No abstract available.
Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

BACKGROUND: We studied the antibiotic sensitivities to the causative microorganisms of acute simple urinary tract infection for recent 3 years. METHODS: We analyzed 112 microorganisms and their antibiotic sensitivities of the 104 patients who were admitted to or visited the Department of Urology, Catholic University St. Marys Hospital and had more than 10cfu/mL on urine culture from June 1996 to January 1999 retrospectively. RESULTS: The chance of gram negative and positive as causative microorganisms was 72.3% and 27.7% respectively. The most common pathogenic microorganisms were Escherichia coli (67.0%) followed by a-hemolytic streptococci, Entercoccus. In gram negative acute UTI, imipenem, sulperanzone showed relatively higher sensitivity, while cotrimoxazole, ampicillin showed relatively lower sensitivity. In gram positive, vancomycin, penicillin showed relatively higher sensitivity, while ampicillin, imipenem showed relatively lower sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: We consider that gram negative microorganisms, especially E. coli, is the main cause of acute simple UTI. But, we should be concerned about the increase of gram positive organisms and other gram negative organisms besides E. coli. Regarding to the choice of adequate drug in the treatment of UTI, it is necessary to consider the change of pathologic microorganisms.
Ampicillin ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Penicillins ; Retrospective Studies ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Urology ; Vancomycin

The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is a nationwide health survey in Korea. This survey is composed of three parts: the Health Interview Survey, the Health Examination Survey, and the Nutrition Survey. The aim of this study was to refine the nutrition survey system in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Based on the literature review, we summarized international survey systems and the limitations of the current system in Korea and proposed an improved system. We suggested the following: 1) A government agency which will be exclusively responsible for KNHANES overall is needed. 2) The current short-term nutrition survey should be a year-round survey. 3) The objectives of this survey should be written with more clarity and detail. 4) Biochemical measures in relation to nutritional status should be added. 5) The budget to set up various databases in the nutrition survey should be increased. 6) Various other issues should be addressed, including the definition of raw data (i.e., whether nutrient intake data per day is raw data), ethical issues in survey techniques, and strategies to produce evidence for the public using this survey data. Not all suggestions could be adopted in the short-term, but should be integrated into long-term goals for survey system improvement.
Budgets ; Ethics ; Government Agencies ; Health Surveys ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Nutritional Status

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

Renal leiomyoma is an uncommon neoplasm. The first case of solitary leiomyoma of the kidney was reported by Schluter in 1890. The preoperative diagnosis of renal leimyoma is very difficult, and the only definite method to distinguish between a leiomyoma and other renal tumor is microscopic evaluation. Herein, a case of leiomyoma of the kidney is reported in a 35 years old woman, with a brief review of literature.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney* ; Leiomyoma*

Staphylococcus aureus induces chronic infection in form of biofilm that exists in the host cells and arthroplastic prosthesis surface. In this study, the biofilm formation ability of S. aureus clinically isolated from bacteremia patients, biofilm processing and relationship of resistance to antibiotics, and difference of biofilm formation ability on different prosthetic material surfaces were studied. All of them formed biofilm and especially 6 strains of S. aureus had high ability of biofilm formation. In addition, it was found that some strains with higher biofilm formation ability make more higher polysaccharide layer production. When S. aureus ATCC 25923 forms biofilm, minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of biofilm bacteria is more increased than that of the planktonic state bacteria about one thousand folds. Especially, after 6 hours from starting on biofilm formation, the resistance to antibiotics was increased by more than 256 microgram/ml of MBC to every antibiotics and after 8 hours prominent increase (more than 4096 microgram/ml) was noted. Biofilm formation after bacterial adherence to plastic cover-slip was increased with time-dependent manner. Microcolonies were formed after 5 hours from a point that bacteria adhere to plastic cover-slip surface and after 6 hours biofilm was diffusely formed on entire surface, and then after 8 hours very thick biofilm was formed. Thicker biofilm was found on cobalt-chromium than titanium surface. These results suggest that titanium alloy materials are better than cobalt-chromium to minimize S. aureus biofilm formation on the arthroplastic material surface. Also, when microcolonies are formed after adherence of S. aureus to the arthroplastic material surface, resistance to antibiotics is starting.
Alloys ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteremia ; Bacteria ; Biofilms ; Humans ; Plankton ; Plastics ; Prostheses and Implants ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Titanium

