Dendritic cell (DC)s are protessional antigen presenting cells and they have been used for antitumor immunotherapy or cell vaccines. However therapy using DC is restricted because the number of DC available from tissue is very low. Flt3 ligand (FL) has been known as a hematopoietic growth factor that increases proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells, and recently it showed inducibility of dendritic cell (DC)s and signiticant antitumor effects in vivo. Thus FL will be frequently used for DC induction and antitumor immunotherapy in future. Here we constructed FL plasmid and studied its in vivo effect. FL plasmids were made by cloning of partial FL cDNA into pcDNA3 plasmid, and gene expression and protein producibility of FL plasmid were confirmed in Renca cells transfected with FL plasmid. Mice were injected with FL plasmid (100ug/mouse) three times and 20 days later mouse spleens were harvested for staining and RT-PCR. There were lots of blastogenic cells in the spleen of mice treated with FL plasmid. FL plasmid also induced DEC205, IL-12 and GM-CSF gene expression in mouse splenocyte. All these data suggest FL plasmid may be used for induction of DC and antitumor therapy as DNA adjuvant.
Mice ; Animals

No abstract available.
Hamartoma*

Since the introduction of percutaneous mitral valvotomy(PMV) in 1984, PMV was an effecive alternative to surgical commissurotomy in selected patients with severe mitral stenosis. Also PMV was an excellent palliative strategy in such patients who were high risk for operative management or longterm anticoagulation was not feasible. We performed PMV in a patient with very tight mitral stenosis and severe pulmonary hypertension under the general anesthesia because the patient was anticipated to be uncooperative due to mental problem, who was diagnosed as schizophrenia 16 years ago. Robinol was used for premedication and i.v fentanyl was used for maintenance of anesthesia. Inoue balloon was introduced into the LV and gradual ballooning was performed with favorable results. Total anesthesia time and interval from internal jugular vein puncture to the completion of valvuloplasty were 1 hour 45 min and 40 minutes respectively. Hemodynamic variables were improved immediately after intervention and mitral valve area was increased from 0.5cm2 to 1.3cm2.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Fentanyl ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Jugular Veins ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Premedication ; Punctures ; Schizophrenia*

No abstract available.
Arthritis* ; Osteoarthritis* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Transforming Growth Factors*

This study is a methodical research to develop a health behavior assessment scale for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. The research procedure was as follows; 1) The first step was to develop conceptual framework based on a comprehensive review of the literature, in-depth interviews patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This conceptual framework was organized in eight dimensions; pain management, exercise, rest, diet control, active committment, self-management, positive thinking, interpersonal maintenance. Initially 56 items were selected from 164 statement. 2) These items were reviewed by panel of eight specialists and the Index of Content validity (CVI) was calculated, and forty six items were selected which met more than 70% on the CVI. 3) 174 rheumatoid arthritis pateints were interviewed, and data was gathered from Jan. 25 to Feb. 18, 1999 for test reliabilities and validities of the scale. The item analysis was carried out and 40 items were selected. Factor analysis by varimax rotation was carried out to test construct validity. The internal consistency by chronbach's alpha was calculated. The findings were as follows; 1) Item analysis and factor analysis were carried out to test the validity of the health behavior assessment scale. The item analysis was based on the corrected item`s to total correlation coefficient (.30 or more), and information about the alpha estimate. However, this was only if this item was deleted from the scale. As a result of the item analysis, forty items were selected. Thirty items were selected by a initial factor analysis by varimax rotation, and ten items were deleted because of factor complexity. In the secondary factor analysis, eight factors were labled as 'positive thinking', 'exercise', 'rest', 'pain management', 'active committment', 'self-management', 'diet control', and 'interpersonal maintenance', each similar with the conceptual framework. 2) Chronbach's alpha coefficient to test reliability of the scale was. 903 for total the thirty items. The Scale for assessing health behavior developed in this study was identified to be a tool with a high degree of reliability and validity. Therefore this scale can be effectively utilized for assessment in the health behaviors of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Diet ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Pain Management ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self Care ; Specialization ; Thinking

No abstract available.
Immunotherapy ; Melanoma*

No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Isoxazoles

To examine prospectively the efficacy and reliability of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia. we treated 147 eyes of 86 patients with a VisX Twenty/Twenty excimer laser and followed them up for 1 year and follow up 48 eyes of 26 patients for 2 years. The patients were divided into two groups with preoperative myopia: group 1 with diopters between -1.50 and -6.00, group 2 with diopters between -6.01 and -10.00. At 1 year, the group 1 with a mean preoperative refractive error of -4.61D changed to -0.40D, the group 2 changed from -7.50D to -0.92D. At 2 years, the group 1 with a mean preoperative refractive error of -4.28D changed to -0.41D, the group 2 changed from -7.75D to -1.04D. At 1 yera, in group 1, 90.91% (70 of 77) of eyes and in group 2, 64.29%(45 of 70) of eyes were corrected within 1D of intended refraction,respectively. At 1 years, in group 1, 94.81% (73 of 77) of eyes and in group 2, 84.29%(59 of 70) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 0.5 or better. And at 2 years, in group 1, 81.82% (18 of 22)of eyes, and in group 2, 50.00% (13 of 26) of eyes were corrected within 1D of intended refraction, respectively. At 2 years, in group 1, 95.50% (21% of 22) of eyes and in group 2, 84.62%(22 of 26) of eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 0.5 or better.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Myopia* ; Photorefractive Keratectomy* ; Prospective Studies ; Refractive Errors ; Visual Acuity

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty(PMV) was comparable to surgical commissurotomy in initial and long term follow-up results in selected patients with symptomatic severe mitral stenosis. Transseptal puncture was necessary for antegrade introduction of balloon. In patient with kyphoscoliosis, PMV was relatively contraindicatied due to difficulty and risk of septal puncture. We performed the PMV in a patient with kyphoscoliosis and severe mitral stenosis. The patient was presented with NYHA class III. Echocardiographic evaluation revealed mitral valve area of 0.8cm2 and mean diastolic pressure gradient of 12mmHg. X-ray film of T-L spine showed severe kyphoscoliosis. Transseptal puncture was possible with modification of angle of Brockenbrough needle at the site of 15cm from the needle tip. After transseptal puncture, Inoue balloon was introduced into the LV and gradual ballooning was performed with optimal results. Hemodynamic variable were improved immediately after intervention and mitral valve area was increased from 0.7cm2 to 1.8cm2. Patient was discharged with NYHA class I.
Blood Pressure ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Needles ; Punctures ; Spine ; X-Ray Film

Following nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI) to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 has led to drastic reduction in incidence of communicable disease. Intussusception is commonly preceded by infectious pathogens. Indirect effect from NPI implementation on incidence of intussusception has not been understood fully. We conducted a cohort study to estimate the impact of NPI on incidence of intussusception in Korean children. The net risk ratio of intussusception incidence for 2020 compared to 2010–2019 was 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43–0.64) for boys and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.44–0.71) for girls (P for difference = 0.017). Our study showed an association between NPI implementation and reduction of intussusception incidence, with more profound reduction in boys compared to girls.