• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.679-686
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• 2008

Background: Cellular remnants in the bioprosthetic heart valve are known to be related to a host's immunologic response and they can form the nidus for calcification. The extracellular matrix of the decellularized valve tissue can also be used as a biological scaffold for cell attachment, endothelialization and tissue reconstitution. Thus, decellularization is the most important part in making a bioprosthetic valve and biological caffold. Many protocols and agents have been suggested for decellularization, yet there ave been few reports about the effect of a treatment with hypotonic solution prior to chemical or enzymatic treatment. This study investigated the effect of a treatment with hypotonic solution and the appropriate environments such as temperature, the treatment duration and the concentration of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) for achieving proper decellularization. Material and Method: Porcine aortic valves were decellularized with odium dodecylsulfate at various concentrations (0.25%, 0.5%), time durations (6, 12, 24 hours) and temperatures ($4^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$)(Group B). Same the number of porcine aortic valves (group A) was treated with hypotonic solution prior to SDS treatment at the same conditions. The duration of exposure to the hypotonic solution was 4, 7 and 14 hours and he temperature was $4^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$, respectively. The degree of decellularization was analyzed by performing hematoxylin and eosin staining. Result: There were no differences in the degree of decellularization between the two concentrations (0.25% 0.5%) of SDS. Twenty four hours treatment with SDS revealed the best decellularization effect for both roups A and B at the temperature of $4^{\circ}C$, but there was no differences between the roups at $20^{\circ}C$. Treatment with hypotonic solution (group A) showed a better ecellularization effect at all the matched conditions. Fourteen hours treatment at $4^{\circ}C$ ith ypotonic solution prior to 80S treatment revealed the best decellularization effect. The treatment with hypotonic solution at $20^{\circ}C$ revealed a good decellularization effect, but his showed significant extracellular matrix destruction. Conclusion: The exposure of porcine heart valves to hypotonic solution prior to SDS treatment is highly effective for achieving decellularization. Osmotic treatment with hypotonic solution should be considered or achieving decellularization of porcine aortic valves. Further study should be carried out to see whether the treatment with hypotonic solution could reduce the exposure duration and concentration of chemical detergents, and also to evaluate how the structure of the extracellular matrix of the porcine valve is affected by the exposure to hypotonic solution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Archives and Records Management
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-35
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• 2001

After almost one century of discontinuity in the archival tradition of Chosun dynasty, Korea entered the new age of records and archival management by legislating and executing the basic laws (The Records and Archives Management of Public Agencies Ad of 1999). Annals of Chosun dynasty recorded major historical facts of the five hundred years of national affairs. The Annals are major accomplishment in human history and rare in the world. It was possible because the Annals were composed of collected, selected and complied records of primary sources written and compiled by generations of historians, As important public records are needed to be preserved in original forms in modern archives, we had to develop and establish a modern archival system to appraise and select important national records for archival preservation. However, the colonialization of Korea deprived us of the opportunity to do the task, and our fine archival tradition was not succeeded. A centralized archival system began to develop since the establishment of GARS under the Ministry of Government Administration in 1969. GARS built a modem repository in Pusan in 1984 succeeding to the tradition of History Archives of Chosun dynasty. In 1998, GARS moved its headquarter to Taejon Government Complex and acquired state-of-the-art audio visual archives preservation facilities. From 1996, GARS introduced an automated archival management system to remedy the manual registration and management system complementing the preservation microfilming. Digitization of the holdings was the key project to provided the digital images of archives to users. To do this, the GARS purchased new computer/server systems and developed application softwares. Parallel to this direction, GARS drastically renovated its manpower composition toward a high level of professionalization by recruiting more archivists with historical and library science backgrounds. Conservators and computer system operators were also recruited. The new archival laws has been in effect from January 1, 2000. The new laws made following new changes in the field of records and archival administration in Korea. First, the laws regulate the records and archives of all public agencies including the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Administration, the constitutional institutions, Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Intelligence Service. A nation-wide unified records and archives management system became available. Second, public archives and records centers are to be established according to the level of the agency; a central archives at national level, special archives for the National Assembly and the Judiciary, local government archives for metropolitan cities and provinces, records center or special records center for administrative agencies. A records manager will be responsible for the records management of each administrative divisions. Third, the records in the public agencies are registered in the computer system as they are produced. Therefore, the records are traceable and will be searched or retrieved easily through internet or computer network. Fourth, qualified records managers and archivists who are professionally trained in the field of records management and archival science will be assigned mandatorily to guarantee the professional management of records and archives. Fifth, the illegal treatment of public records and archives constitutes a punishable crime. In the future, the public records find archival management will develop along with Korean government's 'Electronic Government Project.' Following changes are in prospect. First, public agencies will digitize paper records, audio-visual records, and publications as well as electronic documents, thus promoting administrative efficiency and productivity. Second, the National Assembly already established its Special Archives. The judiciary and the National Intelligence Service will follow it. More archives will be established at city and provincial levels. Third, the more our society develop into a knowledge-based information society, the more the records management function will become one of the important national government functions. As more universities, academic associations, and civil societies participate in promoting archival awareness and in establishing archival science, and more people realize the importance of the records and archives management up to the level of national public campaign, the records and archival management in Korea will develop significantly distinguishable from present practice.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.332-342
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• 2000

Background : The importance of pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$ (INF-$\alpha$) and interleukin-1$\beta$ (IL-1$\beta$), have been extensively documented in the generation of inflammatory lung disease. Lung epithelial cells are also actively involved in initiating and maintaining inflammation by producing pro-inflammatory mediators. Understanding the mechanism of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in lung epithelial cells is crucial to the development of new therapeutic modalities for inflammatory lung disease. Transcription of most pro-inflammatory cytokines is dependent on the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$. However, the relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and NF-${\kappa}B/I{\kappa}B$ pathway in lung epithelial cells is not clear. Methods : BEAS-2B, A549, Na-H157, NCI-H719 cells were stimulated with IL-$1{\beta}$ or TNF-$\alpha$ at various times, and then IL-8 and TNF-$\alpha$mRNA expressions were assayed by Northern blot analysis. IL-$1{\beta}$ or TNF-$\alpha$-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation was assessed by the nuclear translocation of p65 NF-${\kappa}B$ subunit. The degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and $I{\kappa}B{\beta}$ by IL-$1{\beta}$ or TNF-$\alpha$stimulation was assayed by Western blot analysis. The phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ was evaluated by Western blot analysis after pre-treating cells with proteasome inhibitor followed by IL-$1{\beta}$ or TNF-$\alpha$ stimulation. The basal level of IKK $\alpha$ expression was evaluated by Western blot analysis. Results: $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ was rapidly degraded after 5 minutes of incubation with IL-$1{\beta}$ or TNF-$\alpha$ in BEAS-2B, A549, and NCI-H157 cells. The activation of NF-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and the induction of IL-8 and TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA expression were observed by IL-$1{\beta}$ or TNF-$\alpha$ stimulation in these cells. In contrast, neither the changes in NF-${\kappa}B/I{\kappa}B$ pathway nor IL-8 and TNF-$\alpha$mRNA expression was induced by IL-$1{\beta}$ or TNF-$\alpha$ stimulation in NCI-H719 cells. IL-$1{\beta}$ and TNF-$\alpha$-induced $I{\kappa}B$ phosphorylation was observed in BEAS-2B, A549, and NCI-H157 cells, but not in NCI-H719 cells. The basal level of IKK$\alpha$ expression was not different between cell. Conclusion : NF-${\kappa}B/I{\kappa}B$ pathway plays an important role in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine in most lung epithelial cells. The absence of the effect on NF-${\kappa}B/I{\kappa}B$ pathway in NCI-H719 cells sæms to be due to the defect in the intracellular signal transduction pathway upstream to IKK.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2008

Background: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) shows fewer side effects than cardiopulmonary by. pass, and other benefits include myocardial protection, pulmonary and renal protection, coagulation, inflammation, and cognitive function. We analyzed the clinical results of our cases of OPCAB. Material and Method: From May 1999 to August 2007, OPCAB was performed in 100 patients out of a total of 310 coronary artery bypass surgeries. There were 63 males and 37 females, from 29 to 82 years old, with a mean age of $62{\pm}10$ years. The preoperative diagnoses were unstable angina in 77 cases, stable angina in 16, and acute myocardial infarction in 7. The associated diseases were hypertension in 48 cases, diabetes in 42, chronic renal failure in 10, carotid artery disease in 6, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 5. The preoperative cardiac ejection fraction ranged from 26% to 74% (mean $56.7{\pm}11.6%$). Preoperative angiograms showed three-vessel disease in 47 cases, two-vessel disease in 25, one-vessel disease in 24, and left main disease in 23. The internal thoracic artery was harvested by the pedicled technique through a median sternotomy in 97 cases. The radial artery and greater saphenous vein were harvested in 70 and 45 cases, respectively (endoscopic harvest in 53 and 41 cases, respectively). Result: The mean number of grafts was $2.7{\pm}1.2$ per patient, with grafts sourced from the unilateral internal thoracic artery in 95 (95%) cases, the radial artery in 62, the greater saphenous vein in 39, and the bilateral internal thoracic artery in 2. Sequential anastomoses were performed in 46 cases. The anastomosed vessels were the left anterior descending artery in 97 cases, the obtuse marginal branch in 63, the diagonal branch in 53, the right coronary artery in 30, the intermediate branch in 11, the posterior descending artery in 9 and the posterior lateral branch in 3. The conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass occurred in 4 cases. Graft patency was checked before discharge by coronary angiography or multi-slice coronary CT angiography in 72 cases, with a patency rate of 92.9% (184/198). There was one case of mortality due to sepsis. Postoperative arrhythmias or myocardial in-farctions were not observed. Postoperative complications were a cerebral stroke in 1 case and wound infection in 1. The mean time of respirator care was $20{\pm}35$ hours and the mean duration of stay in the intensive care unit was $68{\pm}47$ hours. The mean amounts of blood transfusion were $4.0{\pm}2.6$ packs/patient. Conclusion: We found good clinical outcomes after OPCAB, and suggest that OPCAB could be used to expand the use of coronary artery bypass grafting.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.795-802
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• 1999

Objective : Cardiopulmonary exercise test is a useful tool to evaluate the operative risk and to plan exercise treatment for the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). In cardiopulmonary exercise test, most of the measured parameters are recorded at the time of peak exercise, which are hard to attain in COPD patients. So we evaluated the usefulness of the parameter, breathing reserve index(BRI=minute ventilation [$V_E$]/maximal voluntary ventilation[MVV]) at the time of anaerobic threshold($BRI_{AT}$) for the differentiation of COPD patients with normal controls. Methods : Thirty-six COPD patients and forty-two healthy subjects underwent progressive, incremental exercise test with bicycle ergometer upto possible maximal exercise. All the parameters was measured by breath by breath method. Results : The maximal oxygen uptake in COPD patients (mean$\pm$SE) was $1061.2{\pm}65.6ml/min$ which was significantly lower than $2137.6{\pm}91.4ml/min$ of normal subjects(p<0.01). Percent predicted maximal oxygen uptake was 54.3% in COPD patients and 86.0% in normal subjects(p<0.01). Maximal exercise(respiratory quotient; $VCO_2/VO_2{\geq}1.09$) was accomplished in 7 of 36 COPD patients(19.4%) and in 18 of 42 normal subjects(42.9%). The $BRI_{AT}$ of COPD patients was higher($0.50{\pm}0.03$) than that of control subject($028{\pm}0.02$, p<0.01), reflecting early hyperventilation in COPD patient during exercise. The correlation between $BRI_{AT}$ and BRI at maximal exercise in COPD patients was good(r=0.9687, p<0.01). Conclusion : The $BRI_{AT}$ could be a useful parameter for the differentiation of COPD patients with normal controls in the submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise test.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.709-719
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• 1996

Background: Surgical resection is the only way to cure non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) and the prognosis of NSCLC in patients who undergo a complete resection is largely influenced by the pathologic stage. After surgical resection, recurrences in distant sites is more common than local recurrences. An effective postoperative adjuvant therapy which can prevent recurrences is necessary to improve long tenn survival Although chemotherapy and radiotherapy are still the mainstay in adjuvant therapy, the benefits of such therapies are still controversial. We initiated this retrospective study to evaluate the effects of adjuvant therapies and analyze the prognostic factors for survival after curative resection. Method: From 1990 to 1995, curative resection was perfomled in 282 NSCLC patients with stage I, II, IIIa, Survival analysis of 282 patients was perfonned by Kaplan-Meier method. The prognostic factors, affecting survival of patients were analyzed by Cox regression model. Results: Squamous cell carcinoma was present in 166 patients(59%) ; adenocarcinoma in 86 pmients(30%) ; adenosquamous carcinoma in II parients(3.9%); and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma in 19 patients(7.1%). By TNM staging system, 93 patients were in stage I; 58 patients in stage II ; and 131 patients in stage rna. There were 139 postoperative recurrences which include 28 local and 111 distant failures(20.1% vs 79.9%). The five year survival rate was 50.1% in stage I ; 31.3% in stage II ; and 24.1% in stage IIIa(p <0.0001). The median survival duration was 55 months in stage I ; 27 months in stage II ; and 16 months in stage rna. Among 131 patients with stage rna, the median survival duration was 19 months for 81 patients who received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy only or cherne-radiotherapy and 14 months for the other 50 patients who received surgery only or surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy(p=0.2982). Among 131 patients with stage IIIa, the median disease free survival duration was 16 months for 21 patients who received postop. adjuvant chemotherapy only and 4 months for 11 patients who received surgery only(p=0.0494). In 131 patients with stage IIIa, 92 cases were in N2 stage. The five year survival rate of the 92 patients with N2 was 25% and their median survival duration was 15 months. The median survival duration in patients with N2 stage was 18 months for those 62 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy and 14 months for the other 30 patients who did not(p=0.3988). The median survival duration was 16 months for those 66 patients who received irradiation and 14 months for the other 26 patients who did not(p=0.6588). We performed multivariate analysis to identify the factors affecting prognosis after complete surgical resection, using the Cox multiple regression model. Only age(p=0.0093) and the pathologic stage(p<0.0001) were significam prognostic indicators. Conclusion: The age and pathologic stage of the NSCLC parients are the significant prognostic factors in our study. Disease free survival duration was prolonged with statistical significance in patients who received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy but overall survival duration was not affected according to adjuvant therapy after surgical resection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.916-924
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• 1996

