PURPOSE: Cholestatic liver disease is a frequent complication of prolonged parenteral nutrition, especially in premature infants. The purpose of present study is to evaluate the clinical and biochemical efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in premature infants with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) cholestasis. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 31 prematures with TPN cholestasis in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Chonnam University Hospital from January 1995 and December 2002 was done. Prematures were divided into two groups based on UDCA treatment: the study group (n=22, with UDCA treatment) and the control group (n=9, without UDCA treatment). Treatment efficacy of UDCA was evaluated by monitoring the changes of serum direct bilirubin level for more than one to two months. RESULTS: In study group, cholestasis appeared at a mean age of 23+/-18.8 days after a mean of 21+/-19.7 days of TPN. UDCA was initiated (ranged 15-30 mg/kg/day) at a mean age of 54+/-22.3 days for a mean of 32+/-19.0 days. There was no significant difference in decrease of direct bilirubin level between the study and control group. However, the day of initial enteral feeding and full enteral feeding were earlier in control group compared with study group. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that UDCA treatment is not effective in the treatment of TPN cholestasis among premature infants unlike that of results reported in children and adults. To reduce the incidence of TPN cholestasis in premature infants, early introduction of enteral feeding as soon as possible is most important.
Adult ; Bilirubin ; Child ; Cholestasis* ; Enteral Nutrition ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Jeollanam-do ; Liver Diseases ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid*

In a series of 20 young rats, three cortical lesions were made in each hemisphere. Two of these lesions were filled with avitene and gelfoam, while the third was left empty as a control. The animals were killed successively on weeks 1, 2, 4 and 8 after the operation. The results were as follows : 1) Although there was no difference in the type of tissue reactions, avitene was more rapid and profound than gelfoam in the process and degree of inflammatory reaction at the same periods. 2) Avitene biodegradaded more rapidly than gelfoam. 3) The extent of fibrosis and adhesion to the surrounding brain tissues were not grossly different between these two agents but more profound histopathologically in avitene at the same periods. With these results, we could conclude that the avitene was superior to the gelfoam as the hemostatic agent in neurosurgical area.
Animals ; Brain* ; Collagen ; Fibrosis ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Rats

Feto-maternal hemorrhage, the presence of fetal red blood cells in the maternal circulation, occurs in up to 75% of pregnancies. But its volume is usually very small. Feto-maternal hemorrhage of more than 30 ml of whole blood is relatively rare. The key features that lead to early diagnosis are the maternal history, fetal monitoring, the clinical and laboratory findings of anemia and a negative Coombs' test. Diagnosis is confirmed by Kleihauer-Betke test. Perinatal problems include fetal distress, neonatal anemia, hypovolemic shock, and death. The fetal outcome depends on the amount and rate of bleeding. The initial hemoglobin level was a better predictor than the volume of bleeding. We present two cases of severe neonatal anemia associated with massive feto-maternal hemorrhage, which was confirmed by Kleihauer-Betke test.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans

Acral persistent papular mucinosis is a subtype of the localized papular mucinosis. Clinically, ivory to flesh-colored papules develop exclusively on the back of the hands, the extensor surface of the wrists, and occasionally the distal forearms. Histologically, mucin accumulates in the upper reticular dermis, typically sparing a subepidermal zone and fibroblasts are not increased in number. On experiencing a case of numerous papules on both hands and forearms of a fifty year-old woman, we present it as acral persistent papular mucinosis.
Dermis ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Mucins ; Scleromyxedema* ; Wrist

We herein report a case of occupational contact urticaria syndrome induced by cefotiam di-hydrochloride in a nurse. She had generalized pruritic wheals accompanied by palpitations and tachypnea during the preparation of cefotiam solution. A scratch patch test with cefotiam di-hydrochloride, a major component of cefotiam ingredient showed multiple erythema and wheals within 5 minutes, accompanied by palpitations and tachypnea. No delayed type reaction was observed. Based on her clinical history and scratch test result, we diagnosed her condition as contact urticaria syndrome caused by cefotiam.
Cefotiam* ; Erythema ; Patch Tests ; Tachypnea ; Urticaria*

No abstract available.
Glioblastoma*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Arteries*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the perinatal prognosis of fetuses with a single umbilical artery. METHODS: From 1992 to 1998, nineteen cases with single umbilical artery(SUA) was observed in 8,704 deliveries at Chonnam University Hospital. RESULTS: Out of nineteen fetuses, thirteen fetuses with single umbilical artery were detected by antenatal ultrasonographic examination and six fetuses were detected after birth. The male to female ratio was 0.9: 1. Congenital malformations were observed in 8 babies(42.1%) and included leg deformity, esophageal atresia, imperforated anus, ventriculomegaly, meningocele, hydronephrosis, ventricular septal defect, joint contracture, cleft lip and palate, toe anomaly, imperforated anus, kyphosis, no urethra and testis, clubfoot, patent ductus arteriosus and rnild mitral regurgitation. Among 10 cases of karyotyping analysis three cases were diagnosed as trisomy 18. Fourteen fetuses(77.8%) showed growth restriction at delivery. Antenatal obstetric complications were hydramnios(n = 3), oligohydramnios(n =2), and severe preeclampsia(n = 3). CONCLUSION: Careful ultrasonographic evaluation for the identification of a SUA is necessary because of its frequent association with congenital anomaly, growth restriction and cytogenetic abnormality.
Anal Canal ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cleft Lip ; Clubfoot ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Esophageal Atresia ; Female ; Fetus ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Jeollanam-do ; Joints ; Karyotyping ; Kyphosis ; Leg ; Male ; Meningocele ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Palate ; Parturition ; Prognosis* ; Single Umbilical Artery* ; Testis ; Toes ; Trisomy ; Urethra

No abstract available.

The N-terminal sequence of HIV1 gp41 (amino acid residues 584-623) was known to be the immundominant region of HIV1 gp41 protein. In order to determine epitope for gp41 protein of Korean anti-HIV1 positive sera, multiple antigenic peptides (MAPs) for the sequences corresponding to 584-604, 590-612, 604-623 and 584-618 of HIV1 gp41 were synthesized by solid phase method using Fmoc-Lys (Fmoc)-OH and used as coating antigens for ELISA. The reactivities of the synthetic peptides with Korean HIV1 positive (21 samples) and anti-HIV1 negative sera (22 samples) obtained from healthy blood doner were estimated by an indirect ELISA. MAPs for 584-604, 590-612 and 604-623 of gp41 reacted with 62 %, 100 % and 81 % of Korean anti-HIV1 positive sera tested, respectively. The results suggest that the epitope for HIV1 gp 41 for Korean anti-HIV1 positive sera is located in the region of amino acid 590-612 of gp41. MAP for gp41 (584-618) reacted with all (100 %) of anti-HIV1 positive sera tested, but did not react with anti-HlV1 negative sera. In addition, this MAP reacted stronger with seven samples of anti-HIV1 positive sera of anti-HIV1/2 combo performance panel than the mixture of 584-604, 590-612 and 604-623 of gp41, but did not react with anti-HIV negative serum. The high sensitivity and selectivity of MAP of gp41 (584-618) suggest that this peptide as a coating antigen in an ELISA system will be useful for antibody detection of HIV1.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitope Mapping* ; Immune Sera* ; Peptides*