A case of tinea unguium caused by Aspergillus sydowi in 45 year old female was described. Through the literature this was the first case report in Korea, The characteristic clical findings noted the yellowish discoloration of the affeced nail which including KOH wet mount and culture. However, animal inoculation was failed.
Animals ; Aspergillus* ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Onychomycosis*

No abstract available.
Cytokines* ; Macrophages*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of length and shape of cutting flute on mechanical properties of orthodontic mini-implants. METHODS: Three types of mini-implants with different flute patterns (Type A with 2.6 mm long flute, Type B with 3.9 mm long and straight flute, Type C with 3.9 mm long and helical flute) were inserted into the biomechanical test blocks (Sawbones Inc., USA) with 2 mm and 4 mm cortical bone thicknesses to test insertion and removal torque. RESULTS: In 4 mm cortical bone thickness, Type C mini-implants showed highest maximum insertion torque, then Type A and Type B in order. Type C also showed shortest total insertion time and highest maximum removal torque, but Type A and B didn't showed statistically significant difference in insertion time and removal torque. In 2 mm cortical bone thickness, there were no significant difference in total insertion time and maximum removal torque in three types of mini-implants, but maximum insertion torque of Type A was higher than two other Types of mini-implants. CONCLUSIONS: Consideration about length and shape of cutting flute of mini-implant is also required when the placement site has thick cortical bone.
Torque