Bacground : Percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy (PCNA) is one of the most frequently used diagnostic methcxJs for intrathoracic lesions. Previous studies have reponed wide range of diagnostic yield from 28 to 98%. However, diagnostic yield has been increased by accumulation of experience, improvement of needle and the image guiding systems. We analysed the results of PCNA performed for one year to evaluate the diagnostic yield, the rate and severity of complications and factors affecting the diagnostic yield. Method : 287 PCNAs undergone in 236 patients from January, 1994 to December, 1994 were analysed retrospectively. The intrathoracic lesions was targeted and aspirated with 21 - 23 G Chiba needle under fluoroscopic guiding system. Occasionally, 19 - 20 G Biopsy gun was used for core tissue specimen. The specimen was requested for microbiologic, cytologic and histopathologic examination in the case of obtained core tissue. Diagnostic yields and complication rate of benign and malignant lesions were ca1culaled based on patients' chans. The comparison for the diagnostic yields according to size and shape of the lesions was analysed with chi square test (p<0.05). Results : There are 19.9% of consolidative lesion and 80.1% of nodular or mass lesion, and the lesion is located at the right upper lobe in 26.3% of cases, the right middle lobe in 6.4%, the right lower lobe 21.2%, the left upper lobe in 16.8%, the left lower lobe in 10.6%, and mediastinum in 1.3%. The lesion distributed over 2 lobes is as many as 17.4% of cases. There are 74 patients with benign lesions, 142 patients with malignant lesions in final diagnosis and confirmative diagnosis was not made in 22 patients despite of all available diagnostic methods. 2 patients have lung cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis concomittantly. Experience with 236 patients showed that PCNA can diagnose benign lesions in 62.2% (42 patients) of patients with such lesions and malignant lesions in 82.4% (117 patients) of patients. For the patients in whom the first PCNA failed to make diagnosis, the procedure was repeated and the cumulative diagnostic yield was increased as 44.6%, 60.8%, 62.2% in benign lesions and as 73.4%, 81.7%, 82.4% in malignant lesions through serial PCNA. Thoracotomy was performed in 9 patients with benign lesions and in 43 patients with malignant lesions. PCNA and thoracotomy showed the same pathologic result in 44.4% (4 patients) of benign lesions and 58.1% (25 patients) of malignant lesions. Thoracotomy confirmed 4 patients with malignat lesions against benign result of PCNA and 2 patients with benign lesions against malignant result of PCNA. There are 1.0% (3 cases) of hemoptysis, 19.2% (55 cases) of blood tinged sputum, 12.5% (36 cases) of pneumothorax and 1.0% (3 cases) of fever through 287 times of PCNA. Hemoptysis and blood tinged sputum didn't need therapy. 8 cases of pneumothorax needed insertion of classical chest tube or pig-tail catheter. Fever subsided within 48 hours in all cases. There was no difference between size and shape of lesion with diagnostic yield. Conclusion: PCNA shows relatively high diagnostic yield and mild degree complications but the accuracy of histologic diagnosis has to be improved.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.190-200
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• 1996

Background : Mechanical ventilation constitutes the last therapeutic method for acute respiratory failure when oxygen therapy and medical treatment fail to improve the respiratory status of the patient. This invasive ventilation, classically administered by endotracheal intubation or by tracheostomy, is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Consequently, any less invasive method able to avoid the use of endotracheal ventilation would appear to be useful in high risk patient. Over recent years, the efficacy of nasal mask ventilation has been demonstrated in the treatment of chronic restrictive respiratory failure, particularly in patients with neuromuscular diseases. More recently, this method has been successfully used in the treatment of acute respiratory failure due to parenchymal disease. Method : We assessed the efficacy of Bilevel positive airway pressure(BiPAP) in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). This study prospectively evaluated the clinical effectiveness of a treatment schedule with positive pressure ventilation via nasal mask(Respironics BiPAP device) in 22 patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Eleven patients with acute exacerbations of COPD were treated with nasal pressure support ventilation delivered via a nasal ventilatory support system plus standard treatment for 3 consecutive days. An additional 11 control patients were treated only with standard treatment. The standard treatment consisted of medical and oxygen therapy. The nasal BiPAP was delivered by a pressure support ventilator in spontaneous timed mode and at an inspiratory positive airway pressure $6-8cmH_2O$ and an expiratory positive airway pressure $3-4cmH_2O$. Patients were evaluated with physical examination(respiratory rate), modified Borg scale and arterial blood gas before and after the acute therapeutic intervention. Results : Pretreatment and after 3 days of