No abstract available.
Candidiasis* ; Fluconazole*

BACKGROUND: Legionella pneumophila has been recognized as an important cause of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP) requiring hospitalization. However, epidemiological data on the occurrence of legionella-related pneumonia is unavailable in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluated the etiological imprtance of legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in patients hospitalized with CAP. METHOD: The CAP patient over 16 year-old were recruited from July 1999 to June 2000 at the Chunchon Sacred Heart Hospital. Fifty four patients (male 29, female 25, average age 63.8±15.3) were included in this study. A diagnosis of a legionella pneumophila infection was based on a urinary antigen test using the Binax Company enzyme immunoassay. The severity of pneumonia was assessed using the Fine's PORT scoring system. RESULT: The average Fine's PORT score was 99.7(±44.9). According to the risk classification proposed by the Infectious Disease Society of America, the number of patients in each class(from class I to class V) were 6(11.1%), 13(24.1%), 9(16.7%), 14(25.8%), and 12(22.2%), respectively. Thirty two patients(59.3%) were initially admitted to the intensive care unit. The mortality rate was 16.7%(9 in 54). In all patients, urinary antigens to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 were not detected. CONCLUSION: Legionella pneumophila may play little role in causing adult CAP in Korea. Therefore, the routine use of macrolide in the empirical treatment of the CAP patients based upon the ATS guidelines(1993) in Korea should be reevaluated.
Adult ; Americas ; Classification ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Heart ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea* ; Legionella pneumophila* ; Legionella* ; Legionnaires' Disease ; Mortality ; Pneumonia*

PURPOSE: Pleural effusion, an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, usually occurs in patients when the rate of fluid formation exceeds the rate of fluid removal. The differential diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy and malignant pleural effusion is a difficult task in high tuberculous prevalence areas. The aim of the present study was to identify novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of pleural fluid using proteomics technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used samples from five patients with transudative pleural effusions for internal standard, five patients with tuberculous pleurisy, and the same numbers of patients having malignant effusions were enrolled in the study. We analyzed the proteins in pleural fluid from patients using a technique that combined two-dimensional liquid-phase electrophoresis and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: We identified a total of 10 proteins with statistical significance. Among 10 proteins, trasthyretin, haptoglobin, metastasis-associated protein 1, t-complex protein 1, and fibroblast growth factor-binding protein 1 were related with malignant pleural effusions and human ceruloplasmin, lysozyme precursor, gelsolin, clusterin C complement lysis inhibitor, and peroxirexdoxin 3 were expressed several times or more in tuberculous pleural effusions. CONCLUSION: Highly expressed proteins in malignant pleural effusion were associated with carcinogenesis and cell growth, and proteins associated with tuberculous pleural effusion played a role in the response to inflammation and fibrosis. These findings will aid in the development of novel diagnostic tools for tuberculous pleurisy and malignant pleural effusion of lung cancer.
Biomarkers* ; Carcinogenesis ; Ceruloplasmin ; Chaperonin Containing TCP-1 ; Clusterin ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electrophoresis ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Gelsolin ; Haptoglobins ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung Neoplasms ; Methods* ; Muramidase ; Pleural Effusion ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Prevalence ; Proteomics ; Spectrum Analysis ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pleural

BACKGROUND: To characterize the clinical features and determine the prognostic factors of severe community-acquired pneumonia. This study is the first of its kind in Korea. METHODS: Recruited were 40 patients diagnosed as severe community-acquired pneumonia in Hallym University Hospital from January 1, 1989 through July 31, 1996. Patients were analysed retrospectively for age, sex, underlying disease, respiration rate, hypoxemia, requirement of mechanical ventilation, involvement on chest radiograph, shock, and the serum concentration of BUN and albumin. All parameters were compared between survived and dead group. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 2.07 : 1. The mean age was 63.1+/-l7.5years(range 25-90years) with 65% of patients aged equal to or more than 60. The major underlying diseases were old pulmonary tuberculosis(12.5%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(7.5%), bronchial asthma(5%), bronchiectasis(2.5%), and diabetes mellitus(22.5%). Microbiologic diagnosis was made in 26 out of 40 patients(65%). The most common causative organism was S. Pneumoniae(17.5%, 7/40) followed by S. aureus(15.0%, 6/40), K. Pncumoniac(12.5%, 5/40), M. tubercut osis(7.5%, 3/40), H. influenzae(2.5%, 1/40), coagulase negative staphylococcus(2.5%, 1/40), P aeruginosa(2.5%, 1/40), E. cloaceae(2.5%, 1/40), and E. coli(2.5%, 1/40). M. Pneumoniae was detected in no patient. The most frequent drugs administered in single or combination therapy were aminoglycosides(75%, 30/40), second- and third-generation cephalosporin(40%, 16/40 and 27.5%, 11/40), macro]ides(27.5%, 11/40), and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid(22.5%, 9/40). Of the 40 patients, 14 died of severe community-acquired pneumonia(37.S%). Among them, seven patients (50%) expired within 72h of hospital arrival. According to multivariate analysis, mortality was significantly associated with requirement of mechanical ventilation, bilateral pulmonary involvement, and serum albumin < or = 3.0g/dl. CONCLUSION: An understanding of the clinical charateristics and prognostic factors in severe community-acquired pneumonia identified in this study will optimize therapeutic approach in this disease and help decreasing its notorious mortality rate.
Anoxia ; Coagulase ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pneumonia* ; Prognosis ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; Shock

