OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to establish whether FHR recording tape and telemetry system at home interpreted by remote telemedicine link is comparable to interpretation at hospital in a high-risk patient population. Patients and METHODS: Twenty women whose pregnancy was suspected as high risk were entered to study. All pregnancies were at term(7 at 38th weeks, 7 at 39th weeks, 6 at 40th weeks). Remote FHR monitoring at hospital was made for consecutive 6 days, using FHR-telemetry system at home which already developed and used by authors from 1991. Patients recorded FHR sound using recording tape for 5 days. On the 5th day, real-time transmitting of FHR sound to the hospital was also done via telephone lines after recording of FHR sound. On the 6th day, FHR test(NST) was performed at hospital. The signal loss(%), baseline FHR(bpm), and FHR variability were compared using computerized FHR analysis system(HYFM-I) after re-play of 5-days recording tapes at hospital with real-time transmitting data and in-hospital FHR test results. RESULTS: The signal loss was highest with real-time transmiting data when comparing with in-hospital FHR analysis. No significant differences were observed among 5-days data of FHR recording tapes. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent antenatal visit of high-risk pregnancy patients were in diHuities of their pregnancy outcomes. And many rural areas of our country are without adequate access to basic maternity services. From this point of view, a fetal telemedicine service is needed, and in fact, technically and clinically feasible. Our demonstration suggests that such a service reduces the need for hospital visit of high risk pregnancy women. Further evaluation in a variety of clinical settings is now indicated, along with cost-benefit analysis.
Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Female ; Fetal Heart* ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, High-Risk ; Telemedicine ; Telemetry ; Telephone

BACKGROUND: Subclavian cannulation is useful for the patients who need long-term maintenance of central venous catheters, but the inadequate location of catheters produces some complications. In pediatric populations, the abnormal placement of subclavian catheters in the internal jugular vein (IJV) is frequent because the angle formed by the subclavian vein and IJV is much larger than in adults. We would therefore propose a technique which will increase the location ratio of subclavian catheters in the superior vena cava (SVC). METHODS: One hundred twenty three patients who received elective or emergent operations were divided into 4 groups which consisted of the 'neck rotation away from the cannulation site' group (RA), 'neck rotation toward the cannulation site' group (RT), 'neck tilt away from the cannulation site' group (TA), 'neck tilt toward the cannulation site' group (TT). We cannulated each group and verified the location of the catheter tip in chest PA for each group. RESULTS: The calculation for the ratio of SVC location to the total cannulation of each group (%SVC) was done and the X2 test was done. Total %SVC was 73.2% and %SVC of each group were 64.9% for the RA group, 77.3% for the RT group, 61.8% for the TA group, and 93.3% for the TT group. A considerable difference was found for total %SVC in the X2 test. The location ratio of the TT group was higher than the others and there was no difference found between the RA, RT, TA groups. CONCLUSIONS: We can conclude that tilting the neck toward the cannulation site would produce a higher ratio of SVC location of the subclavian catheter than other neck positions.
Adult ; Catheterization* ; Catheters* ; Central Venous Catheters ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Neck ; Subclavian Vein ; Thorax ; Vena Cava, Superior*

Nitric oxide (NO) can be either neuroprotective or neurotoxic, depending on the cell type from which it is released and the length and severity of the ischemic insult. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of Seongpungtang, a Oriental traditional medicine, on ischemic brain insult by C(6) glial cells and microglia produced NO. O production was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) only or LPS combined with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) in C(6) glial cell and microglia, and we observed the suppressive effect of Seongpungtang on NO production increased by LPS only or LPS combined with PMA. The cells treated with the water extracts of Seongpungtang at 2 mg/ml does not change the viability. And the water extracts of Seongpungtang significantly suppress the NO production induced by LPS or LPS combined PMA in C(6) glial cells and microglia. To validate the neuroprotective effect of Seongpungtang by suppression of NO production, the microglial cells were treated with NF-kB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), and it is completely decreased the NO production induced by LPS combined with PMA. Moreover, the water extracts of Seongpungtang suppress morphological degeneration by LPS combined with PMA in C(6) glial cell and microglia. These results suggest that the protective effects of the water extracts of Seongpungtang against ischemic brain damages may be mediated by regulation of iNOS during ischemic condition.
Brain ; Ischemia ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Microglia* ; Neuroglia* ; Neuroprotective Agents ; NF-kappa B ; Nitric Oxide* ; Water

No abstract available.
Herpesvirus 8, Human* ; Humans* ; Kidney Transplantation ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic* ; Sarcoma, Kaposi* ; Transplant Recipients*

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barre syndrome is defined as a recognizable clinical entity that is characterized by rapidly evolving symmetric limb weakness, the loss of tendon reflexes, absent or mild sensory signs, and variable autonomic dysfunctions. This study evaluated the clinical and electrophysiological findings retrospectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome, who were admitted to the Yeungnam University Hospital for six years from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1999 were investigated. The correlation between the clinical manifestation and the electrophysiological study was evaluated. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 1.8: 1 and there was a peak seasonal incidence in the winter. A preceding illness was noted in 66.7% of cases, and an upper respiratory tract infection was the most common one. The most common clinical manifestations were a loss of tendon reflex and ascending muscle weakness and paralysis. The cerebrospinal fluid examinations revealed, albuminocytologic dissociation in 33 cases (73.3%). Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was performed in 29 cases (64.4%). The sequential electrophysiological abnormalities were most marked at 2 to 4 weeks after onset. At that time the most significant change was a decrease in the compound muscle action potential amplitude. These 45 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome were subclassified using the clinical and electrophysiological data. CONCLUSION: The result in this study, concured with other research on the clinical and electrophysiological data of Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, an extensive and dynamic investigation is necessary to determine the reason for the peak seasonal incidence in winter.
Action Potentials ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Extremities ; Female ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive ; Incidence ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Paralysis ; Reflex, Stretch ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons

Apraxia of lid opening (ALO) has been suggested to be a dysfunction of the supranuclear control of the levator palpebrae superioris caused mainly by basal ganglial lesion. The hypometabolism of the medial frontal lobe may be a pathophysiologic mechanism in ALO. We report two ALO patients who developed these symptoms as a delayed complication after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Their MRI showed encephalomalacia in the Rt. medial frontal cortex, which was not shown in initial brain CT scans. Delayed pathologic changes after TBI may contribute to the development of ALO in these cases.
Apraxias* ; Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Encephalomalacia ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Sarcoma of the kidney is a rare condition. Leiomyosarcoma is the most common of the kidney sarcomas. Renal leiomyosarcoma usually originates from the smooth muscle layers of the kidney, for example, the renal capsule and renal vessels. Renal pelvis neoplasms, however, are primarily transitional cell carcinomas, and renal pelvis leiomyosarcomas are extremely uncommon. Renal pelvis leiomyosarcoma has never been reported in Korea. Moreover, no more than 10 cases have been reported internationally. However, none of these were associated with kidney abnormalities. Here we describe a case of leiomyosarcoma that originated from the blind end of a bifid renal pelvis.
Female ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms/*pathology ; Kidney Pelvis/*pathology/radiography ; Leiomyosarcoma/*pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

In human, Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) is associated with benign squamous tumors in a variety of body sites. But the relationship between HPV infection and malignant epithelial lesions is not clear. Esophageal squamous papilloma is relatively rare tumor but it is reported with increasing frequency recently. We reviewed twenty six patients of esophageal papilloma diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy from 1990 to 1994. The results are as follows; The peak age is fifth decade, men and women ratio is 1: 1.2. Most papillomas located in distal esophagus and have no specific symptoms related to papilloma. All case are sessile form and no malignant change in follow up endoscopy.
Biopsy ; Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Papilloma*

We have discovered copy number variations (CNVs) in 3,578 Korean individuals with the Affymetrix Genome-Wide SNP array 5.0, and 4,003 copy number variation regions (CNVRs) were defined in a previous study. To explore the details of the variants easily in related studies, we built a database, cataloging the CNVs and related information. This system helps researchers browsing these variants with gene and structure variant annotations. Users can easily find specific regions with search options and verify them from system-integrated genome browsers with annotations.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cataloging ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Genome ; Humans

In addition to single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), copy number variation (CNV) is a major component of human genetic diversity. Among many whole-genome analysis platforms, SNP arrays have been commonly used for genomewide CNV discovery. Recently, a number of CNV defining algorithms from SNP genotyping data have been developed; however, due to the fundamental limitation of SNP genotyping data for the measurement of signal intensity, there are still concerns regarding the possibility of false discovery or low sensitivity for detecting CNVs. In this study, we aimed to verify the effect of combining multiple CNV calling algorithms and set up the most reliable pipeline for CNV calling with Affymetrix Genomewide SNP 5.0 data. For this purpose, we selected the 3 most commonly used algorithms for CNV segmentation from SNP genotyping data, PennCNV, QuantiSNP; and BirdSuite. After defining the CNV loci using the 3 different algorithms, we assessed how many of them overlapped with each other, and we also validated the CNVs by genomic quantitative PCR. Through this analysis, we proposed that for reliable CNV-based genomewide association study using SNP array data, CNV calls must be performed with at least 3 different algorithms and that the CNVs consistently called from more than 2 algorithms must be used for association analysis, because they are more reliable than the CNVs called from a single algorithm. Our result will be helpful to set up the CNV analysis protocols for Affymetrix Genomewide SNP 5.0 genotyping data.
Coat Protein Complex I ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction