BACKGROUND/AIMS: The efficacy and adverse effects of two different dosages of recombinant a2b interferon were studied in 45 patients with chronic active hepatitis B from March 1991 to December 1996. METHODS: The 19 patients received in a dose of 3MU thrice weekly for 16 weeks, the 14 patients received in a dose of 5MU thrice weeldy for 16 weeks and the 12 patients received conservative management. We evaluated serologic examination and adverse effects. Results 1) The rate of improvement in aminotransferase was significantly higher in interferon treated group (75.0%) compared to control group (16.7%) and it tended to be higher in 5MU group (85.6%) than 3MU group (68.4%) but, the latter had no statistical signifcance (P=0.27). 2) The disappearance rate of HBV-DNA was significantly higher in interferon treated group (72.7%) compared to control group (0%) and it tend to be higher in 3MU group (78.5%) than 5MU group (62.5%) but, the latter had no stastical significance (P=037). 3) The loss rate of HBeAg was significantly higher in interferon treated group (50.0%) compared to control group (O%) and it tend to be higher in 5MU group (66.7%) than 3MU group (37.5%) but, the latter had no stastical significance(P=0.13). 4) Fever (75.8%), leukopenia (41.2%), headache (30.3%), myalgia (18.2%), thrombocytopenia (17.6%), anorexia (11.8%) were noted and fever was significantly higher in 5MU group compared to 3MU group (P=0.02). Conclusion The effective improvement of liver function test and disappearance rate of HBeAg tended to be higher in 5MU group than 3MU group, but it was not stastistically significant. Fever was significantly higher in 5MU group compared to 3MU group.
Anorexia ; Fever ; Headache ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferons* ; Leukopenia ; Liver Function Tests ; Myalgia ; Thrombocytopenia

Many organic and nonorganic agents can cause chemical pneumonitis. Chemical pneumonitis induced by inhalation of acetic acid is a rare clinical condition. As acetic acid is a water soluble agent, it causes chemical irritation to respiratory tract and causes variable symptoms. We experienced a case of acute lung injury due to inhalation of acetic acid fume. A 56-year-old male patient was admitted due to dyspnea with vomiting for one day. After he inhaled acetic acid fume in occupational situation, he had chest tightness, chilling sense, and productive cough. Our case was good response to oxygen inhalation, antibiotics, and systemic steroids.
Acetic Acid* ; Acute Lung Injury ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Pneumonia* ; Respiratory System ; Steroids ; Thorax ; Vomiting ; Water

BACKGROUND: Women smoker faces increased risk for heart disease, stroke, cancers, and respiratory diseases as well as a number of gender specific risks. Maternal smoking has been linked to harmful effects on their offspring such as increased incidence of premature, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome, etc. Recently, the rate of female adolescent smoking in Korea is increasing, and the rate of adult woman is expected to increase. This study is aimed at obtaining basic information about smoking patterns and factors associated with smoking in Korean adult women. METHODS: From May 1995 to April 1999, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the female visitors of Health Promotion Center in Seoul National University Hospital. The number of smokers was 492. The control group(984 nonsmokers) was selected by 1:2 age group matched random sampling. Smokers and control group were divided into three age groups-young age(20-39 years), middle age(40-59 years), old age(60 years and over)-and analysed the resalts using SPSS and EpiInfo software. RESULTS: The most frequent amount of cigarette smoking was below 10 cigarettes in all age groups. The duration of smoking was below 10 years in most young and middle age groups. In the old age group the duration of smoking was longer than others. Variables positively associated with smoking included alcohol drinking, being engaged in trade service, being unmarried or divorced or separated or parted for ever, high stress status, dissatisfation of life in young age group. The variable of no exercise was added to them in middle age group. In old age group alcohol drinking, no exercise, no school education were the positive meaningful factors associated with smoking in multivariant logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The modifiable variables associated with smoking in Korean adult women included alcohol drinking, high stress status, dissatisfation of life and no exercise.
Adolescent ; Adult* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Divorce ; Education ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Seoul ; Single Person ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Stillbirth ; Stroke ; Sudden Infant Death ; Tobacco Products ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical observations of patients with hematochezia in attempt to determine the appropriate evaluation and treatment of this group of patients. METHODS: Seventy patients with hematochezia were admitted to Intemal medicine (IM) Department of Chungnam National University Hospital from January 1990 to August 1997. The clinical observations of patients with hematochezia were reviewed and the results are as follows. RESULTS: 1) The causes of the hematochezia were ischemic colitis (18.6%), hemorrhoids (15.7%), ulcerative colitis (14.3%), unknown (12.8%), rectal cancer (7.1%), nonspecific ulcers (rectum; 4.3%, colon; 1.4%), diverticulosis (5.7% ), colon cancer (4.3%.), mdiation colitis (2.9%), angiodysplasia (2.9%), polyps (2.9%), Samonella colitis (2.9%), rectal varix (1.4%), ileitis(1.4%) and ileal ulceration (1.4%). 2) The average hemoglobin of the patients with hematochezia was 9.6 g/dl. Forty percent of the patients with hematochezia required a transfusion and the average transfusion amount was 4.4 packs (Pack Red Cell). Patients with nonspecific ulcers (recutum, colon), angiodysplasia, colon cancer, ilieal lesion and rectal varix required more transfusions (average transfusion amount, 5.7 packs). 3) Patients who improved with eonservative treatment only were 85.7%, and 11.4% required surgical intervention. Also 2.9% required endoscopic intervention. 4) Confirmative modalities of hematochezia included colonoscopy (80%), and others (angiography, barium enema, and operation etc.). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with hematochezia admitted to the IM Department, the cause of hematochezia was confirmed by colonoscopy and patients with hematochezia were mainly managed using conservative treatment.
Angiodysplasia ; Barium ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Colitis ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Diverticulum ; Enema ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage* ; Hemorrhoids ; Humans ; Polyps ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Ulcer ; Varicose Veins

