Chest CT scans of 70 patents with malignant lymphoma were reviewed to evaluate the thoacic manifestation of malignant lymphoma. Sixteen patients had Hodgkin's disease and 54 patients had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The thoracic involvement of malignant lymphoma was observed i 47 patients (67.1%) and 11 of these patients had Hodgkin's disease, and 36 had non-Hodgkin's lympoma. The most common finding was mediastinal lymphadenopathy and the most frequently involved sites were anterior mediastinal and paratracheal lymph nodes. Pulmonary parenchymal involvement was seen in 11 patients (15.7%), and CT scan showed thickening of bronchovascular bundle, parenchymal consolidation and nodules. Pleural effusion was seen in 18 patients (25.7%), however, without any evidence of parietal pleural thickening in all cases. Involvement of chest wall and breast was seen in two patient(2.9%). The data obtained through the current study showed no differences from those of previous reports, except the fact that there was no CT evidence of pleural thickening in patients who had pleural effusion.
Breast ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Pleural Effusion ; Rabeprazole ; Thoracic Wall ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: The authors studied to estimate the frequency of irregular antibodies and their significance in blood transfusion and antenatal care in Korea. METHODS: Irregular antibodies were tested by immediate saline spin, 37degrees C albumin and antiglobulin test for 2,008 transfusion candidates and 1,047 pregnant women at Severance hospital using commercial screening and identification cells (Dade, U.S.A.). RESULTS: The irregular antibodies were detected in 38 (1.24%) of total 3,055 subjects (transfusion candidates: 0.9%, pregnant women: 1.91%) . In transfusion candidates, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, cold antibodies (anti-M, anti-P 1), Rh antibodies and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 56%, 22%, 17%, and 5%, respectively. In pregnant women, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, Rh antibodies, anti-Jra, and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 45%, 45%, 5% and 5%, respectively. At immediate saline phase, 58% of irregular antibodies were detected. At 37degrees C albumin phase, 90% of irregular antibodies were detected and only 10% of irregular antibodies were detected at antiglobulin phase. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence rates of clinically important irregular antibodies were low, 1/1000 of irregular antibodies could not be detected. Therefore, irregular antibody screening should be performed in all pretransfusion test. And, if antibody detection tests are negative, immediate saline crossmaching methods are acceptable in Korea.
Antibodies* ; Blood Transfusion ; Coombs Test ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Pregnant Women* ; Prevalence*

BACKGROUND: The authors studied to estimate the frequency of irregular antibodies and their significance in blood transfusion and antenatal care in Korea. METHODS: Irregular antibodies were tested by immediate saline spin, 37degrees C albumin and antiglobulin test for 2,008 transfusion candidates and 1,047 pregnant women at Severance hospital using commercial screening and identification cells (Dade, U.S.A.). RESULTS: The irregular antibodies were detected in 38 (1.24%) of total 3,055 subjects (transfusion candidates: 0.9%, pregnant women: 1.91%) . In transfusion candidates, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, cold antibodies (anti-M, anti-P 1), Rh antibodies and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 56%, 22%, 17%, and 5%, respectively. In pregnant women, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, Rh antibodies, anti-Jra, and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 45%, 45%, 5% and 5%, respectively. At immediate saline phase, 58% of irregular antibodies were detected. At 37degrees C albumin phase, 90% of irregular antibodies were detected and only 10% of irregular antibodies were detected at antiglobulin phase. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence rates of clinically important irregular antibodies were low, 1/1000 of irregular antibodies could not be detected. Therefore, irregular antibody screening should be performed in all pretransfusion test. And, if antibody detection tests are negative, immediate saline crossmaching methods are acceptable in Korea.
Antibodies* ; Blood Transfusion ; Coombs Test ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Pregnant Women* ; Prevalence*

Historically, gastrointestinal stroma tumors (GIST) have been considered as smooth muscle tumors, but the controversy over this histogenesis is provoked due to various results with utilizing immunohistochemical methods. In andeffort to further clarify the histogenesis of GIST, we performed the immunohistochemical study, as well as histopathologic reexamination, of 24 cases, all diagnosed as smooth muscle tumors of gastrointestinal tract, from Seoul Paik Hospital and Ewha University Hospital between 1980 and 1989, and the main results were as follows; 1) In the histopathologic features by light microscopic study, 11 benign and 13 malignant lesions (including one high grade malignancy and 12 low-grade malignant lesions) were disclosed. 2) In the immunohistochemical study, all tumors showed Vimentin positivity (100%), but no tumor showed S-100 protein positivity (0%), and 7 cases (29.1%) showed Desmin positivity. Positive reaction for Desmin made it possible to suggest that the histogenesis of GIST be in smooth muscle, and neurogenic origin would be excluded by all negativity for S-100 protein. In summary, we would like to conclude that GIST would be smooth muscle tumors on account of their morphological characteristics and their intramural location, but most of them appear poorly differentiated by immunohistochemical method.

