BACKGROUND/AIMS: The status of tumor suppression gene can be assessed indirectly by analyzing the loss of heterozygosity. Hepatoblastoma is a malignant liver tumor in childhood. To find the molecular carcinogenetic mechanism of hepatoblastoma, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of p73, APC and p53 was studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatoblastoma tissues from thirty-three cases were collected by lobectomy or tumorectomy. On H- stained sections, normal and tumor cells were microdissected separately and LOH analysis was perfomed using 8 markers: six of p73, one of APC and one of p53. RESULTS: Number of cases showing at least one LOH in six p73 markers was four out of twenty- six (15.4%): each LOH frequencies in D1S160, D1S170, D1S199, D1S228, D1S243 and D1S253 were in order of 7.7%, 0%, 9.1%, 0%, 12.5% and 0%. LOH frequency of APC was 41.7% and that of p53 was 13.3%. CONCLUSION: Low LOH frequency of p73 related markers indicates that p73 gene may not be implicated in carcinogenesis of hepatoblastoma.
Carcinogenesis ; Hepatoblastoma* ; Liver ; Loss of Heterozygosity*

Impetigo herpetiformis is a rare pustular eruption that may be seen in late pregnancy. It is associated with severe maternal and fetal complications in case of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. The patient was a 25-years-old multigravida with psoriasis in her past history. At 20weeks gestation, she had been developed erythematous scaly annular patchs with papules and pustules on inner thigh. At 37weeks' gestation, the patient was suffered from a severely pruritic pustular rash with fever and leukocytosis. The skin of the affected areas was biopsied and showed intraepidermal pustular abscess with a neutrophilic infiltrate. Treatment commenced with intravenous fluids, antibiotics, systemic prednisone, steroid creams, and phototherapy(UVB) under the careful fetal well being monitoring. Cesarean section was done due to fetal distress, and a normal healthy male infant was delivered, following which the patient's condition improved rapidly.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cesarean Section ; Diagnostic Errors ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Fever ; Humans ; Impetigo* ; Infant ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Neutrophils ; Prednisone ; Pregnancy* ; Psoriasis ; Skin ; Thigh

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Prevalence*

BACKGROUND: An epidemiologic study was performed after the outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) from December 2006 to May 2007. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was performed using the medical records of the patients. The case and control patients were compared for age, gender, total length of stay in MICU, prior carbapenem use, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACH II) score, presence of central line, effect of mechanical ventilation, and sputum suction. Environmental and hand-washing studies were performed during the outbreak. RESULTS: Ten CRAB-affected patients and 29 controls were enrolled in this study. Univariate analysis showed that the age, total length of stay in MICU, presence of central line, and prior carbapenem use were associated with the CRAB outbreak. However, multivariate analysis showed that only prior carbapenem use was associated with the CRAB outbreak (odd ratio: 8.67, P=0.01). The outbreak disappeared after implementing a combined infection control strategy, including the sequential disinfection of MICU and strict compliance with cross-transmission prevention protocols. CONCLUSION: The use of carbapenem was associated with an increased risk of CRAB infection. This study suggests that the MICU contamination and infection transmission by health-care workers played a major role in the CRAB outbreak. Novel strategies such as restricted use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, strict hand hygiene, strict isolation of the patients, and MICU disinfection may be required to prevent the CRAB outbreak.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; APACHE ; Case-Control Studies ; Compliance ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; Disinfection ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sputum ; Suction

No abstract available.
Mass Screening*

To identify the neonates at the risk of having meconium aspiration syndrome, the perinatal characteristics and finding of fetal heart rate monitorings in 366 neonates who had meconium-stained amniotic fluid were retrospectively reviewed. The results were as follows; 1) Overall incidence of MAS was 0.7%. 2) Mortality rate of MAS was 5.8%. 3) The mean Apgar scores at 1-and 5-minute were significantly different in the two groups with and without meconium aspiration sydrome (MAS)(p<0.001). 4) PROM, postterm delivery and IUGR were the major obstetric risk factors associated with MAS. 5) Although severe variable decelaeration and decreased variability on FHR monitoring were present more often in the group with MAS, it showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. 6) The presence of above findings on monitoring and thick meconium in amniotic fluid should alert clinicians to the possibility of a fetus that requires intervention.
Amniotic Fluid ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetal Heart* ; Fetus ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome* ; Meconium* ; Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the level of knowledge and the attitudes of Korean adults toward sexuality of elderly people. METHODS: This was a descriptive study using a convenience sample of 241 adults. The questionnaire had 34 items for knowledge and 26 items for attitudes. RESULTS: The result showed that, related to sexuality of elderly people, the level of knowledge was average and attitudes were conservative. The level of knowledge was significantly higher in groups that were highly educated and of low economic status (p<.05). Attitudes toward sexuality of elderly people were significantly more conservative in female, older, less educated, and high economic status group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a need for more education for Korean adults regarding sexuality in elderly people.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; Female ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; *Intergenerational Relations/ethnology ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Prejudice ; *Sexuality/ethnology ; Socioeconomic Factors

We studied 21 neonates who required mechanical ventilation during study period in NICU OF Il Sin Christian Hospital with diagosis of prematurity, IRDS, pneumothorax and diaphragmatic hernia to evaluate the accuracy of pulse oximeter in predicting the arterial oxygen saturtion, hypoxia and hyperoxemia. We also studied whether the changes of birth weight, hematocrit, blood pressure and body temperature affect the accuracy of pulse oximeter. The results are 1) Linear regression analysis revealed a close correlation between in vivo pulse oximeter readings and in vitro SaO2 measurements in patients (Y=0.008X+12.34, r=0.946) 2) The changes of birth weight, hematocrit, blood pressure and body temperature did not affect the accuracy of pulse oximeter. 3) SpO2-PaO2 relationship was similar to the SsO2-PaO2 relationship. 4) When Nellcor N-100 pulse oximeter was setted at alarm limit 96% to avoid hyperoxemia, it identified 16 of 22 hyperoxemic instances (sensitivity 73%) and alarmed falsely in 48 of 92 nonhyperoxemic instances (specificity 59%).
Anoxia ; Birth Weight ; Blood Pressure ; Body Temperature ; Hematocrit ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Linear Models ; Oxygen* ; Pneumothorax ; Reading ; Respiration, Artificial

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans*

Congenital absence of nails usually occur as a rare isolated anomaly or combined with other ectodermal defects. This anomaly is regarded as an inherited disorder either dominantly or recessively but quite a few cases were reported as sporadically developed. The patient was a 2-month-old girl who had no nails on both her 2nd, 3rd toes but had rudimentary nails on her left big toe and both 4th toes at birth. We could not find any other congenital deformity, any family history of inherited diseases related to anonychia. Radiological findings revealed no visualization of both 4th distal phalanges, only. We report this case as congenital anonychia of a sporadic type which may have developed independently from an underlying bone abnormality. We also review other reported cases in the literature.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Ectoderm ; Female ; Hallux ; Humans ; Infant ; Parturition ; Toes*