Cystic fibrosis is the most common autosomal recessive disease in Caucasian. Cystic fibrosis is caused by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations that lead to dysfunction of chloride ion channel regulations in the epithelium. Cystic fibrosis can affect multiple organ functions, resulting in various signs and symptoms. Typically, chronic airway infection, maldigestion, failure to thrive, and male infertility can occur. There are approximately 1800 CFTR gene mutations which have been identified thus far. However, there are only a few types of mutations reported in Korea because the prevalence of the disease is different among ethnicitiess and nations. Despite its rarity, reports of CFTR mutations or diagnosed patients on the rise. Therefore, we have to detect better outcomes as early as possible based on a precise understanding of the disease entity. We report a 9-year-old girl carrying D339Y and Q220X gene mutations, as the first case report of a D339Y mutation in Korea.
Child ; Chloride Channels ; Cystic Fibrosis ; Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator ; Epithelium ; Failure to Thrive ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Korea ; Lifting ; Male ; Prevalence ; Social Control, Formal

Biliary papillomatosis (BP) is a rare disease that is classified as either the mucin-hypersecreting type or nonmucin-secreting type. Typical papillomas of the biliary tree mainly involve intrahepatic bile ducts or both intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts. The isolated involvement of the extrahepatic bile duct is rare, and there is no report of BP confined to the gallbladder in Korea. We report a case of a 50-year-old man who developed obstructive jaundice due to hypersecreted mucin from papillomas of the gallbladder.
Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Biliary Tract ; Carcinoma, Papillary* ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive* ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Mucins ; Papilloma ; Rare Diseases

We report on delayed emergence of restricted diffusion on MRI after hypoglycemia. A 56-year-old man with type 2 diabetes was admitted with mental change. Initial serum glucose was 19 mg/dl. Fifteen hours after presumed symptom onset, brain imaging did not show any definite abnormality. However, areas of restricted diffusion emerged evident in both basal ganglia 9 days later. Hypoglycemia can cause delayed cytotoxic edema even after normalization of the serum glucose.
Basal Ganglia ; Coma ; Diffusion ; Edema ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Middle Aged ; Neuroimaging

PURPOSE: Fluoroquinolones, rapidly gaining prominence in treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SMP), are noted for their potency and tolerability. However, SMP may rapidly acquire resistance to fluoroquinolones. We evaluated associations of clinical factors with acquisition of levofloxacin resistance (LFr) in SMP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our retrospective cohort study was based on patient data collected between January 2008 and June 2010. Through screening of 1275 patients, we identified 122 patients with data for SMP antibiotic susceptibility testing in > or =3 serial SMP isolates. RESULTS: We assigned the 122 patients to either the SS group (n=54) in which levofloxacin susceptibility was maintained or the SR group (n=31) in which susceptible SMP acquired resistance. In multivariate regression analysis, exposure to levofloxacin for more than 3 weeks [odds ratio (OR) 15.39, 95% confidential interval (CI) 3.08-76.93, p=0.001] and co-infection or co-colonization with Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to levofloxacin (OR 4.85, 95% CI 1.16-20.24, p=0.030) were independently associated with LFr acquisition in SMP. CONCLUSION: Acquisition of LFr during serial sampling of SMP was related to the levofloxacin exposure.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Fluoroquinolones/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/drug therapy ; Humans ; Levofloxacin/*pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia/drug effects/*pathogenicity

PURPOSE: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is commonly prescribed as a fixed-dose, co-formulated antiretroviral drug for HIV-1 infection. The major concern of long-term TDF use is renal dysfunction. However, little is known about the long-term patterns of changes in renal function in HIV-infected Koreans receiving TDF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively followed 50 HIV-infected Koreans, performing laboratory tests every 3 months during the first year and every 6 months for the next 2 years. Urine N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and plasma cystatin-C were measured using samples collected in the first year. Data on renal function were retrospectively collected on HIV-infected patients receiving first-line TDF (n=40) and in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients (n=24) for 3 years. Renal function was evaluated as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from serum creatinine [Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD)] and cystatin-C. RESULTS: The eGFR (cystatin-C) showed significant changes from 0 to 48 wks (p=0.002), with the lowest levels at 24 wks (84.3±18.8 mL/min vs. 90.3±22.5 mL/min, p=0.021 by post hoc test). Urine NAG levels did not differ at 0, 12, 24, and 48 wks, although eGFR (MDRD) significantly decreased from 0 (98.7±18.9 mL/min/1.73 m²) to 144 wks (89.0±14.7 mL/min/1.73 m²) (p=0.010). The first-line TDF group had significantly lower eGFR (MDRD) than the ART-naïve group at 144 wks (89.7 mL/min/1.73 m² vs. 98.4 mL/min/1.73 m², p=0.036). Thirteen (26%) participants experienced a decrease in renal impairment of 10 mL/min/1.73 m² in eGFR (MDRD) at 144 wks. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that clinically meaningful renal injury can develop in HIV-infected Koreans receiving long-term TDF.
Creatinine ; Diet ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; HIV ; HIV-1 ; Humans ; Plasma ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Tenofovir*

The number of HIV-infected individuals susceptible to Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is increasing in Korea; however, it has proven difficult to devise a vaccination policy therefore because limited seroepidemiologic data exists for them. Accordingly, anti-HAV IgG was measured in 188 HIV-infected adults between July 2008 and July 2010. The nadir CD4+ T lymphocyte counts were not different between the HAV-positive and -negative groups (197 +/- 138 vs 202 +/- 129, P = 0.821). The only factor independently associated with seropositive status was age under 40 yr old (OR 0.017, P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that HAV vaccination in HIV-infected adults should be targeted at persons under the age of 40 yr.
Adult ; Age Factors ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Female ; HIV Infections/*complications ; Hepatitis A/complications/*epidemiology ; Hepatitis A Antibodies/blood ; Hepatitis A virus/immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies