Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is known as the most sensitive marker for detecting prostate carcinoma (CaP). Nevertheless, PSA testing lacks sufficient sensitivity and specificity to be considered the perfect tumor marker for the detection of early prostate cancer. PSA exists in the serum in several molecular forms; free PSA and complexed PSA (PSA complexed to alpha-1-antichymotrypsin or a-2-macrogloburin or inter-alpha -trypsin inhibitor). It has been suggested that analysis of level of free to total PSA ratio improves specificily of PSA assays in the early detection of prostate carcinoma. We measured free PSA and total PSA of 367 healthy men aged from 30 to 79 years old using radioimmunoassay (PSA-RIACT and FPSA-RIACT kit) in order to know the normal range of PSA, free PSA and free PSA to total PSA ratio. The mean free to total PSA ratio in normal Korean men is 0.31+/-0.14 and there is no correlation with patient age.
Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reference Values ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Leiomyosarcoma of the prostate is a rare malignant tumor. It originates from the smooth muscles of the prostatic gland and is usually found during old ages. Prognosis is usually poor especially in childhood. We report a case of leiomyosarcoma of the prostate measured 320gm in 64 years old man.
Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Prognosis ; Prostate*

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of topiramate monotherapy in children with recent-onset seizures. METHODS: An open-label, randomized, parallel group trial compared the efficacy and tolerability of topiramate monotherapy versus oxcarbazepine monotherapy in 54 children with newly diagnosed epilepsy. RESULTS: Of the 54 patients treated with topiramate (N=25) or oxcarbazepine (N=29), 51 patients completed the full study period of 16 weeks. In topiramate group, 64% became seizure free, 20% demonstrated a greater than 50% degree in seizure frequency, and 4% got worsened in seizure frequency. In oxcarbazepine group, 59% became seizure free, 24% experienced a greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency. The efficacy was not statistically different between the two groups. Adverse events were usually only mild to moderate and the tolerability of therapy was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Topiramate monotherapy was highly effective in controlling seizures of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy (seizure free rate : 64%).
Child* ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Seizures*

PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical features of peripheral neuropathy in Korean children. METHODS: A total of 62 children with acute flaccid paralysis, longstanding weakness of extremities, or abnormal electrophysiological studies, suggestive of peripheral neuropathy, were evaluated retrospectively from the hospital records. The subjects were recruited at the pediatric neurology and endocrine clinic, Kyungpook National University Hospital from 2000 to 2002 and they all went through neurological examination and electrophysiological studies with or without nerve biopsy. RESULTS: Thirty nine children(Male 24:Female 15; Mean age 7.6+/-4.3 years) were found to have clinical peripheral neuropathy. Inflammatory neuropathy(5 children with Guillain Barre syndrome, 1 children with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, 12 children with Bell's palsy; 46%) was the most common, followed by hereditary neuropathy(4 children, 10%), Chemotherapy induced neuropathy(3 children, 8%), metachromatic leukodystrophy(2 children, 5%), trauma(2 children, 5%), diabetic neuropathy(1 children, 3%) and so on. Thirty two children had motor neuropathy(82%), six children had combined motor and sensory neuropathy(15%), two had pure sensory(5%), but nobody had autonomic neuropathy. With respect to the type of involvement, polyneuropathies constitute 59%(23 children), mononeuropathy simplex accounted for 38%(15 children), mononeuropathy multiplex was found in 3%(1 child). Based on electrophysiological studies and biopsy results, demyelinating neuropathy was seen in 22 children(56%), axonal neuropathy in 12 children(31%), combined neuropathy in 5 children(13%). Eighteen children(46%) were completely or almost completely recovered from the illness. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory neuropathy was the most common among the acquired neuropathies and hereditary motor sensory neuropathy was the most common among the genetic neuropathies. Treatable neuropathies took up 46%. Potentially preventable neuropathies accounted for 36%. Early diagnosis and early intervention may have significant impacts on the prognosis of peripheral neuropathy in children.
Axons ; Bell Palsy ; Biopsy ; Child* ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Extremities ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Mononeuropathies ; Neurologic Examination ; Neurology ; Paralysis ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Polyneuropathies ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of auditory brainstem response(ABR) as a screening tool in children with speech and language disorders. METHODS: Between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2001, 139 patients with chief complaints of speech and language delay were recruited from the pediatric neurology clinic, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea. They had ABR on entry and the clinical data were then analyzed. RESULTS: Fifteen out of 139 cases(10.8%) showed abnormal findings; seven had pervasive developmental disorders, four had developmental language disorders, and four were noted to have other conditions. Among them, seven cases were noted to have conductive hearing loss and eight had sensoryneuronal hearing loss. We also evaluated the normal values in children at the ages of 18 months to seven years. The mean latency of wave I and V were 1.40+/-0.13 and 5.57+/-0.26 respectively. Interpeak latency of I-V was 4.18+/-0.24. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, ABR has proved to be a highly sensitive and specific index of hearing impairment. It should be used as a screening tool in children with speech and language disorders.
Brain Stem* ; Child ; Daegu ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Conductive ; Humans ; Korea ; Language Development Disorders ; Language Disorders ; Mass Screening ; Neurology ; Reference Values

