No abstract available.
Animals ; Meperidine* ; Mice* ; Morphine* ; Naloxone*

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are characterized by immediate - and late - phase reactions to various allergens by the selective activation of a subset of CD4 + T cells. In response to allergen, T cells isolated from atopic donors are biased to low levels of IFN - y and high levels of IL - 4, and vice versa by T cells from non - atopic donor. Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the patterns of IL - 4 and IFN - y production after Der p I stimulation and the effect on the cytokine production from T cells by budesonide, disodium cromoglycate and cyclosporin A in atopic and non - atopic individuals. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Seven Der p I specific atopic and 7 non - atopic individuals were selected. We decided the 50% inhibiting concentration of each immunomodulator by lymphocyte proliferation assay, and measured their effects on the cytokine production in vitro by intracellular IL - 4, IFN - y staining and flow cytometry. Results and CONCLUSION: There was significant difference on stimulation index ( SI ) of production of IFN - y as well as IL-4 after Der p I stimulation between atopic and non-atopic individuals ( IL - 4 ; 1.57 +/- 0.7 : 0.98 +/- 0.2, p = 0.026, IFN - r : 1.45 +/- 0.5 : 0.95 +/- 0.2, p = 0.048 ). The synthesis of IL - 4, and IFN - r were significantly inhibited after the stimulation of every immunomodulators in atopic individuals, DSCG couldnt inhibit IL - 4 and IFN - r in nonatopic individuals. There was no significant difference in the inhibiting effect of these immunomodulators in both of them.
Allergens ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Budesonide ; Cromolyn Sodium ; Cyclosporine ; Dust* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; Interferons* ; Interleukin-4 ; Lymphocytes ; Pyroglyphidae* ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Tissue Donors

Analysis and prediction of the care charges related to colorectal cancer in Korea are important for the allocation of medical resources and the establishment of medical policies because the incidence and the hospital charges for colorectal cancer are rapidly increasing. But the previous studies based on statistical analysis to predictthe hospital charges for patients did not show satisfactory results. Recently, data mining emerges as a new technique to extract knowledge from the huge and diverse medical data. Thus, we built models using data mining techniques to predict hospital charge for the patients. A total of 1,022 admission records with 154 variables of 492 patients were used to build prediction models who had been treated from 1999 to 2002 in the Kyung Hee University Hospital. We built an artificial neural network (ANN) model and a classification and regression tree (CART) model, and compared their prediction accuracy. Linear correlation coefficients were high in both models and the mean absolute errors were similar. But ANN models showed a better linear correlation than CART model (0.813 vs. 0.713 for the hospital charge paid by insurance and 0.746 vs. 0.720 for the hospital charge paid by patients). We suggest that ANN model has a better performance to predict charges of colorectal cancer patients.
Algorithms ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*economics/epidemiology ; Comparative Study ; *Decision Trees ; *Hospital Charges ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea/epidemiology ; *Models, Econometric ; *Neural Networks (Computer) ; Predictive Value of Tests

No abstract available.
Female* ; Humans ; Krukenberg Tumor*

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by the accumulation of phospholipids and proteinaceous material in the alveolar spaces. Sequential bronchopulmonary lavage with 2-4 days interval has been the most acceptable method of treatment. Prognosis after bronchopulmonary lavage is very variable. We have experienced recurred case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. In this case we have performed sequential lavage in one stage safely. Complete removal of lavage fluid, facilitation of oxygenation by ventilation of lavaged lung with positive end expiratory pressure, and adequate evaluation of oxygenation enabled sequential lavage in one stage. We report a case of sequential bronchopulmonary lavage in one stage in a patient with a recurred pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage* ; Humans ; Lung ; Oxygen ; Phospholipids ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis* ; Rare Diseases ; Therapeutic Irrigation ; Ventilation

No abstract available.
Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Vitamin E* ; Vitamins*

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia refers to a specific disturbance in psychic functioning characterized by difficulties in capacity to verbalize affect and to elaborate fantasies. Although initially described in the context of psychosomatic illness, alexithymic characteristics may be observed in patients with a wide range of medical and psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study was to evaluate the relationship between the alexithymia and bronchial asthma, and to compare the results with finding from a group of acute infectious illness subjects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Alexithymia was measured with on Korean translation of the TAS-20 (Toronto Alexithymic Scale-20 Korea version) and the Scored Archetypal 9 Test(SAT9). Thirty patients with bronchial asthma and thirty patients with acute infectious illness completed these tests. The SAT9 and the TAS-20K scores were compared in the both group, considering the age, gender, education level, and duration of illness. RESULT: Bronchial asthma patients had significantly higher score of on the TAS-20K and SAT9 compared with those with infectious illness(p<0.05). The two scales correlated in expected direction. Alexithymia was significantly related to education level(SAT9: r=0.335, TAS-20K: r=-0.376, p<0.01) and duration of illness(asthma group, SAT9: r=-0.383, TAS-20K: r=0.288, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Bronchial asthma patients had significantly higher alexithymic scores. This finding suggests that psycliathic consultation may be considered for the management of asthmatic patients with alexithyria.
Affective Symptoms* ; Asthma* ; Education ; Fantasy ; Humans ; Korea ; Weights and Measures

Cerebral oximetry based on the principle of near infrared spectroscopy is a relatively new technique that can monitor changes in cerebral oxygenation. Limited clinical experience with this monitoring technique exists, and the critical level of cerebral oxygen saturation below which neuronal damage takes place, has not been established. However, cerebral oximetry enables noninvasive and continuous cerebral oxygen saturation monitoring. It provides valuable information during carotid endarterectomy and other neurologic conditons. We experienced cerebral oxygen saturation changes during carotid endarterectomy. We monitored electroencephalography (EEG) simultaneously. During clamping of common carotid artery, there was a decrease in cerebral oxygen saturation from 65% to 58% without EEG changes. During clamping of external carotid artery, there was a decrease in cerebral oxygen saturation from 65% to 60% without EEG change.
Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Artery, External ; Constriction ; Electroencephalography ; Endarterectomy, Carotid* ; Ischemia ; Neurons ; Oximetry ; Oxygen* ; Spectrum Analysis

No abstract available.
Antiemetics* ; Cisplatin* ; Dexamethasone* ; Humans ; Lorazepam* ; Metoclopramide* ; Ondansetron*

The partial replacement of the human duodenal mucosa by epithelial cells containing gastric-type mucus(gastric metaplasia) is not an uncommon finding, and an emphasis on its etiological role in duodenal ulcerogenesis has been proposed. It is unclear, Furthermore, all the previous studies were done with endoscopic biopsy specimens. We reviewed a total of 118 surgically resected stomachs with attached duodenal stumps(24 cases of gastric ulcer, 15 duodenal ulcer and 79 advanced gastric cancer). The gastric-type mucous cells were homogeneously stained red with PAS in contrast to the intestinal cells which gave a strong PAS stainability only along the the brush border. The gastric metaplasia was seen near the tips or on the sides of the villi and occasionally in the crypts. It was observed in 8 cases(53%) in duodenal ulcer, 12 cases(50%) in gastric ulcer and 29 cases(37%) in gastric cancer. There were no significant statistical differences in incidence among the groups. Nevertheless, diffuse form of gastric metaplasia was more prevalent in patients with duodenal ulcer(p<0.05).
Humans ; Incidence ; Biopsy ; Stomach Neoplasms