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

This study was carried out to survey the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and the incidence of vacuolating toxin producing H. pylori from the gastric biopsy specimens of patients with 178 gastritis, 57 gastric ulcer, 455 gastric cancer and 44 healthy person in Pusan, Korea. Further aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginseng extract, sofalcone, ginsenosides (F1, Rb3, Re, Rgl), sangwha, green, arrowroot, ginger, and jujube tea on the activity and production of vacuolating toxin by H. pylori in vitro. The isolation rates of H. pylori by culture method from gastric biopsy specimens were 34.1% in healthy person, 42.1% in gastritis, 36.8% in gastric ulcer, and 39.3% in gastric cancer. The isolation rates of vacuolating toxin producing H. pylori from gastric biopsy specimens were 80% in healthy person, 82.7% in gastritis, 81% in gastric ulcer, and 83.8% in gastric cancer. The growth of H. pylori was not influenced by the addition of 10 ug/ml or 100 ug/ml of Ginseng extract and 10 ug/ml of sofalcone in the medium, but the production of vaculating toxin of H. pylori was significantly inhibited by the addition of 100 ug/ml of Ginseng extract and sofalcone. The activity of vacuolating toxin in the culture supernatant of H. pylori was significantly diminished (1/2-1/16 compared to control) by the addition of 10 mg/ml of sangwha, green, arrowroot, and ginger tea, and 1 ug/ml of ginsenosides F1, Rb3, Re, and Rgl. These results suggest that the isolation rates of vacuolating toxin producing H. pylori were significantly higher than that of the foreign reports. Ginseng extract and sofalcone have direct inhibitory effect on the activity of vacuolating toxin production by H. pylori without considerable growth inhibition and sangwha, green, arrowroot, and ginger tea have direct inhibitory effect on the activity of vacuolating toxin of H. pylori.
Biopsy ; Busan ; Gastritis ; Ginger ; Ginsenosides ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Marantaceae ; Panax* ; Prevalence ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach Ulcer ; Tea ; Ziziphus

No abstract available.
Granular Cell Tumor* ; Larynx*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated*

The prevalence of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is approximately 3% in children. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most common cause of OSAS in children, and obesity, hypotonic neuromuscular diseases, and craniofacial anomalies are other major risk factors. Snoring is the most common presenting complaint in children with OSAS, but the clinical presentation varies according to age. Agitated sleep with frequent postural changes, excessive sweating, or abnormal sleep positions such as hyperextension of neck or abnormal prone position may suggest a sleep-disordered breathing. Night terror, sleepwalking, and enuresis are frequently associated, during slow-wave sleep, with sleep-disordered breathing. Excessive daytime sleepiness becomes apparent in older children, whereas hyperactivity or inattention is usually predominant in younger children. Morning headache and poor appetite may also be present. As the cortical arousal threshold is higher in children, arousals are not easily developed and their sleep architectures are usually more conserved than those of adults. Untreated OSAS in children may result in various problems such as cognitive deficits, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, poor academic achievement, and emotional instability. Mild pulmonary hypertension is not uncommon. Rarely, cardiovascular complications such as cor pulmonale, heart failure, and systemic hypertension may develop in untreated cases. Failure to thrive and delayed development are serious problems in younger children with OSAS. Diagnosis of pediatric OSAS should be based on snoring, relevant history of sleep disruption, findings of any narrow or collapsible portions of upper airway, and confirmed by polysomnography. Early diagnosis of pediatric OSAS is critical to prevent complications with appropriate interventions.
Achievement ; Adult ; Appetite ; Arousal ; Child ; Dihydroergotamine ; Early Diagnosis ; Enuresis ; Failure to Thrive ; Headache ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Hypertrophy ; Neck ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; Obesity ; Polysomnography ; Prevalence ; Prone Position ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; Risk Factors ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Snoring ; Somnambulism ; Sweat ; Sweating

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis, as well as in development and tissue homeostasis. Terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase mediated neck end labelling (TUNEL) and in situ nick end labelling (ISEL) have been used to investigate the apoptosis in tissues. Since the introduction of the M30 monoclonal antibody to overcome drawbacks of TUNEL and ISEL, the apoptosis in various tumors, with the exception of pulmonary carcinomas, has been studied. In this study, attempts were made to examine the correlation of apoptosis in non-small cell carcinomas, using both M30 and the expression of p53 protein, with the clinicopathological factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Forty five patients with surgically resected non-small cell carcinomas were included. Immunohistochemical staining with M30 and p53 monoclonal antibody were performed, and their expressions compared with the clinicopathological features. The overall survival time and recurrence-free survival time were calculated, and the factors influencing the survival time analyzed using a univariate analysis. The effects of the expression stati of M30 and p53 on the risks of cancer related to both death and recurrence were evaluated using a multivariate analysis. RESULT: The p53 positive group had many more M30 positive cells than the p53 negative group (p53 positive group; 61.7+/-26.8 cells vs. p53 negative group; 45.6+/-29.6 cells, p=0.005) and significantly more p53 positive patients showing at least 10 positive cells (apoptotic index, AI > or =1) on M30 staining (p53 positive group; 52.4% [11/21] vs. p53 negative group 16.7% [4/24], p=0.025). In the univariate analysis, the survival times in relation to smoking (pack-year), performance status (PS) and AI showed significant differences. The multivariate analysis demonstrated the relative risk (R.R) of cancer death increased almost 7.5-fold (R.R 7.482; 95% CI 1.886~29.678; p=0.004) and the risk of recurrence almost 3.8-fold (R.R 3.795; 95% CI; 1.184~12.158; p=0.025) in the high AI (> or =1) compared to the low AI (<1) group. There was no prognostic effect of p53 expression on the survival time or risk of cancer death and recurrence. CONCLUSION: In non-small cell lung carcinomas, M30 immunohistochemistry was an excellent method for analyzing apoptosis; the high apoptotic index could be an adverse prognostic predictive factor.
Apoptosis* ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Death ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neck ; Recurrence ; Smoke ; Smoking

In order to provide some basic data for the control of air water pollution in Korea, the suthors have estimated the amount of air and water pollutant emitted from industries which are employed over 20 employes. This study have done from July 1, 1972 to the end March 1973. The results are as follows: 1. Total number of establishments tith over 20 employees is 5,197 in Korea and the largest gorup establishments was the manufacturing of texttiles with 1,363 establishments(26.2%). 2. By order of number of employees it was observed that there 2,800 industries with 20-59(53.9%) employees, 1,101 with 50-99(21.2%), 571 with 100-199(11.0%), 501 with 200-499(9.6%) and 225with over 500(4.3%) respectively. 3. By order of regional distribution, it was observed that there were 2,257 industries in Seoul (43.3%) and 736 industries in Pusan(14.2%). 4. Industrial coal consumption was 596,154 M/T in 1972, but it'11 be 315,000 M/T in 1980, Fuel consumption was 4,972,000 K1 in 1972, and estimated volume will be 19,3700,000 K1 in 1980. 5. Ttotal amounts of air polutants emitted from industris by fuel combustion were sulfur oxides 79,459 tons, carbon monoxide 33,908 tons, particulate 31,304 tons and hydrocarbon 30,280 tons in 1972 but in 1990 there will be sulfur oxides 1,010,474 tons, nitrogen oxides 204,575 tons, carbon monoxide 68,014 tons, particulate 64,820 tons and hydrocarbon 67,622 tons, respectively. 6. Annual emitted air pollutants through the working processes were sulfur oxides 91,250 tons and nitrogen oxides 32,485 tons in 1972, but sulfur oxieds 118,625 tons and nitrogen oxides 42,555 tons will be present in 1980, respectively. 7. Annual emitted air pollutants by national unit area amounted to 0.77 tons/km2/year in 1965 and 14.7 ton/km2/year in 1980. 8. Total industrial wastes from all industries in Korea were estimated at 810,360 tons/day in 1972; manufacturing of chemicals and plastic products showed the highest amount of wastes at 470,000 tons/day. 9. The amounts of water pollutants due to industrial wastes were the .B.O.D., 471.5 tons/day,suspended solid 331.5 tons/day, CN, 2.3 tons/day, and Cr. 3. 4 tons/day in 1972, but it might be evident of a B.O.D of 3.388 tons/day, suspended solid 2,544 tons/day, CN 20.1 tons/day, and 26.5 tons/day in 1990. 10. Total population equivalent of B.O.D. was 943,000 in 1972, and the estimated value in 1990 will be6, 780, 000.
Air Pollutants ; Carbon Monoxide ; Coal ; Industrial Waste ; Korea* ; Nitrogen Oxides ; Plastics ; Seoul ; Sulfur ; Sulfur Oxides ; Water Pollutants* ; Water Pollution

Additional a case of ectopic kidney with a literatural review was presented. The terms renal ectopia describe kidneys which are congenitally located in abnormal anatomic positions. Its clinical interest is that it often confused with retroperitoneal tumor and pelvic tumor and other abdominal conditions. We experienced a case of ectopic kidney that was clinically confused with retroperitoneal tumor in 22-year old Korean male.
Humans ; Kidney* ; Male ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Glycoproteins* ; Humans*