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of size and morphology of the normal trachea is important for airway management and tracheal reconstruction. Conventional radiography is a simple method used to measure the tracheal diameter, but it is not accurate because of the artifacts related to image magnification and overlapping by the shoulder. The purpose of this study was to provide the normal values of the tracheal size and anatomy in Korean adults using Computerized Tomography. MATERIAL AND METHOD: There were 43 men and 34 women included in this study. They were divided into three age groups(group 1, 20-39 years ; group 2, 40-59 yeas ; groups 3,>or=60 years). The anteroposterior and transverse diameters and cross - sectional areas of the trachea were measured at the level of the thoracic inlet(Level 1) and the aortic arch(Level 2). These values obtained at each level were compared between age groups and sexes. RESULT: In 43 men, the anteroposterior / transverse diameters(mean SD in millimeters) of the trachea at levels 1 and 2 were 19.95+/-2.99 / 17.72+/-2.13 and 19.77+/-2.57 / 18.02+/-2.19, respectively. In 34 women, those values at levels 1 and 2 were 15.56+/-2.12 / 14.18+/-2.07 and 15.35+/-1.82 / 15.00+/-1.60, respectively. At both levels, the anteroposterior and transverse diameters were significantly greater in men than in women (p<0.05). The cross-sectional area of the trachea at levels 1 and 2 were 279.14+/-61.37 / 281.93+/-63.97 mm2 in men and 173.29+/-35.81 / 181.88+/-34.74 in women, respectively. They also showed significantly greater values in men than in women(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in diameters and cross-sectional areas of the trachea between age groups. CONCLUSION: There are significant differences in the internal diameter and cross- sectional area of the trachea between men and women in normal Korean adults, while the age difference was insignificant. We believed CT is a relatively accurate and safe way to measure the internal diameter and cross-sectional areas of the trachea.
Adult* ; Airway Management ; Artifacts ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Radiography ; Reference Values ; Shoulder ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Trachea*

PURPOSE: The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP- 2) by cancer cells has been implicated in metastasis through cancer cell invasion of the basement membranes mediated by a degradation of collagen IV. However, the MMP-2 proenzyme requires proteolytic activation for its physiologic or pathologic role. We tried to 1) compare expression and activation of MMP-2 in breast cancers with benign tumors, 2) determine the correlation between the actviation of MMP-2 in breast cancer and established prognostic factors, 3) observe whether MMP-2 is expressed and activated in axillary lymph nodes as well, and 4) determine the degree of correlation between MMP-2 activity in lymph nodes and metastatic status, if MMP-2 is expressed in lymph node. METHODS: The specimens came from 11 fibroadenomas, 32 invasive ductal carcinoma and 129 axillary lymph nodes from cancer cases. Pro-MMP-2 cDNA transfected MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured and the conditioned media from them was used for a control. Zymography was used to monitor MMP-2 activation through the detection of the inactive proenzyme form (72 kDa) and the active form (62 kDa). Immunohistochemical staining was also performed for the localization of MMP-2 expression in tissues. RESULTS: 1) 72 kDa was expressed in all fibroadenomas and cancers, while 62 kDa was expressed in only 10 cases of fibroadenomas and all cancers. MMP-2 activity (62 kDa/72 kDa +62 kDa) was significantly higher in cancers than in fibroadenomas (P=0.014). 2) MMP-2 activity in cancers was significantly correlated with nodal metastasis (P=0.040). 3) The expression of MMP-2 in lymph nodes was very low and MMP-2 activity was not correlated with metastatic status. However, the immunohistochemical staining showed different staining patterns between the metastatic and non-metastatic nodes. CONCLUSION: We suggest that a measurement of the activation of MMP-2 could be useful as a prognostic marker representing metastatic potential in breast cancer. However, the low expression of MMP-2 in lymph nodes is an interesting subject for further study.
Basement Membrane ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Collagen ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibroadenoma ; Lymph Nodes ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

PURPOSE: The incidence and severity of catheter associated bacteriuria might be dependent on the catheterized duration and route, although this has not been clearly established yet. We evaluated the severity of urinary tract infection according to the duration of the indwelling urethral catheter and the effect of antibiotic therapy in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 54 rabbits were divided into one control group and two experimental groups; antibiotic and no antibiotic group, which were subdivided according to catheterized period(1, 4, 7 and 14-day). We examined the urinalysis, urine culture, qualitative biofilm culture and scanning electro-microscopy of the urethral catheter. RESULTS: 1. In the urinalysis, pyuria developed significantly both in 4, 7, 14-day group of no-antibiotic and in 14-day of antibiotic group compared to the control group(p<0.05). In the no antibiotic 7-day group, pyuria developed significantly as compared to that of the antibiotic group(p<0.05). 2. In the urine culture, positive urine culture was increased significantly in 7, 14-day of no-antibiotic group and 14-day of antibiotic group compared to the control group(p<0.05). In the no antibiotic 7-day group, positive urine culture developed significantly as compared to the antibiotic group(p<0.05). 3. In the qualitative biofilm culture of the urethral catheter, positive culture developed significantly in the no antibiotic 7, 14-day group and the antibiotic 14-day group as compared to the control group(p<0.05). Positive biofilm culture was developed significantly in the no antibiotic 7, 14-day group as compared to the antibiotic group(p<0.05). 4. In scanning electro-microscopy, bacterial biofilm of the urethral catheter was similar to the qualitative biofilm culture, and increased with increasing duration of the catheterization. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the early removal of the urethral catheter is important for the reduction of chance of urethral catheter associated urinary tract infection. In case of a long-term indwelling urethral catheter(more than 2 weeks), prevention of urinary tract infection was very difficult despite antibiotic administration.
Bacteriuria ; Biofilms ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Incidence ; Pyuria ; Rabbits ; Urinalysis ; Urinary Catheters* ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*