No abstract available.
Animals ; Male ; Penile Erection* ; Rats* ; Saponins*

The principal mode of the transmission of Legionnaires disease is an inhalation of the cooling tower water droplets in which Legionellae exist. As a central cooling system is popularized in many public buildings and large buildings nowadays, the number of cooling towers in rapidly increasing. Therefore the possibility of an outbreak of Legionnaires disease is likely increased. To determine the presence of Legionella in cooling tower water as the first step for the prevention of Legionnaires disease, 48 samples of cooling tower water were taken from 24 buildings in Taegu city in July and September 1987. Three samples out of 24 water samples in September yielded Legionella but it was not isolated in the samples of July. Isolated 3 Legionellas were identified as Legionella peumophila. It seems that Legionella from the cooling tower will be isolated more frequently in late summer than early because central cooling system is stopped operation during winter season which in cool. As based on our survey, Legionnaires disease can occur in Taegu city and if it happens it is most likely due to L. pneumophila.
Daegu ; Inhalation ; Legionella* ; Legionnaires' Disease ; Seasons ; Water*

BACKGROUND: The keratinocyte growth factor(KGF) is a recently identified mitogen for epithelial cells produced by nomal stromal fibroblasts. ln the skin, KGF has been shown to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and differentiatian. Dendritic epidermal T cells(DETC) are skin-specific members of the epithelial y 8 T-cell family that reside normally in the murine epidermis. The DETCs recognize antigen expressed by damaged or diseased neighboring keratinoctyes and consequently secrete cytokines sueh as IFN- y, lL-2, IL-4, GM-CSF. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to observe the expression of KGF mRNA in keratinocyte and DETC as well as to investigate the cytokine-mediated intercellular communication between kerati- nocyte and DETC. METHODS: Using a RT-PCR(reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), we examined the expression of KGF mRNA in keratinocyte and DETC, and compared the level of KGF mRNA between resting and activated DETC with Con-A (concanavalin A).
Cytokines ; Epidermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 7* ; Fibroblasts ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; Keratinocytes* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes

We report a case of infantile digital fibromatosis in a 34 month-old boy, who presented with a painless subcutaneous tumor on the medial aspect of the left third toe. A histological examination showed scattered small, round eosinophilic inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells, which was consistent with infantile digital fibromatosis. A'immunohistochemical study revealed that desmin, a-smooth muscle actin, and vimentin were clearly positive in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells, but the inclusions themselves showed negative staining, thus indicating a hollow-like staining pattern. Electron microscopy showed either well-defined or ill-demarcated dense bodies in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells. In some areas, small vesicles and intracellular organells were observed' in the inclusions. In the course of conservative treatment, a new lesion developed on the lateral aspect of the left third toe, seven months after the appearance of the initial lesion.
Actins ; Cytoplasm ; Desmin ; Eosinophils ; Fibroma* ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron ; Negative Staining ; Toes ; Vimentin

A case of a 21-year old female with Maffucci's syndrome is presented where the patient developed multiple cutaneous spindle-cell hemangioendotheliomas. She had multiple pea to walnut sized, non-tender, normal skin colored or slight bluish nodules and bony mass-like lesions on the left upper extremity and hand. A histological examination of the lesions showed that they were composed of irregularly dilated, thin walled cavernous blood spaces containing phleboliths and collapsed vascular spaces separated by spindled fibroblastic cells. Radiologically, the bony lesions showed radiolucent densities with calcified spots within the second proximal phalanx and metacarpal bone of the left hand, which were consistent with enchondromas.
Chondroma ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Hand ; Hemangioendothelioma* ; Humans ; Juglans ; Peas ; Skin Pigmentation ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: We investigated whether myocardial SPECT had additional usefulness to clinical, functional or surgical indices for the preoperative evaluation of cardiac risks in noncardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 118 patients (M: F=66:52, 62.7+/-10.5 years) were studied retrospectively. Eighteen underwent vascular surgeries and 100 nonvascular surgeries. Rest T1-201/stress Tc-99m-MIBI SPECT was performed before operation and cardiac events (hard event: cardiac death and myocardial infarction; soft event: ischemic ECG change, congestive heart failure and unstable angina) were surveyed through perioperative periods (14.6+/-5.6 days). Clinical risk indices, functional capacity, surgery procedures and SPECT findings were tested for their predictive values of perioperative cardiac events. RESULTS: Peri-operative cardiac events occurred in 25 patients (3 hard events and 22 soft events). Clinical risk indices, surgical procedure risks and SPECT findings but functional capacity were predictive of cardiac events. Reversible perfusion decrease was a better predictor than persistent decrease. Multivariate analysis sorted` out surgical procedure risk (p=0.0018) and SPECT findings (p=0.0001) as significant risk factors. SPECT could re-stratify perioperative cardiac risks in patients ranked with surgical procedures. CONCLUSION:: We conclude that myocardial SPECT provides additional predictive value to surgical type risks as well as clinical indexes or functional capacity for the prediction of preoperative cardiac events in noncardiac surgery.
Death ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Perfusion ; Perioperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

We report a cace of 69-year-old man who developed massive pulmonary hemorrhage and subsuquent adult respiratory distress syndrome following intravenous urokinase for acute myocardial infarction. Pulmonary hemorrhage is a rare but a potentially life-threatening complication after thrombolytic therapy and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates of falling hemoglobin after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction with no obvious site of bleeding.
Adult* ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Thrombolytic Therapy* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

OBJECTIVE: To determine if birth weight greater than 4000gm can be predicted by ultrasound measurement of abdominal circumference(AC) and if shoulder dystocia in macrosomic infants can be predicted by ultrasound measurement of the difference between the abdominal diameter(AD) and biparietal diameter(BPD). METHODS: A Retrospective study was performed of births occuring from March, 1998 to August, 1999 at department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University. Among neonates of birth weight greater than 4000 gm, 50 cases in that ultrasound examination was done within 2 weeks before delivery were selected for macrosomic group and 50 cases were selected for control group during the same period, among neonate of birth weight from 3100gm to 3900gm. RESULTS: 1) Normal spontaneous vaginal delivery(NSVD) was 41 cases in control group and 30 cases in macrosomic group. Among NSVD, shoulder dystocia was 1 case in 41 cases of control group and was 7 cases in 30 cases of macrosomic group. 2) On ultrasound measurement, 6 cases had AC greater than 35 cm in control group and 45 cases in macrosomic group. Among 30 cases in NSVD was done in macrosomic group, difference between AD and BPD was 2.9 0.271 cm when shoulder dystocia was existed and was 2.1 0.409 cm when shoulder dystocia was not existed. Between the two groups, statistically significant difference was detected. 3) When AC(cutoff value of 35cm) was used for screening of macrosomia, sensitivity for macrosomia was 88.2% and specificity was 89.8% and when AD-BPD difference(cutoff value of 2.6cm) was used for prediction of shoulder dystocia, sensitivity for shoulder dystocia was 66.6% and specificity was 95.2%. CONCLUSIONS: In prenatal ultrasound measurement, AC measurement at third trimester of pregnancy will be a valuable indicator for macrosomia screening. The AD-BPD difference of shoulder dystocia group was greater than uncomplicated group in macrosomia and the AD-BPD difference cutoff value of 2.6cm was significant value statistically.
Birth Weight ; Dystocia* ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Obstetrics ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Shoulder* ; Ultrasonography*

The purpose of this study was to assess the morbidity pattern of urban residents in the poor area by health screening for the community diagnosis. The items of health screening were history taking and physical examination by medical doctor and hearing test, check blood pressure, test for hematocrit, liver function (sGOT, sGPT), urine sugar and protein, and chest X-ray. The examinee in health screening were 437 persons and they occupied 16.9% of total residents in the poor area. Male examinee were 129 persons (9.9% of total residents) and female examinee were 308 persons (23.9% of total residents). Age group of above sixty years old, 42.0% of total residents in the poor area were participated, but only 5.9% were participated in age group of 10 to 19 years old. Among the 437 examinee, 191 persons (43.7%) had one or more abnormal findings in health screening. In male 38.7% had abnormal findings, and somewhat lower than that of female (45.8%). Age group of above sixty years had most high rate of abnormal findings (69.8%), in contrast to age group of 10 to 19 years old (10.9%). Diseases of the digestive system was the most common and which occupies 23.7% of total abnormal findings. And diseases of the circulatory system occupied 19.7%. Low hematocrit (14.6% of total participants of 437 persons) occupies the most common abnormal findings for screening test (hematocrit, blood pressure, hearing test, sGOT/sGPT, urine protein and urine sugar, chest X-ray) and high blood pressure (10.1%) occupied second, third; hearing impairment (5.5%), fourth; abnormal liver function (4.1%), fifth; sugar in urine (2.3%), sixth; protein in urine (1.4%) and lastly abnormal chest X-ray (0.9%). The positive rate of abnormal findings in health screening was very high compared with morbidity rate by health interview. It is supposed that some portion of this high rate is by selection bias in examinee in health screening specially high participating rate in older age, and the other portion is due to the low socioeconomic status and bad environment of the residents of the poor area. These findings will be good information for the research and development of health care system in the urban poor area.
Blood Pressure ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Digestive System ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Tests ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Liver ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Physical Examination ; Selection Bias ; Social Class ; Thorax