PURPOSE: Recently, the list of Epsterin-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated diseases has been growing. It is now known that there are two types (type 1 & 2) of EBV, but it has yet to be fully investigated as to whether type B EBV differs in any way from type A virus in terms of geographical distribution or disease association. We performed this study to find out the prevalence of the two types of EBV in EBV seropositive healthy children and adults by using one step Polymerase chain reaction(PCR). METHODS: Fifty-four viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgG positive healthy children (5 to 15 yrs of age) and 60 healthy adults (20 to 50 yrs of age) were involved in this study. DNA extracted from saliva samples of healthy study children and adults were subjected to amplification using the modified one step general PCR, which was developed by M. Kunimoto et al for detection of EBV types. And B95-82 cells (type 1) and Jijoye cells (type 2) were used as positive controls, and K-562 cells was used as a negative control. RESULTS: EBV was detected in mouth washing saliva of 8 (14.8%) of 54 healthy children. Five EBV detected cases contained type 1 and the remaining three cases contained type 2. EBV was detected in mouth washing saliva of 21 (35%) of 60 healthy adults. Twenty EBV detected cases contained type 1 and the remaining one was type 2. In total, EBV was detected in the saliva samples of 29 cases (25.4%), and 25 (86.2%) contained type 1. CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate that type 1 is highly dominant in Korea, and EBV excretion is more frequent in EBV positive healthy adults compared to EBV positive healthy children in Korea.
Adult* ; Capsid ; Child* ; DNA ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Korea ; Mouth ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Saliva

Spontaneous myometrial contraction (SMC) in pregnant uterus is greatly related with gestational age and growing in frequency and amplitude toward the end of gestation to initiate labor. But, an accurate mechanism has not been elucidated. In human and rat uterus, all TRPCs except TRPC2 are expressed in pregnant myometrium and among them, TRPC4 are predominant throughout gestation, suggesting a possible role in regulation of SMC. Therefore, we investigated whether the TRP channel may be involved SMC evoked by mechanical stretch in pregnant myometrial strips of rat using isometric tension measurement and patch-clamp technique. In the present results, hypoosmotic cell swelling activated a potent outward rectifying current in G protein-dependent manner in rat pregnant myocyte. The current was significantly potentiated by 1microM lanthanides (a potent TRPC4/5 stimulator) and suppressed by 10microM 2-APB (TRPC4-7 inhibitor). In addition, in isometric tension experiment, SMC which was evoked by passive stretch was greatly potentiated by lanthanide (1microM) and suppressed by 2-APB (10microM), suggesting a possible involvement of TRPC4/5 channel in regulation of SMC in pregnant myometrium. These results provide a possible cellular mechanism for regulation of SMC during pregnancy and provide basic information for developing a new agent for treatment of premature labor.
Animals ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Lanthanoid Series Elements ; Mice ; Muscle Cells ; Myometrium ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Osmotic Pressure ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Pregnancy ; Rats* ; Uterine Contraction* ; Uterus

Protease-activated receptor (PAR)-2 is expressed in endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. It plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure via the modulation of peripheral vascular tone. Although some reports have suggested involvement of a neurogenic mechanism in PAR-2-induced hypotension, the accurate mechanism remains to be elucidated. To examine this possibility, we investigated the effect of PAR-2 activation on smooth muscle contraction evoked by electrical field stimulation (EFS) in the superior mesenteric artery. In the present study, PAR-2 agonists suppressed neurogenic contractions evoked by EFS in endothelium-denuded superior mesenteric arterial strips but did not affect contraction elicited by the external application of noradrenaline (NA). However, thrombin, a potent PAR-1 agonist, had no effect on EFS-evoked contraction. Additionally, omega-conotoxin GVIA (CgTx), a selective N-type Ca2+ channel (I(Ca-N)) blocker, significantly inhibited EFS-evoked contraction, and this blockade almost completely occluded the suppression of EFS-evoked contraction by PAR-2 agonists. Finally, PAR-2 agonists suppressed the EFS-evoked overflow of NA in endothelium-denuded rat superior mesenteric arterial strips and this suppression was nearly completely occluded by omega-CgTx. These results suggest that activation of PAR-2 may suppress peripheral sympathetic outflow by modulating activity of I(Ca-N) which are located in peripheral sympathetic nerve terminals, which results in PAR-2-induced hypotension.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Endothelial Cells ; Hypotension* ; Mesenteric Arteries ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Norepinephrine ; omega-Conotoxin GVIA ; Rats ; Receptor, PAR-2 ; Thrombin

Recently, aging process and westernization of life style are increasing the incidence of colonic diverticulum. About 30% of colonic diverticulm result in diverticular bleeding, which often causes acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. In most cases, the bleeding stops spontaneously. But when relapsing or causing massive bleeding, it sometimes needs emergent surgery. Generally, treatments for colonic diverticular bleeding consist of conservative ones. But recently, urgent colonoscopy is important procedure since it estimates the needs for surgery, or when bleeding foci being identified, endoscopists frequently can stop the bleeding by only colonoscopic procedures such as injection therapy, band ligation, hemoclipping and argon plasma coagulation, etc. In patients with hematochezia, we made early detection of diverticular bleeding foci by urgent colonoscopy, and then we were able to treat them successfully by argon plasma coagulation and hemoclipping. Thus we report these with literature review.
Aging ; Argon Plasma Coagulation ; Colon* ; Colonoscopy ; Diverticulum ; Diverticulum, Colon ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Style ; Ligation

BACKGROUND: The bronchial anthracofibrosis has been thought to be a unique clinical syndrome caused by a fibrotic response to active or old tuberculous infection, but recent studies suggest that long-term exposure to woodsmoke may be the cause of the development of bronchial anthracofibrosis and the tuberculosis is thought to be a disease frequently associated with bronchial anthrocofibrosis, not the main etiology. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the bronchial anthracofibrosis and the long-term exposure to woodsmoke and tuberculosis through analyses of the clinical features of patients with bronchial anthracofibrosis. METHODS: 166 patients having bronchial anthracofibrosis confirmed by bronchoscopy were included in this study. They were 23 males and 143 females, having mean sge 72.4 years, ranging from 56 to 91. The epidemiologic features, distinctive clinical features, physiologic findings, radiologic findings and bronchoscopic findings were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: All the patients living in rural area (129 of 166) had experienced long-term exposure to woodsmoke. The history of tuberculosis was obtained in 52 patients without history of occupational exposure to dust. The predominant chest CT findings were atelectasis, bronchial stenosis and calcified or noncalcified lymph node enlargements. The most common abnormality of pulmonary function was obstructive pattern, observed in 47.8%. The bronchoscopic examination disclosed multifocal anthracotic plaques mostly at the bifurcation of lobar or segmental bronchi, particularly in upper lobe. The bronchial stenosis was frequently observed in right middle and upper lobe. The associated diseases were obstructive airway disease in 56, obstructive pneumonia in 40, active tuberculosis in 36, and lung cancer in 11 patients. CONCLUSION: The bronchial anthracofibrosis, in the patient who has long-term experience to woodsmoke inhalation without any history of environmental exposure to dust, is one of the manifestation of lung disease related to woodsmoke inhalation, and is frequently associated with various pulmonary diseases, including tuberculosis.
Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dust ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung Diseases ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Head* ; Humans ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of osteopenia and osteoporosis in 40-59 year-old male workers working at nuclear power plants. METHODS: Bone density, body composition, and anthropometry data were analyzed for 2,073 subjects were carried out from March 2004 to July, 2004. Educational level, smoking status, drinking status and frequency of physical activity were investigated by self-reported questionnaires through internet to identify lifestyles related to bone mass density. Bone mass density was measured by EXE-3000 of Osteosys Co. and body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio by Inbody 3.0 of Biospace Co. RESULTS: The prevalence of ostepeniaosteopenia and osteoporosis was 22.8% and 3.0%, respectively. According to multinominal multinomial logistic regression analysis, age, smoking status (current smoker and former smoker), low body mass index (< 25 kg/m2), and frequency of physical activity were significantly associated with osteopenia and osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis wasseemed high for the, when it was inferred from subjects' age compared to the results of previous studies. The This study results suggeststhat it is necessary for 40-59 year-old male workers to stop smoking, and exercise regularly in order to prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Adipose Tissue ; Anthropometry ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic* ; Drinking ; Humans ; Internet ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Male* ; Motor Activity ; Nuclear Power Plants ; Osteoporosis* ; Prevalence* ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Waist-Hip Ratio

