BACKGROUND: The positive reactions of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) show varying degrees in the tissue of all sweat gland neoplasms by immunohistochemistry. The CEA secreted from sweat glands presents a high value, compared with that of serum. OBJECTIVE: The study was to evaluate the sweat CEA value in relation to serum CEA value by sex, smoking status and blood type in healthy subjects. METHOD: Fifty-two healthy subjects(M : 43, F :9) aged 21-30, participated in the study. 2ml sweat was collected from the face and chest after intense exercises and 3ml blood was collected from their antecubital veins. Roche Core CEA enzyme immunoassay was used for the measurement of sweat and serum CEA. RESULTS: Sweat CEA values were 102.0+4100.5ng/ml in males and 70.6+458.5ng/ml in females, with their mean valueof 96.6+/-94.9ng/ml. Sweat CEA values were 108.3+/-103.5ng/ml in 27 smokers and 83.9+/-84.8ng/ml in 25 nonsmokers(p>0.05, t-test). Sweat CEA values were higher among the males and the smokers. Serum CEA values were 2.5+/-1.7ng/ml in males and 1.6+/-0.8ng/ml in females, with its mean value of 2.4+/-1.6ng/ml. There was no difference between serum values of smokers and nonsmokers. Sweat CEA values were about 40 times higher than those of serum, with no correlation of sweat and serum CEA(correlation coefficient=-0.16, P>0.05). In the blood type study, sweat CEA values were 123.1+/-131.8ng/ml in A type and 66.1+/-55.0ng/ml in B type(P>0.05), whereas serum CEA values were higher in AB type and lower in O type(P<0.05, ANOVA). CONCLUSION: Sweat CEA values are extraordinarily high in contradistinction to serum. Sweat CEA values are not affected by sex, smoking status and blood type. There seems to be no association between CEA values of sweat and serum.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen* ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sweat Gland Neoplasms ; Sweat Glands ; Sweat* ; Thorax ; Veins

BACKGROUND: Better effect of antiemetic drugs can be obtained by combination of multiple antiemetic drugs that have different mechanisms of action. However, if the combined drugs have similar mechanisms of action, the incidence of side effects may be increase. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of using combination therapy consisting of metoclopramide and dexamethasone in control of postoperative nausea and vomiting. METHODS: Sixty adult female patients undergoing major gynecological operation under the general anesthesia were randomly divided into two groups according to administered drugs. The patients received a single IV dose of metoclopramide (10 mg, Group I) or metoclopramide plus dexamethasone (10 mg 8 mg, Group II) when as operator sutured the skin wound. The incidences of nausea and vomiting were assessed during the first 12, 24, and 48 hours after recovery from anesthesia. RESULTS: There were no prominent incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting between two groups within postoperative 12 hours. But there were significantly increased incidences of nausea and vomiting in Group I (26.7%, 13.3%) compared to Group II ( 8.0%, 3.2%) during postoperative 24 hours and 48 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy of metoclopramide with dexamethasone seemes to have no synergic effect in control of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Antiemetics ; Dexamethasone* ; Female ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Incidence ; Metoclopramide* ; Nausea ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting* ; Skin ; Vomiting ; Wounds and Injuries

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical implications of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil counts as indices of airway inflammation during the follow-up of asthmatics (BA). METHODS: We repeatedly measured the serum ECP, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and peak expiratory low rate (PFR) during the follow up of 24 symptomatic BA. RESULTS: Mean serum ECP level of BA at uncontrolled status of airflow limitation was significantly higher than that of controlled state (24.5i3.7 ng/ml rs. 16.2+1.9 ng/ml, p<0.05) and the ECP levels of controlled and uncontrolled status were significantly higher than that of health control subjects (n=10, 10.1+/-2.0 ng/ml, p<0.01 respectively). Pe ripheral blood eosinophils were also significantly increased in uncontrolled status than in controlled status of BA (535.7+/-81.0/1tL vs. 300.4+33.4/micro liter, p < 0.05). In controlled status, 8 BA had higher circulating ECP levels than in uncontrolled status, but with peripheral blood eosinophil counts, only 3 BA had higher levels in controlled status than in uncontrolled status. Variations of PFR correlated with the variations of serum ECP level (r=-0.5370, p<0.01) and variations of peripheral blood eosinophil count (r=-0.6215, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil count would be useful tools for monitoring the disease activity of asthma, but we could not obtain any more informations from the measureinert of serum ECP levels than from the peripheral blood eosinophil counts.
Asthma* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation

In this study, clinical effectiveness of Pharmacia CAP system for determination of allergen specific IgE was evaluated depending on the results of Bencard skin prick tests in 100 atopic and 18 nonatopic asthmatics. The Pharmacia CAP specific IgE positive rates were higher as the SPT grades were increased : negative (n=623) (17.8%); + (n=81) (34.6%); 2+ (n=223) (56.5%); 3+ (n=106) (70.8%); and 4+/-< (n=127)3+ (92.1%), respectively. The overall concordant rate between Bencard SPT and Pharmacia CAP system was 81.7% with range of 70.7~92.1%. The Overall sensitivity of Pharmacia CAP system was 80.7%. The sensitivities for 10 allergens, which ranged from 57.5% to 100 %, were as followed; D.pteronyssinus (96.1%), D.farinae (96.7%), cat dander (61.5%), cockroach (65.2%), Aspergillus fumigatus (57.1%), ragweed (62.5%), mugwort (75.0%), Meadow fescue (100%), birch (62.4%), and oak (80.0%), respectively. Overall specificity of Pharmacia CAP system was 82.2%. The specificity of CAP system in nonatopic subjects (n=18, 160 test) was 94.4% which was quite different with the 77.6% of atopic subjects (n=100, 463 test). SPT A/H ratios were significantly correlated with Pharmacia CAP specific IgE concentration (KU/L) in D.pteronyssinus (r=0.520, p<0.001), D.farinae (r=0.490, p<0.001), A.fumigatus (r=0.315, p<0.01), mugwort (r=0.210, p<0.05), ragweed (r=0.213, p<0.05), birch (r=0.232, p<0.05), M.fescue (r=0.410, p<0.001). But, in cockroach (r=0.192, p<0.1), cat dander and oak pollen, SPT A/H ratios were not correlated with the concentration of specific IgE. These results suggest that Pharmacia CAP system is useful for etiologic evaluation of immediate hypersensitivity and quantitative evaluation of specific IgE in atopic asthma.
Allergens ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Asthma* ; Betula ; Cats ; Cockroaches ; Dander ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Pollen ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: House dust mites have been known as the most important allergens in respiratory allergic disease. Since environmental factors may have influences on the pathogenesis of allergic disease, the study using Korean house dust mites for immune and biologic reactions in house dust mite-sensitive allergic disease is considered as significant. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We made two in-house allergenic extracts of Korean house dust mites (D. farinae and D. pteronpsssinus) and performed this study for the allergen standardization by in vivo methods and for the evaluation of the reliabilities for clinical applications. RESULT: As a results of biologic standardization using skin prick test teachnique, the activity of 1: 1,500w/v of D. farinae extract was estimated 1,000 biology unit(BU), concentration that elicits a wheal of the same size as that of histamine dihydrochloride 1mg/ml. The activity of 1: 1,000w/v of D. pteronyssinus was condiered as 1,000BU. The activity of 1:100w/v of both D. farinae and D. pteronpssiuns extracts were considered as 100,000 Allergy Unit(AU), based on intradermal skin testing of 30 subjects with strong sensitive reaction. The concordant rates between results of skin prick test done with 5,000BU/ml concentration of in-house allergenic extracts and thoae with the commercially available allergen(Bencard Co., UK) were 84.6% and 81.0% for D. farinae and D. pteronpssinus, respectively. The wheal erythema size and A/H ratios induced by in-house extracts were significantly correlated with those induced by Bencard allergen. CONCLUSION: This results suggest that in-house extracts of the whole bodies of two house dust mites have good allergenic activities in vivo. It is considered to be clinically useful and reliable allergenic extracts.
Allergens ; Biology ; Dust* ; Erythema ; Histamine ; Hypersensitivity ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Skin ; Skin Tests

Drowning is a leading cause of accidental deaths worldwide, but its pathological diagnosis remains a challenge for forensic pathologists owing to a lack of pathognomonic findings in drowning deaths and inconclusive autopsy findings caused by postmortem changes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathway taken by inhaled drowning medium through the airway after death in a variety of experimental conditions, including underwater pressurization. We used methylene blue dye to monitor the spread of drowning medium to the lungs. Results of theses experiments demonstrated that it is possible for a significant amount of downing medium to enter the airway during immersion after death. Our results suggest that autopsies of immersed bodies and interpretation of these findings should be performed with special care.
Animal Experimentation* ; Animals* ; Autopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drowning* ; Immersion ; Inhalation* ; Lung ; Methylene Blue* ; Postmortem Changes

Uterine didelphys with unilateral hematometra, hemicolpos, and ipsilateral renal agenesis is a rare m01lerian duct malformation. Uterine didelphys with an obstructed hemivagina is frequently associated with renal agenesis, mostly ipsilateral to the blind vaginal pouch. Accurate early diagnosis and septal resection elevate pregnancy rate and birth rate but it is difficult to find these malfomations until the complication associated with pregnancy was developed. We report a case of successful gestational outcome in the presence of preterm labor due to hematometrocolpora caused by uterine didelphys with unilateral imperforated vagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis with brief review of the literatures.
Birth Rate ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Hematometra ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Uterus* ; Vagina

In case of the large bone defect due to severe varus or valgus deformity in total knee replacement, there are many different methods for reconstruction of the bone defect for insertion of the tibial component after resection of the proximal tibia. Total knee replacement using the autogenous bone graft were performed in 27 knees (18 patients) with tibial bone defect. Authors report the methods and results with an average 23 months follow-up. We used the bone removed from distal femur and calculated the size of the proximal tibia. We used the screws, if necessary, for rigid fixation of the grafted bone. l. According to the type of bone defect, central defect type were 3 knees, peripheral defect type were 13 knees and combined type were 11 knees. 2. In A-P view of x-ray, the size of bone defect of the tibial plateau ranged 5mm to 25mm (average 11.1mm) in height. 3. Screws were used for fixation of grafted bone in 14 knees and the average size of the screws was 27.8mm. 4. Bony union of the grafted bone achieved from 3 months to 12 months (average 5.7months). 5. Average knee ROM was 105 degrees and improved post-operatively 121 degrees, and average flexion contracture was 22.4 degrees and improved post-operatively 7.5 degrees. 6. Post-operative tibiofemoral angle was average 7.5 degrees valgus. 7. Average knee rating score was 54.5 and improved post-operatively 89.2. 8. The comlication of bone graft was partial resorption in 1 case and the loosening or displacement due to screw were abscent.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Knee ; Tibia ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Basophilic, Acute*