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance syndrome has been proposed as a major promotor of atherosclerotic disease and earlier studies have implied the hyperinsulinemia itself may enhance coronary vasomotor tone. In patients with vasospastic angina, previous studies have been inconclusive whether to basal coronary artery tone is elevated at the spasm related and nonspasm related artery. This study was performed to investigate whether basal coronary artery tone is elevated ans insulin resistance syndrome correlates to vasospastic angina. If insulin resistance syndrome correlates to vasospastic angina, we also investigated whether insulin resistance syndrome correlates to basal coronary artery tone. METHODS: The study comprised 27 patients with vasospastic angina(M/F ; 19/8, mean age ; 52+/-2 year) and 21 control subjects with atypical chest pain(M/F ; 9/8, mean age ; 47+/-3 year). We assessed basal coronary artery tone by obtaining the percent increase in coronary artery diameter induced by nitroglycerin and also examined glucose and insulin response to an oral glucose load of 75g. RESULTS: 1) There were no significant differences in body surface area, abdominal hip ratio, body mass index, incidence of hypertension, lipid profile, von-Willebrand factor, fibrinogen, and microalbumin except smorking incidence [vasospastic angia ; 16(50%) vs control ; 5(24%), p<0.05)] between vasospastic angina group and control. 2) Basal coronary artery tone was greater at the nonspastic site of the spasm-related artery(28.1+/-2.2% vs 13.1+/-0.9%, p<0.0001) and non-spasm related artery(23.7+/-1.6% vs 13.1+/-0.9, p<0.0001) in the patients with vasospstic angina than in control subjects. In the patients with vasospastic angina, high activity group had a greater basal coronary artery tone than low activity group at the nonspastic site of the spasm-related artery(31.7+/-2.6 vs 20.4+/-2.7%, p<0.001) and non-spasm related artery(26.8+/-2.0 vs 19.4+/-5.8%, p<0.001). 3) Plasma glucose and serum insulin response to an oral glucose load were similar between vasospastic angina group and control subjects, and glucose area, insulin area, and insulinogenic index(delta sigma Glucose / delta sigma Insulin)(330+/-12 vs 328+/-20 mg/dl *hour, 107+/-14 vs 96+/-17uU/ml*hour, and 2.18+/-0.33 vs 2.63+/-0.46, respectively, p=NS) also did not between both groups. 4) Two group did not differ siginificantly in the prportion of glucose intolerance but glucose area and insulin area were significantly high in vasospastic angina patients with glucose intolerance than in control subjects with normal glucose tolerance(366+/-22 vs 257+/-17mg /dl*hour, 127+/-19 vs 52+/-15uU*hour, respectively, p<0.05), but basal coronary artery tone did not differ significantly between vasospastic angina patients with glucose intolerance and control subjects with normal glucose tolerance. CONCLUSION: 1) These results revealed that basal coronary artery tone is elevated at the nonspastic site of the spasm related artery and non-spastic vessel, and the disease activity associated with elevated basal coronary artery tone in vasospastic angina. 2) But these results did not reveal the correlation of hyperinsulinemia with vasospastic angina, and so we did not determine the role of hyperinsulinemia as a pathogenesis of coronary spasm and the relation between hyperinsulinemia and basal coronary artery tone.
Arteries ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Body Surface Area ; Coronary Vessels* ; Fibrinogen ; Glucose ; Glucose Intolerance ; Hip ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Nitroglycerin ; Spasm ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-alpha and Interleukin(IL)-1beta are thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of the septic syndrome, which is frequently associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). In spite of many reports for the role of TNF-alpha in the pathogenesis of ARDS, including human studies, it has been reported that TNF-alpha is not sensitive and specific marker for impending ARDS. But there is a possibility that the results were affected by the diversity of pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the ARDS because of various underlying disorders of the study group in the previous reports. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the roles of TNF-alpha and IL-lbeta as a predictable marker for development of ARDS in the patients with septic syndrome, in which the pathogenesis is believed to be mainly cytokine-mediated. METHODS: Thirty-six patients of the septic syndrome hospitalized in the intensive care units of the Asan Medical Center were studied. Sixteens suffered from ARDS, whereas the remaining 20 were at the risk of developing ARDS(acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, AHRF). In all patients venous blood sample were collected in heparin-coated tubes at the time of enrollment, at 24 and 72 h thereafter. TNF-alpha and IL-lbeta was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data are expressed as median with interquartile range. RESULTS: 1) Plama TNF-alpha levels: Plasma TNF-beta levels were less than 10pg/mL, which is lowest detection value of the kit used in this study within the range of the mean+/-2SD, in all of the normal controls, 8 of 16 subjects of ARDS and in 8 in 20 subjects of AHRF. Plasma TNF-alpha levels from patients with ARDS were 10.26pg/mL(median;<10-16.99pg/mL, interquartile range) and not different from those of patients at AHRF(10.82, <10-20.38pg/mL). There was also no significant difference between pre-ARDS(<10, <10-15.32pg/mL) and ARDS(<10, <10-10.22pg/mL). TNF-alpha levels were significantly greater in the patients with shock than the patients without shock(12.53pg/mL vs. <10pg/mL) (P<0.01). There was no statistical significance between survivors(< 10, <10-12.92pg/mL) and nonsurvivors(11.80, <10-20.8pg/mL) (P=0.28) in the plasma TNF-alpha levels. 2) Plasma IL-lbeta levels: Plasma IL-1beta levels were less than 0.3ng/mL, which is the lowest detection value of the kit used in this study, in one of each patients group. There was no significant difference in IL-1beta levels of the ARDS(2.22, 1.37-8.01ng/mL) and of the AHRF(2.13, 0.83-5.29ng/mL). There was also no significant difference between pre-ARDS(2.53, <0.3-8.34ng/mL) and ARDS(5.35, 0.66-11.51ng/mL), and between patients with septic shock and patients without shock (2.51, 1.28-8.34 vs 1.46, 0.15-2.13ng/mL). Plasma IL-19 levels were significantly different between survivors(1.37, 0.4-2.36ng/mL) and nonsurvivors(2.84, 1.46-8.34ng/mL). CONCLUSION: Plasma TNF-alpha and IL-1beta level are not a predictable marker for development of ARDS. But TNF-alpha is a marker for shock in septic syndrome. These result could not exclude a possibility of pathophysiologic roles of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in acute lung injury because these cytokine could be locally produced and exert its effects within the lungs.
Acute Lung Injury ; Adult* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Interleukin-1beta* ; Lung ; Lymphotoxin-alpha ; Necrosis ; Plasma ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the health behaviors of working elderly Koreans aged 65 over and examined the socio-demographic and disease-related factors by health behaviors. METHODS: This study used data obtained from the 2nd basic survey of the 2008 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. We selected 381 working elderly having one or more of the diseases hypertension, diabetes, heart disease or cerebrovascular disease. RESULTS: 78.9% out of the subjects have hypertension, 31.2% have diabetes, 12.3% have heart disease, and 6.3% have cerebrovascular disease. Compared to the health behaviors of the general elderly, the rate of the practice of regular exercise among the subjects was lower, but the smoking and drinking rate were higher. The significant variables associated with health behavior practice rates were gender, type of work, subjective health status and chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: The type of work of the elderly with chronic diseases was significantly associated with health behaviors. Consequently, this study found that continuous care programs for the working elderly with chronic diseases should be developed and provided as an occupational health service when the jobs are offered to them.
Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Drinking ; Health Behavior ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Longitudinal Studies ; Occupational Health Services ; Smoke ; Smoking

Pulmonary embolism is the impaction of material into branches of the pulmonary arterial bed. It usually occurs in patients with primary hypercoagulable states or secondary hypercoagulable states like cancer, preganancy, and estrogen replacement therapy. We report a case of a pulmonary embolism in a patient with positive lupus anticoagulant who received estrogen replacement therapy. The patient was referred due to suddenly developed shortness of breath and echogenic mass densities in the right atrium on 2 dimensional echocardiography. The patient was markedly improved with intravenous urokinase and subsequent oral anticoagulant therapy. Related articles are also reviewed.
Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor* ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

Chronic granulomatous disease is a group of rare disorders characterized by a disease of oxidative metabolism of phagocytes with deficit of antimicrobial activity. Also, it has clinical features of chronic pyogenic infection, granuloma formation, hypergammaglobulinemia, anemia and leukocytosis.We experienced a case of chronic granulomatous disease with chronic recurrent infection, hypergammaglobulinemia and liver abscess. It was confirmed by modified NBT test. The result of patient's NBT test was less than 11%. The patient received subcutaneous injection of interferon-gamma, 200 million unit (0.1mg/m2 of body surface area per dose), on three consecutive days per week for 3 weeks and her symptom was improved. Then, we report a case of chronic granulomatous disease which is improved by interferon- therapy with brief review of literature.
Anemia ; Body Surface Area ; Granuloma ; Granulomatous Disease, Chronic* ; Humans ; Hypergammaglobulinemia ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Interferon-gamma ; Liver Abscess ; Metabolism ; Phagocytes

BACKGROUND: To determine the relationship between superior disc-endplate complex injury and correction loss after surgery in a group of young adult patients with a stable thoracolumbar burst fracture. METHODS: The study group was comprised of young adult patients who had undergone short-segment posterior fixation and bone grafting under the diagnosis of a stable thoracolumbar burst fracture from March 2008 to February 2014. Follow-up was available for more than 1 year. Before surgery, magnetic resonance imaging was performed to determine injury to the anterior longitudinal ligament, posterior longitudinal ligament, and superior and inferior intervertebral discs and endplates. Correction loss was evaluated by the Cobb angle, intervertebral disc height, upper intervertebral disc angle, vertebral wedge angle, and vertebral body height. RESULTS: No significant relation was noted between correction loss and an injury to the anterior longitudinal ligament, posterior longitudinal ligament, inferior intervertebral disc/endplate, and fracture site, whereas an injury to the superior endplate alone and superior disc-endplate complex showed a significant association. Specifically, a superior intervertebral disc-endplate complex injury showed statistically significant relation to postoperative changes in Cobb angle (p = 0.026) and vertebral wedge angle (p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: A superior intervertebral disc-endplate complex injury may have an influence on the prognosis after short-segment fixation in young adult patients with a stable thoracolumbar burst fracture.
Body Height ; Bone Transplantation ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis ; Young Adult*

Sjogren's syndrome(SS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of lacrimal and sailvary glands, which results in dry eyes and dry mouth. SS may exist as a secondary condition or as a secondary condition in association with connective tissue disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or progressive systemic sclerosis. We experienced a patient with primary SS who developed multiple bullae, nodular type of pulmonary amyloidosis and lymphocytic interstitial peumonitis. We believe this to be the first reported case of SS acompanied by these three types pulmonary manifestations at the same time.
Amyloidosis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Bronchioles* ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mouth ; Scleroderma, Diffuse ; Sjogren's Syndrome*