BACKGROUND: The recently developed nucleic acid amplification methods may provide us with very sensitive, specific and rapid tests for the detection of M. tuberculosis. So the aim of this study was to compare the commercial Amplicor M. tuberculosis kit and our in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the conventional culture and direct AFB staining method. Materials and METHODS: Among the total of 2,340 clinical specimens, 1,314 sputum samples were tested for the presence of M. tuberculosis by Amplicor PCR and 1,026 sputum samples were tested by in-house PCR performing with resin matrix preparation and DNA extraction, synthesized primer pair, detection using agarose gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: One hundred-seventeen specimens were positive by Amplicor PCR, 105 were positive by in-house PCR, 185 were positive by culture. The sensitivity of the Amplicor PCR for all of the specimens and for smear-positive and smear-negative specimens was 92.9%, 97.9% and 88.2%, respectively after discrepant analysis. The sensitivity of the in-house PCR for all of the specimens and for smear-positive and smear-negative specimens was 80.0%, 93.6% and 65.5%, respectively after discrepant analysis. The specificity of the Amplicor PCR and in-house PCR for all of the specimens was 97.9% and 99.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Amplicor PCR was more sensitive than in-house PCR, but there was another problems such as high false positive rate and high cost. So PCR may certainly become very useful in microbiological laboratories if PCR method is selected according to the laboratory conditions.
DNA ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum* ; Tuberculosis

This study has been undertaken in order to 1) test the effect of health education on the performance of health promoting lifestyle, self efficacy, control and perceived health status in college students, 2) assess whether pretreatment level of self-efficacy, control, and perceived health status predict post-treatment health promoting lifestyle, 3) assess whether pre-to post-treatment changes in self-efficacy, control, and perceived health status predict post-treatment health promoting lifestyle, and 4) examine the correlation between changes in subscales of health promoting lifestyle. One-group pretest-posttest design was used. Fifty eight college students at T college in T city were studied. They attended a health education, which is composed of 13 sessions(one session per week, 130 minutes per one session). This study was conducted from August 26 to December 2. The instrument used for this study included a survey of general characteristics, self-efficacy, control, perceived health status and health promoting behavior. Analysis of data was done by use of mean, percentage, paired t-test, pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. The results of this study are summarized as follows : 1) The average item score for the health promoting lifestyle was low at 2.301. In the sub-categories, the highest degree of performance was interpersonal support(2.87), following self actualization, nutrition, stress management, exercise, and the lowest degree was health responsibility(1.67). Female students had lowest degree in exercise subscale(1.48). A significant correlation between self-efficacy and control, self-efficacy and perceived health status, self-efficacy and health promoting lifestyle, control and health promoting lifestyle. Self-efficacy was the highest factor predicting health promoting lifestyle of college students(38.31%). 2) No significant difference among total health promoting lifestyle and subcategories of health promoting lifestyle. Self-efficacy was increased after health education than that of before education(T=2.33, P=.023). Control was decreased after education than that of before education(T=-2.03, P=.046). 3) Pretreatment self-efficacy, control, and health status did not predict post-treatment health promoting lifestyle. 4) Pre-to post-treatment changes in self-efficacy predicted post-treatment stress management subscore. 5) Pre-to post-treatment changes in control predicted post-treatment self actualization and exercise subscale. A significant correlation between changes in self-actualization and changes in exercise, changes in self-actualization and changes in nutrition, changes in health responsibility and changes in exercise, changes in exercise and changes in interpersonal support, changes in exercise and changes in stress management, changes in nutrition and changes in interpersonal support, and changes in interpersonal support and changes in stress management.
Education ; Female ; Health Education* ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Self Efficacy

BACKGROUND: Lipids of horny layer forming multiple lamellar structure in the intercellular space acts as a skin barrier having a primary protective function and keeps softness and flexibility of the skin by absorbing and maintaining moistures. Among the intercellular lipids, ceramides mainly contribute to this important role. In xerotic eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, ichthyosis, and experimentally induced scaly lesion showing dryness and scales, the amount of ceramides is decreased or distribution of ceramide is changed. In addition to lipids, free amino acids, a component of NMFs, serve as a water retainer and are decreased in ichthyosis or experimentally induced scaly lesion. Hand eczema has dry and scaly lesion showing impaired skin barrier and low water content. So, changes of ceramides or free amino acids can be considered in the lesion of hand eczema. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to confirm the relationship between the development of hand eczema and changes of ceramides or free amino acids. METHOD: The lipids and free amino acids in scales from lesion of hand eczema were analyzed by using high performance thin layer chromatography and amino acid analyzer. RESULTS: Amounts of total lipids extracted were 0.63+/-0.33 microgram/cm2 in hand eczema and 0.44+/-0.26 microgram/cm2 in control. There was no difference between the two groups. Cholesterol sulfate, glucosyl ceramide, cholesterol, triglyceride, sterol ester, and n-alkane showed no difference between hand eczema and control. But ceramides were significantly decreased in hand eczema(11.0+/-5.5%) compared with control(21.4+/-8.0%)(p<0.05). Especially, ceramide type IV was significantly decreased in hand eczema (6.6+/-5.3%) compared with control(15.6+/-6.2%)(p<0.05) but ceramide type III in hand eczema did not differ from control. Amounts of total free amino acids in 10mg of scale were 10.4+/-3.1nmol in hand eczema and 9.5+/-3.0nmol in control. There was no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Dry skin and scales in hand eczema are related to the decrease of total amount of ceramides and ceramide type IV than amino acids in horny layer. To clarify the exact pathogenesis of hand eczema, further investigations on all types of ceramides and their defect in the process on biosynthesis of ceramides will be necessary.
Amino Acids* ; Ceramides* ; Cholesterol ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eczema* ; Extracellular Space ; Hand* ; Ichthyosis ; Pliability ; Psoriasis ; Skin ; Triglycerides ; Water ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: Lipids of horny layer forming multiple lamellar structure in the intercellular space acts as a skin barrier having a primary protective function and keeps softness and flexibility of the skin by absorbing and maintaining moistures. Among the intercellular lipids, ceramides mainly contribute to this important role. In xerotic eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, ichthyosis, and experimentally induced scaly lesion showing dryness and scales, the amount of ceramides is decreased or distribution of ceramide is changed. In addition to lipids, free amino acids, a component of NMFs, serve as a water retainer and are decreased in ichthyosis or experimentally induced scaly lesion. Hand eczema has dry and scaly lesion showing impaired skin barrier and low water content. So, changes of ceramides or free amino acids can be considered in the lesion of hand eczema. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to confirm the relationship between the development of hand eczema and changes of ceramides or free amino acids. METHOD: The lipids and free amino acids in scales from lesion of hand eczema were analyzed by using high performance thin layer chromatography and amino acid analyzer. RESULTS: Amounts of total lipids extracted were 0.63+/-0.33 microgram/cm2 in hand eczema and 0.44+/-0.26 microgram/cm2 in control. There was no difference between the two groups. Cholesterol sulfate, glucosyl ceramide, cholesterol, triglyceride, sterol ester, and n-alkane showed no difference between hand eczema and control. But ceramides were significantly decreased in hand eczema(11.0+/-5.5%) compared with control(21.4+/-8.0%)(p<0.05). Especially, ceramide type IV was significantly decreased in hand eczema (6.6+/-5.3%) compared with control(15.6+/-6.2%)(p<0.05) but ceramide type III in hand eczema did not differ from control. Amounts of total free amino acids in 10mg of scale were 10.4+/-3.1nmol in hand eczema and 9.5+/-3.0nmol in control. There was no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Dry skin and scales in hand eczema are related to the decrease of total amount of ceramides and ceramide type IV than amino acids in horny layer. To clarify the exact pathogenesis of hand eczema, further investigations on all types of ceramides and their defect in the process on biosynthesis of ceramides will be necessary.
Amino Acids* ; Ceramides* ; Cholesterol ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eczema* ; Extracellular Space ; Hand* ; Ichthyosis ; Pliability ; Psoriasis ; Skin ; Triglycerides ; Water ; Weights and Measures

This study was undertaken in order to examine the effect of hardiness on future stress-related physical symptoms in the female students in a longitudinal design. The subjects who participated in this study were 97 female nursing students (in the analysis of data after 1 year). The instruments used for this study were a survey of general characteristics, stress (43 items), hardiness(25 items), and physical symptoms(35 items). Analysis of data was done by use of mean and hierarchical multiple regression with the SAS program. The results of this study were as follows. 1) Main effects of hardiness on future stress-related physical symptoms was found. 2) The stress buffering effects of hardiness were not found.
Female ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing*

Hepatic fibrosis was induced in Sprague-Dawley rate to evaluate the ultrastructural changes of fat-storing cells (Ito cells). For experimental induction of liver fibrosis, the rats were administered intraperitoneally with 0.5 ml of 50% Ccl4 solution per Kg body weight, twice weekly for 12 weeks. The rats were sacrificed every week. The liver tissues were examined under light and electron microscopes. And the immunohistochemical study of desmin was also performed. The results were summarized as follows: Light microscopic findings: The cellular infiltrations was inflammatory cells and Kupffer cells developed from 1 week after Ccl4 injection, and were the most severe in 4 weeks. The strong immunoreactivity for desmin was also evident in 4 weeks. The centrilobular necrosis and fibrosis developed from 2 weeks after injection, and the necrosis persisted until 8 weeks. The progress of fibrosis was accompanied by decreases in cellular infiltration and reactivity for desmin, and increased gradual nodular formation was also observed. The cirrhosis was developed after 10 weeks. Electron microscopic findings: An increase in number of fat-storing cells was observed from 1 week after injection. Transitional cells characterized by a depletion of lipid droplets and a hypertrophy of the rER appeared after 2 weeks. The number of transitional cells with abundant collagen fibers in the extracellular spaces increased in 4 weeks. With progression of fibrosis the number of fat-strong cells decreased and proliferating fibroblasts with dilated rER were observed. According to these results it was revealed that there was an apparent transition from fatstrong cells to transitional cells and to fibroblasts. These cells had a few similar characteristics and may belong to the same cell population. Thus it was suggested that fatstrong cells might play an important role in hepatic fibrosis.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Collagen ; Desmin ; Extracellular Space ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis* ; Hypertrophy ; Kupffer Cells ; Lipid Droplets ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Necrosis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

