The main trend moves towards early excision and skin grafting as treatment for the deep second degree burns and the third degree burns. The ability to excision & skin grafting. This study prospectively evaluated the ability of laser doppler flow measurements obtained within 72 hours after burn injury to predict the depth of burn wounds. A Periflux system 4001 laser doppler flowmetry had been used to measure cutaneous microflow circulation of 100 selected points of burn wounds in 44 admitted patients from March 1993 to February 1994. The mean value of superficial second degree burn checked by laser doppler was 194.6 perfusion unit(PU). The deep second degree burn was 59.7 PU and third degree burn was 5.1 PU. The blood flow of more than 100 PU reliably predicted the superficial second degree burn with 90.2 percents accuracy. The blood flow between 100 PU and 10 PU predict the deep second degree dermal burn with 96.2 percents accuracy. That of less than 10 PU predict the third degree burn with 100 percents accuracy. There was also a significant correlation between initial flow measurements and the depth of burn wounds. We conclude that laser doppler flow measurements performed early after burn injury are useful in predicting the depth of burn wounds. The laser doppler flowmetry has the advantage of being easy to use, noninvasive, provide immediate result for early determination of burn depth. The laser doppler flowmetry is useful in selecting patients for early excision and grafting of burn wounds.
Burns* ; Humans ; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry* ; Perfusion ; Prospective Studies ; Skin Transplantation ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Recently the clinical significance of several mycobacterial species has been increased and there is a growing need to identify mycobacteria to the species level. We evaluated multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay for identification of mycobacterial isolates. METHODS: Reference strains of 6 species of mycobacteria and 88 clinical isolates were lysed by boiling method. The lysates were used for multiplex PCR reactions incorporating three pairs of PCR primers, which were expected to amplify fragments from the 65-kDa gene common to all mycobacteria, genes of M. tuberculosis complex and M. avium, respectively. The resultant amplicons were digested with the restric-tion enzymes PspEI and HaeIII. Multiplex PCR products and digested products were visualized by electrophoresis on agarose gels. RESULTS: Six reference strains yielded compatible results. Eighty-eight clinical isolates were identified as M. tuberculosis complex (81 strains), M. avium (2 strains), M. intracellulare (2 strains), M. fortuitum biovariant peregrinum (2 strains), and M. gordonae III (1 strain). CONCLUSION: Multiplex PCR-RFLP assay appears to be a reliable method for rapid identification of mycobacteria to species level.
Electrophoresis ; Gels ; Gordonia Bacterium ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Sepharose ; Tuberculosis

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare systemic, leukoproliferative disorder characterized by eosinophil- mediated tissue injury causing multiple organ failure, including the heart. Cardiac involvement occurs in more than 75% of patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome. Cardiac manifestations include subendocardial fibrosis, thrombus leading to peripheral emboli, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and valvular dysfunction. It is more common in men than in women (9:1), and trends to present between the ages of 20 and 50 years. Presentation in childhood is unusual. We report for the first time a case of a 58-year-old man with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome manifested by prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction that was successfully treated by steroid and hydroxyurea therapy after surgical valvular replacement.
Aortic Valve* ; Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Heart ; Humans ; Hydroxyurea ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Thrombosis

In the era of government 3.0, the availability of open government-owned public data and data sharing with the private sector are important. We surveyed the status of public data openness in the healthcare domain and of compliance with the standard open data format based on the “5 stars of linked data” model. We examined healthcare data on the Open Data Portal (https://www.data.go.kr). We also surveyed data on the websites of the public institutions and state administrative agencies that provided healthcare data on the Portal. In terms of data on the Portal, all public institutions except the National Medical Center, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, and the Korea Environment Corporation were found to have provided data in the 3-stars format corresponding to the Public Data Open Standard Maintenance Guide. All data provided by state administrative agencies met the 3-stars format. Only 2 institutions (the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute) released data in the 3-stars format on their websites. Among the major state administrative agencies providing data on the Portal, none released data in the 3-stars format on their websites. Government-owned data should be provided in a standard format both on the Open Data Portal and on data-holders' websites to facilitate communication and collaboration. Considering the huge potential of linked healthcare data from a single national health insurance system, providing open data in compliance with the standard open format will promote the opening and sharing of public data.
Compliance* ; Cooperative Behavior ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Information Dissemination ; Information Storage and Retrieval ; Insurance, Health ; Korea* ; National Health Programs ; Private Sector ; Public Sector ; Vital Statistics

PURPOSE: Genomic instability of microsatellite in patients with defects in the mismatch repair system of DNA resulting in replication error (RER) has a high risk of accumulating mutations in oncogene and tumor suppressor gene. In this study, we evaluated the incidence of microsatellite instability (MI) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by comparing polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified sequences from frozen samples of normal and tumor tissue from affected patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analysis of MI using the PCR based assay was performed in total 25 cases of RCC, including 21 clear cell types and 4 papillary types. MI of tumor DNA was observed as the occurrence of additional or absence of constitutional autoradiographic signals, or as at least a two to threefold increase or decrease of intensity of the autographic signals in comparison to the corresponding normal tissue DNA. Total 11 microsatellite loci were studied; 4 loci at 3p (D3S1274, D3S1296, D3S1300, D3S1313), 3 loci at 9p (IFNA, D9S1747, D9S171) and 4 loci at 17p (D17S513, D17S695, TP53, D17S261). RESULTS: Twenty-one of 25 RCC (84%) displayed MI in at least one informative locus. MI was found in 15 of 25 cases (60%) at 3p region and 7 of 25 cases (28%) at 9p region. All of them were clear cell type of RCC. MI was detected in 11 cases (44%) at 17p region, 7 of them were clear cell type. In all 4 cases of papillary type, MI was observed only at 17p region. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that alterations of 3p region might occur in the early stage of tumorigenesis in RCC. The DNA mismatch repair system may play an important role in tumorigenesis of RCC and MI analysis could be a useful method to detect early genetic alterations in RCC. Genetic alterations in tumorigenesis of RCC may have some differences according to the histologic characteristics.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; DNA ; DNA Mismatch Repair ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Genomic Instability ; Humans ; Incidence ; Microsatellite Instability ; Microsatellite Repeats* ; Oncogenes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Bronchial anthracofibrosis (BAF) is a dark black or brown pigmentation of multiple large bronchi associated with a fibrotic stenosis or obliteration that is incidentally found during a diagnostic bronchoscopy. Some reporters have suggested endobronchial tuberculosis or tuberculous lymphadenitis as a possible cause of BAF. However, some BAF patients do not have any medical history of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical features of simple BAF patients, which were not associated with tuberculosis. METHODS: We reviewed the patients' charts retrospectively and interviewed all BAF patients who were followed up for 1 year or more. Among the 114 BAF patients, 43 patents (38 %) had no associated tuberculosis, cancer and pneumoconiosis. The clinical characteristics, radiological findings and associated pulmonary diseases of these patients were evaluated. RESULTS: Most patients were non-smokers, old aged, housewifes who resided in a farming village. The common respiratory symptoms were dyspnea, cough and hemoptysis. The predominant X-ray findings were a multiple bronchial wall thickening(89%), bronchial narrowing or atelectasis (76%) and a mediastinal lymph node enlargement with/without calcification (78%). Pulmonary function test usually showed mild obstructive ventilatory abnormalities but no patient showed a restrictive ventilatory pattern and the patients were frequently affected with chronic bronchitis(51%), post-obstructive pneumonia(40%) and chronic asthma(4%). CONCLUSION: Because BAF is frequently associated with chronic bronchitis and obstructive pneumonia as well as tuberculosis, a careful clinical evaluation and accurate differential diagnosis is more essential than empirical anti-tuberculous medication.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Pneumoconiosis

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to compare the margin and internal fitness of single anterior all-ceramic crown zirconia core made by three deferent CAD/CAM systems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five single zirconia cores were manufactured by three deferent CAD/CAM systems(Cerasys(R)system, KaVo Everest(R)system, Lava(TM) system). The manufactured zirconia cores were duplicated through the use of replica technique, and a replicated sample was sectioned in the center of bucolingual and mesiodistal direction to measure the marginal and internal gap. Measurement was carried out by using measuring microscope (AXIO(R)) and I-Solution(R) and analysed through the use of ANOVA. RESULTS: As for the mean marginal fitness of the zirconia core, it was 84.74 +/- 27.57 micrometer, in Cerasys(R), 80.23 +/- 21.07 micrometer in KaVo Everest(R) and 96.37 +/- 11.45 micrometer in Lava(TM), and as for the mean internal gap, it was 94.11 +/- 30.07 micrometer in Cerasys(R), 92.31 +/- 25.18 micrometer in KaVo Everest(R), and 94.99 +/- 18.74 micrometer in Lava(TM). There was no significant statistically deference among the total average gap of three systems. The internal gap in KaVo Everest(R) seemed to be smaller than Lava(TM) (P < .05). The internal gap in the incisal area was larger in all of the three systems. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in marginal fitness in Cerasys(R), KaVo Everest(R) and Lava(TM). As for the internal fitness, it was smaller in KaVo Everest(R) system than Lava(TM)system. In all of the three systems, there was a larger gap in incisal area. The marginal and internal gap was within the clinically allowed range in all of the three systems.
Crowns ; Replica Techniques ; Zirconium

OBJECT: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes, such as cell growth, differentiation, inflammation, and tissue repair. It is not yet clear whether the presence of this cytokine has deleterious or protective effects for neurons in a given pathophysiological condition. Several authors have demonstrated that TGF-beta has been shown to rescue cultured neurons from excitotoxic and hypoxic cell death and to reduce infarct size after focal cerebral ischemia in mice and rabbits. The present study investigated the effect of diazepam on the expression of TGF-beta in rat brain tissue after inducing transient cerebral ischemia. METHODS: Ten male rats were killed after a mild and reversible ischemic damage produced by a 15-minutes occlusion of both carotid arteries without occlusion of the vertebral arteries. Five ischemia-treated and 5 sham-operated rats were injected with 10 mg/kg diazepam and vehicle, respectively at 30 minutes, and again 90 minutes following the onset of reperfusion. After 1, 2 and 7 days following the reperfusion, brains were removed from control, sham-operated, and ischemia-treated with or without diazepam-injected groups, then immunohistochemistry and Western blotting for TGF-beta were performed. Cerebral cortices and hippocampi were sectioned from ischemia-treated, shamoperated and control group rats, and stained using cresyl violet. RESULTS: When the immunoblot-results of TGF-beta expression were analyzed using a image analysis system, TGF-beta expression were increased in ischemia-treated without diazepam-injected rats, and decreased in ischemia-treated with diazepam-injected rats at 2 and 7 days after reperfusion compared to control and sham-operated groups. Cresyl violet staining became intense in ischemia-treated without diazepam-injected group and became unclear in ischemia-treated with diazepam-injected group compared to sham-operated and control groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Diazepam influenced the TGF-beta expression in the brain of ischemia-treated rats.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Carotid Arteries ; Cell Death ; Cerebral Cortex ; Diazepam* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; Ischemic Attack, Transient* ; Male ; Mice ; Neurons ; Rabbits ; Rats* ; Reperfusion ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Vertebral Artery ; Viola

PURPOSE: Forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3)+T cells are the major regulatory T cells controlling all aspects of the immune response. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a suppressive cytokine which mediates the suppressive action of FOXP3+T cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of FOXP3+T cells, TGF-beta in colonic mucosa of children with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: Colonic mucosal biopsies were obtained from 10 children with CD (12~15 years of age) and 11 control (8~15 years of age). Frequencies of FOXP3+T, CD4+T cells and TGF-beta1 expression were examined in the lamina propria (LP) and lymphoid aggregates or follicles (LA/F) by immunohistochemistry, and later evaluated by association with disease activity. RESULTS: In the LP of CD group, frequencies of FOXP3+T, CD4+T cells, proportion of FOXP3/CD4+T cells and TGF-beta1 expression significantly increased compared to the control. In the LA/F of CD group, frequency of FOXP3+T cells, proportion of FOXP3/CD4+T cells and TGF-beta1 expression significantly increased compared to the control (p<0.05). CD4+T cells also increased compared to the control, but this finding was not significant. In the LP and LA/F of CD group, frequency of FOXP3+T cells exhibited positive correlation with CD4+T cells (p<0.05). In the LP and LA/F of CD group, TGF-beta1 expression had positive correlation with CRP, Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index, and negative correlation with hematocrit and albumin (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Increased frequency of FOXP3+T cells and TGF-beta1 expression in colonic mucosa of CD can be interpreted as a compensatory increase towards achieving down-regulation of immune responses.
Biopsy ; Child ; Colon ; Crohn Disease ; Down-Regulation ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mucous Membrane ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) of the liver is rare benign tumor. When the diagnosis of IPT is established with biopsy, simple observation or conservative therapy is preferred because of the possibility of regression. But IPT is unresponsive to the conservative treatment, surgical resection should be considered. We experienced a 63-year-old male, who was suspected hepatocellular carcinoma in abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan, presented with 2-month history of intermittent fever and weight loss. Percutaneous ultrasound guided core biopsy confirmed IPT of the liver. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics were administered for 8 and 4 weeks, respectively, but fever continued. So, extended right hepatectomy was performed for IPT of the liver and then fever subsided. The patient remains well during a follow-up period of 12 months.
Middle Aged ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Liver Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology/*surgery ; Liver/pathology/surgery ; Humans ; *Hepatectomy ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell/*diagnosis/pathology/*surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential