PURPOSE: We measured pulmonary epithelial permeability by Tc-DTPA radioaerosol clearance in patients with diabetes and correlated with the presence of microangiopathy to understand the pathophysiology of pulmonary microangiopathy and evaluate Tc-DTPA radioaerosol clearance as a diagnostic test to assess pulmonary microangiopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed ' Tc-DTPA radioaerosol scan in 10 normal subjects, 10 asym-ptomatic smokers, 20 diabetic patients without history of smoking (10 with microangiopathy, 10 without microangiopathy). Tc-DTPA clearance half-time (T1/2) was calculated, then compared with the result of chest radiography and pulmonary function test. RESULTS: Chest radiography and pulmonary function test were normal in all subjects. There were no significant difference of clinical or laboratory characteristics between these groups except age. The diabetic patients with micraangiopathy were significantly older (p<0.05). The T1/2of normal subjects and asyrnptomatic smokers were significantly different (65.2+23.7min vs 39.6+9.8min, p<0.05). For diabetic patients with microangiopathy, the T, was 90 5+46.5min and significantly delayed when compared with those of normals and asymptomatic smokers (p<0.05). However, the T1/2of diabetic patients without microangiopathy, 70.0+12.7 min, was not significantly different from those of normals or asyrnptomatic smokers (p>0.05). No significant correlation was found between the T1/2and spirometric parameters including DLcc>, FVC, FEV>, FEV(/FVC (%) and FEF)5-75g in all subjects, and between the T1/2 and duration of diabetes in diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Eventhough the influence of age cant be excluded, delayed Tc-DTPA clearance half-time (T1/2)in diabetic patients with microangiopathy indicates decreased pulmonary cspillary permeability as one of the pathophysiologic results of pulmonary microangiopaththy. Further studies are needed in larger number of age matched control and diabetic patients to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Humans ; Permeability ; Radiography ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Multiple Organ Failure* ; Sepsis*

No abstract available.
Histiocytosis*

No abstract available.
Multiple Organ Failure* ; Sepsis*

We reviewed the records of 23 patients who underwent repeat operation after initial vitreoretinal surgery in Chungnam National University Hospital between January 1993 and December 1993. Of 193 eyes who underwent vitreoretinal surgery in that period, 23(12%) had undergone reoperation. The most common cause of initial anatomic failure and reoperation was either new or recurrent proliferative vitreoretinopathy(10 eyes). Other causes included iatrogenic retinal tears(5 eyes), hidden retinal breaks(4 eyes), vitreous traction(1 eye), inappropriate chorioretinal adhesion(1 eye), and new break(1 eye). We performed vitreous base dissection on all 9 eyes with anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy. With additional surgery and after a mean follow-up period of 10.4 months, 21(91%) of 23 retinas were reattached. The final cause of anatomic failure was anterior proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Of the 23 reoperated eyes, 20(87%) had postoperative visual acuity of 0.05 or better.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Reoperation ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Visual Acuity ; Vitreoretinal Surgery* ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

Four patients with intraocular foreign bodies and traumatic cataracts underwent combined pars plana lensectomy, vitrectomy, and intraocular foreign body removal. During pars plana lensectomy, anterior lens capsule and zonules were left intact. At the end of surgery, a posterior chamber intraocular lens was placed in the sulcus in front of the anterior capsule through a 7-mm limbal incision. This procedure was performed in selected cases of combined anterior and posterior segment trauma. Combining pars plana lensectomy and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation with posteior segment procedures allows rapid visual rehabilitation and functional unaided vision. We therefore suggest that this technique is effective in treating selected patients with both cataract and vitreoretinal diseases.
Cataract ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Rehabilitation ; Vitrectomy

