No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Laser Therapy* ; Prostate*

BACKGROUND: T cell mediated immune destruction is an important mechanism of liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R) seem to serve as a marker for the T cell activation and progressive liver injury, This study examined serum levels of sIft-2R and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic HCV infection to determine the correlation with the severity of chronic hepatocellular damage. METHODS: Serum levels of sIft-2R in 73 patients with HCV infection (chronic hepatitis 52, liver cirrhosis 9, hepatocellular carcinoma 12) and 40 healthy controls were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay (CELLFREE, T Cell Sciences, USA). HCV RNA was quantified by QUANTIPLEX(TM) HCV RNA 2.0 assay (Chiron, USA) with duplication. This assay is a sandwich nucleic acid hybridization procedure using branched DNA amplification for the quantitation of HCV RNA. RESULTS: The sIL-2R levels of 52 patients with chronic hepatitis (591.4+/-238.7U/mL), 9 with liver cirrhosis(949.4+/-721.9 U/mL), and 12 with hepatocellular carcinoma (1,167.4+/- 554.4 U/mL) were significantly higher than those of healthy controls(370.8+/-71.8 U/mL) (p<0.001). A progressive and significant increase occurred in sIL-2R levels with chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in order (p(0.001). The HCV RNA was detected in all patients and the means of HCV viral load were 3.3 MEq/mL in chronic hepatitis, 2.8 MEq/mL in cirrhosis, and 3.7 MEq/mL in HCC. There was no significant correlation between HCV RNA and the severity of liver injury in chronic HCV infection. There were no correlations among sIL-2R, HCV RNA and serum ALT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chronic hepatocellular injury by HCV progress mainly by T cell mediated immune response, not by direct cytopathic injury. Also, sIL-2R can be useful as a marker in monitoring the patients with HCV infection at high risk of getting HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Interleukin-2* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; RNA ; Viral Load

BACKGROUND: T cell mediated immune destruction is an important mechanism of liver injury in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R) seem to serve as a marker for the T cell activation and progressive liver injury, This study examined serum levels of sIft-2R and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in patients with chronic HCV infection to determine the correlation with the severity of chronic hepatocellular damage. METHODS: Serum levels of sIft-2R in 73 patients with HCV infection (chronic hepatitis 52, liver cirrhosis 9, hepatocellular carcinoma 12) and 40 healthy controls were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay (CELLFREE, T Cell Sciences, USA). HCV RNA was quantified by QUANTIPLEX(TM) HCV RNA 2.0 assay (Chiron, USA) with duplication. This assay is a sandwich nucleic acid hybridization procedure using branched DNA amplification for the quantitation of HCV RNA. RESULTS: The sIL-2R levels of 52 patients with chronic hepatitis (591.4+/-238.7U/mL), 9 with liver cirrhosis(949.4+/-721.9 U/mL), and 12 with hepatocellular carcinoma (1,167.4+/- 554.4 U/mL) were significantly higher than those of healthy controls(370.8+/-71.8 U/mL) (p<0.001). A progressive and significant increase occurred in sIL-2R levels with chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in order (p(0.001). The HCV RNA was detected in all patients and the means of HCV viral load were 3.3 MEq/mL in chronic hepatitis, 2.8 MEq/mL in cirrhosis, and 3.7 MEq/mL in HCC. There was no significant correlation between HCV RNA and the severity of liver injury in chronic HCV infection. There were no correlations among sIL-2R, HCV RNA and serum ALT. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chronic hepatocellular injury by HCV progress mainly by T cell mediated immune response, not by direct cytopathic injury. Also, sIL-2R can be useful as a marker in monitoring the patients with HCV infection at high risk of getting HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Interleukin-2* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; RNA ; Viral Load

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in sera of HBsAg-positive patients is more useful test for the assessment of infectivity and for the evaluation of disease status than previously utilized numerous serological markers and qualitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of HBV DNA. We tried to measure serum HBV DNA using a branched DNA (bDNA) signal amplification assay, which is recently introduced and known to be a simple and nonradioisotopic method. METHODS: Total forty patients with HBsAg were randomly selected and serum HBV DNA was measured with duplication using bDNA signal amplification assay (QUANTIPLEXTM HBV DNA ASSAY, Chiron, USA). Quantitation was determined from a standard curve and expressed as HBV DNA equivalents/mL (Eq/mL; 1 Eq = 1 molecule of the primary HBV DNA standard). Serum HBeAg, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were compared with HBV DNA. RESULTS: Serum HBV DNA was quantitated in 13 patients (32.5%) (range 6.4x106-7.4x109 Eq/mL, mean 1.8x109 Eq/mL, CV 8.1%). All eleven patients (100%) with both HBsAg and HBeAg an4 2 of 29 patients (6.9%) with HBsAg but not with HBeAg showed measurable HBV DNA (p < 0.001). In addition, serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R were significantly higher in HBV DNA measured patients compared with those of unmeasured patients. CONCLUSIONS: Above results show that more than half the HBsAg-positive patients do not have enough HBV DNA which is measurable with boNA signal amplification assay but all of HBeAg-positive patients and some of HBeAg-negative patients do. In addition, HBV DNA quantitation might be correlated with the disease activity in HBsAg-positive patients because serum levels of AST, ALT, and sIL-2R are higher in patients measured with HBV DNA than unmeasured.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay* ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

No abstract available.
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

We investigated elementary school students' knowledge, behavior, experience and preference of education method related to food safety in order to provide basic information for food safety educational program. A survey study was conducted with 569, fourth and sixth grade students, from two schools in Seoul and Ulsan. Students were asked thirty-two questions regarding food safety knowledge, behavior and experiences as well as their attitude to food safety class and preference for teaching method. The data was analyzed for the frequency analysis, t-test, chi-square test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation using the SPSS/Windows. Results indicated that 91.9 percent of the respondents did not know what unsanitary food is. 67 percent of the respondents did not know the proper method of hand washing. Although the students' level of knowledge and behavior associated with food safety was low, there was meaningful correlation(r =.184, p<.01) between knowledge and behavior. Surprisingly, students in higher grade did not demonstrate an exceeding food safety knowledge and behavior. More than 50 percent of the subjects did not have food safety education either at home or school. 60 percent of the respondents interested in food safety and the majority recognized that a food safety education is needed. Students want to learn about unsanitary food(34.1%), foodborne illness(29.7%), food selection and storage method(21.3%), and personal hygiene(11.2%) through game, role play, and practice in real situation. These results suggest that development of food safety education program is needed through the elementary school year and the education program must include fun activities in which students can participate.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education* ; Food Preferences ; Food Safety* ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Seoul ; Teaching ; Ulsan

No abstract available.
Transplantation*

Graves disease occur in association with myasthenia gravis is rare. We report a case of Graves disease and myasthenia gravis treated by bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy and total thymectomy simultaneously. A 37 year old woman was admitted with anterior neck mass and ptosis. Various examinations were compatible with combined Graves disease and myasthenia gravis. The bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy and total thymectomy were done simultaneously. The pathologic diagnosis was Graves disease and thymic hyperplasia. The patients postoperative course was uneventful. The thyroid function of patient became euthyroid and the clinical symptoms related with myastenia gravis resolved during follow up period.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neck ; Thymectomy* ; Thymus Hyperplasia ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroidectomy*

PURPOSE: Since 1997, private postnatal care facilities (San-hu-jo-ri-won in Korean) have emerged to take the role of the family. As a result, neonates are now exposed to many people and are very vulnerable to infection. However, there has been no study on the influence of postnatal care facilities on neonatal infection. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of neonatal infection in full-term babies in Korea. MATERIALS and METHODS: We followed up 556 pregnant women and their babies for 4 weeks after their births at 2 hospitals in Seoul and Daejeon from October 2004 to September 2005. Among 512 full-term babies, 58 had infectious diseases. To determine the risk factors for infection, 53 infected neonates at 4-28 days of life and 413 healthy neonates were compared. RESULTS: The incidence of neonatal infection at 4 to 28 days after birth was 10.5%. After adjusting the related factors, the number of siblings (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.13-3.71 for 1 or more) and postnatal care facilities or home aides (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.07-3.45) were significant risk factors. Formula or mixed feeding (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 0.91-3.04) increased the risk of neonatal infection but it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: When the newborns had siblings, stayed at postnatal care facilities, or were cared for by home aides, the risk of neonatal infections significantly increased. Further research on the feeding effect on neonatal infection and evaluation of prevention efforts are needed.
Communicable Diseases/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea/epidemiology ; Mothers ; Risk Factors ; *Term Birth

PURPOSE: Status epilepticus (SE) is one of the most common neurologic emergencies in children requiring immediate aggressive intervention. Despite advances in treatment of this condition, SE is still associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. To evaluate etiology and neurologic outcome of SE is very important for improving the methods of evaluation and management of SE as well as decreasing morbidity and mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 98 children aged 1 month to 15 years who were admitted to our department of pediatrics from January, 1992 to December, 1998. We analyzed age distribution, etiology, seizure type, abnormalities of EEG and brain MRI, and neurologic outcome. We try to find any coherence between neurologic sequelae and clinical factors. RESULTS: The incidence was high in toddler age, especially younger than 3 years old (67.4%). Generalized convulsive SE was the most common type (67.3%), and 54.1% of children with SE which was the first seizure episode. Major etiology of SE in young children younger than 3 years old were febrile convulsion (54.5%) and acute symptomatic causes (22.7%). Neurologic sequelae were left in 21.4% and the mortality rate was 7.1%. The neurologic complications were highly associated with the underlying causes and the seizure durations, especially over 2 hour seizures left in 75% complications. The mortality and neurologic sequelae were higher in acute symptomatic SE than other causes. Febrile SE had usually benign course, but in four in our cases showed neurologic sequale it shows 4 neurologic sequelae cases. CONCLUSION: SE is a life-threatening neurologic condition and especially occurs in young children. The early detection of seizure etiology and aggressive management are the essential factors to decrease the mortality and morbidity rates.
Age Distribution ; Brain ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Electroencephalography ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mortality ; Pediatrics ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile ; Status Epilepticus*