No abstract available.
Female ; Fibronectins* ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Plasma* ; Pregnancy*

This study was undertaker to define the usefuness of preoperative CA-125 assay as a diagnostic bmor marker in differentiating malignancy from benign ovarian mass. Senun CA-125 were imneasured by Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay(MEIA) in 94 patients with ovarian mass. The results were of follows ; 1. The mean value of preopentive senun CA-125 was 18.40u/ml in benign ovarian mass and 225.99u/ml in malignant ovarian mass (P<0.001). 2. The positive rete of Ca-125 in benign ovarian mass was 10%, compared 80% in malignant ovarian mass. 3. In analysis of histolovgic type, posisitive rate of serum CA-125 in malignant serous tumor was 82%, cornpared 50% in malignant mucinoins tumor. 2. No statistically significant correlation was observed between CA-125 value and patient's age. 5. The sensitivitiy, specifieity, positive predictive value & negative predictive value were 80%, 90%, 60% & 96%, respectively in cut off value, 35u/ml, And increasing cut off value 65u/ml, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value & negative predictive value were 40%, 96%, 67%, 90%, resqxetively. These data suggest the preperative serum CA-125 level correlate with maignant stattis in ovarian mass. And cut off value 35u/ml was better than 65u/ml in screening for ovarian cancer.
Humans ; Mass Screening ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: To describe a case of exercise-induced anaphylaxis presenting with lower lid angioedema. CASE SUMMARY: A 35-year-old female patient for the past 3 years experienced lower lid edema in her left eye after exercising. In the treadmill exercise test, sneezing, coughing, and lower lid edema in her left eye appeared 13 minutes after initiating exercise. Additionally, contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed minimal soft tissue thickening of the left inferior periorbital subcutaneous area with subtle enhancement after exercise. The serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) test showed elevated total IgE levels. The patient was diagnosed with exercise-induced anaphylaxis based on the above results. We informed the patient on her trigger factors and possible symptoms and prescribed an oral antihistamine and steroid. CONCLUSIONS: In patients presenting with facial edema or eyelid edema after exercise, the possibility of exercise-induced anaphylaxis should be considered. In addition, we have to aware of possibility of complication such as airway obstruction or a life-threatening condition, and it is needed to prevent a recurrence of anaphylaxis by cooperating with other department.
Adult ; Airway Obstruction ; Anaphylaxis* ; Angioedema* ; Cough ; Edema ; Exercise Test ; Eyelids ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Recurrence ; Sneezing

To develop a live vaccine candidate using an attenuated strain of Salmonella Typhimurium (ST), biochemical properties, plasmid profile, PFGE patterns and pathogenic analysis of the ST isolate were carried out after sequential passage of the ST isolate in porcine neutrophils. By the passage, the ability of the neutrophil-adapted isolate to utilize d-xylose was lost, while the ability of the strain to ferment trehalose was delayed after 2 or more days of the culture. Also, changes including deletion of the gene fragments were observed in PFGE analysis of the neutrophil-adapted isolates. Two plasmids, 105kb and 50kb, were cured in the strain passaged over 15 times in porcine neutrophils. The 50% of lethal dose (LD50) of the parent strain was changed from 1 x 10(5) LD50 to 6 x 10(6) LD50 by the passage in intraperitoneal injection of the strains into mice. These results suggested that bacterial genotypic and phenotypic responses might be globally altered depending on the inside environment of neutrophils.
Animals ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Mice ; Neutrophils ; Parents ; Plasmids ; Salmonella ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Sprains and Strains ; Trehalose ; Xylose

OBJECTIVE: To ananlyze the direct effect of nitric oxide (NO), generated from sodium prusside (SNP) on the embryo developments in reproductive process. DESIGN: ova from mouse were treated to allow fertilization in in vitro culture. And the samples of fertilized ova were alloted into five alliqutos. Each alliquot was cultured in media treated with either concentration at 0 (n=92), 25microM (n=84), 50microM (n=80), 100microM (n=77), 500microM (n=54) of SNP. Main Outcome MEASURE: Rates of embryonal cell cleavages, viability and cell morphology were assessed during in vitro fertilization and culture. RESULTS: As analyse the cell cleavage at 24 hours after in vitro culture of fertilised egg in variuos NO concentration, all of egg cells of each alliquot were developed to 2~4 cell stage. But the alliquot of egg cells treated with 500microM, which were totally degenerated. And also all embryonal cells of each alliquot were developed to 8 cell stage and morula stage on culture continuosly. And the embryonal cells of each alliquot were analysed at 24 and 48 hours following the in vitro culture. The rates of cell fragmentation and fusion were 4.2+/-3.4% in control group which is not treated with NO, while experimental groups was high, as rated 23.4+/-6.2% in 25microM, 28.2+/-5.7% in 50microM and 32.1+/-6.4% in 100microM concentration of NO. Accordingly the rate of abnormal morphology of embryonal cell in control was lower significantly than that in each alliquot of experimental groups (p<0.05). And the degenerated rates of embryonal cells were 0% in control, 17.8+/-6.7% in 25microM, 23.6+/-4.7% in 50microM and 26.8+/-11.2% in 100microM at 8 cells and morula on culture of 48 and 72 hours. On the examination of embryonal cells developed to blastocyst through in vitro culture, the rates of degenerated cells were 16.8+/-7.2% in control, 37.5+/-6.2% in 25microM, 73.4+/-4.6% in 50microM, 100% in 100microM. CONCLUSION: This results suggeted that the No in any concentrations is harmful on embryos in view of morphology as well as viability of cell, and the toxicity of No on embryo is stronger at condition in higher concentration of NO.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Structures ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Mice* ; Morula ; Nitric Oxide* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Ovum ; Sodium

The Ziehl-Neelson's AFB staining method was mainly used for the AFB observation of the mycobacteria. However, this method has several issues of false negative results, and hence a comparative experiment of the Ziehl-Neelson's AFB staining and the fluorescence staining method was done to remedy this problem. As the fluorescence staining method brightly highlights the AFB in a dark field, and also as it is observed with the lower power objective, it is a method that can better the observation and shorten the time of observation as well. The fluorescence staining method that was used in this experiment did a comparative analysis of the Auramine O-Rhodamine B and the Acridine Orange. The results showed that although the Auramine O-Rhodamine B allows easier observation of the AFB with a high fluorescence expression rate for the multibacillary leprosy sample, the darkness on the periphery makes it hard to observe anything else, while also making it hard to observe the cell changes and paucibacillary leprosy of the AFB. However, the Acridine Orange staining method highlights the cells in dark green and changes the color of the AFB from bright red to orange making it easier to observe bacilli. The results of the study show that the Acridine Orange method is superior to the Auramine O-Rhodamine B method in detecting acid fast bacilli in specimen.
Acridine Orange ; Benzophenoneidum ; Citrus sinensis ; Darkness ; Fluorescence ; Leprosy, Multibacillary ; Leprosy, Paucibacillary ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium leprae

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to describe a viable communication skills course for medical students and to discuss how to improve it for better teaching. METHODS: The subjects were a communication skills course and one hundred thirty three third-year medical students who participated in the course in 2006. Program evaluation by students was conducted using questionnaire at the end of each session and the entire course. RESULTS: The communication course was named as "Medical Communication Skills". Basic communication skills and interview skills for specific clinical situations were taught. We used experiential leaning methods such as standardized patient (SP) interviews with feedback. Students rated the course highly especially for SP-based practice sessions and student group projects. The course evaluation indicated that the students considered communication skills to be significantly more important as a clinical competency after the completion of the course. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that the communication skills course was well perceived by medical students and they preferred experiential learning methods more than didactic methods.
Humans ; Problem-Based Learning ; Program Evaluation ; Students, Medical* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: As traffic accidents and invasive vascular procedures are increasing these days so are vascular trauma, either blunt or penetrating. So we investigated the changes of clinical status of vascular trauma for the last 10 years. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 121 patients who had admitted and operated at Korea University Hospital due to traumatic arterial injuries from 1990 to 1999. We divided those patients by period into two groups; Era 1 (1990~1994) and Era 2 (1995~1999). The former group included 51 patients, the latter 70. Age distribution, causes of injury, location, degrees of injury, amputation rate, mortality rate, and operation methods between these two groups were compared. RESULT: The most common cause of arterial injury was blunt trauma by traffic accident in Era 1, injury by broken glasses in Era 2. Iatrogenic injury cases increased (from 3.9% in Era 1 to 10% in Era 2), and so did industrial injuries. Two groups also show similar distribution of degrees and location of injuries. Amputation rate in cases of vascular trauma of lower extremities correlates with combined fracture in both group (P<0.05). Amputation rate was 35.5% in Era 1, and 23.5% in Era 2. The mortality rate was 15.7% in Era 1 and 12.9% in Era 2 (p>0.05). Each group presented statistically significant correlation between location of injury and mortality (P<0.05). Abdominal injury was related to high mortality rate (63.2%). CONCLUSION: The latter period (Era 2) showed increased iatrogenic injury rate compared to the former. Amputation rate increased when combined with fracture in both groups, but mortality rate didn't significantly change between these two groups.
Abdominal Injuries ; Accidents, Traffic ; Age Distribution ; Amputation ; Eyeglasses ; Glass ; Humans ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies

Congenital cystic duplications of the alimentary tract are rare, but can occur anywhere along the GI tract. Ileal duplication cysts account for the majority of diagnosed cases. Symptoms generally develop during infancy or childhood, with diverse presentations. Common manifestations include abdominal pain, an abdominal mass, vomiting, occasional intussusception, perforation, bleeding, and obstructive symptoms. In this report, we present the case of a 20-year-old man with an ileal duplication cyst with obscure lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient underwent cyst excision with a primary end to end anastomosis. The patient was discharged on the postoperative 7th day without any complications.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Intussusception ; Vomiting ; Young Adult

The etiology of the postoperative discitis is not fully known, but most likely, the cause seems to be of a low grade infection and chemical and mechanical injuries. The incidence of these complication is from 0.12% to 2.6% of all cases. The characteristics of this disease are recurrence of severe lower back and gluteal pain, spasm of lumbar paravertebral muscle and elevated E.S.R. following the asymptomatic post-operative period, a roentgenogram showed an early destructive change in the adjacent vertebra, the narrowing of the intervertebral disc space, sclerotic changes in the vertebral bone and occasional fusion of the spine, and relatively good prognosis. We present a case of recurrent postoperative discitis with E.S.R. change and roentgenographic change.
Discitis* ; Incidence ; Intervertebral Disc ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Spasm ; Spine