BACKGROUND: Mycobacterial culture is a confirmatory test to detect M.tuberculosis, but it takes at least 6 weeks to diagnose. PCR is a rapid and sensitive method, but it is known that PCR has a high false positive rate due to contamination, and a high false negative rate due to inhibitors. It is also known that LCR and PCR-Hybridization, recently developed methods, are more specific methods than PCR in terms of detection M.tuberculosis. In this study, we estimated the clinical utility of in house PCR, LCR and PCR-Hybridization for the detection of M.tuberculosis. METHODS: We evaluated 75 specimens, upon which M.tuberculosis culture based testing was requested, by PCR LCR, and PCR-Hybridization and compared results. Mycobacterial culture was performed on 3% Ogawa media for 8 weeks, and an in house PCR, LCx Mycobacterium tuberculosis assay kit(Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, III) and the AMPLICOR M.tuberculosis test kit(Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. Branchburg, NJ, USA). RESULTS: In the view of the culture results, the sensitivities of the three tests were 40%, 80%, and 100% and their specificities were 98.6%, 94.3%, and 94.3%. CONCLUSION: LCR and PCR-Hybridization and rapid and sensitive methods for detecting M.tuberculosis in clinical laboratories.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.
Appointments and Schedules* ; Erythrocytes*

No abstract available.
Appointments and Schedules* ; Erythrocytes*

BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to assess the utility of prenatal triple-marker (alpha- fetoprotein (AFP), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and unconjugated estriol (uE3) testing for chromosomal abnormalities in women with Down syndrome screen-positive results. METHODS: Total 1,082 women between 15 and 21 weeks' gestation received second trimester Down syndrome risk evaluation by triple marker testing. AFP, beta-hCG and uE3 were measured by Coat-A-Count(R) IRMA (Diagnostic Products Corporation, LA, USA), The risk for Down syndrome was calculated using a commercially available software program (AFP Expert; Benetech Medical System, Toronto, Canada) by use of a Down syndrome risk cutoff value(1:270 at midtrimester). Karyotypes were reviewed for 32 (54.2%) of these patients who received prenatal chromosome analysis. RESULTS: Fifty nine (5.5%) patients of the 1,082 women screened were identified as positive. Two chromosome abnormalities (47,XYY and 46,XX, int (9) ) were found in the 32 patients who underwent prenatal chromosome analysis (6.3%). Any cases on the abnormal serum tests torn out not to be associated with trisomy 21. CONCLUSIONS: Although triple marker screen appears to be an effective method detecting chromosome abnormalities there is a high false positive rate. Therefore, new screening test that reduce false positive rate is need to be introduced.
Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Down Syndrome ; Estriol ; Female ; Fetal Proteins ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Mass Screening ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Prenatal Diagnosis*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate new signal transduction cascade through integrin, FAK and ERK in the suppressed cell proliferation by GnRH-I and -II. METHOD: Human endometrial cancer cells (HEC1A) were cultured under the following condition: DMEM/F12 (10% FBS). GnRH-I and -II were treated time (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 min; 100 nM) and dose (10 nM or 100 nM; 20 min) dependent manner according to experimental purposes. Cell proliferation was measured using [3H] thymidine incorporation assay. Immunoblotting was utilized to detect proteins. RESULTS: GnRH-I and -II inhibited proliferation of HEC1A cells and induced expression of integrin beta3. Phosphorylation of FAK and ERK were induced by GnRH-I and -II. CONCLUSION: GnRH inhibited cell proliferation via the expression of integrin and FAK, ERK phosphorylation.
Cell Proliferation* ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Integrin beta3 ; Phosphorylation ; Signal Transduction ; Thymidine

A total of 377 pregnant women, 43 pelvic tumor patients and 80 of multiphysic health center persons as controls were examined by indirect latex agglutination test in order to evaluate Toxoplasma antibody titers at Kang-Nam St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul. Throughout this survey, 1:32 or more titers of diluted sera were regarded as positive. The 337 samples of test sera in pregnant women showed negatives in 319 cases (84.6 percent), 1:2 in 44 cases (11.7 percent), 1:4 in 9 cases (2.4 percent), 1:8 in 2 cases (0.5 percent), 1:16 in 1 case (0.3 percent) and 1:32 in 2 cases (0.5 percent) respectively. The 43 samples of test sera in pelvic tumor patients showed negatives in 29 cases (67.4 percent), 1:2 in 8 cases (18.6 percent), 1:4 in 1 case (2.3 percent), 1:16 in 2 cases (4.7 percent), 1:32 in 1 case (2.3 percent) and 1:128 in 2 cases (4.7 percent). The 80 samples of test sera in multiphysic health center persons as controls negatives in 56 cases (70.0 percent), 1:2 in 19 cases (23.8 percent), 1:4 in 3 cases (3.8 percent), 1:8 in 1 case (1.3 percent) and 1:128 in 1 case (1.3 percent). Among total 420 study cases, 5 cases (1.2 percent) showed positives , and they were 2 cases (0.5 percent) of pregnant women and 3 cases (7.0 percent) of pelvic tumor patients. One case (1.3 percent) out of 80 control sera showed positive result.
parasitology-protozoa ; Toxoplasma gondii ; diagnosis ; immunology

The genetic test is a powerful diagnostic tool targeting DNA and RNA, now widely used not only in diagnosis of cancers, infectious disease, genetic disease, but also ABO genotyping, HLA typing, and forensic medicine. Even though a genetic test is of an important diagnostic value, the technical difficulty and expense make it difficult for it to completely replace the standard tests. As it is a test of high sensitivity, there is a possibility of misjudgment by errors in sample. Supplementary tests such as morphology analysis or tissue pathology may be helpful in such cases. The automation of molecular-genetic diagnostic methods such as PCR, DNA sequencing, and DNA chip will help genetic tests highlighted in laboratories in the near future.
Automation ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Forensic Medicine ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Pathology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVE: Duchenne muscular dystrophy(DMD) is a X-linked recessive disease and results from mutation in the dystrophin gene. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in prenatal genetic diagnosis of DMD. METHODS: DNA was isolated from DMD family's blood and fetal amniocyte and used to perform PCR-RFLP. In DMD family(3 cases), linkage analysis was tried with 5 RFLP probes. RESULTS: DMDs of the family A had mutiple exon deletions(6, 8, 12, 13, 17). The mother was a heterozygote of pERT84;MaeIII. The male fetus had a same allele and also same exon deletions with the affected males. The pregnancy was terminated at IUP 18 gestational weeks. Pregnant woman of the family B was heterozygote of both pERT84;MaeIII and pERT87-15;BamHI, and pregnant woman of the family C was of pERT84;MaeIII. The both male fetuses , as compared with the affected male of each family, had a different allele. Thus, the fetuses were probably not affected with a confidence level of 95%. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal diagnosis in prevention of DMD is most important. PCR-RFLP analysis in DMD family is rapid and useful diagnostic tool.
Alleles ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Dystrophin ; Exons ; Female ; Fetus ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Male ; Mothers ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Diagnosis*

We experienced a case of primary aldosteronism due to adrenal adenoma. The patient was 45-year old female, whose main complaints were weakness, headache, and fatigue. By use of abdominal CT scan, ultrasonogram, adrenal angiogram and by result of clinical laboratory findings, we conculuded the diagnosis of adrenal adenoma, and confirmed it by surgical and pathologucal findigs. The clinical sympyoms disappeared after left adrenalectomy, and laboratory findings of renin, aldosterone, electrolutes were normalized but hypertension persisted, so she has been managed by antihypertensives.
Adenoma ; Adrenalectomy* ; Aldosterone ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Diagnosis ; Fatigue ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism* ; Hypertension* ; Middle Aged ; Renin ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

Holoprosencephaly(HPE), a common developmental defect affecting the forebrain and cranioface, is etiologically heterogenous. Teratogen, chromosomal anomalies, genetic syndrome, or genetic disorder of non-syndromic HPE are usually accepted as etiology. But the severity of brain and craniofacial malformation are not associated with etiology. Individuals with microform of HPE, who usually have normal cognition and brain imaging, are at the risk of having children with HPE. Several studies on the basis of HPE gene have been performed, which shed valuable insight on normal brain development. As additional HPE genes are identified, more accurate recurrent risk counseling can be given. We experienced a case of recurrent HPE diagnosed by transabdominal ultrasound examinations at 22 weeks' gestation.
Brain ; Child ; Cognition ; Counseling ; Holoprosencephaly* ; Humans ; Microfilming ; Neuroimaging ; Pregnancy ; Prosencephalon ; Ultrasonography