No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine whether periodontal pocket could be satisfactorily visualized by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to suggest quantitative methods for measuring periodontal pocket depth. METHODS: We acquired OCT images of periodontal pockets in a porcine model and determined the actual axial resolution for measuring the exact periodontal pocket depth using a calibration method. Quantitative measurements of periodontal pockets were performed by real axial resolution and compared with the results from manual periodontal probing. RESULTS: The average periodontal pocket depth measured by OCT was 3.10±0.15 mm, 4.11±0.17 mm, 5.09±0.17 mm, and 6.05±0.21 mm for each periodontal pocket model, respectively. These values were similar to those obtained by manual periodontal probing. CONCLUSIONS: OCT was able to visualize periodontal pockets and show attachment loss. By calculating the calibration factor to determine the accurate axial resolution, quantitative standards for measuring periodontal pocket depth can be established regardless of the position of periodontal pocket in the OCT image.
Calibration ; Gingiva ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Methods ; Periodontal Pocket* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence*

PURPOSE: It has been reported recently that peritoneal protein clearance (Pcl) is a marker of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease in peritoneal dialysis patients. We evaluated whether baseline or longitudinal follow-up Pcl is a factor to consider in predicting the outcome in peritoneal dialysis patients for the follow-up period. METHODS: Patients who initiated continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis at our center from September 1994 to January 2006 and had a baseline peritoneal equilibration test, measurement of dialysis adequacy, and 24-h dialysate Pcl (24hr dialysate protein loss/ [serum albumin/0.4783]) were included. Demography, comorbidities, and biochemical data were retrospectively collected. Follow-up was until death or the end of the period studied (November 2009). RESULTS: A total of 203 patients (56% men, mean age 55.0+/-12.5; 55.2% with diabetes; 22.2% with cardiovascular disease) were included. The mean follow up period was 38 months (3-170 months). Baseline Pcl was 128.2 ml/day. Follow up data of Pcl were not changed from baseline period. Cox's analysis revealed the predictors of mortality (and technical failure) were age and diabetes mellitus but not dialysate/plasma creatinine ratio (D/Pcr) and Pcl. On multivariate analysis, Pcl was negatively correlated with serum albumin and triglyceride and positively correlated with D/Pcr and peritoneal creatinine clearance. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the changes in Pcl over time were not significant from baseline up to 53 months. Neither baseline nor mean Pcl during the follow-up period were independent predictors for technical or patient survival.
Ascitic Fluid ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Comorbidity ; Creatinine ; Demography ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dialysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The recently published Oxford classification of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) proposed a split system for histological grading, based on prognostic pathological features. This new classification system must be validated in a variety of cohorts. We investigated whether these pathological features were applicable to an adult Korean population. METHODS: In total, 69 adult Korean patients with IgAN were analyzed using the Oxford classification system at Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. All cases were categorized according to Lee's classification. Renal biopsies from all patients were scored by a pathologist who was blinded to the clinical data for pathological variables. Inclusion criteria were age greater than 18 years and at least 36 months of follow-up. We excluded cases with secondary IgAN, diabetic nephropathy combined other glomerulopathies, less than 36 months of follow-up, and those that progressed rapidly. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 34 years (range, 27 to 45). Mean arterial blood pressure was 97 +/- 10 mmHg at the time of biopsy. The median follow-up period was 85 months (range, 60 to 114). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significant prognostic predictions for M, E, and T lesions. A Cox proportional hazard regression analysis also revealed prognostic predictions for E and T lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Using the Oxford classification in IgAN, E, and T lesions predicted renal outcome in Korean adults after taking clinical variables into account.
Adult ; *Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biopsy ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Fish Oils/therapeutic use ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/classification/*diagnosis/ethnology/pathology/therapy ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Kidney/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Time Factors

A thymic carcinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of the thymus epithelium, which can be distinguished from a benign or invasive thymoma. Contrary to a thymoma, the association of a thymic carcinoma and autoimmune disease is rare, with only a few cases having been reported. Herein, a case of thymic carcinoma diagnosed concurrently with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is reported. A 49 year-old man presented at our clinic with myalgia. He was diagnosed with SLE, based on an oral ulcer, lymphopenia, and positive ANA and anti-Sm antibodies. Incidentally, a routine chest X-ray showed a large mediastinal mass. Pathological examination of the mediastinal mass revealed an undifferentiated thymic carcinoma, of WHO classification type C. Further work-up for staging showed multiple bone and lung metastases. With a palliative aim, he received systemic chemotherapy, but refused further chemotherapy after the 2nd course. Currently, the patient has not been followed up since the chemotherapy.
Antibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Classification ; Drug Therapy ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Lung ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Lymphopenia ; Middle Aged ; Myalgia ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oral Ulcer ; Thorax ; Thymoma* ; Thymus Gland

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, especially Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection is a common opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In patients with AIDS, MAC infection more frequently presents as disseminated form rather than localized infection. Disseminated MAC infection is associated with a high mortality rate in patient with AIDS. We report a case of disseminated MAC infection in an AIDS patient involving bone marrow, mediastinal lymph node and lung.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Bone Marrow ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium avium ; Mycobacterium avium Complex ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Opportunistic Infections

Dengue virus infection is an emerging imported disease in Korea. A total of 4 cases of dengue fever or dengue hemorrhagic fever diagnosed at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Bucheon between January 2001 and December 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. In addition, relevant domestic literatures from Korean bibliographic databases, which matched 'dengue fever', 'dengue hemorrhagic fever' or 'dengue shock syndrome' as key words, have been reviewed. Ten articles (13 patients) met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. All the patients except for one, who was infected in Africa, were infected in Asian countries: Philippines (4), Indonesia (3), India (2), Cambodia (2), Sri Lanka (1), Thailand (1), Bangladesh (1), Myanmar (1), and Malaysia (1). Clinical manifestations after returning from abroad were as follows: fever (100%), chills (82%), headache (65%), myalgia (53%), nausea (41%), neutropenia (82%), thrombocytopenia (82%), and elevation of AST (82%) and ALT (53%). Most of the patients improved with conservative care except for one who died of dengue shock syndrome.
Africa ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bangladesh ; Cambodia ; Chills ; Databases, Bibliographic ; Dengue ; Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever ; Dengue Virus ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; India ; Indonesia ; Korea ; Malaysia ; Myanmar ; Nausea ; Neutropenia ; Philippines ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock ; Sri Lanka ; Thailand ; Thrombocytopenia

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, especially Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection is a common opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In patients with AIDS, MAC infection more frequently presents as disseminated form rather than localized infection. Disseminated MAC infection is associated with a high mortality rate in patient with AIDS. We report a case of disseminated MAC infection in an AIDS patient involving bone marrow, mediastinal lymph node and lung.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Bone Marrow ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium avium ; Mycobacterium avium Complex ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Opportunistic Infections

Dengue virus infection is an emerging imported disease in Korea. A total of 4 cases of dengue fever or dengue hemorrhagic fever diagnosed at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Bucheon between January 2001 and December 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. In addition, relevant domestic literatures from Korean bibliographic databases, which matched 'dengue fever', 'dengue hemorrhagic fever' or 'dengue shock syndrome' as key words, have been reviewed. Ten articles (13 patients) met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. All the patients except for one, who was infected in Africa, were infected in Asian countries: Philippines (4), Indonesia (3), India (2), Cambodia (2), Sri Lanka (1), Thailand (1), Bangladesh (1), Myanmar (1), and Malaysia (1). Clinical manifestations after returning from abroad were as follows: fever (100%), chills (82%), headache (65%), myalgia (53%), nausea (41%), neutropenia (82%), thrombocytopenia (82%), and elevation of AST (82%) and ALT (53%). Most of the patients improved with conservative care except for one who died of dengue shock syndrome.
Africa ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bangladesh ; Cambodia ; Chills ; Databases, Bibliographic ; Dengue ; Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever ; Dengue Virus ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; India ; Indonesia ; Korea ; Malaysia ; Myanmar ; Nausea ; Neutropenia ; Philippines ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock ; Sri Lanka ; Thailand ; Thrombocytopenia

PURPOSE: Cystatin C is known to predict the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) more precisely in patients with substantial muscle atrophy, such as liver cirrhosis, compared to creatinine. We evaluated the usefulness of cystatin C for prediction of renal function in liver cirrhosis patients. METHODS: From February 2007 to September 2007, we evaluated the renal function in patients with liver cirrhosis who were admitted to Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital. We compared renal function with GFR as estimated by creatinine (Modification of diet in renal diseases; MDRD, the Cockroft&Gault equation; C&G, Creatinine clearance; CCr) and cystatin C (the Hoek and Larsson equations) with that of the GFR as calculated by Cr-EDTA. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients were enrolled. The mean GFR was 67.8+/-29.4, 81.6+/-29.6, 79.9+/-29.3, 62.7+/-29.8, 77.0+/-28.6, 81.0+/-35.2 mL/min/1.73m2 according to Cr-EDTA, MDRD, C&G, CCr, Hoek and Larsson equations, respectively. Cystatin C showed a correlation to MDRD (r=-0.715), C&G (r=-0.659), CCr (r=-0.536) and Cr-EDTA GFR (r=-0.617). GFR by the Hoek (r=0.657) and the Larsson (r=0.647) equation using cystatin C showed a higher correlation with Cr-EDTA GFR than GFR by MDRD (r=0.550) and C&G equation (r=0.458). CONCLUSION: Cystatin C is a more accurate predictor of renal function than creatinine in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Creatinine ; Cystatin C ; Diet ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Muscular Atrophy