Background: Erythropoietin (EPO), which is associated with anemia, exerts neuroprotective effects in ischemic stroke. In cases of stenosis or narrowing of the main cerebral blood vessel, the prognosis is favorable if collateral blood circulation is well developed in acute stroke. Several studies have investigated the relationship between EPO administration and stroke outcomes. The present study investigated the correlation between serum EPO level and cerebral collateral circulation, which could result in favorable clinical outcomes. Methods: The study subjects were patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke who underwent initial brain magnetic resonance imaging between January 2020 and March 2022. Following brain computed tomography perfusion for collateral flow, serum EPO levels were measured. Collaterals were assessed according to the Mass system and divided into good collateral (GC) or poor collateral (PC) groups. Serum EPO levels were determined using a chemiluminescence immunoassay method. A correlation coefficient analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between serum EPO levels and GC. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined the cutoff value of EPO for GC. Results: Serum EPO levels were significantly higher in the GC than that in the PC group (P<0.05). The cut-off level of serum EPO for a good outcome was 9.1 mIU/mL. Conclusion A high serum EPO (>9.1 mIU/mL) could be a marker of GC in patients with acute ischemic stroke that predicts good clinical outcomes.

Clinical study was carried out on the 64 hemodialysis patients(HD) with chronic renal failure who had been treated from December 1992 to July 1993 in Yeungnam University Hospital. The following results were obitained. In hematologic parameters, MCH was 28.8±2.0pg, and MCV was 92.4±4.7fl. Result revealed normochromic and normocytic anemia. Mean values of serum ferritin were 657.4±292.0ng/ml in men and 511.5±370g in women. Mean values of serum iron were 145.5±63.7µg/dl. Mean values of transferrin saturation was 61.6±28.4%. Serum frerritin, serum iron and transferrin saturation were higher in HD group than normal reference. In erythropoeitin treatment group, Hb and Hct were significantly higher than non-erythropoietin treatment group. Amount of transfusion was significantly higher in non-erythropoietin treatment group than erythropoeitin treatment group(p<0.05). Values of iron, transferrin saturation were significantly higher in abnormal liver function test(LFT0 hemodialysis group than normal LFT group(p<0.05). Transfusion amounts revealed positive correlation with ferritin(r=0.4675), transferrin satruation (r=0.3823) and iron(r=0.3386) (p<0.05).
Anemia* ; Clinical Study ; Erythropoietin* ; Female ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Iron ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Liver ; Male ; Renal Dialysis ; Transferrin

We successfully closed the isolated patent ductusarteriosus(PDA) in 2 female patients using the Rashkind Double-Disc Occlusion system. nonsurgical closure of PDA usin plug was introduced by Porstmann in 1968 through transfemoral artery catheter and using umbrella by Rashkind in 1977 througth venous site. There has been continued improvement and simplification of the equipment as well as in the implantation technique. Nowaday, a multicenter study was conducted to test the safety and effectiveness of this interventioal method in States. Successful closure rate was high but some problems were reported such as embolization, abnormal deployment and residual shunt. Residual shunt was visualized by aortography in our both cases immediately after intervention but continuous murmur could not be heard in both cases. Oxygen step-up disappeared immediately after occluder implantation in both cases. Complete occlusion was expected with thrombus in near future.
Aortography ; Arteries ; Catheters ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent* ; Female ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous pleurisy treatment improve symptoms such as fever, chest pain, cough, and prevents the progression to active pulmonary tuberculosis and the development of residual pleural thickening that decrease diaphragm and rib cage movement. This study investigated how the degree of residual pleural thidkening affects the pulmonary function. METHODS: Fifty seven patients who were initially diagnosed as having tuberculous pleurisy, were treated with anti-tuberculous medication for 6 months and had residual pleural thickening between May 1998 and January 2000 at the Eulji university hospital were reviewed. A chest X-ray and pulmonary function test(PFT, Sensormedics 2200) were perfored. The predicted value (%) of the forced vital capacity(FVC), forced inspiratory vital capacity(FIVC) and total lung capacity(TLC) were measured. The residual pleural thickening was defined the average of the summation in the lateral chest at the level of the imaginary line intersecting from the cardiophrenic angle to the diaphragmatic dome and the lowest part of the costophrenic angle between them. The results were sorted into three grades according to pleural thickness; <2mm(grade I), 2~10mm(grade II), 10mm(grade III). RESULTS: 1. FVC(% pred) and FIVC(% pred) were statistically different between grade I and III, and II and III. However, there was no difference between the TLC(% pred) between each of the groups. 2. The pleural thickness that cause restrictive dysfunction(FVC<80%) and a statisticall difference, is 3 mm. CONCLUSION: The larger the extent of the residual pleural thickness after antituberculous medication, the greater the reduction in the FVC, FIVC, TLC. A pleural thickness of 3 mm is recommended as a guideline for diagnosing a restrictive pulmonary dysfunction.
Chest Pain ; Cough ; Diaphragm ; Fever ; Humans ; Lung ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Ribs ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Pleural* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus Infections*

