Control of tuberculosis is threatened by widespread emergence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Understanding the molecular basis of resistance might lead to development of novel rapid methods for diagnosing drug resistance. Rifampin is a key component among therapeutic regimens for the tuberculosis; therefore, patients who have drug resistance do not convalesce satisfactorily. The molecular mechanism of resistance to rifampin in M. tuberulosis has been elucidated. Substitutions of a limited number of highly conserved amino acids encoded by the rpoB gene are responsible for the ""single-step"" high-level resistance of M. tuberculosis to rifampin. Currently, two genotype-based protocols allow drug test from minimally grown cultured materials: (i)mutation identification by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified material. and (ii)mutation screening by PCR-SSCP. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the both methods. A sample of 75 isolates of M. tuberculosis was studied, and it inculded 36 rifampin-resistant strains and 39 rifampin-sensitive strains by conventional methods. Mutaions were identified in 36 rifampin-resistant isolates but in none of 39 sensitive isolates. All mutations were clustered within a region of 23 amino acids. Both methods allow detection of rifampin resistance in 2 to 3 days and will thus help in the early management of infection by M. tuberculosis.
Amino Acids ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Rifampin ; Tuberculosis

Control of tuberculosis is threatened by widesread emergence of drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Rifampin is a key component among therapeutic regimens for the tuberculosis; therefore patients in whom resistance to this drug develop have a poor outlook, particularly if rifampin resistance is associated with resistance to other tuberculosis drugs. The purpose of this study was to detect the mutation in rpoB gene of rifampin resistant M. tuberculosis in Korea and to evaluate the usefulness of the method in clinical aspects. A sample of 80 M. tuberculosis was studied, and it included 40 rifampin resistance isolates and 40 rifampin sensitive isolates by conventional methods. The detection method involved the amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the Rif' region and the identification of mutations by single-strand DNA conformation polymorphism analysis (SSCP) of the amplification products (157 bp). Mutation were identified in 39 of 40 rifampin resistant isolates, and in 1 of 40 rifampin sensitive isolates.
Humans ; Korea ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Nucleic Acid Conformation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Rifampin ; Tuberculosis

Background:Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus(IDDM) is known to be a disease characterized by a deficiency of insulin caused by destruction of the pancreatic beta-cells. It has been suggested that the clinical and immunological characteristics of IDDM in Korean are different from those of Caucasian. This study was undertaken to investigate the clinical characteristics and the prevalence of autoimmune markers in type I diabetic children and their prediabetic siblings in Korea. METHODS:Insulin autoantibody(IAA), antiglutamic acid decarboxylase(Anti-GAD) antibody, thyroid autoantibodies such as antithyroid antibody(ATA) and antimicrosomal antibody(AMA), and rheumatoid facter(RF) in 54 type I diabetic children have been measured. Diabetic autoimmune antibodies were also measured in 48 siblings. RESULTS: 1)Clinical characteristics of type I diabetic children were that age of onset was 8.6+/-4.4 years, duration of diabetes was 4.1+/-3.3 years. C-peptide at onset of diabetes was fasting 0.7+/-0.5ng/ml, and postprandial 1.2+/-0.5ng/ml, and HbA1c was 12.5+/-4.3%. 2)The positivity of IAA and anti-GAD antibody of type I diabetic children was 74% and 50% respectively. ATA and AMA positivity of type I diabetic children was 3.7% and 5.6%. however RF was not detected at all. Among the diabetic siblings, 48 persons for anti-GAD antibody, 21 for IAA, 27 for ICA were measured but 1 case was positive for IAA. 3)Clinical characteristics of type I diabetic children were not specific different between IAA and anti-GAD antibody positivity. But the mean age of onset of type I diabetic children was younger in case of both positivity of IAA and anti-GAD antibody than both negativity(7.8 vs 11.4 years old, P<0.05). 4)A case in whose brothers are diagnosed as IDDM has shown that autoantibody of elder brother was positive in both IAA and anti-GAD antibody, and younger brother was also strongly positive in IAA. Another case in whose sisters were IDDM, has shown that, while elder sister was positive in IAA, younger sister strongly positive in both IAA and anti-GAD antibody. 5)In a case of identical twin brother, the elder is type I diabetic child and the younger is normal, elder brother's onset of age was 6 years and 8 months old, and titer of anti-GAD antibody was measured as strong positive. Both ICA and anti- GAD antibody were negative in normal younger brother. First phase insulin release in IV GTT and the insulin levels in oral GTT showed reduction from the normal level in normal brother, and repeat check up showed normal ranges but on-going study is needed under observation. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of autoantibody positivity of type I diabetic children of Korea in this study were IAA 74%, and anti-GAD antibody 50%. Cases with both IAA and anti-GAD antibody positive were shown to be earlier onset. Though titers of auto-antibody in IDDM twins, brothers and sisters were strongly positive, auto-antibodies in siblings of IDDM patients were detected only one case with IAA positive(0.47%). We suggest that the pathogenesis of IDDM in Korean is different from foreign countries in terms of prevalence of autoimmune antibodies and more numbers of diabetic siblings should be tested for further study.
Age of Onset ; Antibodies* ; Autoantibodies ; C-Peptide ; Child* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Fasting ; Humans ; Infant ; Insulin ; Korea ; Prevalence* ; Reference Values ; Siblings* ; Thyroid Gland ; Twins, Monozygotic