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Juxtapapillary duodenal diverticuli are often associated with biliary stones. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of juxtapapillary duodenal diverticuli in biliary stones. METHODS: Three hundred and thirteen patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were studied prospectively. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients had juxtapapillary duodennl diverticuli(24%). The occurrence of diverticuli increased with age and more commomly in female patients. The prevalence of diverticulii was higher in patients with commom bile duct stones(35.6% vs 17.6%; P 0.002) and gallbladder stones(33.3% vs 17.6%; P=0,001) than in patients without biliary stones (17.6%). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that biliary stones are associated with juxtapapillary diverticuli.
Bile Ducts ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Female ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones* ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: The evaluations of the pathogenetic roles of cell mediated immunity and of the preventive effect for disease progression with interferon(IFN) treatment in patients with chronic active hepatitis-B(CAH-B) are the objectives of this study. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with CAH-B were treated with interferon alpha-2b(IFN alpha-2b) with prednisolone withdrawal and 30 control patients were treated with conventional hepatotonics for 6 months. Peripheral total T cell fractions and T cell subsets of the patients with CAH-B, treated with IFN alpha-2b with prednisolone withdrawal, were examined 1 month before administration of prednisolone, and compared with 12 normal controls for assessing the potential role of cellular immunity in the development of CAH-B. To estimate the effectiveness of IFN therapy for the patients with CAH-B, levels of various liver function tests, HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, HBV DNA, anti-HCV and others were assessed for the treatment group and compared with control patients at pre- and post-treatment period each. RESULTS: The value of CD4 was significantly lower in patients with CAH-B than normal controls (36.3 +/- 7.7% vs 42.1 +/- 5.7%, p < 0.05) and the value of CD8 was significantly higher in patients with CAH-B than normal controls (30.6 +/- 10.3% vs 24.3 +/- 5.2%, p < 0.05) before prednisolone administration. The patients in responder group (n = 26) had significantly lower CD4 cells compared with normal controls, but non-responders (n = 6) did not have. The levels of liver function test(LFT) in the patients with IFN alpha-2b treatment with prednisolone withdrawal were not different from the control patient group at pretreatment, but significantly lower than control patient group's after treatment, regardless of response to IFN alpha-2b treatment with prednisolone withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: The cellular immunity of the host may have a potential role in the pathogenesis of chronicity of hepatitis B infection. IFN alpha-2b treatment with prednisolone withdrawal may be regarded as one of the effective treatment modalities for the inhibition of disease progression in patients with CAH-B.
Adult ; DNA, Viral/blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens/blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/therapy* ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/physiopathology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/immunology* ; Human ; Interferon Alfa-2b/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Middle Age ; Prednisolone/administration & dosage ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology*