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*

This study was conducted to compare the maternal characteristics, and birth weight of infants delivered at five different categories of medical facility in Taegu to examine the risk level of pregnant women and children by the medical facility for delivery. The study population included 1,410 pregnant women who delivered a baby at one of nine medical facilities (3 university hospitals, 2 general hospitals, 2 private clinics, 1 midwife clinic, 1 MCH center) in Taegu in April, 1987(April and May, 1987 for K university hospital). Pregnant women were interviewed to ask the age and educational level of woman, payment of medical fee, birth order, delivery method. Birth weight of infant was obtained from medical record. Mean ages of the women delivering at the university hospitals(27.5 years) and at general hospitals(26.7 years) were higher than those at midwife clinic(25.4 years) and at MCH center(26.1 years). Also, mean years of school education were higher in women of university hospitals(12.7 years) and general hospitals(12.2 years) than in women of midwife clinic(9.2 years) and MCH center (9.3 years). The percentages of women covered by the medical insurance were far greater in the university hospitals(78.1%) and general hospitals(82.9%) than in private clinics(44.3%), midwife clinic(29.1%) and MCH center (5.4%). Infants born at the MCH center were mostly the second birth (47.3%) while 56.0% to 61.7% of infants born at all the other medical facilities were the first birth more women delivering at the university hospitals had history of spontaneous abortion as well as still birth than the women delivering at the other medical facilities. The preterm birth rate (11.4%) and low birthweight incidence rates(5.8-13.0%) in university hospitals were significantly higher than those of other medical facilities. Accordingly, c-section rates showed a wide variation among the medical facilities. Study findings revealed that most of women delivering at the university hospitals and general hospitals are in the middle of or upper socio-economic class and obstetrically high risk group regardless of socioeconomic class while the women delivering at the midwife clinic and MCH center are low risk group of low socioeconomic class. Therefore, the data of a specific medical facility are highly limited in interpretation and can not be generalized.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Birth Order ; Birth Weight* ; Child ; Daegu* ; Education ; Fees, Medical ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Insurance ; Medical Records ; Midwifery ; Parturition* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth

No abstract available.
Female ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Ovary*

No abstract available.
Neurofibroma* ; Scalp*

No abstract available.
Germ Cells* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Penicillamine*

Cerebral vasospasm is the leading cause of death and disability in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to repture of a cerebral aeurysm. But etiology of the vasospasm is not known despite extensive clinical and experimental investigations. The man objectives of this experiment were to develop a new animal model for vasospasm using the femoral artery in rat and to evaluate the pathologic changes of vessel and the effects of nimodipine(calcium angagonist) on vasospasm by quantitative assessment of radial wall thickness, cross-sectional areas of arterial lumen and vessel wall. Thirty rats were divided into three groups;A skin incision was made on both inguinal areas and both proximal femoral arteries were exposed under the surgical microscope. And then 0.1ml of fresh autologous whole blood was applied directly to the femoral artery and covered with silastic cuff(spasm group). The right femoral artery was covered with silastic cuff without application of the blood(control group). A nimodipine group was produced by injection nimodipine through the intraperitoneal route after application of blood on let femoral artery. The morphological changes were investigated at 2(n=3), 5(n=3), 7(n=3), 10(n=3), and 5 days(n=3) after application of whold blood. The results were as follows; 1) A new animal model for vasospasm using the femoral artery in rat was developed. 2) As compared with control group, the arterial narrowing was present at 2days, was maximal at 7 days, and return to near control level by 20 days. 3) In the spasm group, there were a corrugation of the intima and internal elastic lamina, and thickening and vacuolization in the media on the light microscope. These histological changes suggested that the model of the femoral artery in rat was analogous to experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage. 4) There was a significant decrease in cross-sectional areas of the vessel lumen in both spasm(p<0.005) and nimodipine groups(p<0.005). Also the radial wall thickness was significantly increased in the spasm(p< and nimodipine groups(p<0.005), but there was no significant differences in measured cross-sectional areas of the vessel wall among all the groups. 5) The nimodipine group was different from the spasm group for all quantitative assessments, especially in the luminal areas and wall thickness at 7 days(p<0.05). As the results, the femoral artery in rat may serve as a model for investigations of pathogenesis and therapeutic intervention to study vasospasm and nimodipine seemed to be an effective calcium antagonist to treat and prevent vasoapasm.
Animals ; Calcium ; Cause of Death ; Femoral Artery* ; Humans ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Models, Animal ; Nimodipine* ; Phenobarbital ; Rats* ; Skin ; Spasm ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vasospasm, Intracranial

No abstract available.
Genitalia* ; Poroma*

No abstract available.
Granuloma Annulare* ; Granuloma* ; Herpes Zoster*