Eighty-two strains of Escherichia coli isolated from urine specimens in Pusan University Hospital, were serotyped and analyzed for plasmid DNA profiles, PFGE profiles, MRHA of human blood cells, HEp-2 cell adherence ability and reactivity to bfpA, LT, STh and STp DNA probes. The following results were obtained. Fifty-three of the eighty-two strains belonged to thirteen different 0 serotypes, twenty-nine strains could not be typed with the antisera used. Thirty strains (43.9%) were hemolysin producer. MRHA is present on twenty-nine strains (35.37%) of eighty-two strains. MRHA positive strains carry a plasmid of 60MDa, a putative factor involved in adherence. This plasmid might be specific for MRHA positive strains. MRHA positive strains were observed in serotype 01, 018, 055, 086a, 0119, 0126, and 0142. Twenty-six strains of E. coli showed three patterns of adherence to HEp-2 cells namely, localized, diffuse, and aggregative adhesion. Twenty-two strains hybridized with the bfpA probe, while all eighty-two strains did not hybridize with the probes, LT, STh, STp. The restriction fragment patterns of chromosomal DNA digested with AotI analysed by PFGE of hemolysin-producing E. coli ten strains were compared with eight different types. Three of E. coli serotype 01, 08 and 0126 showed the same chromosomal DNA fragment patterns.
Blood Cells ; Busan ; DNA ; DNA Probes ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Plasmids ; Serotyping*

To study factors related to release of atrial natriuretic polypeptide(ANP) in human subjects, instracardiac pressure and plasma ANP concentration in peripheral and central circulation were measured in patients with various heart disease (18 valvular heart disease, 4 congenital heart disease, 2 cardiomyopathy). 1) The concentration in peripheral venous plasma were increased in 14 patients with New York Heart Associaion (NYHA) functional class III-IV (87+/-38 pg/ml) as compared with that in 10 patients with NYHA functional class I-II (39+/-21 pg/ml, P<0.005)and 15 normal subjects (51+/-21 pg/ml, P<0.01). 2)The concentration of plasma ANP in inferior vena cava, right ventricle, pulonary artery, left ventricle and aorta were markedly increased in patient with NYHA functional class III-IV, elevated mean right atrial pressure (MRAP> or =8 mmHg) elevated mean pulmonary capllary wedge pressure (MPCWP> or =15 mmHg) and/or elevated pulminary artery systolic pressure (PASP> or =35 mmHg), as compared with those in patients with NYHA functional class I-II and/or lower intracardiac pressure (MRAP<8 mmHg, MPCWP<15 mmHg, and/or PASP<35 mmHg). 3) A step up in ANP concentration between inferior vena cava and right atrium was seen in patients with elevated MRAP (81+/-28pg/ml, 137+/-60pg/ml, P<0.05), MPCWP (74+/-37pg/ml,112+/-62pg/ml, P<0.05) and/or PASP (75+/-29 pg/ml,119+/-64 pg/ml, P<0.05). But there were no differences among intracardiac ANP concentrations from right atrium though aorta. 4) Plasma concentrations in right atrium, pulmonary artery, left ventricle and aorta correlated with MRAP (r=0.82, 0.63, 0.56, p<0.005 and r=0.52, P<0.01, respectively), MPCWP (r=0.86, 0.75, 0.73 and 0.72 respectively, P<0.005 in all) and PASP (r=0.73, 0.57, 0.68 and 0.59 respectively P<0.005 in all). 5) Left atrial diameter correlated with plasma ANP concentration in peripheral plasma (r=0.55, P<0.01), inferior vena cava (r=0.51, P<0.025), right atrium (r=0.45, P<0.05), right ventricle (r=0.55, P<0.01), pulmonary artery (r=0.52, P<0.01), left ventricle (r=0.55, P<0.01) and aorta (r=0.56, P<0.005). These results suggest that the heart secrets atrial natriuretic polypeptide into right atrium in response to increased mean right atrial pressure, mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary artery systolic pressure and/or left atrial distention.
Aorta ; Arteries ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Atrial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Plasma* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Vena Cava, Inferior

No abstract available.
Thyroid Diseases* ; Thyroid Gland*

The duration of the phases of left ventricular systole was measured from simultaneous recordings of the electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram and carotid arterial pulse tracing using a multichannel photographic system with paper speed at 100 mm per second. Observations were made in 81 male and 66 female patients with hypertension and 41 healthy males and 38 healthy females who served as controls. All hypertension patients were classified by change in funduscopic finding, EKG and grade of diastolic pressure. STI were measured in each group and analysed. The resutls were as follows: 1. The normal PEP/LVET was 0.293 in male and 0.303 in female. 2. In male & female hypertensive patients, all STI were significantly difference to that of normal control except QA2. 3. In male hypertensive patients, the degree of EKG, funduscopic change and diastolic pressure were positive relation to the increase of PEP/LVET.
Blood Pressure ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Systole*

BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia is the one of the major risk factors causing the atherosclerosis of coronary arteries. Treatment of hyperlipidemia with drugs has been confirmed the effects of therapy showing a decreased incidence of coronary artery disease. Pravastatin is one of the new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and we studied the short-term hypolipidemic effects and safety of pravastatin in patients with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: We studied 31 patients(7 males and 24 females ; range of age, 36-67 years) for 12 weeks whose plasma levels of total cholesterol were higher than 250mg% after one month period of diet therapy. Pravastatin was administered 10mg/day and measured lipid profiles at 4 week interval. RESULTS: Pravastatin reduced the plasma total cholesterol from 286.2mg% to 212.3mg% (25.9%), the LDL-cholesterol from 204.2mg% to 143.6mg% (29.7%), the triglyceride from 226.0mg% to 161.4mg% (28.6%) after 12 weeks treatment. The HDL-cholesterol increased from 25.8mg% to 46.4mg% (20.5%) after pravastatin therapy. These changes were disclosed all statistically significant compared to baseline levels(p<0.01). The clinical and laboratory examinations before and after pravastatin treatment showed no particular abnormal findings. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that short-term pravastatin therapy in patients with hyperlipidemia seems to be very effective and safe.
Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diet Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Incidence ; Male ; Plasma ; Pravastatin* ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides

Regional left ventricular wall motion was evaluated by two-dimensional echocardiographic technique with floating-axis (internal frame of reference) system in three groups of subject; normal subject (n=12), patients with acute anterior myocardial infraction(n=16), and patients with acute inferior myocardial infraction(n=10). Significant hypokinetic wall motion were detected in apical portion (Mean Percent Shortening; 0.27-5.84% in anterior infraction group and 9.64-13.17% in controls) and apicoanterior portion (MPS; 2.86% in anterior infraction group and 14.13% in controls) in patients with acute anterior myocardial infraction (P<0.01), and inferior portion (MPS; 3.56-6.93% in inferior infraction group and 18.26-19.8% in controls) and apical portion (MPS; 4.04% in inferior infraction group and 9.64% in controls) in patients with acute inferior myocardial infraction (P<0.01) in apical long-axis views. We conclude that echocardiographic wall motion analysis by floating axis system is an accurate non-invasive method for detecting abnormal wall motion in patients with acute anterior and in ferior myocardial infraction.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Echocardiography* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction*

To study left ventricular diastolic filling in patient with hypertension in different form of left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH), 105 patients with hypertension and 30 normal persons underwent M-mode echocardiography and pulsed Doppler measurement of the left ventricular inflow. From the M-mode echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular dimension, hypertensive patients were subdivided into three grouops : group I(n=27) ; no LVH, group II(n=36) ; concentric LVH, grooup III(n=42) asymmetric septal hypertrophy. From the digitized trace of the pulsed Doppler at the mitral valve level, Doppler diastolic time intervals, peak velocities at rapid filling (E velocity) and atrial contraction(A velocity) and the triangle area under the A velocity(A area) and triagle area under the E velocity(E area) were measured. The peak A velocity(normal subjects ; 0.51+/-0.08m/sec, group I ; 0.73+/-0.14m/sec, group II ; 0.78+/-0.15m/sec, group III ; 0.8+/-0.23 m/sec) and the A area(noral subjects ; 4.71+/-1.64, group I; 6.24+/-1.78, group II ; 7.75+/-2.93, group III ; 8.05+/-3.11) and the peak A/E velocity ratio and the A/E area ratio were significantly different from the normal controls(P<0.01). The peak E velocity(normal subjects ; 0.76+/-0.13, group I ; 0.7+/-0.12, group II ; 0.63+/-0.12, group III ; 0.59+/-0.15m/sec) and E area (normal subjects ; 9.61+/-2.8, group I ; 8.11+/-2.13, group II ; 7.82+/-2.73, group III ; 7.34+/-3.07) were significantly different between hypertensive groups with LVH and normal controls. Doppler time intervals, total area were not different between groups. This study shows that abnormal pattern of left ventricular diastolic filling occur in patients with hypertension and the peak A velocity and the peak A/E velocity ratio and the peak A/E area ratio are the earliest findings that can detectable by Doppler echocardiography.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Mitral Valve

Proliferative activity of a malignant tumor is known to reflect its biological aggressiveness. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a marker of cellular proliferation, and silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) have been shown to correlate with ploidy and proliferative activity of cells. In transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, the prognostic value of these markers has not been well defined. We studied PCNA expression and the AgNORs count in 22 transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis to assess their prognostic significance compared with their cumulative survival rate, the stage of disease and histopathologic features of the tumors. An immunohistochemical method and a standard colloidal silver staining were used. The mean percentage of PCNA positivity (PCNA index) and the mean number of AgNORs per nucleus (AgNORs score) were determined. In a multivariable analysis, PCNA indexes were significantly associated with tumor stage (p=0.024), whereas AgNORs scores were not significantly associated with the stage or histopatholgic features of the tumors. Histologic grade was correlated to disease stage at a significant level (p=0.000). But there was a trend of low tumor PCNA-indices or AgNORs counts with survival advantage for patients, but this did not reach statistical significance. The results suggest that the fraction of PCNA positive nuclei would be useful for investigating the malignant potential of renal pelvic cancers, although their clinical use as markers of biologic behavior may be limited.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Cell Proliferation ; Colloids ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Pelvis* ; Nucleolus Organizer Region ; Pelvic Neoplasms ; Ploidies ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Silver Staining ; Survival Rate

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lovastatin, new hypolipidemic agent of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, we administered lovastatin 40mg to 80mg once daily for 12 weeks in 20 patients(7 males, 13 females) with primary hypercholesterolemia, and observed the sequential chamges of the lipid profile every 4 weeks. The results are as follows ; 1) The seurm total cholesterol was reduced significantly by 31% from 321+/-36mg% to 210+/-26mg%(p<0.05). 2) The serum triglycerides was significantly reduced from 321+/-168mg% to 228+/-74mg% by 29%(p<0.05). 3) The low density lipoprotein cholesterol was reduced significantly from 177+/-36mg% to 120+/-22mg% by 32%(p<0.05). 4) The total lipid, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol were also reduced significantly. 5) The ratio between total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol did not change after lovastatin therapy. 6) There was no adverse reaction due to lovastatin therapy during 12 weeks of therapy. These results suggested that lovastatin is a effective and safe now hypolipidemic agent and is a convenient HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor for clinical use.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Cholesterol, VLDL ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Lovastatin* ; Male ; Oxidoreductases ; Triglycerides

To evaluate the effect of Perindopril in patients with essential hypertension, we administered Perindopril 4 to 8mg/day once daily to 30 patients(18 males, 12 females) for 12 weeks. Baseline blood pressure after 4 weeks with placebo was 150.4+/-7.5/102.0+/-4.3mmHg. The blood pressures of the patients were declined significantly at 4th(140.6+/-14.9/95.4+/-6.5), 8th(136.7+/-11.4/91.7+/-7.6), and 12th(132.3+/-11.1/87.5+/-6.9) week(p<0.01) without change of heart rate. The blood pressure of the patients was normalized below 140/30mmHg in 24 patients(80%) and declined diastolic blood pressure more than 10mmHg in one patients. Therefore the response rate of perindopril was 83.3%. There were reported 3 patients who revealed mild adverse reactions as follows; cough, indigestion, dizziness in one each. In conclusion, these results indicate that antihypertensive therapy with perindopril single daily dose was effective in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension and well tolerated.
Blood Pressure ; Cough ; Dizziness ; Dyspepsia ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Perindopril*