No abstract available.
Humans ; Urinary Tract*

Korean Ginseng (Panax C.A. Meyer) has survived empirical efficacy as tonic and geriatric agents for several thousands of years in oriental herbal medicine. But there has been numerous controversial reports about its use in aged hypertensive men due to its allegedly hypertensive effects. Therefore, the author conducted the pharmacological studies of Korean Ginseng extracts on the blood pressure and blood lipid metabolism, during development of hypertension, using SHR(Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat), counterpart model of human essential hypertension. The results obtained were as follows: 1. SHR could be grouped, according to their age, as prehypertensive stage(<6th week after birth), labile hypertensive stage(6th 14th week), early established hypertensive stage(14th-20th week), and late established hypertensive stage(>20th week). 2. Plasma renin activity tended to rise steadily, until established hypertensive stage was reached. Thereafter, plasma renin activity tended to decline. 3. The changes of blood pressure due to Ginseng extract, depended on the amount, route and duration of its administration. Low dose of Ginseng tended to increase blood pressure but high dose of Ginseng tended to decrease blood pressure, until 1 week of intraperitonal administration. But prolonged administration of Ginseng extract beyond 1 week, showed delayed hypertensive effect in the intraperitoneal administration but not in oral administration. 4. SHR seemed to have abnormalities in the lipid metabolism. SHR showed lowered level of serum cholesterol and phospholipid, whereas slightly higher level of triglyceride, and showed lower alpha-lipoprotin fraction but higher pre beta-lipoprotein fraction, as compared with NCR.(=Normal Control Rat). 5. When high fat cholesterol salt diet was fed on, it was possible to indece hyperlidemia and increment of hypertension in SHR. but when high fat cholesterol salt diet and Ginseng extract were fed on concomitantly, Ginseng showed significant inhibiting effect on the development of hyperlidemia and hypertension.
Administration, Oral ; Blood Pressure* ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Herbal Medicine ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Lipid Metabolism* ; Male ; Panax* ; Plasma ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Renin ; Triglycerides

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is caused by Pneumocystis carinii. It usually occurs in premature or debilitated infants. Recently sporadic cases of human disease in patients who have been on long term steroid therapy, cytotoxic drug therapy, immunosuppressive drug were significantly increased. We recently experienced 35 cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in infants of an institution for foreign adoption in three epidemic period of Feb.1979, Mar. 1980, and Jan. 1980. The clinical review of 35 cases was made. Patients' age was between 1 to 4 months. Twenty-one cases (60%) occurred in 2-month-old infants. Many patients were included in poor weight gain and development. The common symptoms were tachypnea, cyanosis, restlessness, cough, diarrhea in order of frequency. The roentgenological findings were classified into three groups. normal finding, pulmonary emphysema only, and various forms of pneumonic infiltration. The roentgenological findings were somewhat characteristic. The most common finding (24 cases) showed streaky and mottled densities which began in both hill and were spreaded peripherally. The pneumonic infiltrations were spared peripheral lung, but progressed to total involvement. The prominence between alveolar and interstitial infiltration was almostly equal when patients were admitted. Nineteen cases (54%) showed pulmonary emphysema.
Cough ; Cyanosis ; Diarrhea ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Lung ; Pneumocystis carinii ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; Tachypnea ; Weight Gain

Authors studied the effects of cyciophosphamide, a potent inhibitor of nucleoprotein synthesis, to ivestigate the morphologic evidence of destructive actions to the hair. follicles. Sprague-Dawley rats were received 4 mg/kg of eyclophosphamide for 1 to 6 weeks, intraperitoneally, and examined light and electron microscopically. Light microscopically, distortion and constriction of the hair shafts, diminished diameter of the hair bulbs, and atrophy of. the hair matri.x were developed from 1 week. which were more prominent in second weeks and they were progressed after that time. Hairs were frequently fractured due to constriction of the hair shaf ts. Electron microscopically, cells of the hair pulp were decreased in number, and cells of the hair matrix were atrophied, Degenerative changes of the cellular organelles participating in grovth. and development of the hairs were noted, such as disordered formation of tricholyaline granules, diffuse atrophy and increased electron density of the inner root sheath, and loss of the glycogen and intercellular edema of the outer root sheath, but basal cells of the matrix showed minor changes relatively. From the above results, cyclophosphamide may specifically alter the matrix cells of the hair follicles and induces anagen hair losses, which may be reversible at a small dosage when the drug is discontinued, because basal cells of the matrix ahow rninor changes.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Constriction ; Cyclophosphamide* ; Edema ; Glycogen ; Hair Follicle* ; Hair* ; Nucleoproteins ; Organelles ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

A 19 yar-old male patient was admitted to the department of neurology in Severance hospital beause of slowly progressive spastic paraparesis. On examination, dark brown skin color, sparse hair, spastic weakness and hypesthesia of lower extremities were noted. The laboratory studies showed high serum ACTH level with lowest normal limit of serum cortisol level. Brain MRI scan revealed high signal intensities in bilateral corticospinal tracts on T, Weighted images with gadolinium enhancement and T2eighted images. The results of three modal evoked potential studies(SEP. BAEP. VEP) were abnormal bilaterally. Nerve conduction studies and sural nerve biopsy suggested the presence of peripheral neuropathy.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Adrenoleukodystrophy* ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Evoked Potentials ; Gadolinium ; Hair ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypesthesia ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Muscle Spasticity ; Neural Conduction ; Neurology ; Paraparesis, Spastic ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Pyramidal Tracts ; Skin ; Sural Nerve

Infantile digital fibromatosis is a rare benign tumor on the fingers and toes of infants and childhood which is characterized by fibroblastic proliferation. Usually the lesions occur singly or severally on the dorsal or lateral aspects of the distal phalanges of the toes and fingers. The thumb and great toe are usually spared. These asymptomatic, firm, red, smooth nodules, some lcm diameter, occur during the first year of life. Forty-seven percent occur in the first month of life. This disease can occur after trauma. The lesions do not metastasize. Occasionally, spontaneous regression has been reported. After excision, recurrence can be possible. A 2 years old female infant had three large bean sized erythematous masses on the left 2,3,4th fingers. The erythematous aacule was developed at 6 months old and grew slowly. We could find inclusion body stained bright red with Massons trichrome and purple with PTAH in cytoplasm of fibroblast. The patient was treated with a simple excision followed by a skin graft. During 5 rnonths after operation, recurrence was not occurred.
Child, Preschool ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fibroma* ; Fingers ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Infant ; Recurrence ; Skin* ; Thumb ; Toes ; Transplants*

PURPOSE: We undertook this study to investigate discrepancies in C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values, and variations following intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS: A total of 123 KD patients were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were treated with IVIG 2 g/kg at 2 to 9 days after disease onset. We obtained white blood cell (WBC) count, percentage of neutrophils (% neutrophils), CRP, ESR, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) values before and 48 to 72 hours after IVIG treatment. Discrepancy was defined as CRP ≥10 mg/dL and ESR <50 mm/hr (Group 1), or CRP <10 mg/dL and ESR ≥50 mm/hr (Group 2). RESULTS: Thirty-six of 123 subjects (29.2%) had a discrepancy: 25 (20.3%) in Group 1 and 11 (8.9%) in Group 2. In Group 1, 15 patients (60%) had fever for <5 days (early presenter) and 10 (40%) had fever for ≥5 days (late presenter). There were six early presenters (55%) and five late presenters (45%) in Group 2. Late presenters had higher ESR than early presenters (34.3±21.0 mm/hr vs. 26.3±19.3 mm/hr, P=0.029). After IVIG treatment, elevated WBC count, % neutrophils, CRP, and NT-proBNP levels normalized. In contrast, ESR increased from 37.4±21.9 mm/hr to 48.0±22.7 mm/hr (n=36, P=0.051). CONCLUSIONS: A discrepancy may be related to the duration of fever. Due to discrepancies in CRP and ESR values in acute KD, both should be measured to assess the degree of inflammatory activity before IVIG treatment. After IVIG treatment, the ESR should not be used as a marker of response to therapy in KD.
Blood Sedimentation* ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Erythrocytes* ; Fever ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Leukocytes ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Neutrophils ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Renal Dialysis*

BACKGROUND: The basal ganglia plays a major role in regulating motor, cognitive and emotional functions. In addition, it has been proposed that the functions of the basal ganglia is also related to control of sensory discrimination and sensorimotor integration. One possible way to test this hypothesis would be to investigate sensory functions in patients with various diseases affecting basal ganglia functions. Since idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) is caused by selective impairment of basal ganglia functions, it could be a good model for this purpose. METHODS: We measured the grating resolution threshold (GRT) using the JVP (Johnson-Van Boven-Phillips) dome in 52 patients with IPD and 25 age-matched healthy controls. Statistical analysis employed unpaired t-test, paired t-test and simple regression analysis. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as significant. RESULTS: Patients showed significantly higher GRT than controls (3.07 +/- 0.74 vs 2.03 +/- 0.80; p<0.05). In patients, the mean GRT was not different between symptomatically dominant and non-dominant hands (3.10 +/- 0.95 vs 2.93 +/- 0.82). In the patients with hemiparkinsonism, GRT was also significantly higher in asymptomatic hands compared with controls (3.00 +/- 0.71 vs 2.03 +/- 0.80; p<0.05). The severity of sensory dysfunction in patients was not correlated with symptom duration or to symptom severity, measured by the modified Columbia rating scale (MCRS). CONCLUSIONS: The present results demonstrate that spatial discrimination is impaired in IPD, suggesting the basal ganglia plays a role in sensory regulation.
Basal Ganglia ; Discrimination (Psychology)* ; Dopamine ; Hand ; Humans ; Parkinson Disease* ; Regression Analysis ; Sensation

OBJECIVE: Although incidence of the cervical cancer has been very high, it is possible to detect the early cervical cancer with screening methods. Among the screening methods of cervical cancer, Papanicolaou smear has lower sensitivity and higher false negative rate. The goal of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of cervicography in cervical cancer screening. METHODS: The data of Papanicolaou smear and cervigram has been obtained from 292 patients. The age range varied between 20 and 78 years with the average age of 42. Histologic specimens were obtained from patients whose abnormalities were detected by either Papanicolaou smear or cervigram. A total of 101 patients received a biopsy. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values, false negative rates and false positive rates. RESULTS: Results for Papanicolaou smear are as follows; sensitivity, 60.8%, specificity, 93.4%, positive predictive values, 66.0%, negative predictive values, 91.8%, false negative rates, 39.2% and false positive rates, 6.6%. In cervicography, sensitivity, 70.1%, specificity, 85.5%, positive predictive values, 56.3%, negative predictive values, 94.5%, false negative rates, 23.5% and false positive rates, 11.6%. Results for the combined methods are sensitivity with 82.4%, specificity with 92.5%, positive predictive values with 51.9%, negative predictive values with 97.0%, false negative rates with 11.8% and false positive rates with 16.2%. CONCLUSION: Cervicography is an effective method to screen cervical cancer. When cervicography is used with Papanicolaou smear, the detection rate of cervical cancer will be increased.
Biopsy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mass Screening* ; Papanicolaou Test ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*