No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant*

BACKGROUND: N-acetylcysteine(ACE) is used both orally and intravenously in a variety of experimental pathologies resembling human disease states which exhibit endothelial toxicity as a result of oxidative stress, including acute pulmonary oxygen toxicity, septicemia and endotoxin shock. Despite these observations in vivo, it is not certain how this thiol drug produces its protective effects. ACE is a cysteine derivative which is able to directly react with oxygen radicals and may also act as a cysteine and glutathione(GSH) precursor following deacetylation. In this paper, we tried to know whether the therapeutic doses of ACE can modify the inflammatory function of the neutrophils and can increase the glutathione level of plasma in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) patients. In addition, the effect of ACE to the purified neutrophil in terms of superoxide release and glutathione synthesis were observed. METHOD: Firstly, we gave 600mg of ACE for seven days and compare the release of superoxide, luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence from the neutrophils, neutrophil chemotaxis, and plasma GSH levels before and after ACE treatment in COPD patients. Secondly, we observed the dose dependent effect of ACE to the purified neutrophil's superoxide release and GSH levels in vitro. RESULTS: 1) Usual oral therapeutic doses(600mg per day) of ACE for seven days did affect neither on the neutrophils superoxide release, chemiluminescence, chemotaxis, nor on the plasma GSH concentration in the COPD patients. 2) ACE decreases the purified neutrophil's superoxide release and increase the GSH production in dose dependent fashion in vitro. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that oral ACE treatment did not affect on the neutrophil's inflammatory function and plasma GSH concentration in COPD patients in usual therapeutic doses, it decreases the superoxide release and increases the GSH production from the isolated neutrophils in high molar concentrations. These findings suggest that to obtain an antioxidative effects of ACE, it might be needed to increase the daily dosage of ACE or therapeutic duration or change the route of adminisration in COPD patients.
Acetylcysteine* ; Chemotaxis* ; Cysteine ; Glutathione* ; Humans ; Luminescence ; Molar ; Neutrophils* ; Oxidative Stress ; Oxygen ; Pathology ; Plasma* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Sepsis ; Shock ; Superoxides*

BACKGROUND: Infiltration of eosinophils and activated T cells into the airway is a characteristic feature of allergic inflammation such as asthma. IL-4 has been shown to mediate adhesion of eosinophils and T cells to endothelial cells by inducing VCAM-1 expression on endothelial surface. IL-13 shares a number of biologic properties with IL-4. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the effects of IL-13 on the adhesion of eosinophils to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and on the expression of VCAM-1 in HUVEC. METHOD: HUVEC was incubated for 24h with IL-13 (10ng/ml), IL-4 (10ng/ml) and TNF-a (10ng/ml). Surface expression of VCAM-1 in HUVEC was detected using irnmuno-cytochemical stain and reverse transcription-polymearse chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the adhesion of eosinophils to HUVEC was quantitated using eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) assay. RESULTS: The VCAM-1 expression on IL-13-treated HUVEC increased more than in the expression on medium-treated HUVEC (p<0.05). The adhesion of eosinophil to IL-13- treated HUVEC also increased more than in the adhesion to medium-treated HUVEC (p<0.05). The VCAM-1 expression was synergistically induced by TNF-a and IL-13 (p<0.05). IL-13 induced VCAM-1 expression and adhesion of eosinophils to HUVEC, similar to IL-4. IL-13 also induced VCAM-1 mRNA expression, with greater expression than with medium and TNF-a(p<0.05). IL-13-induced surface VCAM-1 was associated with expression of mRNA transcripts and adhesion of eosinophils to HUVEC(r=0.89, r=0.93, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that IL-13 stimulates HUVEC to express surface VCAM-1 and has a possible role in promoting VCAM-1/VLA-4 dependent accumulation of eosinophils during allergic and other inflammatory responses.
Asthma ; Endothelial Cells* ; Eosinophil Peroxidase ; Eosinophils* ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-13* ; Interleukin-4 ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

No abstract available.
Busan* ; Child* ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Urinary Tract*

No abstract available.
Busan* ; Child* ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Urinary Tract*

The clinicolaboratory findings, cardiac catheterization, and outcome of operation were analyzed in 78 patients with tetralogy of Fallot, which were diagnosed by echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and a cardiac angiography and confirmed by operation at Dong San Hospital, Keimyung University, during a 4(1/2)-year period from January 1984 to June 1988. The following results were obtained : 1) Out of the 78 cases, 45 were male and 64 were female. 2) The electrocardiogram showed right axis deviation in 71 cases(91%) and right ventricular hypertrophy in 66 cases(84.6%). 3) Chest X-ray revealed that, the cardiothoracic ratio was normal or decreased in 68 cases(87.3%), and cardiac apex elevation was noticed in 57 cases(73%). 4) Pulmonary stenosis were chiefly valvular and infundibular type(53.8%). 5) The associated heart diseases with TOF were patent foramen ovale(64.1%), right sided aortic arch(19.2%), and secundum ASD(10.3%), in that order. 6) There was an intimate correlation between secondary polycythemia and thrombocytopenia. 7) Among the 78 Cases, 73 cases had total correction, 1 case had shunt operation, and 4cases had total correction after shunt operation. The highest mortality rate occurred in the cases of total correction after shunt operation(25%). The cases with a main pulmonary artery size of 1/3 to 2/3 against, the aorta had a higher mortality than the other group, and no cases expired in the group with a ratio of more than 2/3. The overall surgical mortality was 8.9%.
Angiography ; Aorta ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular ; Male ; Mortality ; Polycythemia ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Tetralogy of Fallot* ; Thorax ; Thrombocytopenia

As the productive activities have vastly increased following industrialization and urbanization in the modem society, the resulting high mobility of people and goods have caused a sharp increase in the accidents in the work places as well as traffic accidents. In particular, deaths caused by injuries are generally concentrated in the economically active young peoples, producing incalculable losses to the society and nation as a whole. Advanced nations with superior medical care systems have succeeded in reducing incidents of such deaths by operating trauma centers. Especially noteworthy is the case of the United States where such specialized trauma centers have greatly contributed to reducing deaths from injuries in the non-urban areas with less access to medical facilities. At present Korea has no medical centers specializing in injuries. In large cities, the injuries are being treated tertiary medical facilities while in the provinces they are referred to small and medium-sized hospitals that constitute secondary medical facilities. Currently in Korea the Trauma patients are treated at general hospitals that consist of 726 secondary medical facilities and 40 tertiary medical centers nationwide. The secondary medical facilities which tend to take most responsibility for the treatment of trauma are generally deficient in medical staff and facilities (including operating and intensive care facilities). Despite such deficiency and limitations, no regulations exist regarding treatment or transportation of trauma patients. This article reports the outcome of a comparative analysis of the results of trauma treatments among different types of medical facilities based on objective data in the hope that such study would facilitate a comparison with the treatment systems of advanced countries and thereby contribute to a precise formulation of problems that must be addressed in this area.
Accidents, Traffic ; Hope ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Korea ; Medical Staff ; Modems ; Social Control, Formal ; Transportation ; Trauma Centers ; United States ; Urbanization ; Workplace ; Industrial Development

Factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare hereditary disorder with a reduced FVII:C activity, which is transmitted by an autosomal recessive gene with variable expressions and a high penetrance. FVII deficiency has different antigen levels, normal or reduced, and has various symptoms. We report on a 26 year-old male patient with pleurisy who showed hematuria and prolonged prothrombin time. FVII:C was 4% and FVII:Ag level was 80% (within normal range). The inheritance of this case is unclear. The FVII:C, FVII:Ag, and prothrombin time of his father and mother's sister were within normal ranges. This is the first proven case of FVII deficiency with normal FVII:Ag level in Korea.
Adult ; Factor VII Deficiency* ; Factor VII* ; Fathers ; Genes, Recessive ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Penetrance ; Pleurisy ; Prothrombin Time ; Reference Values ; Siblings ; Wills

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare vascular tumor arising from pericytes. The tumor usually develops in the skin or subcutaneous tissue, particularly in the extremities.4 pulmonary origin of hemangiopericytoma is known to be quite rare. It has the potential to become a highly malignant lesion, so wide excision is the treatment of choice. We present a case of primary malignant hemangiopericytoma of the lung and discuss the clinical symptoms, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis within the context of a brief review.
Diagnosis ; Hemangiopericytoma* ; Lung* ; Pericytes ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

PURPOSE: The effect of PTK inhibitors (herbimycin A and genistein) on the induction of radiation-induce d apoptosis in Ph-positive K562 leukemia cell line was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: K562 cells in exponential growth phase were irradiated with a linear accelerator at room temperature. For 6 MV X-ray irradiation and drug treatment, cultures were initiated at 2x10' cells/mL. The cells were irradiated with 10 Gy. Stock solutions of herbimycin A and genistein were prepared in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). After incubation at 37C for 0-48 h, the extent of apoptosis was determined using agarose gel electrophoresis and TUNEL assay. The progression of cells throughth the cel l cycle after irradiation and drug treatment was also determined with flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was used to monitor bcl-2, bcl-X and bax protein levels. RESULTS: Treatment with 10 Gy X-irradiation did not result in the induction of apoptosis. The HMA alone (500 nM) also failed to induce apoptosis. By contrast, incubation of K562 cells with HMA after irradiation resulted in a substantial induction of nuclear condensation and fragmentation by agarose gel electro-phoresis and TUNEL assay. Genistein failed to enhance the ability of X-irradiation to induce DN A fragmentation. Enhancement of apoptosis by H MA was not attributable to downregulation of the bcl-2 or bcl-X anti-apoptotic proteins. When the cells were irradiated and maintained with HMA, the percentage cf cells in G2/M phase decreased to 30-40% at 48 h. On the other hand, cells exposed to 10 Gy X-irradiation alone or maintained with genistein did not show marked cell cycle redistribution. CONCLUSION: We have shown that nanomolar concentrations of the PTK inhibitor HMA synergize with X-irradiation in inducing the apoptosis in Ph (+) K562 leukemia cell line. While, genistein, a PTK inhibitor which is not selective for p2 10""'' failed to enhance the radiation induced apoptosis in K562 cells. It is unlikely that the ability of HMA to enhance apoptosis in K562 cells is attributable to bcl-2 family. It is plausible that the relationship between cell cycle delays and cell death is essential for drug development based on molecular targeting designed to modify radiation-induced apoptosis.
Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; Apoptosis* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide ; Down-Regulation ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Flow Cytometry ; Genistein ; Hand ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; K562 Cells* ; Leukemia ; Particle Accelerators ; Sepharose