No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycoprotein on cellular surface, which is highly condensed in embryonic tissue and tumor of various kinds. Previous study found out that CEA may grow with various cancer or other diseases other than cancer as well. Besides, it is widely known that smoking also influences the rise in CEA. Among the same smokers, some of them show high CEA figures in serum when others remain in normal range. There are those whose pulmonary function is not influenced by smoking when that of others are susceptible to it. Therefore, this study was undertaken with an aim to study the relationship between serum CEA and pulmonary function by investigating how the change in pulmonary function caused by smoking influences serum CEA. METHODS: From Nov, 1997 to Feb, 2001, this study carried out tests on adult male smokers ages 35 to 64 who visited a hospital located in Kang Nung city. The subjects were divided into two groups: one group of 29 subjects with high CEA with over 6.0 ng/ml with normal colon study; the other group, which is the CEA normal group, consisted of 58 subjects selected through age adjusted random sampling. Data on personal information, smoking and clinical history was collected from a questionnaire. CEA was tested using radioimmunoassay of Abott. Pulmonary function was examined using Analyzer assembly Vmax 20C from Sensormedics Company. These examinations was limited to those who have been screened not to have cancer by chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasonography, and duodenofibroscopy. RESULTS: Smoking per day for the group with high serum CEA was 1.3 pack ( 0.4 pack), which was found to be significantly higher compared to that of normal group (P<0.01). Pack-years with high serum CEA group was 32.6 13.5 which was also comparatively higher than that of the normal group with 22.4 10.9 (P<0.01). Pulmonary function test indicated that FEV1 for the group with high serum CEA was 3.0 0.5 L, which marked lower than that of the normal group with 3.4 0.5 L (P<0.05). After compensating for age and pack years, FEV1 decreased in proportion to the rise in CEA. CONCLUSION: This study has established a link between serum CEA and daily smoking, pack years, and pulmonary function and found that FEV1 was inversely proportionate to the rise in CEA regardless of corrected pack years and daily smoking. Consequently, serum CEA alone is thought to be related to the pulmonary function. Therefore, it is advised that smokers with high serum CEA need to take heed of the influence on pulmonary function.
Adult ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen* ; Colon ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Male* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reference Values ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Bochdalek hernia through Bochdalek foramen, defect at the posterolateral side of the diaphragm is one of the congenital diaphragmatic hernias. It usually occurs in infants, but very rare in old age and also on the right side. We experienced the right-side Bochdalek hernia including kidney herniation in 68 years old man man ifested by hemoptysis. CT scan revealed diaphragmatic defect and herniated liver, colon and kidney. Thoracotomy was performed and the 10 cm-sized large defect was closed with patch. After then, the patient has been well without symptom.
Aged ; Colon ; Diaphragm ; Hemoptysis ; Hernia* ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Humans ; Infant ; Kidney* ; Liver ; Thoracotomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Lymphoma*

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the correlations between high platelet reactivity (HPR) and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis and periprocedural myonecrosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 485 patients who underwent PCI for ACS was studied. HPR was defined as ≥230 platelet reactivity units (PRU) in point-of-care P2Y12 tested by the VerifyNow assay. The incidence of multi-vessel disease (MVD) was higher in patients with HPR than those with no HPR (56.2% vs 45.8%, p=0.023). PRU values progressively increased with the number of diseased coronary arteries (1-vessel disease 221.8±86.7; 2-vessel disease 239.3±90.1; 3-vessel disease 243.4±84.5; p=0.038 by ANOVA). Multivariate analysis revealed that HPR was independently associated with MVD (Odds ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.25, p=0.048). Patients with periprocedural myonecrosis showed significantly higher PRU values compared with those without myonecrosis (258.6±94.5 vs. 228.5±85.6, p=0.013). Multivariate analysis revealed that HPR was an independent predictor for periprocedural myonecrosis as defined as any creatine kinase-myocardial band isoenzyme elevation or troponin T elevation. In conclusion, HPR is associated with MVD and periprocedural myonecrosis in patients with ACS and PCI. Thus, platelet reactivity after treatment with clopidogrel might be associated not only with blood clot formation but also with increased coronary atherosclerotic burden.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Platelets ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Creatine ; Humans ; Incidence ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Point-of-Care Systems ; Troponin T

