New antidepressants have become available for clinical use in the 1990s. Before this decade, the drugs available to treat depression consisted essentially of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and lithium. Following the introduction of SSRIs, the options have expanded and now include SSRIs nefazodone, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, reboxetine, tianeptine. Newer antidepressants possess a variety of pharmacological characteristics that are relevant to the choice of an antidepressant for clinical use. This review summarizes some of the major pharmacological characteristics among the drugs.
Antidepressive Agents ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic ; Depression ; Lithium ; Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride

The genetically determined CYP2D6 activity may be considered to be associated with antipsychotic induced extrapyramidal side effects with inter-individual variation. Genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6 was determined by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and Mspl restriction fragment length polymorphisms(RFLP) for 194 schizophrenics. Subjects with a 334bp band were classified a1a1, those with 229bp and 105bp bands a2a2, and those with all three bands a1a2. We did not identify schizophrenic subject with poor metabolizer. 194 schizophrenic patients previously treated neuroleptic medication, were assessed by Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale(ESRS). The cases were composed of 33 akathisia, 47 parkinsonism, 21 tardive dyskinesia. These results are similar to the previous understanding that the poor metabolizer is very rare in Orientals compared to Caucasians, therefore, it considered that CYP2D6 genotypes have maybe no association with schizophrenia and extrapyramidal side effects in Koreans.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6* ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System* ; Cytochromes* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Movement Disorders ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Schizophrenia

PURPOSE: Recently, two tests are commercially available for the identification of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI): tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). Due to its false positiveness, TST tends to be preferred by IGRA until now. In our study, we simultaneously performed both TST and QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and compared their results. METHODS: TST and QFT-GIT were done for the diagnosis of LTBI among children who visited pediatric out-patient clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea from February of 2007 to May of 2008. The study group was stratified into two groups in terms of whether there was intrafamilial contact or not. RESULTS: Out of total 35 children, 29 were tuberculosis (TB)-exposed cases and the remainders were diagnosed as clinical pulmonary TB. Among these 29 children, TST was positive 38.9% (7/18) for the intrafamilial and 45.5% (5/11) for the non-intrafamilial, and at the same time, the result for QFT-GIT was positive 5.6% (1/18) and 9.1% (1/11), respectively which implies that TST was more sensitive than QFT-GIT. Among 29 TB-exposed cases, 26 initially went through TST and QFT-GIT together on their first visit to out-patient clinic, and 15 continued the follow-up tests. Out of total 41 cases collected, the agreement (known as kappa value) was 0.063 which was relatively low. Including 6 cases with pulmonary TB who were all positive for TST and only 5 being positive for QFT-GIT, the final kappa value was 0.334. CONCLUSION: In our study, the agreement for TST and QFT-GIT was low, and the majorities were almost the cases of positive TST. In current situation with lacking a gold standard test and limited data on children to adolescents, this result is quite alarming that the recent trend tends to replace TST by QFT-GIT when diagnosing LTBI.
Adolescent ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests ; Korea ; Latent Tuberculosis ; Outpatients ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Fistula*

No abstract available.
Colon, Ascending* ; Leiomyosarcoma*

The 5-HT2A receptor is of great interest for research into schizophrenia and psychopharmacology in light of the observation that schizophrenic patients has 5-HT cortical-subcortical imbalance and atypical antipsychotic clozpine has 5-HT2A antagonists properties. An significant association between schizophrenia and the T102C polymorphism of the gene for 5-HT2A receptor has been reported. In this study, we investigated an association between schizophrenia and the T102C polymorphism of the gene for 5-HT2A receptor in Korean schizophrenic patients. The subjects consisted of 139 schizophrenic patients and 88 normal controls. Genomic DNA was amplified by PCR and digested with MsPI. The uncutt product identified allele 1(nucleotide sequence TCT) ; digested products of 216bp and 156bp identified allele 2(nucleotide sequence TCC). The allele frequencies and the genotypic distribution of 5-HT2A receptor gene were not significantly different between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. Since allele frequencies of the T102C polymorphism may differ between individuals of different ethnic backgrounds, it needs to be conducted in an advanced research.
Alleles ; DNA ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Psychopharmacology ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A ; Schizophrenia* ; Serotonin ; Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Carotid Artery, Internal*