No abstract available.
Carotid Artery, Common* ; Rupture*

Scleroderma renal crisis is defined as the new onset of accelerated arterial hypertension and/or rapidly progressive oliguric renal failure. The pathogenesis is not well understood but there is increasing evidence that renin- angiotensin system is involved. We report an one female patient with diffuse scleroderma and renal crisis. Initial treatment with ACE inhibitor was not effective in controlling blood pressure until the temporal initiation of hemodialysis. Predialysis serum creatinine level was 8.4 mg/dL, but after initiation of hemodialysis, adequate control of blood pressure was achieved with ACE inhibitor alone. This case illustrated many features of the syndrome of scleroderma renal crisis and supported the early use of captopril and emergency hemodialysis if indicated.
Angiotensins ; Blood Pressure ; Captopril ; Cough* ; Creatinine ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Scleroderma, Diffuse ; Tic Disorders* ; Tics*

BACKGROUND: The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis presents a significant challange to the treatment and control of tuberculosis, and there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms by which strains acquire multidrug resistance. Recent advances in molecular methods for the detection of M. tuberculosis genetic targets have approached the sensitivity of culture Furthermore the prospect of determining resistance in mycobacteria at the nucleic acid level particulary to first-line drugs like rifampin, isoniazid has provided a glimps of the next generation of sensitivity test for M. tuberculosis. Previous studies in RMP resistant M. tuberculosis have shown that mutation in beta subunit of RNA polymerase is main mechanism of resistance. METHOD: In this study, rpoB gene for the ~3 subunit of RNA polymerase from M. tuberculosis of 42 cultured samples (32 were RMP resistant and 10 were sensitive cases) were isolated and characterised the mutations. Direct sequencing data were compared with the results of INNO-LiPA Line Probe Assay (LiPA, Innogenetics, Belgium), commercial RMP resistance detecting kit using reverse hybridization method. RESULTS: All of the RMP resistant samples were revealed the presence of mutation by LiPA. In 22 samples (68.8%) out of 32 RMP resistant cases, the mutation types were confirmed by the positive signal at one of 4 mutation bands in the strip. The most frequent type was R5 (S53 IL) which were 17 cases (77.3%). Results of direct sequencing were identified the exact characteristics of 8 mutations which were not comfirmed by LiPA. S522W type point mutation and 9 base pair deletion at codon 513-515 were new identified mutations for the first time. CONCLUSION: Mutations in rpoB gene is the main mechanism of RMP resistance in M. tuberculosis and LiPA is a very useful diagnostic tool for the early diagnosis of RMP resistance in M. tuberculosis.
Base Pairing ; Codon ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Early Diagnosis ; Isoniazid ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Point Mutation ; Rifampin ; RNA Polymerase I ; Tuberculosis*

Ticlopidine is widely used as an anti-platelet agent and taken by the patients with thrombotic occlusive vascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in platelet aggregation with 3 different methods ; optical method using platelet-rich-plasma (PRP), impedance method using both PRP and whole blood, following administration of ticlopidine. Sixteen healthy volunteers, 12 males and 4 females, aged 26 to 32 years (mean; 27.5 years), who had not taken any drugs interfering with platelet function for two weeks, were divided into two groups. Each subject in the one goup was given a 100mg ticlopidine twice a day, and the other group were given a 200mg ticlopidine twice a day for 1 week. The platelet function was measured by an optical method using PRP and an impedance method using both platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) and whole blood with ADP (1, 5, 10, 20uM) and collagen (1, 2ug/mL). Whatever the method used, significant inhibitory effects of platelet aggregation and changes of aggregation cureve patterns were observed in both groups. The degree of inhibitory effect depends on the types of aggregating agent and their final concentration in the sample. These preliminary results confirmed the inhibitory effect of ticlopidine, when platelet aggregation is induced by ADP, measured by optical method as well as by the impedance method. The ticlopidine of 200mg/day may be not sufficient dosage for platelet inhibition to prevent ischemic stroke recurrence. This inhibitory effect is more prominent in higher dose of ticlopidine and cannot be overcome by increasing the concentration of ADP.
Adenosine Diphosphate ; Blood Platelets* ; Collagen ; Electric Impedance ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Platelet Aggregation* ; Recurrence ; Stroke ; Ticlopidine* ; Vascular Diseases