BACKGROUND: T cell mediated immune destruction is an important mechanism of liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R) seem to serve as a marker for the T cell activation and progressive liver injury, This study examined serum levels of sIft-2R and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic HCV infection to determine the correlation with the severity of chronic hepatocellular damage. METHODS: Serum levels of sIft-2R in 73 patients with HCV infection (chronic hepatitis 52, liver cirrhosis 9, hepatocellular carcinoma 12) and 40 healthy controls were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay (CELLFREE, T Cell Sciences, USA). HCV RNA was quantified by QUANTIPLEX(TM) HCV RNA 2.0 assay (Chiron, USA) with duplication. This assay is a sandwich nucleic acid hybridization procedure using branched DNA amplification for the quantitation of HCV RNA. RESULTS: The sIL-2R levels of 52 patients with chronic hepatitis (591.4+/-238.7U/mL), 9 with liver cirrhosis(949.4+/-721.9 U/mL), and 12 with hepatocellular carcinoma (1,167.4+/- 554.4 U/mL) were significantly higher than those of healthy controls(370.8+/-71.8 U/mL) (p<0.001). A progressive and significant increase occurred in sIL-2R levels with chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in order (p(0.001). The HCV RNA was detected in all patients and the means of HCV viral load were 3.3 MEq/mL in chronic hepatitis, 2.8 MEq/mL in cirrhosis, and 3.7 MEq/mL in HCC. There was no significant correlation between HCV RNA and the severity of liver injury in chronic HCV infection. There were no correlations among sIL-2R, HCV RNA and serum ALT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chronic hepatocellular injury by HCV progress mainly by T cell mediated immune response, not by direct cytopathic injury. Also, sIL-2R can be useful as a marker in monitoring the patients with HCV infection at high risk of getting HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Interleukin-2* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; RNA ; Viral Load

BACKGROUND: T cell mediated immune destruction is an important mechanism of liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R) seem to serve as a marker for the T cell activation and progressive liver injury, This study examined serum levels of sIft-2R and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic HCV infection to determine the correlation with the severity of chronic hepatocellular damage. METHODS: Serum levels of sIft-2R in 73 patients with HCV infection (chronic hepatitis 52, liver cirrhosis 9, hepatocellular carcinoma 12) and 40 healthy controls were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay (CELLFREE, T Cell Sciences, USA). HCV RNA was quantified by QUANTIPLEX(TM) HCV RNA 2.0 assay (Chiron, USA) with duplication. This assay is a sandwich nucleic acid hybridization procedure using branched DNA amplification for the quantitation of HCV RNA. RESULTS: The sIL-2R levels of 52 patients with chronic hepatitis (591.4+/-238.7U/mL), 9 with liver cirrhosis(949.4+/-721.9 U/mL), and 12 with hepatocellular carcinoma (1,167.4+/- 554.4 U/mL) were significantly higher than those of healthy controls(370.8+/-71.8 U/mL) (p<0.001). A progressive and significant increase occurred in sIL-2R levels with chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in order (p(0.001). The HCV RNA was detected in all patients and the means of HCV viral load were 3.3 MEq/mL in chronic hepatitis, 2.8 MEq/mL in cirrhosis, and 3.7 MEq/mL in HCC. There was no significant correlation between HCV RNA and the severity of liver injury in chronic HCV infection. There were no correlations among sIL-2R, HCV RNA and serum ALT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chronic hepatocellular injury by HCV progress mainly by T cell mediated immune response, not by direct cytopathic injury. Also, sIL-2R can be useful as a marker in monitoring the patients with HCV infection at high risk of getting HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Interleukin-2* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; RNA ; Viral Load

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in sera of HBsAg-positive patients is more useful test for the assessment of infectivity and for the evaluation of disease status than previously utilized numerous serological markers and qualitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of HBV DNA. We tried to measure serum HBV DNA using a branched DNA (bDNA) signal amplification assay, which is recently introduced and known to be a simple and nonradioisotopic method. METHODS: Total forty patients with HBsAg were randomly selected and serum HBV DNA was measured with duplication using bDNA signal amplification assay (QUANTIPLEXTM HBV DNA ASSAY, Chiron, USA). Quantitation was determined from a standard curve and expressed as HBV DNA equivalents/mL (Eq/mL; 1 Eq = 1 molecule of the primary HBV DNA standard). Serum HBeAg, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were compared with HBV DNA. RESULTS: Serum HBV DNA was quantitated in 13 patients (32.5%) (range 6.4x106-7.4x109 Eq/mL, mean 1.8x109 Eq/mL, CV 8.1%). All eleven patients (100%) with both HBsAg and HBeAg an4 2 of 29 patients (6.9%) with HBsAg but not with HBeAg showed measurable HBV DNA (p < 0.001). In addition, serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R were significantly higher in HBV DNA measured patients compared with those of unmeasured patients. CONCLUSIONS: Above results show that more than half the HBsAg-positive patients do not have enough HBV DNA which is measurable with boNA signal amplification assay but all of HBeAg-positive patients and some of HBeAg-negative patients do. In addition, HBV DNA quantitation might be correlated with the disease activity in HBsAg-positive patients because serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R are higher in patients measured with HBV DNA than unmeasured.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay* ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

No abstract available.
Rhinoplasty*

No abstract available.
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis*

A clinical observation was made on 97 cases of hydronephrosis who were admitted to the Urologic Department of the Maryknoll Hospital during the period from July 1, 1976 to December 31, 1981 (5 and 1/2 years). The results are as follows: 1. The rate of hydronephrosis accounted for 8.7% of the total patients (1,109 patients) admitted to the Urologic Department and 20.6% of the patients with urinary tract obstruction (471 patients). 2. The patients in this series were distributed over all ages, from a 12-month-old baby up to a 76-year-old patient. The most common age group Was the 5th decade (29.9%) and the male to female ratio was 1.5 to 1. 3. In underlying diseases, the most common cause of hydronephrosis was ureteral stone (40.2%), and 16.5%was idiopathic. 4. In lateralization of hydronephrosis, the left side was more affected than the right side by about 1.2 times and 19.6% was bilateral. In site and level of obstruction, upper tract was 76.3%, mid and lower tract was 7.2%, intraurinary tract lesion was 97.9% and extraurinary tract lesion was 2.1%. 5. The most commonly obstructed organ was the ureter (59.8%). 6. The most common symptom on admission was flank pain (46.8%). 7. In laboratory findings, increased B.U.N. and creatinine was 11.3%. Pyuria was 58.8% in urinalysis and the most common organism in urine culture was E. Coli (50.0%). 8. The most common complication of hydronephrosis was non-functioning kidney (42.2%). 9. In treatment, surgical treatment was 75.3% and conservative treatment, 24.7%. Of the surgical treatment, the most common operation was nephrectomy (30.9%), while the rate of conserving kidney was 69.1% and about 2.2 times higher than nephrectomy cases.
Aged ; Creatinine ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis* ; Infant ; Kidney ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Pyuria ; Ureter ; Urinalysis ; Urinary Tract

Ultrasonography were performed on 52 patients with 64 cases of urologic diseases, and its significance was discussed. The results were as follows: 1. Overall diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography was 90.6% and diagnostic error was 9.4%. 2. It is not helpful to use ultrasonography as a primary screening procedure or to use it alone, but it is recommended to use ultrasonography as a supplementary measure after excretory urography. 3. Many needless renal angiographys and explorations can be avoided by performing ultrasonography prior to renal angiographys and explorations to get more accurate information. 4. Ultrasonography is known to be atraumatic, noninvasive and not harmful to human body, and it may be used safely in children and pregnant women. 5. Ultrasonography can be performed regardless of renal function and is particularly helpful in differentiating between cystic and solid masses. 6. Ultrasonography was particularly helpful in the diagnosis of non-visualization of kidney in I.V.P.
Child ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Human Body ; Humans ; Kidney ; Mass Screening ; Pregnant Women ; Ultrasonography* ; Urography ; Urologic Diseases*

Statistical observation was made on in-patients in Department of Urology, Maryknoll Hospital, Busan, Korea, during the period from July 1, 1976 to December 31, 1979.
Busan ; Korea ; Urolithiasis ; Urology*

No abstract available.
Glomus Tumor*

The free, full thickness skin graft urethroplasty has grown in popularity and row ranks among the best of corrective procedures for urethral stricture. This procedures was initially described by Presman and Greenfield in 1953. Herein we present a case of full thickness tube graft urethroplasty in 29-year-old male patient with anterior urethral stricture.
Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Transplants* ; Urethral Stricture*