OBJECTIVE: Immune hemolytic jaundice is caused by the destruction of antibody-sensitized erythrocytes and is associated with antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic effects mediated by Fc receptor-bearing cells of the reticuloendothelial system. Intravenous immune globulin(IVIG) may have exerted its effect through Fc receptor blockade. We studied the effect of high-dose intravenous immune globulin(HDIVIG) in neonatal hemolytic jaundice unresponsive to phototherapy. METHODS: We selected only those with Coombs test(+) immune hemolytic jaundice who had admittcd at the NICU of the Dcpartment of Pediatzics of Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University between January 1995 and December 1998. They were unresponsive to phototherapy. Ten newborn infants(9 ABO incomplatibilities, l minor group incompatabillity due to anti-E) received HDIVIG therapy combined with phototherapy. IVIG was given as a dose of lg/kg for 6 hours, and serial hemoglobin, reticulocyte count, and bilirubin levels were evaluated. If the serum bilirubin level went up and reached the level above 22mg/dl, we conducted exchange transfusion for the patient. RESULTS: HDIVIG induced a significant decrease of serum billirubin levels in 8(80%, group I, HDIVIG responsive poup) of 10 cases and only 2 cases(group II, HDIVIG unreponsive group) required exchange tnnsfusions. No side effect was observed after HDIVIG therapy. CONCLUSION: We suggest HDIVIG may be effective in the treatment of phototherapy-resistant hyperbilirubinemia due to blood group incompatibility. More studies are needed to confirm the optimal dosage and therapeutic indication of HDIVIG in the therapy of neonatal immune hemolytic jaundice.
Bilirubin ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Erythrocytes ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice* ; Mononuclear Phagocyte System ; Phototherapy* ; Receptors, Fc ; Reticulocyte Count

No abstract available.
Amyloidosis*

No abstract available.
Biopsy* ; Prostate*

PURPOSE: Recent studies report that up to 40 to 50% of patients who were thought to have clinically localized disease were found to be understaged subsequent to radical surgery. Clearly, development of more sensitive means to identify patients with micrometastatic, locally invasive disease is warranted. With the development of molecular biology, we can apply reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) that allows us to identify PSA-synthesizing cells in peripheral blood even when they are highly diluted in a population of peripheral lymphocytes. In this study, we will evaluate the role of RT-PCR in molecular staging of prostate cancer to apply it to clinical situations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood was obtained from a wide variety of patients with and without prostate cancer before radical prostatectomy. After ribonucleic acid isolation, complementary deoxyribonucleic acid was generated and amplified with a hot-start technique. RT-PCR results were compared with pathologic stage, Gleason score, serum PSA and tumor volume. RESULTS: The RT-PCR test was positive in 0 of 20 controls without suspicion of prostate cancer. Before radical prostatectomy a positive test was obtained in 2 of 9(22.2%) with pT2 disease versus 3 of 5(60%) with pT3 disease. A positive test was obtained in 5 of 6(83.3%) with overt lymph node or bone metastatic disease. We obtained intermittent RT-PCR positive results in serial procedures with two overt bone metastatic cancer patients. There was no significant difference in serum PSA, Gleason score or tumor volume between the men with positive or negative results. CONCLUSIONS: The PSA RT-PCR test in our laboratory cannot be used preoperatively to predict accurate pathological stage of prostate cancer who have undertaken radical prostatectomy. But there is a tendency that PSA mRNA was more frequently detected with higher stage. If the methodology of RT-PCR is refined and improved and sample size increased, RT-PCR for PSA mRNA will become a valuable tool for the evaluation of prostate cancer patients.
DNA ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Molecular Biology ; Neoplasm Grading ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Sample Size ; Tumor Burden

No abstract available.
Biliary Tract*

Cardiac myxoma is a rare but potentially treatable cause of stroke. The diagnosis is rarely made on typical triad of constitutional, embolic, and obstructive symptoms, and it is difficult because there is no specific history, physical examination, chest X-ray, or electrocardiographic findings, but with the development of echocardiography the correct diagosis is now usualy made. Neurologic manifestation is frequent(25-45%) and presented with embolic infarction, aneurysm formation, intracranial hemorrhage, and distant metastasis. We experienced five patients with cardiac myxoma who presented with these neurologic manifestations. Also we should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cerebral infarction, particularly when multiple cerebral infarction and constitutional or obstructive symptoms are conjoined in young age stroke. We describe five patients who presented with embolic infarction, cerebral metastasis and aneurysm formation.
Aneurysm ; Cerebral Infarction ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Infarction ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Myxoma* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurologic Manifestations* ; Physical Examination ; Stroke ; Thorax

The cell surface glycoprotein CD44 is a kind of adhesion molecule, which binds hyaluronic acid, type I collagen and fibronectin. Although there have been numerous reports on the expression and the function of CD44 in lymphocytes and macrophages, very little is known about its distribution and definite role in epithelial tissue, especially in oral epithelial one. The present study was performed to investigate the distribution and expression of the CD44 in human gingiva and squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) arising in human gingiva. And the authors compared CD44 expression with histopathologic grade of SCC. The results were as follows: 1. The CD44 was strongly expressed in granular, spinous and basal layers of normal marginal and attached gingiva, in spinous and basal layers of normal sulcular gingiva, and in all epithelial layers of normal junctional gingiva. 2. In SCC of gingiva, the CD44 was expressed in all but one case. In most of the cases the CD44 was expressed at cell membrane and the degree of expression was relatively strong. 3. In low-grade SCC of gingiva, the CD44 was strongly expressed, especially at the basal and spinous layers of abundantly keratinized cancer nests. In high-grade SCC of gingiva, the CD44 expression tended to be weak but was strong at cells showing individual keratinization. This study suggest that the CD44 expression of normal and cancerous gingival epithelium is associated with the degree of proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Membrane ; Collagen Type I ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Fibronectins ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Membrane Glycoproteins

PURPOSE: Gaining vascular access is difficult and time-consuming in critically ill children, so nowdays, in many countries, intraosseous vascular access is frequently used for rapid vascular access in critically ill children. Its pharmacokinetics is close to that of the peripheral intravenous route, but its infusion flow rate is faster. The purpose of this study was to determine how widely the intraosseous infusion technique was being used in Korean emergency departments. METHODS: We telephoned forty-two (42) randomly selected university-affiliated hospitals. We asked physicians if they use the intraosseous infusion technique. Responders were emergency and pediatric residents and emergency faculty. If they responded that they were not using the intraosseous infusion technique, we asked the reason. Also, we asked about their experiences with the intraosseous infusion technique. RESULTS: Forty-two (42) hospitals were enrolled in this study. No hospital used the intraosseous infusion technique on a regular basis. However, 8 hospitals used the intraosseous infusion technique occasionally. None of the responders had experience with the intraosseous infusion technique. CONCLUSION: The intraosseous infusion technique is currently underrepresented at emergency departments in Korea.
Child ; Critical Illness ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Infusions, Intraosseous* ; Korea* ; Pharmacokinetics

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a rare, hereditable disease of connective tissue, characterzed by abberrant calcification of the elastic tissue of the skin, eyes, vasculature. We report a 61years old female patient with pseudoxanthoma elasticum with typical peau d'orange skin lesion around the neck, angioid streaks in the retina and multifocal cerebral infarction.
Angioid Streaks ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Connective Tissue ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum* ; Retina ; Skin

No abstract available.
Bacteriology* ; Biliary Tract*