OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of Korean version of Addiction Severity Index for the systematic diagnosis and evaluation of alcoholism. METHODS: The authors selected 65 alcoholic patients with the criteria of DSM-VI. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) The exception of the significant correlation between psychiatric and the family/social problem area, the 6 sections of ASI were mutually independent. 2) There was significant inter-rater reliability in all sections of ASI. 3) In medical, alcohol use, family/social and psychiatry section, the calculation of composite score showed reasonable level of item consistency. In all sections, there was significant correlation between composite scores and severity ratings of corresponding section. 4) The important items of each section were most highly correlated with their corresponding severity ratings except two sections. 5) In the multiple regression analysis, the amount of variance accounted far by the most important 4 items were 83% in medical section, 45% in employment/support,43% in alcohol use section, 55% in legal section,53% in family/social section and 84% in psychiatric section. 6) Severity rating of psychiatric section was significantly correlated with the scores of MMFI, MAST and SCL-90-R. CONCLUSION: The result suggests that Korean version of the ASI showed relatively reasonable reliability and validity and it can be used in treatment and study of alcoholic patients.
Alcoholics* ; Alcoholism ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results*

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the possibility of prolonged culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESC; SNUhES2) on human amniotic fluid cells (hAFC), which had been storaged after karyotyping. METHOD: The hAFC was prepared for feeder layer in the presence of Chang's medium and STO medium (90% DMEM, 10% FBS) at 37degrees C in a 5% CO2 in air atmosphere. Prior to use as a feeder layer, hAFC was mitotically inactivated by mitomycin C. The hESCs on hAFC were passaged mechanically every seven days with ES culture medium (80% DMEM/F12, 20% SR, bFGF). RESULTS: The hAFC feeder layer support the growth of undifferentiated state of SNUhES2 for at least 59 passages thus far. SNUhES2 colonies on hAFC feeder appeared slightly angular and flatter shape as compared with circular and thicker colonies observed with STO feeder layer and showed higher level with complete undifferentiation in seven days. Like hESC cultured on STO feeders, SNUhES2 grown on hAFC expressed normal karyotype, positive for alkaline phosphatase activity, high telomerase activity, Oct-4, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81 and formed embryoid bodies (EBs). CONCLUSION: The hAFC supports undifferentiated growth of hESC. Therefore, these results may help to provide a clinically practicable method for expansion of hESC for cell therapies.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Atmosphere ; Embryoid Bodies ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Feeder Cells ; Female ; Humans* ; Karyotype ; Karyotyping ; Mitomycin ; Telomerase

OBJECTIVE: To explore the incidence of fragile X premutation in patients with idiopathic premature ovarian failure, particularly in the Korean population. DESIGN: A prospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-three women affected by idiopathic premature ovarian failure were recruited for this study. Patient with known causes of premature ovarian failure were excluded: cytogenetic abnormalities, prior chemotherapy, prior bilateral oophorectomy. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Fragile X (FRAXA) premutation was evaluated by PCR amplification of and Southern blot analysis for FMR1 gene. RESULTS: The FRAXA premutation was detected in three (3.6%) out of 83 patients with idiopathic premature ovarian failure. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that fragile X premutation screening is indicated in patients with idiopathic premature ovarian failure, particularly in the Korean population.
Blotting, Southern ; Chromosome Aberrations ; DNA ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fragile X Syndrome ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Ovariectomy ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency* ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy for recurrent anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO) and anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (AOA). METHODS: A multi-center retrospective trial enrolled seventy-two patients with histologically proven AO/AOA who underwent TMZ chemotherapy for their recurrent tumors from 2006 to 2010. TMZ was administered orally (150 to 200 mg/m2/day) for 5 days per 28 days until unacceptable toxicity occurred or tumor progression was observed. RESULTS: TMZ chemotherapy cycles administered was median 5.3 (range, 1-41). The objective response rate was 24% including 8 cases (11%) of complete response and another 23 patients (32%) were remained as stable disease. Severe side effects (> or =grade 3) occurred only in 9 patients (13%). Progression-free survival (PFS) of all patients was a median 8.0 months (95% confidence interval, 6.0-10.0). The time to recurrence of a year or after was a favorable prognostic factor for PFS (p<0.05). Overall survival (OS) was apparently differed by the patient's histology, as AOA patients survived a median OS of 18.0 months while AO patients did not reach median OS at median follow-up of 11.5 months (range 2.7-65 months). Good performance status of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0 and 1 showed prolonged OS (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: For recurrent AO/AOA after surgery followed by radiation therapy, TMZ could be recommended as a salvage therapy at the estimated efficacy equal to procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy at first relapse. For patients previously treated with PCV, TMZ is a favorable therapeutic option as 2nd line salvage chemotherapy with an acceptable toxicity rate.
Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lomustine ; Oligodendroglioma* ; Procarbazine ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Salvage Therapy ; Vincristine

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and survival benefits of combined treatment with radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) in a Korean sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 750 Korean patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme, who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with TMZ (CCRT) and adjuvant TMZ from January 2006 until June 2011, were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: After the first operation, a gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection (STR), partial resection (PR), biopsy alone were achieved in 388 (51.7%), 159 (21.2%), 96 (12.8%), and 107 (14.3%) patients, respectively. The methylation status of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) was reviewed retrospectively in 217 patients. The median follow-up period was 16.3 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 17.5 months. The actuarial survival rates at the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 72.1%, 21.0%, and 9.0%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.1 months, and the actuarial PFS at 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS were 42.2%, 13.0%, and 7.8%, respectively. The patients who received GTR showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those who received STR, PR, or biopsy alone, regardless of the methylation status of the MGMT promoter. Patients with a methylated MGMT promoter also showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those with an unmethylated MGMT promoter. Patients who received more than six cycles of adjuvant TMZ had a longer OS and PFS than those who received six or fewer cycles. Hematologic toxicity of grade 3 or 4 was observed in 8.4% of patients during the CCRT period and in 10.2% during the adjuvant TMZ period. CONCLUSION: Patients treated with CCRT followed by adjuvant TMZ had more favorable survival rates and tolerable toxicity than those who did not undergo this treatment.
Biopsy ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glioblastoma* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Methylation ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies* ; Survival Rate