BACKGROUND: With the increase of cigarette consumption by women and the young, the incidence of lung cancer is expected to increase during the next three or four decades in Korea. The purpose of this study was to analyze the smoking habits in patients with lung cancer and to identify the gender differences in terms of their susceptibility to cigarette related carcinogens. METHODS: This investigation was a hospital-based case control study, which included the data of 178 case subjects(72 females, 106 males) with lung cancer and 218 control subjects(97 females, 121 males) with diseases unrelated to smoking. The information was obtained through a direct personal interview and a questionnaire related to personal smoking history. RESULTS: The relative frequency of the squamous cell carcinoma was substantially higher in males than in females(61.3% in males, and 29.2% in females), while adenocarcinoma including bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma was higher in females(31.9% in females, 18.9% in males). Keryberg Ilung cancer was of relatively higher frequencies in males and smokers. while Kreyberg IIlung cancer was higher in females and never smokers. The odds ratios(ORs) at each exposure level were consistently higher in females than males. For all cell types, the risk of lung cancer was increased with the quantity of smoked cigarettes, duration of smoking, and depth of inhalation. Odds ratio was distinctly higher in Kreyberg Ilung cancer than in total lung cancer and a steeper gradient of risk with increased smoking was observed in females. CONCLUSION: The ralative risk for lung cancer was consistently higher in females than in males at every level of exposure to cigarette smoke. This is believed to be due to the higher susceptibility of females to tabacco carcinogens, such as gender associated differences of carcinogen activation and/or the elimination of smoking related metabolites.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinogens ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of anti-inflammatory agents on the blood-aqueous-berrier in experimentally induced uveitis. 10% solution of sodium fluorescein was injection intravenously in the ear vein of rabbits (0.25 ml/kg) and fluorescein curve was drawn after the method of Amsler and Huber. Experimental uveitis was induced by the injection of 0.2 ml of human serwn into the vitreous body. After uveitis had been induced. three kinds of anti-inflammatory agents-Prednisolone, Benzyron and Methotrexate-were Biven oralIy. In control animals in which no uveitis was induced, no changes in fluorescein curve were demonstrated before and after the administrations of drugs. In animals with uveitis, maked increases of the blood-aqueous barrier were noted. When Benoyron and Prednisolone were given to these animals, normaliration of the fluorescein curves were demonstrated. Methotrexate had no effects on the fluorescein curves in uveitis animals, showing no improvements in the permeability of uveal vessela. This ineffectiveness seemed to be due to the resistance of rabbits to methotrexate.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Blood-Aqueous Barrier ; Ear ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; Permeability ; Prednisolone ; Rabbits ; Uveitis* ; Veins ; Vitreous Body

PURPOSE: Thyroid hormone is essential for normal growth and development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting final adult height in patients with congenital hypothyroidism. METHODS: The study group was comprised of 42 patients who were diagnosed as congenital hypothyroidism and attained final adult height. Retrospectively, we reviewed medical records as to clinical and laboratory data. We analyzed the influence of various factors on final adult height(FAH) in patients with congenital hypothyroidism. RESULTS: The mean chronologic age at initiation of treatment was 5.85+/-4.32 years and the FAH deviation score(SDS) was -1.21+/-1.14. The age at initiation of treatment, the chronologic age, the mean dose of L-thyroxine of current treatment, and the bone age delay at initiation of treatment were negatively related to the FAH SDS(P<0.05). The height SDS at initiation of treatment and the height SDS at initiation of puberty were positively related to the FAH SDS(P<0.05). Analyzing according to etiology, the FAH SDS of dyshormonogenesis, thyroid aplasia, thyroid ectopia, and thyroid hypoplasia were 0.16+/-0.27, -1.15+/-0.97, -1.45+/-1.07, and -2.70+/-1.70 respectively(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The younger the age at initiation of treatment and the chronologic age, and the more the mean dose of L-thyroxine of current treatment and the bone age delay at initiation of treatment, The higher the final adult height SDS. The higher the height SDS at initiation of treatment and the height SDS at initiation of puberty, the final adult height SDS were the higher.
Adolescent ; Adult* ; Congenital Hypothyroidism* ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Puberty ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Dysgenesis ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroxine

This study was performed in order to evaluate the sero-epidemiological status of toxoplasmosis in pregnant Korean women. Among 5, 175 sera and 750 amniotic fluid samples obtained from pregnant women, 41 serum samples (0.79%) and 10 (1.33%) amniotic fluid samples tested positive for IgG antibodies by ELISA. Fifty one cases showing a score more than 0.25 on ELISA were tested for PCR reaction against the SAG1 gene. Only one case of the 51 ELISA positive cases exhibited a positive reaction on all tests. This case had a history of acute nephropyelitis during early pregnancy, but fortunately, had delivered a phenotypically healthy baby. In this study, the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was found to be comparatively low, consistent with previous reports from Korea. However our trials, performed with a variety of diagnostic tools, were considered to be useful for the precise diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.
Adult ; Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications/diet therapy/*epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/*immunology ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology

Hurthle cell tumors are an infrequent neoplasm of the thyroid gland in adults. Hurthle cell tumors represent 4. 5% to 10% of all primary thyroid epithelial neoplasms in the foreign literature. It has been known as Hurthle cell tumor since Ewing was the first to use this term in 1928. Tumor occurring in an infant was described by Symmers(1941) and Morrow(1945). The authors experienced a case of congenital Hurthle cell tumor of the thyroid gland in a 2 months old boy. He was admitted to the pediatric surgical department because of a growing mass in the neck since birth. Ultrasonogram showed a huge lobulated homogenous solid mass with medium level echogenicity in the region of the thyroid gland. Subtotal thyroidectomy of right lobe and total thyroidectomy of left lobe were done. The specimen measures 2x3x1.5 cm and 7x3x3 cm, respectively. It was an encapsulated, yellow gray firm and solid mass. The cut surface was smooth, glistening and homogenous. Microscopicully, the tumor was composed of tightly packed regular follicles lined by polyhedral, cuboidal, large cells with a granular acidophilic cytoplasms. The nuclei are vesicular, usually only a little bit larger than those of normal thyroid cells.
Infant ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic significance of clinical findings, WBC count, ESR, CRP, simple X-ray, ultrasonography and bone sanning in neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1995 to May 1998, we have experienced 14 cases of pyogenic osteomyelitis and pyogenic arthritis in neonates. The mean age of patients was 16.7 days and the involved sites were 6 cases of pyogenic arhtritis of hip, 5 cases of pyogenic arthritis of hip with proximal femur osteomyelitis, 2 cases of pyogenic arthritis of shoulder with proximal humerus osteomyelitis and 1 case of proximal tibia osteomyelitis. RESULTS: The most frequent clinical signs were local swelling and pseudoparalysis of involved extremity. Laboratory findings showed that elevated ESR was in 11/14 (79%), positive CRP in 6/8 (75%), leukocytosis in 6/14 cases (43%). Abnomal findings in simple X-ray was in 7/13 (54%), positive bone scanning findings in 3/8 (37.5%), positive ultrasonographic findings in 11/11 cases (100%). CONCLUSIONS: ITherefore we concluded that careful physical examination and ultrasonography were important for early diagnosis of bone or joint infection in neonates
Arthritis ; Diagnosis* ; Early Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Femur ; Hip ; Humans ; Humerus ; Infant, Newborn* ; Joints* ; Leukocytosis ; Osteomyelitis ; Physical Examination ; Shoulder ; Tibia ; Ultrasonography

To determine size and shape discrepancy between the bone of Korean women and the prostheses in total knee arthroplasty, the height(antero-posterior length) and width(medio-lateral length) of the distal femur and the proximal tibia were measured at the bone resection level for 104 knees of 62 female patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty and compared with the same parameters of the total knee prostheses designed by five different companies. On the condition that the height of the prostheses matched with each cases of the bone were optimal, the difference in the width was evaluated, and the criteria of the discrepancy were overhang if the width of the prosthesis was larger than bone, optimal if width of the prosthesis was same or smaller and difference was within 5 mm, and down-size if smaller and difference was over Smm. In femoral prostheses, 34.6% of all were optimal, 13.1%, overhang and 52.3%, down-size. In tibial prosthesis, 54.1% of all were optimal, 13.9%, overhang and 32%, down-size. In conclusion, although further investigation for clinical application is needed, there were discrepancies in size and shape between the femur and tibia of Korean women and total knee prostheses and improvement in design should be considered.
Arthroplasty* ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Knee Prosthesis ; Knee* ; Prostheses and Implants* ; Tibia

Cavernous hemangioma is the venous malformation that most frequently involves the orbit, And in orbital venography, the injection of contrast medium(conray) is made into a branch of frontal vein. The films are taken after delivery of 5 ml and immediately prior to the end of the injection. A preliminary control film is also obtained for this subtraction studies. Recently, authors experienced a case of orbital hemangioma which is caused unilateral proptosis of right eye(6 yr, old boy) and confirmed this patient as an orbital cavernous hemangioma by the technical aid of orbital venography under general anesthesia. Subtraction technique of R. orbital venograms following catheterization of one of the frontal veins revealed that 3rd segment of R. superior ophthalmic vein including 1st and 2nd segments is slightly displaced medially and superiorly of the frontal projection. They were somewhat dilated in caliber. Some dilated and tortuous vessels were filled with contrast media in the inferomedial aspect of the R. oribit from possible Srd segment of SOV. on the R. down lateral projection, there were abnormaly abundant dilated and tortuous vessels in the lateral portion of the orbit. It is fed from the R. angular vein, and CM are drained from the lesion to the dilated IOV at its posterior portion. R transfemoral arteriograms(AP, Lat) showed mild elevation of 3rd portion of the ophthalmic artery superiorly on the lateral projection, but it appeared normal caliber. The supraorbital and muscular branches as well as choroid crescent were not remarkable in this case. R. external carotid angiogram(LAT) showed within normal patterns. Angiographic diagnosis was a large venous malformation involving the lateral and posterior portions of the R. orbit, most likely cavernous hemangioma. Final diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological study of an excised hemangioma. After surgical removal the visual acuity was improved to normal without any disability of the eye.
Anesthesia, General ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Choroid ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Exophthalmos ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Humans ; Ophthalmic Artery ; Orbit* ; Phlebography* ; Subtraction Technique ; Veins ; Visual Acuity

The fibrillar coat of Candida albicans is of interest as its significance in antigenicity, antiphagocytosis, and adherence to host tissues. The partial biochemical properties and ultrastructure of fibrillar coat induced by rabbit sera were examined. The induced fibrillar layer was destroyed by treatments of lyticase, proteinase K and dithiothreitol. The total protein concentration of fibrillar cell wall lysate was higher than that of non-fibrillar cell wall lysate, but the total sugar concentration was similar. On SDS-PAGE analysis, the protein profiles between in fibrillar cells and in non-fibrillar cells were shown to be different. In fibrillar cells, the major bands of cell wall lysate were 83, 66, 54, 47, 33, and 26 kDa in dithiothreitol-treated lysate. The proteins of 26 and 19 kDa were predominant in lyticase-treated lysate. Although the fibrillar thickness and protein amount of cell wall lysate were increased in according to the incubation time, the protein profiles did not changed. These results suggest that the proteins of 83, 66, 54, 47, 33, 26, and 19 kDa may be major constituents of fibrillar coat in C. albicans.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Cell Wall ; Dithiothreitol ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Endopeptidase K

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypertension* ; Quality of Life*