To determine the impact of intake large amount whole cow's milk (WCM) on iron status during early childhood (18~36 months), selected indices of complete blood count(CBC) and iron status were compared between the WCM large amount intake group (n=20)and small amount intake group (n=20). WCM large amount intake children's mean hemoglobin and mean hematocrit were 9.6+/-1.7 g/dL and 30.8+/-4.5% respectively. These range of peripheral blood with other indices of CBC disclosed the hypochromic microcytic anemia. WCM large amount intake children's some indices of CBC-hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH-were significantly lower than those of small amount intake children (P<0.01). WCM large amount intake children had significantly lower mean iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin (P<0.01) and greater mean total iron binding capacity (P<0.05) than did small amount intake children. It is concluded that intake large amount of WCM for long duration impacts on the iron status of 18~36 months old children disadvantageously. It should be avoided for the protection of irreversible recognitive impairment and behavioral change.
Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Child ; Ferritins ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Iron* ; Milk* ; Transferrin

BACKGROUND: There are many reports showing the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum. but only few reports in extrapulmonary specimens. Because of the difficulty in establishing a diagnosis of tuberculosis in the extrapulmonary specimens there have been considerable interest in the development of a rapid sensitive diagnostic test that might be useful. Therefore we used PCR for detection of M. tuberculosis DNA in extrapulmonary specimens and compared the results of conventional acid-fast stain, culture methods and PCR assay. METHODS: Total of 63 clinical samples(10 cerebrospinal fluids, 12 pleural fluids, 1 pericardial fluid, 3 bone marrow aspirates, 1 ascitic fluid, 25 fine needle aspirates of lymph nodes, 7 urine, 1 stool and 3 tissue biopsies) in Ewha Womans University Tongdaemun hospital were analysed by the PCR. We performed the PCR using a species-specific M. tuberculosis DNA fragment(mtp 40 gene) as primers that was cloned and sequenced at recent and a 396-bp fragment was specifically amplified. We analyzed sensitivity and specificity of AFB culture and PCR for the diagnosis of extrapulomonary tuberculosis. RESULTS: The positivity of AFB smear, culture and PCR were 2(10%), 4(20%), 13(65%) out of total 20 cases diagnosed as clinically active extrapulmonary tuberculosis. respectively. All of 2 smear-positive samples and 2 of 4 culture-positive and smear-negative samples were PCR-positive. And 9 of 14 smear and culture negative specimens also gave detectable DNA products in PCR The specificity of PCR(95.4%) is compared with those of smear and culture(100.0%). CONCLUSIONS: This results suggest that the PCR assay is a sensitive and rapid diagnostic alternative to classical procedures for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
Ascitic Fluid ; Bone Marrow ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Clone Cells ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Needles ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis*

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an intergral membrane protein. Overexpression or mutation of EGFR may play a role in careinogenesis. Recently, many molecular biologic techniques have been used to study expression of oncogenes. One of them, in situ mRNA hybridization, using paraffin embedded blocks, offers a unique means to allow precise localization within histological preparations, and also overcomes problems relating to translation defects and abnormal translation. In order to confirm the usefulness of epidermal growth factor receptor as a tumor marker, and to compare the expression of EGFR between in situ MRNA hybridization and an immunohistochemical study, in situ MRNA hybridization was performed along with an immunohistochemical study for EGFR in paraffin sections of 84 uterine cervix carcinomas. A positive reaction for EGFR was observed mairdy in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. The vascular muscle layer and uterine muscle tissue around the cancer nest revealed a positive reaction in immunohistochemical stain for EGFR, with a negative reaction for EGFR mRNA. In the cancer nests, the immunohistochemical positive reaction for EGFR was strong in differentiated cells and keratin pearls, but a strong positive reaction for EGFR mRNA was localized in undifferentiated cells. The overall positive of immunostaing for EGFR was 77% for uterine cervix carcinoma; 71 % for carcinoma in situ, 71 % for microinvaseve carcinoma, and 89% for invasive carcinoma. The overall positivity of EGFR from in situ MRNA hybridization was 94% of the uterine cervix carcinoma; 93% for carcinoma in situ, 93% for microinvasive carcinoma, and 96% for invasive carcinoma. From these results, EGFR is a useful tumor marker for uterine cervix carcinoma, and in situ mRNA hybridization has greater sensitivity and specificity than immunohistochemistry.
Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tumor Markers, Biological

