No abstract available.
Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

No abstract available.
Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

No abstract available.
Leiomyoma* ; Vagina*

Antibiotic stewardship is a key strategy for limiting antibiotic resistance. Over the last decade the South Korean government has implemented a series of healthcare policies directed to this end, consisting of legislative separation of drug prescribing and dispensing, antibiotic utilization reviews, healthcare quality assessment, and public reporting. As a result, the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions for acute upper respiratory tract infections in primary healthcare facilities decreased from 72.9% in 2002 to 42.7% in 2013. However, no significant decrease in antibiotic resistance occurred over the same period in clinically important bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. These government-driven policies played a pivotal role in improving antibiotic use for outpatients and surgical patients in South Korea. However, to achieve long-lasting successful outcomes, coordinated efforts and communications among the stakeholders, including physicians and medical societies, are needed.
Bacteria ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Drug Utilization Review ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Inappropriate Prescribing ; Korea* ; Outpatients ; Prescriptions ; Primary Health Care ; Quality Assurance, Health Care ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Societies, Medical ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Utilization Review

PURPOSE: The effect of 0.2% cyclosporin A (CsA) as an adjuvant therapy after glaucoma-filtering surgery was the focus of this study. METHODS: A posterior lip sclerotomy was performed in 16 eyes of 8 rabbits, and 0.2% CsA was administered into the right eyes. The left eyes served as controls. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28 days after surgery. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and anti-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunocytochemical staining were performed at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. RESULTS: The IOP at 7 and 14 days after surgery was lower in the 0.2% CsA group and statistically significant (P=0.047, P=0.48; respectively). HE staining did not show any difference between experimental and control eyes, but anti-BrdU staining showed a lower number of positive cells in the experimental eyes at 1 week. The fibroblast proliferation rate was significantly lower 1 week after surgery in the 0.2% CsA group (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: An effect of 0.2% CsA on early wound healing was observed. The data suggest that a low concentration of CsA can be useful when employed as adjuvant therapy in glaucoma filtering surgery.
Cyclosporine ; Eye ; Fibroblasts ; Filtering Surgery ; Glaucoma ; Intraocular Pressure ; Lip ; Pilot Projects ; Rabbits ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVE: Cancer-testis (CT) genes are considered promising candidates for immunotherapeutic approaches. The aim of this study was to investigate which CT genes should be targeted in immunotherapy for brain tumors. METHODS: We investigated the expression of 6 CT genes (MAGE-E1, SOX-6, SCP-1, SSX-2, SSX-4, and HOMTES-85) using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in 26 meningiomas and 32 other various brain tumor specimens, obtained from the patients during tumor surgery from 2000 to 2005. RESULTS: The most frequently expressed CT genes of meningiomas were MAGE-E1, which were found in 22/26 (85%) meningioma samples, followed by SOX-6 (9/26 or 35%). Glioblastomas were most frequently expressed SOX-6 (6/7 or 86%), MAGE-E1 (5/7 or 71%), followed by SSX-2 (2/7 or 29%) and SCP-1 (1/7 or 14%). However, 4 astrocytomas, 3 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 3 oligodendroglial tumors only expressed MAGE-E1 and SOX-6. Schwannomas also expressed SOX-6 (5/6 or 83%), MAGE-E1 (4/6 or 67%), and SCP-1 (2/6 or 33%). CONCLUSION: The data presented here suggest that MAGE-E1 and SOX-6 genes are expressed in a high percentage of human central nervous system tumors, which implies the CT genes could be the potential targets of immunotherapy for human central nervous system tumors.
Acetaminophen ; Astrocytoma ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; Glioblastoma ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Meningioma ; Neurilemmoma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saccharin

Hashimotos thyroiditis and Graves disease have been thought to be the autoirnmune diseases having their distinct and separate clinical and pathologic features. Because of the partial and complete simi1arity in histologic feature, it has been hypothesized that Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Oraves disease may be interrelated. Several patients who had been diagnosed as Graves disease showed features of hypothyroidism, and were proven to have histologie features of Hashimotos thyroiditis in their thyroid tissue. Two meehanisms had been suggested to explain tbis phenomenon. One is that the combined Hashimotos thyroiditis in Graves' disease may become predominant with time, The other is that the amount of TSH receptor blocking antibody may increase in the course of Graves disease. Early recognition of these patients would be impartant to estabilish therapeutic plan. Futhermcee, extensive study of these patients would give more understanding of the mechanism of these diseases. Here we report 5 cases of clinically diagnosed Graves disease with pathologic features of Hashimotos thyroiditis or focal lymphocytic thyroiditis.
Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune

BACKGROUND: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) primarily infects CD4 lymphocyte, resulting in quantitative and qualitative defect of CD4 lymphocyte and eventually AIDS. This study was designed to determine the epidemiologic, cellular, and immunologic markers as possible indicator, of progression to AIDS. METHODS: A total of 115 HIV infected patients enrolled between September 1987 and July 1996 was analyzed. AIDS was defined according to criteria presented by Centers for Disease Control in 1993. The variables considered in the analysis were age, sex, route of transmission, delayed hypersensitivity skin test, WBC counts, hemoglobin, ESR, lymphocyte counts, platelet counts, CD4 lymphocyte counts, CD8 lymphocyte counts, and serum beta2-microglobulin. Predictors of AIDS were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Median follow-up duration of study was 12.05 months. Thirty-one subjects were diagnosed as AIDS during the study period. AIDS-defining illness included tuberculosis (23 cases), Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (6 cases), esophageal candidiasis (6 cases), cytomegalovirus disease (6 cases), cryptococcal meningitis (2 cases), cryptosporidiosis (2 cases), isosporiosis (2 cases), primary central nervous system lymphoma (1 case). On univariate analysis, low hemoglobin, low lymphocyte counts, high platelet counts, high ESR, low CD4 lymphocyte counts, low CD8 lymphocyte counts, and high serum beta2-microglobulin level are associated with progression to AIDS. On multivariate analysis, only the low CD4 lymphocyte counts is associated with increased AIDS hazard. In a group treated with zidovudine, any changes of celluar and immunologic markers during four months following treatment are not associated with progression to AIDS. CONCLUSION: In HIV infected persons, several laboratory markers might predict AIDS when analyzed individually. However, in multivariate analysis, only low CD4 lymphocyte count is an independent predictor of progression to AIDS
Animals ; Biological Markers ; Candidiasis ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Central Nervous System ; Cryptosporidiosis ; Cytomegalovirus ; Follow-Up Studies ; HIV Infections ; HIV* ; Humans* ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; Logistic Models ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma ; Meningitis, Cryptococcal ; Multivariate Analysis ; Platelet Count ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis ; Prognosis ; Skin Tests ; Tuberculosis ; Zidovudine

BACKGROUND: About 80% of nosocomial Stap hylococcus aureus isolates demonstrate methicillin resistance in Korea. To assess the prevalence of methicillin- resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in the community, we screened the nasal S. aureus isolates from healthy adults. METHODS: Nasal cultures were collected from healthy adults without known risk factors for acquisition of MRSA. Antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus isolates against oxacillin were determined using the E- test and the disk diffusion method. Methicillin resistant isolates were tested for the mecA gene by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Total 689 subjects were studied. The point prevalence of S. aureus was 33% (227/689). Sixteen isolates of S. aureus grew on the MRSA screening plates(MAO), of which 5(2.2%) were resistant to oxacillin and positive for the mecA gene. CONCLUSION: Less than 5% (95% CI; 1 ~5%) of the nasal S. aureus isolates in the community were methicillin-resistant.
Adult* ; Diffusion ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Oxacillin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

Cytomegalovirus(CMV) rarely causes cutaneous rnanifestations. But since the recent development of organ transplants and the increased prevalence of AIDS, various skin manifestations of CMV infection such as varicelliform eruptions, perineal hulcerations, papular, purpurc and vesiculobllous lesions are increasing in immunocompromised subjects, Perineal ulceration is a typical cytomegalovirus-induced skin manifestation which exhibits similar morphology to herpes simplex viral infection. We describe a case of CMV-induced ulcer on labia majora in an AIDS patient, proven by histologic findings and immunohistochemistry. The patient was treated with ganciclovir and the lesion improved two months later.
Cytomegalovirus* ; Ganciclovir ; Herpes Simplex ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Prevalence ; Skin Manifestations ; Transplants ; Ulcer*