BACKGROUND: Drug-induced Parkinsonism(DIP) is the second commonest cause of Parkinsonism, after idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD). DIP is frequently produced by antipsychotic drugs. But the clinical characteristics of DIP did not get attention by neurologist. So we studied the clinical profiles of DIP patients. METHODS: We studied the clinical profiles of thirthone patients who showed parkinsonism after antipsychotic drug treatment. We compared the score of motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) between trihexyphenidyl(n=15) & amantadine(n=16) monotherapy group(initial & 4 week after treatment). RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 45 years. Bradykinesia was the 1st symptom in 26 patients(94%), tremor in 5 patients(6%). In 25 patients(81%), the first symptom appeared within 1 week after sntipsychotic treatment. There was a statistical significant negative correlation between the dosage of antipsychotic drug and the symptom-onset interval following treatment with antipsychotic drugs(simple correlation analysis, p>0.01). Bradykinesia and rigidity were appeared in all DIP patients, symmetric distribution was more common(94%, 87%) Tremor occurred in 27 patients (87%). In patients with tremor, postural or action tremor was dominant in 15 patients(56%) asymmetric distribution was more common(16/27, 59%). There are no statistical difference in motor score of UPDRS between trihexyphenidyl & amantadine monotherapy group(student t-test, p<0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Bradykinesia was the most common 1st symptom in DIP patients. Asymmertrical postural or action tremor was relativelly common in DIP. Amantadine showed the same efficacy in the treatment of DIP compared to anticholinergics.
Amantadine ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Humans ; Hypokinesia ; Parkinson Disease ; Parkinsonian Disorders* ; Tremor ; Trihexyphenidyl

Present study aimed to investigate the immunological activities of cell wall associated protein antigen solubilized with Triton X-100 (TSP) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and conducted on 43 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (newly diagnosed, medicated within 12 months and chronic refractory patients) and 17 normal healthy controls. These immunological responses were compared with those induced by the PPD or 30 kDa antigen from M, tuberculosis H37Rv culture filtrates, identified as biologically important secreted proteins. Proliferative responses to mycobacterial antigens were compared in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy subjects and pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Signiticant blastogenic responses to the TSP were observed in healthy tuberculin reactors, newly diagnosed and some of antituberculosis drug-medicated patients by H-thymidine incorporation assay. IL-12 p40 and IFN-r mRNA expressions to the TSP were markedly increased, whereas IL-10 and TNF-a mRNA expressions were decreased at a 5 day-stimulation by PBMC in healthy tuberculin reactors, newly diagnosed and medicated patients. However, patients with chronic refractory tuberculosis exhibited more depressed IL-12 p40 and IFN-r mRNA expressions to all of the antigens than another groups. Interestingly, very low IL-10 and TNF-a mRNA expressions cultured with the TSP were also shown. These data suggest that the TSP may be involved in the macrophage activation by induction of Th1 stimulatory signals, such as IL-12, and suppression of Th1 inhibitory cytokine, IL-10.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: The possible role of apolipoprotein E (APOE for gene, apoE for protein) allele in atherosclerotic diseases is not clearly understood. For the putative role of APOE genotypes, we examined APOE polymorphism among patients with stroke. METHODS: A total of 202 ischemic stroke patients were involved in this study. The genotype DNA was isolated from whole blood and the APOE alleles were determined by polynicrase chain reaction. RESULTS: The genotype of APOE epsilon3/3 was the most common allele in the stroke group and the control group. The frequencies of APOE epsilon2, epsilon3, epsilon4 allele in stroke group were 0.052, 0.851, and 0.097, respectively. There was no significant difference in APOE genotypes between the stroke group and the control group. No significant associations lions were found for the APOE genotypes and the serum lipid profiles. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that APOE was not related to the stroke,
Alleles ; Apolipoprotein E2 ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; DNA ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lions ; Stroke

Noninvasive prediction of pulmonary arterial pressure is of paramount importance in heart disease. To estimate pulmonary arterial pressure, several echocardiographic techniques, including abnormal pulmonary valve motion, prolongation of RV preejection period/RV ejection time ratio and contrast echocardiography have been proposed. Recently Doppler echocardiography has been known to detect intracardiac blood quantitatively. For assessment of the benefit of several indices by Pulsed Doppler echocardiography for mean pulmonary arterial pressure, 22 patients(mean pulmonary pressure> or =20mmHg; 11, <20mmHg; 11) were compared with the mean pulmonary arterial pressure by cardiac catheterization. In comparison of mean pulmonary arterial pressure(MPAP); 1) Right preejection period / RV ejection time RPEP/RVET;r=0.278 2) Right preejection period / Acceleration time RPEP/AT : r=0.654 3) Acceleration time(AT) AT=-1.55(MPAP)+154.37(r=-0.763) AT=-92.99(log MPAP)+239.41(r=-0.752) AT is less than 105 msec in 9 or 11 pulmonary hypertension and one of 11 normal individual. 4) Acceleration time/ RV ejection time AT/RVET=-136.36(MPAP)+83.31(r=-0.817) AT/RVET=-0.29(log MPAP)+0.81(r=-0.803) 5) (Right preejection period+Decceleration time) / AT (RPEP+DT)/AT=9.6(MPAP)-0.16(r=0.806) (RPEP+DT)/AT=3.86(log MPAP)-2.46(r=0.789) In conclusion AT/RVET, (RPEP+DT)/AT and Acceleration time of 105 msec are valuable indices to estimate mean pulmonary arterial pressure by Pulsed Doppler echocardiogram.
Acceleration ; Arterial Pressure* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed* ; Heart Diseases ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Pulmonary Valve