PURPOSE: Leptin, the product of the ob gene is primarily by adipose tissue but also by the human placenta. Leptin may also have a role as a regulator of fetal growth and development during normal pregnancy as well as in pregnancies associated with anomalous fetal growth. Our study aimed to discover whether or not leptin concentration in neonatal cord blood correlates with maternal disorder(preeclampsia, antenatal steroid). METHODS: Seventy newborns - twenty of preeclampsia, twenty of antenatal steroid treatment, ten of diabetes mellitus, twenty of neonatal asphyxia- and their mother were enrolled in this study. Gestational age, birth weight, length and placental weight were measured. Maternal age and weight were measured. Cord blood and maternal venous samples were collected and serum was separated and stored at -70dgreesC. Leptin was measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Neonatal cord leptin concentration was significantly elevated in infants whose mothers received antenatal steroid, preeclamptic mothers and diabetic mothers Also, neonatal cord leptin concentration was correlated with maternal serum leptin concentration in those maternal disorders. Cord blood leptin concentration in neonatal asphyxia group was significantly elevated, but wasn't significantly correlated with their maternal serum leptin concentration. CONCLUSION: Neonatal cord leptin concentration was significantly increased in mothers with preeclampsia, diabetes mellitus, and exposure of the antenatal steroid. We find that maternal disorders affected leptin concentration in cord blood, and that increased cord blood leptin in neonatal asphyxia was shown to be a product of fetus.
Adipose Tissue ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Fetal Blood* ; Fetal Development ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Leptin* ; Maternal Age ; Mothers ; Placenta ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy ; Radioimmunoassay

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Seizures*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Because NELL2 expression is strictly restricted only in neurons in developing and post- differentiated neural tissues, it is thought to be involved in the neuronal differentiation during development and in the maintenance of neuronal physiology in the post-differentiated neurons. In this study, we examined whether NELL2 is involved in the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis in the hippocampal neuroprogenitor HiB5 cells. METHODS: Effects of NELL2 on the cultured HiB5 cell numbers, DNA fragmentation, and proteins involved in the regulation of the cell cycle were measured. RESULTS: NELL2 induced a decrease in cell numbers and an increase in G1 phase arrest. Moreover, transfection of NELL2 resulted in an increase of DNA fragmentation that shows an evidence of apoptosis. Contents of proteins involved in the regulation of cell cycle were also changed by transfection of NELL2 expression vectors. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that NELL2 plays an important role in the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis of neurons.
Apoptosis ; Cell Count ; Cell Cycle* ; DNA Fragmentation ; G1 Phase ; Neurons* ; Physiology ; Transfection

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate nursing students' knowledge and beliefs about Kangaroo care (KC). METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Undergraduate students enrolled in departments of nursing (n=322) from three universities in D city participated. Knowledge and beliefs about KC were measured using the Kangaroo Care Questionnaire (KCQ). RESULTS: The overall level of nursing students' knowledge about KC was very low with a mean score of 6.9 out of 17. The mean score for nursing students' beliefs about KC was 87.4 out of 100, indicating relatively positive beliefs. The students who had both education and exposure to KC had higher scores for knowledge and more positive beliefs about KC compared to students with no experience or exposure to KC. There was a positive correlation between knowledge and beliefs about KC (r=.371, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that there is a need to develop educational programs for nursing students in order to increase their knowledge and develop positive beliefs about KC.
Education ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Kangaroo-Mother Care Method ; Macropodidae* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing*

No abstract available.
Ileum*