No abstract available.
Antibodies, Neutralizing* ; Feces* ; Rotavirus*

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) in patients is mainly caused by acquired drug resistance, However, a small proportion of MDR-TB is caused by initial drug resistance(IDR), which may be somewhat different from acquired drug resistance. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of IDR in MDR-TB patients to use the results as basic data in managing the disease. METHODS: A retrospective study of 30 IDR cases in MDR-TB patients from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 1998 was perormed. In order to analyzed the clinical charcteristics, the age, sex, family history, duration of negative conversion, number of resistant drugs, treatment regimens, duration of treatment, extent of disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray was examined. In order too analyzed the level of improvement, the extent of the disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray, tested by Wilcoxon signed rank sum test, and the disease free interval rate of 1-year and 4-year was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 46.6 years and the sex ratio 1:1. Six(20%) patients had a family history. The mean negative conversin of the sputum AFB stain was 2.6 months. The number of resistant drugs was 7.6 and the number of used drugs 3.6. Twenty-three(67%) patients were treated for less than 12months and 28(93%) patients were treated with first-line drugs. The extent of the disease and the cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray improved after treatment(p<0.05). Among 13 patients who were followed up for 22.6 months, 2(15%) patients relapsed and the disease free interval rate of 1-year and 4-year was 85%. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that the duration of treatment of IDR in MDR-TB with first-line drugs be 9-12 months even if the extent of disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray improves.
Drug Resistance* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

We investigated the sero-prevalence of toxocariasis among healthy Korean adults in 1999. A total of 314 sera from normal inhabitants in Whachon-gun, Gangwondo, Korea was examined for specific antibody levels against excretory-secretory products of second stage larvae of Toxocara (TES). The presence of cross-reactions with other helminthiases such as cysticercosis, paragonimiasis, sparganosis or clonorchiasis was also checked by specific IgG ELISA. Sera showing positive reaction against TES were also tested by IgG immunoblot and by IgE ELISA. Out of 314 subjects, 16 was found to be positive by TES IgG ELISA and immunoblot, among whom 12 were also positive by TES IgE ELISA. Among the 16 seropositive samples, two sera showed positive reaction against Paragonimus and sparganum antigen, respectively. These results inferred that cross-reactions were negligible between toxocariasis and other helminthiases. Toxocariasis seroprevalence among Korean rural adults was detected to be approximately 5%.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Cross Reactions ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Larva Migrans, Visceral/*epidemiology/immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxocara/immunology

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of trunk muscle activity with power grasping during one leg stance. METHODS: Twenty-eight subjects participated in this study. Subjects were divided into two groups, one that performed power grasping, and another that did not. An investigator measured the activities of a subject's trunk muscle such as internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), erector spinae (ES), and gluteus medius (GM) while a subject was doing one leg stance. RESULTS: An independent t-test was used to analyze trunk muscle activities with power grasping during one leg stance between the experimental group and the control group. Only the EO activity differed significantly between groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that one leg stance with power grasping affected trunk muscle activity. Therefore, this is a useful method for providing lumbar spine stability.
Hand Strength* ; Humans ; Leg* ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Research Personnel ; Spine

Antioxidant properties have been proposed as a mechanism for the putative anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds. To reveal the relationship between antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects of various antioxidants, we measured 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH)-reducing activity and examined the inhibitory effects on LPS-induced inflammation-related gene expression in the BV2 microglial cell line. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (0.2microgram/ml) was used with or without antioxidants to treat cells, and the regulation of iNOS and cytokine gene expression was monitored using an RNase protection assay (RPA). Although, all tested antioxidants had similar DPPH-reducing activity and inhibited nitrite production, but the curcuminoid antioxidants (ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and curcumin) inhibited LPS-induced gene expression (iNOS, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-1 Ra) in a concentration-dependent manner. Other tested antioxidants did not exhibit the same effects; N-acetylcysteine (NAC) only began to suppress IL-1beta gene expression just below the concentration at which cytotoxicity occurred. Moreover, the antioxidant potency of curcuminoids appeared to have no correlation with anti-inflammatory potency. Only curcumin could inhibit LPS-induced microglial activation at a micromolar level. These data suggest that curcumin may be a safe antioxidant possessing anti-inflammatory activity.
Acetylcysteine ; Antioxidants* ; Cell Line* ; Curcumin ; Gene Expression ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Nitric Oxide ; Phenol ; Ribonucleases ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

For over a half centry, physicians have suspected that patients with duodenal ulcer are offered an insurance policy against gastric carcinoma. This may be used clinically so that gastric lesion in the presence of duodenal ulcer, are considered benign. However, the duodenal ulcer may coexit with gastric cancer, Although rare in incidence of coexistence of duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer, physician always should be alert in diagnosing of gastric lesion in the presence of the duodenal ulcer. Here, we present 60 years old woman with coexitence of duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer, diagnosed by endoscopy and treated surgically.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insurance ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: Acute cauda equina syndrome secondary to lumbar disc herniation is a rare clinical entity, but its sequelae such as bladder and sexual dysfunction are too severe to overlook. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between surgical timing and outcome. METHODS: Between 1994 and 1999, 43 patients(34 male and 9 female), ranging in age from 19 to 67 years(mean: 44.5), were operated due to acute cauda equina syndrome secondary to lumbar disc herniation. All presented with bladder and bowel dysfunction:36(83.7%) had motor weakness and 32(74.4%) had sensory deficit. The levels of herniations were L4/5 in 16 patients, L5/S1 in 10 and L3/4 in 5. RESULTS: The time to surgery from the onset of the symptom ranged from less than 24 hours to more than 14 days:10 patients underwent surgery within 48 hours of onset. The mean follow-up period was 54 months. In motor function recovery, there was no significant difference, but in bladder and sexual functions, there was significant difference according to the duration of symptoms before surgery. CONCLUSION: In acute cauda equina syndrome, emergency decompression surgery should be done. The outcome is good in patients operated within 48 hours compared to those treated more than 48 hours after the onset of the syndrome.
Cauda Equina* ; Decompression ; Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Polyradiculopathy* ; Recovery of Function ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic

PURPOSE: Perinatal complications associated with maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy have been well documented. But until now there has been no clinical data on it collected in our country. In this paper, we tried to research the association between maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy and the physical indices of the neonate at delivery among unmaried mothers from one charitable institution. METHODS: We enlisted 125 unmarried with a history of smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy who delivered a baby in National Medical Center from March, 2001 to March, 2004 as a study group. As a control, 174 unmarried mothers without a history of smoking and alcohol were enlisted. Then, we compared the physical indices - birth weight, height, and the head circumference - of the neonates from both groups. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of the period and the quantity of maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion on the physical indices of the neonates from the both groups. RESULTS: Low physical indices of neonates were found in the study group(either smoking group, or drinking group) compared with the control group. The quantity of smoking or drinking and the period of smoking or drinking have no significant effect on physical indices. CONCLUSION: We found that maternal smoking and alcohol result in the low physical index of neonates, and educational initiatives must be directed at expectant mothers to emphasize the harmful effects of smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy.
Alcohol Drinking ; Birth Weight ; Drinking ; Eating ; Head ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Single Person ; Smoke* ; Smoking*

Mass screening for detecting both thyroid and breast cancer in adult women was carried out in Samsung Cheil Hospital between March 31, 1996, and March 31, 1997. The total number of subjects during those 13 months was 3869. At first, the screening was by inspection and palpation using experienced surgeons. Thyroid abnormalities were found in 183 subjects through physical examination but thyroid nodules were identified by thyroid sonography in only 170 patients who were required to undergo a cytologic examination (FNAB). The total number of thyroid cancer cases detected was 23. The detection rate was 0.59%. In contrast, 8 cases of breast cancer were discovered during the same screening, with a detection rate of 0.21%. The size of the thyroid tumor was 2 cm or less in 20 patients (87%). The thyroid cancers detected by mass screening were discovered at an earlier stage and will show a better survival rate. As thyroid cancer can be found at an earlier stage by mass screening, the program is useful for the early detection and early treatment of thyroid cancer.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Palpation ; Physical Examination ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroid Nodule

No abstract available.
Animals ; Dizocilpine Maleate* ; Rats* ; Spinal Cord*