Improvement of lichen planus was achieved by 11 weeks of daily oral treatment with griseofulvin. The patient was 59-year-old male, has had hypertension and diabetes mellitus for 9 months, and history of various drug intake to these diseses for 6 months. Four months before first visit, symptome of lichen planus had developed suddenly. Because of treatment failure of oral antihistamine and topical steroid for 6 weeks, we began to use griseofulvin. Praspective studies are needed to better assess the affectiveness of griseafulvin in the treatment of lichen planus.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Griseofulvin* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Failure

Canalith repositioning maneuver is effective to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV). This case showed complicated form of the BPPV such as changes of canalolithiasis to cupulolithiasis, involvement of one canal to two canals and from unilateral to bilateral involvement during the reposition maneuver. This patient was diagnosed as left lateral canalolithiasis at first. After left barbecue maneuver, the type was changed to the right posterior cupulolithiasis. Semont maneuver was performed and then the type of BPPV was changed to combined type with right posterior canalolithiasis and left lateral canalolithiasis. We performed left barbecue maneuver and right Epley maneuver. Then the type of BPPV was changed to left lateral cupulolithiasis. After Brandt-Daroff maneuver and left barbecue maneuver, nystagmus and dizziness disappeared finally.
Dizziness ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between working conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Korea. METHODS: We obtained data on health history, lifestyle, housework and working conditions, such as shift work, hours standing, working time, job demand, lifting at work and at home, between August and September 2000, from self-reported questionnaires. A group of 344, occupationally active, pregnant women from 51 industries were studied. Of the women studied, 328 women were further interviewed by telephone between November 2000 and September 2001. Result : Compared with daytime work, shift work increased the risk for preterm birth (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74, 95% CI=1.02-2.62) and low birth weight (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74, 95% CI=1.02-2.62). A significantly increased risk was found for prolonged standing, with an adjusted risk ratio of preterm births of 6.80 (95% CI=2.01-23.0). There were no significant differences in the incidence of spontaneous abortion between the occupational working conditions, with the exception of a previous history of spontaneous abortion. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that maternal working conditions, such as shift work and prolonged standing, contribute significantly to preterm birth and low birth weight.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Cohort Studies* ; Female ; Housekeeping ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Life Style ; Lifting ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth ; Prospective Studies* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Telephone ; Women, Working ; Work Schedule Tolerance

The ancient bone DNA analysis essentially requires PCR amplification of the targeting genes of study due to the limitation of the ancient bone sample and DNA amounts. In contrast to the fresh living human DNA, it is common to face failing in amplifying the poorly preserved ancient DNA after death. Therefore, the optimized PCR methods appropriate for ancient DNA are required. However, there is no report to date that a systemic investigation of enhanced PCR amplification methods suitable for ancient samples has been conducted Approximately 500~3,300-year-old Korean and Mongolian ancient bones that are resistant to PCR were selected and an extensive number of PCR conditions were systematically investigated for the comparison of PCR success rates. For the PCR analysis, a mitochondrial DNA fragment as a multicopy DNA and a M175 Y chromosome biallelic marker DNA fragment as a single copy DNA that is the marker of the prevalent Y haplogroup (haplogroup O) in Korea were targeted. The identity of the amplified products were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Through this study, we established the optimized PCR conditions for the highly successful amplification of ancient bone DNAs. This estabilished method allowed for the successful amplification of mitochondrial DNAs from all the ancient bone samples tested and the amplification by 50% success rates in the amplification of M175 Y chromosome biallelic marker DNA but with the highest success rates. These results demonstrate that the optimized PCR condition will be useful for the promising ancient DNA analysis in the fields of molecular genetic anthropological studies.
Coat Protein Complex I ; DNA ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Humans ; Korea ; Mitochondria ; Molecular Biology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Y Chromosome

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Poisoning*

Multiple fixation techniques for arthrodesis of the ankle and hindfoot have been introduced. The cannulated screw fixation provides excellent internal compression for arthrodesis. We used 5.0 and 6.5mm cannulated screws for seven ankle, seven subtalar, four tibiotalocalcaneal, three pantalar and two triple arthrodesis between January 1994 and September 1995. No iliac bone graft was utilized. The follow-up period was from 12 to 25 months. Ages of the patients ranged from 25 to 58 years. All fused except one who was preoperatively diagnosed as pyogenic arthritis of the ankle and hindfoot. One patient with diagnosis of Streeter's disease was complicated with partial necrosis of the forefoot. We think this procedure has several advantages; 1. The leg or foot length is largely preserved because minimal subchondral bone is removed. So, the leg and foot is aesthetically pleasing and the musculature around the ankle and foot can be maintained in the normal balanced position. 2. The rate of fusion is high, because the soft tissues are minimally stripped and cannulated screw compresses the subchondral bone surface. 3. The cannulated screws rarely requires removal. So, we believe that the cannulated screw fixation for the ankle and hindfoot arthrodesis is an excellent treatment method.
Ankle* ; Arthritis ; Arthrodesis* ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Leg ; Necrosis ; Transplants