The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of spontaneous renal artery dissection (SRAD) as a cause of acute renal infarction, and to evaluate the clinical and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) findings of SRAD. From November 2011 to January 2014, 35 patients who were diagnosed with acute renal infarction by MDCT were included. We analyzed the 35 MDCT data sets and medical records retrospectively, and compared clinical and imaging features of SRAD with an embolism, using Fisher's exact test and the Mann-Whitney test. The most common cause of acute renal infarction was an embolism, and SRAD was the second most common cause. SRAD patients had new-onset hypertension more frequently than embolic patients. Embolic patients were found to have increased C-reactive protein (CRP) more often than SRAD patients. Laboratory results, including tests for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and the BUN/creatinine ratio (BCR) were significantly higher in embolic patients than SRAD patients. Bilateral renal involvement was detected in embolic patients more often than in SRAD patients. MDCT images of SRAD patients showed the stenosis of the true lumen, due to compression by a thrombosed false lumen. None of SRAD patients progressed to an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or to end-stage renal disease during the follow-up period. SRAD is not a rare cause of acute renal infarction, and it has a benign clinical course. It should be considered in a differential diagnosis of acute renal infarction, particularly in patients with new-onset hypertension, unilateral renal involvement, and normal ranges of CRP, LDH, BUN, and BCR.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The use of emergency medical services (EMSs) at the onset of pain, and the relationship between transport type and the treatment delay for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were evaluated using the Jeonbuk Regional Cardiovascular Center database. METHODS: In total, 527 STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled in this study. Basic characteristics, socioeconomic variables, and delay factors were compared between patients that contacted an EMS as first medical contact (FMC) and patients that used other forms of FMC. RESULTS: Only 28.8% of patients used EMS as their FMC. The patients that used EMS showed significantly shorter onset-to-balloon time than those who did not (250.7 ± 366.6 min vs. 405.9 ± 649.8 min, p = 0.001). However, 36.2% of patients that used EMS as FMC were transported to non-PCI-capable centers, which led to significantly prolonged onset-to-balloon time. Multivariate analysis revealed that transfer via another hospital (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, p < 0.001), EMS as FMC (OR 0.4, p <0.001), age > 65 years (OR 1.9, p = 0.003), and previous history of PCI (OR 0.4, p = 0.033) were independent predictors of pre-hospital delay. CONCLUSIONS: EMS used as FMC at the onset of chest pain was an important factor for decreasing treatment delay in patients with STEMI. However, a small number of patients used EMS as FMC, and some patients that used EMS were transported to non-PCI-capable centers. Public campaigns and education are needed to raise the public awareness of STEMI and the use of EMSs.
Chest Pain ; Education ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services* ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Time Factors

In many countries, vaccines are used for the prevention of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). However, because there is no protection against FMD immediately after vaccination, research and development on antiviral agents is being conducted to induce protection until immunological competence is produced. This study tested whether well-known chemicals used as RNA virus treatment agents had inhibitory effects on FMD viruses (FMDVs) and demonstrated that ribavirin showed antiviral effects against FMDV in vitro/in vivo. In addition, it was observed that combining the administration of the antiviral agents orally and complementary therapy with vaccines synergistically enhanced antiviral activity and preserved the survival rate and body weight in the experimental animals. Antiviral agents mixed with an adjuvant were inoculated intramuscularly along with the vaccines, thereby inhibiting virus replication after injection and verifying that it was possible to induce early protection against viral infection prior to immunity being achieved through the vaccine. Finally, pigs treated with antiviral agents and vaccines showed no clinical signs and had low virus excretion. Based on these results, it is expected that this combined approach could be a therapeutic and preventive treatment for early protection against FMD.
Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; Body Weight ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease ; Immunocompetence ; Ribavirin ; RNA Viruses ; Survival Rate ; Swine ; Vaccination ; Vaccines ; Virus Replication

Background: The quality of a vaccine depends strongly on the effects of the adjuvants applied simultaneously with the antigen in the vaccine. The adjuvants enhance the protective effect of the vaccine against a viral challenge. Conversely, oil-type adjuvants leave oil residue inside the bodies of the injected animals that can produce a local reaction in the muscle. The longterm immunogenicity of mice after vaccination was examined. ISA206 or ISA15 oil adjuvants maintained the best immunity, protective capability, and safety among the oil adjuvants in the experimental group. Objectives: This study screened the adjuvant composites aimed at enhancing foot-andmouth disease (FMD) immunity. The C-type lectin or toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist showed the most improved protection rate. Methods: Experimental vaccines were fabricated by mixing various known oil adjuvants and composites that can act as immunogenic adjuvants (gel, saponin, and other components) and examined the enhancement effect on the vaccine. Results: The water in oil (W/O) and water in oil in water (W/O/W) adjuvants showed better immune effects than the oil in water (O/W) adjuvants, which have a small volume of oil component. The W/O type left the largest amount of oil residue, followed by W/O/W and O/W types. In the mouse model, intramuscular inoculation showed a better protection rate than subcutaneous inoculation. Moreover, the protective effect was particularly weak in the case of inoculation in fatty tissue. The initial immune reaction and persistence of long-term immunity were also confirmed in an immune reaction on pigs. Conclusions The new experimental vaccine with immunostimulants produces improved immune responses and safety in pigs than general oil-adjuvanted vaccines.

PURPOSE: Critically ill patients frequently require rapid measurements of serum potassium. Analyses of serum samples take some time, but the results of blood gas analyses are often available more promptly. This study aims to determine the correlation between potassium concentrations measured by blood gas analyzer and automated chemical analyzer with a view to identifying whether the plasma potassium level can be used as an alternative to the serum values in the clinical management of selected patients in the Emergency Department (ED). METHODS: This prospective study of patients who were deemed by their treating doctor to require a blood gas analysis and chemistry analysis compared the potassium concentrations obtained from plasma and serum taken simultaneously. Data were analyzed using a Pearson correlation and a linear regression. RESULTS: Four hundred ninety-six patients were entered into the study. The potassium concentrations measured using two blood gas analyzers and two automated chemical analyzers were relatively highly correlated (coefficient=0.871), with an average difference between two methods of 0.449 mmol/L. There was also a high level of agreement between the methods with the 95% limits of agreement being -0.2 to 1.2 mmol/L. CONCLUSION: Compared with data from other previous test, our data were unsatisfactory. However our trial makes it possible in our ED to obtain serum potassium level from the plasma level. In addition, hypokalemia obtained by blood gas analyzer should be made an exception in treating it.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Chemistry ; Critical Illness ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Linear Models ; Plasma ; Potassium* ; Prospective Studies