No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Groin

Conjoined twins occur when there is imcomplete fission of the inner cell mass later at approximately 13 to 15 days after fertilization. The earlist case in the literat.ure appears to be that of the Biddenden Maids who were born in England in 1100. since then over two hundred cases of successful separation were reported on literature. And also successful separation cases were reported by Seung et al.(1991) in Korea. Conjoined twins occur between one in 50,000 to 100,000 births but real incidence is one in 200,000 because two thirds are stillbirth or died immediately after birth. The conjoined twins are not associated with maternal age, race or family history and 70 % of them are females. We experienced a case of conjoined twins with omphalopagus and performed surgical separation. A brief review of related literatures was done.
Animals ; Continental Population Groups ; England ; Female ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Maternal Age ; Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Parturition ; Stillbirth ; Twins, Conjoined*

No abstract available.
Bone Diseases* ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Spine* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related disorder. Both the prevalence and the incidence of AD double approximately every 5 years after the age of 60. This is a particularly serious problem considering that the Korean elderly population is rapidly growing. We present three illustrative cases of AD in mild, moderate, and advanced stages, respectively. Their initial symptoms were memory impairment which was followed by language disturbance and visuospatial dysfunction. Abnormal behaviors such as delusion and aggression occurred in moderate and severe cases. The presence and severity of dementia in these cases were established by history taking, neurological examination, standardized mental status assessment, and neuropsychological test. Laboratory investigations showed no abnormalities that could account for the cognitive deficits. Brain CT or MRI findings of the patients wee not remarkable except for a diffuse atrophy demonstrated by increased ventricular volume, narrowed gyri, and widened sulci, As an addendum, risk factors, clinical symptoms, clinical diagnosis, and natural history of AD were reviewed.
Aged ; Aggression ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Cognition Disorders ; Delusions ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Natural History ; Neurologic Examination ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

Normal human B cells produce autocrine growth factor in response to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I strain (SAC). However, the functional role and molecular nature of the B cell derived-B cell growth factor (B-BCGF) are largely unknown. We have tried to investigate the nature of B-BCGF using mAb for several years. We report here that B- BCGF is capable of binding to hemoglobin (Hb). The concentrated culture supernatant from tonsillar B cells stimulated with SAC for 24 h was loaded into the fast protein liquid chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. The peak with BCGF activity was shown to have a M.W. of 16-18 Kda in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver stain. Amino acid sequence of the fraction was found to identical to human hemoglobin (Hb) by more than 85%. However, Hb itself had no BCGF activity. The presence of Hb in culture supernatant was due to the contamination of SRBC during B cell purification. SRSC were completely removed from B cells by percoll-gradient centrifugation and B cells were stimulated with SAC and exogenous Hb was added to the cultures. The Hb fraction from FPLC again showed a BCGF activity. These data strongly suggested that BCGF binds to Hb. We confirmed this in dot blot as well as Western blot. The M.W of Hb-binding BCGF was 20 Kda. This information may provide a rapid progress in research of BCGF.
Amino Acid Sequence ; B-Lymphocytes ; Blotting, Western ; Centrifugation ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Silver ; Staphylococcus aureus

BACKGROUND: The peak flowmeter is very useful in monitoring of out-patients as well as those in emergency departments because of its convenience and simplicity with low cost. There have been many studies aimed at determining the accuracy and reproducibility of the peak flow meter in normal population. However, there is a paucity of reports regarding its accuracy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) or asthma. The accuracy of the peak expiratory flow(PEF) measured with a mini-Wright peak flowmeter was assessed by a comparison with the results of a mass flow sensor. METHODS: The PEF measurements were performed in 108 patients aged 19-82 years presenting with either a chronic obstructive lung disease or asthma before and after inhaling salbutamol. The PEF measurements from the mini-Wright flowmeter were compared with those obtained by the calibrated mass flow sensor. RESULTS: The average of the readings taken by the mini-Wright meter were 37-39 l/min higher than those taken by the mass flow sensor. The average percentage error of the mini-Wright meter were higher, ranging less than 300 l/min. The mean of the differences between the values obtained using both instruments (the bias)±limits of agreement(±2 SD) were 37.1±90 l/min for the PEF(p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The mini-Wright peak flowmeter overestimated the flows in patients with COPD or asthma. It was also found that the accuracy of the mini-Wright peak flowmeter decreased in its mid to low range. The limits of agreement are wide and the difference between the two instruments is signigicant. Therefore, the measurements made between the two types of machines in patients with asthma or COPD cannot be used in terchangeably.
Albuterol ; Asthma* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Flowmeters* ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Outpatients ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Reading

No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Male*

The present study was designed to measure the activity of purine nucleoside phosphorylalse (PNPase) in sera, erythrocytes and lymphocytes of blood from patients with various dermatoses as it's activities are known to be decreased in cell-mediated immune deficiency diseases. The PNPase activities in sera, erythrocytes and lymphocytes of normal subjects were (3. 9+1. 03) x 104 unit/L, 5.04+1. 06 unit/107rbc, l. 74+0. 35 unit/103 lymphocytes respectively. In urticaria, leukocytoclastic vasculitis and purpura, there were no differences in PNPase antivities between patients groups and normal subjects. In atopic dermatitis, there were no differences in PNPase activities of sera and erythrocytes between patients group and normal subjects. But, lymphocyte PNPase activities of atopic patients were lowered than those of normal subjects(1.41 +0. 52 unit/10 lymphocytes). In tuberculoid leprosy, there were no differences in lymphocyte PNPase activities between patients group and normal subjects. But, the PNPase activities in sera and erythrocytes of patients group were lowered than those of normal subjects (3. 20. 76) x 104 unit/L, 3. 8n+1.96 unit/107rbc). The PNPase activities in sera((l. 87+/-0. 62) x 104 unit/L), erythrocytes(2. 08+0. 98 unit/107rbc) and lymphocytes (0.51+0. 26 unit/103 lymphocytes) of lepromatous leprosy patients were significantly lowered than those of normal subjects.
Deficiency Diseases ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Erythrocytes* ; Humans ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Lymphocytes* ; Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase* ; Purpura ; Skin Diseases* ; Urticaria ; Vasculitis

Internal hernia is an unusual cause of the intestinal obstruction. The advances of CT make the diagnosis more easier than in the past. We report one case of internal hernia with herniation of the ileum into the lesser omenturn. The diagnosis could be made when abdominal radiographs showed fixed clustering of the small bowel loops in upper abdomen medial to the stomach. CT and ultrasound showed characteristic interposition of the ileum between the left hepatic lobe and the stomach.
Abdomen ; Diagnosis ; Hernia* ; Ileum ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Stomach ; Ultrasonography