This study evaluated the anti-asthmatic activities of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxymethylphenol (DBHP) that is a potent phenolic antioxidant in edible vegetable oil. The effects of DBHP on bronchial asthma were evaluated by determining the specific airway resistance (sRaw) and tidal volume (TV) during the immediate asthmatic response (IAR) and the late-phase asthmatic response (LAR) in guinea pigs with aerosolized ovalbumin-induced asthma. Recruitment of leukocytes and the levels of biochemical inflammatory mediators were determined in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs), and histopathological surveys performed in lung tissues. DBHP significantly inhibited the increased sRaw and improved the decreased TV on IAR and LAR, and also inhibited recruitment of eosinophils and neutrophils into the lung, and release of biochemical inflammatory mediators such as histamine and phospholipase A₂ from these infiltrated leukocytes, and improved pathological changes. However, anti-asthmatic activities of DBHP at oral doses of 12.5 to 50 mg/kg was less than those of dexamethasone (5 mg/kg, p.o.) and cromoglycate (10 mg/kg, p.o.), but more potent or similar to that of salbutamol (5 mg/kg, p.o.). These results in the present study suggest that anti-asthmatic effects of DBHP in the guinea pigs model of OVA-induced asthmatic responses principally are mediated by inhibiting the recruitments of the leukocytes and the release of biochemical inflammatory mediators from these infiltrated leukocytes.
Airway Resistance ; Albuterol ; Animals ; Asthma ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Cromolyn Sodium ; Dexamethasone ; Eosinophils ; Guinea Pigs* ; Guinea* ; Histamine ; Leukocytes ; Lung ; Neutrophils ; Ovalbumin* ; Phenol ; Phospholipases ; Tidal Volume ; Vegetables

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate possible predictive variables for the outcome of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) of renal stones in a single center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2008 and March 2010, a retrospective review was performed of 115 patients who underwent SWL for solitary renal stones. The patients' characteristics and stone size, location, skin-to-stone distance (SSD), and Hounsfield units (HU) of stone were reviewed. The impact of the possible predictors on the disintegration of the stones was evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to compare the predictive powers of the variables. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients (68.7%) had successful outcomes, whereas 36 patients (31.3%) had residual stones. Significant differences were found in the mean size and mean HU of the stones (size: 8.34+/-3.58 mm vs. 13.57+/-5.41 mm, p<0.001; HU: 675.29+/-254.34 vs. 1,075.00+/-290.41, p<0.001). In the unadjusted model, age, stone size, and stone density were significant predictors. In the reduced model, stone density and size were significant predictors for the outcome of SWL. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was significantly higher for stone density and size than for the other parameters, but the AUC between stone density and size did not differ significantly (stone density: 0.874, stone size: 0.827, p=0.388). CONCLUSIONS: Stone density and size were significant predictors of the outcome of SWL for renal stones less than 2.0 cm in diameter. We should consider HU and stone size when making decisions on the treatment of renal stones.
Area Under Curve ; Humans ; Kidney Calculi ; Lithotripsy ; Logistic Models ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Shock ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Sparganosis is a parasitic infectious disease by sparganum which is a plerocercoid larva of spirometra, a kind of cestode. We experienced a case of intramural sparganosis of cecum presenting as chronic intermittent abdominal pain. A 39 year old man was hospitalized due to intermittent abdominal pain for 6 months and the operation was done under the impreesion of the intestinal tuberculosis or submucosal tumor of cecum after diagnostic work-up. Resected cecum revealed diffuse wall thickening and luminal narrowing. The microscopic findings showed a degenerated larva in the muscle layer with typical tissue reaction which was basically noncaseating cavitary granulomatous inflammation and many calcareous corpuscles which were pathognomonic features of cestode were prominent within the degenerated worm.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Cecum ; Cestoda ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestinal Obstruction* ; Intestines ; Larva ; Phenobarbital ; Sparganosis* ; Sparganum ; Spirometra ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: ALA is a precursor of heme and converted to protoporphyrin IX used as effective photosensitizer. The aim of this study was to find the ideal concentration and incubation time of ALA for PDT on in vitro and in vivo experiments and to assess the anti-tumor effect of PDT using ALA on CT-26 colon cancer cell line. MATERIALS AND METHOD: CT-26 cell was cultured with serum free media including ALA in the dark room to show the intracellular accumulation of PpIX. The fluorescence of PpIX in the cell was detected under confocal laser scanning microscope. Also CT-26 cell was incubated with various concentration of ALA (1.0-0.001 mg/ml) and was irradiated with LED at 0 hr, 3 hr, 6 hr, 9 hr, 12 hr and 24 hr after application of ALA. The cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. in vivo PDT was done with optimal treatment condition and the anti-tumor effect of PDT using ALA was measured by tumor volume change. RESULTS: The fluorescence of PpIX was saturated at 6 hour after the ALA application to CT-26 cell and the optimal incubation time with ALA for PDT was 6 hours. For in vivo Study, 632 nm laser irradiation was done around the tumor 6 hours after ALA injection. The PDT using ALA on transplanted CT-26 tumors shows 40% cure rate and 40% partial remission and significant decrease of tumor volume. CONCLUSION: The peak accumulation of PpIX in the cell and in the tumor was reached 6 hours after the application of ALA. The PDT using ALA for CT-26 cells was very effective and this findings suggest that ALA is one of candidate for photosensitizer in head and neck solid tumors.
Aminolevulinic Acid ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Fluorescence ; Head ; Heme ; Neck ; Photochemotherapy* ; Tumor Burden