No abstract available.
Abscess* ; Bacteria, Aerobic* ; Quinolones* ; Virulence*

Experiments were performed in mice (Balb/C) to support the basic efficacy of the human immunoglobulin (IgG) preparation. The antibacterial activity of IgG purified from human sera was examined with or without the quinolone agent, ciprofloxacin (CPFX), against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical specimens. Results were as follows: Antibacterial activities in terms of percentage of survivors, after administration of Ps. aeruginosa into mouse intraperitoneal cavity were in the following order, single IgG group, CPFX administration after IgG pretreatment group, IgG and CPFX combined administration group and CPFX alone group. The number of living bacteria was monitored in blood and liver tissue of mice infected with Ps. aeruginosa and treated by IgG administration. The increase of living bacteria in liver was more drastic than that in blood. Leukocytosis was observed in mice injected with IgG, excluding those only with ciprofloxacin, after 8 hours of administration to see a decrease to normal number of bacteria after 18 hours. No significant difference was noticed between pretreatment group and post treatment group. In vitro susceptibility test of IgG against Ps. aeruginosa, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 250 µg/ml, resistant to IgG, regardless of a combined administration with CPFX. In vitro test revealed that the IgG itself did not have anti-Ps. aeruginosa activity.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Ciprofloxacin* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Leukocytosis ; Liver ; Mice ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa* ; Pseudomonas* ; Survivors

BACKGROUND: Hypothyroidism may be involved in a significant portion of the causes of hypercholesterolemia in Korea. In this study, we determined the frequency of suspected hypothyroidism in hypercholesterolemic patients and compared the frequency of elevated thyrotropin levels among the groups with various total cholesterol levels. METHODS: The study subjects were healthy, asymptomatic people who visited Health Promotion Center of Seoul National University Hospital. We excluded subjects with history of hypertension, DM and hypothyroidism. The study subjects underwent physical examination and filled out a questionnaire on health risk factors. Also blood chemistry and thyroid function test were done. RESULTS: Among 6479 subjects, 194(2.99%) had elevated(>4.1 microIU/ml) thyrotropin levels. Among the hypercholesterolemic(> or=240mg/dl) patients(n=868), 40(4.60%) had elevated thyrotropin levels. And there was statistically significant difference between normal cholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic subjects(P<0.05). Among the patients with total cholesterol above 280mg/dl (n=180), 15(8.33%) had elevated thyrotropin levels. As amount of the total cholesterol increased, the frequency of elevated thyrotropin levels Increased(P=0.001). And this result was consistent following adjustment for age, sex, BMI, smoking and drinking status(P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Practicing physicians should be aware of the possibility of secondary hypercholesterolemia due to hypothyroidism and keep in mind the importance of evaluating TSH level.
Chemistry ; Cholesterol* ; Drinking ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Hypothyroidism ; Korea ; Physical Examination ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyrotropin* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A field trial on the control effect of fipronil poison bait against German cockroaches (Blatella germanica) was carried out at different restaurant types in Sinchon, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Monitoring was performed applying food baited traps for 2 days per week. Reduction rates of German cockroaches by applying fipronil baits were 90.9% at Korean restaurants, 96.4% at Chinese restaurants, and 89.4% in beer hall kitchens after 4 weeks of the treatment. Overall average of the reduction rate was 93.9%. As the natural reduction rate at untreated restaurants was 11.5% after 4 weeks, a correction of the average reduction rate by applying the Abbot formula was 93.1%.
*Pyrazoles ; *Insecticides ; Insect Control/*methods ; *Cockroaches ; Animals

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current series of experiments were to assess the effect of GM-CSF, as a medium supplement, on the development of mouse embryos and the expression of LIF and IL-1beta mRNA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mouse 2-cell embryos were collected from the oviducts of 6 weeks old ICR mice at 48 hours after hCG injection. Embryos were cultured in P-1 medium supplemented with mouse GM-CSF(0,1,5,10 ng/ml). The embryo development to blastocysts and hatching blastocysts was assessed and the cell number in blastocyst was also examined. Using RT-PCR, the expressions of LIF and IL-1beta mRNA in blastocyst were evaluated in the GM-CSF supplemented group and control group. RESULTS: In mouse, the addition of GM-CSF increased the percentage of blastocysts(65.5%, 68.6%, 73.0% and 76.1% for control and 1, 5 and 10 ng/ml, respectively), and increased the proportion of hatching blastocysts(35.2%, 36.4%, 43.2% and 53.0% for control and 1, 5 and 10 ng/ml, respectively). The mean cell numbers in blastocyst were significantly increased in GM-CSF supplemented groups compared to control group. LIF and IL-1beta expression in blastocysts were significantly higher in GM-CSF supplemented group than in control group. CONCLUSION: The results of experiment by mouse embryos showed beneficial effects of GM-CSF as a medium supplement. Furthermore, the addition of GM-CSF significantly increased the expression of LIF and IL-1beta in mouse embryos. These results suggest that GM-CSF might be a important molecule in embryo implantation.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Cell Count ; Embryo Implantation ; Embryonic Development* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Oviducts ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: Adverse reactions to mosquito bites have been recognized for some time, and these usually consist of large swellings, generalized urticaria, angioedema, and less frequently asthma. There have been some efforts to define immunologic characteristics of mosquito allergens throughout the world. But, in Korea, the immunologic analysis of mosquito allergen have not been made. METHODS: Extracts of locally distributed female mosquito Culex pipiens, were prepared from their heads and thoraxes. By sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, proteins of two extracts were isolated. Then their proein bands were transferred to nitrocellulose membrane. Immunoblotting was performed with sera of allergic patients to mosquito bites, then completed by antibodies to human IgE. RESULTS: Immunoblotting showed IgE binding proteins weighing 70 kD, 60 kD, 34 kD in Culex pipiens. CONCLUSION: We found that mosquito antigens induced IgE response, and it suggested that species-specific antigens exist. Further investigation using salivary gland extracts from Culex genus are needed in identifying specific allergens.
Allergens* ; Angioedema ; Antibodies ; Asthma ; Collodion ; Culex* ; Culicidae* ; Electrophoresis ; Female ; Galectin 3 ; Head ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E ; Korea ; Membranes ; Salivary Glands ; Sodium ; Thorax ; Urticaria

Cockroaches have been implicated as a cause of respiratory allergy in urban areas worldwide. IgE-reactive German cockroach proteins were identified with molecular weights (MWs) of 90, 66, 50, 43 and 36 KD by immunoblot analysis in both immune BALB/c mice and sensitized humans. Prominent IgE-reactive proteins were purified using FPLC by ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration and hydrophobic chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of a purified protein with a MW of 66 KD on SDS-PAGE was Val-Thr-Leu-Lys-Lys(Val)-Met-Ile-Lys-Thr-Phe-Tyr. No homologous protein was found through a search of GenBank that indicated a novel IgE-reactive protein in German cockroach extract. Another purified protein with a MW of 36 KD reacted strongly with a monoclonal antibody against Bla g 2.
Amino Acid Sequence/genetics ; Animal ; Cockroaches/chemistry* ; Human ; IgE/immunology* ; Insect Proteins/isolation & purification* ; Insect Proteins/immunology* ; Insect Proteins/genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Tissue Extracts/chemistry*

It has been well known that the survivors of retinoblastoma are prone to have osteosarcoma. But the secondary tumor usually occurs in bilateral, hereditary type of retinoblastoma. We report one case of osteosarcoma in a survivor of unilateral, sporadic retinoblastoma. A fourteen year old male presented with a painfully swollen distal forearm of 2 month duration. He had enucleated his left eye 10 years ago due to retinoblastoma with no other adjuvant therapy. We managed him with our conventional protocol and identified deletion of Rb gene from his pathological specimen by using the PCR-RFLP method. This result is unusual for unilateral nonhereditable retinoblastoma and may suggest gene level change even in sporadic cases. And Rb gene study may be helpful for unilateral, sporadic retinoblastoma patient in detecting the possibility of late osteosarcoma.
Adolescent ; Base Sequence ; Case Report ; DNA Primers ; *Gene Deletion ; *Genes, Retinoblastoma ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Osteosarcoma/complications/*genetics/pathology ; Retinoblastoma/complications/*genetics/pathology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Survivors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Esophageal variceal bleeding in liver cirrhosis is a major complication and has high mortality rate. We tried to find fibrinolytic parameters, which correlated with variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: We divided the cirrhotic patients into two groups: bleeding group (group A, n=15) and non-bleeding group (Group B, n=17). Fibrinolytic parameters (fibrinogen, D-dimer, plasminogen, tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA], fibrin degradation product [FDP], and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 [PAI-1]) were compared between two groups. In the group A, serial samplings were taken at the initial period, 3 days, 8 days, 15 days and 6 weeks after the bleeding onset. RESULTS: Plasma levels of FDP and D-dimer in the group A were significantly higher than the group B (1.7 +/- 1.16 vs. 0.95 +/- 1.27 mg/L and 10.96 +/- 6.58 vs. 4.99 +/- 3.50 micro gram/mL, respectively, p value<0.05). The clinical, biochemical, and coagulation parameters didn't show significant differences in both groups. The fibrinolytic parameters were improved along with the hemodynamic stabilization in group A. CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhotic patients with increased fibrinolytic activity were at higher risk of bleeding. Thus, the measurement of these parameters would be useful to identify patients at higher risk of esophageal variceal bleeding.
Adult ; Blood Coagulation ; English Abstract ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/blood/*complications ; *Fibrinolysis ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/blood/*etiology ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications ; Male ; Middle Aged