The halophilic bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, causes acute fulminating wound infections and septicemia in human. Especially the septicemia shows high mortality above 50%. In Korea, septicemia by V. vulnificus was reported at westem and southern coast in every year. Here, we try to isolate this V. vulnipcus at Kyoung-nam area and coast of Pusan during 1996. Purposed sites were Dadaepo, Songjung, Chungsapo and Mipo of Pusan and Kijang, Ilkuang, Juksoung, Dongam, Waljun and Chilam of southern sea. Total 40 strains of V. vulnipcus were isolated from sea samples. Biochemical characteristics of isolated V. vulnificus were almost same with reference strain V. vulnificus ATCC 27562 on Farmer's tests and on API 20E kit test. V. vulnificus isolates in 1996, fermented cellobiose and salicin but arabinose. and had resistance to 7% sodium chloride.
Arabinose ; Busan* ; Cellobiose ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mortality ; Sepsis ; Sodium Chloride ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio* ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hemolytic anemias are characterized by autoantibodies recognizing antigens on the Individual's own red blood cells, resulting in immune- mediated hemolysis. Blood transfusions have been regarded as hazardous in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) because of potential intensification of hemolysis and a presumed high incidence of alloimmunization. METHODS: We examined the pretransfusion and posttransfusion hemoglobin levels in 6 patients with autoantibodies in their sera, which showed panagglutinations with all bloods tested in the compatibility testing. They received 'least' incompatible blood because of inability to find compatible blood. RESULTS: When we compared pretransfusion hemoglobin level with posttransfusion hemoglobin level, in 5 of 6 patients with AIHA, the hemoglobin levels were increased after red cell transfusion. 4 patient who did not respond to transfusion therapy initially had an increase in hemoglobin level after steroid treatment. Any signs or symptoms indicating hemolytic transfusion reaction were not observed ducting the transfusion period in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to transfuse in AIHA should consider multiple factors including the patient's clinical status, the potential benefit of transfusion, the potential response to other therapeutic modalities, but must never be regarded as contraindicated, even though the compatibility test may be strongly incompatible.
Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Transfusion ; Erythrocyte Transfusion* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Incidence

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hemolytic anemias are characterized by autoantibodies recognizing antigens on the Individual's own red blood cells, resulting in immune- mediated hemolysis. Blood transfusions have been regarded as hazardous in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) because of potential intensification of hemolysis and a presumed high incidence of alloimmunization. METHODS: We examined the pretransfusion and posttransfusion hemoglobin levels in 6 patients with autoantibodies in their sera, which showed panagglutinations with all bloods tested in the compatibility testing. They received 'least' incompatible blood because of inability to find compatible blood. RESULTS: When we compared pretransfusion hemoglobin level with posttransfusion hemoglobin level, in 5 of 6 patients with AIHA, the hemoglobin levels were increased after red cell transfusion. 4 patient who did not respond to transfusion therapy initially had an increase in hemoglobin level after steroid treatment. Any signs or symptoms indicating hemolytic transfusion reaction were not observed ducting the transfusion period in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to transfuse in AIHA should consider multiple factors including the patient's clinical status, the potential benefit of transfusion, the potential response to other therapeutic modalities, but must never be regarded as contraindicated, even though the compatibility test may be strongly incompatible.
Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Transfusion ; Erythrocyte Transfusion* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Incidence

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Caveolin 1*

PURPOSE: This study was to examine whether VRE infection control strategies have an effect on the decrease in incidence rates for VRE acquisition and VRE nosocomial infection in ICU. METHODS: All the patients were examined for VRE carriers on ICU admission. Among them, patients hospitalized for over 48 hours were investigated for VRE acquisition rates and VRE nosocomial infection rate using VRE infection control strategies in ICU for the experimental group from September 2007 to April 2008. Before that, incidence of VRE acquisition and VRE nosocomial infection for the control group without Intervention were investigated from May to August 2007 retrospectively. RESULTS: VRE acquisition rate in clinical specimens was 0.6% in the experimental group, that was significantly lower when compared to the control group. VRE carrier rate at admission to ICU was 15.4%. Out of 182 VRE carriers, 180 patients were identified by the active surveillance culture. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that active surveillance culture at admission was considered to be an essential measure for detection of VRE carrier. But without strict isolation and adherence rating after each intervention, hand washing and contact isolation alone did not significantly decrease VRE nosocomial infection, although it did significantly decrease incidence of VRE acquired from clinical specimen.
Cross Infection ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Vancomycin

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stage of pregnancy. METHODS: This study was conducted with 113 healthy pregnant women at gestational age greater than 27 weeks who were registered at community health centers and received prenatal care. A structured questionnaire regarding fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress was used. The data was analyzed using a t-test, an ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The subjects with unplanned pregnancies and irregular exercise patterns showed a higher level of fatigue than those with planned pregnancies and regular exercise patterns. Pregnant women with caffeine intake manifested higher levels of gestational stress and sleep disturbance than those without. The levels of sleep disturbance and gestational stress increased as the fatigue levels increased. The fatigue levels increased with increased levels of sleep disturbance. CONCLUSION: Planned pregnancy, regular exercise patterns, and caffeine intake were related with fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stages of pregnancy. Fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress had close associations to each other. In the future, such results should guide development of nursing intervention programs for women in late stages of pregnancy.
Caffeine ; Community Health Centers ; Family Planning Services ; Fatigue* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Nursing ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Unplanned ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sleep Wake Disorders