PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate alterations of regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reserve (CVR), and correlation between these alternations and cognitive dysfunction in patients with chronic traumatic brain injury (TRI) and normal brain MRI findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty TBI patients and 19 healthy volunteers underwen1 rest/acerazolamide brain SPECT using Tc-99m HMPAO. Korean-Wechsler Adult Intelligence scale test was also performed in the patient group. Statistical analysis was performed with statistical parametric mapping software (SPM97), RESULTS: CBF was diminished in the left hemisphere including Wernicke's area in all patients with lower verbal scale scores. In addition, a reduction in CBF in the right frontal, temporal and parietal cortices was related with depressed scores in information, digital span, arithmetic and similarities, In patients with lower performance scale scores. CBF was mainly diminished in the right hemisphere including superior temporal and supramarginal gyri, premotor, primary somatomotor and a port of prefrontal cortices, left frontal lobe and supramarginal gyrus. CVR was diminished in sixty-four Brodmann's areas compared to control. A reduction in CVR was demonstrated bilaterally in the frontal and temporal Iobes in patients with lower scores in both verbal and performance tests, and in addition, both inferior parietal and occipital lobes in information subset. CONCLUSION: Alterations of CBF and CVR were demonstrated in the symptomatic TBI patients with normal MRI finding. These alterations were correlated with the change of intelligence, of which the complex functions are subserved by multiple interconnected cortical structures.
Adult ; Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Frontal Lobe ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Intelligence* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Occipital Lobe ; Rabeprazole ; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

PURPOSE: Chitin and chitosan are nontoxic natural chelators that chelate radiostrontium effectively. The purpose of this study was to compare radiostrontium chelation of chitin and chitosan with that of well known chemical chelators, namely EDTA and DTPA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chelaton rates of chitin, chitosan, EDTA and DTPA were compared using a column chromatography method (Sephadex G-25M, Sweden). Three kinds of chitins and four kinds of chitosans were used. All of them were water soloble. RESULTS: Phosphated chitosan showed the highest chelation yield of more than 97% at pH 7. All of chitins, chitosans, EDTA and DTPA showed chelation yield of more than 90% independent of varing pH level. CONCLUSION: Chitin and chitosan have similar chelation rate as compared with EDTA and DTPA.
Chelating Agents ; Chitin* ; Chitosan* ; Chromatography ; Edetic Acid* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Pentetic Acid*

BACKGROUND: In recent years, lymphocyte subset analysis in peripheral blood is widely performed using erythrocytes-lysed whole blood and two color immunofluorescence/flow cytometry method. Use of fresh blood drawn within 6 hours of staining is recommended, and some patients have to revisit the hospital for blood collection. We tested whether 24 hours-refrigerated/stored whose blood can be used for lymphocyte subset analysis. METHODS: Twenty consecutive blood samples from patients (including nine HIV positive patients) collected in EDTA-vacutainer were tested: 1) on the day of sampling using fresh blood kept at room temperature for up to 6 hours until staining (as recommended by the manufacturer) and 2) on the following day using the same tube of blood refrigerated for 24 hours after the first staining. Two colon immunofluorescenc staining was done using Simultest(TM) IMK-Lymphocyte kit (Beckon Dickinson, U.S.A.) and flow cytometric analysis was performed using FACScan and SimulSET(TM) software (Becton Dickinson, U.S.A.). Results of alive kinds of Lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CDl9+, CD3+CD4+CD3+CD8+, CD3-CDl6+ and/or CD56+) on day 1 and day 2 were compared by pained-t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: There was no significant change of values for all of the lymphocyte subsets except CD3+CD8+suppressor/cytotoxic (S/C) T cells. There was a slight but statistically significant change in S/C T cells (39.9%-->41.8%: 1.9%, p=0.008) after 24 hours of refrigeration, and this change was observed mainly in HIV-positive patient group. However, there was no significant change in the absolute count of helper/inducer T cells or CD4/CD8 ratio, and the change of S/C T cells in these patients was not considered to be of clinical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in the values of lymphocyte subsets between fresh blood and 24 hours-refrigerated blood was negligible and it is concluded that 24 hours-stored blood samples can be used for lymphocyte subset analysis for clinical purposes.
Colon ; HIV ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes* ; Refrigeration ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: The study tried to suggest the ways to improve the national disability welfare information projects with evaluating the present condition of the projects. METHOD: Firstly, the study analyzed the disability information system and disability websites. Secondly, the study found out the problems of the registration of disability and management system through the situation analysis. Finally, the study conducted a survey of the disabled and the information system workers and performance evaluation of the information system. RESULTS: The study offered a proposal of The Disability Unity Management System(DUMS) for the disability registration and management. When the disabled visit the hospital or the public health center, their information is registered automatically in The Disability Unity Management System(DUMS), which helps not to miss out the disability registration. Through this system, they are given the proper service which they need, and the information can be shared with the facilities providing the service for the disabled. CONCLUSION: The Disability Unity Management System(DUMS) contributes significantly in avoiding the repetition of the support for the disabled and improving the quality of service.
Disabled Persons ; Humans ; Information Systems* ; Public Health ; Registries

