No abstract available.
Gastric Outlet Obstruction*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Microcomputers* ; Survival Analysis*

OBJECTIVES: Catecholamine metabolism has been thought to be related to the pathophysiology of panic disorder. There are two human COMT alleles, coding for a low activity enzyme, COMT L(L), and a high activity enzyme, COMT H(H), respectively. We examined the distribution of COMT genotypes and the relationship between COMT genetic polymorphism and some clinical characteristics in patients with panic disorder. METHOD: We recruited 51 patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for panic disorder, and 45 normal control subjects who had neither medical nor psychiatric illnesses. Genetic polymorphism of COMT was identified in all subjects using PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) analysis. We assessed some clinical variables including treatment responses in panic patients and measured anxiety and depression levels in normal control subjects using Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULT: The frequency of the homozygous LL genotype was higher in panic patients than that in control subjects (19.6% vs. 2.2%). We found that panic disorder was significantly associated with L allele (x2=8.66, p=0.003) and LL genotype(x2=8.45, p=0.015). Panic patients with LL genotype showed poorer treatment response than those with other genotypes (F=4.98, p=0.011). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LL genotype of the COMT gene may be related to the pathophysiology and clinical courses in some patients with panic disorder.
Alleles ; Anxiety ; Catechol O-Methyltransferase* ; Clinical Coding ; Depression ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Genotype ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Panic Disorder* ; Panic* ; Pilot Projects* ; Polymorphism, Genetic*

In Korea, all domestic made test systems for detecting antibodies in HIV-1 contain the antigens from human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B. However, because HIV-1 subtype O is significantly different in amino acid sequences from all other subtypes of HIV-1, there has been a need for developing a test for detecting antibodies in subtype O. For this purpose, the entire nucleotide sequence corresponding to the extracellular domain of the transmembrane glycoprotein of HIV-1 subtype O was synthesized with consideration of Escherichia coli cordon usage. Various regions of the extracellular domain were cloned into E. coli expression vectors and tested for levels of protein production. The nucleotide sequence, named ECTM, that can encode a 129 amino acid-long peptide, was found to be expressed at a high level in E. coli. The protein of approximately 17 kDa specifically reacted with sera from individuals infected with HIV-1 subtype O. The ECTM protein was purified to near homogeneity by the CM-T gel chromatography, using concentrated, denatured inclusion bodies. In Western blot analysis, the purified viral antigen reacted with sera from individuals infected with subtype O more efficiently than subtype B. The enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) system was developed using the subtype O viral protein and compared with the commercially available kit lacking the antigens from subtype O. The ELISA kit containing the subtype O antigen ECTM alone efficiently reacted with sera from individuals infected with subtype O. The subtype O antigen-containing kit produced a positive absorbence even when sera were diluted 512-fold, suggesting a high sensitivity. The commercially available kit also reacted with subtype O sera, but produced a negative result at a dilution of 8-fold. Our results suggest that the currently available kit may not be able to efficiently detect subtype O sera and that the viral protein developed in this study may be added to the current system to maximize the detection of sera from individuals infected with subtype O.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Antibodies ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Western ; Chromatography, Gel ; Clone Cells ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Escherichia coli ; Glycoproteins ; HIV* ; HIV-1* ; Humans* ; Inclusion Bodies ; Korea ; O Antigens

No abstract available.
Ameloblasts* ; Fibroma*

No abstract available.
Ameloblasts* ; Fibroma*

No abstract available.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General* ; Humans

Background: Although an ambulatory surgical practice continues to increase, there is a few data exist about patient discharge criteria. This study was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness and safety of Aldrete PAR (postanesthetic recovery) score and modified PADSS (modified postaneathesia discharge scoring system) on ambulatory surgery patients for recovery in Korea. Methods: Demographic, anesthetic data, Aldrete PAR score and modified PADSS on 279 patients were recorded. The time to dicharge, from recovery room and postoperative complications were evaluated, also. Results: PAR score and modified PADSS are correlated to length of stay in ambulatory surgery center. 24hr after discharge, 16% patients complained postoperative complications. Pain was most frequent postoperative complication. The PAR score was correlated with the occurrence of the complication. Conclusion: PAR score and modified PADSS are useful scoring systems to evaluate patients and make a decision to discharge the patients from ambulatory surgery center in safe.
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures* ; Humans ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Patient Discharge* ; Postoperative Complications ; Recovery Room

Over the past three decades, human pancreatic islet isolation and transplantation techniques have developed as a routine clinical procedure for selected patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, due to the donor shortage and required chronic systemic immunosuppression, the widespread application of islet transplantation is limited. To overcome these limitations, providing a physical barrier to transplanted islet cells with encapsulating biomaterial has emerged as a promising approach to enhance engraftment and promote islet survival post-transplantation. Alginate has been considered to be a reliable biomaterial, as it enhances islet survival and does not hamper hormone secretion. Alginate-catechol (Al-CA) hydrogel was reported to provide high mechanical strength and chemical stability without deformation over a wide range of pH values. In this study, we, demonstrated, for the first time in the literature, that encapsulation of murine pancreatic islet cells with Al-CA hydrogel does not induce cytotoxicity ex vivo for an extended period; however, it does markedly abate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Catechol should not be considered as a constituent for alginate gelation for encapsulating islet cells in the application of islet transplantation.
Architectural Accessibility ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Humans ; Hydrogel ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Immunosuppression ; Insulin* ; Islets of Langerhans Transplantation ; Islets of Langerhans* ; Temefos ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: To determine the clinical usefulness of lactic acidosis in an evaluation of patients with suspected generalized convulsion. METHODS: This was retrospective cohort study. The correlation between the lactate level and the time to blood gas analysis (ABGA) was analyzed in patients who had a final diagnosis of seizure to exclude the time effect on the spontaneous clearance of lactate. The patient's data in the true seizure group and false seizure group was then compared. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve of lactate, pH and base deficit for diagnosing true seizure was drawn. The sensitivity and specificity of the presence of hyperlactatemia or acidosis for a diagnosis of seizure and predicting epileptiform discharge at electroencephalography (EEG) was analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 173 patients suspected of having generalized convulsion, 136 patients were diagnosed with a true seizure on hospital discharge and patients whose ABGA was performed within 60 minutes after seizure showed a significantly higher arterial lactate level, lower arterial pH and base deficit than the patients whose ABGA was performed after 60 minutes of seizure onset. 62 patients whose ABGA was performed 60 minutes after symptom onset were excluded. Finally, of 111 patients, 89 patients with true seizure showed a significantly higher arterial lactate level, lower arterial pH and base deficit than the 22 patients with false seizure. The ROC curve of lactate, pH and base deficit showed a significant area under the curve for diagnosing true seizure. The presence of hyperlactatemia or acidosis showed high sensitivity for diagnosing true seizure and expecting epileptiform EEG when they were measured with 60 minutes after symptom onset. CONCLUSION: In patients with suspected generalized convulsion, upon presentation to the ED within 60 min of symptom onset, the presence of hyperlactatemia or acidosis increased the likelihood of a true seizure and might be an objective indicator for further evaluations of seizure. On the other hand, normal lactate levels and no acidosis could not exclude a true seizure.
Acidosis ; Acidosis, Lactic ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Cohort Studies ; Electroencephalography ; Hand ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lactic Acid ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Seizures ; Sensitivity and Specificity