BACKGROUND: Clinical and experimental studies have suggested that brain death may cause hemodynamic, electrocardiographic, functional or histopathologic changes of the heart. METHODS: Brain death was induced by increasing intracranial pressure(ICP) abruptly by intermittent bolus injection of saline(model ) or gradually by continuous infusion of saline(model ) to the epidural catheter in 5 mongrel dogs, respectively. Hemodynamic and biochemical changes during the process of brain death and histopathologic changes of the myocardium were analyzed and compared in two brain death models, and the association of apoptosis was also evaluated. RESULTS: 1) Two predominant subsets of acute contraction band lesion were produced in both brain death models : paradiscal and holocystic contraction band lesions. Both contraction band lesions were more prevalent in brain death model . 2) The frequency of both contraction band lesions was lowest in the epicardial layer and highest in the endocardial layer in both models, but no correlation was observed between the degree of contraction band lesions and ICP, LV maximum +dp/dt or catecholamine levels. There was no statistical difference between any of the LV circumferential blocks and either type of contraction band lesion, and transaxial distribution was not also different in both models. 3) There was no remarkable histopathologic changes in the analysis of major epicardial coronary arteries. Apoptotic cells were suggested in the scattered myocytes in the light microscopy and apoptosis was detected by in situ nick end labeling method. Electron microscopy revealed a condensation of nuclear chromatin and convolution of nuclear membrane in those myocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial changes due to brain were observed frequently, and few apoptotic cells were found in the brain death heart. Studies on the treatment strategy to minimize damages of myocardial structure and function caused by brain death should be followed in the near future.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain Death* ; Brain* ; Catheters ; Chromatin ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs ; Electrocardiography ; Heart ; Hemodynamics ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Muscle Cells ; Myocardium* ; Nuclear Envelope

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of endothelium-dependent and independent responses to endothelins (ETs) in porcine coronary artery. METHODS: The vascular rings of left anterior descending artery or left circumflex artery from 7 pigs were suspended in conventional organ chambers for the measurement of isometric force. To evaluate relaxation responses, vascular rings with endothelium were exposed to ET-1 and ET-3. To evaluate contraction responses, vascular rings with and without endothelium were exposed to ET-1 and ET-3 in the presence or absence of BQ 123 (ET(A) receptor antagonist) or TAK-044 (ET(A) and ET(B) receptor antagonist). RESULTS: Transient relaxation responses of vascular rings occurred after exposure of ET-1 and ET-3. These transient responses disappeared after preincubation with N-nitro-L arginine. There was an increased contractions of vascular rings according to increasing concentration of ET-1 and ET-3. The initial responses were enhanced in vascular rings without endothelium in ET-1 and ET-3. In vascular rings with endothelium, the contraction responses were more reduced in vascular rings with preincubation of BQ 123 than in vascular rings without BQ 123 in ET-1. In vascular rings without endothelium, the contraction responses were more reduced in vascular rings with preincubation of TAK-044 than in vascular rings without TAK-044 in ET-1. CONCLUSION: ET(B) receptor on the endothelium might mediate the transient vasodilator responses to ET-1 and ET-3 through release of nitric oxide in porcine coronary artery. ET(A) and ET(B) receptor on vascular smooth muscle cells might mediate vasoconstrictor responses to ETs.
Arginine ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels* ; Endothelins* ; Endothelium ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nitric Oxide ; Receptors, Endothelin ; Relaxation ; Swine

BACKGROUND: Systemic anticoagulation therapy has been recommended to prevent subacute thrombosis after intracoronary stening. Recent data, however, suggest that antiplatelet therapy might be an effective alternative to anticoagulation therapy. We evaluated the effect of antithrombotic regimens on subacute thrombosis and short-term clinical course after successful implantation of Cordis coronary stent, which is a flexible, balloon expandable, radiopaque tantalum stent. METHOD: Two hundred and seventy-five consecutive patients with 290 lesions were treated with 356 Cordis stents implantation. According to post-stent antithrombotic regimen, patients were divided into three groups ; 165 patients with 175 lesions received aspirin 200mg/day, ticlopidine 500mg/day and warfarin for one month(Group 1), 66 patients with 69 lesions received aspirin and ticlopidine(Group 2) and 44 patients with 46 lesions received aspirin alone(Group 3) after successful Cordis stenting. RESULTS: The overall procidural success rates were 97.7% in group 1, 98.6% in group 2 and 100% in group 3. More than 65 percents of the patients were eligible for elective stenting aspirin, ticlopidine and warfarin, 0% in patients with aspirin and ticlopidine, and 6.8% in patients assigned to the treatment with aspirin alone. CONCLUSION: The Cordis coronary stent is an effective endovascular stent in various clinical indications including unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction. Antiplatelet therapy using aspirin and ticlopidine after successful Cordis coronary stenting is promising alternative to anticoagulation therapy to overcome the drawbacks of stenting. However, post-stent antithrombotic therapy with aspirin alone is associated with significant rate of stent thrombosis.
Angina, Unstable ; Aspirin ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Humans ; Korea* ; Myocardial Infarction ; Stents* ; Tantalum ; Thrombosis ; Ticlopidine ; Warfarin

PURPOSE: To analyze the recent citation trend and to find a way to improve impact factor (IF) of the Journal of Korean Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JKSTRO) by analysis of Korean Medical Citation Index (KoMCI) citation data of JKSTRO and comparison with that of mean citation data of all journals enlisted on KoMCI (KoMCI journals) during 2000-2005. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All citation data of entire journals enlisted on KoMCI and JKSTRO from 2000 to 2005 were obtained from KoMCI. The trend of total and annual number of published articles and reference citations, total citations and self-citations per paper, IF and impact factor excluding self-citations (ZIF) were described and compared on both KoMCI journals and JKSTRO. RESULTS: Annual number of published articles was decreased for 6 years on both KoMCI journals and JKSTRO (32% and 38% reduction rate). The number of Korean journal references per article is 1.6 papers on JKSTRO comparing to 2.0 papers on KoMCI journals. The percentage of Korean references/total references increased from 5.0% in 2000 to 7.7% in 2005 on JKSTRO and from 8.5% in 2000 to 10.1% on KoMCI journals. The number of total citations received/paper on JKSTRO (average 1.333) is smaller than that of KoMCI journals (average 1.694), there was an increased rate of 67% in 2005 comparing to 2000. The percentage of self-citations/total citations (average 72%) on JKSTRO is slightly higher than that of KoMCI journals (average 61%). IF of JKSTRO was gradually improved and 0.144, 0.125, 0.088, 0.107, 0.187, and 0.203 in 2000-2005 respectively. However, ZIF of JKSTRO is steadily decreased from 0.038 in 2000 to 0.013 in 2005 except 0.044 in 2004. CONCLUSION: IF of JKSTRO was slightly improved but had some innate problem of smaller number of citations received. To make JKSTRO as a highly cited journal, the awareness of academic status of JKSTRO and active participation of every member of JKSTRO including encouraging self-citations of papers published recent 2 years and submission of English written papers, and active academic cooperation with related academic societies.
Radiation Oncology*

Salmonellosis in poultry of Korea is a significant health problem, which causes substantial economic losses. The most common causative agents of chicken salmonellosis ar S. gallinarum and S. pullorum. Traditional methods used to detect Salmoenella spp. In chicken are tedious, time consuming and confer little guarantee of sensitivity and species specificity. Therefore, a rapid and sensitive method for the differentiation of Salmonella serogroup D was assessed. We first amplified the rfbS genes by PCR and characterized the amplified product by nucleotide sequence analysis. The homology of nucleotide sequence was 99.7% between S. gallinarum and S. pullorum rfbS genes. Further comparisons of the sequences of S. gallinarum, S. gallinarum fied strain, S. pullorum and S. typhi(GenBank Accession No.M29682) showed a homology of 98.3%. The predicted amino acid sequence homology was 97.1%, 97.1% and 97.5%, respectively. Based on this comparison of these nucleotide sequences, we found unique restriction enzyme sites within the rfbS genes of S. gallinarum and S. pullorum. Thus, the PCR products could be further digested with restriction enzymes TfiI and PleI for use in a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RELP) technique. This method can be applied in the differential diagnosis between S. gallinarum and S. pullorum.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; *Chickens ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Poultry Diseases/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Restriction Mapping/veterinary ; Salmonella/*classification/genetics/isolation&purification ; Salmonella Infections, Animal/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVE: During the follow-up period of extrahepatic malignancy, one may encounter a solitary hepatic metastasis on CT scan which may be difficult to differentiate from hepatic abscess in an ambiguous clinical setting. It was our intention to copmare the radiological similarities and differences between two disease entities from which differentiation can be attempted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six cases of solitary heaptic meastesis and 23 cases of liver abscess were included in this study. Two radiologists interpreted the CT without knowledge of the clinical informations. CT pattern was categorized and the frequency of various findings were compared between the two groups. CT findings of the mass were analysed in misinterpreted cases. RESULTS: Without the clinical informations, the diagnostic accuracy of the mass was 72-76% without pattern analysis. Homogeneous masses were seen in both groups, but all masses larger than 4cm were metastases. In heterogeneous masses, metatases more frequently accompanied high attenuation in central or peripheral portion of the mass and showed thick intermediate zone, Irregular trabecular pattern or septations were more frequently observed in abscesses. Biliary dilatation or stone, pleural effusion, air in mass or biliary tree were more frequently seen in abscesses. The false diagnosis was encountered most frequently when the mass possessed any of the followings; homogeneous attenuation, mosaic pattern in the mass with inhomogeneous attenuation and thin intermediate attenuation area. CONCLUSION: Pattern analysis of the various CT character will be helpful to differentiate hepatic abscess and solitary hepatic metastasis in the equivocal clinical settings. However, similar pattern can be seen in both entities ;in this cases, corrdination of CT pattern and secondary findings is needed for better differentiation.
Abscess ; Biliary Tract ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Intention ; Liver Abscess* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pleural Effusion ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A Case of double pylorus, in 56 year old man, was diagnosed by fiberoptic gastroscopy and upper gastrointestinal series. Two ovoid large openings of pyloric canal divided by smooth thickened septum were observed endoscopically And the relevant literatures on tihe subject were reviewed.
Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pylorus*

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon medical condition resulting from aspiration or inhalation of oily material. Generally, lipoid pneumonia has nonspecific clinical and radiological presentations, and may be misdiagnosed as bacterial pneumonia or lung cancer. We describe an unusual case of exogenous lipoid pneumonia accompanied by peripheral blood and pulmonary eosinophilia. A 63-year-old man was admitted with progressively worsening exertional dyspnea and productive cough for 5 days. A chest radiograph showed abnormalities in the lower lobe of the right lung, and a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia was made; intravenous antibiotics were administered. However, dyspnea and hypoxia gradually worsened and peripheral blood eosinophilia developed. A bronchoscopy was performed and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis showed markedly increased numbers of eosinophils (40%). Subsequently, a comprehensive review of history revealed that he fell asleep with camellia oil in his mouth for 2 weeks to relieve foreign body sensation of the throat. Sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology showed the presence of lipid-laden macrophages. He was diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia and acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Chest radiograph and symptom were rapidly improved after treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone.
Anoxia ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Bronchoscopy ; Camellia ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Macrophages ; Methylprednisolone ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; Pharynx ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Bacterial ; Pneumonia, Lipid ; Pulmonary Eosinophilia* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiratory Aspiration ; Sensation ; Sputum

The development of transport is being easily shared with people all over the world. It is necessary to appropriately and effectively revise the domestic quarantine law because the fatal infectious diseases are at risk of being easily shared. Today, Korea has an advanced quarantine system approved by World Health Organization, but it maintains partnerships with related ministries (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, local medical institutions) and to introduce new medical technology (electronic quarantine) is important. And since the prevention of quarantine infectious diseases and prevention of the spread, in order to maintain international cooperation with the International Health Regulations, the quarantine law and the system should be amended and improved effectively and it is also a way to prepare for the outbreak of new quarantine infectious diseases. In the past, Korea has experienced great confusion during the past outbreak of swine flu and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. To prevent similar cases from recurring in the past, the revision of the quarantine law and the improvement of the system should be done to cope with the changing environment (new infections, increased number of overseas travelers, etc.).
Communicable Diseases ; International Cooperation ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus ; Quarantine ; Social Control, Formal ; Social Justice ; Swine ; World Health Organization

No abstract available.
Agaricales ; Dermatitis