 0%, P=0.026) and 40-50 kDa (87.5% vs 28.6%, P=0.041) buckwheat allergens in the grade 2-4 group were higher than those in grade 0-1 group. The level of buckwheat specific IgE of grade 2-4 group was higher than that of grade 0-1 group (41.3 kU/L vs 5.5 kU/L, P=0.037). The median optical densities (ODs) of IgE antibody binding to 40-50 kDa protein were higher in the grade 2-4 group, compared with those in the grade 0-1 group (130% OD vs 60.8% OD, P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: The 40-50 kDa protein is implicated as an important allergen to predict moderate-to-severe clinical symptoms in Korean children with buckwheat allergy.
Allergens ; Child ; Eating ; Fagopyrum* ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E

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While phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors have been used for erectile dysfunction with acceptable safety profile, they can induce orthostatic hypotension in patients taking antihypertensive drugs with blood pressure lowering effect. This study evaluated the hemodynamic effects of 100 mg mirodenafil in hypertensive patients taking an amlodipine. Thirteen hypertensive patients who were taking 5 or 10 mg of amlodipine once daily participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. A single oral dose of mirodenafil 100 mg or placebo was administered at 4.5 hour after administration of amlodipine. The maximal change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (ΔmaxSBP and ΔmaxDBP) and pulse rate (ΔmaxPR) were compared between mirodenafil and placebo periods. Twelve patients completed this study and were included analysis. The values of ΔmaxPR in standing and supine position were significantly greater in the mirodenafil period (13.25±7.12 and 11.17±4.86 beats/minute) when compared to the placebo (8.50±4.72 and 6.58±3.90 beats/minute). The ΔmaxSBP and ΔmaxDBP in standing position appeared to be lower in the mirodenafil period, but they were not statistically different from those in the placebo period (ΔmaxSBP = -7.42±5.6 vs -4.42±5.37 mmHg and ΔmaxDBP = -7.17±5.72 vs -3.50±3.37 mmHg). Both ΔmaxSBP and ΔmaxDBP in standing and supine position were not significantly different between mirodenafil and placebo. This study demonstrated that mirodenafil exerted minimal hemodynamic effects in the patients taking amlodipine, that is unlikely associated with a clinically significant hypotensive event.
Amlodipine* ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Cross-Over Studies ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Male ; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors ; Posture ; Supine Position

OBJECTIVES: Present study was conducted to evaluate work-related symptom prevalence among hairdressers. METHODS: Exposed group comprised 184 employee employed 73 hair salons in 6 districts of Pusan city, and non-exposed grouts comprised 119 people living recent apartments. A trained interviewer interviewed them with organized questionnaire which included dermatologic, respiratory and musculo-skeletal symptoms. RESULTS: Prevalence of hand eczema wart 28.3 % in exposed group, and 5.9 % in non-exposed group. Adjusted odds ratio for age and atopy history was 4.30(2.34-7.93). Prevalence of respiratory symptom(coughing) in exported group was 22.1%, and 9.4% for non-exposed group. Adjusted odds ratio for coughing which was adjusted for age, smoking and atopy history was 2.76(1.32-5.78). Prevalences of musculo-skeletal symptoms among exposed group were neck(59.9%) shoulder(76.6%), upper back(41.2%), lower back (72.2%), arm and elbow(31.3%), wrist(44.2%), finger(35.0%), leg(71.1%). Adjusted Odds Ratios for musculo-skeletal symptoms which wag adjusted for age were neck 2.13(1.29-3.51), shoulder 2.52 (1.50-4.24), upper back 1.71(1.01~2.88), lower back 1.78(1.06~2.99), arm and elbow 3.10(1.62~5.94), wrists 2.09(1.23~3.57), finger 4.83(2.41~ 9.68), leg 3.46(2.07~5.79). CONCLUSIONS: These results chow that employees in hair salon are likely to have high risk for work-related dermatologic, respiratory and musculo-skeletal symptoms and diseases. Hence, prevention methods from those work-related diseases are required to be developed. Also, the scope of occupational and environmental medicine should be expanded to service area including hairdressers.
Arm ; Busan ; Cough ; Eczema ; Elbow ; Environmental Medicine ; Fingers ; Hair ; Hand ; Leg ; Neck ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence* ; Questionnaires ; Shoulder ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Warts ; Wrist

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Due to its beneficial health effects, use of buckwheat has shown a continuous increase, and concerns regarding the allergic property of buckwheat have also increased. This study was conducted for evaluation of the hydrolytic effects of seven commercial proteases on buckwheat allergens and its allergenicity. MATERIALS/METHODS: Extracted buckwheat protein was hydrolyzed by seven proteolytic enzymes at individual optimum temperature and pH for four hours. Analysis was then performed using SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, and competitive inhibition ELISA (ciELISA) with rabbit antiserum to buckwheat protein, and direct ELISA with pooled serum of 21 buckwheat-sensitive patients. RESULTS: Alkaline protease, classified as serine peptidase, was most effective in reducing allergenicity of buckwheat protein. It caused decomposition of the whole buckwheat protein, as shown on SDS-PAGE, and results of immunoblotting showed that the rabbit antiserum to buckwheat protein no longer recognized it as an antigen. Allergenicity showed a decrease of more than 50% when pooled serum of patients was used in ELISA. Two proteolytic enzymes from Aspergillus sp. could not hydrolyze buckwheat allergens effectively, and the allergenicity even appeared to increase. CONCLUSIONS: Serine-type peptidases appeared to show a relatively effective reduction of buckwheat allergenicity. However, the antigenicity measured using rabbit antiserum did not correspond to the allergenicity measured using sera from human patients. Production of less allergenic buckwheat protein may be possible using enzymatic hydrolysis.
Allergens ; Aspergillus ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fagopyrum* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hydrolysis* ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoblotting ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Serine

Understanding human immune responses in chronic refractory tuberculosis (CRTB) is important for developing immunotherapy against the disease. The aim of this study was to examine cytokine responses [interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10] by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in CRTB patients after in vitro stimulation with the 30-kDa or purified protein derivative (PPD) antigen (Ag). Most of the CRTB cases were multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. The results were compared with those from early TB (E-TB) patients and healthy tuberculin reactors (HTR). IFN-gamma production was significantly depressed in both CRTB and E-TB groups compared with HTR. In response to the 30-kDa Ag, TNF-alpha levels were significantly depressed only in CRTB patients, while greatly increased in E-TB patients. In addition, IL-10 production was significantly increased in E-TB patients, and PBMC from both E-TB and CRTB patients secreted more IL-6 than HTR. IL-10 neutralization significantly increased TNF-alpha levels, whereas anti-TNF-alpha did not alter IL-10 induction significantly in PBMC from HTR and CRTB patients. Our findings suggest that CRTB patients have depression in both IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha reponses, which might play important roles during chronic M. tuberculosis infection.
Depression* ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Interferon-gamma* ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

In this study, we investigated profiles of the cytokines IFN-g, IL-12, and IL-10 in active pulmonary tuberculosis (EAPTB) patients, HIV-negative patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and in healthy tuberculin reactors (HTR). We studied the responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 12 EAPTB patients and 15 MDR-TB patients to stimulation with a purified protein derivatives (PPD) antigen (Ag), and compared them with those from 14 HTR. Using ELISA, IFN-g production was found to be significantly depressed, while IL-10 was significantly elevated in both MDR-TB and EAPTB after in vitro stimulation with PPD, compared with those in HTR. Although there was no significant difference in IL-12 production among the three groups, mean IL-12 production was highest in patients with MDR-TB. In these patients, IL-12 production was significantly correlated with IL-10 expression, but not IFN-g production. In addition, neutralization of endogenous IL-10 led to enhanced IFN-g and IL-12Rb2 mRNA expression in TB patients. Our findings suggest that both groups of TB patients may have a similar disregulated pattern of IL-12, IL-10, and IFN-g production during M. tuberculosis infection. Furthermore, the results suggest a potentially pathogenic role for IL-10 in impaired Th1 immune responses in TB patients.
Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Interleukin-10* ; Interleukin-12* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; RNA, Messenger ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary