No abstract available.
Humans ; Motor Vehicles*

The Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a rare disorder of neuromuscular transmission that is frequently associated with malignancy, particulary small cell carcinoma of the lung. To our knowledge, there was no report of LEMS in Korean listeratures and this might be the first case in this country. The patient is a 55 year old man with muscle weakness and fatigability of proximal lower limbs for 2 months. Bronchogenic carcinoma is confirmed radiologically and pathologically. The electrophysiological studies suppert the clinical diagnosis of LEMS with (1) low amplitude of evoked compound muscle potential to a single supramaximal stimulus on nerve, (2) significant decremental response at low rates of stimulation and (3) marked incremental response at high rates of stimulation.
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome* ; Lower Extremity ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Weakness

To obtain the basic data of prognosis of acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication, one hundred and sixteen cases of CO intoxication defined by carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and admitted via emergency room of Yeungnam University Hospital from Oct. '85 to April' 89 have been clinically analyzed and evaluated, including delayed postanoxic encephalopathy (DPE) and the following results were obtained. 1. The ratio of male to female was 1:1.5 and mental state was drowsy mostly (26.2% of 116 cases) 2. The more disturbed the mental state, the more decreased was the arterial pH and PaCO₂, which may be the result of metabolic acidosis. 3. The early laboratory findings in patients of CO intoxication were as follows: leukocytosis-65.5%, increase of hematocrit-23.3%, hyperglycemia-19.8%, increase of GPT-19.8% increase of creatinine-0.9% and glucosuria-12.1%. 4. The early findings of EKG were abnormal in 35.3%: change of rhythm-25.0%, abnormal ST segment 15.5% (change of rhythm and abnormal ST segment-5.2%) but the conduction disorder was not present. 5. The abnormal EEG above mild degree was 93.1%, of which moderate was most frequent (80.2%). 6. The incidence of DPE was 7.8% among all admitted CO patients. DPE cases had long duration of exposure time (8 hours), severe leukocytosis (20,000) and an abnormal EEG (MA).
Acidosis ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Brain Diseases ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Carboxyhemoglobin ; Clinical Study* ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Incidence ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Prognosis

We have studied the vasodilating effect of bolus doses of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), nitro- glycerin (NTG), and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) in 40 patients during cardiopulmonary bypass with a constant pump flow. Blood volume of the venous reservoir and mean arterial pressure were recorded for 10 minutes after drug administration to detect changes in venous capacitance and arteriolar resistance. SNP 500 ug decreased mean blood pressure significantly more than NTG and ISDN compared with placebo. NTG 500 ug decreased mean blood pressure transiently at 1-4 min but significantly reduced reservoir blood volume. ISDN 500 ug increased mean blood pressure after drug administration, decreased reservoir blood volume less than NTG. We could conclude that SNP was more effective arteriolar vasodilator than NTG and ISDN, but NTG and ISDN were effective as a venodilator during cardiopulmonary bypass.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Volume ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass* ; Glycerol ; Humans ; Isosorbide Dinitrate* ; Isosorbide* ; Nitroglycerin* ; Nitroprusside* ; Sodium* ; Vascular Access Devices

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and has been described as a useful tumor marker and one of the poor prognostic indicators in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To investigate the role and cellular localization of TGF-beta1 during multistep hepatocarcinogenesis we performed a quantitative analysis of TGF-beta1 mRNA and immunohistochemical expression of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta receptor II (TGF-betarII) in female Sprague-Dawley rats. The experimental groups included neoplastic lesions produced by Solt-Farber's protocol, regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy, and normal control. Quantitative change of TGF-beta1 mRNA was analysed by competitive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). TGF-beta1 protein and TGF-betarII expression were evaluated by immunohistochemical stain. The discrete tumor nodules were detected on 14th day and then increased in number and size. Three HCCs were induced on 8th or 9th month. RT-PCR demonstrated TGF-beta1 mRNA band in all examples of the normal and regenerating liver, nodules and HCCs. Competitive RT-PCR displayed higher TGF-beta1 mRNA in nodules, HCCs and regenerating liver than in normal controls. Hepatocytes from control and regenerating livers showed weak immunoreactivity for TGF-beta1. In contrast, the cytoplasm of hepatocytes of nodules in 7th, 8th and 9th month and HCCs were intensely stained for TGF-beta1. Some sinusoidal cells showed immunoreactivity for TGF-beta1 in all experimental groups. In early phase of carcinogenesis, the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in liver of 12h, 1d and 3d showed transiently increased immunoreactivity for TGF-beta1 and The immunoreactivity decreased thereafter. TGF-beta1 mRNA was also detected in the neoplastic hepatocytes by in-situ hybridization. Although TGF-betarII expression was correlated with TGF-beta1 immunoreactivity during early phase of carcinogenesis, hepatocytes in most nodules in 7th, 8th, 9th month and carcinomas showed decreased or little immunoreactivity for TGF-betarII. Based on the above results, it is concluded that TGF-beta1 expression increases not only in precancerous nodules but also in HCCs and its increase seems to be correlated with decrease or loss of TGF-betarII expression although its mechanism remains unclear. Hepatocytes may be a major cellular source of TGF-beta1 during hepatocarcinogenesis.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cytoplasm ; Diethylnitrosamine* ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Liver ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley* ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1* ; Transforming Growth Factors*