Polyarteritis nodosa is systemic necrotizing vasculitis of medium and small-sized arteries and results in variable manifestations due to ischemia of the involving organs. Diagnosis can either be made pathologically by demonstrating necrotizing vasculitis of arteries or angiographycally by demonstrating small arterial aneurysm. We experienced a case of PAN with dilated cardiomyopathy, confirmed by clinical feature, renal biopsy, angiography and echocardiography.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Biopsy ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Ischemia ; Polyarteritis Nodosa* ; Vasculitis

OBJECTIVES: The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful non-invasive tool to investigate the autonomic nerve function. Previous studies on the relationship between HRV and depression have been reported controversial results. Similarly, the correlation between the serum lipids and depression is debatable. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between heart rate variability, lipid profile and depression. METHODS: A total of 42 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 32 age and sex-matched normal subjects who had no previous history of major medical and mental illnesses were recruited for this study. A structured-interview was used to assess the general characteristics and psychiatric illness. HRV measures were assessed by time-domain and frequency-domain analyses. Psychological symptoms were measured using the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAM-A), Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D). In addition, the evaluation for lipid profile was performed by blood test. RESULTS: In serum lipid profile test, MDD group showed higher cholesterol (197.68+/-42.94 mg/dL vs. 176.85+/-34.68 mg/dL, p=0.044), TG (139.45+/-92.54 mg/dL vs. 91.4+/-65.68 mg/dL, p=0.018), LDL (130.03+/-33.18 vs. 106.62+/-27.08, p=0.004) level than normal control group. In HRV time domain analyses, the standard deviation of the NN interval (SDNN) was decreased in MDD group than normal control group, but was not significant (32.82+/-14.33 ms vs. 40.36+/-21.40ms, p=0.078). ApEn (Approximate Entrophy) was significantly increased in MDD group than normal control group (1.13+/-0.11 vs. 0.91+/-0.18, p<0.001). ApEn was correlated with LDL level (r=0.277, p=0.028), HAM-D scores (r=0.534, p<0.001) and HAM-A scores (r=0.470, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: MDD patients showed increased ApEn, one of the HRV measurement. And this ApEn was correlated with LDL, HAM-D and HAM-A scores. In this study, the analysis of ApEn would be a useful test of MDD.
Anxiety ; Autonomic Pathways ; Cholesterol ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans

No abstract available.
Pyloric Stenosis*

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Fallopian Tubes* ; Female

No abstract available.
Meconium* ; Peritonitis*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Lymphangioma*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans