Dual-magnetic circuit beads and scattering nephelometry dual channel semiautomatic coagulometers are used for the coagulational evaluation of the 5 blood contact medical devices which consist of metals and polymers. The partial thromboplastin time(PTT) and prothrombin time(PT) tests are made based on the GB/T 16886.4-2003 standard. The results indicate that the coefficient of variation in the two groups is in the identical order of magnitude. In the PTT tests, they give the similar evaluational results. With the smaller numerical values of the PT tests, the different coagulometers give the high consilience results. So, both of dual-magnetic circuit beads and scattering nephelometry coagulometers are acceptable in the medical devices' coagulational evaluations. But the interpretation and analysis of the results of the small numerical value tests, PT tests for example, should be noticed.
Blood Coagulation Tests ; instrumentation ; methods ; Magnetics ; instrumentation ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; instrumentation

AIMTo determine phenytoin sodium by a highly accurate nephelometric titration.

METHODSThe titration operating conditions were optimized and the solubility product constant of phenytoin silver precipitation was determined.

RESULTSThe result of the titration is comparable to those of control experiments.

CONCLUSIONThe proposed method has been found to be accurate, precise, specific, reproducible, and linear.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass deficiency has been reported in patients with bronchial asthma and is associated with recurrent respiratory tract infections. Aspirin-sensitive asthma (ASA) which affects 10% of adult asthmatics, asthma runs a chronic course with frequent asthma exacerbations, often related to respiratory infections. We performed this study to identify the prevalence of IgG subclass deficiency and evaluate the association between recurrent asthma exacerbations and IgG subclass deficiency in ASA. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We measured serum levels of IgG and IgG subclass in 26 aspirin- sensitive asthmatic patients (15 steroid used and 11 steroid not used) and 55 healthy controls using nephelometry. Reference values of each IgG subclass was defined as cumulative percentile between 2.5% to 97.5% of controls. RESULTS: Total IgG, IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 of aspirin-sensitvie asthmatics, were significantly lower than for those of controls (p<0.05, respectively). However, there were no significant differences in total IgG and IgG subclass concentrations, between steroid-not-used asthma group and controls (p>0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Lowered levels of IgG, IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 were noted in ASA sensitive asthma patients, which might be associated with use of steroid. Further studies will be needed to evaluate their clinical significance.
Adult ; Asthma* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Respiratory Tract Infections

Serum Immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, IgM, levels were measured in 99 coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients and 12 healthy coal workers and 9 non-miners to compare with each group by the radiological categories, its complications and working period in coal mine. Serum were measured by nephelometry. The findings were as follows: 1) Serum IgA levels were significantly different between three groups of CWP patient, healthy coal worker and non-miner (mean+/-standard deviation: 226.4+/-87.7, 221.3+/-45.1, 170.1+/-65.7 respectively). 2) There were no significant differences of Ig levels among radiological categories of CWP. 3) There were no significant differences of Ig levels among simple pneumoconiosis and its complicated disorders. 4) The three Ig levels were slightly increased in the group of mining years less than 20 years (IgA: r=0.1869, p<0.10 IgG: r=0.2902, p<0.05 IgM: r=0.2889, p<0.05).
Coal* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins* ; Mining ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Pneumoconiosis*

The effective inactivation of microorganisms in drinking water by Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is regarded as a new low-cost water treatment method shoeing high removal rate of relatively stable infectious virus particles including poliovirus. In the present study, we examined virus inactivation by UV in various water environments. Samples were collected from finished water and surface water, and tested for turbidity. UV dose of 18, 22, 30, 36 and 40 milli-Joule (mJ)/cm2 were used by combination of 2 mW/cm2 UV intensity and time of 9, 11, 15, 18 and 20 second. Depths of water were fixed at 0.37 cm and 8 cm, and virus titers were shown by plaque forming unit (PFU). Poliovirus was inactivated to 99.0% by 18 mJ/cm2 of UV dose in the condition of 0.08 Nephelometry Turbidity Unit (NTU) and 8 cm depth of water. Poliovirus at 30 mJ/cm2 of UV dose under the same condition was inactivated to 99.7%. Furthermore, Poliovirus at 56.60 NTU and 8 cm depth of water was inactivated to 92.0% and 98.5% by 18 mJ/cm2 and 30 mJ/cm2 of UV dose, respectively. The degrees of virus inactivation were dependent upon the UV dose, the turbidit, y and the depth of water. In conclusion, introduction of UV disinfections can be considered in drinking water purification systems in case reasonable engineering support is possible.
Drinking Water ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Poliovirus ; Shoes ; Virion ; Virus Inactivation ; Water Purification ; Water*

The effective inactivation of microorganisms in drinking water by Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is regarded as a new low-cost water treatment method shoeing high removal rate of relatively stable infectious virus particles including poliovirus. In the present study, we examined virus inactivation by UV in various water environments. Samples were collected from finished water and surface water, and tested for turbidity. UV dose of 18, 22, 30, 36 and 40 milli-Joule (mJ)/cm2 were used by combination of 2 mW/cm2 UV intensity and time of 9, 11, 15, 18 and 20 second. Depths of water were fixed at 0.37 cm and 8 cm, and virus titers were shown by plaque forming unit (PFU). Poliovirus was inactivated to 99.0% by 18 mJ/cm2 of UV dose in the condition of 0.08 Nephelometry Turbidity Unit (NTU) and 8 cm depth of water. Poliovirus at 30 mJ/cm2 of UV dose under the same condition was inactivated to 99.7%. Furthermore, Poliovirus at 56.60 NTU and 8 cm depth of water was inactivated to 92.0% and 98.5% by 18 mJ/cm2 and 30 mJ/cm2 of UV dose, respectively. The degrees of virus inactivation were dependent upon the UV dose, the turbidit, y and the depth of water. In conclusion, introduction of UV disinfections can be considered in drinking water purification systems in case reasonable engineering support is possible.
Drinking Water ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Poliovirus ; Shoes ; Virion ; Virus Inactivation ; Water Purification ; Water*

PURPOSE: Measurement of antistreptolysin O (ASO) is often necessary to confirm a clinical diagnosis of recent streptococcal infection, especially in patients suspected of rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis. Standard normal ranges for ASO should be established locally for each age group. We analyzed ASO to determine the upper limit of normal (ULN) ASO in children in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area. METHODS: ASO in normal individual concentrations were measured quantitatively by nephelometry on sera from 753 children (Male:381, Female:372). ULN were determined by separating the upper 20% from the lower 80% of the group (80 percentile). RESULTS: The mean ASO concentration calculated in a total cases was 149.9+/-7.2 IU/mL. The ASO concentration in neonates was 83.4+/-10.7 IU/mL, and lowest in the 1 year of age group, 26.7+/-6.6 IU/ mL, and increased to 318.0+/-33.2 IU/mL gradually in the 9 years of age group. Thereafter, ASO concentration decreased. The ULN for neonates was 122 IU/mL, for 0-3 years, 40 IU/mL; for 4-6 years, 113 IU/ mL; for 7-9 years, 489 IU/mL; for 10-19 years, 433 IU/mL; for 20-29 years, 122 IU/mL. CONCLUSION: The age-specific ULN for children in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area were determined. The distribution of ASO concentration according to age groups was different from previous reports. These results should be of clinical value to physicians to interprete the ASO results of their patients.
Antistreptolysin* ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Pediatrics ; Reference Values ; Rheumatic Fever ; Streptococcal Infections