Bcl-2 oncoprotein is being localized to mitochondria and interfering with programmed cell death (apoptosis) independent of promoting cell division in the lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells. The bcl-2 oncoprotein expression has been reported in follicular lymphomas as well as in diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and a variable propotion of Hodgkin's lymphoma cases. Recent evidence suggests that some lymphomas protected from apoptosis is conferred through expression of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) latent membrane protein which turn to cause upregulation of bcl-2. To define the role of the bcl-2 oncoprotein and EBV in lymphoid malignancy, we tried immunohistochemical studies with anti-bcl-2 antibody and In situ hybridization (ISH) with EBV-encoded small nuclear RNAs(EBER) in the paraffin embedded sections of 46 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cases and 20 Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) cases. Bcl-2 oncoprotein expression was found in 37 of 46 cases (80%) of NHL with relatively strong cytoplasmic staining, and in 14 of 20 cases (70%) of HL with weak cytoplasmic staining in limited small numbers of RS, Hodgkin and lacunar cells. The widespread presence of bcl-2 oncogene in many different types of both NHL and HL supports that the extended cell survival through overexpression of bcl-2 gene protein may be a growth advantage of neoplastic lymphoid cells. In the ISH analysis for EBV, the presence of EBV was detected in 17 of 20 cases (85%) of HL, compared to 6 of 44 cases(13.6%) of NHL. It appears to be no direct correlation between overexpression of bcl-2 oncoprotein by neoplastic lymphoid cells and the presence of EBV in NHL but it seems to be a definite association between EBV and HL.

To evaluate the intractability of partial epileptic patients by variables, the author studied 113 patients (uncontrolled: 45, controlled: 68) who were admitted to the Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University from January, 1991 to August, 1993. The results were as follows. The items related to complex partial seizures, multiple seizure types and a histories of status epilepticus or clusters of seizures were significantly associated with drug-refractoriness (p<0.01). A high frequency of seizures before evaluation was associated with a poor outcome(p<0.01). The presences of known etiology of seizures, neurologic abnormalities and psychiatric disturbance were associated with limited treatment responses(p<0.01, p<0.05, p<0.01). An abnormal EEG findings such as background slowing, focal slowing, epileptiform discharges or secondarily bilateral synchrony were statistically significant (p<0.01). Age at onset, sex, distribution of epileptic foci, duration of seizure before evaluation, family history and abnormal neuroradiologic findings were not statistically significant. By these results, it was suggested that having at least four factors of the above variables were associated with limited treatment response.
Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial* ; Humans ; Neurology ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus

No abstract available.
Lead Poisoning*

Trichorrhexis nodosa(TN) denotes small node-like swelling with a loss of cuticle of the hair shaft through which the hair readily fractures. The basic cause of TN is mechanical or chemical trauma, and a contributing factor is an inherent weakness of the hair shaft. We report a case of localized TN in a 37-year-old male. He had an ovoid hair patch with multiple small white-gray dotted and stubby hairs localized to the right occipital scalp. TN is known to be the commonest of all hair shaft anomalies (Price, 1975). However TN is rarely reported, and there have been only four reports in Korean dermatological literature, to our knowledge, which might be due to underdiagnosis of this disorder. We postulated that diagnostic difficulty lies in the discrepancy between terminology and gross morphological findings.
Adult ; Fibrinogen ; Hair ; Humans ; Male ; Scalp

The diagnosis of OPCA could be made clinically with important aid of brain CT scanning, although the definite and conclusive diagnosis only by postmortem pathological determination. We reviewed, clinically and with brain CT examination, 12 cases of patients with OPCA who were admitted to the Yeungnam University Hospital for a recent 5 years. The result were as following: 1. The distribution of age is from 49 to 72, mainly 50 to 60. Man is more frequent than women at the 4.5 times. 2. The interval period from Sx. Onset to diagnosis is 1 year to 6 years. 3. The usual initial Sxs. Were dizziness (58%), ataxia (33%), and other less frequent Sxs. Were weakness of low extremities, dysarthria, headache and urinary incontinence. The clinical manifestations at the initial diagnosis were cerebellar disturbance (100%), dysarthria (83%), and increased deep tendon reflexes (58%). 4. The results of brain CT finding are like this: the width of cerebellar sulci is more than 1mm, other 4 cases more than 2mm. the width of cerebellar pontine cistern of the patient if usually 3 to 4mm, other 2 cases extended to the 5 mm. the A. P and lateral lengths of 4th. ventricle is 4 mm and 4 to 8 mm respectively. 6 cases of whole patients show coincidentally cerebral atrophy.
Ataxia ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Clinical Study* ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; Dysarthria ; Extremities ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Olivopontocerebellar Atrophies* ; Reflex, Stretch ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Urinary Incontinence