PURPOSE: High-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula may offer an alternative therapy to patients with respiratory failure. However, a recent study has shown that the success rate of high-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula was only 62%, and the mortality rate for patients who require intubation after failure of high-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula was as high as 32.5%. The aim of this study is to determine the parameters, specifically for emergency department presentation, associated with high-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula failure. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed in respiratory patients who were admitted between June 2015 and January 2016 at a single university hospital. All patients who were treated with high-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula were included. The exclusion criteria for high-flow oxygen via nasal cannulation were as follows: Hemodynamic instability, hypercapnic coma, inefficient clearance of secretions, and cardiac arrest. Univariable regression analysis was used and, if the p-value was less than 0.10, analyses were entered into a multivariable logistic regression analysis model. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were enrolled in our study. High-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula was successful in 33 patients, and 29 required intubation. Older age (over 65 years), Glasgow Coma Scale Score of less than 15, and respiratory rate of more than 30/min were significantly associated with the failure of high-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula according to multivariable analysis (p-value<0.05). CONCLUSION: Older age, low Glasgow Coma Scale Score, and respiratory rate of more than 30/min are factors associated with the failure of high-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula.
Catheterization ; Catheters* ; Cohort Studies ; Coma ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Heart Arrest ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intubation ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Oxygen* ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Respiratory Rate ; Retrospective Studies

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) is a specific variant of exercise-induced anaphylaxis that requires both vigorous physical activity and the ingestion of specific foods. In particular, it is rare occurrence for FDEIA to be associated with meat in Korea. A 15-year-old female had generalized urticaria, dyspnea, severe cough, headache, dizziness, and vomiting after singing and dancing for 1 hour and after ingesting grilled pork. Skin prick tests showed a strong positive reaction to pork, whereas the results of an oral food challenge and exercise provocation tests were negative. However, the exercise provocation test after pork ingestion showed a positive reaction manifested by generalized urticaria, cough, mild dyspnea, and a 23% decreased peak expiratory flow rate. Three allergens to pork (67 kDa, 90 kDa, and 15 kDa) reacted with the patient's serum on immunoglobulin E immunoblotting. We report a case of pork-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis in a patient who was sensitive to pork.
Adolescent ; Allergens ; Anaphylaxis ; Cough ; Dancing ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Eating ; Female ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Headache ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Meat ; Motor Activity ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Singing ; Skin ; Urticaria ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Cushing's disease is a hypercortisolic state attributable to hypersecretion of ACTH at pituitary gland Most of these diseases are due to pituitary microadenoma. Selective removal of adenoma by transsphenoidal microsurgery is the treatment of choice for Cushing's disease. We evaluated 25 cases to analyze results of transsphenoidal microsurgery and to identify prognostic factors that may predict successful outcome. METHODS: From 1989 to 1995, 25 patients were diagnosed as having Cushing's disease in Seoul National University Hospital. They were underwent pituitary microsurgery and confirmed to have pituitary microadenoma radiologically and pathologically. About these patients. retrospective evaluation was done. RESULTS: The patients consist of 21 females and 4 males and the age was ranged from 23 to 49 years. 19 patients (76%) were judged as immediate remission. The preoperative clinical, hormonal, and radiological characteristics of the remission and failure groups were similiar The patients who were immediate remission were followed from 3 months to 72 months. 3 patients had recurrences(15.8%) at 4, 8, 49 months after operation. The pre and postoperative clinical, hormonal, and radiological characteristics of the long-term remission and recurrence groups were similiar. We could not find any predictable factors of surgical outcome. CONCLUSION: The first line trearment of Cushing's disease is transsphenoidal microsurgery. However considering relative late and high rate of recurrence of Cushing's disease following curative surgery, careful longterm follow up is mandatory.
Adenoma ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Microsurgery* ; Pituitary Gland ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul