We designed a new electrophoresis apparatus. This was consisted of the body into which agarose could be poured directly and the cover from which the platinium electrodes were suspended. After running the nucleic acid in this electrophoresis, we observed the band of nucleic acid on the ultraviolet transilluminator without touching the agarose gel, keeping the cover with the electrodes and discarding the gel in body. We compared the variuos types of the electrophoresis apparatus. In the electrophoresis apparatus which body was consisted of the flat bottom, the migration of dyes was the fastest among studied types. The high migration velocity of dyes was due to high electric current.
Coloring Agents ; Electrodes ; Electrophoresis* ; Running ; Sepharose

OBJECTIVE: Atypical antipsychotic (AAP) treatment is associated with weight gain and metabolic disturbances such as dyslipidemia and dysglycemia. The metabolic disturbances are usually considered to develop secondary to weight gain. We performed the comparison of metabolic disturbances of three AAP group with different risk of metabolic side effect after adjusting for body mass to investigate whether any metabolic disturbances develop independently from body mass index (BMI). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 174 subjects with schizophrenia who were on 1) monotherapy with clozapine (CL), olanzapine (OL), or quetiapine (QT) (n=61), 2) monotherapy with risperidone (RSP) (n=89), or 3) monotherapy with aripiprizole (ARP), or ziprasidone (ZPS) (n=24) more than 1 year. Association between the prevalence of metabolic disturbances and groups were analysed using logistic regression after adjusting confounding variables including BMI. Analysese of covariance were used to compare the AAP groups in terms of the levels of metabolic parameters. RESULTS: There were significant differences among groups in terms of the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.015), low HDL-cholesterol (p=0.017), and hyperglycemia (p=0.022) after adjusting for BMI. Triglyceride level (p=0.014) and the ratio of triglyceride to HDL-cholesterol (p=0.004) were significantly different among groups after adjusting for BMI. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, metabolic disturbances are significantly different in AAP groups even after adjusting BMI. AAPs may have direct effect on metabolic parameters. Blood lipid and glucose levels should be monitored regularly regardless of whether patients tend to gain weight.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Body Mass Index ; Clozapine ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dyslipidemias ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia* ; Triglycerides ; Weight Gain ; Quetiapine Fumarate

Clozapine use is associated with various adverse events, some of which have received little attention, including eosinophilia, pleural effusion, and hepatitis. Because of the fatality of jaundice with hepatitis, it is necessary to understand the course and management of clozapine-induced eosinophilia and hepatitis. We report on a case in which the eosinophil count began to increase shortly after clozapine use, and pleural effusion and fever then developed at the time eosinophilia was at its peak level. Jaundice with hepatitis consecutively developed when all the above symptoms subsided. The liver function recovered rapidly after clozapine was discontinued. We recommend that patients who develop rapid eosinophilia at the beginning of clozapine treatment should be monitored with LFTs, chest X-rays, and urine analysis tests.
Clozapine ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Fever ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Liver ; Pleural Effusion ; Thorax

It is well-knwon that computed tomography (CT) is useful in detecting accurately the location, extent, erosion and relationshlp of angiofibroma to surrounding structures such as pterygopalatine fossa, It is well-known that computed tomography (CT) is useful in detecting accurately the location, extent, erosion and relatiohship of angiofibroma to surrounding structures such as pterygopalatine fossa, sphenoid slnus, and etc. CT of 20 patients with juvenile angiofibroma, which were examined for 5 years from Feburary, 1979 to May. 1984 at Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, were retrospectively analized. The results were as follows: 1. AII 20 patients of juvenile angiofibroma had tumors in nasopharynx and posterior nasal cavity showing homogeneously dense.enhancing soft tissue mass on CT. There was extension of the tumor from nasopharyhx and posterior nas.al cavity into Pílranasal sinus (60%, 12/20), pterygopalatine fossa (55%, 11/20), infratemporal fossa (30%, 6/20), posterior orbit (10%, 2/20) and cranial cavity (15%, 3/20). 2. Angiography usually adds Iittle diagnostic information, but is still needed to identify the precise source of blood supply to the tumor, and to perform the pre-operative embolization. The use of CT has deferred angiography until just before surgery, permitting embolization at optimal time. 3. CT is almost always necessary to reveal accurately the full extent of the tumor, especially intracranial space in the axial and coronal planes with contrast enhancement. CT is useful both in diagnosis as a guide to angiography and in planning the adequate thereapy of juvenile angiogibroma.
Angiofibroma ; Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasopharynx ; Orbit ; Pterygopalatine Fossa ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul

Objectives: The adherence to antipsychotics is essential for relapse prevention in schizophrenia. Although 40–60% of schizophrenia patients suffer from non-adherence problems, some patients had consistently good adherence. They are clinically desirable examples of non-adherent patients. This qualitative study aimed to explore the actors influencing medication adherence in people with schizophrenia with good adherence to the patients’ perspectives. Methods: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 subjects with schizophrenia. Narratives were elicited on the attitudes toward illness and treatment, familiar support for treatment, and perceived stigma about psychosis over time. Results: In the process of changing from non-adherence to adherence, symptomatic relapse, involuntary treatment, and familial support played leading roles. The patients’ experiences on their own made them accept the illness and necessity of medications. Once the patients accepted the need for treatments, side effects and social stigma did not influence their adherence. Reducing psychotic symptoms was the priority of the treatment effects on the patients’ perspectives. Conclusion Adherence in schizophrenia requires multiple factors that affect the attitude toward illness and medication over time. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the specific process of adherence and develop the relevant interventions to facilitate those processes over time.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare psychomotor performance related with automobile driving in patients with schizophrenia under the treatment of a typical antipsychotic agent, haloperidol, or an atypical antipsychotic agent, aripiprazole. METHODS: We evaluated driving ability of schizophrenia patients by using the cognitive perceptual assessment for driving (CPAD). Twelve patients receiving haloperidol monotherapy and 18 taking aripiprazole monotherapy participated in this study and the results of CPAD were compared with each other. RESULTS: Of 30 participants, 15 (50%) of the patients passed the CPAD to be regarded as competent to drive, 3 (10%) of the patients failed the CPAD considered to be severely impaired. Controlling for sex, age, education, duration of illness, there were no significant differences in the CPAD results between two treatment groups. We observed a trend that patients who received aripiprazole showed a higher total score of the CPAD than haloperidol-treated patients (55.2+/-4.9 vs. 45.7+/-8.4, p=0.080). CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in the psychomotor performance relevant to driving ability between haloperidol and aripiprazole groups. But our results suggest that aripiprazole might have the neurocognitive advantage over haloperidol. Future study with a large sample size and diverse antipsychotics is warranted.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Automobile Driving ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; Nitro Compounds ; Piperazines ; Psychomotor Performance ; Quinolones ; Sample Size ; Schizophrenia ; Aripiprazole

The novel antipsychotic, olanzapine, has structural and pharmacological properties similar to clozaine. Antipsychotic drugs, as well as mood stabilizers, can cause neutropenia, which can progress to life-threatening agranulocytosis if the medication is not discontinued. We report two cases of reversible neutropenia associated with a olanzapine-valproate combination treatment. This report suggests that patients treated with the combination of olanzapine and valproate should be monitored for the occurrence of leukopenia and neutropenia.
Agranulocytosis ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Benzodiazepines ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; Neutropenia ; Valproic Acid

Skin rash is one of the most common drug-induced side effects. Most of the lesions are usually self-limited and subsided by quitting causal drugs. However, generally, prescriptions involve intake of various drugs, so it is not easy to establish the cause. We report two cases of the patients who had experienced the skin rash in their first manic episode of bipolar I disorder while taking valproate and quetiapine. Their lesions had clearly subsided after quetiapine and valproate were stopped. In clinical practice, polypharmacy is an effective treatment strategy of bipolar disorder. Thus in case of prescribing various drugs, the close observation of drug-induced side effects is needed and drug interaction should be kept in mind.
Bipolar Disorder ; Dibenzothiazepines ; Drug Interactions ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Polypharmacy ; Prescriptions ; Skin ; Valproic Acid ; Quetiapine Fumarate

PURPOSE : The 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases(17HSDs) play an important role in the regulation of the physiologic activities of sex steroid hormones. The predominance of 17HSD type 1 in the malignant breast tissue could increase the estrogen-dependent proliferation and stimulate the cancer progression. On the other hand, the oxidative 17HSD type 2 may protect the normal breast cells from an excessive estradiol effect. To identify the role of 17HSD type 2 in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer, we investigate the mutation of 17HSD type 2 in 35 breast cancers. METHODS : We analyzed the entire coding region of the 17 HSD type 2 gene for detection of the somatic mutations in 35 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast by polymerase chain reaction, single strand conformation polymorphism, and DNA sequencing. RESULTS : We found one missense mutation in exon 6(2.86%). It revealed the CCT-->CTT (Pro-->Leu) transition type at codon 262 in exon 6. CONCLUSION : In present study, we found only a mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene in breast cancer and could not demonstrate the direct relationship between the mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene and the development of breast cancer. These results suggest that the mutation of 17HSD type 2 doesn? play a major role in the development of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Clinical Coding ; Codon ; Estradiol ; Exons ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Hand ; Mutation, Missense ; Oxidoreductases* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

PURPOSE : The 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases(17HSDs) play an important role in the regulation of the physiologic activities of sex steroid hormones. The predominance of 17HSD type 1 in the malignant breast tissue could increase the estrogen-dependent proliferation and stimulate the cancer progression. On the other hand, the oxidative 17HSD type 2 may protect the normal breast cells from an excessive estradiol effect. To identify the role of 17HSD type 2 in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer, we investigate the mutation of 17HSD type 2 in 35 breast cancers. METHODS : We analyzed the entire coding region of the 17 HSD type 2 gene for detection of the somatic mutations in 35 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast by polymerase chain reaction, single strand conformation polymorphism, and DNA sequencing. RESULTS : We found one missense mutation in exon 6(2.86%). It revealed the CCT-->CTT (Pro-->Leu) transition type at codon 262 in exon 6. CONCLUSION : In present study, we found only a mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene in breast cancer and could not demonstrate the direct relationship between the mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene and the development of breast cancer. These results suggest that the mutation of 17HSD type 2 doesn? play a major role in the development of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Clinical Coding ; Codon ; Estradiol ; Exons ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Hand ; Mutation, Missense ; Oxidoreductases* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA