Bacterial byproducts and volatile sulfur compounds(VSC) have been found to be the leading intra-oral agents, specifically, the byproducts of gram negative anaerobic bacteria have been implicated as primary factors of halitosis in patients presenting with periodontal disease. The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between periodontal treatment and the subsequent reduction in the level of halitosis. Forty-three subjects presenting with periodontal disease were examined before periodontal treatment, one week after treatment, one month after treatment, and finally, two months after treatment, using a portable sulfide monitoring Halimeter(R) to measure the VSC concentrations at the prescribed intervals. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Significant decreases in the mean VSC concentration were observed at the one week, one month, and two month post-op intervals relative to the pre-op measurement. (p<0.05) 2. Significant decreases in the mean VSC concentration were observed in subjects after completion of flap operations. Significant decreases in the mean VSC concentration were observed at the one and two month post-flap operation measurement relative to the VSC concentration at one week (p<0.05), but no significant differences between the one month and two month VSC concentrations were found. (p<0.05) 3. Significant decreases in the mean VSC concentration were observed in subjects after completion of subgingival curettage (p<0.05). Significant decreases were found between the one week and one month measurements and between the one month and two month measurements, but significant differences were not observed between the one week and two month measurements. (p<0.05) The results of this study show significant decreases in VSC concentration in test subjects after periodontal treatment. It can be inferred from the results above, that periodontal disease is a significant contributing factor of halitosis, and that treatment of periodontal disease can been an effective means of reducing VSC concentration in patients presenting with halitosis concurrent with periodontal disease.
Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria ; Halitosis ; Humans ; Periodontal Diseases ; Subgingival Curettage ; Sulfur

Recent studies have demonstrated that the patients with psoriasis have various immune alternation in both humoral and cellular immunities. However the results of these are still controversial. These facts promoted us to analyze the immune cells (T cell, T subsets and B cell) by rosette method for these cells in peripheral blood of 15 patients with psoriasis. And we also analyzed the effects of photo- chemotherapy(PUVA) on these cells. The results were summerized as follows; 1. The mean values of T cell, T, T, cell and B cell in peripheral blood of the- patients with psoriasis before PUVA therapy were 56. 2+-5.7%, 35.1+-6.9%, 5. 5+l.4%, 11.6+4. 0% respectively, These results of immune cells showed signi- ficantly lower mean values when these were compaired with the mean values. of nomnal control group(T cell; 65. 2+-2.9%, TM cell; 45.8+-3.2%, T cell; 7.3+ 1.3% B cell; 16.2+2.4%), respectively (T cell, Tm Tg, p<0.01, B cell; p<0.05). 2. The mean values of T cell, T, T, cell and B cell in peripheral blood (countinue..)
Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Photochemotherapy* ; Psoriasis* ; PUVA Therapy

Pulmonary Aspergillomas usually arise from proliferation of Aspergillus in preexisting parenchymal cavities.202 college students (99 men, 103 women) aged 18% 26 years. Fasting blood samples were. The most common symptom in this disorder is hemoptysis, which may be minimal in amount or it may be massive & life threatening. The optimum therapy for pulmonary aspergilloma is controversial. The major options available include surgical resection of the lesion, a number of medical therapies, or simple observation of the patient for a time. Surgery is the most effective treatment but it is limited to some patient because most patients haute underlying pulmonary disease. Thus the various form of medical therapy was available with successful result. The authors present a case of percutaneous intracavitary amphoterician B injection for the treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma & its successful effect for the repetitive hemoptysis.
Amphotericin B* ; Aspergillus ; Fasting ; Hemoptysis* ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; Male

PURPOSE: To evaluate regional differences in relative metabolite ratios in the normal human brain by 1H MRspectroscopy (MRS), and compare the spectral quality obtained by the automated prescan method (PROBE) and themanual method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Localized 1H MRS was performed on a GE 1.5T SIGNA MRI/MRS system (version5.5) with active shielded gradients. For 20 normal volunteers aged 8-47 years, spectral parameters were adjustedby the auto-prescan routine provided by a PROBE package(N=34)and manually (N=33). Five regions of the human brainwere examined (N=PROBE,manual): frontal white matter(N=6,10), parietal white matter(N=8,9), basal ganglia(N=6,5),thalamus(N=4,5), and cerebellum(N=4,4). For all spectra, a STEAM localization sequence with three-pulse CHESS H2Osuppression was used, with the following acquisition parameters: TR=3.0 sec, TE=30 msec, TM=13,7 msec, SW=2500Hz,SI=2048 pts, AVG=48, and NEX=2. RESULTS: A total of 61 reliable spectra were obtained by PROBE (28/34=82%success) and by the manual method (33/33=100% success). Regional differences in the spectral patterns of the fiveregions were clearly demonstrated by both PROBE and the manual methods. For prescanning, the manual method tookslightly longer than PROBE (3-5 mins and 2 mins,respectively). There were no significant differences in spectralpatterns and relative metabolic ratios between the two methods. However, auto-prescan by PROBE seemed to be veryvulnerable to slight movement by patients, and in three cases, an acceptable spectrum was thus not obtained. CONCLUSION: PROBE is a highly practical and reliable method for single voxel 1H MRS of the human brain; the twomethods of prescanning do not result in significantly different spectral patterns and the relative metaboliteratios. PROBE, however, is vulnerable to slight movement by patients, and if the success rate for obtainingquality spectra is to be increased, regardless of the patient's condition and the region of the brain, it must beused in conjunction with the manual method.
Brain* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans* ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Rabeprazole ; Steam

PURPOSE AND METHOD: To access the value and results of femoro-femoral bypass for the treatment of unilateral iliac artery occlusion, the clinical data of 53 patients who underwent femoro-femoral bypass graft at Yeungnam University Hospital between January 1994 to December 2000 were analyzed retrospectively. The influence of several variables (such as, age, sex, preoperative symptom, risk factors and associated medical illness, status of distal artery, preoperative ABI) on the long term patency was evaluated by univariate statistical analysis. RESULT: The patients were 47 males and 6 females ranging from 37 to 84 years of age. The mean age was 65, with the highest incidence among people in their 60s, followed by those in their 70s and then in their 50s. Associated diseases were hypertension in 28 cases (52.8%), diabetes mellitus in 10 cases (18.8%), cardiac disease in 19 cases (32.0%) and cerebrovascular disease in 4 cases (7.5%). History of smoking was noted in 77.4% of the cases. Focal stenosis of donor site iliac artery has been found in 2 cases and combined distal outflow occlusion has been found in 21 cases. 2 donor site iliac artery ballon angioplasty was performed preoperatively and 14 adjuvant procedures (9 femoro-popliteal bypass, 2 femoro-tibial bypass, 3 profundoplasty) was performed simultaneously during the operation. Cumulative 1, 3, 5,-year primary and secondary patency rates of all femoro-femoral bypass were 87.0%, 76.6%, 68.1% and 91.7%, 85.7%, 73.5%. There was no operative mortality and major perioperative complications. Univariate analysis showed that the patients without distal arterial occlusion had significantly better 1-, 3- and 5-year primary patency rates (93.0%, 89.0% and 74.2% versus 76.6%, 45.9% and 45.9%, P=0.02) compared with the patients with distal arterial occlusion. No significant effect was exerted by all other variables on long term results. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that femoro-femoral bypass is a safe and durable operation that results in good patency in a good runoff.
Angioplasty ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Iliac Artery ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate basic experimental data for the clinical application of a self-expandable stainless steel intravascular Hanaro spiral stent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For evaluation of thephysical properties of the Hanaro stent, hoop strength, radioopacity, longitudinal flexibility, and foreshortening were measured. Twelve intravascular Hanaro spiral stents were placed in the infrarenal abdominal aorta (n=6) and comon iliac artery (n=6) in six mongrel dogs. Angiography and light microscopic examination were performed after one, two and eight months of placement of the stents. RESULTS: The stent had good radioopacity and was deployed with minimal foreshortening. Hoop strength of a 6mm-interval bend was found to be superior to that of 8mm- and 10mm-bend stent. On angiography the patency rate and thrombosis rate were 100% and 0% in the abdominal aorta and 50% and 50% in the common iliac artery, respectively. Minimal corrosion was seen in all stents, and they appearedto be biocompatible. The stent wires were covered with well-developed neointima which after one month had mostly fibroblast and collagen tissue; the thickness of the neointima increased gradually during a period of eightmonths. At the end of that period, collagen fibres in the neointima were denser and showed a more paralled configuration than at one month. CONCLUSION: The Hanaro stent has good physical properties and also has a high patency rate, and good biocompatibilities. The stent may therefore be reliably and safely deployed in the humanvascular system.
Angiography ; Animals ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Atherosclerosis ; Collagen ; Corrosion ; Dogs ; Iliac Artery ; Neointima ; Pliability ; Stainless Steel ; Stents ; Thrombosis

rpoB, which encodes the B subunit of RNA polymerase, is related to rifampin resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli. We determined the nucleotide sequences (346 bp) of rpoB gene from 25 Korean isolates of Helicobacter pylori. These nucleotide sequences were aligned and compared with H. pylori 26695 strain. No insertions or deletions were observed in all H. pylori strains. In the phylogenetic tree constructed by UPGMA method, 26 strains of H. pylori were separated into four clusters. Deduced amino acid sequences of amplified rpoB DNA comprised 115 amino acid residues. Twenty six H. pylori strains could be divided into 5 groups by the signature amino acid sequences. Two strains isolated from the same patient showed different nucleotide sequences. These results suggest that the sequences of rpoB are also highly divergent in H. pylori isolates and are useful for the epidemiologic study.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; DNA ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; Escherichia coli ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Rifampin

BACKGROUND: Excessive iodine intake increases the occurrence of autoimmune thyroid disorders by enhancing immunogenecity of iodine-rich thyroglobulin, In Korea, most of postpartum women take a large amount of iodine-rich seaweed. Although the excessive iodine intake may affect the thyroid function, only a few reports were available concering iodine intake, especially on postpartum period. METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken in 146 of normal delivered postpartum women. Dietary intake and urinary excretion of iodine, serum T3, T4, TSH, anti-TPO Ab and anti-Tg Ab were measured before and 1, 6, 12 and 24 weeks after delivery. Iodine intake was analyzed by one-to-one interview using 24hr recall and food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: 1. PPT was occurred in 6 (10.3%) postparturn women, It presented as hypothyroidism alone in 1 (16.7%), transient thyrotoxicosis followed by hypothyroidisrn in 3 (50.0%), and thyrotoxicosis alone in 2 (33.3%) of the follwed-up patients. 2. During pregnancy, no difference was found in age, serum T3, T4 and TSH between PPT and normal thyroid function group. 3. In PPT group, anti-TPO and anti-Tg Ab were significantly higher than those of normal thyroid function group during pregnancy, and their sensitivity for PPT was 40% and 33%, respectively. But there was no correlation between dietary iodine intake and the titer of thyroid auto-antibodies. 4. There was no correlation between pre and post-partum dietary iodine intake and occurrence of PPT. CONCLUSION: In Korea, the incidence of PPT was slightly higher than other nations. The sensitivity of thyroid auto-antibodies was too low to use for prediction of PPT. Pre and post-partum iodine intake had no effect on the occurrence of PPT and post-partum thyroid function.
Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Incidence ; Iodine ; Korea ; Postpartum Period ; Postpartum Thyroiditis* ; Pregnancy ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seaweed ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotoxicosis

PURPOSE: To investigate the nature of edematous lesions seen on MR images during acute episodes of hypertensive encephalopathy(HTE) with particular attention to the findings of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 17 MR examinations in fourteen patients with hypertensive encephalopathy were performed. The diagnoses were idiopathic HTE in eight cases, eclampsia in three, and cyclosporin-induced HTE in three. The apparent diffusion coefficients(ADCs) of edematous lesions and normal white matter revealed by DWI were assessed and compared, and the changes observed at follow-up MR imaging were analysed. RESULTS: DWI obtained within one week of the appearance of acute neurological symptoms revealed the edema as iso-intense in all patients with eclampsia and cyclosporin-induced HTE, and in five of eight patients with idiopathic HTE. In the other three patients with idiopathic HTE, DWI demonstrated slightly hyperintense edema. The ADCs of edematous lesion in patients with idiopathic HTE, eclampsia and cyclosporin-induced HTE were 1.21 +/-0.34, 1.08 +/-0.28, and 1.28 +/-0.22 mm 2 /ms, respectively, while for normal white matter the corresponding figures were 0.77 +/-0.25, 0.71 +/-0.22, and 0.68 +/-0.27mm 2 /ms The differences in ADCs between edema and normal white matter were thus significantly different between the three patient groups (p<0.05), while the ADCs of edematous lesions showed no sisgnificant variation between these groups (p<0.05). Follow-up MRI revealed that in three cases, edematous lesions were reversible and there were no residual signal changes. CONCLUSION: Vasogenic rather than cytotoxic edema is present during the acute stage of HTE.
Diagnosis ; Diffusion ; Eclampsia ; Edema ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertensive Encephalopathy* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: In patients with mitral stenosis, the degree of pulmonary hypertension is expected to be related to the severity of mitral valve obstruction. However, some patients with severe mitral stenosis do not develop reactive pulmonary hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 34 patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty by clinical, echocardiographic, and invasive hemodynamic(cardiac cathrterization) data. Prevalvuloplasty data were available in 34 subjects[mean age 38+/-9 year ; women 74% ; NYHA class 1 (6 patients), class 2 (17 patients), class 3 (7 patients), class 4 (4 patients) ; in electrocardiography, NSR(23 patients), Atrial fibrillation(11 patients)]. RESULTS: 1) The pulmonary vascular bed gradient was significantly correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance(r=0.91), mean pulmonary artery pressure(r=0.82), transmitral mean pressure gradient(r=0.64) and mitral valve area(r=-0.48). The pulmonary vascular resistance was significantly correlated with mena pulmonary artery pressure(r=0.77), transmiral mean pressure gradient(r=0.61) and mitral valve area(r=-0.54), NYHA functional classification(r=0.36). However, the pulmonary vascular bed gradient and pulmonary vascular resistance was not significantly correlated with age, sex, cardiac output, the severity of mitral regurgitation and mean left atrial pressure. 2) The mean pulmonary artery pressure was significantly correlated with mean left atrial pressure(r=0.80), transmitral mean pressure gradient(r=0.72) and mitral valve area(r=-0.47). 3) When patients were divided into those with a pulmonary vascular bed gradient > 12mmHg and Atrial Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Vascular Resistance