PURPOSE: The study was aimed to investigate immunogenetic peculiarities of neuroinflammatory CNS diseases in Korean children. METHODS: A total of 16 children with neuroinflammatory CNS diseases(9 males and 7 females; mean age 7.5+/-4.2 years) were consecutively recruited. Genomic typings were performed on their HLA DRB/HLA DQB genes using PCR-SSOP/SSP techniques with Gel immunoelectrophoresis. RESULTS: The frequencies of HLA-DRB1*14(38%), HLA-DRB1*15(25%), HLA-DRB3* 02(50%), HLA-DQB1*05(56%) and DQB1*06(44%) were significantly increased compared with a control group. The frequencies of HLA-DRB1*15(50%) and HLA-DQB1*06(63%) were significantly increased in children with ADEM and HLA-DRB3*0202(100%), HLA- DRB1*1302(67%), HLA-DRB3*0301(67%), and HLA-DQB1*0301(67%) in children with multiple sclerosis. HLA-DRB1*1401, HLA-DRB3*0202, and HLA-DQB1*0502 were found in children with acute necrotizing encephalopathy. CONCLUSION:HLA-DRB1*14, HLA-DRB1*15, HLA-DRB3*02, HLA-DQB1*05 and DQB1*06 may be associated with the susceptibility to neuroinflammatory CNS diseases in Korean children. The frequencies of HLA-DRB1*1501, HLA-DRB5*0101, HLA-DRB3* 0301, and HLA-DQB1*0602 in Korean children with multiple sclerosis were not as high as those in western children. However, HLA-DRB3*0202 was seen in all the children with multiple sclerosis. Our data may provide further evidence that the immunogenetic backgrounds of neuroinflammatory CNS diseases in Korean children are distinctly different from those in Westerns. However, further studies are needed.
Central Nervous System Diseases* ; Child* ; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Immunogenetics ; Male ; Molecular Typing* ; Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is well-established that neurogenesis continues to occur during life in the restricted brain areas, such as the glomerular and granule cell layers of the olfactory bulb. Doublecortin is a protein required for neuronal migration in the developing brian and olfactrory bulb, and is expressed in postmitotic migrating and differentiating neurons during embryonic and postnatal development periods. We investigated age-related changes of doublecortin positive cells in the olfactory bulb of aged rat compared with new born rat. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Four months old (control group, n=7) and 24 months old (aged group, n=7) male Fischer 344 rats were used in this study. Olfactory bulbs of the rats were cut into 40 micro m-thick coronal sections and immunostained. We counted the doublecortin positive cells and neurofibrils, and measured the optical density of doublecortin by layer. We compared the results between the aged group and the control group. RESULTS: In the olfactory bulbs of aged group, we observed less doublecortin positive cells, neurofibrils and lower optical density than the control group. Doublecortin is expressed during life in migratory neuroblasts of the olfactory bulb of the rats. This expression is reduced in the aged group and the reduced degree is variable according to the layer. CONCLUSION: Age-related changes of the olfactory bulb are associated with the reduction of postnatal neurogenesis, especially during the migration and differentiaion stages. This changes result in reduction of interneurons of the olfactory bulb, and may be responsible for the decreased olfactory function.
Aging ; Animals ; Brain ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Interneurons ; Male ; Neurofibrils ; Neurogenesis ; Neurons ; Olfactory Bulb* ; Rats*

PURPOSE:This study was undertaken to announce our experience of the 1st Daegu- Gyeongbuk Multicenter Epilepsy Camp for children and their parents to improve the understanding of epilepsy. METHODS:We held the camp on February 25th to 26th, 2006 at Gyeongju. 33 families with epileptic childlend joined the camp. At the end of the camp, we performed a survey with 37 questionnaires to obtain data concerning the parents' understanding of epilepsy and the satisfaction with the camp. Data was analyzed with SPSS 10.0 program using frequency analysis. RESULTS:Parents knew about epilepsy but for some degrel still wanted to get more information about epilepsy. Parents were satisfied with the educational programs but not with the recreation programs. CONCLUSION:This study suggests that more social approaches such as an epilepsy camp is needed to provide the families with more information fot the understanding about epilepsy.
Child* ; Epilepsy* ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Parents* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Recreation