Acquired syphilis rarely manifest itself in the skeleton, causing localised osteoscopic pain, commonly in the abscence of general systemic complaints. Diagnosis of bone syphilis can easily be made by clinical history, course of the disease, roentgeno-graphic findings, serological tests, therapeutic test of antiluetic treatment and, most reliably, by biopsy. We experienced a patient with syphilitic osteomyelitis of tbe tibia who had a history of sexual contact and the diagnosis was confirmed by serological tests and biopsy.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Osteomyelitis ; Serologic Tests ; Skeleton ; Syphilis ; Tibia

Purpose: Gynecomastia is a common condition caused by various factors and characterized by the overdevelopment of the male breast glandular tissue. It can cause pain and discomfort, which may require treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tamoxifen in the treatment of idiopathic gynecomastia. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 101 patients who underwent medical treatment for idiopathic gynecomastia using tamoxifen from January 2005 to December 2018. We examined the clinical characteristics that affected resolution and recurrence. Results: The overall resolution rate of gynecomastia among the patients treated with tamoxifen was 89.1%, and the overall recurrence rate was 15.6%. Large size at diagnosis and longer duration of symptoms were significantly different between patients who experienced resolution and those who did not (p=0.017 and p=0.019, respectively). The dosage of tamoxifen did not affect the resolution rate (p=0.609). None of the clinical characteristics were significantly different between patients who experienced recurrence and those who did not. Conclusion Our study showed that tamoxifen may be an effective treatment for idiopathic gynecomastia.

The traditional light microscopy has limitations for precise growth assays of malaria parasites in culture or for assessment of new compounds for antimalarial activity; the speed and high reproducibility of flow cytometry can overcome these limitations. A flow cytometric method using PicoGreen, a DNA-binding fluorochrome, was developed with optimal precision suitable for performing growth assays of low-parasitemia field isolates. In addition, intra- and inter-person reproducibility of the flow cytometric and the microscopic method were compared in order to quantitatively demonstrate the improved precision. RNase treatment contributed to the precision of the flow cytometric measurements by enhancing the signal-to-noise ratios. Coefficients of variation of the method were smaller than 10% for 0.1% or higher parasitemia samples. The intra- and inter-person coefficients of variation of the flow cytometric method were three to six times smaller than those of the microscopic method. The flow cytometric method developed in this study yielded substantially more precise results than the microscopic method, allowing determination of parasitemia levels of 0.1% or higher, with coefficients of variation smaller than 10%. Thus, the PicoGreen method could be a reliable high sensitivity assay for analysis of low parasitemia samples and might be applied to a high throughput system testing antimalarial drug activity.
*Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Dyes/chemistry ; Humans ; *Microscopy ; Organic Chemicals/chemistry ; Parasitemia/*diagnosis ; Plasmodium falciparum/*isolation & purification ; Reproducibility of Results ; Ribonucleases/metabolism ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio

BACKGROUND: The measurement of carbon monoxide concentration in expired air is used as an objective method to analyze the smoking status. This method has been proven to be reliable and is used throughout the world but it has been only recently accepted in Korea. Therefore the purpose of this study was to examine if measuring the concentration in expired air accurately reflects the Korean's smoking status. METHODS: The subjects were from ages of 19 through 75 healthy people including smokers and nonsmokers. The smokers had their carbon monoxide measured after answering a questionnaire. This questionnaire was formed to obtain information concerning smoking status, smoking habit and factors that influence carbon monoxide measurement. Micro II smokerlyzer (Bedfont Instruments Ltd., England) was used to analyze CO concentration in expired air. The method used for measuring CO concentration was to deeply inhale and hold one's breath for 15 seconds and measure CO concentration while exhaling. RESULTS: The total number of subjects was 148(143 males, 5 females) consisting of 114 smokers, 34 non smokers(never smokers 23, ex smokers 11). The average CO concentration in exhaled air in smokers was 17.247.30 ppm, in nonsmokers 6.031.06 ppm(in ex smokers 6.361.29 ppm, in never smokers 5.870.92 ppm). A significant difference was evident between smokers and non smokers(P<0.0001). The CO concentration values compared among the groups divided in terms of daily smoking rate were as the following 11.885.57 ppm in subjects smoking less than 10 cigarettes/day, 17.356.48 ppm in those smoking 11 20 cigarettes/day, 20.006.35 ppm in the 21 30 cigarettes/day group, and 24.889.70 ppm in the 31 cigarettes/day group (p<0.0001). In addition, the CO concentration was influenced by the change of the degree of inhalation and the elapsed time since last smoking. CONCLUSION: The measurement of CO concentration in exhaled air among the Koreans proved to be an accurate and reliable method reflecting the present smoking status.
Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Exhalation ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Male ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Pulmonary embolism is the impaction of material into branches of the pulmonary arterial bed. It usually occurs in patients with primary hypercoagulable states or secondary hypercoagulable states like cancer, preganancy, and estrogen replacement therapy. We report a case of a pulmonary embolism in a patient with positive lupus anticoagulant who received estrogen replacement therapy. The patient was referred due to suddenly developed shortness of breath and echogenic mass densities in the right atrium on 2 dimensional echocardiography. The patient was markedly improved with intravenous urokinase and subsequent oral anticoagulant therapy. Related articles are also reviewed.
Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor* ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator