BACKGROUND: Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), one of the eosinophil granule proteins released during allergic reactions, may play a major role in the allergic inflammatory process. The measurement of ECP in serum may be a useful indicator of eosinophil activity in ongoing inflammatory processes. We investigated the clinical utility of ECP measurement in serum in patients with bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, after standardizing sample processing. METHODS: We measured the serum ECP levels in patients with bronchial asthma (n=38), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) (n=13), respiratory symptoms (n=19), allergic rhinitis (n=26), non-allergic rhinitis (n=24), and atopic dermatitis (n=10) and in normal healthy controls (n=16) by the fluoroenzyme immunoassay using Pharmacia CAP System, and evaluated the correlation between ECP level and blood eosinophil number, or ECP and IgE levels. Blood eosinophil number was counted by the automated cell counter. RESULTS: Serum ECP levels were significantly higher in patients with bronchial asthma (15.6+/- 12.6 g/L), COPD (13.3+/-7.2 g/L), allergic rhinitis (23.8+/-13.2 g/L), and atopic dermatitis (20.6+/- 18.4 g/L) than in normal controls (7.5+/-4.2 g/L) (P <0.05). ECP levels were also significantly higher in patients with bronchial asthma and COPD than in patients with simple respiratory symptoms (6.9+/-4.7 g/L), whose ECP levels did not statistically differ from those in normal controls. ECP levels were also significantly higher in patients with allergic rhinitis than in patients with non-allergic rhinitis (9.5+/-5.1 g/L), whose ECP levels did not statistically differ from those in normal controls. Serum ECP level and eosinophil number in peripheral blood were correlated only in patients with bronchial asthma (r=0.53, P <0.01) and no correlation between ECP and IgE levels was found in all of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: ECP is the one of the secretory components released from the eosinophil granule and measurement of ECP in serum might be one of the noninvasive tool to assess the activity in relation to eosinophil involvement in various allergic diseases.
Asthma ; Cell Count ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophil Granule Proteins ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoassay ; Immunoglobulin E ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Rhinitis

Patients with atypical or incomplete Kawasaki disease are at same risk for development of coronary artery complications as typical Kawasaki disease. In this communication we report six patients with unusual presentation of Kawasaki disease complicated by coronary artery aneurysms, in whom correct diagnosis were not made in time for proper treatment. One of these patients died from massive myocardial ischemia due to giant aneurysms along the entire coronary artery system. These patients had either less than enough number of diagnostic criteria at initial presentation or diagnostic signs which occurred over an extended period of time, resulting in difficulty in diagnosis during the acute phase. As a result, none of these patients received intravenous gamma globulin treatment. Thus strict adherence to currently accepted criteria for diagnosis of Kawasaki disease may lead to failure to recognize atypical form of this illness with potential sequelae of myocardial ischemia or sudden death. We would like to emphasize from this experience that clinicians must be aware of the wide variations in clinical presentation of Kawasaki disease and take an aggressive approach in making correct diagnosis by obtaining early cardiac evaluation in order to initiate prompt treatment with intravenous gamma globulin.
Aneurysm ; Coronary Aneurysm* ; Coronary Vessels ; Death, Sudden ; Diagnosis ; gamma-Globulins ; Humans ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Myocardial Ischemia

Paneth cell-rich carcinoma is essentially an adenocarcinoma with a predominance of Paneth cells. A 60-year-old male patient was admitted with a history of abdominal distension for several months. Endoscopic examination revealed a large ulceroinfiltrative tumor involving most of the areas of the stomach. The biopsy of the lesion confirmed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and total gastrectomy was followed. The submitted total stomach contained a diffuse infiltrative Borrmann type IV mass with ulceration, 8.0 3.5 cm, at the body along the lesser curvature. Microscopically, it was composed of Paneth cell differentiated cancer cells and poorly differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma cells. The Paneth cell differentiation was characterized by cytoplasmic coarse eosinophilic granules, which were PAS-positive and positive reaction for lysozyme. Electron microscopic examination showed numerous, spherical, electron-dense, homogeneous granules corresponding to those in Paneth cells as well as mucin granules in the signet-ring cells, and various intermediate forms in some cancer cells, which might be immature in the Paneth cell lineage.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Lineage ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucins ; Muramidase ; Paneth Cells ; Stomach* ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Animals ; Coal* ; Dust* ; Lung* ; Rats* ; Silicon Dioxide*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pneumoconiosis*

BACKGROUND: Workers in the microbiology laboratories are continuously exposed to the risk of laboratory-associated infections. Tuberculosis (TB) is a frequent laboratory-acquired infection owing to production of cough-generated aerosols with ease and high infectivity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study aims to investigate the current situation of biosafety in Korean TB laboratories. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide survey of laboratories in hospitals conducting TB tests using questionnaires about their facility and management standards. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 52 hospitals nationwide that have a capacity of 100–2,000 beds, of which only two laboratories conduct high risk drug-susceptibility testing on cultured isolates among other test items, whereas six laboratories perform only direct sputum-smear microscopy. The remaining laboratories performed moderate-risk activities/tests, like sample processing for culture. In the majority of these laboratories, there are laboratory medicine specialists who are fully in charge of health checkup programs for laboratorians. The facility and management standards vary widely according to the size of the hospital and risk of TB tests. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey results about the current situation of TB laboratories could be useful as baseline data for preparing biosafety guidelines for all TB laboratories in Korea.
Aerosols ; Korea* ; Microscopy ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Specialization ; Tuberculosis*

Rett syndrome is progressive neurodegenerative disorder in female patients, characterized by autistic behavior, mental retardation, loss of purposeful hand skills, stereotypic hand movement, breathing dysfunction, severely impaired language, ataxia, and seizure. The diagnosis of Rett syndrome is based on its characteristic clinical manifestation and course. The electroencephalographic (EEG) findings of Rett syndrome are nonspecific, but a progressive deterioration in the EEG, characterized by a slowing of background activity and spike sharp wave discharges, may be observed. We experienced one case of Rett syndrome in a 5 year old girl having mental retardation, loss of purposeful hand skills, stereotypic hand movements (clapping, washing, hand-to-mouth), breathing dysfunction (hyperventilation/apnea). Her EEG findings on Video-EEG monitoring are excessive slowing waves during awake state and frequent spike discharges from left or centrotemporal area during sleeping. We report a case of Rett syndrome with brief review of related literatures.
Ataxia ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Respiration ; Rett Syndrome* ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Panniculitis, Lupus Erythematosus*

PURPOSE: This study was intended to investigate the types and seriousness of the couvade syndrome, pregnancy-related physical and psychological symptoms among expectant fathers whose spouses were pregnant. METHOD: The subject was consists of 100 expectant fathers at one hospital in Seoul, Korea. The pregnant women had not been diagnosed any medical complication. Data were analyzed by SPSS/PC program. RESULT: 1) The total mean score was 1.85: the mean score of perceived physical symptoms (1.87) revealed higher than the mean score of psychological symptoms (1.81). 2) With the respect to the general characteristics of subjects, there were statistically significant correlations between subject's level of education and couvade symptoms (r=-.209, p=.037), gestational age and couvade symptoms (r=-.227, p=.023), family total income and couvade symptoms (r=-.198, p=.048), perceived self health status and couvade symptoms (r=-.254, p=.011). 3) With the respect to the general characteristics of subjects, there were statistically significant differences in pregnant woman's age (t=1.363, p=.044),occupation of subject (F=3.594, p= .009), educational level of subject (t=3.506, p=.002), family total income (F=16.822, p= .000), perceived self health status (F=3.151, p=.047). CONCLUSION: Couvade syndrome is an issue for nurses who perform an important role in the care of pregnant women and their spouses.
Education ; Fathers ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Korea ; Pregnant Women ; Seoul ; Spouses*

No abstract available.