BACKGROUND: The maximal removal rate of indocyanine green (ICG Rmax), which has been used as a useful indicator of quantitative assessment of the hepatic function, has some disadvantages such as high cost, requirement of multiple sampling, and long turn-around time. This study was designed to clarify that the measurement of the lidocaine metabolite, monoethylglycinekylidide (MEGX) test, can replace the ICG Rmax. And in healthy adults, MEGX forma pion was measured and compared according to methods of measurement and serf. METHOD: In 18 patients to whom ICG Rmax test was requested, ICG Rmax test was carried out at two doses of 0.5 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg and MEGX formation after 15 minute of 1 mg/kg lidocaine Injection was measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) method. The correlation between them was analyzed, To 25 healthy volunteers included in this study as normal control, lidocaine was given intravenously at, a dose of 1 mg/kg and MEGX forma pion was measured IS and 30 minute later (MEGX15, MEGX30) using both high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and FPIA methods. RESULT: Patient group resealed significant correlation between ICG Rmax and MEGX15 (r=0.7674, p<0.001) and also between ICG Rl5 and MEGX15 (r=0.5612, p=0.008). There was significant difference between MEGX15 of 9 patients with chronic liver diseases and those of normal controls (22.24+/- 13.18 and 35.40+/- 14.43 ng/mL, respectively) (p=0.01). In normal controls, the correlation between methods was significant (p=0.001) and the values measured by FPIA method was significantly higher than that by HPLG (p(0.001). Of the normal controls, male group had higher MEGX15 values than female group in both methods (in HPLC method 33.89+/-15.95 and 22.53+/- 8.36, and in FPIA method 41.48+/-16.61 and 28.81+/-7.88 ng/mL, respectively), and in female group MEGX30 values was significantly elevated compared to MEGX15 (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Inferred from the fact that the correlation between ICG Rmax and MEGX was good, MEGX test can be considered a replacement for ICG Rmax. In healthy adults, it is considered that there is serf-related difference In the rate of lidocaine metabolism so we should pay attention to it in interpreting the MEGX results.
Adult ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Female ; Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green* ; Lidocaine ; Liver Diseases ; Male ; Mesons ; Metabolism

No abstract available.
Seroepidemiologic Studies*

Endometriosis of the rectum is unusual condition, since it represents an invasion of previously normal bowel by hormone-dependent nonmalignant cell from uterus of the same patient. It is estimated that the incidence of endometriosis is about 8-15% of reproductive women, of whom 3-34% show intestinal invasion of rectosigmoid colon, appendix, ileum, and cecum in order of decreasing frequency. Symptoms related bowel involvement may vary from none to complete intestinal obstruction. Because the mucosa is involved infrequently there is rarely rectal bleeding. X-ray and sigmoidoscopic studies are usually negative. It was not reported that colonic endometriosis was confirmed by endoscopic biopsy. Recently we experienced a case of rectal endometriosis which presented itself as a cyclic rectal bleeding with abdominal pain and diagnosed by colonoscopic biopsy.
Abdominal Pain ; Appendix ; Biopsy* ; Cecum ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ileum ; Incidence ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Mucous Membrane ; Rectum ; Uterus

Paraquat is a very potent herbicide which causes fatal toxicity when ingested, and there is no specific antidote against it. So it is known that most of the patients who ingested it die of pulmonary fibrosis. We used hemoperfusion(HP) for the treatment against paraquat poisoning from July 1993 till March 1994 and analysed the data using SPSS/PC ver4.0 for chi-square and t-test for mean +/- SD. The results were as follows: 1) A total of 36 paraquat poisoning patients(22 males and 14 females, mean age 48.8 years) visited our hospital, and i8 patients out of 36 received hemoperfusion(total 90 cycles); there were statistically significant differences in ages(41.4 +/- 15.6 year vs 56.2 +/- 15.0 year, p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the amount of paraquat ingested(59.6 +/- 72.7ml vs 78.6 +/- 83.6ml, p=NS), gastric lavages(13/18 vs 16/18, p=NS), and use of Fuller's earth(8/18 vs 4/18, p=NS) between the patients who received HP and those who did not receive HP. 2) All the patients who did not receive HP died, but 9 patients out of 18 who received HP survived(p<0.005). There was no significant difference in ages(46.8 +/- 9.8 year vs 36.0 +/- 18.8 year, p=NS), amount of paraquat ingested(87.5 +/- 94.2 ml vs 34.8 +/- 36.4 ml, p=NS), gastric lavages(7/9 vs 6/9, p=NS), use of Fuller`s earth(5/9 vs 3/9, p=NS), and interval from the ingestion of paraquat to HP(52.449.9 hr vs 38339.7 hr, p=NS) between patients who died and those who survived, but SCr levels on arrival in expired patients were higher than those in surviving patients(5.0 +/- 3.5mg/dl vs 1.4 +/- 0.6mg/dl, p<0.05). Therefore, this suggests that hemoperfusion is very effective in the treatment of paraquat poisoning, and hemoperfusion is the most important factor in the prognosis of the patients.
Eating ; Female ; Hemoperfusion* ; Humans ; Male ; Paraquat* ; Poisoning* ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Fibrosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The transmission routes of HCV infection were not determined in the half of the HCV infected patients. So intrafamilial personal contact, sexual contact, vertical transmission and some vectors are supposed as a route of HCV infection. We investigated the prevalence of anti-HCV positivity in healthy Korean children and compared with the data from the healthy adults whether the vertical transmission is feasible. METHODS: Serum samples from 2,080 children in 8 elementary schools were tested for serum aminotransferases, hepatitis B viral markers by radioimmu- noassay, and anti-HCV by the third generation EIA. Sera from anti-HCV positive children were tested for HCV-RNA by RT-PCR. Six months later, same tests were repeated. RESULTS: Anti-HCV was positive in 17 children among 2,080(0.82%). Among 17 anti-HCV positive children, HCV-RNA was detected only in one case and the HCV genotype was type II by Okamotos classification. Anti-HCV was tested again in 7 of 17 anti-HCV positive children after 6 months later and all of these children were anti-HCV positive and additional 3 of 19 family members were anti-HCV positive. But HCV-RAN was not detected in alL CONCLUSION: Anti-HCV positive rate in children was 0.81%.
Adult ; Biomarkers ; Child* ; Classification ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B ; Humans ; Prevalence* ; Transaminases

BACKGROUND: The major transmission route of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transfusion of blood or blood products. But transfusion history is found only in half of HCV infected patients. In half of the patients the transmission routes of HCV were not determined. We estimate the prevalence of anti HCV in family members of the patients with HCV. METHODS: We tested anti-HCV by using the second generation enzyme immunoassay and measured HCV-RNA by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Serum samples from 135 adults who are family members of patients with anti-HCV positive liver disease were tested for serum aminotrasferase activities, hepatitis B viral markers by radioimmunoassay, and anti-HCV by EIA. RESULTS: anti-HCV positive rate in family members of the patients with HCV was 1.48% (2/135). This positive rate was not different from the studies of anti-HCV in general population in Korea (1.44%). CONCLUSION: Interfamilial transmission of HCV may probably occur, but it is uncommon being compare with other diseases such as HBV or HIV.
Adult ; Biomarkers ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B ; HIV ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Radioimmunoassay

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: MUC5AC is known to be a major secretory mucin in goblet cells of the mucosa of human lower respiratory tract. But in our preliminary study, we found that the levels of MUC8 mRNAs were significantly increased in the biopsy specimens of the nasal polyps whereas other mucin genes were not. This suggests the possibility that MUC8 might be one of the major overexpressed mucins in the nasal polyps. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cellular location of MUC5AC and MUC8 mRNA. Material and methods : Normal posterior ethmoid mucosa and the polyp tissue were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and were hybridized with the RNA riboprobe for MUC8 and the oligonucleotide probe for MUC5AC in the presence of digoxigenin (DIG). RESULT: In the normal posterior ethmoid mucosa, MUC 5AC mRNA and MUC8 mRNA were barely expressed in the epithelium and the submucosal glands. In the polyp epithelium, the expression of MUC 5AC mRNA was localized in the cytoplasm of goblet cells and the expression of MUC8 mRNA was strongly localized in the nucelus of the goblet cells, and weakly localized in the cytoplasm of the goblet cells. MUC8 mRNA was also expressed in low levels in the nucleus of the submucosal glands. CONCLUSION: MUC8 mRNA is localized mainly in the nucleus of goblet cells and is one of the major mucin genes overexpressed in goblet cells of thnasal polyp.
Biopsy ; Cytoplasm ; Digoxigenin ; Epithelium ; Goblet Cells ; Humans* ; Mucins ; Mucous Membrane ; Nasal Mucosa* ; Nasal Polyps ; Polyps ; Respiratory System ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger*

Benzodiazepines have been widely used as anxiolytics, sedatives, hypnotics, anticonvulsants, or central muscle relaxants since the 1960s despite significant adverse effects, the potential for misuse, and consequent overdose. Benzodiazepines exert their pharmacological action by binding to gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA-A) receptors in the brain and facilitateing the inhibitory actions of the neurotransmitter GABA. Recent findings have also elucidated the effects of benzodiazepines on the allosteric modulation of GABA-A receptors, including receptor subtypes and transmembrane proteins, which is a significant step in our understanding of GABA pharmacology. In clinical practice, the use of benzodiazepines to treat psychiatric disorders has been limited due to the challenges associated with the long-term use, namely the risks of abuse, misuse, and overdose, as well as withdrawal effects. Furthermore, the approval of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for anxiety disorders has led to their extensive use as a first-line pharmacological option and they have also been promoted in various practice guidelines for the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, although recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown that benzodiazepines are useful and effective drugs for the treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety, debates over the clinical use of benzodiazepines continue. More than 60 years after the introduction of benzodiazepines in clinical practice, it is necessary to revisit the controversies associated with benzodiazepine use and to update the discussion current approach to practice with thethrough an understanding of the new data on their pharmacological actions and to identify appropriate indications according to the new diagnostic systems of psychiatric disorders through an extensive literature review.

The Department of Dermatology at Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, initially the Dermatology Department of the Private Daegu Medical Training School in 1924, commemorated its 100th anniversary in 2023.Throughout its rich history, the department has been dedicated to advancing contemporary dermatology and enhancing the well-being of local communities through exceptional research, education, and social contributions.Initially tasked with the diagnosis, treatment, and education of patients with dermatological and urological disorders, the department evolved over time. In 1958, it separated from the Urology Department to focus solely on the diagnosis, research, and education of dermatological disorders. In 1962, Dr. Soon Bong Suh became the inaugural Chief of the Dermatology Department, marking the foundation of the Kyungpook National University School of Medicine’s Dermatology Department. Our legacy of pioneering contributions extends to dermatophytic diseases, which account for a large proportion of skin disorders in Korea, where we have excelled in basic research and treatment. These achievements have played a crucial role in the advancement of dermatophytic diseases.Subsequently, we have demonstrated expertise in blistering diseases and dermatopathology, making substantial contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of refractory skin conditions. Recently, we have been at the forefront of research and interventions for chronic inflammatory skin conditions that cause significant distress in many individuals, including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Our influence has also extended to severe and refractory skin disorders, including skin cancer and vascular anomalies. Striving to stay contemporary, our achievements now encompass aesthetics, including acne, pigmentation, and laser treatments. Our accomplishments have garnered widespread recognition nationwide, engendering high expectations for future advancements.

The purpose of this study was to assess the comorbid axis-II disorders of obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD) patients and to investigate the relationship between symptoms of OCD and the comorbid personality traits. The subjects were 59 patients who met DSM-IV criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder and 32 normal controls. All subjects completed Personality Disorder Questionnaire-IV(PDQ-IV). The patients completed Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory(BAI), and were rated with Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale(YBOCS). The results were as follows. 1) The OCD patients showed significantly higher prevalence of avoidant, depresssive and borderline personality disorder(p<0.01) compared to controls. 2) The BAI score had significant effect on the avoidant personality score(t=3.23, p<0.003). The BDI score had significant effect on the depressive personality score(t=3.08, p=0.004). The YBOCS(t=2.10, p=0.043) and BAI(t=2.60, p=0.014)scores had significant effects on the borderline personality score. We found that OCD patients had higher prevalence of avoidant, depressive, and borderline personality disorders. We also found that obsessive-compulsive symptoms have significant effect on the severity of borderline personalty traits. We suggest that it would be very helpful to consider Axis-II disorders for managing patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Anxiety ; Borderline Personality Disorder ; Depression ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder* ; Personality Disorders ; Prevalence