BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients under real life setting in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 758 CHC patients treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin between 2000 and 2008 from 14 university hospitals in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area in Korea. RESULTS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 was detected in 61.2% of patients, while genotype 2 was detected in 35.5%. Baseline HCV RNA level was > or =6x10(5) IU/mL in 51.6% of patients. The sustained virological response (SVR) rate was 59.6% regardless of genotype; 53.6% in genotype 1 and 71.4% in genotype 2/3. On multivariate analysis, male gender (p=0.011), early virological response (p<0.001), genotype 2/3 (p<0.001), HCV RNA <6x10(5) IU/mL (p=0.005) and adherence to the drug >80% of the planned dose (p<0.001) were associated with SVR. The rate of premature discontinuation was 35.7%. The main reason for withdrawal was intolerance to the drug due to common adverse events or cytopenia (48.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the efficacy of peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in Koreans is better in Koreans than in Caucasians for the treatment of CHC, corroborating previous studies that have shown the superior therapeutic efficacy of this regimen in Asians.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribavirin ; RNA

A case of Mycobacterium avium arthritis in a 39-year-old female patient with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) was reported. An extra-articular abscess had formed outside the knee joint and extended down the calf. A culture was taken of the abscess and synovial fluid disclosed Mycobacteriun avium. This was resistant to most anti-tuberculosis agents. A combination of anti-tuberculosis drugs followed a total resection of the abscess. We concluded that M avium septic arthritis could insidiously develop into an extra-articular abscess. A combination of anti-tuberculosis drugs with a total resection of the abscess was an effective treatment.
Adult ; Antitubercular Agents/therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Infectious/*microbiology/therapy ; Female ; Human ; Knee Joint/*microbiology/surgery ; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease/*complications ; Mycobacterium avium/drug effects/*isolation & purification ; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection/*complications/therapy

A 29 years old woman had suffered from posterior neck and right shoulder pain for one year. She was given a spinal manipulation that was by a non-licentiate at a non-hospital. Posterior neck and shoulder pains were worsened and headache was developed after the spinal manipulation. She was recommended to be kept on the manipulation. Although physical finding was non-specific, radiologic findings of CT and MRI revealed atlantoaxial subluxation. After cervical immobilization and anti-inflammatory drug medication for three months, she recovered and did return to her work. We expect that atlantoaxial subluxation after spinal manipulation is not rare even in healthy young person without underlying pathology and can progress to serious complications unless detailed examination and management are undertaken.
Adult ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Manipulation, Spinal* ; Neck ; Pathology ; Shoulder Pain

Hansenula anomala is a normal or transient flora of the throat and alimentary tract, and has been reported as an organism causing opportunistic or nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients, but rarely in immunocompetent hosts. From the review of the literatures, there is no published report on arthritis caused by H. anomala. We experienced a case of H. anomala arthritis in a 59-year old man who had diabetes mellitus and right knee joint swelling with deformity. The findings of magnetic resonance image were consistent with septic arthritis which had bony destruction in distal femur and proximal tibia, abscess formation in joint space, and joint effusion with synovial hypertrophy. A fungus was isolated from a couple of blood cultures and knee joint aspiration fluid, and later identified as H. anomala by yeast biochemical cards. He was successfully treated with extensive debridement and fluconazole for 8 weeks.
Abscess ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Cross Infection ; Debridement ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Femur ; Fluconazole ; Fungi ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Immunocompromised Host ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Middle Aged ; Pharynx ; Pichia* ; Tibia ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Animals ; Diuresis* ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Rats* ; Urinary Bladder*

To estimate the incidence rate of coronary heart disease in Korea, of all residents of the Taegu city aged 25 or above, those who had an acute MI or fatal coronary event between 1 July 1996 and 30 June 1997 were registered. Seven hundreds and eight patients were registered during the study period(685 were identified at hospital and 23 were autopsy cases). Age-standardized annual incidence rate of men in city area was 93 per 100,000(95% CI; 61-142) and 33(95% CI; 16-67) in women(100 in men and 20 in women aged 35-64). The incidence was rapidly increased after age 40 in men, however, in women after age 60. Twenty-eight-days case fatality rate was 45% in men and 47% in women. However, in the age group of 45-59 case fatality rate in women was two times higher than that in men. In conclusion, crude annual incidence rate of CHD in city area was 73 per 100,000 in men and 33 in women. The age-standardized annual incidence of CHD in men(93 per 100,000) was 3.2 times higher than that in women (33 per 100,000) in Korea.
Autopsy ; Coronary Disease* ; Daegu ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality

No abstract available.
Animals ; Diuresis* ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Rats* ; Urinary Bladder*

Bowel segments are used either in a tubular or detubular configuration in bladder augmentation and substitutions. The majority of urologists agree that detubularized segments give better clinical results,but detailed studies were not investigated in animals. The present study compared the contractile response of autonomic agonists including carbachol, isoproterenol,alpha, beta-methylene ATP on detubularized and tubularized cystoplastic ileal segments. In addition, histological examinations of cystoplastic ileal segments were performed. Five rats underwent Sham operation as control and eight rats underwent detubularized ileocystoplasty and seven rats underwent tubularized ileocystoplasty. Analysis was done six weeks after surgery. The contractile responses of detubularized cystoplasty ileum to carbachol, alpha, beta-methylene ATP were significantly increased when compared to the responses of tubularized ileum and control ileum. The relaxation responses of detubularized cystoplasty ileum to isoproterenol were significantly higher than control ileum. However, in tubularized ileum, the responses to carbachol, alpha, beta-methylene ATP, isoproterenol were similar for control ileum. The responses of detubularized cystoplasty ileum to carbachol, alpha, beta -methylene ATP were significantly different from control bladder, but detubularized cystoplasty ileum showed responses that resemble control bladder more closely when compared to the responses of tubularized ileum.The histological examination showed urothelialization of cystoplastic ileum with transitional epithelium extending over and covering the junction margin of the cystoplastic ileum. These results suggest detubularized ileocystoplasty induced closer pharmacological changes in the ileal segment towards the bladder than tubularized ileocystoplasty and so we can expect detubularized ileocystoplasty gives better clinical outcome.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Carbachol ; Epithelium ; Ileum* ; Isoproterenol ; Rats* ; Relaxation ; Urinary Bladder

The free radicals generated during the ischemic/reperfusion period have been suggested as a possible cause for tissue damage in organs. This state was conducted to investigate protective effects of free radical scavengers through changes in the lipid peroxide content of the testis when administered before reperfusion of testicular torsion. These protective agents include superoxide dismutase(SOD), an oxygen radical scavenger and dimethylthiourea(DMTU), a hydroxyl radical scavenger. Forty five Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 9 groups, each containing 5 rats. Group 1 served to determine basal values of the lipid peroxide content of the testis ; group 2 underwent sham operation as a control ; group 3 was subjected to unilateral testicular torsion lasting 3 hours; group 4, 5 were subjected to the detorsion lasting 1 hour and 2 hours following torsion for 3 hours; group 6, 7, 8, 9 were treated with SOD or DMTU before detorsion following torsion lasting 3 hours. The measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive products of lipid peroxidation(TBAR) were employed to assess the extent of lipid peroxidation in testicular tissues. TBAR from sham operation control groups did not differ significantly from basal groups (p>0.05). Testicular torsion caused a significant increase in TBAR in the testis (p<0.05) when compared with basal values and detorsion caused a further significant increase when compared with values obtained after torsion. But TBAR after 1 hr detorsion did not change significantly compared with values obtained after 2 hours detorsion. The pretreatment with SOD prevented this further increase but the pretreatment with DMTU didn't. In conclusion, biochemically, reperfusion injury occurs in testis following detorsion after testicular torsion of 720 lasting 3 hours. The pretreatment with SOD, an oxygen radical scavenger, is effective in preventing reperfusion injury.
Animals ; Free Radical Scavengers* ; Free Radicals ; Hydroxyl Radical ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Oxygen ; Protective Agents ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury* ; Reperfusion* ; Spermatic Cord Torsion* ; Superoxides ; Testis

We reviewed 28 patients with renal pelvic tumor during the period from 1974 to 1989 and 17 patients were followed up. The over all survival rate at l, 2, and 3 years was 88%, 63%, and 50%, respectively, by the Kaplan-Meier method. The stage and the grade of the tumor were the most influencing factors on prognosis. Simultaneous tumors of ureter or bladder, non-visualizing kidney on excretory urography, duration of the gross hematuria more than 6 months showed relatively poor prognosis. But development of subsequent bladder tumor did not seem to influence on prognosis.
Hematuria ; Humans ; Kidney ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urography