BACKGROUND: Chicken pox and herpes zoster are caused by the varicella-zoster virus(VZV). To investigate the epiderniologial relationship between clinical isolates of VZV, it is essential to distinguish different isolate. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to classify the VZV strains according to R5 tandem direct reiterations(TDR) copy numbers and Pst I endonuclease cleavage site mutation, and to analyze the distribution pattern of VZV strains isolated in Korea. METHODS: Strains of VZV were isolated from 61 patients with herpes zoster who had not been immunized with a live vaccine of VZV. Copy numbers of R5 TDR which was located in variable region IV were measured by PCR. The presence of a Pst I cleavage site in a middle portion of the long unique region of VZV genome was analyzed by PCR thereafter restriction enzyme digestion(PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: VZV strains isolated in Korea contained one to three copy numbers of R5 TDR. Of 61 isolates, 43(70%) comtained 2 copies of R5 TDR, while 11(18%) isolates contained only one copy and 7(12%) isolat s contained 3 copies. About 16% of the strains examined did not have a PstI cleavage site, although the majority of strains retained this site. VZV strains could be classified into 6 strains on the basis of the copy number of R5 TDR and PstI cleavage site, in which the strain with 2 copies of R5 TDR and PstI cleavage site positive was the most frequent type (36 out of 61 isolates) in Korea. Four batches of live attenuated vaccine(Biken) that is now used in Korea showed 2 copy numbers of R5 TDR and PstI site negative. CONCLUSION: The copy number of R5 TDR and the presence of PstI cleavage site seems to be a reliable marker for dicrimination of VZV strains in Korea. This discrimination can be used to study the molecular epiclemiology of VZV and as a criterion for identification of vaccine-related isolates.
Chickenpox* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Genome ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*

No abstract available.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Line* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Etoposide*

BACKGROUND: Several antibiotics can be used to treat ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB-VAP) including high-dose sulbactam. However, the effectiveness of high-dose sulbactam therapy is not well known. We report our experience with high-dose sulbactam for treatment of CRAB-VAP. METHODS: Medical records of patients with CRAB-VAP who were given high-dose sulbactam between May 2013 and June 2015 were reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients with CRAB-VAP were treated with high-dose sulbactam. The mean age was 72.0 ± 15.2 years, and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score was 15.1 ± 5.10 at the time of CRAB-VAP diagnosis. Early clinical improvement was observed in 65.5% of patients, and 30-day mortality was 29.3%. Early clinical failure (odds ratio [OR]: 8.720, confidence interval [CI]: 1.346-56.484; p = 0.023) and APACHE II score ≥ 14 at CRAB-VAP diagnosis (OR: 10.934, CI: 1.047-114.148; p = 0.046) were associated with 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose sulbactam therapy may be effective for the treatment of CRAB-VAP. However, early clinical failure was observed in 35% of patients and was associated with poor outcome.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; APACHE ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated* ; Sulbactam*

46,XX male is a rare abnormality of sex determination with an incidence of 1 in 20,000 male neonates. The clinical manifestations of 46,XX males are usually hypogonadism, gynecomastia, azoospermia, and hyalinations of seminiferous tubules, with altered hormonal levels at puberty. Less frequently, some sexual ambiguities are found, always with sterility owing to reduced testicular development. The origin of male phenotype in 46,XX male could be the results of at least three different mechanisms:translocations of Y sequence, including the SRY gene, to an X chromosome or to an autosome(about 90% of cases); a mutation in a yet unknown X-linked or autosomal gene in the testis-determinating pathway, and cryptic Y chromosome mosacism. We experienced a case of SRY-positive 46,XX male in a 21-year-old man with small testes. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Endocrinol 2003;8:184-188)
Adolescent ; Azoospermia ; Genes, sry ; Gynecomastia ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Hypogonadism ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infertility ; Male* ; Phenotype ; Puberty ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Testis ; X Chromosome ; Y Chromosome ; Young Adult

46,XX male is a rare abnormality of sex determination with an incidence of 1 in 20,000 male neonates. The clinical manifestations of 46,XX males are usually hypogonadism, gynecomastia, azoospermia, and hyalinations of seminiferous tubules, with altered hormonal levels at puberty. Less frequently, some sexual ambiguities are found, always with sterility owing to reduced testicular development. The origin of male phenotype in 46,XX male could be the results of at least three different mechanisms:translocations of Y sequence, including the SRY gene, to an X chromosome or to an autosome(about 90% of cases); a mutation in a yet unknown X-linked or autosomal gene in the testis-determinating pathway, and cryptic Y chromosome mosacism. We experienced a case of SRY-positive 46,XX male in a 21-year-old man with small testes. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Endocrinol 2003;8:184-188)
Adolescent ; Azoospermia ; Genes, sry ; Gynecomastia ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Hypogonadism ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infertility ; Male* ; Phenotype ; Puberty ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Testis ; X Chromosome ; Y Chromosome ; Young Adult

Holt-Oram Syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the association of upper-limb abnormalities and congenital heart disease. A woman with no family history of genetic disease underwent antenatal sonography at 27 weeks' menstrual age to screen for fetal anomalies. Ultrasonography revealed abnormalities in the upper limbs. The limb abnormalities included abscence of bilateral thumbs and radius: the left humus was short. Pregnancy termination was performed. The postnatal chromosomal analysis revealed a normal 46XX karyotype and the autopsy finding confirmed the Holt-Oram syndrome. We report a case of Holt-Oram Syndrome in fetus with unaffected parents with brief of the literatures.
Autopsy ; Extremities ; Female ; Fetus ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Parents* ; Pregnancy ; Radius ; Soil ; Thumb ; Ultrasonography* ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the ulmus root-bark dressing on tissue regeneration in experimentally-induced pressure ulcers in rats. METHOD: A randomized pretest/post-test control group time-series study design was used. Thirty-three male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The rats were anesthetized with 100mg/kg of ketamine. Pressure ulcers were induced at 140mmHg for three hours using a personally-designed pressing apparatus. For four weeks, the ulmus root-bark dressing was applied every other day in the experimental group (n=18) and a wet gauze dressing in the control group (n=15). For data analysis, the statistical program SPSS WIN 12 was used. The wounds were examined by light microscopy and electron microscopy. RESULT: There were significant statistical differences in the size of the pressure ulcers as time went by(p=0.006). It should be noted that there were no significant statistical differences in the number of capillaries. Using light microscopy the inflammatory infiltration and neovascularization in the dermis in the experimental group emerged densely in the early stages, but recovered rapidly at the latter stages. In addition, the reepithelization of the epidermis occurred earlier than in the control group. By electron microscopy, the cell organelles of the capillary endothelial cells and the basal lamina of capillaries in the experimental group showed a more rapid maturation during the latter stages, compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: According to this study, it can be concluded that the ulmus root-bark dressing is effective regarding the healing of pressure ulcers.
Animals ; Bandages ; Capillaries/ultrastructure ; Male ; *Phytotherapy ; Plant Bark ; Plant Roots ; Pressure Ulcer/*drug therapy/pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Treatment Outcome ; *Ulmus

Norovirus (NV) has caused large outbreaks of gastroenteritis in schools. Studies of NV epidemiology in schools related to NV outbreaks have been frequently reported. However, reports of that in schools without outbreaks are not found. Presently, NV molecular epidemiology surveillance was carried out in asymptomatic food handlers working at nonoutbreak elementary schools in Incheon, Korea, in March, April and December, 2009. NV prevalence was examined by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and the positive products were re-evaluated by conventional RT-PCR for sequencing. Fecal samples (n = 776) were collected from 776 food handlers in 60 schools. NV was detected in 26 of them (3.4%). Of these, 17 (65%) were positive for NV GII and 10 (38%) were positive for NV GI. Of the 26 samples, 19 were positive by conventional RT-PCR. Sequencing of these 19 strains revealed GII/4 (n = 5), GI/6 (n = 3), GI/14 (n = 2), GII/8 (n = 2), GI/2 (n = 2), GI/10 (n = 1), GII/1 (n = 1), GII/3 (n = 1), GII/7 (n = 1), and GII/16 (n = 1). In this survey, the food handler population unrelated to NV outbreaks was found to normally contain asymptomatic carriers of NV. The excretion of NV from asymptomatic food handlers should be an infection source of NV outbreaks.
Adult ; Caliciviridae Infections/*epidemiology/genetics ; Feces/virology ; Female ; Food Handling ; Gastroenteritis/*epidemiology/genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Norovirus/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Prevalence ; RNA, Viral/analysis ; Republic of Korea ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Schools ; Sequence Analysis, RNA

PURPOSE: To compare the corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) of normal young subjects using Galilei(TM) G4 (Zeimer, Port, Switzerland) and Pentacam(R) (Oculus Inc., Wetzlar, Germany). METHODS: Corneal HOAs were measured using Galilei(TM) G4 and Pentacam(R) in 41 healthy individuals (41 eyes). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were obtained to evaluate the repeatability of the 2 devices. Differences in HOAs between the 2 instruments were analyzed with a paired t-test and correlations evaluated. RESULTS: All ICCs measured using Galilei(TM) G4 and Pentacam(R) showed more than moderate repeatability (>0.81) except trefoil, tetrafoil, 4th and 5th HOAs. When comparing the measurements obtained with Galilei(TM) G4 and Pentacam(R), total HOAs, spherical aberration (SA), secondary astigmatism and 5th total HOAs were statistically significantly different between the 2 device (all p < or = 0.001). In addition, Galilei(TM) G4 and Pentacam(R) showed discrepancy among all corneal HOAs items. Although the total corneal HOAs and the SA were significantly correlated, other HOA measurements generally exhibited a low correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Corneal HOAs obtained by the 2 instruments cannot be used interchangeably due to their differences and discrepancy although corneal HOAs measured using Galilei(TM) G4 and Pentacam(R) showed relatively high repeatability.
Astigmatism ; Lotus

Retroperitoneal liposarcoma comprises 12 to 45 percent of all liposarcoma. It has been a therapeutic dilemma and a less prognosis because of its tendency to attain a tremendous size due to early silent growth and difficult wide en bloc excision in the retroperitoneum. Here in we report a case of retroperitoneal liposarcoma in 51 year old male patient with a brief review of the literatures.
Humans ; Liposarcoma* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis