No abstract available.
Pneumonia*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Bronchoscopy* ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Pancreas*

No abstract available.
Electrodes* ; Neural Conduction* ; Suction*

OBJECTIVES: Anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) are acquired antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs), which are regarded as important risk factors far vascular thrombosis and recurrent fetal loss. Although the clinical relevance of APAs in dialysis patients is uncertain, recent studies have suggested that APAs are involved in bioincompatibility and thrombogenic complications in hemadialysis (HD) patients. METHOD: We performed a cross sectional study of ACA and LA in 50 stable HD patients and their 68 vascular accesses (52 native arteriovenous fistulae and 16 synthetic arterovenous grafts), with the analysis of factors associated with the presence of APAs and the retrospective evaluation of vascular access occlusion (VAO). LA was assessed by platelet neutralization method whereas IgG-ACA was measured by a solid phase ELISA. Values higher than 23GPLU/ml (IgG phospholipid units) were considered to be positive for IgG-ACA and positive values for LA was more than 8 seconds in prolongation of the clotting time with human platelet lysate. Vascular access survival was assessed by Kaplan- Meier method, RESULTS: The mean age of the subject (M:F 21:29) was 46 years and the mean duration of hemodialysis was 49 months. The frequency of VAO in entire subjects was 0.45+/-0.98 episodes/patient year. The median value of IgG-ACA was 16.0 GPLU/ml with a distribution from 2.7 to 46.1GPLU/ ml. The median titer of I.A was 4.5 (3.1-45.6) seconds. Fourteen patients (28%) were found to have at least one episode of VAO. In spite of comparable clinical and biochemical data according to the presence of VAO, the titers of IgG-ACA (13.6+/-7.7 vs, 20.3+/-8.7GPLIJ/ml, P<0.05) and LA (4.5+/-2.9 vs. 11.7 +/-12.6sec, P<0.05) were significantly higher in VAO group. Six out of 50 patients(12%) had an increased titer of IgG-ACA and LA was found in 11 patients(22%). No patients were positive for ACA and LA simultaneously. There was no significant difference in sex, etiology of ESRD, diabetic status, the dosage of heparin during HD or the amount of erythropoietin administered according to the presence of APAs. We could not find any significant correlation between the titer of APAs and age, duration of dialysis, blood pressure, platelet count and biochemical parameters. In the patients with positive ACA, the frequency of VAO was 1.05+/-0.12 episodes/patient year, which was significantly higher than patients without ACA (0.33+/-0.17 episodes/ patient year, P<0.05). In the patients with the presence of LA(1.06+/-0.43 vs. 0.12+/-0.06 episodes/ patients year, P<0.01). The median vascular access survival time in IgG-ACA positive patients (32.7 months) was significantly decreased compared to 66.8 months in IgG-ACA negative group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the presence of APAs (ACA and/or LA) affects the event-free vascular access survival in HD patients. Therefore the evaluation of APAs status have to be included in the diagnostic strategies for the patients with recurrent VAO. Further studies are necessary to explore the pharmacologic intervention method to decrease APAs and prevent VAO in HD patients.
Antibodies, Anticardiolipin* ; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Pressure ; Dialysis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Erythropoietin ; Heparin ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor* ; Platelet Count ; Renal Dialysis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thrombosis

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Colon* ; Humans* ; Substance P* ; Tetrodotoxin*

The deoxyribonucleic acid content was determined in 50 cases of renal cell carcinoma by means of flow cytometric analysis of paraffin-embedded specimens. Of these, 22 cases (44%) were diploid and 28 cases (56% ) were aneuploid. The incidence of aneuploid pattern according to histological grade was 38% in high grade and 75% in low grade with statistical difference. The ploidy status did not correlate with tumor stage, tumor cell type or presence of microvascular invasion. Of 22 cases in which two separate specimens were analyzed from each primary tumor. intratumoral heterogeneity of ploidy status was observed in 9 cases(41%). Of 13 cases in which specimens from both primary tumor and regional metastatic lesions were analyzed, intertumoral heterogeneity was observed in 8 cases(62%). A close correlation between tumor stage and prognosis was observed. The prognostic difference according to histological grade. tumor cell type or presence ol microvascular invasion was statistically unacceptable. The 5-year survival rate according to ploidy status was 77% in diploid tumors and 47% in aneuploid tumors with statistical significance, but no significant difference in overall survival was observed. Among the patients without metastasis of renal cell carcinoma. those with diploid tumors had better prognoses in comparison to those with aneuploid tumors. Conclusively, DNA content in renal cell carcinoma analyzed by FCM had shown the coexistence of intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneities and is considered to be an important prognostic stratifier in renal cell carcinoma without metastasis.
Aneuploidy ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Diploidy ; DNA* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ploidies ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate

We developed an animal model to recreate the condition of an open fracture in communication with the maxillary sinus. We then studied wound healing of the sinus wall structures following fracture in the presence of autogenous bone and alloplastic implant. This model is designed to simulate the repair of an orbital floor fracture in humans. The New Zealand White rabbit was used as the animal model. Standardized 8mm defects were made bilaterally in the maxillary sinuses to include bone and mucosa in 36 rabbits. Two different implants and autogenous calvarial bone graft were placed in the soft-tissue pockets to obturate the defects, exposing one surface of the implant to the open sinus. Medpor porous polyethylene, silicone and calvarial bone implant were compared. Animals were killed at 1, 2 and 8 weeks after implantation. Gross examination of the specimens for the amount of mucosal closure and implant tissue fixation was performed. Histological sections were evaluated for bone and soft-tissue morphology juxtaposed to the implant. Complete closure of the mucosal defect was demonstrated with each type of implant. Medpor implants showed both vascular and soft-tissue ingrowth into pores by week 1. Bone ingrowth was seen by week 2. Closure of the Medpor obturated defects occurred more rapidly than in the silicone group. The Medpor implants and calvarial bone demonstrated bone and soft-tissue fixation, callus formation and maturation, while mature overlying mucosa was reconstituted over the defects. Silicone implants demonstrated a fibrous tissue reaction within 1 week of implantation and they never became fixed to bone or soft tissue. Maxillary sinus wall regeneration occurred in all defects. This study supports clinical observations of maxillary sinus wall regeneration in humans.
Animals ; Bony Callus ; Fractures, Open ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus ; Models, Animal ; Mucous Membrane ; New Zealand ; Orbit ; Polyethylene ; Rabbits ; Regeneration ; Silicones ; Tissue Fixation ; Transplants ; Wound Healing

PURPOSE: Status epilepticus (SE) is one of the most common neurologic emergencies in children requiring immediate aggressive intervention. Despite advances in treatment of this condition, SE is still associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. To evaluate etiology and neurologic outcome of SE is very important for improving the methods of evaluation and management of SE as well as decreasing morbidity and mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 98 children aged 1 month to 15 years who were admitted to our department of pediatrics from January, 1992 to December, 1998. We analyzed age distribution, etiology, seizure type, abnormalities of EEG and brain MRI, and neurologic outcome. We try to find any coherence between neurologic sequelae and clinical factors. RESULTS: The incidence was high in toddler age, especially younger than 3 years old (67.4%). Generalized convulsive SE was the most common type (67.3%), and 54.1% of children with SE which was the first seizure episode. Major etiology of SE in young children younger than 3 years old were febrile convulsion (54.5%) and acute symptomatic causes (22.7%). Neurologic sequelae were left in 21.4% and the mortality rate was 7.1%. The neurologic complications were highly associated with the underlying causes and the seizure durations, especially over 2 hour seizures left in 75% complications. The mortality and neurologic sequelae were higher in acute symptomatic SE than other causes. Febrile SE had usually benign course, but in four in our cases showed neurologic sequale it shows 4 neurologic sequelae cases. CONCLUSION: SE is a life-threatening neurologic condition and especially occurs in young children. The early detection of seizure etiology and aggressive management are the essential factors to decrease the mortality and morbidity rates.
Age Distribution ; Brain ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Electroencephalography ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mortality ; Pediatrics ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile ; Status Epilepticus*