To understand a mechanism of underlying cognitive deficit in schizophrenia, the risk factors, cognitive function, blood dopamine concentrations and glutamate dehydrogenase activities of male schizophrenics with tardive dyskinesia(N=30) were compared with those of schizophrenics without tardive dyskinesia(N=30). The result were as following ; 1) The age, duration of illness and duration of medication were significantly more in schizophrenics with tardive dyskinesia than schizophrenics without tardive dyskinesia(respectively p<0.005, p<0.0001, p<0.0001). 2)The scores of MMSE, TIQ, VIQ and PIQ were significantly lower in schizophrenics with tradive dyskinesia than schizophrenics without tardive dyskinesia(respectively p<0.0001). 3) plasma dopamine concentrations were tended to be higher, and serum glutamate dehydrogenase activities were tended to be lower in schizophrenics with tardive dyskinesia than schizophrenics without tardive dyskinesia. 4) The cognitive deficit seemed to be negatively correlated with duration of illness and duration of illness and duration of medication(respectively gamma=-0.496, gamma=-0.615).
Dopamine ; Dyskinesias ; Glutamate Dehydrogenase ; Humans ; Male ; Movement Disorders* ; Plasma ; Risk Factors ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to discriminate the clinical differences, to measure the estrogen and homovanillic acid levels. to evaluate a correlation between estrogen and homovanillic acid. and to identify an association of cognitive deficit with estrogen and homovanilli acid among male and female schizophrenics. METHODS: In addition to the structured interviews, the plasma estrogen levels by radioimmunoassay and the homovanillic acid levels by HPLC were measured in 20 male and 21 female schizophrenics as well as 10 healthy male and 9 female controls. RESULTS: 1) The plasma estrogen levels were higher in females than males, and significantly higher in female schizophenics than female controls. The homovanillic acid levels were higher in female schizophrenics than female controls, and were lower in male schizophrenics than male controls. 2) The onset age seemed to be earlier in male schizophrenics, and the frequency of admission, duration of antipsychotic drug administration. dosage of antipsychotics and duration of illnesses were more in males. The estrogen and homovanillic acid levels were significantly higher in female schizophrenics. 3) The estrogen levels had a significant positive correlation with sex, age and onset age, while the homovanillic acid levels did with sex. However, estrogen wee not correlated with homovanillic acid levels. 4) The estrogen and homovanillic acid levels were not significantly different between male and female schizophrenics with cognitive deficits. In the schizophrenic patients without cognitive deficits, the estrogen levels were significantly higher in females, while here were no significant sex differences in homovanillic acid. 5) In the male and female schizophrenics predominantly with negative symptoms, there were no significant differences in estrogen and homocanillic acid levels. In those predominantly with positive symptoms, the estrogen levels wee significantly higher in females, while there were no sex differences in homovanillic acid levels. 6) In schizophrenics with undifferentiated subtype, the estrogen and homovanillic acid levels were significantly higher in females. In those with paranoid or disorganized subtypes. the estrogen levels were significantly higher females, while there were no sex differences in the homovanillic acid levels. 7) The mean values of PANSS-negative. PANSS-total, PANSS-CF, MMSE-K and estrogen levels were significantly higher in male schizophrenics with cognitive deficits. The mean values of illness duration, CGI PANSS-positive, PANSS-negative, PANSS-total, PANSS-CF and MMSE-K were significantly higher in female schizophrenics with cognitive deficits. 8) The variables which showed significant correlation with cognitive deficits were PANSS-nagative, PANSS-total, PANSS-CF, MMSE-K and estrogen levels in male schizophrenics. The variables which showed significant correlation with cognitive deficits were subtypes, onset age, illness duration, CGI, PANSS-positive, PANSS-negative, PANSS-total, PANMSS-CF and MMSE-K in female schizophrenics. The estrogen levels were significantly correlated with admission frequencies, history of antipsychotic administration, duration of antipsychotic administration and cognitive deficits in male schizophrenics. while age were not correlated with in females. The homovanillic acid levels had a significant correlation with subtypes and onset age in male schizophrenics, while there were no correlation among variables in females. CONCLUSIONS: Although the plasma concentrations of estrogen and homovaillic acid in female schizophrenics were significantly higher than males, we could not find an association between them. Furthermore, the various factors affecting on the cognitive deficits, estrogen and homovanillic acid levels seemed to be somewhat different according to sex.
Age of Onset ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Dopamine* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Homovanillic Acid ; Humans ; Male ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Schizophrenia* ; Sex Characteristics

BACKGROUND: The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) assay is rapid, sensitive analytical technique but has problem of high false-positive rate. We applied dUTP-UDG PCR (dU-PCR) method to prevent carryover contamination major source of high false positive in PCR assays, for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. METHODS: The PCRs for detection of M. tuberculosis were performed with P1 and P2 primers based on IS6110 repeated sequence. FTC-2000 was used for capillary PCR and Uno-Thermoblock was used for heating block PCR. In order to evaluate the effect of dU-PCR controlling carryover contamination, PCRs were performed in the presence of UDG and the absence of UDG. To compare the sensitivity of usual dT-PCR with dU-PCR, chromosomal DNA of M. tuberculosis ranging 500pg to 0.5fg were amplified by dT-PCR and dU-PCR method using two different thermocycler, capillary and heating block type, respectively. RESULT: The dU-PCR using UDG prevented carryover contamination by amplicon DNA up to 500pg. By capillay PCR method, the lower limits of detectability of dT-PCR and dU-PCR were 0.5fg and 500fg, respectively, which indicates the sensitivity of dU-PCR was lower than dT-PCR. But by heating block method, the lower limits of detectability of both method of dU and dT-PCR were 0.5fg. So the sensitivity of dU-PCR was same as dT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The dU-PCR by heating-block method was sensitive test for detection of M. tuberculosis that effectively prevent carryover contamination by amplicon.
Capillaries ; DNA ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Tuberculosis

The three components of taxonomy are classification, nomenclature and identification. Traditionally, bacterial classification and identification were performed based on the morphology and the biochemical data of the bacteria. In newer theories, or so-called natural concepts, the relationships between bacteria are based on the overall similarities of both the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. The polyphasic taxonomy, or current taxonomy, describes the integration of all of the available genotypic, phenotypic, and phylogenetic information into a consensus type of general-purpose classification. When routine identification methods that are based on the biochemical tests fail, alternative procedures such as complete 16s rRNA gene sequence analysis are required. Although the results of 16s rRNA gene sequence analysis have not been fully discriminatory to differentiate closely related species, they may guide the additional analyses that are required for species identification.
Bacteria ; Consensus ; Genes, rRNA ; Sequence Analysis

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

Palisaded, encapsulated neuroma is characterized clinically by a solitary, slowly-growing and dome-shaped papule or nodule, usually accompanied by telangiectasia on the surface, and histopathologically by an encapsulated nodule in the dermis and the palisading arrangement of nuclei. A 57-year-old female patient presented with a 1cm-sized, solitary nodule on the right ala nasi which had been present for about 5 years. The nodule had a tendency to slow growth and it became a polypoid nodule. Telangiectasia was shown on the surface of the lesion. Histopathlogical findings showed a well-defined and encapsulated nodule in the dermis, composed of spindle cells with basophilic and plump nuclei in a palisading fashion. On immunohistochemical staining, the tumor cells of the nodule were positive for S-100 protein, while the capsule of the nodule was negative for S-100 protein. Epithelial membrane antigens were focally positive only on the capsule of the nodule. We report herein a case of palisaded, encapsulated neuroma, one case of which has been reported in Korea.
Basophils ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-1 ; Neuroma* ; S100 Proteins ; Telangiectasis

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Hairy Cell*

To evaluate the efficacy of transdermal scopolamine patch in reducing nausea and vomiting associated with general anesthesia, we studied 60 healthy women undergoing major gynecologic surgery. The patients were divided into 2 groups. Each group was composed of 30 patients. Group I; not applied a transdermal scopolamine patch. Group II: applied one transdermal scopolamine patch on the skin behind her ear at the night before surgery. Anesthesia was induced by thiopental sodium(5 mg/kg) and succinylcholine(1.5 mg/kg) and maintained with fentanyl(3-6 ug/kg), enflurane(0.5-1.5 vol%) and nitrous oxide(50 vo1%) in oxygen. A comparison with Group I and Group II indicated that the transdermal scopolamine patch reduced the incidence of postoperative nausea or vomiting associated with general anesthesia significantly(Group I; 36.67%, Group II; 13.33%, p<0.05).
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Antiemetics ; Ear ; Female ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Incidence ; Nausea* ; Oxygen ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide* ; Skin ; Thiopental ; Vomiting*

Recently, two groups reported independently on the isolation of new positive-trand RNA viruses, designated hepatitis G virus (HGV) & GB virus C (GBV-C). Sequence analysis revealed that both genomes are different isolates of the same virus & represent a new genus of Flaviviridae. The prevalence of HGV ranges from 0.9 to 10% among blood donors throughout the world. A high prevalence of HGV RNA has been found in subjects with frequent parenteral exposure, including intravenous drug users, patients on hemodialysis, patients with hemophilia and patients with anemia. HGV is a blood borne virus that is parenterally transmitted. Vertical transmission has also been reported. HGV commonly occurs as a coinfection with another hepatitis virus such as HCV or HBV. However, HGV coinfection usually does not alter the clinical course or level of biochemical marker and the response to antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B or C in these patients. Acute HGV infection rarely causes acute hepatitis and is unlikely to be a major cause of chronic non-A-E hepatitis or fulminant viral hepatitis. HGV infection can be diagnosed by PCR assay to detect the viral RNA in serum. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibodies to recombinant HGV putative envelope protein E2 was recently available. But antibodies to E2 appears to be a serological marker for diagnosing recovery from HGV infection. Since the role of HGV as a etiologic agent of liver disease is unclear, therapy is not recommended at this point.
Anemia ; Antibodies ; Biomarkers ; Blood Donors ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis ; Drug Users ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flaviviridae ; GB virus C* ; Genome ; Hemophilia A ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis Viruses ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Renal Dialysis ; RNA ; RNA Viruses ; RNA, Viral ; Sequence Analysis

The liberal use of antibiotics in human medicine and animal husbandry has promoted the spread of multiple antibiotic resistance. Molecular mechanisms for the acquisition of resistance genes by integron-mediated recombination was discovered recently during an intensive study of antibiotic resistance. Integrons are best known as the genetic agents responsible for the capture and spread of antibiotic resistance determinants among diverse Gram-negative clinical isolates. These DNA elements, mobilized by broad-host-range conjugative plasmids, have the ability of horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between interspecies of bacteria. The association of integrons with mobile elements promotes their vertical transmission from plasmids to the bacterial chromosome and among different replicons, contributing to the dissemination of resistance genes. Integrons have been found widely distributed among resistant bacteria circulating in hospitals and in the community and have been reported from all continents. The evolution of multi-drug resistance seems to proceed continuously through the acquisition and clustering of dispersed resistance genes by integrons. For public health, proper strategies should be instituted to reduce the potential for dissemination of these genes.
Animal Husbandry ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Chromosomes, Bacterial ; DNA ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Drug Resistance, Multiple* ; Epidemiology ; Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; Humans ; Integrons* ; Plasmids ; Public Health ; Recombination, Genetic ; Replicon