We describe a group of 3 cases of invasive meningococcal disease that occurred in a military training camp in April 2011. All three patients were hospitalized. Ultimately, two patients recovered and one died. One patient had meningitis, one patient had septicemia and meningitis, and the other had no definite septicemia or meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W-135 was detected in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of all patients by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In the one case of mortality, two strains were isolated from the patient's blood and CSF. Using multilocus sequence typing analysis, these strains were identified as a novel sequence type, ST-8912. Special attention is required for the meningococcal disease in military camp because the military personnels are in high risk of contact transmission.
DNA, Bacterial/blood/cerebrospinal fluid ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Military Personnel ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup W-135/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sepsis/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Young Adult

Recently xenotransplantation has been thought as a final solution for the controi of donor organ shortage in allograft. In order to be a ciinicai entity, xenotransplantation has many obstacles such as hyperacute rejection and delayed xenogratt rejection as a potent immunologic reaction, zoonosis and ethical problems. We already reported the eariy immunoiogic events occuring soon after xenograft in animal model, in which natural antibody and complement have a crucial roie in rejection response. As a further step for the prolongation of graft survival, we used anticomplement agent (cobra venom factor, CVF) in the same model. Graft survival in discordant (guinea pig-to-rat) xenogratt was extended from 30.6 minutes to 2 days following singie injection of CVF, which showed similar pattern of rejection with the concordant xenogratt in terms of time of rejection response after grafting. In this setting antibody response in the blood did not show any difference between that of pre CVF and post CVF, even though IgM response was more pronounced than IgG. The complement activity in the blood showed marked suppression following CVF injection. Intragraft complement gene (C3 mRNA) expression in CVF injected discordant showed delayed response in a similar pattern like that of concordant xenograft. Interestingly enough intragraft anticomplement gene expression showed the simiiar pattern of response with the complement. From these results we can conclude that anticomplement agent (CVF) extended the graft survival in discordant xenograft upto the level of concordant xenograft by shifting the complement activation response from that of discordant to concordant xenograft.
Rats ; Animals

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze college sudents' attitudes toward people with disabilities, and factors affecting the attitudes, and further to examine possible ways to improve the attitudes. and to furnish guideline of curriculum and practice in rehabilitation nursing on the basis of this analysis. METHOD: A descriptive. relational study design was used. The subjects of this study were 448 college students. A convenient sampling is used. Data were collected through 4 types of previous questionnaires used to examine attitude from May 1 to May 30, 2003. RESULT: 1. The attitude toward people with disabilities whose mean is 3.762 was responded somewhat negatively. Especially, a contact tension whose mean was 4.00 is high. 2. As a result of analyzing the attitudes of college students toward people with disabilities. some factors were statistically significant. They were experience of contact with the disabled. concern toward the disabled, voluntary work related to the disabled, and disability experience education. 3. The more negative experience of people with disabilities and the lower stereotype of disability and the higher effects of parents, teachers, and mass media, then the more positive response of peoples attitude with disabilities. 4. The main factors of determining the attitude of people with disabilities were the stereotype of disability. contact experience concern about disability, voluntary work experience. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that an appropriate educational intervention and strategy is needed in order to change the attitudes of college students toward people with disabilities. Also experimental researches are needed to do it.
Curriculum ; Disabled Persons ; Education ; Humans ; Mass Media ; Parents ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation Nursing

We have experienced three cases of mucinous ductal ectasia of the pancreas. They showed the characteristic duodenoscopic findings and underlying pathology was hyperplasia in two cases and adenocarcinoma in one case. When endoscopic retrograde pancreatography was performed, bulging ampulla of Vater, patulous ampullary orifice and mucus leakage from papillary orifice were noted. Also cyst-like dilatation of main duct or side branch of the uncinate process were observed.
Adenocarcinoma ; Ampulla of Vater ; Dilatation ; Dilatation, Pathologic* ; Hyperplasia ; Mucins* ; Mucus ; Pancreas* ; Pathology

No abstract available.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome* ; Eosinophils* ; Erythema*

PURPOSE: The education for self-management of asthma is considered as an essential component to control asthma and improve outcomes. This study aimed to develope an educational game for increasing knowledge of asthma management among children and their caregivers. METHODS: Three subspecialists of pediatric allergy and respirology, 1 pediatrician, 3 pediatric residents and 15 medical students conducted this study. An instructional systemic design using analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation (ADDIE) model was applied in the entire process of game production. We surveyed the demands of asthma education in 19 caregivers of children who were in the treatment of asthma in Korea University Anam Hospital and reflected its results on the construction of game. For the evaluation of the objective effects of developed game, the comparison study was performed between the patients who had experienced the game (n=20) and those who had not (n=22) by using questionnaire about the knowledge of asthma. RESULTS: The game was developed as a form of board game and had contents including precipitating factors, symptoms and treatment of asthma. The patients older than elementary student easily understood the mode and substances of game, and participated with their concentrations throughout approximately 2 hours' operating time. In analysis of the knowledge level of asthma, the patients who had experienced board game showed significantly higher knowledge level than those who had not (74.0+/-17.6 vs. 55.0+/-17.1, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: We developed a family board game for the asthma education through the systematic production process. The board game may increase the knowledge level in asthmatic children, which would improve the ability of self-management.
Asthma ; Caregivers ; Child ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Precipitating Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Self Care ; Students, Medical

Helicobacter heilmannii is a Gram negative, long spiral-shaped organism associated with zoonotic infections acquired from primates including cats and dogs. Infection with H. heilmannii leads to gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. We experienced a 54-year-old man with dyspepsia who was diagnosed with primary gastric MALT lymphoma (stage IE1) associated with a H. heilmannii-like organism. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed only microvascular dilatation and mucosal granularity without elevated or ulcerative lesions at the stomach angle. He was probably infected by a pet dog. The man was treated with eradication therapy for 2 weeks including lansoprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin. Four weeks after eradication of the H. heilmannii-like organism, follow-up endoscopy and pathological biopsy findings showed complete remission of the gastric MALT lymphoma.
2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles ; Adenocarcinoma ; Amoxicillin ; Animals ; Biopsy ; Cats ; Clarithromycin ; Dilatation ; Dogs ; Dyspepsia ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter heilmannii ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer ; Primates ; Stomach ; Stomach Diseases ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: Patients with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defects(PAVSD) have been a formidable surgical challenge. The source of pulmonary blood flow and vascular architecture are important in managing the surgical process. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of echocardiography in this process. METHODS: This study was prospectively designed to define the role of echocardiography in PAVSD. Non-invasive evaluations including echocardiography were done, catheterization/angiography was performed the next day and the results were compared with those of echocardiography. The study population consisted of 9 patients, diagnosed as PAVSD in our hospital, from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 1997. RESULTS: Pulmonary blood was supplied via ductus arteriosus, in 3 patients(group 1), and in the other 6 patients, via major aortopulmonary collateral arteries(MAPCA)(group 2). The characteristic findings of group 2 were cardiac murmur heard in the back area(3 cases), and abnormal pulmonary arborization pattern(2 cases). The echocardiographic diagnosis of source of pulmonary blood flow was correct in all cases except one case-who had had two previous shunt surgeries and additional MAPCAs. In group 2, the presence of pulmonary confluence was predicted in 3 out of 4 cases. The mean number of MAPCAs found by echocardiography was 2.3+/-1.2 and by angiography, 3.5+/-1.4. CONCLUSION: In evaluation of PAVSD patients, near complete characteristics of pulmonary blood supply were identified by echocardiogram. Using it, practitioners can make decisions for shunt surgery or the need for further evaluations, including cardiac catheterization which can be more easily executed with previous echocardiographic data.
Angiography* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Ductus Arteriosus ; Echocardiography ; Heart Murmurs ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Atresia*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Thiazolidinediones reduce urinary albumin excretion and may prevent the development of renal injury. We evaluated the long-term effects of rosiglitazone on the progression of renal dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: We enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who initially had normal or mildly impaired renal function, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60-120 mL/min per 1.73 m2, and normoalbuminuria. Patients were divided into two groups according to their use of rosiglitazone during 3 years of follow-up: those treated with rosiglitazone (rosiglitazone group, n=52) and those treated without rosiglitazone (control group, n=85). Progression of renal dysfunction was defined as a decrease in eGFR of > or =9 mL/min per 1.73 m2 after 3 years. RESULTS: A greater difference was observed in the decrease in eGFR between the rosiglitazone and control groups after 3 years (3.8+/-9.9 vs. 12.6+/-10.5 mL/min per 1.73 m2, p<0.001). Seventeen of 52 (32.7%) patients in the rosiglitazone group and 53 of 85 (62.3%) patients in the control group showed progression of renal dysfunction (p=0.001). The progressors had a longer duration of diabetes (6.7+/-5.9 vs. 3.9+/-4.1 years, p=0.002), higher HbA1c levels (7.4+/-1.8 vs. 6.8+/-1.3%, p=0.023), and less frequent use of rosiglitazone (24.2 vs. 52.2%, p<0.001) compared to non-progressors. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the use of rosiglitazone was a significant and independent predictor of the progression of renal dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that rosiglitazone theatment slows the progressive deterioration of renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; Diabetic Nephropathies/*prevention & control ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents/*therapeutic use ; Kidney/*physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thiazolidinediones/*therapeutic use

No abstract available.
Scrotum*