To assess the immunological function of toluene exposed group, the proportions of T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, CD 4 cell, CD 8 cell, the ratio of CD4 to CD8 (CD4/CD8) in peripheral blood were measured on twenty-one toluene exposed workers and twelve healthy workers who did not have previous history of toluene exposure. In addition, to evaluate the present status of toluene exposure, urinary hippuric acid concenturations were measured in exposed group. The mean concenturation of urinary hippuric acid was 2.84 g/creatinine g in exposed group. The proportions of T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, CD8 cell and CD4/CD8 of exposed group were slightly lower than non-exposed group except the proportion of CD4 cell which was similar in both groups. But these differences were not statistically different in both groups. The proportions of T lymphocyte and CD4 cell were significantly correlated with the length of duration in exposed group (P<0.05)
Lymphocytes ; Occupations* ; Toluene*

We investigated the occurrence of color vision loss in 70 organic solvent mixtures exposed workers and in 47 controls. Color Vision was assessed with a color arrangement test designed to identify the defective color sense, the Han Double 15-Hue Test. The results of the test were no significant difference between exposed workers and controls in the proportion of subjects who committed one or two errors. Quantitative analysis, using color confusion index(CCI), showed no signifiant difference between exposed workers and controls. A significant linear correlation was present between age and CCI in both exposed workers(CCi=0.0056age + 0.94; r=0.23; p<0.05) and controls(CCI=0.0066age + 0.86; r=0.33; p<0.05). Qualitative analysis of the patterns on the hue circle showed that the prevalence of acquired dyschromatopsia was 21% in both and no significant difference. Multiple regression analyses showed that age was significantly related to color vision loss. These results did not provide evidence of a relationship between organic solvents exposure and incidence of color vision loss. In field studies for monitor the people at risk of the acquired color vision loss involving low-dose organic solvents exposed workers, both quantitative and qualitative information should be considered.
Color Vision ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Solvents

To assess the pattern of psychiatric symptoms and to evaluate the relationship between exposure related variables(duration of work and urinary hippuric acid concenturation) and psychiatric symptoms in organic solvent exposed workers, case control study of forty-two solvent exposed workers and ninety-six non-exposed workers was conducted. The general health questionnaire 28(GHQ28) was administered to evaluate psychiatric symptoms and urinary hippuric acid concenturations was measured to estimate the present status of solvent exposure in exposed group and to estimate normal level in non-exposed group. The meand concenturation of urinary hippuric acid was significantly higher in exposed group (2.953g/creatinine g) than non-exposed group (0.395g/creatinine g) (P<0.01). The total positive rates of symptoms were significantly higher in exposed group(28.2%) than non-exposed group(17.5%) (P<0.05). The positive rates of symptoms for four sub-scales of GHQ 28 in exposed group were in the order of somatic symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction, depression and in the order of social dysfunction, anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms in non-exposed group.The positive rates of symptoms for somatic symptoms and anxiety were significantly higher in exposed group than non-exposed group (P<0.05) and the proportion of workers with six or more positive symptoms(dysthymic states) in exposed group were significantly higher than non-exposed group (P<0.01). After the effect of age, sex, level of income, level of education, and duration of work were controlled, the total score of GHQ28 was still significantly different between exposed and non-exposed group(P<0.01). In multiple logistic regression analysis on the dysthymic state, the odds ratio of level of income was statistically significant in both group. The odds ratios of exposure related variables such as duration of work and hippuric acid concenturations were not statistically significant but there was a tendency that exposure related variables had an effect on dysthymic state in exposed group.In future, comtinuous evaluation of psychiatric symptoms on organic solvent exposed workers and studies to detect the factors that affect on psychiatric symptoms are required.
Anxiety ; Case-Control Studies ; Depression ; Education ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Solvents* ; Toluene

Exploratory analysis was conducted in a health screening data which had been collected in residents of Taegu city in 1986 to seek out items of serum chemistry associated with hypertension. Six-hundred residents mere than 20 years of age were sampled by the multistage cluster sampling method. Because blood sampling and blood pressure measurements were possible in 384 residents of 600, the rest of 216(36%) were replaced with the healthy visitors to the Department of Health checkup, matched with age and sex. Fivehundred eighty subjects were used in the defined above systolic blood pressure 141mmHg and/or diastolic pressure 91mmHg. The most common age group was under 29 years of age in both sexes, with 103(38.3%) in males and 125(40.2%) in females. Mean body weight of males was Hypertensives were 24(8. in males and 21(6.8%) in females. The items of serum chemistry which showed p values less than 0.25 were glucose, albumin, total cholesterol, ALP and AST in males and glucose, creatinine, albumin, total cholesterol, AST and ALT in females. After controlling age and body weight, glucose and AST showed slightly decreased regression coefficients(beta=0.030, S.E.=0.018, beta= 0.021, S.E.=0.012, respectively) and p values 0.09, 0.08 respectively while albumin, total cholesterol and ALP showed substantially larger p values than unadjusted ones in males. After controlling age and body weight, total cholesterol only remained statistically significant (beta=0.015, S. E. =0. 007, p=0.04). These results suggested that certain items of serum chemistry might be associated with hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Chemistry* ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Daegu ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Mass Screening

Tamoxifen and radiotherapy are used in breast cancer treatment worldwide. Radiation recall dermatitis (RRD), induced by tamoxifen, has been rarely reported. Herein, we report a RRD case induced by tamoxifen. A 47-year-old woman had a right quadrantectomy and an axillary lymph node dissection due to breast cancer. The tumor was staged pT2N0; it was hormone receptor positive, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy followed by tamoxifen and radiotherapy. After 22 months of tamoxifen, the patient developed a localized heating sensation, tenderness, edema, and redness at the irradiated area of the right breast. The symptoms improved within 1 week without treatment. Three weeks later, however, the patient developed similar symptoms in the same area of the breast. She continued tamoxifen before and during dermatitis, and symptoms resolved within 1 week.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Dermatitis ; Edema ; Female ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Middle Aged ; Radiodermatitis* ; Radiotherapy ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Sensation ; Tamoxifen*

BACKGROUND: Nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation is common in elderly and associated with an increased risk for thromboembolism. Left atrial spontaneous echo contrast(SEC) and thrombus. which are easily detected by transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease and atrial fibrillation, have been known as markers of thromboembolism. However, most of the previous studies on left atrial SEC and thrombus were performed in rheumatic mitral valve disease or various conditions including rheumatic mitral valve disease. Therefore this study was underaken in order to investigatd 1) the prevalence of left atrial SEC and thrombus, and 2) clinical and echocardiographic variables related to left atrial SEC and thrombus in nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation. METHODS: In patients with estabished atrial fibrillation over 7 days, we examined the clinical gistory and performed transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) and TEE simultaneously. Enlisted patients were those without rheumatic mitral valve disease, prosthetic valves, previous thromboembolism, and recent anticoagulant therapy. RESULTS: 1) Left atrial SEC was detected in 32(62.7%) of 51 patients and left atrial thrombus in 10(19.6%). All thrombi were located in the left atrial appendage. 2) In univariate analysis, SEC positive group showed higher prevalence of congestive heart failure(CHF)(56.3% vs 0%, p<0.001), lower ejection fraction(42.2+/-14.1% vs 50.8+/-9.7%, p<0.05), lower left atrial appendage blood flow velocity(peak positive flow velocity ; 18.7+/-11.1cm/sec vs 32+/-12.4cm/sec, p<0.01, and peak negative flow velocity ; 21.4+/-12.4cm/sec vs 31.9+/-12.8cm/sec, p<0.01) than SEC negative group. Multivariate analysis identifed CHF as an independent variable related to left atrial SEC(p=0.02, Odds ratio ; 2.38, 95% CI ; 1.18-4.82). 3) In univariate analysis. left atrial thrombus positive group showed higher prevalence of CHF(70% vs 26.8%, p<0.05), larger left atrial demension(34+/-3.4mm/m2 vs 30.6+/-4.6mm/m2, p<0.05) than thrombus negative group. Multivariate analysis identifed CHF as an independent variable related to left atrial thrombus(p=0.04, Odds ratio ; 4.30, 95% CI ; 1.11-16.68). 4) Left atrial thrombus is more frequent in SEC positive group than in SEC negative group(28.1% vs 5.3%), however, there was no statistical significance(p=0.07). CONCLUSION: 1) Left atrial SEC is common in nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation and significantly related to CHF. 2) Left atrial thrombus is frequently detected in SEC positive patients, however, it is more realted to CHF than left atrial SEC itself.
Aged ; Atrial Appendage ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Echocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Thromboembolism ; Thrombosis*

The authors conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the differences of screening test results between clerks and laborers in an occupational health center in Taegu, 1992. A total of 10,207 workers was included in the study of these, male were 5,597 and female 3,610. Constitutional variables included were items of health examination and some confounding variables(sex, age, body weight and work duration). All analyses were conducted separately for each sex through the use of multiple logistic regression analysis on occupation, controlling for age, work duration, and body weight. laborers showed abnormal hearing test more often than clerks in both sexes. The blood pressure that showed statistical significance in univariate analysis in both sexes lost its significance after controlling covariates. Liver function and urine protein had statistically significant differences between two occupational groups in males and visual correction did in females. The results suggest that there are differences clerks and laborers in some of screening tests and analytic studies are needed to identify the causes of the differences.
Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Daegu ; Female ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Liver ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Occupational Groups ; Occupational Health ; Occupations

This study was done to identify the association between serum copper and zinc levels and the cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), and to evaluate its diagnostic value on liver diseases. Sixty-three healthy persons, 60 patients with cirrhosis and 33 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were rendomly selected and investigated for their general characteristics from October 1990 to August 1991. For analysis of the biochemical markers in liver function test and the serum copper and zinc levels, their fasting venous blood were sampled at 9:00 to 11:00 in the morning and centrifuged to separate the serum within one hour. All the samples were immediately analysed for biochemical markers and stored at -20 C in polypropylene tubes further copper and zinc analysis. Mean of serum copper levels was 91.97+/-4.76 microgram/dl in control, 106.21+/-2.73 microgram/dl in cirrhosis and 127.05+/-0.77 microgram/dl in HCC. The value of HCC was statistically significantly higher than that of the control and cirrhosis(p<0.05). Serum zinc levels were 110.82+/-7.24 microgram/dl in control, 68.10+/-5.43 microgram/dl in cirrhosis and 63.78+/-2.20 microgram/dl in HCC. The values of cirrhosis and HCC were statistically significantly different among three groups(p<0.05). Test total protein, albumin, ALP and total bilirubin of biochemical markers of liver function were statistically significantly different among three groups(p<0.05). Differences between cirrhosis and HCC for ALT and AST, and between the control and HCC for direct bilirubin were not statistically significant. Biochemical markers statistically significantly correlated with serum copper and zinc levels and Cu/Zn ratio(p<0.05), were variable in three groups. In multiple logistic regression, odds ratio of serum copper level and Cu/Zn ratio had no statistically significance on the cirrhosis and the HCC, but that of serum zinc was statistically significant as 0.951 and 0.952 (p<0.05). Serum copper and zinc levels and Cu/Zn ratio were not statistically significantly different between the cirrhosis and HCC. Albumin, ALP, zinc, total bilirubin and age among all variables were selected as main variables for three-group discriminant analysis. Percentage of "grouped" cases correctly classified by these five variables was 98.4 for control, 73.4 for cirrhosis, 75.7 for HCC and 84.0 for all subjects. This study suggests that zinc may has an independently inhibitory effect on the liver disease and serum zinc level is considered to play a role as diagnostic marker on the hepatic disorders and be more useful than serum copper level and Cu/Zn ratio in diagnosis of the liver diseases.
Bilirubin ; Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Copper* ; Diagnosis ; Fasting ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Function Tests ; Liver* ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Polypropylenes ; Zinc*

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate effects of cadmium and zinc on IL-6 secretion using human monocyte in a culture system. METHODS: We have used frypan blue dye exclusion methods to examine the effect of cytotoxicity of CdCl2, ZnCl2 in THP-1 cells. IL-6 was measured by the ELIBA method in the cell culture supernatants and the expression of IL-6 mRNA was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: IL-6 production by THP-1 cells were decreased at 0.1 mM cadmium concentration(p < 0.05) and increased as zinc concentration increased. Zinc prevented cadmiuminduced suppression of IL-6. and the addition of a chelating agent, EDTA, restores IL-6 secretion. The expression of IL-6 mRNA decreased at 0.08 mM and 0.1 mM cadmium concentrations. CONCLUSION: This results suggests that cadmium depressed production and gene expression of IL-6 in stimulates human monocytes, and zinc prevented cadmium-induced suppression of IL-16.
Cadmium Chloride ; Cadmium* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line* ; Edetic Acid ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Interleukin-16 ; Interleukin-6* ; Monocytes ; RNA, Messenger ; Zinc*

Papillary eccrine adenoma, first described by Rulon and Helwig in 1977, is a rare benign adnexal neoplastn. It is usually present as a solitary dermal nodule on the distal extremities. It has characteristic histopathological findings, consisting of dilated ducts that contain eosinophilic secretions and are associated with intralummal papillations. On the basis of histological and histochemical studies it is believed to be an adnexal neoplasm of possible eccrine differentiation. We report two recent cases of papillary eccrine adenomas occuring in two young male patients without subjective symptoms who had firm dermal nodules on the extremities.
Adenoma* ; Eosinophils ; Extremities ; Humans ; Male