Although throat culture is a gold standard to diagnose group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis or its sequelae, antistreptolysin O (ASO) is useful to confirm the diagnosis. In case there is no elevation of ASO, it is necessary to add one or more serologic tests, such as antideoxyribonuclease (ADNase) B test. ADNase B levels were analyzed in the carriers of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) in this study. ADNase B concentrations were determined quantitatively by nephelometry (Behring Nephelometer 100 Analyzer, Germany) on 157 sera of healthy elementary school children in Chungnam who were positive of BHS in the throat culture. ASO levels were measured previously by autoanalyzer (Hitachi 747, Japan). Mean ADNase B and ASO levels were compared according to serological group of BHS and number of colonies. The carriers of GAS had significantly higher ADNase B levels (mean 453 IU/ml) than those of non-A beta-hemolytic streptococci (NGAS, 278 IU/ml), while the difference of ASO levels between GAS (482 IU/ml) and NGAS (350 IU/ml) carriers was not so high. The carriers who had more than 10 CFU of BHS had significantly higher ADNase B or ASO levels than those who had less than 10 CFU. The correlation between ADNase B (Y) and ASO (X) was Y=0.4X+229 (r2=0.13). ADNase B test could discriminate GAS from NGAS more effectively than ASO test. The carriers who have more than 10 CFU might undergo asymptomatic infection, as their ADNase B or ASO levels were significantly high. Because distribution of ADNase B showed little correlation to that of ASO, ADNase B test could be used as a supplementary test to diagnose GAS infection.
Antistreptolysin ; Asymptomatic Infections ; Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Pharyngitis ; Pharynx ; Serologic Tests

PURPOSE: In recent years, cystatin C (CysC) was proposed as a new marker for evaluating the glomerular filtration rate due to a constant serum level. The aim of this study was to measure serum CysC values of healthy young Korean men in assessment of kidney function and compare it with other reports until now in male populations, using nephelometric immunoassay. METHODS: CysC and creatinine levels were measured by particle enhanced nephelometric immunoassay and Jaffe method, respectively, in 145 young Korean men without evidence of kidney disease. Medline was searched for CysC reference values in healthy male populations. RESULTS: CysC values showed a normal distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, K-S, p=0.2). The CysC reference interval for healthy young Korean men (age 19-29) was 0.58 to 0.94 mg/L (0.76+/-0.09 mg/ L, X+/-2SD, range 0.60 to 1.25 mg/L). Reference intervals for creatinine was 0.79 to 1.27 mg/dL (1.03+/-0.12 mg/dL, X+/-2SD, range 0.8 to 1.3 mg/dL) in subjects. Creatinine serum values did not show a normal distribution (K-S, p=0.001). The correlation coefficient for CysC and creatinine was only 0.308. (p=0.0001) Nephelometric CysC reference intervals we determined were consistent among different male populations. CONCLUSION: We determined reference intervals for CysC values in healthy young Korean men, and CysC reference values established by nephelometric immunoassay were consistent among different men population. This information could be useful in assessing renal function in healthy young Korean men.
Creatinine ; Cystatin C ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; Male ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Reference Values

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: IgG subclass deficiency has been reported in patients with bronchial asthma and is associated with recurrent respiratory tract infections. This study was done to identify prevalence of IgG subclass deficiency and to evaluate the possible difference between atopic and non-atopic asthmatics. Subjects and METHODS: We measured serum levels of IgG and IgG subclass in 35 asthmatic patients and 50 healthy controls using nephelometry. Reference values of each IgG subclass was defined as cumulative percentile between 2.5% to 97.5% of controls. RESULTS: Total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 of asthmatics were significantly lower than for those of controls(p<0.05, respectively). In atopic asthmatics, compared with non-atopic asthmatics, IgG4 level was significantly higher (p<0.05). The frequency of IgG subclass levels below the reference value was eight (22.9%) of 35 asthmatics. CONCLUSION: IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 were significantly lower in asthmatic patients. Some patients had IgG subclass levels below reference value. Further studies will be needed to evaluate their clinical significance.
Asthma* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Respiratory Tract Infections