To improve and keep the competitiveness, it is necessary to keep pace with available changes in technology, and it is essential to establish the flexible and accurate information system about the disease. And for the accurate decision-making, target setting and prediction of movement, the estimating of the short- and long-term effects of the strategies of disease related service are required. But the limited informations, including all of knowledge of leprosy, make it difficult to estimate them properly. To achieve the more effective leprosy related service, we have to make the effort to crate the more accurate system. To proffer the idea for the development of information monitoring, we present the reviews of some articles about the information theories that used the leprosy related service.
Information Systems ; Information Theory ; Leprosy*

In 2003, we found 6 new cases and 5 relapse cases, diagnosis by the clinical finding, skin smear, skin biopsy, lepromin test, ELISA for PGL-I antibody, and DNA-PCR. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. In new cases, the mean age was 62.5, mean BI is 4+,and mean O.D. of PGL-I antibody was 0.678, and numbers of TTC repeat was 12(4 cases), 18(1 case), and 20(1 case), and of GACATC repeats are 4(5 cases, Koreans)and 3(1 case, Filipino). 2. In relapse cases, the mean age was 59.4, mean BI is 4.6+,and mean O.D. of PGL-I antibody was 0.772, and numbers of TTC repeat was 11(4 cases), 15(1 case), and of GACATC repeats are 4(4 case, Koreans)and 3(1 case, Korean).
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Lepromin ; Leprosy ; Recurrence ; Skin

A study on the status of Mycobacterium leprae in the skin smear and the anti-PGL-I IgM antibody titers, examined by ELISA using ND-O-BSA against sera, the according to multidrug therapy (MDT) for 504 patients with leprosy including 224 new cases and 280 relapse cases in the institute was carried out and the following results were obtained. And the anti-PGL-I IgM antibody titers were examined by ELISA 752 contacts and 606 normal persons as control group. The results obtained were summerized as follows: 1. In 504 patients with leprosy, the mean bacterial index(BI) before starting MDT was 4.82 and the mean BI at 2, 5 and 10 years after starting MDT were 4.3, 2.8, and 1.5 respectively. So average BI declining rate per year was 1.1 2. In 504 patients with leprosy, the mean absorbance of anti-PGL-1 IgM antibody before starting MDT was 0.79287 and the mean absorbance at 2, 5 and 10 years after starting MDT were 0.58268, 0.38551 and 0.31003 respectively. So average absorbance declining rate per year was 0.48284. Between multibacillary (mean absorbance: 0.85762) and paucibacillary(mean absorbance: 0.35555) leprosy patients, the 3. In 504 patients with leprosy, the mean absorbance of anti-PGL-1 IgM antibody of the each bacterial index(BI)-0, 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+, 5+ and 6+ were 0.35555, 0.620, 0.72169, 0.74537, 0.81038, 0.89762, and 1.09664 respectively. The positive linear correlation between the bacterial index (BI) and anti-PGL-I IgM antibody was confirmed(F ratio: 10.49701, F critical point: 2.1168131 p=0.05, prediction trend line: y=107.42x + 389). 4. The mean absorbance of anti-PGL-1 IgM antibody was 0.79287 in patients with leprosy, 0.06027117 in contacts and 0.05021 in normal control persons. Between contacts and normal controls, the
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Leprosy* ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Recurrence ; Skin

Background : Korean Activities of Daily Living(K-ADL) scale and Korean Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(K-IADL) scale were developed to measure the function of the old. The evaluation through K-ADL and K-IADL is important for the optimal medical service to the disabled old people on the Sorokdo. This study was conducted to assess the functional disability of them and to find out the suitable medical service. Method : This research was collected from 731 Sorokdo residents in Oct, 2003. The data were compared by chi-square test, independent t-test and ANOVA test using SPSS(ver 10.0) with alpha-error=0.05. Result : Bathing-points and clothing-points on ADL scale are comparatively low: points of the women lower than those of the men; the group over 65 years than group under that age; the patients who have combined disease than the patients who have not; and the patients who have been hospitalized more than once than those who have not been. Besides, the points of the not-disabled are lower than those of disability, the lower one`s points on ADL scale. It is due to the fact that there are many not-disabled persons over 65 years old. Preparing-a-meal points and washing-points on IADL scale are comparatively low: points of the women lower than those of the men; the group over 65 years than group under that age; the patients who have combined disease than the patients who have not; the patients who have been hospitalized than those who have not been one a more; and the seriously- disabled and the slightly-disabled. The points on Barthel ADL scale are dwindling annually by 0.3 to 0.5, the decrease of the women being greater than that of the men. Conclusion : Special medical programs for the old patients and a rehabilitation health service will improve the reliability of medical service on Sorokdo hospital and increase quality of life.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Female ; Health Services ; Humans ; Leprosy ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Rehabilitation

The variance of tandem repeats in the rpoT gene of Mycobacterium leprae was recently demonstrated. The objects of this study was to examine the proportion and distributions of the genotypes of M. leprae in Korea and to compared it with genotypes of M. leprae form foreign leprosy patients using difference of the tandem repeats. Among 101 cases, 72 isolated from Korea and 4 cases from Japan (except Okinawa) demonstrated four copies of the 6 bp tandem repeats in the rpoT gene, and three copies were found in isolates from two korean, 2 cases of Okinawa in Japan, and those from Southeast Asian countries, Peru and Paraguay. These results reveal the genetic diversity of M. leprae and the related genotype-specific distribution in the world. In this study, a more detailed explanation can be also possible regarding the transmission route of M. leprae.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Leprosy* ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Paraguay ; Peru ; Tandem Repeat Sequences

The purposes of this case report(8 case) were to investigate the oral health periodontal conditions (CPITN 1 : 3, CPITN 2 : 182, CPITN 3 : 528) and prevent natural teeth through periodontal treatment(non-surgical periodontal treatment and surgical periodontal treatment) of patients who have Hansen's disease, which is an infectious periodontitis. Operative method of periodontal treatment are scaling, root planning, gingivectomy, partial flap, full flap.
Dental Scaling ; Gingivectomy ; Humans ; Leprosy ; Oral Health ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; Tooth

The imbalance between paralyzed orbicularis oculi and normally functioning its antagonists such as the levator of the upper lid and the capsulopalpebral fascia of the lower lid in patients with leprosy causes ectropion, eyelid retraction and lagophthalmos. There are a lot of surgical methods to manage the ectropion and retraction of the lower lid including lateral canthoplasty, lateral canthopexy, spacer graft, canthal sling, medial tarsorraphy as well as temporal fascia transfer. In this study, we applied the lateral tarsal strip combined with Kuhnt- Szymanowski procedure to thirty-two patients with paralytic ectropion and this method was proven to be very effective in correcting the abnormal conditions.
Ectropion ; Eyelids ; Fascia ; Humans ; Leprosy ; Transplants

In 2007, we find 3 new cases and 3 relapse cases, diagnosis by the clinical finding, skin smear, skin biopsy, lepromin test, ELISA for PGL-I antibody, and DNA-PCR. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. In 3 new cases, 2 Koreans are 70 and 79 years old, one foreigner (Filipino) is 38 years old, mean BI is 2.8, and mean O.D. of PGL-I antibody is 0.22, and numbers of TTC repeat are 10(Korean), 11(Korean), and 12(Filipino), and of GACATC repeats are 4(2 Koreans) and 3(1 foreigner/ Filipino). All new cases have no mutation of folP1 & rpoB gene. 2. In 3 relapse cases, the mean age is 56.8, mean BI is 5.6+, and mean O.D. of PGL-I antibody is 0.70, and numbers of TTC repeat are 11(2 cases), and 12(1 case), and of GACATC repeats are 4(all 3 Koreans). Among 3 relapse cases, 2 cases have the mutation of folP1 gene and 2cases have the mutationo frpoB gene, especially one case have the mutation of both folP1 & rpoB gene.
Biopsy ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Lepromin ; Leprosy ; Recurrence ; Skin

Relapse may occur the poor killing of M.leprae due to inadequate treatment in early onset relapse, and persisting M.leprae and drug resistance mutants in late onset relapse. The relapse of leprosy after the release from treatment(RFT) has profound implications for the public Hansen program including case management, compliance, disease transmission and control. For the understanding of recent characteristics of the leprosy relapse in Korea, we are summarized and reported the epidemiological factors. 23 relapse cases were reported in Korea from 2003 to 2007. Among 23 cases, 18 cases were the lepromatous type, and 3 cases were the tuberculoid type. The mean duration of past treatment was 16.4 years, and the mean interval to relapse was 28.5 years.
Case Management ; Compliance ; Drug Resistance ; Homicide ; Korea ; Leprosy ; Recurrence

Suppressor T cells (Ts cells) once became probably the most controversial topic in the field of immunology. However, recently the picture has changed dramatically. Suppressor T cells, now less provocatively renamed regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are isolated and can be expanded in vitro and in vivo and their role is the subject of intensive investigation. It is now well recognized that Treg cell is central components of fundamental immune functions such as self-tolerance, anti-tumor response, T cell homeostasis, allergic and autoimmune diseases, allograft transplantation and control of infection. Although regulatory T cells play a crucial role in the control of immune responses to bacteria, fungus, virus and parasites, little is known about the role of Treg cells in mycobacterial infections. Here, I briefly describe 1)the biology of Treg cells, 2)induction and expansion of pathogen-specific Treg cells, 3)beneficial and detrimental roles of Treg cells in infection and 4)"Old Friends" mechanism of hygiene hypothesis. This article also explores observations on Treg or Ts cells in mycobacterial infectious diseases such as leprosy and tuberculosis. I finally summarize the potential for Treg-targeted immunotherapy in infectious diseases allergic and autoimmune diseases as well as transplantation and anti-tumor immunity. The correct balance of effector/pathogenic and regulatory T cells for successful immunotherapeutic approach is also emphasized.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Bacteria ; Biology ; Communicable Diseases ; Fungi ; Homeostasis ; Hygiene Hypothesis ; Immunotherapy ; Leprosy ; Parasites ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis ; Viruses