No abstract available.
Salivary Glands*

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of plasma concentration of vitamin C is on the plasma total antioxidant status(TAS) in patients with paraquat intoxication. METHODS: As a preliminary research for this study, we measured plasma vitamin C levels, uric acid, TAS, and bilirubin from 100 healthy Koreans aged between 25-55 years. Various concentrations of vitamin C were constructed in vitro with normal pooled plasma between 1mg/dl and 100 mg/dL and TAS was measured. Both vitamin C concentrations and TAS were measured from the blood samples, taken at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 hours after a bolus injection of vitamin C(50 mg/kg) from 7 volunteers who had been recruited from medical students at our hospital. Various amounts of vitamin C were given to 10 patients with paraquat intoxication for 5 consecutive days in the morning : first day ; 100 mg single dose, second day; 500 mg single dose, third day ; 1,000 mg single dose, fourth day : 3,000 mg single dose, and fifth day ; 3,000 mg three times every 8 hours. RESULTS: The mean value of TAS and vitamin C measured in 100 healthy Korean adults was 2.22 +/-0.16 mmol/L and 0.48+/-0.10 mg/dL. Age and sex do not influence these levels(p> 0.05, data are not presented). A direct correlation was observed between TAS and vitamin C concentrations of 1 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL both in vivo and vitro. As the vitamin C concentration was increased gradually 5 consecutive days, the TAS values increased in the same way as follows : first day(vitamin C 100 mg) 2.26+/-0.98 mmol/L, second day(vitamin C 500 mg) 2.76+/-0.78 mmol/L, third day(vitamin C 1.000 mg) 2.81+/-0.68 mmol/L, fourth day(vitamin C 3.000 mg) 3.18 mmol/L. On the fifth day when 3.000 mg of vitamin C was given by bolus intravenous injection 3 times(every 8 hours for a day), the TAS values measured one hour after the injection was 3.58+/-0.37 mmol/L. CONCLUSION: When vitamin C is used as a free radical scavenger, the loading dose and maintenance dose should be around 2278 mg intravenous bolus and 146 mg/hour. High doses of vitamin C are effective and safe for patients with acute paraquat intoxication.
Adult ; Ascorbic Acid* ; Bilirubin ; Free Radical Scavengers ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Paraquat* ; Plasma* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Students, Medical ; Uric Acid ; Vitamins* ; Volunteers

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Resonance frequency analysis (RFA) has been increasingly served as a non-invasive and objective method for clinical monitoring of implant stability. Many clinical studies must be required for standardized baseline data using RFA. PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate RFA value changes in two stage surgery group and one stage surgery group in patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Forty-seven mandibles in consecutively implant installed patients were selected for this study and 141 fixtures were installed. Ninety-three fixtures were double threaded, machined surface design (Bra.nemark. MK III, Nobel Biocare AB, Go teborg, Sweden) and 48 fixtures were root form, threaded, HA-coated surface one (Replace(TM), Steri-Oss/Nobel Biocare AB, USA). Among those, each 10 fixture was installed in one stage group patients. ISQ values were measured using Osstell(TM) (Integration Diagnostics Ltd. Sweden) during fixture installation, at healing abutment connection and in the loading period for two stage surgery group patients and during at each 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 week and in the loading phase for one stage surgery group patients and evaluated the changes according to the time and fixture type. RESULTS: In two stage surgery group, mean and SD of ISQ values of machined surface implants were 76.85 +/- 3.74, 75.76 +/- 5.04, 75.73 +/- 4.41 and those of HA-coated surface implant were 75.05 +/- 6.23, 77.58 +/- 5.23, 78.32 +/- 4.29 during fixtures installation, at healing abutment connection and in the loading period, respectively. In one-stage surgery group, the ISQ values of machined surface and HA-coated surface implants decreased until 4 or 6 week and maintained at plateau for 1-3 week and increased to the loading period. CONCLUSIONS: Machined and HA-coated surface implants showed minimal ISQ changes with time if they were installed at the sites showing at least intact cortical plate and good bone qualities. And HA-coated implants had a tendency to show somewhat increased ISQ values with time.
Humans ; Mandible

No abstract available.
Humans ; Meningitis* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis*

In the past 10 years, modern technology has made deep seated obscure lesions visible. With development of computer technology and various stereotaxic techniques, many new procedures, refinement of old procedures, and development of new applications are possible. The authors are intended to provide a detailed description of our experience with the Brown-Roberts-Wells (BRW) stereotactic system in the evaluation and management of 90 patients with intracranial lesions, and to provide cases presentation of various inaccessible intracranial lesions.
Humans ; Stereotaxic Techniques

To evaluate the platelet activation in vivo in the patients with coronary artery disease Indium-111 labeled autologus platelet survival time was measured. Platelet survival determinations were made according to a modified method for radioisotope platelet survival studies recommended by the Panel on Diagnostic Application of Radioisotopes in Hematology of the International Committee for Standardization in Hematology. Autologous platelets were labeled with 111 In-oxine utilizing a similar method used at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. The results are summarized as follows : 1) In the patients with coronary artery disease, especially acutemyocardial infarction, the mean platelet survival time was significantly shorter than that of the normal controls(P<0.05). 2) The mean platelet survival time did not differ significantly between patients with acute myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. 3) The mean platelet survival time did not differ significantly between nonsmoker and smoker in the patients with coronary artery disease.
Angina Pectoris ; Blood Platelets* ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Hematology ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction ; Platelet Activation ; Radioisotopes

The purposes of this study were to investigate the satisfaction of use of removable denture elated to general, functional and esthetic factors among dental patients in national sorokdo hospital, and to establish the structure relationships of dental treatment satisfaction. Two hundred fifty hansen`s patients who consented with this survey were selected and examined their oral status. Satisfaction degree was estimated by means of self-developed questionarires, filled out by face-to-face interview. Collected data were analyzed by t-tast The obtained results were as follow : 1. The satisfaction degree of four subscales was highest in esthetic actor (3.17+/-0.36), denture retention factor(3.10+/-0.60), general treatment satisfaction factor(2.94+/-0.56), and masticatory function factor (2.90+/-0.68) in descending order. It was appeared that patients was generally satisfied with all four factor. 2. On the comparison between proportion of denture satisfaction and satisfactio 02n of subscales, as the satisfaction of general treatment, masticatory function and denture retention were increased, the proportion of denture satisfaction of esthetic function and proportion of denture satisfaction. 3. The masticatiory function factor, denture retention factor and genernal satisfaction of treatment factor were directly affected on the denture satisfaction, but esthetic factor was affected indirectly on the denture satisfaction as a result of path analysis
Dental Prosthesis* ; Denture Retention ; Dentures ; Humans

Over the past six years, titanium alloy has been replacing the stainless steel in spinal implants owing to its magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) compatibility. However, studies about the usefulness of MRI, from a clinical standpoint, when it is used for spinal implants have been scarce. The purpose, therefore, is to determine whether postoperative MRIs would provide satisfactory information in evaluating the spine having various titanium implants. Authors reviewed the spinal MR images of sixteen patients who had previously received eleven different kinds of titanium implants, and compared postoperative images to preoperative images regarding the quality of images of spinal cord, nerve root, spinal canal, and the aforementioned implants. Types of implants included anterior cervical plate/screws, lateral cervical mass plate/screws, Halifax interlaminar clamps, anterior thoracolumbar rods/screws, posterior thoracolumbar rods/hooks, and posterior thoracolumbar transpedicular rods/screws. Anterior cervical plate/screws, lateral cervical mass plate/screws, Halifax clamps, and anterior thoracolumbar rod/screws produced small distortions of the images at the spinal canal or neural foramen. In contrast, posterior thoracolumbar transpedicular rods/screws created severe image distortions at the neural foramen in the postoperative MRIs. Metal-induced artifacts were most marked in the image from gradient echo sequence. Posterior thoracolumbar rods/hooks produced some artifacts at the posterior portion of the spinal canal. Although our series are limited in number, it can be concluded that MRI is informative and it is useful in postoperative evaluation of the spine with most types of titanium implants. However, postmyelogram computed tomography is recommended in cases where posterior thoracolumbar transpedicular rods/screws have been used.
Alloys ; Artifacts ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Spine* ; Stainless Steel ; Titanium*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The antihypertensive efficacy and tolerability of losartan (LST) in fixed combination with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) has not been compared to those of amlodipine monotherapy in Asians. This is an important comparison to draw, because Asians have been suggested to respond more favorably to calcium channel blockers and less favorably to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in comparison to Westerners. We sought to compare these two regimens in Korean patients with mild to moderate hypertension. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 174 patients were randomized to receive LST 50 mg once daily, which could be titrated to LST/HCTZ 50/12.5 mg at 4 weeks, followed by 100/25 mg at 8 weeks; or to receive amlodipine besylate 2.5 mg once daily, which could be titrated to 5 mg at 4 weeks, followed by 10 mg at 8 weeks to achieve diastolic blood pressure <90 mmHg. RESULTS: At 12 weeks, the differences between the LST/HCTZ and amlodipine groups with regard to diastolic and systolic blood pressure were 1.2 mmHg (95% confidence interval: -1.1 to 3.4) and -0.5 mmHg (95% confidence interval: -4.3 to 3.4), respectively. The rates of achieving systolic blood pressure <140 mmHg were 66.7% in the LST/HCTZ group and 75.9% in the amlodipine group (p=0.20). The rates of drug-related adverse events were 15.6% in the LST/HCTZ group and 11.9% in the amlodipine group (p=0.49). CONCLUSION: The two regimens, with a relatively higher dose of LST/HCTZ compared to that required in Westerners, produced equivalent blood pressure reduction and were comparably well tolerated in Korean patients with mild to moderate hypertension.
Amlodipine ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Drug Combinations ; Humans ; Hydrochlorothiazide ; Hypertension ; Losartan