PURPOSE: Patients with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) can have pain as a main symptom and overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms that are directly or indirectly related to a major mechanism that causes pain. The primary purpose of this study is firstly to identify the prevalence rate of OAB symptoms in patients with BPS/IC, secondly to identify changes in OAB symptoms after low-dose triple therapy, and thirdly to build a theoretical foundation to improve quality of life for patients. METHODS: Patients who met the inclusion criteria of BPS/IC through basic tests including the O'Leary-Sant symptom index, overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS), and visual analog scale (VAS) were identified. Treatment-based changes in OAB symptoms were identified using the IC Symptom Index and IC Problem Index (ICSI/ICPI), OABSS, and VAS before, and 4 and 12 weeks after low-dose triple therapy. RESULTS: The patients consisted of 3 men and 20 women, and their mean age was 61.9 years (41.0-83.2 years). Comparing values before treatment, and 4 and 12 weeks after treatment (baseline vs. 4 weeks to baseline vs. 12 weeks), the rates of improvement were as follows: ICSI, 44.2% to 63.7%; ICPI, 46.9% to 59.4%; OABSS, 34.3% to 58.2%; and VAS, 53.6% to 75.0%, which showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). However, comparing values at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment (4 weeks vs. 12 weeks), the ICSI and VAS showed a statistically significant decrease (P<0.05). The ICPI and OABSS showed slight improvement, but no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose triple therapy in BPS/IC results in a clear decrease in OAB symptoms in the first 4 weeks after treatment, and additional treatment for 8 weeks had a partial effect with varied statistical significances depending on the questionnaires.
Amines ; Amitriptyline ; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids ; Cystitis ; Cystitis, Interstitial ; Female ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive

This study investigated the recovery and absorption rates of murine norovirus, a surrogate for human norovirus, by using NanoCeram(R) filters which served as a tool for recovering viruses. In the study, two types of NanoCeram(R) filters were employed: one was a cartridge type and the other was a disc type (phi 47 mm) whose surface area is 75 times smaller than the cartridge type. The analytical method was the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The study found that the average recovery rates of the cartridge type and the disc type were 30.9% and 29.5% respectively. Since these two rates were very close to each other, the adsorption rate of the cartridge type could be predicted with the disc type. Analyzing recovery and absorption rates of the disc type based on different filtered volumes showed that when the volume increased from 0.5 L to 20 L, the average recovery rate rose from 14.78% to 30.41 %, while the average absorption rate dropped from 56.33% to 10.48%. The increase in turbidity from less than 1 NTU to less than 3 NTU raised the average recovery rate from 47.23% to 82.84%.
Absorption ; Adsorption ; Humans ; Norovirus

Noroviruses (NoVs) cause major epidemic gastroenteritis in humans. To obtain the molecular epidemiological information on gastroenteritis sporadic cases in Incheon city, Korea, we analyzed the nucleotide sequences of NoV strains detected during 2005~2007. We performed one step RT-PCR amplifying the open reading frame (ORF) 2 (capsid region) followed by semi-nested PCR from the stool samples from acute gastroenteritis patients from 2005 to 2007. Amplicons of the capsid region of norovirus strains were sequenced and analyzed using MegAlign in DNAstar software. Faecal samples were collected from 6,618 acute gastroenteritis patients during the study period. The incidence of NoV infection was about 10.7% (n=708) among patients with acute gastroenteritis and genotypes of the 320 positive samples were determined by sequence analysis. Sequence comparison of NoV strains revealed that 16 genotypes of GII NoV strains were circulated in Incheon city, from 2005 to 2007. Among norovirus strains, the most prevalent genotype GII/4 was most common 69.7% (223 strains), followed by GII/3 17.2% (55 strains), GII/12 4.4% (14 strains), GII/1 2.2% (7 strains), GII/5 1.6% (5 strains), GII/15 1.3% (4 strains) and 0.6% (2 strains) each of GII/9 and GII/16. The GII-3 strains were most frequently detected in Incheon, 2005. From the phylogenetic analysis of NoV strains, we detected 16 genotypes of GII NoV strains during 2005~2007 in Incheon. Our results suggest that various genotypes of human NoV strains in sporadic case of AGE were circulated in Incheon, Korea.
Base Sequence ; Capsid ; Gastroenteritis ; Genotype ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Norovirus ; Open Reading Frames ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis

PURPOSE: This study was design and performed for evaluations of resent clinical pattern of bronchiolitis caused by RSV infection with children under 2 year of age for 5 years, who were admitted to pediatric ward. METHODS: The inclusion criteria of the patients were children under 24 month-of-age, clinical manifestations of lower respiratory tract infection, and RSV antigen that was detected by a direct immunofluorescence test from the nasal secretions. The additional laboratory and simple chest X-ray findings were reviewed from the medical records of children who were admitted Wonkwang university hospital from Jan. 1999 to Dec. 2003. RESULTS: In the 5 year study duration, 127 patients were enrolled and outbreak of RSV bronchiolitis took place in 2001. The 80 cases(63 percent) of RSV infection were concentrated in later autumn and winter. Number of the cases show coughing were 120(94.5 percent), but rale was audible in 78 cases(61.4 percent). Dyspnea, wheezing, and intercostal retraction were noticed in 27(21.3 percent), 21(16.5 percent), and 4(3 percent) cases respectively. The most common chest X-ray finding was hyperinflation of the lung that was noticed in 110 cases(86.6 percent). Care with mechanical ventilator for more than 2 days required in 5 cases. CONCLUSION: Lower respiratory tract infection by RSV was common in late autumn and winter season but year-round infection was noticed. The severity of RSV respiratory tract infectiontakes in some degree a grave course. So we suggest that population-based surveillance of acute respiratory infection due to RSV is necessary for assessment of prevalence and epidemiology of this disease.
Bronchiolitis ; Child* ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Epidemiology ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Humans ; Lung ; Medical Records ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Sounds ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses* ; Respiratory System* ; Respiratory Tract Infections* ; Seasons ; Thorax ; Ventilators, Mechanical

The information of species and quantity of enteric viruses in surface water, finished water, and tap water is important in helping understand the pathogenesis of viruses, providing information about health and hygiene, improving handling technique of drinking water, and establishing the standards of water quality. Using standard total culturable virus assay-most probable number (TCVA-MPN) method, we tried to detect infectious enteric viruses in surface water, finished water, and tap water samples that were collected and evaluated according to the information collection rule (ICR). The results obtained with TCVA method were compared to the results from both reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and integrated cell culture-RT-PCR (ICC-RT-PCR) method. Five of 86 samples (5.8%) were positive as determined by the TCVA-MPN method. Two of 86 samples (2.3%) were positive for reovirus as determined by the RT-PCR and ICC-RT-PCR, and contained infectious reovirus. One of 86 samples (1.7%) was positive for coxsackievirus type B3 as determined by the RT-PCR and ICC-RT-PCR.
Drinking Water ; Hygiene ; Water Quality ; Water*

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is known to inhibit osteoclastogenesis by acting as a soluble decoy receptor for the receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL). We report the presence of OPG on the membrane of osteoclasts and the possibility of the direct action of OPG on them. Highly pure osteoclast precursors were isolated from mouse long bones and induced to differentiate into mature osteoclasts by M-CSF and soluble RANKL (sRANKL). The presence of OPG on the membrane of these cells was confirmed by western blotting and immunostaining. Furthermore, sRANKL was found to be bound to the OPG on the osteoclast precursors. These results suggest that OPG might have a new role during the differentiation of osteoclasts beyond its role as a soluble decoy receptor. The mechanism of the existence of OPG on osteoclast precursors remains to be found.
Animals ; Bone and Bones/cytology/*metabolism ; Carrier Proteins/immunology/metabolism ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects/physiology ; Cell Membrane/*metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Glycoproteins/drug effects/*metabolism ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/pharmacology ; Membrane Glycoproteins/immunology/metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Osteoclasts/drug effects/*metabolism ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/drug effects/*metabolism ; Stem Cells/drug effects/metabolism