In the orthopaedic field, some elective surgery such such as joint replacement, spinal surgery and limb sparing procedures for musculoskeletal tumors frequently need various amounts of blood trans- fusion. But homologous transfusion occasionally result in various side effect including allergic reaction, febrile reaction, coagulopathies due to reduced platelets and coagulating factors, graft versus host disease(GVHD) and transmission of infectious diseases such as malaria, syphilis, hepatitis and AIDS. Recently these complications especially in elective surgery might result in medicolegal and social problem. Risks of transfusion could be minimized with autologous blood. So many authors are interested in prebanked autologous transfusion in elective orthopaedic surgery to prevent these problems. But there might be need of additional homologous blood transfusion because of the time limited and low yield of autologous blood. Recombinant human erythropoietin(4-HuEPO) has been shown to increase erythropoiesis. The authors could yield 5 units during 14 days using r-HuEPO without any adverse reactions. Therefore we could performed decompression, posterolateral fusion with pedicular screw fixation in spondylolisthesis without additional homologous transfusion.
Blood Transfusion ; Communicable Diseases ; Decompression ; Erythropoiesis ; Erythropoietin ; Extremities ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Joints ; Malaria ; Social Problems ; Spondylolisthesis ; Syphilis ; Transplants

Hemiplegic gait is characterized by slow and poorly coordinated movements of the affected limb resulting from foot drop or equinus deformities. Ankle-foot orthoses(AFO) are frequently prescribed to improve the gait pattern of hemiplegics. Plastic AFO with different trimlines in controlling ankle motion can cause variable biomechanical effects. In this study, we analysed the biomechanical effect of donning AFO on hemiplegic gait and assessed whether any differences resulted when the AFO was modified. Gait events, plantar pressure, foot contact and centers of pressure(COP) parameters were measured with F-scan pressure sensitive insole system in 21 hemiplegic stroke patients with Brunnstrom's lower extremity stage 3. And those parameters were compaired in each of four different conditions: 1) before donning AFO, 2) donning AFO without any modification, 3) donning AFO with the dis tal part of metatarsal head trimmed off, 4) donning AFO with third condition and weaning a cushioned heel shoes. After donning AFO, total contact area and contact width were increased, and initial contact COP and mean COP were displaced medially. But contact length was not changed and initial contact COP and mean COP were not displaced anteroposteriorly. Anteroposterior displacement of COP, slope and velocity of COP were not also changed after donning AFO. Among various AFO adjustments, there were no significant changes of plantar pressure, foot contact and COP parameters. The results suggest that 1) AFO provides mediolateral stability, but does not provide additional functional rocker actions during stance phase and 2) There were no definite different biomechanical actions among various adjustments of plastic AFO in hemiplegic gait of Brunnstrom's lower extremity stage 3.
Ankle* ; Equinus Deformity ; Extremities ; Foot Orthoses* ; Foot* ; Gait ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic* ; Head ; Heel ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Metatarsal Bones ; Plastics ; Shoes ; Stroke ; Weaning

We investigate the serial change of the bone density of the lengthening sites in distraction osteogenesis in long bone lengthening of the lower extremity by measuring the pixel value of the PACS(Picture Archiving Communication System). The purpose of this study was to find the clinical implication of the pixel value in PACS in the distraction osteogenesis. The number of the distraction sites were 22 in tibia and 16 in femur. The average distraction length was 4.5cm ranged between 2.1cm and 7.0cm in femur, 4.1cm ranged hetween 1.9cm and 6.8cm in tibia. When the image were sent to the PACS workstations, they were directly interfaced to the workstation without any processing. The absolute and the relati ve pixel values of cortical bones of the original and the lengthening sites repr sented in workstation of PACS were obtained by average value measuring 3 times by 3 different persons. The average absoiute pixel value of the original cortical bone near distraction site was not significantly changed, maintaining 575+/-6 in femur, and 570+/-7 in tibia. The absolute pixel vaIues in AP and lateral view were not significantly changed until 6 week/cm, but rapidly increased after 7 week/cm hoth in the tibia and the femur. The relative pixel value of the lengthening sites were more than 95% in three of the four cortices at the time of the removal of the external fixators. in conclusion, the pixel value of the PACS can be a rapid, simple and easy method for detection of the change of the bone density in distraction osteogenesis.
Bone Density* ; Bone Lengthening* ; External Fixators ; Femur ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Tibia