No abstract available.
Fetal Blood* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Insulin*

No abstract available.
Angioplasty* ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome* ; Heart Ventricles* ; Stents*

PURPOSE: Interleukin(IL)-10 is an antiinflammatory cytokine produced by monocytes/macrophages. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF) plays an important role, not only as a hemopoietic factor but also as a regulating factor for a biologic defense system by neutrophils, in the foci of infection. We studied G-CSF and IL-10 levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) of patients with aseptic meningitis and investigated the relationship of G-CSF and IL-10 with other inflammatory cells. METHODS: We measured IL-10 and G-CSF levels in the serum and CSF of children with or without aseptic meningitis using ELISA and compared them with other inflammatory cells in the CSF. RESULTS: CSF levels of IL-10 & G-CSF on admission were significantly higher in the aseptic meningitis group than in the control group. IL-10 and G-CSF levels in the CSF were higher than those in the serum(P<0.001). Mean CSF IL-10 & G-CSF levels during the recovery stage decreased significantly compared to those of the symptomatic stage(P<0.001). Significant correlations were found between CSF IL-10 levels and mononuclear cell counts(r=0.26, P<0.05), and between G-CSF levels and neutrophil counts in the CSF(r=0.44, P<0.005). CSF levels of G-CSF were highest on the 1st day of the illness, although CSF IL-10 levels reached its peak on the 3rd day of the illness. CONCLUSION: IL-10 and G-CSF are produced in the CSF of patients with aseptic meningitis and may play an immunoregulatory role by recruiting inflammatory cells from the peripheral blood at the initial stage of aseptic meningitis.
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Child* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Granulocytes* ; Humans ; Interleukin-10* ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Neutrophils

PURPOSE: Interleukin(IL)-10 is an antiinflammatory cytokine produced by monocytes/macrophages. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF) plays an important role, not only as a hemopoietic factor but also as a regulating factor for a biologic defense system by neutrophils, in the foci of infection. We studied G-CSF and IL-10 levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) of patients with aseptic meningitis and investigated the relationship of G-CSF and IL-10 with other inflammatory cells. METHODS: We measured IL-10 and G-CSF levels in the serum and CSF of children with or without aseptic meningitis using ELISA and compared them with other inflammatory cells in the CSF. RESULTS: CSF levels of IL-10 & G-CSF on admission were significantly higher in the aseptic meningitis group than in the control group. IL-10 and G-CSF levels in the CSF were higher than those in the serum(P<0.001). Mean CSF IL-10 & G-CSF levels during the recovery stage decreased significantly compared to those of the symptomatic stage(P<0.001). Significant correlations were found between CSF IL-10 levels and mononuclear cell counts(r=0.26, P<0.05), and between G-CSF levels and neutrophil counts in the CSF(r=0.44, P<0.005). CSF levels of G-CSF were highest on the 1st day of the illness, although CSF IL-10 levels reached its peak on the 3rd day of the illness. CONCLUSION: IL-10 and G-CSF are produced in the CSF of patients with aseptic meningitis and may play an immunoregulatory role by recruiting inflammatory cells from the peripheral blood at the initial stage of aseptic meningitis.
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Child* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Granulocytes* ; Humans ; Interleukin-10* ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Neutrophils

No abstract available.
Nausea* ; Ondansetron* ; Vomiting*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the proton MR spectroscopic features of liver cirrhosis and the different proton MR spectroscopic features between liver cirrhosis and the normal human liver by comparing the two different conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The investigation involved 30 cases of in-vivo proton MR spectra obtained from 15 patients with liver cirrhosis demonstrated on the basis of radiologic and clinical findings, and from 15 normal volunteers without a past or current history of liver disease. MR spectroscopy involved the use of a 1.5T GE Signa Horizon system (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, U.S.A.) with body coil. STEAM (STimulated Echo-Aquisition Mode) with 3000/30 msec of TR/TE was used for signal acquisition; patients were in the prone position and respiration was not interrupted. Cases were assigned to either the cirrhosis or normal group, and using the proton MR spectra of cases of in each group, peak changes occurring in lipids (at 1.3ppm), glutamate and glutamine (at 2.4 -2 .5ppm), phosphomonoesters (at 3.0 -3 .1ppm), and glycogen and glucose (at 3.4 -3 .9ppm) were evaluated. Mean and standard deviation of the ratio of glutamate + glutamine/lipids, phospho-monoesters/lipids, glycogen + glucose/lipids were calculated from the area of their peaks. The ratio of various metabolites to lipid content was compared between the normal and cirrhosis group. RESULTS: The main characteristic change in proton MR spectra in cases of liver cirrhosis compared with normal liver was decreased relative intensity of lipid peak. Mean and standard deviation of ratio of glutamate + g-lutamine/ lipids, phosphomonoesters/lipids, glycogen + glucose/lipids calculated from the area of their peaks of normal and cirrhotic liver were 0.0204 +/-0.0067 and 0.0693 +/-0.0371 (p<0.05), 0.0146 +/-0.0090 and 0.0881 +/-0.0276 (p<0.05), 0.0403 +/-0.0267 and 0.2325 +/-0.1071 (p<0.05), respectively. The other character-istic feature of proton MR spectra of liver cirrhosis was the peak detected at 3.9 - 4.1 ppm with unknown nature. Mean and standard deviation of area ratio of the unknown peak to lipid peak in proton MR spectra of liver cirrhosis was 0.1504 +/-0 . 0 3 5 5 . CONCLUSION: Proton MR spectra of liver cirrhosis revealed decreased intensity of lipid with statistical signifi-cance compared with that of normal liver, and peak at 3.9 -4.1 ppm with unknown nature. In conclusion, liver cirrhosis can be diagnosed non-invasively by the analysis of observed proton MR spectroscopic features.
Fibrosis ; Glucose ; Glutamic Acid ; Glutamine ; Glycogen ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Prone Position ; Protons* ; Respiration ; Steam

Several postharvest diseases of table grapes (Vitis vinifera) occur during storage, and gray mold rot is a particularly severe disease because the causal agent, Botrytis cinerea, grows at temperatures as low as 0degrees C. Other postharvest diseases, such as those caused by Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus spp., also often lead to deterioration in the quality of table grapes after harvest. The use of plant essential oils such as thymol and linalool, to reduce postharvest diseases in several kinds of fruits, including table grapes and oranges, has received much attention in European countries. However, to the best of our knowledge there has been no report of the use of thymol fumigation to control gray mold in table grapes in Korea. Thymol (30 microg/mL) and linalool (120 microg/mL) significantly inhibited mycelial growth and conidia germination of B. cinerea. The occurrence rate of gray mold rot of B. cinerea and other unknown fungi was significantly reduced by fumigation with 30 microg/mL thymol in several table grape cultivars, such as Campbell early, Muscat Bailey A, Sheridan, and Geobong. In this study, fumigation with 30 microg/mL thymol, had no influence on the sugar content and hardness of grapes, but reduced fungal infection significantly. This suggests that 30 microg/mL thymol could be utilized to reduce deterioration of grapes due to gray mold and other fungal infections during long-term storage.
Aspergillus ; Botrytis ; Citrus sinensis ; Fruit ; Fumigation* ; Fungi ; Germination ; Hardness ; Korea ; Oils, Volatile ; Oman ; Penicillium ; Plants ; Spores, Fungal ; Thymol* ; Vitis*

A 44 years old woman was admitted to Inha University hospital in semicomatose state. An electrocardiogram (ECG), taken in the emergency room, showed ST segment elevation in the precordial leads. She underwent a urgent echocardiography. It showed that there was akinesia of anteroseptal segment from the mid left ventricle to the apex and inferior segment from the mid left ventrile to the lower mid left ventricle. With the impression of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), she underwent a urgent coronary angiography. There was no significant luminal narrowing of the right or the left coronary arteries but the left ventriculography revealed akinesia of anterolateral and diaphragmatic segments of the left ventricle. Computerized tomography (CT) of the brain, taken shortly after coronary angiography, showed subarachnoid hemorrhage. The abnormal ECG and echocardiography findings, simulating acute myocardial infarction, were assumed to be caused by coronary vasospasm derived from subarachnoid hemorrhage accompanied by massive adrenergic discharge.
Adult ; Brain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vasospasm ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages* ; Myocardial Infarction ; Phenobarbital ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Drug-induced pancreatitis is now recognized as a distinct, although uncommon, entity. Azathioprine has been incriminated as a causative agent of acute pancreatitis. We report a 36-year-old female who developed acute pancreatitis in the course of treatment with azathioprine for rheumatoid arthritis. She was admitted due to epigastric pain, radiating to the back, for four days. Serum amylase and lipase levels were 226U/L (normal : 30-110U/L) and 1300U/L(normal : 23-300U/L), respectively. The abdominal ultrasonogram and CT scan revealed diffuse enlargement of the pancreas. We diagnosed it as acute pancreatitis. There was no history of alcohol use or gallbladder disease. We considered drugs, especially azathioprine, as the cause of acute pancreatitis. The patient was treated conservatively with intravenous fluid and analgesics. The symptoms subsided within three days. Thirteen days later, azathioprine was resumed. After six hours, the patient complained of epigastric pain. The elevated level of serum lipase(542U/L) confirmed the recurrence of pancreatitis. Her symptoms subsided when azathioprine intake stopped, and the serum lipase level returned to normal within four days.
Adult ; Amylases ; Analgesics ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Azathioprine ; Female ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Humans ; Lipase ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis* ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Recent technical developments with high-resolution real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) have facilitated the acquisition of high quality images and the analysis of segmental volume-time curves (VTCs). The purposes of this study were to assess left ventricular (LV) asynchrony with using the VTCs of 16 segments by RT3DE and to compare this with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) as a clinical parameter. SUBJECTS AND METHODS : Twenty-three heart failure (HF) patients (LVEF: 25+/-6%, age: 60+/-13 years) and 16 normal controls underwent TDI and RT3DE at baseline and 1-year. The standard deviation (SD3) of the end systolic time to reach the minimal systolic volume for the 16 segments on VTCs was obtained by RT3DE. The standard deviation (SD2) of the electromechanical coupling time for the 8 segments was measured using TDI. RESULTS : SD3 was markedly higher in the HF patients than that in the controls (7.7+/-2.5 vs 1.5+/-1.0%, respectively, p<0.01) and it increased as the LVEF decreased (r=-0.85, p<0.01). SD2 was also significantly higher in the HF patients (27.0+/-8.6 vs 12.6+/-5.0 msec, respectively, p<0.01) and it had good negative correlation with the LVEF (r=-0.72, p<0.01). SD3 was well correlated with SD2 (r=0.66, p<0.01). At 1-year, the HF patients with an increased LVEF showed a decreased SD3 (7/13). In contrast, the patients with a decreased LVEF had an increased SD3 (3/13). CONCLUSION : The analysis of VTCs for the 16 LV segments with using RT3DE from a single acoustic window may be a useful clinical parameter for evaluating the LV function, including LV asynchrony, the LV volume and the LVEF.
Acoustics ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional* ; Heart Failure* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Ventricular Function, Left*