Early gastric cancer(EGC) is defined as carcinoma limited to the mucosa or submucosa, regardless of whether metastasis to lymph nodes have occurred, and the frequency of lymph node metastasis varies from 7 to 18%. The incidence of early gastric cancer has been increasing recently, probably with advance in the diagnostic procedure. Multiple gastric cancer, now cosidered to be a sort of multiple primary cancer by Moertels classification, is a special type of cancer in which two or more tumor lesions arise independently from the stomach. Multiple carcinoma was found in about 8.3% of 500 early gastric cancer cases at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Japan. In 77% of these, two lesions roexisted in the stomach. Coexistence of three lesions were found in 20% and more than four lesions in 3%. We report a case of multiple early gastric cancer of different histologic types in which two adenoma coexisted in the stomach.
Adenoma ; Classification ; Incidence ; Japan ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Early gastric cancer(EGC) is defined as carcinoma limited to the mucosa or submucosa, regardless of whether metastasis to lymph nodes have occurred, and the frequency of lymph node metastasis varies from 7 to 18%. The incidence of early gastric cancer has been increasing recently, probably with advance in the diagnostic procedure. Multiple gastric cancer, now cosidered to be a sort of multiple primary cancer by Moertels classification, is a special type of cancer in which two or more tumor lesions arise independently from the stomach. Multiple carcinoma was found in about 8.3% of 500 early gastric cancer cases at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Japan. In 77% of these, two lesions roexisted in the stomach. Coexistence of three lesions were found in 20% and more than four lesions in 3%. We report a case of multiple early gastric cancer of different histologic types in which two adenoma coexisted in the stomach.
Adenoma ; Classification ; Incidence ; Japan ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Central nervous system cryptococcosis is common in the AIDS patients with reported incidences ranging from 1.9% to 11.0%. Cryptococcosis may be the initial manifestation of HIV infection or occur simultaneously with other opportunistic infections. HIV-infected patients with central nervous system cryptococcosis complain of fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, and cognitive dysfunction. Meningeal signs and photophobia are less common than in HIV-negative patients. Focal neurologic signs and seizures are uncommon. Disseminated cryptococcosis is often concomitantly found at the time of central nervous system cryptococcosis. We report a case of 49 year-old Korean female with HIV infection who died of disseminated cryptococcosis with autopsy findings.
Autopsy* ; Central Nervous System ; Cryptococcosis* ; Female ; Fever ; Headache ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Opportunistic Infections ; Photophobia ; Seizures ; Vomiting

Background: A fourth dose of vaccination is known to help reduce the severity and mortality rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The South Korean vaccination guidelines for the fourth dose do not include healthcare workers (HCWs) as priority candidates. We investigated the necessity of the fourth dose in South Korean HCWs based on an 8-month follow-up period after the third vaccination. Methods: Changes in the surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) inhibition (%) score were measured at one month, four months and eight months after the third vaccination. The sVNT values were analyzed between infected and uninfected groups, and their trajectories were compared. Results: A total of 43 HCWs were enrolled in this study. In total, 28 cases (65.1%) were confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 (presumed omicron variant), and all had mild symptoms. Meanwhile, 22 cases (78.6%) were infected within four months of the third dose (median, 97.5 days). Eight months after the third dose, the SARS-CoV-2 (presumed omicron variant)-infected group showed significantly higher sVNT inhibition than that in the uninfected group (91.3% vs. 30.7%; P < 0.001). The antibody response due to hybrid immunity, provided by a combination of infection and vaccination, was maintained at sufficient levels for more than four months. Conclusion For HCWs who had coronavirus disease 2019 infection after completing a third vaccination, a sufficient antibody response was maintained until eight months after the third dose. The recommendation of the fourth dose may not be prioritized in subjects with hybrid immunity.

BACKGROUND: In patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic stable angina, the coronary flow reserve (CFR) is reduced not only in the region of myocardium perfused by the ischemia-related artery but also in the regions supplied by angiographically normal coronary arteries. The effect of myocardial stunning on the remote CFR is unknown, however. METHODS: In ten open-chest anesthetized dogs, left circumflex coronary artery was occluded for 15 minutes (myocardial stunning group, n=5) or for 30 minutes (MI group, n=5) and was followed by a reperfusion for 60 minutes. Before coronary occlusion and at 30 minutes and at 60 minutes after reperfusion, resting coronary blood flow (CBF) and maximal CBF after IV injection of each of adenosine (ADE) and acetylcholine (Ach) was measured with electromagnetic flow probe located in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. CFR was calculated as the ratio of maximal and resting CBF. RESULTS: At 30 minutes and 60 minutes after reperfusion, the remote resting CBF were significantly increased in both groups and the remote CFR was significantly decreased in both groups. The CFR of the MI group was lower than myocardial stunning group. The coronary vasodilator response to Ach was significantly lower than the response to ADE in both groups. CONCLUSION: After MI and myocardial stunning, there was severe coronary vasodilator abnormality in the remote myocardium and that was more marked after MI. The coronary vasodilator response to Ach was significantly lower than the response to ADE in both groups, suggesting endothelial dysfunction in remote myocardium.
Acetylcholine ; Adenosine ; Angina, Stable ; Animals ; Arteries ; Coronary Occlusion ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs ; Humans ; Magnets ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Stunning* ; Myocardium ; Reperfusion

The characterisitic finding of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is left ventricular hypertrophy without dilated chamber. Echocardiographic studies of patients with pheochromocytoma in the past have revealed both dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies, as well as obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. We report this case because we experienced a pheochromocytoma patient who had reversible hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which might be related with circulating catecholamine level.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Pheochromocytoma*