No abstract available.
Ganglia* ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: It has been shown that the sensitization to inhalant allergens on the development of asthma or rhinitis in childhood is related to hereditary disposition and environmental factors. This study was conducted to compare the degree of sensitization to major inhalant allergens in bronchial asthma and rhinitis and to find factors which have an effect on it. METHODS: Skin prick tests were done on the 410 atopic bronchial asthma and rhinitis patients who visited the pediatric allergy clinic from January 1987 through December 1996. We divided the patients into 3 groups: an indoor allergen group sensitive to D.p., D.f., cat fur, dog hair and cockroach; an outdoor allergen group to tree pollen, ragweed pollen, and grass pollen; and a group to both indoor and oudoor allegens. RESULTS: 1) Based on their ages, the prevalence of sensitization was relatively high in 5-6 years old, to indoor allergen and in 11-12 years old to the outdoor allergen. 2) Among the subjects sensitized only to indoor allergens, 34.2% had asthma. 6.7% had rhinitis, and 59.1% both diagnoses. For those sensitized only to outdoor allergens, these values were respectively 29.0%, 48.4% and 22.6%, respectively. 3) The prevalence of indoor allergen sensitization was significantly high in children, living in house, in urban areas, and having carpet/sofa/bed at home(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The younger age group showed more sensitization to indoor allergens than to outdoor allergens. The indoor allergens were strongly related to asthma and the outdoor ones to rhinitis. As a result, it seems that it is very helpful for a prevention of asthma in childhood to take an early environmental control for inhalant allergens.
Allergens* ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Asthma ; Cats ; Child* ; Cockroaches ; Diagnosis ; Dogs ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Poaceae ; Pollen ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Skin

Familial polyposis is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. It is characterized by the progressive development of hundreds to thousands of adenomsteus polyps in the large intestine. A patient who inherited the gene for familial polyposis is asually asymptomatic until after puberty, at which time polyps begin to appear. The disease at first non-malignant but after an interval of a few months or years, the development of colon cancer is inevitable. In Korea, several cases were reported, but almost all of the cases had incomplete familial histories. We experienced one case of familial polypasis in 33-year old Korean male who had no malignant changes in the adenomatous polyps. Among his family, his father and his brother have adenomatous polps in the colon and the rectum confirmed through total colonoscopy with biopsy. We report a case of familial polyposis of colon with a brief review of literatures.
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli* ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Fathers ; Humans ; Intestine, Large ; Korea ; Male ; Polyps ; Puberty ; Rectum ; Siblings

No abstract available.
Aortic Coarctation*

We report a false positive case of I-131 scan due to a sialolithiasis in right submandibular gland. I-131 images showed not only remnant thyroid tissues and functional metastases in the anterior neck but also a hot uptake near right submandibular gland. We confirmed the sialolithiasis by radiologic studies. Sialolithiasis should be regarded as a false positive cause when I-131 scan shows a hot spot near salivary bed.
Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Salivary Gland Calculi* ; Submandibular Gland ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*