Organ transplantation has become a' widely accepted treatment modality for end-stage organ disease. The shortage of allogenic donors for organ transplantation has brought about the necessity of xenotransplantation as an unlimited source of organ donation. However, organ transplantation between different species have never been successful because of hyperacute rejection. Although the mechanism of this phenomenon is not fully understood, many researchers believe that the natural antibodies present in the recipient's serum may bind to the graft and induce the activation of complement cascade triggering the process of hyperacute rejection. ...continue...
Antibodies ; Complement System Proteins ; Heterografts ; Humans ; Organ Transplantation ; Tissue and Organ Procurement ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Transplants

Gastric cancer is not only one of the most common cancers in the world but also one of the most important malignant tumors in terms of incidence in Korea. In spite of it's clinical significance, the mechanism of malignant transformation in the stomach has not yet been well characterized. Recent studies disclosed enormous data suggesting that the p53 protein and the c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene have a critical role in the tumorogenesis of gastric cancer. More recently, the expression of the p53 protein has been associated with increased proliferative activity, but serves as a poor prognostic indicator in the case of patients for whom aggressive adjuvant therapy is required. Amplification of the c-erbB-2 oncogene has also been reported in gastric cancer. In the case of breast cancer, it has been demonstrated that no close correlation exists between the c-erbB-2 expression and the prognosis. However, no reports describe the relation between c-erbB-2 expression, p53 expression, PCNA expression and the prognosis for patients with gastric cancer. So this study was done to evaluate the expression of the p53 and c-erbB-2 and to assess the prognostic value in patients eith gastric cancer. The results are as follows: 1) The overall expression rates for p53 and c-erbB-2 were 38% and 20%, respectively. 2) There was no close relation between the expression rate of p53 and the tumor size, the Borrmann type, the nodal involvement, distant metastasis, Ming's classification, or Lauren's classification. The expression rate of p53 was closely related the tumor stage. 3) The expression rate of p53 in tumors which expressed PCNA was higher than that in tumors which did not express PCNA (p<0.05). 4) The expression rate of c-erbB-2 in large tumors(>5 cm) was higher than that in small tumors(<5 cm)(p<0.05). 5) The overall cumulative 5-year survival rate in the positive expression group for p53 was lower than that in the negative group, but the difference was not statistically significant(p>0.05). 6) The overall cumulative 5-year survival rate in the positive expression group for c-erbB-2 was lower than that in the negative group and the difference was statistically significant(p<0.05). In conclusion, it is suggested that p53 expression can not used as a prognostic factor for gastric cancer, but c-erbB-2 may be such a prognostic factor.
Breast Neoplasms ; Classification ; Genes, erbB-2 ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes ; Prognosis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Receptor, erbB-2* ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: We examined the difference between IQ(Intelligence Quotient) estimated from computerized Standard Progressive Matrices(SPM) score(SPM IQ) and Korean-Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale(KWAIS) IQ(KWAIS IQ) in Korean patients with mental disorders in order to test the validity of SPM as a brief nonverbal intelligence test, and to find the groups that need standardization. And, we studied the method to predict KWAIS IQ more precisely from SPM test. METHODS: SPM test in Vienna test system was administered to 166 Korean patients with mental disorders. The degree of consistency and Pearson's correlation coefficient between SPM IQ and KWAIS IQ in total subjects and groups by sex, age, education, and clinical diagnosis were investigated. And, we obtained a regression equation to predict KWAIS IQ from SPM score. RESULTS: In total subjects, Pearson's correlation coefficient between SPM IQ and KWAIS IQ was as high as 0.704, and the percent of patients whose absolute value of difference between SPM IQ and KWAIS IQ is equal to or less than 10 was 54.8%. The degree of consistency between SPM IQ and KWAIS IQ was influenced by age and educational level. SPM IQ were higher than KWAIS IQ in younger age and lower education group. SPM IQ were lower than KWAIS IQ in older age and higher education group. The regression equation from SPM score, age, and education years predicted KWAIS IQ more correctly. CONCLUSION: The Computerized Standard Progressive Matrices test is validated and can be used usefully as a brief nonverbal intelligence test in patients with mental disorders. In order to provide more precise evaluation, standardized data should be prepared for age group 16 to 25 and age group 26 to 35 with lower educational level.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Intelligence Tests ; Mental Disorders*

OBJECTIVE: We used data from the 2010 to 2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys to investigate whether the age at menopause is related to age at last delivery. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of the data for 714 women who became menopausal within the 3 years preceding the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: Smoking, exercise, drink, educational level, and income were adjusted in model 1, and the mean ages at menopause were 50.5±0.3, 51.2±0.2, 51.2±0.3, and 50.2±0.4 years for women with <25, ≥25 and <30, ≥30 and <35, ≥35 years age at last delivery, respectively (P=0.049). Smoking, exercise, drink, educational level, income, age at first delivery, age at last delivery, and gravidity were adjusted in model 2, and the respective mean ages at menopause were 50.5±0.5, 50.7±0.4, 50.3±0.4, and 49.2±0.5 years (P=0.03). In both models, older age at last delivery showed higher age at menopause compared with women with younger age at last delivery. CONCLUSION: Korean women with older age at last delivery were associated with younger age at menopause. Increased number of pregnancies was related to older age at menopause.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Gravidity ; Humans ; Korea* ; Menopause* ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Pregnancy ; Smoke ; Smoking

Heterotopic pregnancy is the coexistency of intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy. The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy is about 1 to 30,000 pregnancy in a natural cycle. However, the frequency of heterotopic pregnancy has steadily increased because of rising incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic surgery and the development of ovulation induction and assisted reproduction. The clinical diagnosis of heterotopic pregnancy is difficult due to low incidence. Many of the cases are diagnosed by rupture of ectopic mass that makes serious complication to mother and fetus. We experienced a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a 32-year old woman who presented with acute abdominal pain in a natural cycle and report this case with a brief review of literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mothers ; Ovulation Induction ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Reproduction ; Rupture

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV), a phlebovirus in the family Bunyaviridae, is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease that impacts humans. This disease manifests as a decreased blood cell count and multi-organ failure, with a case-fatality rate of more than 12% in China. Because vaccines or antiviral drugs for the treatment of this disease are not available, monitoring the SFTS circulation in animals and controlling the tick-mammal cycle are important for preventing SFTS. Monoclonal antibodies against the recombinant nucleoprotein of SFTSV were generated to develop a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for the detection of antibodies against SFTSV infection in cattle. The specificity and sensitivity of cELISA was assessed by comparing the results of this assay to those of an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The results of the cELISA using 416 field bovine serum samples and laboratory-immunized positive sera showed 98.1% consistency with those of the IFA. The cELISA used in this study did not show cross-reactivity with antisera against other viral cattle diseases. The cELISA presented in this study can be applied to detect antibodies against SFTSV in cattle.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antiviral Agents ; Blood Cell Count ; Bunyaviridae ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases ; China ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Fever* ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Nucleoproteins ; Phlebovirus ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Vaccines

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). The SFTSV appears to have a wide host range, as SFTSV-positive ticks have been isolated from both farm animals and wild rodents. Therefore, it is important to monitor SFTSV-positive animals to prevent the transmission of SFTSV from animals to humans. Previously, we developed a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) to detect SFTSV-specific antibodies from field animals and compared the cELISA results to those from an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). In this study, cELISA results were compared to and evaluated against the results from both an IFA and a virus neutralization (VN) test of 193 bovine serum samples (including two bovine positive control sera) and 70 horse serum samples. The consistency (98.9%) between cELISA and VN results was higher than that (97.4%) between cELISA and IFA for the bovine serum samples. Similarly, for the horse serum samples, the consistency (88.6%) between cELISA and VN results was higher than that (84.3%) between the cELISA and IFA. These findings indicate that our newly developed cELISA can be used for surveillance or epidemiological studies of SFTSV in animals.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; Antibodies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Fever* ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Horses ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; Neutralization Tests* ; Rodentia ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Ticks

Many advances, including the development of antibiotics, the advent of diagnostic techniques and the use of nonsurgical drainage have decreased the mortality rate of pyogenic liver abscess. But, early prompt diagnosis and proper treatment is mandatory in gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess because it may run a fulminating course to death. Gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess mostly occurred to old diabetics. Symptoms of duration are shorter and the prognosis is poorer in the gas-forming than in the non-gas-forming liver abscess. We report three cases of gas-forming pyogenic liver abscess which occurred in old diabetic patients. They were successfully managed by parenteral antibiotics and early percutaneous drainage under sonographic guidance. Early and adequate drainage of pus by pigtail catheter may play a crucial role on the treatment of gas-forming liver abscess.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheters* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Drainage* ; Humans ; Liver Abscess* ; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic ; Liver* ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Suppuration ; Ultrasonography

A valid food or dish frequency questionnaire needs to be developed in Korea for accurate dietary assessment because the dietary practices of Koreans are very different from those of other countries. This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the newly developed, semi-quantitative, dish-based frequency questionnaire (Semi-DFQ) with 12-day dietary records (12-DRs) as a gold standard. The study subjects were 115 men and 173 women aged 30-65 years old. We calibrated the frequency, portion size and daily intake of 112 dish items reported in Semi-DFQ with those in 12-DRs by Spearman rank correlation coefficients (SCCs). The consumption frequency and portion size reported in Semi-DFQ were higher than those in 12-DRs. The SCCs for the consumption frequency of various dishes ranged from -0.07 (fried seaweed) to 0.70 (instant coffee), the portion size ranged from -0.09 (cold seaweed soup) to 0.68 (soju), and the daily intake ranged from -0.07 (fried seaweed) to 0.71 (soju). The SCCs were higher for dishes consumed daily, such as steamed rice, milk, coffee and alcohol, than those of foods eaten rarely. The overall agreements between the Semi-DFQ and 12-DRs were low for categories of consumption frequency and portion size, even though some dishes showed high SCCs. The SCCs of the two methods in consumption frequency and amount were higher among the women and younger subject. The results revealed the limitation of the Semi-DFQ for evaluating the status of usual individual intake. Therefore, the Semi-DFQ can be used in addition as dietary records and 24-hour recall depending on the research aims.
Aged ; Coffee ; Diet Records ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Milk ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seaweed ; Steam

Purpose: Reversible aggravation of myelopathy symptoms was observed after the intake of taurine-rich foods in patients with venous congestive myelopathy (VCM) caused by a spinal arteriovenous shunt (SAVS), and the taurine-challenge test was applied to demonstrate an association between taurine and VCM. Materials and Methods: The current study reviewed any aggravation history of myelopathy symptoms, including walking difficulty, after consuming taurine-rich foods among 133 consecutive patients with a SAVS from a prospective institutional database from June 2013 to February 2021. The type of taurine-rich foods, demographic data, arteriovenous shunt level, and follow-up periods were obtained. For the controlled taurine challenge test, Bacchus® (Dong-A Pharmaceutical, Seoul, Korea), a taurine-rich drink, was given to patients who fulfilled test criteria of recovered VCM (pain-sensory-motor-sphincter scale ≥2, improvement of spinal cord signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging, and follow-up >6 months after SAVS treatment) to confirm the disappearance of such aggravation. Results: Ten patients had an aggravation history related to food. Webfoot octopus, small octopus, squid, crab, scallop, and taurine-rich energy drink (Bacchus®) were related to such aggravation in patients with VCM. Aggravation appeared about 30 minutes after food intake followed by expressions such as ‘I could not walk and collapsed to the ground’ and usually lasted for about 3 hours, followed by a slow recovery after taking rest. Four patients who met the test criteria underwent the taurine challenge with Bacchus® and revealed no further symptom aggravation, suggesting that taurine did not affect patients after recovery from VCM. Conclusion The association between taurine-rich food and reversible symptom aggravation can appear in patients with VCM and disappear after VCM treatment. Aggravation of venous hypertension in the spinal cord is suggested as a mechanism but further elucidation is needed.