No abstract available.
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli*

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Poisoning* ; Sodium*

OBJECTIVE: The accuracy of analytical results of blood and urine heavy metals came out to the main issue on occupational health from late eighties. The discrepancy of the results for same samples from different laboratories made the diagnosis for occupational diseases be unreliable. Therefore, a quality control program for analysis of samples taken from workplace had been introduced in Korea since 1992. This study aims to show the quality control program f'or analysis of blood and urine samples and its proficient rates from 1992 to 1999 and to know how they have been being used in occupational health. METHODS: The quality control program runs twice a year with mandatory items of blood lead and urine hippuvic acid and voluntary items of blood cadmium and manganese and urine mandellic acid and methyl hippuric acid. Participant laboratories are receiving three levels for each items and two out of three samples have to be qualified for being a proficient laboratory for the item. The acceptable range of blood lead and urine hippuric acid is +/-15% and that of the others is within 3 SD(standard deviation) from the reference values. RESULTS: The proficient rates of blood lead and urine hippuric acid was 89%, 90%, repectively, however those of the other voluntary items have been from 51% to 62%. The proficient rates of urine mercury and urine N-methylformamide(NMF), which are introduced since 1999, were very poor. Urine hippuric acid and blood lead were analyzed frequently for the purpose of biological monitoring conducting by special health examination organizations. Urine and blood manganese and urine metabolites of trichloroethylene, urine phenol, methylhippuric acid and cadmium were followed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the quality control program for biological monitoring has dramatically improve the ability of analysing blood and urine samples and eventually contributes to diagnose occupational diseases and to prevent occupational poisoning. However, some biological monitoring data, such as urine manganese, mercury and NMF, have been still reported from laboratories that were not accepted as a proficient laboratory.
Cadmium ; Diagnosis ; Environmental Monitoring ; Korea ; Manganese ; Metals, Heavy ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Health ; Phenol ; Poisoning ; Quality Control ; Reference Values ; Trichloroethylene

This study was made to evaluate the effect of oral atenolol, a cardioselective beta-adrenergic blocking agent without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, on left ventricular function in patient with essential hypertension. Atenolol, 100mg/day, was given to 11 hypertensive patients for 4 weeks, and its effects on arterial pressure, pulse rate, left ventricular dimensions and ejection phase indices of myocardial performance were examined by echocardiography. Echocardiographic studies were performed before treatment and after 4 weeks of atenolol therapy. Arterial pressure fell form 145/90 mmHg to 138/84mmHg after 4 weeks. Pulse rate fell significantly from 69/min to 58/min(p<0.05). Left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions and mean rate of circumferential fiber shortening(mVcf) did not change significantly. Ejection fraction increased significantly from 0.66 to 0.72(p=0.01). This results indicate that atenolol in the resting state has no depressant effect on left ventricular function in patients with essential hypertension.
Arterial Pressure ; Atenolol* ; Echocardiography ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Ventricular Function, Left*

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract is the most common site of nosocomial infections, accounting for 35% of all nosocomial infections. About 80-90% of these urinary tract infections are associated with urethral catheter insertion. Recently, we experienced an outbreak of nosocomial UTI (urinary tract infection) caused by Candida spp. in the surgical ICU (SICU) and we investigated the cause of UTI outbreak. METHODS: We collected data from clinical records and observed the current methods of care of urethral catheters in the SlCU. During the outbreak, we investigated the current procedures and maintenance care of urethral catheter insertion and educated the staff on the correct methods of the catheter insertion and care. We performed surveillance cultures of unused new urine bags, RESULTS: Between May 2000 and June 2000, 17 Candida spp. strains were isolated from urines of 17 patients hospitalized in the SICU of National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital. All infections were attributed to the care of urethral catheter insertion and contaminated bags. We identified that routine bladder irrigation and emptying urine to a common urinal have been done incorrectly during the outbreak period. Rodotorula spp. was isolated from 4 urine bags (50% contamination rate) out of 8 unused new urine bags by surveillance cultures. CONCLUSION: The causes of the UTI outbreak caused by Candida spp. was terminated by outbreak investigation and change of contaminated urine bag.
Candida* ; Catheters ; Cross Infection ; Humans ; National Health Programs ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have reported a correlation between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) and depression. In attempt to verify the suggestion that eveningness is related to depression, we examined the effect of morningness-eveningness on their depressive mood in patinets with OSA. METHODS: The examination was based on the medical records and polysomnography reports of 211 OSA patients. Information was gathered from the patients who filled out the Horne and Ostberg questionnaire (HOQ), profile of mood states-Korean version (K-POMS), and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). We compared mean values of K-POMS total, subscales of K-POMS, ESS, and OSA severity variables among the 3 morningness-eveningness groups (morningness, eveningness, and neither groups). Partial correlation analysis was performed between variables and ANCOVA was performed among the 3 groups after adjustment with age and weight. RESULTS: There were significant negative correlations between HOQ and the followings : K-POMS total, POMS-T (tension-anxiety), POMS-D (depression-dejection), POMS-A (anger-hostility), POMS-F (fatigue-inertia), POMS-C (confusion-bewilderment), spontaneous arousal index, average O2 saturation. There were significant positive correlations between HOQ and the followings : POMS-V (vigor-activity), apnea-hypopnea index, respiratory arousal index, snore time. There were significant negative correlations between POMS-D and the followings : HOQ, POMS-V, stage 1 sleep (%), AHI, TAI (total arousal index), oxygen desaturation index, respiratory arousal index, neck circumference, average O2 desaturation, snore time (%). There were significant positive correlations between POMS-D and K-POMS total, POMS-T, POMS-A, POMS-F, POMS-C, sleep latency, stage 2 sleep (%), heart rate, spontaneous arousal index. There were significant differences in K-POMS total, POMS-T, POMS-D, POMS-F, POMS-C, spontaneous arousal index among the three HOQ groups in ANCOVA. CONCLUSION: The depressive correlates of OSA patients might be affected, not by excessive daytime sleepiness or OSA severity indexes, but by eveningness circadian characteristics. It would be important to take into account the morningness-eveningness tendency when we manage the depressive mood of OSA patients.
Animals ; Arousal ; Circadian Rhythm ; Depression ; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence ; Heart Rate ; Horns ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neck ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

OBJECTIVES: Alcoholism is known to be a heritable disease. It has been hypothesized that dopamineergic systems play an important heritable role in human behavor related to alcohol dependence, such as alcohol seeking. Therefore, genes involved in this pathway, including dopamine transporter(DAT1) which is responsible for taking released dopamine back up into presynaptic terminals and terminating dopaminergic activity, are potential candidate that may affect susceptibility to alcoholism. Analysis of a 40-base pair(bp)repeat(VNTR)in the 3'untranslated region of the DAT1 gene revealed variable number of the repeat ranging from 3 to 11 copies. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the association between alcoholism and VNTR polymorphism of DAT1. METHODS: Genomic DNA analysis with polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to identify the presence of a VNTR polymorphism. It was carried out within a group of 94 alcoholic patients and 113 normal controls. RESULTS: 1)There were no significant differences in allelic or genotype frequencies between the group of alcoholic patients and controls. 2)There were no significant differences in the first drinking age, onset age and latency of alcoholism according to DAT1 genotypes. 3)There was a significant difference in allelic frequencies between alcoholics with family history and those without family history. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that VNTR polymorphism of DAT1 is unlikely to be a factor in the genetic etiology of alcoholism, but might be related to familial transmission of alcoholism.
Age of Onset ; Alcoholics ; Alcoholism* ; DNA ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Dopamine* ; Drinking ; Genotype ; Humans ; Presynaptic Terminals

No abstract available.
Emphysema* ; Tuberculosis*

We present 2 cases of invasive extramammary Paget disease occuring in the vulva area of a 60 year old female, and in the scrotal and penile area of a 63 year old male patient. The histologically typical Paget cells were not only seen in the surface epithelium but were also involved in the outer root sheath of the hair follicles. Stromal infiltration of tumor cells into the upper dermis were present in both cases, however, no underlying primary sweat gland carcinoma was present. Metastatic foci of inguinal lymph nodes showed apocrine-type epithelium with abundant eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, which were positive for anti-CEA and GCDFP-15, as well as eccrine-type epithelium containing mucinous secretory materials in the lumen and the cytoplasm. Ultrastructural findings showed interdigitating plasma membranes with prominent desmosomes between the Paget cells, intracytoplasmic tonofibrils, intracellular tubules, lipid vacuoles, and enlarged mitochondria. Histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings suggested that Paget cells showed both eccrine and apocrine differentiation.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis

PURPOSE: In an effort to examine the clinicopathological characteristics of GC and the status of its surgical treatment, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) conducted a nationwide survey targeting surgically-treated gastric cancer patients in 2009. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A standardized electrical case report was sent to every member institution of the KGCA via E-mail with detailed instructions regarding the survey data. Completed data forms were retrieved from each institution and analyzed by the KGCA information committee. RESULTS: Data on 14,658 patients was collected from 59 institutions. The mean patient age was 59.2+/-11.9 years with a male to female ratio of 2.05 : 1. Lower third cancer (56.0%) was the most common among all gastric cancers. The histological type revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (34.1%) to be the most common, and the Lauren classification revealed the intestinal type (50.0%) to be the most prevalent. Curative surgery was performed in 92.4% of patients with laparoscopic surgery in 25.8% of patients. A Billroth I reconstruction was performed most frequently after a distal gastrectomy (63.4% of distal gastrectomy). T1 cancers accounted for 57.6% of all cases, and 62.6% of patients showed no lymph node metastasis. Compared to previous reports, it was found that patients are becoming older, laparoscopic surgery is being performed increasingly, and the proportion of T1 cancer is increasing with time. CONCLUSIONS: This survey presented the clinicopathological characteristics and current status of the surgical treatment of gastric cancer in Korea. This survey is expected aid research studies as well as planning and evaluation programs targeting cancer control.
Adenocarcinoma ; Data Collection ; Demography ; Electronic Mail ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Republic of Korea ; Stomach Neoplasms