Hantaan virus Howang strain which isolated from the blood of severe case of Korean hemorrhagic fever is more virulent than HTN 76/118 and showed different RFLP from partial PCR amplified M genome segment to established Hantaan serotype viruses. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the M and S genome segments and compared to HTN 76/118. The M and S segment of Howang strain has 3615 and 1696 nucleotides long, respectively. The M segment sequence of Howang strain is one mucleotide shorter than HTN 76/118. The sequence data of Howang strain shows 93.5% homology to HTN 76/118. One long open reading frame, which stoats from 41nt. to 3448nt. of the M segment and from 37nt. to 1326nt. of the S segment, exist to on complementary sense of the virus genome. There are no significant difference between HTN 76/118 and Howang strain on hydrophobicity of deduced polypeptides, but has slight difference on secondary structure.
Base Sequence ; Genome ; Hantaan virus* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Nucleotides ; Open Reading Frames ; Peptides ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

We developed a sensitive, nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect Hantaan, Seoul, Belgrade, Puumala and Sin Nombre viruses in animal tissues. Total RNA was extracted from blood, lung or kidney samples of experimentally-infected hamsters by using the guanidine isothiocyanate buffer-acid phenol-chloroform method. Genus-reactive outer primers were derived from the consensus region of the G1 gene sequences of several hantaviruses. Serotype-specific primers were selected within the region amplified by the outer primers. To examine the sensitivity and specificity of the test, we diluted known quantities of Hantaan, Seoul, Belgrade, Puumala and Sin Nombre viruses in human or hamster immune sera before performing the nested RT-PCR. We could detect as little as 1 pfu of virus, even in the presence of high-titer neutralizing antibodies, and the serotype-specific primers amplified only homologous serotype viruses. RT-PCR with these primers demonstrated virus in the blood of experimentally-infected hamsters as early as four days to as late as 30 days after infection.4 comparison of a standard immunofluorescent antibody screening test (IFAT) to nested RT-PCR with RNA extracted from lung or kidney tissues of the hamsters, demonstrated that RT-PCR to be more sensitive for identifying viruses in these tissues.
Animals ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Consensus ; Cricetinae* ; Discrimination (Psychology)* ; Guanidine ; Hantavirus* ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Kidney ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; RNA ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Sin Nombre virus

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head has been recognized as one of the most serious and frequent complications following the initial treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip. It is now well accepted that this particular complication is iatrogenic and may be avoided by careful and adequate treatment. The reported incidence of avascular necrosis is variable because of various methods of treatment and different diagnostic criteria. We retrospectively reviewed 130 patients(144 hips) with congenital dislocation of the hip, who were treated at Seoul National University Hospital during 10 year-period from January 1974 to December 1983, and found 13 patients (13 hips) with avascular necrosis of the femoral head. We analyed avascular necrosis following treatment of congenital dislocation of the with respect to various methods of treatment, possible causes, types of avascular necrosis, to radiological findings, and to functional results. 1. The incidence of avascular necrosis following treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip in our series was 9.0%(13/144 hips). 2. The average age of the patients with avascular necrosis was 3 years, the youngest being 4 months and the oldest being 10 years. The average follow-up period was 2 year and 2 months. 3. The incidence of avascular necrosis in the closed reduction series was higher in those between 6 months to 18 months with 10.5%, as compared to 7.1% in those 6 months and under 6.7% in those 18 months and over. In the open reduction series, the incidence increased as the age increased, being 5.9%, 12.4%, 15% in the groups 18 months to 3 years, 3 to 6 years, and 6 years and over, respectively. 4. The incidence of avascular necrosis in those who had priliminary traction was 8.3%, where as that in those who had not was 16.6%, being twice as much. 5. The incidence of avascular necrosis decreased as the traction time prolonged, being 9.0% in 7 days or less, 7.7% in 8 to 14 days, 7.1% in 15 to 21 days and nil in 22 days or more. 6. The incidence of avascular necrosis in the skin traction group was 5 times as much with 11.5%, as in the skeletal traction group with 2.2%, despite older age in the latter. 7. The incidence of avascular necrosis in the open reduction group was slightly higher with 9.5%, than in the closed reduction group with 8.6%. 8. All 6 cases of avascular necrosis following closed reduction occurred when Lorenz or frog-leg cast was applied initially after reduction despite attention to avoid extreme abduction. Avascular necrosis were not encountered in those who had Lange or human position cast as the initial form of immobilization. 9. In the closed reduction, avascular necrosis occurred 8.1% in those who had adductor tenotomy and 10.0% in those who had not. In the open reduction, avascular necrosis occurred 7.9% in those who had adductor tenotomy and 18.1% in those who had not, suggesting significant role of adductor tenotomy in the prevention of avascular necrosis. 10. Avascular necrosis was attributable to excessive abduction in 7 hips, to undue pressure of femoral head in one hip, to open reduction in 3 hips, to post-operative infection in one hip, and to non-union of subtrochanteric osteotomy in one hip. 11. Of the 13 hips, following roentgenograms were available in 11. According to the classification of Bucholz and Ogden, type I, II, III, IV were 7, 0, 3, and 1 hips, respectively. 12. Functional results of the 13 hips of avascular necrosis, according to Kalamchi and MacEwen's criteria, were Good, Fair, Poor in 9, 3, and 1 hips, respectively.
Classification ; Dislocations ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Incidence ; Necrosis ; Osteotomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Skin ; Tenotomy ; Traction

Fixed pelvic obliquity refers to a composite deformity induced by contractures both above and below the pelvis and the elements of this deformity are frequently interrelated during the period of growth. From the functional standpoint, leg length discrepancy is caused by deformities of the pelvis and lower extremities, such as pelvic obliquity and acetabular dysplasia, as well as by inequality of true limb bone length, and these deformities either aggravate or compensate functional discrepancy. During fhe fourteen years period, from August 1968 to August 1982, at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, we treated 35 cases of fixed pelvic obliquity and acetabular dysplasia associated with true or functional limb length discrepancy by means of lumbodorsal fasciotomy or pelvic osteotomies such as Salters innominate osteotomy or Steels triple osteotomy, combined, if necessary, with contralateral abductor fasciotomy to gain functional limb length as well as to improve posture and balance. In many cases of residual poliomyelitis, epiphysiodesis was also performed when indicated. These cases were reviewed and following observations were made: 1. Of the 35 cases, residual poliomyelitis with 29 cases (83%) was by far the main cause of leg length discrepancy. Cerebral palsy (2cases), Legg-Perthes disease (2 cases), and fibrous ankylosis secondary to septic hip (2 cases) comprised the remainder. 2. The male-to-female ratio was about equal, being 17 to 18. 3. The average age at the time of operation was 17.9 years, the youngest being 7 years and the oldest being 30 years. The average age at the time of current follow-up was 18.8 years. 67% of those followed was skeletally mature. 4. An average of 1.35cm of bone length was gained radiographically by pelvic osteotomies. Steels triple osteotomy was more effective in gain than Salters innominate osteotomy. 5. An average of 2.43cm of functional length when standing was gained radiographically by lumbodorsal fasciotomy alone. 6. An average of 2.61cm of functional length when standing was gained radiographically by lumbodorsal fasciotomy and combined contralateral Soutters or Campbells fasciotomy. 7. An average of 3.57cm of functional length when standing was gained radiographically by lumbodorsal fasciotomy and combined ipsilateral Steel's triple osteotomy. 8. An average of 1.73cm of functional lengthening when standing was corrected radiographically by ipsilateral Soutter's fasciotomy. 9. When lumbodorsal fasciotomy and Steel's triple osteotomy were combined with contralateral Soutter's or Campbell's fasciotomy, the average radiographic gain in standing length was 3.77cm. 10. Leg length discrepancy in terms of true bone length is conventionally corrected either by epiphysiodesis or bone shortening on the longer limb, or by bone lengthening on the shorter limb. We believe that when leg length discrepancy is associated with fixed pelvic obliquity, frequently aggravating the disability functionally, lumbodorsal fasciotomy and/or pelvic osteotomies on the shorter side and, combined if necessary, Soutters or Campbells fasciotomy on the longer side, can, in many instances, successfully correct or reduce functional limb discrepancy and improve balance, posture and function. Any residual discrepancy, true or functional, may then be corrected by conventional methods.
Acetabulum ; Ankylosis ; Bone Lengthening ; Cerebral Palsy ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Leg ; Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease ; Lower Extremity ; Osteotomy ; Pelvis ; Poliomyelitis ; Posture ; Seoul ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Steel

OBJECTIVES: lschemic acute renal failure(ARF) is characterized by an abrupt and sustained decline in GFR within minutes to days after renal ischemia and not immediately reversed on restoration of renal blood flow. The typical delay of a few days to a few weeks suggests reversible parenchymal damage awaiting cell regeneration for functional recovery. Many potentially cell damaging factors, such as ATP depletion, plasma membrane phospholipid degradatian and superoxide-induced membrane damage, play a central part in ischemic injury. More recently, much attention has been focused on the role of calcium, especially ischemic cell injury and the possible therapeutic role of calcium channel blockers emerged from studies conducted several years ago. In the past, it was thought that activation of renin-angiotensin system plays a role in the pathogenesis of ARF. Now the role of angiotensin in human renal ischemia also appears to be controversial. The following study was done in order to investigate the effect of a calcium channel blocker, nifedipine, on gene expression of renin during acute ischemic renal injury. METHODS: The Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, group I(n=3) as the control, group II (n=3) as the sham operation group, group III(n=15) as the ischemic renal injury group without nifedipine pretreatment, and group IV(n=15) as the ischemic renal injury model by right nephrectomy and left renal artery clamping for 40 minutes with systemic nifedipine pretreatment(10mg/kg), 1n ischemic renal injury model(group III and IV), rats were further divided into three subgroups according to reperfusion time of 1,24,72 hours. The non-ischemic right kidney removed at the time of initial procedure served as paired control. Total renal RNA was extracted by Chomczynskis method and electrophoresis was done in a 1% agarose gel containing 2,2M formaldehyde. Northern was performed at 42degrees C with isotope labeled renin probe for 18 hours, Autoradiographs were obtained and quantitated by a densitometer measured at 530nm. RESULTS: 1) The expression of renin gene was markedly decreased after renal ischemia and slowly recovered to one half of the control level after 72 hours of reperfusion. 2) Renin gene expression pattern of ischemic renal injury with prior nifedipine treatment was similar to the ischemic group without nifedipine pretreatment. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the renin gene expression was markedly decreased after renal ischemia and slowly recovered. Systemic nifedipine pretreatment does not have a significant effect on gene expression pattern of renin in ischemic renal injury.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Angiotensins ; Animals ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Calcium Channels* ; Calcium* ; Cell Membrane ; Constriction ; Electrophoresis ; Formaldehyde ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Kidney ; Membranes ; Nephrectomy ; Nifedipine ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Renal Artery ; Renal Circulation ; Renin* ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; Reperfusion ; RNA ; Sepharose

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate possible menopause related changes in circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels and their relationship with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) plasma levels, osteocalcin(Ost) and urinary deoxypyridinoline(Dpd) in either surgical menopause or natural menopause, METHOD: Seventy-two postmenopausal women (surgical menopause 48, natural menopause 24) were invited to participate in this study. In all subjects plasma IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were measSURED by radioimmunoassay and Ost and Dpd were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). RESULTS: No difference was found between mean IGFBP-3 plasma levels in the two groups studied(3,522 +/- 926 vs 3,854 +/- 569 ng/ml), while mean IGF-1 levels were significantly lower in natural menopause as compared with surgical menopause (natural 126 +/- 44 vs surgical 163 +/- 66 ng/ml, p=0.007). No difference was found between mean Ost levels in the two groups studied (natural menopause 8.0 +/- 2.9 vs surgical menopause 8,9 +/- 2.1 ng/ml, p=0.113) and mean Dpd levels in the two studied (natural menopause 6.8 +/- 2.3 vs surgical menopause 7.8 +/- 3.4 mM, p=0.213). CONCLUSION: IGF-1 was significantly lower in natural menopause as compared with surgical menopause, but no significant difference was found in IGFBP-3, Ost, and Dpd levels
Biomarkers* ; Carrier Proteins* ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Menopause* ; Osteocalcin* ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay

No abstract available.
Cadmium*

Anisakiasis refers to the accidental infection of humans by a marine nematode as a result of eating a raw flsh which contains larval stages of the nematode sub-family Anisakidae. This patient developed acute epigastric pain three days after eating a raw flsh, Astroconcer myriaster. Gastrofiberscopy revealed Anisakis larva invading the stomach wall and the larva could be extracted using a biopsy forceps via gastrofiberscopy. The worm was identified as Terranova type A larva based on their morphologic features such as its length, width, intestinal cecum reaching to anterior one-third level of ventriculus and a mucron at posterior end.
Humans ; Biopsy

No abstract available.
Humans