We report a case of drug eruption and liver damage due to diaminodiphenyl suIfone(DDS) ingestion in a 17-year-old female. This patient had taken DDS for 20 days, 100mg-200mg daily to treat an unknown skin disease. Thereafter, she had generalized erythematous eruption on whole body, icteric sclera and fever. Liver function test showed abnormality (SGOT 514 unit, SGPT 710 unit, alkarine phosphotase 4. 3 B.U., total biIirubin 7. Oml/dl, direct bilirubin 4. 8mg/dl). The adverse reactiions to DDS are gastrointestinal intolerance, hemolytic, anemia, methemoglobinemia, agranulocytoais, hepatitis, neuritis, psychosis and a skin rash described as a fixed drug eruption, erythema multiforme, exfoliative dermatitis and toxic epidermal necrolysis. In Korea, DDS has been used for the treatment of skin diseases of various types for a long time without prescription, especially in rural areas. This trend is a significant sociomediical problem in Korea.
Adolescent ; Alanine Transaminase ; Anemia ; Bilirubin ; Dermatitis, Exfoliative ; Drug Eruptions* ; Eating ; Erythema Multiforme ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Function Tests ; Liver* ; Methemoglobinemia ; Neuritis ; Prescriptions ; Psychotic Disorders ; Sclera ; Skin Diseases ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

No abstract available.
Blood Flow Velocity* ; Ductus Arteriosus* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of tuberculosis has been based on the detection of tubercle bacilli by acid-fast stain of smear or cultures, and recently the serologic diagnosis of tuberculosis has been provided a means of sensitive and specific detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We evaluated the utility of enzyme immunoassay using determiner Tuberculosis Glicolipids(TBGL) antibody kit(Kyowa Medex Co. Ltd, Japan) to detect anti-TBGL antibody for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: Anti-TBGL antibody assay was performed to the form 44 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis(17 patients with smear positive, 7 patients with only culture positive, 20 patients with clinically active tuberculosis) and 80 controls (30 healthy controls, 24 patients with non-tuberculous respiratory diseases, 26 patients with inactive tuberculosis). We compared the sensitivity and specificity of anti-TBGL antibody with culture and AFB stain. RESULTS: Anti-TBGL antibodies were detected in 16 of 17(94%) smear positive patients, 4 of 7 patients with only culture positive and 16 of 20(80%) smear negative patients who had been clinically diagnosed as active pulmonary tuberculosis. Nine(35%) out of 26 patients with inactive tuberculosis, one(4%) out of 24 patients with non-tuberculous respiratory diseases and no one of healthy control had a positive antibody response. Overall sensitivity, specificity of the anti-TBGL antibody assay were 82%, 88%, respectively and sensitivities and specificities of culture and AFB smear 64%, 97%, and 49%, 100%, respectively. Anti-TBGL antibody titers in patients with active tuberculosis were significantly higher than control grup(P<0.05). Conclusions : The anti-TBGL antibody assay was sensitive, rapid and convenient. This assay will be useful as a tool for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in combination with other conventional methods.
Antibodies ; Antibody Formation ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

A monoclonal antibody to PCNA, which can be used on routinely processed tissue, was applied to 25 cases of gastric adenomas and 64 cases of gastric adenocarcinomas in order to diffentiate adenoma and adenocarcinoma and also to evaluate the prognostic value in adenocarcinoma. The results were summerized as follows: The PCNA labelling index was 29.14+/-12.77% in control, 44.09+/-17.11% in adenoma and 80.15+/-10. 69 in adenocarcinoma, resulting in significant increase in adenocarcinoma compared to adenoma. In adenocarcinoma, no significant correlation was observed between PCNA labelling index and histologic grade, and there -was increased tendency of PCNA labelling index in proportion to depth of invasion without statistical significance. The PCNA index was significantly increased in advanced adenocarcinoma compared to early gastric carcinoma, and also in positive nodal metastasis group than in negative group. From above results, the PCNA stain will be able to provide a helpful method for the differential diagnosis between gastric adenoma and adenocarcinoma, and could be a useful prognostic factor in adenocarcinoma if other factors are considered together.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenoma* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Stomach