OBJECTIVE: The conventional methods to determine fetal genetic status, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling(CVS) have small procedure-related risk of abortion. Recently, several researchers reported that fetal genetic status, such as sex, can be confirmed by fetal nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood and this method might reduce such risk. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to determine the basic fetal genetic status, sex, with fetal nucleated erythrocytes. METHODS: In twelve pregnant women who undertook amniocentesis or CVS, 20 ml of venous blood was drawn immediately before the procedure and the nucleated erythrocytes were recovered by magnetic activated cell sorting(MACS). After MACS, DNA was extracted from 200 microliter of sample and single nucleated erythrocyte was obtained by additional procedure, immunostaining, and microdissection. After recovery of nucleated erythrocytes by microdissection, nested polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and fluorescent PCR of amelogenin gene were performed to identify the fetal gender. RESULTS: The DNA of enriched erythrocytes after MACS could identify the fetal gender in the 58.3% of the samples by nested PCR. After the recovery of single nucleated erythrocyte by MACS, immunostaining and microdissection, the minute DNA in a single cell could be amplified by primer extension preamplification(PEP), nested PCR, and fluorescent PCR. Fetal genders were correctly identified in 8 out of 12 (66.7 %). CONCLUSION: Through this study, we could conclude that fetal nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood might be sufficient sample to determine fetal sex. And single cell isolation by microdissection could get the better results than nested PCR after MACS only. However, in spite of the pregnancy of male fetus, female specific bands were obtained after nested PCR of amelogenin in several cells, which might suggest that part of nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood might be maternal origin. Therefore, to determine fetal genetic condition by nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood, further improvements of methods to identify the nucleated erythrocytes of fetal origin are needed.
Amelogenin ; Amniocentesis ; Cell Separation ; Chorionic Villi ; Diagnosis* ; DNA ; Erythroblasts* ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Male ; Microdissection ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women

No abstract available.
Chondrosarcoma*

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

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to determine whether the clinical presentation of patients with central precocius puberty(CPP) varies according to the etiology, whether this permits the differentiation between idiopathic and organic forms and to examine whether LH determination in a single timed blood sample after GnRH administration is sufficient to diagnose CPP. METHODS: This study included 33 girls with signs of breast development, of whom 23 were diagnosed as definite central precocious puberty. Sixteen patients had idiopathic CPP; the remaining 7 patients had organic CPP. Ten patients were classified as non-CPP. Potential clinical and laboratory predictors of CNS abnormalities were assessed and GnRH stimulation test was done. RESULTS: The age of onset in patients with organic CPP was 4.11+/-2.08 years, whereas the age in patients with idiopathic CPP was 7.25+/-1.34 years. This parameter is the only one showing statistical significance. We compared sensitivities and specificities at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min which yielded sensitivities of 8.7%, 87.0%, 91.3%, 87.0%, 73.9%, 60.9%. CONCLUSION: It is impossible to exclude a central nervous system lesion in patient with central precocious puberty without performing central nervous system imaging. However, this study indicates earlier the onset of disease, higher the possibility of presence of CNS lesion. According to the mean GnRH stimulated LH levels and sensitivity at each times, a single blood sample obtained for LH determined after GnRH administration at 30 min can be used to diagnose the central precocious puberty.
Age of Onset ; Breast ; Central Nervous System* ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Puberty, Precocious*

Using Burian-Allen bipolar contact lens electrode, Authors examined the normal 120 eyes of 120 subjects(male 57, female 63), age ranged 7 to 83 years(mean 44.5 years), with the method which was same as the ISCEV standard. There was no statistically significant differences between the value obtained using Burian-Allen electrode and the value obtained using ERG-jet electrode(p>0.05). We expect that this data would be useful testing method to evaluate the retinal disease. And this data may provide new reference value in the study of electroretinogram.
Electrodes* ; Electroretinography* ; Female ; Humans ; Reference Values* ; Retinal Diseases

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

A clinical review was made on 2,191 cases of general pediatric surgery under the age of 15 years which were operated upon at the Divisionof Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chonnam University Hospital from January 1988 to December 1997. The number of operations in pediatric age were 13,144 (13.2%) out of total 99,555 operations at Chonnam University Hospital and the most prevalent age group was under 1 year of age (14.3%). The number of operations in Divisionof General Pediatric Surgery were 2,191 (16.7%) out of total 13,144 operations in pediatric age and the incidence of patients under 1 year of age in general pediatric surgery was 42.9% (941/2,191). The prevalent diseases under 1 month of age were anorectal malformations (20.6%) and hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (20.3%) and between 1 month to 1 year of age were inguinal hernia (32.4%) and intussusception (19.6%). The total motality rate in neonatal intensive care unit was 31.3%. Gastroschisis presented highest mortality.
Gastroschisis ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Intussusception ; Jeollanam-do ; Mortality ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic

Thelazia callipaeda, parasitic in the eye of 24 years old Korean male, was extracted from the left eye of the patient in Seoul, Korea. We confirmed that as T. callipeada morphologically, based on the descriptions of Hsu and other literature. We presents the 7th human thelaziasis case in Korea with the historical review of the literature.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Thelazia callipaeda ; thelaziasis ; case report

BACKGROUND: Laryngomicrosurgery has some special characteristics. It is stressful due to intubation and direct laryngoscopy during a short operation time. Therefore both adequate anesthesia and quick recovery for the slience therapy after the operation are needed. This study compared the cardiovascular responses and recovery pattern between propofol and Thiopental-Enflurane anesthesia. METHODS: Sixty outpatients of ASA class 1 or 2 for microlaryngoscopy were randomly assigned to receive either anesthesia with propofol (Group P, n = 30) and thiopental-enflurane (Group E, n = 30). Group P was induced with propofol 2 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1 mg/kg and maintained with vecuronium 0.04 mg/kg, propofol 10 - 6 mg/kg/h, and N2:O2/3 L/min:2 L/min. Group E was induced with thiopental 5 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1 mg/kg and maintained with vecuronium 0.04 mg/kg, enflurane 1 3 vol%, and N2O:O2/3 L/min:2 L/min. Ketorolac (30 mg) and hydrocortisone (100 mg) were added for postoperative pain in both groups. The changes in blood pressure and heart rate, pre and post induction, were compared in both groups. In addition, we compared energence time and the state of recovery (Steward's score) 5 minutes and 15 minutes after extubation and the frequencies of other complications. RESULTS: No significant differences in age, wt, sex and anesthesia time of the two groups were observed. Mean arterial pressures were significantly different after anesthesia and after intubation between the two groups. However the heart rates were not different among the groups. The extubation time was significantly shorter in Group P. The recovery score at 5 min and 15 min after extubation was significantly higher in Group P. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that propofol with nitrous oxide may be useful in laryngeal microsurgery, especially, when silence therapy is needed.
Anesthesia* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Enflurane ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Intubation ; Ketorolac ; Laryngoscopy ; Microsurgery ; Nitrous Oxide ; Outpatients ; Pain, Postoperative ; Propofol* ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide

Paraneoplastic pemphigus is a distinct and rare autoimmune disease characterized by extensive and painful mucosal ulcerations and polymorphic desquamated skin lesions in the setting of an underlying neoplasm, typically of lymphoreticular origin. Thus difficulties in the management of anesthesia can be expected. A 66-years-old man was scheduled for removal of intraabdominal sarcoma associated with paraneoplastic pemphigus. Physical examination showed multiple erythematous bullae, crusts, plaques and target-like lesions on the whole body and desquamated erythematous skin lesions on the back and extremities. In the operating room, his right femoral artery was cannulated with a 20 G, 12.7 cm CVP catheter and left femoral and subclavian veins with 14 G, 20 cm CVP catheters, respectively. After application of 4 % lidocaine spray, his oropharynx and supraglottic area were evaluated under direct laryngoscopy and revealed multiple ulcerations on oral mucosa, but no distinct lesion on supraglottic area. Anesthesia was induced by rapid-sequence method with fentanyl, thiopental sodium and succinylcholine followed by endotracheal intubation. The endotracheal tube was held by a roll gauze around the neck and its cuff was minimally inflated to avoid overpressure against his tracheal wall. After the end of surgery, his oral cavity was suctioned with no remarkable bleeding, and tracheal wall including cuff-contacted area was evaluated under fiberoptic bronchoscopy, revealed intact wall without any bulla or ulceration. The patient was transferred to intensive care unit for proper postoperative management after extubation of endotracheal tube.
Anesthesia ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Bronchoscopy ; Catheters ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery ; Fentanyl ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopy ; Lidocaine ; Mouth ; Mouth Mucosa ; Neck ; Operating Rooms ; Oropharynx ; Pemphigus* ; Physical Examination ; Sarcoma ; Skin ; Subclavian Vein ; Succinylcholine ; Suction ; Thiopental ; Ulcer