BACKGROUND: The EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) is the most frequently used questionnaire in cost-utility studies such as the quality-adjusted life year measure. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the relationship between an individual's visual analogue scale (VAS) score and EQ-5D dimensions. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the EQ-5D and VAS quality of life measures after adjusting for socio-demographic factors in the Korean general population. METHODS: The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a national representative sample, was used to analyze the impact of the EQ-5D dimensions on the VAS. The known-group construct validity of the VAS was assessed by factors that included age, income and comorbidities. The ordinary linear regression models were applied to test for the effect of the EQ-5D dimensions after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: We found that the VAS showed good construct validity. The VAS significantly declined as age increased, and as education and income levels decreased. VAS scores decreased for all EQ-5D dimensions as the response level rose. The explanatory power of the VAS increased from 23.0% in the first model, which included only the EQ-5D dimensions and levels, to 25.0% in the full model, which included socio-demographic and clinical factors. CONCLUSIONS: While the EQ-5D dimensions were significant factors in determining the VAS, they did not, however, explain a sufficient amount of variance in the VAS. Further research is required on adding more dimensions to the EQ-5D preference-based instrument.
Comorbidity ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years

No abstract available.
Haloperidol* ; Humans*

BACKGROUND: the prediction on changes in the lung function after lung surgery would be an important indicator in terms of the operability and postoperative complications. In order to predict the postoperative FEV1 - the commonly used method for measuring changes in lung function- a comparison between the quantitative CT and the perfusion lung scan was made and proved its usefulness. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The subjects included 22 patients who received perfusion lung scan and quantitative CT preoperatively and with whom the follow-up of PFT were possibles out of the pool of patients who underwent right lobectomy or right pneumonectomy between June of 1997 and December of 1999. The FEV1 and FVC were calibrated by performing the PFT on each patient and then the predicted FEV1 and FVC were calculated after performing perfusion lung scan and quantitative CT postoperatively. The FEV1 and FVC were calibrated by performing the PFT after 1 week and after 3 momths following the surgery. RESULTS: There was a significant mutual scan and the actual postoperative FEV1 and FVC at 1 week and 3 months. The predicted FEV1 and FVC(pneumonectomy group : r=0.962 and r=0.938 lobectomy group ; r=0.921 and r=913) using quantitative CT at 1 week postoperatively showed a higher mutual relationship than that predicted by perfusion lung scan(pneumonectomy group : r=0.927 and r=0.890 lobectomy group : r=0.910 and r=0.905) The result was likewise at 3 months postoperatively(CT -pneumonectomy group : r=0.799 and r=0.882 lobectomy group : r=0.934 and r=0.932) CONCLUSION: In comparison to perfusion lung scan quantitative CT is more accurate in predicting lung function postoperatively and is cost-effective as well. Therefore it can be concluded that the quantitative CT is an effective method of replacing the perfusion lung scan in predicting lung function post-operatively. However it is noted that further comparative analysis using more data and follow-up studies of the patients is required.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung* ; Perfusion* ; Pneumonectomy ; Postoperative Complications

BACKGROUND: Although warts are known to be caused by viruses, one of their peculiarities is that they may be treated by suggestion therspy or hypnosis. This suggests that psychologic or emotional factors influence the hosts response to the virus lesions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to analyze the role of psychologic factors in the therapeutic response of warts. METHODS: The self-concept scale test(Korean Testing Center) was done in all 61 patients with common wsrts before the cryot.herapy from September 1991 to June 1993. Clinical follow-up data were obtained on 50 patients after 2 months, and then were evaluated usir g the self-eoncept scale in treated vs untreated group. RESULTS: 1. The overall cure rate was 56.0%, being higher in females and patients with high education, 1-3 in number of lesions and no previous treatment history as well as in those with less than 1 year of duration. 2. In the comparison of self-concept scale between treated(n=18) and untreated(n=22) groups, the treated group had remarksble results in moral ethical self, personal self and family self scores (p<0.05). Only 14 items were significantly different between two groups(p<0.05 by Wilcoxon rank sum test). 3. Patients of 20 years or more showed a high cure rate(67.79%, p<0.05 by t-test) and demonstrated significance in total positive self score and its self identity, and satisfaction, self behavior, physical self, moral ethical self and family self scores(p<0.05, by t-test). CONCLUSION: The self-cancept significantly related to the positive aersonality, harmonious family, stable self-esteem and high normal ethics, may influence at least the therapy to the warts in the treated patients in contradistintion to the untreated ones.
Cryotherapy* ; Education ; Ethics ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Warts*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Female ; Ovary* ; Paclitaxel*

Some of the proteins of mycobacteria are preferentially associated with the cell wall and are powerful immunogens, and humoral antibody responses to these mycobacterial antigens may occur in patients with tuberculosis. In this study, Triton X-100 solubilized protein (TSP) antigen was isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by overnight shaking with 1% Triton X- 100/PMSF and 10-90% ammonium sulfate precipitation. IgG and IgM antibody levels against TSP, crude protein from the unheated cultrue filtrate (CF#) and 30 kDa antigens were determined in the sera of 80 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 99 healthy controls with PPD (+) and (-). High IgG reactivity to TSP and CF antigen was observed in tuberculosis patients. Mean IgG antibody titers against all of three mycobacterial antigens were differed significantly (P<0.01) between patients and controls but IgM showed no difference. By the cut-off value adding 2 standard deviation to the mean absorbance of controls, the sensitivity and specificity of the IgG antibody to TSP antigen were 93.9% and 77.5%. The specificity to TSP antigen was a litttle higher than those obtained by CF and 30 kDa antigen. From the above results, the TSP antigen may be useful for the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
Ammonium Sulfate ; Antibody Formation ; Cell Wall ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Neptune* ; Octoxynol* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Hereditary* ; Siblings* ; Twins, Monozygotic*

To investigate the effects of prostaglandin E1(PGX1) in prevention of proliferative scar formation, we cultured fibroblasts of normal skin (NS), hypertrophic scar (HS) and keloid (KL) tissues obtained from patients. We have compared type I collagenase production of cultured fibroblasts from normal skin, hypertrophic scar, and keloid tissues under various concentrations of PGE1. Our results demonstrate that type I collagenase production was significantly increased after addition of PGE1 in HS and KL, but not NS. Type I collagenase production of HS and KL fibroblasts were increased similarly in 10M and 10M of PGE1 and maximally increased in the concentration of 10M. This promotive effects of PGE1 on the production of type I collagenase was larger in KL than in HS. These results also suggest that PGE1 may play the promotive effects on type I collagenase production in dose-dependent manner. PGE1 may have a role in the prevention of hypertrophic scar and keloid by enhancing the production of type I collagenase of HS and KL fibroblasts. The promotive effects of PGE1 on type I collagenase production was variable depending on its concentration, and its effects was maximum in certain optimal condition. The maximally effective concentration of PGE1 in the prevention of proliferative scar formation should be searched in further investigations for clinical use.
Alprostadil ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Collagenases* ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans ; Keloid* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Gallium* ; Tuberculosis, Miliary*

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the cardiovascular changes followed by laryngoscopy with the McCoy laryngoscope blade with those followed by laryngoscopy with the Macintosh laryngoscope blade. METHODS: Forty eight patients were randomly divided into two groups. Following induction with fentanyl 2 mcg/kg and thiopental 5 mg/kg, and muscle relaxation with vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg, the vocal cords were visualized with either the McCoy or the Macintosh laryngoscope blade, then tracheal intubation was performed. Heart rate and arterial blood pressure were measured just before and after laryngoscopy, and 1, 3 and 5 min later. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in both heart rate and arterial blood pressure after tracheal intubation using the Macintosh laryngoscope. Also, use of the McCoy blade resulted in a significant increase in both heart rate and arterial blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference on arterial pressure and heart rate to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation with either the McCoy blade or the Macintosh.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure* ; Fentanyl ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Intubation* ; Laryngoscopes* ; Laryngoscopy ; Muscle Relaxation ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide ; Vocal Cords