Accelerated atherosclerosis is not only a frequent complication but also the most common cause of death in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Although mechanisms are unclear, disorder of lipid metabolism may be a major factor. Since apolipo-protein (apo) E is known to play a major regulatory role in lipid metabolism, we evaluated apo E genotype in 72 male patients with CRF and compared with that in 194 rnale normal controls. In addition, we measured plasma lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations and evaluated them according to apo E genotype in patients and controls. Apo E genotype was determined with the INNO-LiPA Apo E kit (Innogenetics, Belgium), which is based on reverse hybridization. The results are as follows ; 1) The distribution of the three major apo E alleles in patients with CRF ( e 2: 6.2%, e 3: 80.6%, e 4: 13.2%) was not different from that in controls ( e 2: 4.1%, e 3: 87.6%, e 4: 8.3%). 2) In patients with CRF, total cholesterol, lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were significantly lower and the triglyceride and lipoprotein (a) levels were significantly higher than those in controls. 3) In controls, E 4/3 group had significantly lower levels of HDL than E 3/3 and E 3/2 groups. In patients with CRF, E 4/3 group had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol and apo B lipoprotein than E3/2 group. In conclusion, although there was no significant difference in the apo E genotype frequencies between male patients with CRF and controls, apo E polymorphism may play an important role in the determination of individual differences in plasma lipids in male patients with CRF.
Alleles ; Apolipoproteins B ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; Atherosclerosis ; Cause of Death ; Cholesterol ; Genotype ; Humans ; Individuality ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Lipoproteins ; Male* ; Plasma* ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: As a result of exposure to human leukocyte antigen(HLA) by pregnancy, blood transfusion and previous organ transplantation, many patients awaiting renal transplantation can develop HLA antibodies. The level of HLA sensitization is determined by PRA(panel reactive antibody) test using a lymphocyte panel from HLA phenotyped selected donors. In Korea, PRA tests have not been performed routinely for organ transplantations. and there is no available data about HLA sensitization in renal transplantation. METHODS: PRA test was done in 136 sera of chronic renal failure(CRF) patients receiving dialysis (hemodialysis 108, peritoneal dialysis 28) by NIH standard microlymphocytotoxicity method with a frozen lymphocytes panel from 36 HLA-typed donors. PRA positive sera were re-tested after dithiothreitol(DTT) treatment and analyzed for HLA antibody specificities. RESULTS: Thirty five out of 136 sera(25.7%) showed positive PRA values in HLA antibody screening test. The PRA(%) values of the 35 positive sera were distributed into 1-10%(n=8), 10-20%(n=7), 20-50%(n=12) and 50%-100%(n=8). respectively. After DTT treatment, the change of PRA reactivity was divided into three groups. The PRA values of Group A(22 sera: 63%) showed no change, Group B(7 sera: 20%) declined, and Group C(6 sera. 17%) completely disappeared after DTT treatment. The specificities of HLA antibodies were identified in 19 out of 35 sera(54%). The success rate in defining antibody specificities was 0 at PRA values of 1-10% and 70-100%, and high at PRA values of 20-70%. CONCLUSION: We observed that about a quarter of CRF patients have developed HLA antibodies of immunoglobulin class-IgG, mixed IgG and IgM, and IgM HLA antibody in decreasing order of frequency.
Antibodies ; Antibody Specificity ; Blood Transfusion ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Isoantibodies* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea ; Leukocytes ; Lymphocytes ; Mass Screening ; Organ Transplantation ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Pregnancy ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Asthma*

We report a case of an erythrodermic form of mycosis fungoides in a 68-year-old male, who showed generalized erythroderma with scales for 3 months. Lymphadenopathies in the inguinal and neck areas were present. Histopathological findings showed epidermotropism, perivascular atypical lymphocyte infilteration in the upper dermis, and dermatopathic lymphadenopathy in the inguinal lymph node. T cell markers were positively stained in the immunohistochemical study. These clinicopathological features were consistent with an erythrodermic form of mycosis fungoides(TNM IIl). The patient was treated with PUVA therapy and low dose chemotherapy.
Aged ; Dermatitis, Exfoliative ; Dermis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; Neck ; PUVA Therapy ; Weights and Measures

The simultaneous occurrence of primary glomerulonephritis in identical twins has been rarely reported previously. It has suggested that genetic factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of primary glomerulonephritis. We describe a pair of 17-year-old identical twin brothers with asymptomatic proteinuria, one with histologically proven minimal change disease and the other with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. HLA typing in twin brothers revealed an identical phenotype consisting of A25, A33, B44, B54, Cwl, Cw7, DR7 and DRB1. To our knowledge, this is the first case of glomerulonephritis in identical twins in Korea.
Adolescent ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental* ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Korea ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Phenotype ; Proteinuria ; Siblings* ; Twins, Monozygotic*

Diarrea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is very rare in adults. Few reports are available on clinical features and plasma exchange in adult patients with diarrhea-associated HUS in Korea. We retrospectively examined the records of five adult patients with diarrhea-associated HUS admitted to Samsung Seoul Hospital between January 1995 and December 1997. If the patient had neurologic abnormalities, or there was rapid clinical deterioration, with the hematocrit decreasing below 20%, the platelet count falling below 10,000/mm3, the creatinine concentration increasing above 5.0 mg/dl, plasma exchange was begun. There were 4 females and 1 male. Patients ranged in age from 16 to 61 years. All patients presented with diarrhea and abdominal pain, and 3 patients had bloody diarrhea. The mean time between the onset of diarrhea and thrombocytopenia was 4.4+/-1.9 days (range, 1 to 6). All patients received 7 to 24 plasma exchanges. The mean exchanged plasma volume was 1.1+/-0.2 times of patients own plasma volume. The pattern of clinical response to plasma exchange was initial normalization of platelet count (8.0+/-3.8 days), followed by normalization of LDH level (20.2+/-14.5 days) and creatinine concentration (25.8+/-13.8 days). Metabolic alkalosis developed in two patients undergoing daily plasma exchange. We successfully managed the metabolic alkalosis with continuous venovenous hemofiltration. The mean duration of hospitalization was 28.8+/-11.2days (range, 20 to 42). All patients successfully recovered without any sequale. Although this study is based on small case series, we suggested that plasma exchange may improve the outcome in adult diarrhea-associated HUS.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult* ; Alkalosis ; Creatinine ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Hematocrit ; Hemofiltration ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma Volume ; Plasma* ; Platelet Count ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Thrombocytopenia

Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is a clinical syndrome that result from a failure of the neurohypophyseal axis to produce or release a sufficient quantity of arginine vasopressin (AVP) to permit normal function of the urinary concentrating mechanism. Polyuria and polydipsia are the symptoms associated with CDI. The most common cause of CDI is idiopathic variety and head trauma, neurohypophyseal surgery, primary or metastatic brain tumors acount for most of the remaining cases. CDI in Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is thought to be to infiltration of the hypothalamus-neurohypophyseal system. We report a patient with CDI and LCH underwent water depriviation test, MR imaging of the pituitary-hypothalamic region, and VATS associated open lung biopsy.
Arginine Vasopressin ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Biopsy ; Brain Neoplasms ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diabetes Insipidus* ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic ; Histiocytosis* ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell ; Humans ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted

Although renal aneurysmal formation in polyarteritis nodosa is common, it is rare to form complication of perirenal hematoma caused by spontaneous rupture of renal aneurysm. It should be differentiated from renal tumor, arterio-venous malforrnation, renal infarction, coagulopathy, and acute hydronephrosis in considering the cause of perirenal hematoma. In addition to that, it is a potential life-threatening complication and its early recognition and prompt treatrnent are emphasized. We describe a patient with polyarteritis nodosa who developed spontaneous perinenal hematoma due to repture of renal aneurysm, who had nonspecific symptoms. We thought polyarteritis nodosa based on present illness and clinical background, then immediately performed angiography and coil embolization. So the patient could be treated with cyclophosphamide and steroid successfully. Polyarteritis nodosa is a relatively rare disease, but should be included as one of the differential diagnosis whenever perirenal hematoma occurs.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Cyclophosphamide ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infarction ; Polyarteritis Nodosa* ; Rare Diseases ; Renal Artery* ; Rupture, Spontaneous

BACKGROUND: A few articles reported that the plasma total homocysteine(tHcy) concentration of renal transplant recipients(RTR) was higher than that of normal controls, but lower than that of patients with chronic renal failure. But renal function of the RTR was variable, and plasma tHcy concentration of RTR with normal renal function was unknown. We compared plasma tHcy concentration of RTR with normal renal function to normal controls and evaluated the relation between folate concentration, the independent factor of plasma tHcy concentration, and plasma tHcy in patients with chronic renal failure in predialysis, hemodialysis(HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD). METHODS: We measured fasting plasma level of total homocysteine by high-performance liquid chromatography and folate concentration in 36 predialysis CRF patients(Ccr<25mL/min), 37 HD patients, 28 CAPD patients, 41 RTR(serum creatinine< or =1.4mg/dL) and 37 healthy controls. RESULTS: 1)Mean(+/-SD) tHcy concentration in predialysis CRF(21.93+/-14.33micromol/L), HD(18.24+/-8.73micromol /L) and CAPD(17.16+/-7.8micromol/L) patients was significantly higher than that in controls (8.91+/-4.11micromol/L, P<0.05) but tHcy concentration of RTR group(8.99+/-3.99micromol/L)had no difference from that of normal controls 2)In predialysis patients, CAPD patients, and HD patients showed a significant negative correlation between serum folate and plasma tHcy concentrations (r=-0.18, p<0.05). 3)In predialysis, HD and CAPD patients, mean plasma folate concentration in patients with 1mg/ day-folate supplementation(20.41+/-15.65ng/mL) was higher than patients without 1mg/day-folate supplementation (10.20+/-8.24ng/mL)(p<0.05) and mean plasma tHcy concentration in patients with 1mg/day-folate supplementation (17.87+/- 7.94micromol/L) was lower than patients without 1mg/day-folate supplementation(21.87+/-13.35micromol/L)(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Plasma tHcy concentration in RTR with normal renal function had no difference with that in normal controls. In predialysis, HD, and CAPD patients, plasma tHcy had negative correlation with plasma folate concentration and plasma tHcy in patients with 1mg folate supplementation, usual dose in chronic renal failure, was higher than that in patients without folate supplementation and lower than that in normal controls.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Fasting ; Folic Acid* ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Kidney Transplantation ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Plasma* ; Transplantation*

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Hysterosalpingography* ; Laparoscopy*