No abstract available.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Herpes Simplex* ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M*

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to assess the possible involvement of the dopamine D5 receptor gene(DRD5) in the etiology of schizophrenia. METHODS: We identified the distribution of the T978C varient of the dopamine D5 receptor gene in 100 schizophrenics and 100 normal controls in Korean population, and evaluated the association between two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in genotype frequency of T978C variation and genotype prevalence of homozygotes between schizophrenic and control groups. There was no significant difference in T978C allele frequencies between schizophrenic and control groups. CONCLUSION: We present evidence of a lack of allelic association between the exonic common polymorphism of the dopamine D5 receptor gene and Korean schizophrenic patients. The assumption that the T978C varient of the dopamine D5 receptor gene has a genetic role in the development of schizophrenia was not examined by this case-control study. However, because it is considered that DRD5 may act as the expression factor for the symptoms of schizophrenia or affect the difference in an individual's susceptibility to the disease, future studies to investigate the influence of other variations of DRD5 are needed.
Case-Control Studies ; Dopamine* ; Exons ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Receptors, Dopamine D5* ; Schizophrenia

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the balloon bronchoplasty in the treatment of the tuberculous bronchostenosis. Balloon bronchoplasty was performed in thirteen patients with stenosis of the left main bronchus (two with combined left upper and lower lobar bronchostenosis) using a inflatable balloon catheter under a fluoroscopic guide. We analysed the changes in the changes in the severity of dyspnea and wheezing, serial FEV1/FVC as a parameter of the airflow obstruction, and bronchial diameter and lung volume on chest radiographs. The extent of pulmonary tuberculosis was correlated with the improvement of FEV1/FVC. There was an improvement of dyspnea in 69%(9/13), decrease of wheezing in 69%(9/13), significant increase of FEV1/FVC in 18% (2/11). The increase of the bronchial diameter and lung volume were seen in 84%(11/13) and 53% (7/13), respectively. The significant increase of FEVI/FVC was seen in 28% (2/7) of the patients with lung involvement of tuberculosis less than one third of left upper lobe, whereas there was no increase in those of more than one third. There was no complication except transient leukocytosis, fever and blood-tinged sputum. In conclusion, balloon bronchoplasty is effective in the treatment of medically intractable tuberculous bronchostenosis, and can be considered as an initial method of treatment.
Bronchi ; Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dyspnea ; Fever ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Lung ; Methods ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiratory Sounds ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the balloon bronchoplasty in the treatment of the tuberculous bronchostenosis. Balloon bronchoplasty was performed in thirteen patients with stenosis of the left main bronchus (two with combined left upper and lower lobar bronchostenosis) using a inflatable balloon catheter under a fluoroscopic guide. We analysed the changes in the changes in the severity of dyspnea and wheezing, serial FEV1/FVC as a parameter of the airflow obstruction, and bronchial diameter and lung volume on chest radiographs. The extent of pulmonary tuberculosis was correlated with the improvement of FEV1/FVC. There was an improvement of dyspnea in 69%(9/13), decrease of wheezing in 69%(9/13), significant increase of FEV1/FVC in 18% (2/11). The increase of the bronchial diameter and lung volume were seen in 84%(11/13) and 53% (7/13), respectively. The significant increase of FEVI/FVC was seen in 28% (2/7) of the patients with lung involvement of tuberculosis less than one third of left upper lobe, whereas there was no increase in those of more than one third. There was no complication except transient leukocytosis, fever and blood-tinged sputum. In conclusion, balloon bronchoplasty is effective in the treatment of medically intractable tuberculous bronchostenosis, and can be considered as an initial method of treatment.
Bronchi ; Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dyspnea ; Fever ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Lung ; Methods ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiratory Sounds ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To investigate the usefulness of the non-mydriatic digital fundus camera for detection of normal-tension glaucoma in routine health check-ups. METHODS: Among 1986 persons who received a routine health check-up in the Kangnam Health Care Center of Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) from October to December 2003, 60 patients were referred to the Glaucoma Clinic of SNUH due to a suspicious optic nerve head or a retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defect detected by a non-mydriatic digital fundus camera. The glaucoma work-up was performed, including Goldmann applanation tonometry, red free RNFL photography, Humphrey visual field (HVF), Stratus OCT and HRT II. RESULTS: Among 60 patients with a suspicious optic nerve head or suspected RNFL defect, 23 patients showed a retinal nerve fiber layer defect on red free RNFL photography. Those 23 patients had already demonstrated possible RNFL defects on photographs taken by a non-mydriatic digital fundus camera at their routine health check-up. In comparison with the normal, high PSD value of HVF (p=0.002), the narrow neuroretinal rim area shown by OCT (p=0.05) and HRT (p=0.02) were significantly different statistically. CONCLUSIONS: The non-mydriatic digital fundus camera can serve as a useful tool to screen normal-tension glaucoma in routine health check-up systems. However, the final diagnosis of glaucoma should be confirmed by red free RNFL photography and standard automated perimetry.
Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Manometry ; Nerve Fibers ; Optic Disk ; Optic Nerve* ; Photography ; Retinaldehyde ; Seoul ; Visual Field Tests ; Visual Fields

Malarial infection is one of the most important tropical diseases, but also increasing in the temperate regions. Severe malaria with organ dysfunction is commonly associated with Plasmodium falciparum, but rarely with Plasmodium vivax. Malarial hepatitis is also unusual in P. falciparum and very rare in P. vivax. Only 3 cases of malarial hepatitis caused by P. vivax have been reported in the world. Because the presence of hepatitis in malaria indicates a more severe illness with higher incidence of other complications and poor prognosis, malarial patients should be meticulously monitored for hepatic dysfunction with or without jaundice. We report here a case of malarial hepatitis caused by P. vivax that was presented by fever, general ache, nausea, fatigue, and significant elevation of aminotransferase and bilirubin.
Abdomen/ultrasonography ; Antimalarials/therapeutic use ; Erythrocytes/immunology/parasitology ; Fatigue/etiology ; Hepatitis/*diagnosis/etiology/ultrasonography ; Humans ; Malaria, Vivax/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Male ; Mefloquine/therapeutic use ; Nausea/etiology ; Plasmodium vivax/isolation & purification ; Primaquine/therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Pityriasis lichenoides Chronica is a cutaneous disorder of unknown etiology and characterized pathologically by vasculitis and clinically by its marked chronicity and lack of specific treatment. Emollient-phototherapy is a recently introduced effective treatment for psoriasis. The authors treated 3 patients with pityriasis lichenoides chronica by the emollient-phototherapy technic with quite satisfactory results.

Bowenoid papulosis (BP) is largely a disease of young, sexually active adults, which presents with pink or flesh colored macular or papular lesions in the anogenital area. It has been established that various human papilloma virus (HPV) types are the causative agents of BP and of these, HPV-16, the oncogenic one, is the most common. The course of BP is variable, ranging from spontaneous regression to persistent of lesions to a transformation into squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of Bowenoid papulosis in a 29-year-old, sexually active female whose anogenital area was covered with innumerable papular lesions extended to the lower extremities.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Papilloma

No abstract available.
Stroke*