OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate whether maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) level measured during second trimester could be used as a predictor of pregnancy-induced hypertension. METHODS: Between March 1996 and November l997, 505 pregnant women undergoing second trimester(14-22 weeks of amenorrhea) triple marker screening for neural tube defect and Down syndrome who delivered at our institution were reviewed. All samples were assayed in the same laboratory and medical records were reviewed about medical and obstetrical history. RESULTS: Maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin level(multiples of the median, MoM) was significantly higher in the pregnancy-induced hypertension group than in the control group. With the use of 2. l multiples of the median as a cutoff value, the sensitivity of human chorionic gonadotropin as a screening marker for development of pregnancy-induced hypertension was 38.7%, the specificity was 95.9%, positive predictive value was 38.7% and negative predictive value was 95.9%. Conlusion: We suggest that second trimester maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels can be used clinically as an early predictive marker for pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Chorion ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Humans ; Humans* ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Neural Tube Defects ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Nevus*

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of the pathogenic Yersinia pestis from other Yersinia spp. was developed. Five Y. pestis strains, ninety-two other Yersinia species and twenty-four Enterobacteriaceae strains were collected in Korea and from other countries. Oligonucleotide primers were designed from pathogenic gene of antiphagocytic protein capsule gene (fra 1) and plasminogen activator gene (pla). The 428 bp DNA fragment was amplified from five Y. pestis which contained the fra I gene. No product was amplified from other Yersinia species and other strains of the Enterobacteriaceae. The 439 bp DNA fragment was amplified from three K pestis which contained the pla gene. No product was amplified from two Y. pestis, other Yersinia species and other strains of the Enterobacteriaceae. These showed that the designed primers were specific for detection of Y. pestis among other Yersinia species and Enterobacteriaceae strains. Amplification was successful whether the template was derived from purified DNA or from aliquots of boiled bacterial suspension. The detection limits were 100 pg of DNA and 100 colony forming units (CFU) for fra I and 100 pg DNA and 10 CFU for pla, respectively. Our results prove that the PCR method using specific primers for Y. pestis is a rapid and convenient procedure for routine clinical detection and identification of Y. pestis.
DNA ; DNA Primers ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Plasminogen Activators ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Stem Cells ; Yersinia pestis* ; Yersinia*

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

The corneal curvatures after circumferential scleral resection were increased in the corneal meridian of scleral resection and were decreased in the corneal meridian perpendicular to scleral resection. After meridional scleral resection, the results of corneal curvature changes were opposite to those of circumferential scleral resection. The changes of corneal curvature were decreased with time.

Down syndrome is known as one of the most common causes of mental retardation. Screening for Down's syndrome in the second trimester of pregnancy, based on the concentrations of various markers in serum and maternal age, has become widely used in the past decade. Down's syndrome is associated with low maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and unconjugated estriol concentrations and high maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin and inhibin A concentrations. Measurements of the first three markers, in addition to age, constitute the widely used triple test; measurements of all four markers with age make up the quadruple test. The triple test shows 62% of detection rate and the quadruple test was substantially better than the triple test (70%). Also several sonographic markers, especially nuchal translucency and nasal bone apprears to be a highly effective method to screen for Down syndrome.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Down Syndrome* ; Estriol ; Female ; Humans ; Inhibins ; Intellectual Disability ; Mass Screening* ; Maternal Age ; Nasal Bone ; Nuchal Translucency Measurement ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether symptoms of urinary urgency increase according to the severity of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). For this purpose, we recruited women with symptoms of mixed as well as pure SUI and compared the clinical characteristics of each subgroup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 241 female patients who were diagnosed with SUI and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with only SUI were categorized as group 1. Patients with MUI were categorized as group 2. Clinical and urodynamic differences between the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS: The proportion of Stamey grade was significantly different between the 2 groups: grade 1 SUI was higher in group 1, but grades 2 and 3 SUI were higher in group 2. The incidence of urgency was proportional to the degree of Stamey grade (23.5% in grade 1, 36.9% in grade II, and 60.0% in grade III). In the urodynamic study, the presence of detrusor overactivity was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (25.9% vs. 49.4%). Other clinical parameters were also significantly different between the 2 clinical groups: Q-tip angle (group 1: 42.1degrees, group 2: 28.6degrees, p<0.05), maximal urethral closure pressure (group 1: 54.7 cmH2O, group 2: 44.1 cmH2O, p<0.05), maximal bladder capacity (group 1: 356.3 ml, group 2: 282.0 ml, p<0.05), and bladder volume at first desire (group 1: 144.6 ml, group 2: 123.2 ml, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to this analysis, the more serious the symptoms of SUI, the higher the incidence of urinary urgency.
Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge ; Urodynamics

Over the past few decades, eradication and reduction of vaccine-preventable diseases through immunization has increased life expectancy by reducing mortality. Pregnant women are at risk for vaccine-preventable disease-related morbidity and mortality and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including congenital anomalies, spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, and low birth weight. In addition to providing direct maternal benefit, vaccination during pregnancy likely provides direct fetal and neonatal benefit through passive immunity. Despite the impact of immunization, vaccination in pregnancy is still inadequate. This article reviews types of vaccine and vaccines recommended during pregnancy.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Life Expectancy ; Mortality ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth ; Vaccination* ; Vaccines

"Optic neuritis", described first by Nettleship in 1884, is the general term used to describe involvement of the optic nerve as the result of inflammation, demyelination, or infection. The majority or patients with optic neuritis are between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and the major symptom in most cases is sudden visual loss. It would appear that when optic neuritis occurs in childhood, it is more commonly bilateral and associated with disc swelling. In the majority of cases, the visual prognosis and eventual prognosis with regard to the development of multiple sclerosis is much better than in adult optic neuritis. The authors experienced a case of bilateral optic neuritis in a 14-year-old girl whose visual acuity progressed to no light perception with eventual visual recovery after treatment with steroid and mannitol. A brief review of literature is described.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mannitol ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Neuritis* ; Prognosis ; Visual Acuity

"Optic neuritis", described first by Nettleship in 1884, is the general term used to describe involvement of the optic nerve as the result of inflammation, demyelination, or infection. The majority or patients with optic neuritis are between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and the major symptom in most cases is sudden visual loss. It would appear that when optic neuritis occurs in childhood, it is more commonly bilateral and associated with disc swelling. In the majority of cases, the visual prognosis and eventual prognosis with regard to the development of multiple sclerosis is much better than in adult optic neuritis. The authors experienced a case of bilateral optic neuritis in a 14-year-old girl whose visual acuity progressed to no light perception with eventual visual recovery after treatment with steroid and mannitol. A brief review of literature is described.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mannitol ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Neuritis* ; Prognosis ; Visual Acuity