No abstract available.
Animals ; Antibody Formation* ; Cattle ; Enzootic Bovine Leukosis* ; Giant Cells* ; Goats* ; Leukemia Virus, Bovine*

In complicated posterior urethral injury following pelvic bone fracture, the commonest cause of incompetence of the bladder neck is the circumferential tethering by hematoma-fibrosis. In such cases, functional competence of bladder neck can be restored by mobilizing the bladder neck, by removing retropubic fibrosis, and by occluding the dead space with omental pedicle graft. Also the reliability of the urethral anastomosis can be greatly increased by the obliteration of any perianastomotic dead space with a pedicled omental graft This kind of operation is called Turner-Warwick perineo-abdominal progression approach and we experienced 3 cases in children.
Child* ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Mental Competency ; Neck ; Pelvic Bones ; Transplants ; Urinary Bladder

To investigate the genetic variation within pspA from 17 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae representing 12 capsular serotypes, we used specific PCR primers LSM12 and LSM2 derived from the DNA sequence of pspA of S. pneumoniae Rxl (type 2). We have found that all 17 isolates of S. pneumoniae have a pspA gene whose size ranges from 1.8 to 2.3 kb. RFLP analysis of the PCR-amplified pspA genes of the isolates exhibited distinct restriction patterns. Even within the same capsular type, the individual isolates of S. pneumoniae generally differed in PspA molecular masses and showed variabilities in the pspA gene locus. The nucleotide sequence of the pspA gene of S. pneumonaie KNIH1156 (type 19F) isolated from a blood specimen was determined. The sequence revealed an open reading frame of 1,827 bp nucleotides. Predicted size of the mature PspA was approximately 63 kDa. Deduced amino acid sequence of PspA of S. pneumonaie KNIH1156 revealed 57.0% identity with that of S. pneumonaie Rxl. Comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of PspA S. pneumoniae KNIH1156 (type 19F) with those of Rxl (type 2) showed considerable differences in the a-helical coiled-coil region of the two PspAs. These results suggest that the PspA of S. pneumoniae KNIH1156 has antigenic variations distinguished from those of Rxl strains.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Organism ; Genetic Variation ; Korea* ; Nucleotides ; Open Reading Frames ; Pneumonia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Sequence Analysis* ; Staphylococcal Protein A* ; Streptococcus pneumoniae* ; Streptococcus*

OBJECTIVES: The interpersonal support evaluation list-12 (ISEL-12) is one of the scales used for measurement of perceived social support. This study standardized self-report social support measure, ISEL-12. METHODS: Participants included 294 students of a university. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating scores on the ISEL-12 with those on other scales. A exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the factor structure of the ISEL-12. RESULTS: ISEL-12 showed acceptable reliability and validity. High level of internal consistency and reliability (Cronbach alpha=0.866) and item homogeneity was confirmed. We found two-factor structures of ISEL-12 via factor analysis. The Korean version of ISEL-12 showed significant correlation with other scales for evaluation of perceived social support. Test-Retest reliability was also confirmed (Pearson's correlation coefficient=0.65). CONCLUSION: These findings support the reliability and validity of the Korean version of ISEL-12 for evaluation of perceived social support in young adults.
Humans ; Reproducibility of Results ; Weights and Measures ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Anemia in chronic renal failure plays an important rolr in increasing morbidity of dialysis patients. The causes of the anemia are multifactorial. With using of erythropoietin(EPO), most of uremia-induced anemia can be overcome. However, about 10% of renal failure patients shows EPO-resistant anemia. Hyporesponsiveness to EPO has been realted to many factors: iron deficiency, aluminum intoxication, inflammations, malignancies and secondary hyperparathyroidism. So I evailuated the improvement of EPO responsiveness after correction of above several factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients on hemodialysis over 6 months were treated with intravenous ascorbic acid(IVAA, 300 mg t.i.w. for 12 weeks). After administration of IVAA for 12 weeks,patients were classified into several groups according to iron status, serum aluminum levels and i-PTH levels. Indivisualized treatments were performed; increased iron supplement for absolute iron deficiency, active vitamin D3 for secondary hyperparathyroidism and desferrioxamine(DFO, 5 mg/kg t.i.w.) for aluminum intoxication or hyperferritinemia. RESULTS: 1) Results of IVAA therapy for 12 weeks on all patients(n=72) Hemoglobin levels at 2,4,6 week were significantly elevated compared to baseline. but those of hemoglobin at 8, 10, 12 week were not significantly different. 2) Result of IVAA therapy for 20 weeks on patients with 100 microgram/1< or =ferritin<500 microgram/1 and transferrin saturation(Tsat) below 30%(n=30) After treatment of IVAA for 12 weeks, patients were evaluated the response of therapy according to iron status. Patient with 100 microgram/1< or =ferritin?500 microgram/1 and Tsat below 30% showed the most effective response. These patients were treated further for 8 weeks. Hemoglobin levels at 2, 4 week were significantly increased compared to baseline with significantly reduced doses of EPO at 2, 4, 10, 12, 16, 20 week. Concomitantly significantly improvement of Tsat at 2, 6, 16, 20 week compared to baseline were identified. 3) Result of IVAA therapy for 12 weeks followed by DFO therapy for 8 weeks on patients with serume aluminum above 4 microgram/1(n=12) Hemoglobin levels were not significantly increased during IVAA therapy for 12 weeks but dosages of EPO were significantly decreased at 2, 4, 6, 8 week during DFO therapy compared to pre-treatment status. CONCLUSION: IVAA can be helpful for the treatment of the anemia caused by functional iron deficiency and can reduce the dosage of EPO for anemia correction. And administration of low dose DFO, in cases of increased serum aluminum level, can reduce the requirment of EPO.
Aluminum ; Anemia ; Ascorbic Acid ; Cholecalciferol ; Deferoxamine ; Dialysis ; Erythropoietin* ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; Inflammation ; Iron ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Renal Dialysis* ; Renal Insufficiency ; Transferrin

OBJECTIVES: Chromosomal anomalies are common disease entity among genetic diseases. But there are scanty reports about the status of chromosomal abnormalities in Korean. In addition, the comprehensive multi-center study of chromosomal abnormalities in Korean has never been performed. METHODS: We have collected 1,793 cases (394 abortuses; 198 chorionic villi; 1,060 amniotic fluid cells; 141 fetal blood), which showed abnormal karyotype results from twenty three cytogenetic centers in Korea from the year of 1977 to 1999. RESULTS: In abortuses, numerical chromosomal abnormalities was 85%, and structural abnormalities was 13% and the most frequent anomaly was trisomy 16. In chorionic villi, numerical anomaly was 60.0% and structural anomaly was 31.3% and the most frequent karyotype was Down syndrome. In amniotic fluid cells, structural anomaly exceeded the number of numerical anomaly and the most frequent anomaly was Down syndrome. In fetal blood, numerical anomaly was 63.8% and the most frequent karyotype was trisomy 18 (23.4%) CONCLUSIONS: This may be the first comprehensive and multi-center study in Korea. The proportion of the abnormal karyotypes in each specimens was different from each other. Based on this study, the more comprehensive study should be performed to all the Korean population.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Amniotic Fluid ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cytogenetics ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Fetal Blood* ; Karyotype ; Korea ; Trisomy

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive rod which can be isolated from soil, vegetation, and many animal reservoirs. Human disease due to Listeria monocytogenes is uncommon but occurs most frequently in the neonatal period, during pregnancy and in elderly or immuno-suppressed patients. Listeriosis in pregnant women may cause spontaneous abortion, fetal distress, preterm labor, fetal death, or neonatal septicemia/meningitis. Maternal infection alone may occur without infection of the infant, especially at the end of pregnancy. One case of septicemia with Listeria monocytogenes in pregnant women at the 35th weeks of pregnancy with fetal distress is presented.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Aged ; Animals ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fetal Distress* ; Humans ; Infant ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Listeriosis ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third* ; Pregnant Women ; Sepsis ; Soil

PURPOSE: There is little data on the effects of botulinum toxin A (BoTx A) on detrusor muscle published in the literature. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of BoTx A on the detrusor muscle in rats. MATERIALS AND MTHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were used to make the detrusor muscle strip (length: 8mm, width: 2mm). An isometric force transducer in the physiologic salt solution was used to measure the contraction and relaxation of this muscle strip. A contraction was induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and electrical field stimulation (40V, 20Hz, 3sec), and relaxation was induced by verapamil and sodium nitroprusside. The BoTx A concentration was 0.1U/ml. The relaxation and contraction of the detrusor muscle in the BoTx A-treated group were analyzed and compared with those in the control group. RESULTS: The time to the maximum contraction induced by electrical field stimulation was lengthened and the time of recovery to the basal state after terminating electrical field stimulation was also increased by BoTx A (p<0.05). However, the contractile reaction induced by ACh and the relaxing reaction induced by verapamil and sodium nitroprusside after maintaining the maximum contraction induced by ACh 10 4M was not influenced by BoTx A. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this experimental study suggest that the time delay of the maximum contraction induced by electrical field stimulation occurred by blocking ACh release at the neuronal endings and the time delay of the recovery to the basal state after terminating electrical field stimulation occurred by reducing cholinesterase activity.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Botulinum Toxins* ; Cholinesterases ; Neurons ; Nitroprusside ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Relaxation ; Transducers ; Urinary Bladder ; Verapamil

PURPOSE: There is little data on the effects of botulinum toxin A (BoTx A) on detrusor muscle published in the literature. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of BoTx A on the detrusor muscle in rats. MATERIALS AND MTHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were used to make the detrusor muscle strip (length: 8mm, width: 2mm). An isometric force transducer in the physiologic salt solution was used to measure the contraction and relaxation of this muscle strip. A contraction was induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and electrical field stimulation (40V, 20Hz, 3sec), and relaxation was induced by verapamil and sodium nitroprusside. The BoTx A concentration was 0.1U/ml. The relaxation and contraction of the detrusor muscle in the BoTx A-treated group were analyzed and compared with those in the control group. RESULTS: The time to the maximum contraction induced by electrical field stimulation was lengthened and the time of recovery to the basal state after terminating electrical field stimulation was also increased by BoTx A (p<0.05). However, the contractile reaction induced by ACh and the relaxing reaction induced by verapamil and sodium nitroprusside after maintaining the maximum contraction induced by ACh 10 4M was not influenced by BoTx A. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this experimental study suggest that the time delay of the maximum contraction induced by electrical field stimulation occurred by blocking ACh release at the neuronal endings and the time delay of the recovery to the basal state after terminating electrical field stimulation occurred by reducing cholinesterase activity.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Botulinum Toxins* ; Cholinesterases ; Neurons ; Nitroprusside ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Relaxation ; Transducers ; Urinary Bladder ; Verapamil

Background: The present study investigates whether modifiable behavioral factors of current cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and regular exercise are associated with risk of lower extremity amputation (LEA) in diabetic patients. Methods: A total of 2,644,440 diabetic patients (aged ≥20 years) was analyzed using the database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the behavioral factors with risk of LEA under adjustment for potential confounders. Results: The risk of LEA was significantly increased by current cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption (HR, 1.436; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.367 to 1.508 and HR, 1.082; 95% CI, 1.011 to 1.158) but significantly decreased with regular exercise (HR, 0.745; 95% CI, 0.706 to 0.786) after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, low income, hypertension, dyslipidemia, body mass index, using insulin or oral antidiabetic drugs, and diabetic duration. A synergistically increased risk of LEA was observed with larger number of risky behaviors. Conclusion Modification of behaviors of current smoking, heavy alcohol intake, and exercise prevents LEA and can improve physical, emotional, and social quality of life in diabetic patients.