DNA pyrosequencing, one of the advanced methods for DNA sequencing, has been employed for phylogenetic analysis of bacterial communities using the conserved 16S rRNA gene. We performed a pilot study on a mother-neonate pair utilizing the DNA pyrosequencing assays to investigate the diversity of microbial communities in maternal amniotic fluid (AF), vagina, and rectum and newborn gastric fluid (GF) and stool. Phylum level analysis revealed that bacterial community was dominated by Firmicutes (63.2%) in maternal feces, and Actinobacteria (84.9%) in maternal vaginal swab. The bacterial communities in both the AF and GF were dominated by Proteobacteria (67.8%). Interestingly, the bacterial community in the newborn's meconium was quite similar to that in the AF. However, the composition of the bacterial community in newborn's feces was different on day 14 and dominated by Firmicutes (91.1%). Genus-level analysis revealed that the bacterial community in maternal feces was dominated by Anaerococcus (19.5%) and Prevotella (18.7%), whereas that in the maternal vaginal swab was dominated by Atopobium (83.6%). The bacterial communities in both the AF and GF were dominated by Sphingomonas (38.5%). The bacterial community in the newborn's meconium was quite similar to that in the AF, which was dominated by Sphingomonas (45.2%). However, the composition of bacterial community in the newborn's feces on day 14 was relatively different. Future studies with a large number of infants are needed to determine the factors involved in the changing profile of newborn's fecal bacterial communities.
Actinobacteria ; Amniotic Fluid ; DNA ; Feces ; Female ; Genes, rRNA ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature* ; Meconium ; Microbiota ; Pilot Projects* ; Prevotella ; Proteobacteria ; Rectum ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sphingomonas ; Vagina

No abstract available.
Antigen-Antibody Complex* ; Syphilis*

Serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate acid phosphatase (PAP) were measured in 106 patients including 9 patients with prostate cancer, 63 patients with BPH. and 34 normal control group free of prostate disorders. The mean PSA value was 61.14+/-43.87 ng/ml for prostate cancer, 6.07+/-5.57 ng/ml for BPH and 1.42+/-0.98 ng/ml for normal control group, and the mean PAP value was 9.81+/-10.16 ng/ml for prostate cancer, 1.58+/-2.36ng/ml for BPH and 1.00+/-0.17 ng/ml for normal control group. The positive rates of PSA were 78% for prostate cancer, 22% for BPH and 0% for normal control group, and those of PAP were 67% for prostate cancer, 6% for BPH and 0% for normal control group. The sensitivity and specificity for PSA were 78%, respectively. We conclude that PSA may be a useful tool for detection and therapeutic monitoring of the prostatic cancer.
Acid Phosphatase ; Adenocarcinoma* ; Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Antianginal effect of Trapidil was evaluated in 30 patients (18 male and 12 females) with angina rectoris. The results were follows : 1) Antianginal effect of the drug were good in 18 cases (60%) and fair in 8 cases (37%), and there was no effect in 4 cases(13%). 2) Improvement in ECG changes was observed in 29%. 3) There were no significant change in CBC, RUA, LFT, serum electrolyte and lipid study before and after medication. 4) The adverse effects of trapidil were constipation, gastric cramp and dizziness, respectively one case. But they were not required discontinuing the medicetion. On the basis of these results, Trapidol was evaluated to be promising antianginal drug.
Constipation ; Dizziness ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Cramp ; Trapidil*

No abstract available.
Incidence

No abstract available.
Goiter* ; Humans ; Siblings*

PURPOSE: Early hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is a rarely diagnosed disease, for which the optimal treatment has not been defined yet. We assessed patterns of failure and outcomes in early HPSCC treated with various therapeutic approaches to identify its optimal treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients with stage I (n = 10) and II (n = 26) treated between January 1992 and March 2014 were reviewed. Patients received definitive radiotherapy (RT) (R group, n = 10), surgery only (S group, n = 19), or postoperative RT (PORT group, n = 7). All patients in both the R and PORT groups received elective bilateral neck irradiation. In the S group, 7 patients had ipsilateral and 8 had bilateral dissection, while 4 patients had no elective dissection. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 48 months, the 5-year locoregional control (LRC) rate was 65%. Six patients had local failure, 1 regional failure (RF), 3 combined locoregional failures, and 2 distant failures. There was no difference in 5-year LRC among the R, S, and PORT groups (p = 0.17). The presence with a pyriform sinus apex extension was a prognosticator related to LRC (p = 0.01) in the multivariate analysis. Patients with a bilaterally treated neck showed a trend toward a lower RF rate (p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: This study shows that patients with early stage HPSCC involving the pyriform sinus apex might need a tailored approach to improve LRC. Additionally, our study confirms elective neck treatment might have an efficacious role in regional control.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cohort Studies* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neck ; Pyriform Sinus ; Radiotherapy ; Treatment Failure

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to make a practical comparative evaluation of the first and second trimesters in order to determine the period during which a higher yield of fetal nucleated red blood cells (FNRBCs) can be obtained. METHODS: NRBCs were isolated from maternal blood during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy using double Percoll gradients with different osmolarities. Magnetic activated cell sorting was performed with Kleihauer-Betke stain. We isolated fetal NRBCs from 10 mL of samples of maternal blood and determined fetal sex and fetal aneuploidy by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). RESULTS: The average number of NRBCs was 9.85 in samples obtained during the first trimester and 14.88 in samples obtained during the second trimester (P=0.07). The average number of NRBCs with Y chromosome signals was 5.73 in the first trimester and 8.22 in second trimester (P=0.56). However, the percentage of NRBCs with Y chromosome signals in the first trimester (70.6%) was significantly higher than in the second trimester (59.8%) (P=0.049). We diagnosed the blood samples from 7 pregnant women having fetal aneuploidy using this method and the number of NRBCs was 18.4. CONCLUSION: The method using Percoll osmolarity and a double density gradient system may be a very useful method for separation of NRBCs in the first trimester of pregnancy and also in the second trimester.
Aneuploidy ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Osmolar Concentration ; Povidone ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Silicon Dioxide ; Y Chromosome

Background: and Purpose Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) progresses over time and is associated with locomotive dysfunction. Understanding the factors affecting disease severity and locomotive function is important in HSP. This study investigated the factors influencing disease severity and ambulation status of HSP. Methods: We consecutively enrolled 109 Korean patients (64 males, and 45 females)from 84 families with a clinical diagnosis of HSP. HSP was primarily diagnosed based on clinical criteria including clinical findings, family history, and supported by genetic studies. Epidemiological and clinical features of the patients were analyzed, and the Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale (SPRS) score and ambulatory status were used to evaluate disease severity. Results: Ninety-two (84.4%) patients had pure HSP, and 55 (50.4%) had a dominant family history. Thirty-one (28.4%) patients required a mobility aid for locomotion. A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that HSP patients lost their independent gait ability after a median disease duration of 34 years. Those with an age at onset of ≤18 years had a longer median independent walking time. Pure HSP is characterized by predominant bilateral lower extremity weakness and spasticity, whereas complicated HSP presents more complex neurological findings such as ocular and bulbar symptoms, ataxia, and cognitive impairment. Complicated HSP was significantly correlated with the SPRS mobility score (β=3.70, 95% confidence interval=0.45–6.94). The age at onset and disease duration were significantly correlated with disease severity, and they were significant predictors of the use of a mobility aid (p<0.05). Conclusions These findings suggest that a later age at onset and longer disease duration are significant factors affecting the disease severity and ambulatory function in patients with HSP. These findings can help clinicians to identify subjects at risk of locomotive impairment.