Tick is one of the most important arthropods in the transmission of vector-borne diseases. In this study, we investigated the abundance and species of ticks associated with swine and their habitats to assess the risk of spread of tick-borne diseases in host species, such as wild boars. Ticks were collected from 24 grazing or traditionally reared domestic pig farms and 8 habitats of wild boars in 8 provinces and 1 city in the Republic of Korea, by using the dragging and flagging methods. Ticks were also collected directly from 49 wild boars by using fine forceps. A total of 9,846 hard ticks were collected, including 4,977 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 4,313 Haemaphysalis flava, 508 Ixodes nipponensis, 1 Ixodes turdus, and 47 Amblyomma testudinarium. A total of 240 hard ticks were collected from 49 wild boars, including 109 H. flava, 84 H. longicornis, and 47 A. testudinarium. A total of 578 hard ticks were collected from areas around domestic pig farms. Only 2 hard tick species, 546 H. longicornis and 32 H. flava, were collected from these areas. A total of 9,028 hard ticks were collected from wild boars of 8 habitats, including 4,347 H. longicornis, 4,172 H. flava, 508 I. nipponensis, and 1 I. turdus. A. testudinarium was collected only from wild boars, and I. nipponensis and I. turdus were collected only from the habitats of wild boars.
Agriculture ; Arthropods ; Ecosystem* ; Ixodes ; Ixodidae ; Republic of Korea* ; Surgical Instruments ; Sus scrofa* ; Swine ; Tick-Borne Diseases ; Ticks*

To investigate the neutralizing effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and selenium (Se) aganist doxorubicin (DOX) toxicity in rats, NAC (140 mg/kg, p.o.) and Se (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered for 2 days before DOX injection and then 3 times a week. Cell viability and the level of lipid peroxidation were examined in cultured-rat astrocytes. Severe morphologic changes in the kidney of DOX group; thickening of Bowmans capsule, presence of multifocal tubular casts were observed, but not in the other treated groups. Vacuoles in some hepatic cells and focal aggregation of stellate macrophages were also detected in DOX group, but not in the other treated groups. However, the severe inhibition of spermatogenesis was found in all treated groups. The cell viability of DOX (10 mg/ml) treated group and NAC (5 mM) or Se (0.001 mg/ml) combinedtreated group was 52.5+/-2.0 % , 85.3+/-4.5 % and 75.5+/-1.6 %, respectively. In MDA (malondialdehyde) assay, the level of lipid peroxidation on DOX (10 mg/ml), NAC (5 mM) and Se (0.001 mg/ml) was 0.77+/-0.06, 0.35+/-0.06 and 0.54+/-0.11 nmol/mg protein, respectively. Thus, it is known that NAC and Se have protective effects in kidney and liver but not in the testes. Morphological change was not detected in brain and heart in all groups for experiment period. From this in vitro study, it is known that NAC and Se protect well the astrocytes against DOX induced-cell damage.
Acetylcysteine/*pharmacology ; Animals ; Astrocytes/*cytology/drug effects/pathology ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Doxorubicin/antagonists & inhibitors/*toxicity ; Liver/cytology/*drug effects/pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatocytes/cytology/drug effects/pathology

BACKGROUND: VRE have become an emerging nosocomial pathogen in Korea, but there has not been nationwide study on the colonization of VRE among high risk groups of hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of rectal colonization of VRE among patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU), to study the risk factors for nosocomial acquisition of VRE among those patients, to define the genetic diversity of VRE strains in major hospitals in Korea. METHODS: Between January the 20th and 30th of 2000, a point surveillance study was conducted in the ICU of the ten large hospitals, which were located nationwide. Surveillance rectal swab cultures for detecting VRE were obtained among 214 patients admitted to the ICU during the study period. To isolate VRE, rectal swab cultures were performed on Enterococcosel(R) agar that containing 6 microgram/mL of vancomycin. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of vancomycin and teicoplanin were determined by agar dilution method. For the genotyping of VRE isolates, the detection of vanA, vanB, vanC1 and vanC2 gene by polymerase chain reaction was done. Pulsed-field gel electrophoreis (PFGE) was used for elucidating the genetic relatedness of VRE isolates. To identify the risk factors for rectal VRE colonization, patients harboring VRE were compared to patients who were not colonized with this organism. RESULTS: The rectal colonization rate of VRE was variable from 9.7% to 51.9% according to hospital. 64 VRE strains which were isolated from 63 patients included 37 E. feacium. 26 E. gallinarum and 1 E. casseliflavus isolates. Therefore the colonization rate of clinically significant vanA type VRE was 17.3% (37/ 214). 37 E. feacium. 26 E. gallinarum and 1 E. casseliflavus isolates were presented as vanA, vanC1 and vanC2 genotypes, respectively. Risk factors for rectal VRE colonization included the presence of chronic illness, previous use of broad spectrum antibioitcs es-pecillay vancomycin, and prolonged stay in ICU. Various PFGE patterns are noted among vanA type VRE isolates, so individual acquisition of VRE during stay in the majority of ICUs were suggested. But there is some evidence of focal VRE spread within the ICU and between hospitals. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the high rectal colonization rate (17.3%) of clinically significant vanA type VRE among patients admitted to the ICUs of ten large hospitals located nation-widely. This study suggested that practicing HICPAC guidelines, restricted vancomycin usage and periodic surveillance cultures in patients with high risk factors are important in preventing the emergence and spread of VRE infection among ICU patients.
Agar ; Chronic Disease ; Colon* ; Genetic Variation* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors* ; Teicoplanin ; Vancomycin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation(AF) is the most frequently encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice. Pharmacologic therapy has been advocated for both immediate restoration of sinus rhythm and prevention of recurrent AF. Because conventional antiarrhythmic therapy is often ineffective in maintaining sinus rhythm or is associated with adverse side effects in patients with AF, recent interest has focused on the use of class III antiarrhythmic agents. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of sotalol and amiodarone for conversion of chronic AF and prevention of recurrent AF. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Thirty six patients with AF were firstly received sotalol by prospective study protocol. The patients were classified as having paroxysmal AF(PAF, N=2) or chronic AF(CAF, N=4) based on AF pattern. If the patients with CAF did not convert to sinus rhythm or the patients with PAF recurred in AF, the patients were received second agents(amiodarone). Patients were followed up for one year. RESULTS: Among the 12 patients with PAF receiving sotalol, 10(83.3%) patients remained in normal sinus rhythm for average 9.4+/-3.6 months. Sotalol was replaced by amiodarone in the remaing 2 patients with arrhythmia recurrence and 1 of the 2 patients remained in sinus rhythm during the follow-up period. In the case of 24 patients with CAF, conversion to sinus rhythm was achieved in 5(20.8%) patients with sotalol. Among the patients with CAF who were not respond to sotalol, 17 patients received amiodarone subsquently and 3 patients successfully converted to sinus rhythm. There were no proarrhythmic effects related to both agents during the study period. CONCLUSION: Both sotalol and amiodarone appear to be less effective in the termination of CAF, but sequential use of these two agents seem to be very effective for the prevention of recurrence of PAF.
Amiodarone* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Sotalol*

Many neuromuscular disorders involve the heart and may produce dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy in which the autonomic nervous system is sometimes involved. ST-segment and T-wave abnormalities have been reported in which the autonomic nervous system is involved, and sudden death can be attributed to fatal arrhythmic or malignant hypertension, but cardiomypathy have been reported rare. 58-year-old woman who complained of pitting edema and exertional dyspnea was admitted. Dilated cardiomyopathy was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography. Guillain-Barre syndrome was diagnosed by clinical manifestation, EMG, and CSF tapping. T-wave inversion in electrocardiogram was noted, and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and ejection fraction were 69.2mm and 37.5% respectively in transthoracic echocardiography. Coronary angiograms were normal and ergonovine test was negative. Plasmapheresis has been used as mainstay of treatment in patient with Guillain-Barre syndrome. She was treated with diuretics and digoxin. Motor paralysis improved gradually by plasmapheresis and left ventricular dysfunction improved after 8 months.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; Death, Sudden ; Digoxin ; Diuretics ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Edema ; Electrocardiography ; Ergonovine ; Female ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension, Malignant ; Middle Aged ; Paralysis ; Plasmapheresis ; Polyradiculoneuropathy ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Cortical dysplasia is a rare developmental disorder developed from a defect of neuronal migration. It is characterized by disruption of the normal cortical lamination by abnormal large nerve cells and large astrocytes in the cerebral mantle, often causing intractable seizures. The advance of magnetic resonance imaging enables us to make an in-vivo diagnosis of cortical dysplasia. The authors present a case of 23-months-old girl, who underwent temporal lobectomy for medically intractable seizures.
Astrocytes ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy* ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Malformations of Cortical Development* ; Neurons ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Goats* ; Mesencephalon* ; Periaqueductal Gray* ; Somatostatin*

No abstract available.
Herpesvirus 1, Suid* ; Pseudorabies*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra* ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid* ; Pseudorabies* ; Rats* ; Uterus*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cats* ; Olfactory Bulb*