No abstract available.
Pneumothorax*

No abstract available.
Mortality*

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus Infections* ; Cytomegalovirus*

The serum level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in 28 atopic patients and 41 healthy, normal, non-allergic subjects were measured by standard radial immunodiffusion method (RIDT). The correlation between IgE level and clinical manifestations are studied. The results are as follows. 1) IgE value was higher in atopic dermatitis than normal subjects. 2) IgE value in atopie dermatitis revealed no sigaificant difference between in male and in female. 3) IgE value was increased parallel with the severity of the disease. 4) IgE value was not correlated with the extent of disease. 5) IgE value was not correlated with the duration of disease. 6) IgE value was not correlated with the age of onset. 7) IgE value was not correlated with the eosinophil count of peripheral blood.
Age of Onset ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Humans ; Immunodiffusion ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Immunoglobulins ; Male

OBJECTIVES: Outbreaks of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) occur every 3-4 years in Korea, most recently in 2011. The aim of our study was to determine the optimal time to perform indirect particle agglutination antibody assays to improve early diagnosis of MP pneumonia in children. METHODS: A database of 206 pediatric patients treated for pneumonia at the Hanyang University Hospital from June to October 2011 was analyzed retrospectively for demographic characteristics and laboratory test results. RESULTS: Among the 206 patients treated for pneumonia during the study period, there were 160 children (mean age, 5.44 years) diagnosed with MP pneumonia, who were studied further. The mean age of these MP pneumonia patients was 5.44 years. Antibody titers increased with increasing time between symptom onset and the collection of serum collection: MP titers were <1:640 for sera collected after 5.44 days and titers > or =1:640 for those collected after 8.58 days; P<0.001). Antibody titers were considered positive when they reached > or =1:640. In 42 MP pneumonia patients in whom there was a four-fold or greater increase in titer between successive serum samples, the optimal cut-off time-point for distinguishing between the initial and second titer groups was 7.5 days after the onset of symptoms (sensitivity, 90.5%; specificity, 92.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Negative MP antibody titers earlier than 8 days after the onset of symptoms in children with pneumonia may require repeating to confirm the diagnosis. This finding could optimize diagnosis and result in better therapeutic outcomes of MP pneumonia in children.
Agglutination ; Child ; Disease Outbreaks ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: Estrogen deficiency accelerates loss of bone mass and changes lipid profile in the postmenopausal women, so that the osteoporosis and astherosclerosis were developed. But it has not enough studies including the premenopausal women. So we have investigated about the differences of body mass index(BMI), lipid profile and bone mineral density (BMD) with pre- and postmenopausal women. METHODS: We have evaluated 201 premenopausal women and 322 postmenopausal women out of total 651 who had visited Health Screening Center in the hospital of Eul-Ji Medical College from November, 1995 to July, 1996. RESULTS: The mean age of total subjects, premenopausal women, postmenopausal women were 51.9, 43.9, 56.8 years, respectively. The mean period after menopause was 8.1 years. Significant difference was seen in BMI, lipid profile and BMD according to age and menopause(P<0.01). BMI was related to lipid profile(P<0.01), but not to BMD(P>0.1). In postmenopausal women BMI, BMD and lipid profile were related to postmenopausal period (P<0.05). In viewing their correlations BMD had strong adverse correlations with factors such as age, menopause, and postmenopausal period. Lipid profile had weak positive correlations with factors such as age, menopause, BMI(P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The lipid profile are related to factors such as age, BMI, menopause, and postmenopausal period. The BMD is related to above factors except BMI. Prospective study is needed to evaluate the influence of estrogen on BMD and lipid metabolism. Thus, it helps to the prevention and treatment of the osteoporosis and hyperlipidemia in the postmenopausal women.
Bone Density* ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Lipid Metabolism ; Mass Screening ; Menopause ; Osteoporosis ; Postmenopause

No abstract available.
Female ; Fibronectins* ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Plasma* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

Melanoma is relatvely uncommon malignant tumor arising in the skin from epidermal melanocytes, from the junctional component of a cellular nevus or, rarely within a blue nevus and frequently metastasizes to regional lymph nodes first, followed by hematogenous spread to lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, adrenal, heart and brain. All melanoma patients are carefully evaluated according to several parameters. A complete history and physical examination are carried out, with particular attention being devoted to other pigmented tumors that the patient may have. The patient should be further evaluated to determine the presence or absence of metastases by chest X-ray examination, metastatic series or bone scan, liver function studies, liver scan, EKG, etc. Special factors such as age, sex, and race, as well as site, size, and growth rate of lesions are also evaluated. We had a case of 59 year-old male patient with disseminated malignant melanoma. Upon his first visit, we did not find any abnormality in his physical examination and routine laboratory findings except skin tumors on left heel and left leg.
Brain ; Continental Population Groups ; Electrocardiography ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Heart ; Heel ; Humans ; Leg ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nevus ; Nevus, Blue ; Pancreas ; Physical Examination ; Skin ; Thorax

Chymopapain and collagenase are well known chemonucleolytic agents for lumbar disc herniation. However, these enzymes have serious problems occasionally, such as severe neurotoxicity or anaphylaxis even fatal to patients. Chondroitinase ABC, a metabolic product of Proteus vulgaris, has a specific action on the proteoglycans of the nucleus pulposus, but rarely no effect on the intrathecal nerve tissues of vessels. Seventy eight rabbit lumbar discs were evaluated radiographically and histologically after injection of chondroitinase ABC 40U/ml per disc and compared with buffer injected group and nonigected control group. There was considerable disc space narrowing of the chondroitinase ABC injected group which was verified radiographically and histologically(p < 0.01). A zone of Safranin 0 depletion was present in the ventral anulus fibrosus adjacent to the nucleus pulposus in all treated discs, indicating proteoglycan loss. On electron microscopic findings there were collapse of chondrocytes and notochordal cells. All of these findings are corresponding to the evidence that chondroitinase ABC may be another chemonucleolytic agent by decreasing disc volume and thereby decompressing spinal cord or nerve roots. All histologic effects of chondroitinase ABC were confined to intervertebral disc tissues. Chondroitinase ABC deserves to be a study object for the alternative of chemonucleolysis.
Anaphylaxis ; Chondrocytes ; Chondroitin ABC Lyase ; Chymopapain ; Collagenases ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis ; Nerve Tissue ; Notochord ; Proteoglycans ; Proteus vulgaris ; Spinal Cord