No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Orthopedics*

OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to estimate the carcinogenic risks from the ingestion of some carcinogenic pesticides (CPs) in vegetables sampled at a local agricultural product market in Seoul. METHODS: After applying a hazard identification step, we selected four pesticides, such as DDT, dieldrin, folpet, and heptachlor epoxide, for this risk assessment. Concentrations of each pesticide were measured from randomly sampled vegetables. In order to estimate the human exposure levels, we combined the concentration of pesticides in the vegetables with consumption rate of those vegetables. Three scenarios were hypothesized for human exposure assessment. Scenario I was the most conservative which supposed the undetected CPs would be the detection limit values. Scenario II was assumed that the undetected CPs would be a half of the detection limit values, and finally scenario III merely considered only values greater than the detection limit values. We finally presented the estimated carcinogenic risks on the basis of the traditional risk assessment procedure suggested by U.S. EPA. RESULTS: Pesticides including DDT, dieldrin, folpet and heptachlor epoxide were detected in 9 samples (6%) in the range of 0.0006~0.09ppm. The daily intake levels of carcinogenic pesticides were estimated in the range of 0.0009~0.0079 microgram/day. As we expected, excess cancer risks based on scenario I was also the highest (1.1x10-8~ 5.5x10-5). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the estimated risks from the pesticides we investigated were not serious. We, however, propose that a continuos monitoring is needed to make sure for the protection of public health.
DDT ; Dieldrin ; Eating ; Heptachlor Epoxide ; Humans ; Korea* ; Limit of Detection ; Pesticides* ; Public Health ; Risk Assessment* ; Seoul ; Vegetables*

This study was undertaken to acquire some information concerning the mechanism for reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye by neutrophils. Male rabbits weighing more than 2 kilograms were used in this study. The vaccines. The vaccines utilized were bacterial and viral ones such as typhoid, cholera, measles, and mumps vaccines. The histochemical NBT test was carried out using the method by Park et al. With some modification. Vaccines were given the rabbits, and changes were observed in the percentage and number of pseudoeosinophils and NBT-positive pseudoeosils in the peripheral blood. The data obtained thus were discussed and summarized as follow:1. The percentage of the NBT-positive pseudoeosinophils increased in the rabbits to which the bacterial vaccines were given. 2. The percentage of NBT-positive pseudoeosinophils decreased in the rabbits to whick viral vaccines were given. 3. No association was found between the percentage of the NBT-positive pseudoeosinophils and the number of pseudodosinophils following the administeration.
Bacterial Vaccines ; Cholera ; Humans ; Male ; Measles ; Mumps ; Neutrophils ; Nitroblue Tetrazolium* ; Rabbits* ; Typhoid Fever ; Vaccines ; Viral Vaccines

PURPOSE: In the Korean armed forces, vaccination against tetanus is done when personnel join the military service, but we do not know how many military personnel are vaccinated and how many soldiers have protection against tetanus. We performed a qualitative analysis of the tetanus antibody in Korean military personnel by using the TQS (Tetanus Quick Stick) METHODS: This study used a prospective collection method for military personnel visiting to the emergency department of a tertiary armed forces hospital from July 2005 to January 2007. We performed an analysis by using the TQS and asked whether the personnel had been inoculated during military service. RESULTS: The number of enrolled military personnel was 474. Among them, 412 had been vaccinated against tetanus after entering the military service. The positive rate of TQS was 91.3% (373 patients) after vaccination for tetanus. CONCLUSION: Many military personnel were inoculated with tetanus toxoid during military service and have protective antibodies for tetanus. According as TQS should be used for military personnel who visit the emergency department of an armed forces hospital. Also, anti-tetanus immunoglobulin should not normally be used a positive TQS for tetanus prophylaxis.
Antibodies ; Arm* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Military Personnel* ; Prospective Studies ; Tetanus Toxoid ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination

The cysteine proteases of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae are involved in metacercarial excystment, host immune modulation, and possibly in tissue penetration. In order to clarify the origin of the enzymes, 28 and 27 kDa cysteine proteases in metacercarial excretory-secretory products were purified through the FPLC system using Mono Q column chromatography. The polyclonal antibodies to the enzymes were produced in BALB/c mice. Immunolocalization studies revealed that both cysteine proteases were distributed at the linings of excretory bladder and excretory concretions of the metacercariae. It was suggested that the excretory epithelium of P. westermani undertake the secretory function of metacercarial cysteine proteases, in addition to its role as a route for eliminating waste products.
Animals ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Computational Biology ; Cysteine Endopeptidases/analysis/isolation & purification/*physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Paragonimus/anatomy & histology/*enzymology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Nephrosis, Lipoid*

PURPOSE: Introduction of low osmolality contrast agent(LOCA) has allowed safer, more comfortable contrast-enhanced CT examination, but there has been significant increase in image degradation when evaluating the kidneys due to streaky artifact. The authors reviewed findings of contrast-enhanced abdominal and pelvic computed tomography(CT) to know the difference of renal streaky artifact between a high osmolality contrast agent (HOCA) and LOCA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included two hundred contrast-enhanced CT in 200 patients, 100 performed with HOCA(meglumine ioglicate, 150ml) and 100 performed with LOCA (iopromide, 150ml). The severity of renal streaky artifact was compared between HOCA and LOCA groups. RESULTS: Of the scans performed with HOCA, 40 had no artifact, 52 had grade I artifact, 6 had grade II artifact, and 2 had grade III artifact Of the scans performed with LOCA, 23 had no artifact, 44 had grade I artifact, 29 had grade II artifact, and 4 had grade III artifact. There was significant difference in the degree of the streaky artifact depending upon the osmolality of the contrast media used(by {{{{x^2}}}}-test, P=.0001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed a statistically significant increased incidence of artifacts and distortions of renal image with LOCA when compared with HOCA.
Artifacts* ; Contrast Media* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Osmolar Concentration* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic* ; Child* ; Humans ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch*

To evaluate the historical trend of anesthetic experience for the past 22 years a total of 68,473 cases which were performed at the National Medical Center from 1959 to 1981 were studied. To simplify the analysis statistically, the author selected the anesthetic cases every other year(12 years). 1) General anesthesia was performed in more than 78% of the total cases and of this number endotracheal intubation has been used with increasing frequency(average 92.8%). 2) For intravenous induction, thiopental sodium was used as the main agent, in more than 90% since 1980. 3) Trichlorethylene, cyclopropane and ethylchloride which had been used since 1961, were abandoned from 1978 except for training purposes. Methoxyflurane was used from 1973 to 1979, but given up there after because of it's nephrotoxicity. The use of halothane has steadily increased(86% of the total inhalation anesthetics) and ethrane has also been used with increasing frequency since 1980. 4) Pancuronium has been used as a primary muscle relaxant instead of gallamine and D-tubocurarine which had been used as the main durgs from 1959 till 1979. 5) Innovar and morphine as intravenous anesthetics, have recently been with increasing grequency.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; Enflurane ; Gallamine Triethiodide ; Halothane ; Inhalation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Methoxyflurane ; Morphine ; Pancuronium ; Thiopental ; Tubocurarine