BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic liver disease caused by chronic infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). METHODS: Thirty-ive patients with chronic infection of HBV were included in this study who were diagnosed at Hanyang University Hospital from January 1998 to January 1999. They received 150mg of lamivudine per oral once daily for 6 months with follow-p of liver function test, serum HBV DNA and serologic markers for hepatitis B virus every two months. Lamivudine was well tolerated. Eight patients underwent liver biopsies before entering the study and follow-p biopsies were done at 5 patients. RESULTS: Out of all 35 patients, chronic hepatitis patients histologically confirmed were 8, chronic hepatitis patients clinically diagnosed were 25 and liver cirrhosis patients clinically diagnosed were 2. The mean age was 35.7 years. Male-female ratio was 2.2:1. There was no hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative seroconversion. The HBeAg loss rate was 26.9%(7/26) and HBeAg seroconversion rate was 10.7%(3/28) at the end of follow-p. Ten patients were anti-Be positive prior to treatment, 3 of them became anti-Be negative at the end of follow-p. Five patients underwent follow-p liver biopsies, in which histologic improvements were shown in 4 cases. Serum replicative HBV DNA by bDNA assay was decreased in all patients and HBV DNA was undetectable in 52.9%(9/17) at the end of treatment. Out of the 15 patients with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels at baseline, ALT level in 7 patients(46.7%) was normalized at treatment completion. Pretherapy ALT level was the only predictive factor for loss of HBeAg by stepwise logistic regression analysis(odds ratio : 1.0208) (95% Confidence Interval : 1.0023 ~ 1.0396) (p value=0.0271). CONCLUSIONS: Lamivudine induced sustained suppression of HBV replication during treatment in all patients. In treating patients with lamivudine, who had chronic liver disease due to chronic infection of HBV, the improvement of liver function test and suppression of viral replication appeared early and was sustained during the 6months treatment. This, in turn, may induce histological improvement as well. Pretherapy ALT level was the only predictive determinant for HBeAg loss during lamivudine therapy, and that should be kept in mind in selecting patients for treatment.
Alanine Transaminase ; Biopsy ; Branched DNA Signal Amplification Assay ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Lamivudine* ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Function Tests ; Logistic Models ; Prospective Studies*

Voice changes developing after endotracheal intubation during right hemicolectomy with endotracheal intubation have been found to be due to a right recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in 43-years-old male patient. It was likely that the inflated cuffed tube rode up to the level of the cricoid cartilage during the course of surgery as traction was placed on the endotracheal tube because the condenser humidifier and breathing circuit weighed heavy. Cuff overexpansion, in addition to muscle relaxation and decreased tracheal elasticity were considered as contributing factors of vocal cord palsy. We believe that tube traction and cuff overexpansion were the mechanism of vocal cord palsy in our patient. So we recommend the routine use of tube stand so that weigh of the breathing circuit does not transmit traction to the endotracheal tube. Concurrently, filling the cuff with a sample of the inspired mixture of gases, saline and 4% lidocaine in special cases or regular deflation of the cuff must be considered.
Cricoid Cartilage ; Elasticity ; Gases ; Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Lidocaine ; Male ; Muscle Relaxation ; Respiration ; Traction ; Vocal Cord Paralysis* ; Vocal Cords* ; Voice

14-3-3 proteins are cytoplasmic proteins of about 29 kDa and have a minimum of seven isoforms. This protein is important in signal transduction with the ability of binding with phosphoserine of many signalling proteins. We expressed 14-3-3 protein tagged with 6 histidine residues in E. coli and purified the protein by nickel affinity chromatography. Using this purified protein as an antigen, we made rabbit antisera and mouse monoclonal antibodies to 14-3-3 zeta isoform. We subcloned cDNA of 14-3-3 zeta isoform derived from HeLa cell lamda gt 11 library into an E. coli expression vector which is designed to express heterologous protein with N- terminal 6 hidtidine tag. BALB/c mice were immunized with purified 14-3-3 protein and the hybridoma clones which produce monoclonal antibodies angainst 14-3-3 protein were selected. These monoclonal antibodies reacted with the recombinant protein expressed in E. coli as well as the 29-kDa native protein in various cell lines. However, they did not immunoprecipitate 14-3-3 protein. The monoclonal antibodies produced in this study can be valuable tools for the identification of the 14-3-3 in signal transduction study.
14-3-3 Proteins ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Cell Line ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Clone Cells ; Cytoplasm ; DNA, Complementary ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; HeLa Cells ; Histidine ; Humans* ; Hybridomas ; Immune Sera ; Mice ; Nickel ; Phosphoserine ; Protein Isoforms ; Signal Transduction ; Staphylococcal Protein A

No abstract available.
Abscess* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

We report a rare case of retinal detachment in colobomatous macrophthalmos with microcornea syndrome. A 25-year-old female who had suffered from poor vision in her left eye since early childhood and high myopia in her right eye (-11 D) visited our clinic because of a sudden deterioration of vision. Examination of the anterior segment showed microcornea with coloboma of the inferior pupil margin in the left iris. Fundus examination of the left eye revealed an inferior choroidal coloboma extending from the optic disc and macula. The patient also had total bullous retinal detachment. Pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade was performed, and the retina was reattached. In the very rare condition of colobomatous macropthalmos with microcornea, retinal detachment may develop. Pars plana vitrectomy with additional silicone oil tamponade may be performed to treat this condition.
Adult ; Choroid/*abnormalities ; Coloboma/*complications/diagnosis ; Cornea/*abnormalities ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Retinal Detachment/diagnosis/*etiology/surgery ; Syndrome ; Vitrectomy/methods

No abstract available.
Colonoscopy*

OBJECTIVE: To describe normal postoperative MR findings and MR findings of postoperative discitis in patients who underwent operation due to herniated intervertebral disc. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed normal postoperative MR findings and MR findings of discitis in 30 patients(21-61yrs.) (13 cases dignosed as discitis and 17 cases as normal) who previonsly underwent laminectomy and discectomy, or bony fusion. We analyzed signal intensity of end plate and disc, end plate destruction, and enhancement of end plate and disc on T1- and T2-weighted images(WI) of 1.5T MRI. RESULTS: Among 14 out of 17 patients with no evidence of discitis, 7 patients showed high signal of the posterior portion of disc on T1- and T2-WI and 11 patients revealed enhancement at the same sites. In all 13 patients suspected of having discitis, end plate and disc showed low signal on T1-WI, high signal on T2-WI, heterogeneous enhancement, and irregular destruction of end plate. Meanwhile, 3 cases with no evidence of postoperative discitis clinically who underwent bony fusion showed similiar findings to those of the above 13 patients, except for homogeneous enhancement of end plate and vertebral body. CONCLUSION: The MR findings of postoperative discitis were low signal on T1-WI, high signal on T2-WI, and heterogeneous enhancement of and plate and disc, and destruction of end plate.
Discitis* ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Laminectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spectrum of MR characteristics of cystic acoustic neurinomas and to correlate with pathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the MR findings of 12 patients with cystic acoustic neurinomas. The signal intensity and enhancement pattern of the cystic components as well as the location relative to the tumors were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 30 cysts were found in 15 acoustic neurinomas;28 were intratumoral cysts and the remaining two were extratumoral cysts. The signal intensity of all 28 intratumoral cysts was higher than that of CSF on Tl-weighted images, and isointense to CSF on T2-weighted images, while the signal intensity of the two extratumoral cysts was same as CSF on both Tl-weighted and T2-weighted images. Rim enhancement was seen in 27 of 28 intratumoral cysts but in none of the two extratumoral cysts. CONCLUSION: We concluded that intratumoral cyst was due to tumoral necrosis, hemorrhage or degenerative change and extratumoral cyst due to secondary arachnoid cyst formation.
Acoustics* ; Arachnoid ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Neuroma, Acoustic* ; Retrospective Studies

Clear cell sarcoma of tendon and aponeuroses is slow growing and painless. It occur chiefIy in young adults, predominates in women and is most common in the region of the foot and knee. It is intimately bound to tendons or aponeuroses and is composed of srnall nest or aggregates of round or fusiform, pale staining cells showing prominent nucleoli. And it is tend to recur and to resuIt in eventual development of metastatic growth after a protracted clinical ccurs. Herein, we report a case of clear cell sarcorna of tendon anu aponeuross of metatarsophalangeal joint area between 2nd and 3rd light of left foot. The patient, 50-year-old female had a slow groving, asymptomatic, slightly eevated, emooth surfaced and normal skin colored mass for 2 years. Histopatholcigic tindings in dermis revealed nests of atypical polygonal or monotonous cells. Each cell had vesicular or hyperchrornatic nucleus with prominent nucleoli, occcasionally mitotic figure and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. For. treatment, transmetatarsal amputation was done.
Amputation ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Foot* ; Humans ; Knee ; Metatarsophalangeal Joint ; Middle Aged ; Sarcoma, Clear Cell* ; Skin ; Tendons ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Bilirubin* ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice, Neonatal*