BACKGROUND/AIMS: The introduction of Hansenula polymorpha for recombinant hepatitis B vaccine production allowed high product yield with plasmid stability and less glycosylation than conventional Saccharomyces cerevisiae system. A Green Cross HG-II vaccine formulated from HBsAg produced by a recombinant strain of the yeast H. polymorpha was evaluated for immunogenicity and safety in an open label triaL METHOFD: A 20 ug dose of Green Cross HG-II vaccine was administered intramuscularly at 0, 1 and 6 months at the deltoid region in 118 healthy adults seronegative for HBV markers. The anti-HBs titers were determined at one month after administration of the third dose of vaccine by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The seroconversion rate was 96.8% (90 out of 93), with seroprotective rate of 95.7% (89 out of 93). The geometric mean titers(GMT) of the anti-HBs response was 153.1mIU/ml in seroconverters. An age-dependent effect was observed in the anti-HBs response. But sex-dependent effect was not prominent. Reactogenecity was in incidence and general reactions were short-lasting and a mainly mild in severity. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study have shown that the Green Cross HG-II vaccine is safe and clinically well tolerated, a nd that it may provide protection against HBV infection.
Adult* ; Glycosylation ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B Vaccines* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pichia ; Plasmids ; Radioimmunoassay ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; Yeasts

Lovastatin is a potent inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, which catalyzes the conversion of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A to mevalonate, anearly and rate-limiting step in the synthesis of cholesterol. We studied the therapeutic effect and safety of lovastatin in 18 patients with nonfamilial primary hypercholesterolemia. Patients received 20mg/day lovastatin therapy as a single evening dose. If the total cholesterol level exceeded 200mg/dl after 2weeks of lovastatin therapy, the dosage of lovastatin was doubled. Mean percent total cholesterol level reductions from baseline were 26.4% and 31.9% after 4, and 8 weeks of lovastatin therapy respectively. Mean percent HDL-cholesterol level increase from baseline were 12% and 13% after 4, and 8 weeks of lovastatin therapy respectively. Adverse effects attributable to lovastatin were mild and temporary and no patient was withdrawn from therapy. We concluded that lovastatin was a well tolerated and effective agent for the treatment of nonfamilial primary hypercholesterolemia. Further studies are needed to establish the long-term safety and effectiveness of this drug.
Cholesterol ; Coenzyme A ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Lovastatin ; Mevalonic Acid ; Oxidoreductases

BACKGROUND: The H-reflex has been used to assess the proximal nerve conduction in radiculopathy or peripheral neuropathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the H-reflex in the diagnosis of subclinical diabetic polyneuropathy. METHOD: Thirty-four diabetic patients (17 women and 17 men) who had neither motor nor sensory symptoms were selected (mean age 57.6 +/- 12.9 years). The duration of diabetes varied from 0.5 to 24 years (mean 6.2 +/- 5.1 years). None of the patients had any known cause of peripheral neuropathy other than diabetes. Twenty-seven healthy subjects (16 women and 11 men) were evaluated as an age-matched control group. H-reflex studies were performed using Braddom and Johnson's methods. The presence and latencies of the H-reflexes were examined in both legs. RESULTS: Twenty-four of the 34 patients (70.6%) had abnormal H-reflex responses (absent H-reflex in 17, prolonged latency in 7). However, only three out of the 27 control subjects (11.1%) had abnormal H-reflex responses (absent H-reflex in 1, prolonged latency in 2). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormalities in H-reflex studies have often been seen in diabetic subjects without overt neurological symptoms. This study suggests that the H-reflex study may be a useful screening tool in the diagnosis of subclinical diabetic polyneuropathy.
Diabetic Neuropathies* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; H-Reflex* ; Humans ; Leg ; Mass Screening ; Neural Conduction ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Radiculopathy

Antihypertensive effect of angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitor Captopril was studied in 34 cases of essential hypertension. A single oral dose of 50mg Captopril was administered daily and blood pressure was followed every 2 weeks. Diuretics were added to patients who responded inadequately after 2 weeks of Captopril single treatment. Alpha-blocker, beta-blocker or calcium channel-blocker was added to patients who responded inadequately after another 2 weeks of Captopril and diuretics combined treatment. In 5 cases, Captopril was raised to 100mg and further antihypertensives were added to unresponded 3 cases. The resuts were as follows; 1) In 15 patients, blood pressure dropped from 170.3+/-10.5mmHg/108.7+/-6.1mmHg to 148.3+/-4.4mmHg/93.3+/-3.7mmHg after 8 weeks of Captopril 50mg single therapy. 2) Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg was added to non-responders, and blood pressure dropped from 180+/-6.7mmHg/111.1+/-6.2mmHg to 155.0+/-15.0mmHg/106.2+/-8.7mmHg in 9 of 19 patients after 8 weeks of combined treatment. 3) Alpha-blocker, Beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker was added to 10 non-responders to Captopril-hyprochlorothiazide combination therapy, and blood pressure dropped from 189.0+/-27mmHg/116+/-10mmHg to 137.8+/-15.5mmHg/88.5+/-10.2mmHg after 8 weeks. 4) Increase of captopril from 50mg to 100mg in 5 random nonresponder cases of Captopril single treatment lowered blood pressure from 168.0+/-13.6mmHg/107.1+/-6.4mmHg to 161+/-15.2mmHg/99+/-8.8mmHg after 2 weeks. 5) Heart rate, and serum creatinine, electrolytes and lipid levels showed no significant interval change. 6) Six patients complained of dry cough and one patient complained of poor appetite but no other clinically significant complications were noted during Captopril treatment.
Angiotensins ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Appetite ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Captopril* ; Cough ; Creatinine ; Diuretics ; Electrolytes ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrochlorothiazide ; Hypertension

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a steroid-responsive disorder of persistent or relapsing neurological or neu-ropsychological deficits associated with elevated serum concentrations of antithyroid antibody that frequently presents with myoclonus, seizures, and stroke-like episodes. We report a 55-year-old woman who presented with an altered men-tality associated with generalized tonic-clonic seizure. She was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis 3 years prior. Serum antithyroglobulin antibody and antimicrosomal antibody were elevated. Electroencephalography (EEG) showed generalized slowing. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with T2-weighted sequence and fluid-attenuated inver-sion- recovery (FLAIR) image revealed a high signal intensity in both mesial temporal areas. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) demonstrated decreased perfusion in multiple areas. With the impression of HE, she was placed on high dose steroid and thyroid hormone replacement therapy which ameliorated her neurological symp-toms. We suggest that HE should be included in the differential diagnosis of decreased mentality, especially when patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis show altered consciousness, seizure disorder, or cognitive decline.
Brain ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Myoclonus ; Perfusion ; Seizures ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to elucidate the effects of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)1 and L-ascorbic acid on proteoglycan synthesis, and the relationship between Sox9, proteoglycan, and TGF-beta1 in intervertebral disc cells. METHODS: Human intervertebral disc tissue was sequentially digested to 0.2% pronase and 0.025% collagenase in DMEM/F-12 media and extracted cells were cultured in 37degrees C, 5% CO2 incubator. When intervertebral disc cells were cultured with TGF-beta1 or L-ascorbic acid, the production level of sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) was estimated by dimethyl methyleneblue (DMMB) assay. The changes of Sox9 mRNA and protein levels via TGF-beta1 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis in each. RESULTS: The amount of sGAG was increased with the lapse of time during incubation, and sGAG content of pellet cultured cells was much larger than monolayer culture. When primary cultured intervertebral disc cells in monolayer and pellet cultures were treated by TGF-beta1 20 ng, sGAG content of experimental group was increased significantly compared to control group in both cultures. L-Ascorbic acid of serial concentrations (50-300 ug/ml) increased sGAG content of mono layer cultured intervertebral disc cells significantly in statistics. The co-treatment of TGF-beta1 and L-ascorbic acid increased more sGAG production than respective treatment. After treating with TGF-beta1, Sox9 mRNA and protein expression rates were significantly increased in disc cells compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that TGF-beta1 would increase sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) and other proteoglycans such as versican by elevating Sox9 mRNA and protein expressions in order.
Ascorbic Acid ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagenases ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Incubators ; Intervertebral Disc ; Pronase ; Proteoglycans ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Versicans

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a clinicopathologic syndrome of pulmonary inflammatory responses which has become increasingly recognized and has been described in association with a variety of disorders. We present a case of polymyositis associated with BOOP that responded to a corticosteroid therapy. The patient had a nonproductive cough, increasing dyspnea, fatigue, mild proximal limb weakness, and bilateral basal interstitial infiltrates on chest X-ray. This case will add further strength to the association of BOOP with polymyositis. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(5):547~549, 2001)
Bronchiolitis Obliterans* ; Bronchiolitis* ; Cough ; Creatine Kinase ; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia* ; Dyspnea ; Extremities ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Polymyositis* ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Menopause is an independent risk factor in metabolic syndrome which induced an alteration of the lipid metabolism by hormonal changes. Apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) was related to the regulation of triglyceride and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level with biosynthesis and decomposition. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between APOA5 polymorphism and metabolic syndrome in Korean postmenopausal women. METHODS: This study included 307 postmenopausal women with anthropometric and biochemical measurement in 2010-2011. The polymorphism of APOA5 was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method with MseI restriction enzyme. RESULTS: The metabolic syndrome prevalence with TT genotype was significantly lower than the frequency in those with TC/CC (27.09%, 38.46%, and 45.71% for TT, TC, and CC, respectively; P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis of metabolic syndrome risk factors indicated that postmenopausal women with CC genotype had a higher risk with 3 times than that in TT genotype (P < 0.05). APOA5 C carriers showed an increased risk of triglyceride level (odd ratio, 2.93 and 1.85 for CC and TC+CC, respectively; P < 0.05). Interestingly, HDL-C was related to triglyceride directly in comparison to APOA5. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that APOA5 has an influence on serum triglyceride and HDL-C, which contribute to metabolic syndrome in Korean postmenopausal women.
Apolipoproteins ; Apolipoproteins A ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoproteins ; Menopause ; Metabolic Syndrome X ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (T~EN) is a severe mucocutaneous disease characterized by epidermal necrosis possibly extended to the entire body surface and involving multiple internal organs. Digestive tract may be involved too, but there is few report about gastrointestinal lesion in patient with TEN. Recently we experienced a case of TEN with gastrointestinal bleeding in previously healthy 32-year-old woman. The condition developed three days after the initiation of treatment with NSAID and progressed caudally, involving 60 percent of the skin surfaces. During a period of admission gastrointestinal bleeding was noticed. The gastrofiberscopy showed diffuse superficial mucosal lesion with oozing from swollen friable and erythematous mucosa. The skin lesion was progressed inspite of withdrawal of causative agents. The patient was expired due to combined septic shock 10 days later. We report this case with gastrofiberscopic findings and a brief review of literature.
Adult ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Necrosis ; Shock, Septic ; Skin ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome*

In patients with pupil-involving isolated oculomotor nerve palsy (IOP), compressive lesions, meningitis, and midbrain infarction can usually be excluded if the responsible lesions are not verified on a brain MRI, catheter angiography, and cerebrospinal fluid examination. However, we experienced a 11-year-old boy with pupil-involving IOP whose initial investigations had been normal and whose symptoms had been stationary over 3 months but was eventually confirmed to have germinoma. This case suggests that a patient with IOP without improvement for a prolonged period needs re-evaluation regardless of normal initial investigations. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(4):423~426, 2001)
Angiography ; Brain ; Catheters ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Germinoma* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meningitis ; Mesencephalon ; Oculomotor Nerve Diseases* ; Oculomotor Nerve*