treatment, mean $PaO_2$ was 56.3mmHg and 79.1mmHg (p<0.05) in BiPAP group and 56.9mmHg and 70.2mmHg (p<0.05) in conventional treatment (CT) group and $PaCO_2$ was 63.9mmHg and 56.9mmHg (p<0.05) in BiPAP group and 53mmHg and 52.8mmHg in CT group respectively. pH was 7.36 and 7.41 (p<0.05) in BiPAP group and 7.37 and 7.38 in cr group respectively. Pretreatment and after treatment, mean respiratory rate was 28 and 23 beats/min in BiPAP group and 25 and 20 beats/min in CT group respectively. Borg scale was 7.6 and 4.7 in BiPAP group and 6.4 and 3.8 in CT group respectively. There were significant differences between the two groups in changes of mean $PaO_2$, $PaCO_2$ and pH respectively. Conclusion: We conclude that short-term nasal pressure-support ventilation delivered via nasal BiPAP in the treatment of acute exacerbation of COPD, is an efficient mode of assisted ventilation for improving blood gas values and dyspnea sensation and may reduce the need for endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.855-861
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• 1995

Background: Parathyroid hormone-related protein(PTHrp) was first identified as the cause of hypercalcemia in malignancy. Hypercalcemia can be found in malignancy, especially in the epidermoid carcinoma of the lung, even without extensive metastases to the bones. The application of sensitive assays for PTHrp may help in the early diagnosis of lung cancer, in the monitoring of treatment and in the detection of recurrence. Method: Serum PTHrp was measured by radioimmunoassay detecting the N-terminal 1~34 peptide of human PTHrp(PTHrp 1-34) in 63 histologically confirmed lung cancer patients and 22 healthy controls. Result: Serum PTHrp(mean$\pm$S.E.) was $312{\pm}68.9pg/ml$ in 63 lung cancer patients and $158{\pm}38.2pg/ml$ in 22 controls(p>0.05). PTHrp was $356{\pm}103.9pg/ml$ in 34 epidermoid carcinoma patients, $281{\pm}148.7pg/ml$ in 15 adenocarcinoma patients and $316{\pm}140.8pg/ml$ in 9 small cell carcinoma patients. In epidermoid carcinoma patients, PTHrp was $570{\pm}472.3pg/ml$ in stage II(n=3; p<0.05 vs controls), $166{\pm}22.4pg/ml$ in stage IIIa(n=9), $282{\pm}113.3pg/ml$ in stage IIIb(n=12) and $668{\pm}367.9pg/ml$ in stage IV(n=9; p<0.05 vs controls). PTHrp was significantly increased in 8 epidermoid carcinoma patients with bone metastases($1526{\pm}811.2\;pg/ml$; p<0.0005 vs controls). Hypercalcemia was observed in an epidermoid carcinoma patient whose PTHrp value was 244 pg/ml. Conclusion: The serum PTHrp was increased in advanced epidermoid carcinoma patients even without hypercalcemia. The measurement of PTHrp may be not helpful in the early diagnosis of lung cancer. But the lung cancer should be suspected in the marked elevation of PTHrp. It may be of value in detecting patients of advanced diseases with bone metastases or patients who might develop the malignancy associated hypercalcemia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1318-1325
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• 1997

Background : Since the late 1960s, mechanical ventilation has been accomplished primarily using volume controlled ventilation(VCV). While VCV allows a set tidal volume to be guaranteed, VCV could bring about excessive airway pressures that may be lead to barotrauma in the patients with acute lung injury. With the increment of knowledge related to ventilator-induced lung injury, pressure controlled ventilation(PCV) has been frequently applied to these patients. But, PCV has a disadvantage of variable tidal volume delivery as pulmonary impedance changes. Since the concept of combining the positive attributes of VCV and PCV(dual control ventilation, DCV) was described firstly in 1992, a few DCV modes were introduced. Pressure-regulated volume control(PRVC) mode, a kind of DCV, is pressure-limited, time-cycled ventilation that uses tidal volume as a feedback control for continuously adjusting the pressure limit However, no clinical studies were published on the efficacy of PRVC until now. 'This investigation studied the efficacy of PRVC in the patients with unstable respiratory mechanics. Methods : The subjects were 8 mechanically ventilated patients(M : F=6 : 2, $56{\pm}26$ years) who showed unstable respiratory mechanics, which was defined by the coefficients of variation of peak inspiratory pressure for 15 minutes greater than 10% under VCV, or the coefficients of variation of tidal volume greater than 10% under PCV. The study was consisited of 3 modes application with VCV, PCV and PRVC for 15 minutes by random order. To obtain same tidal volume, inspiratory pressure setting was adjusted in PCV. Respiratory parameters were measured by pulmonary monitor(CP-100 pulmonary monitor, Bicore, Irvine, CA, USA). Results : 1) Mean tidal volumes($V_T$) in each mode were not different(VCV, $431{\pm}102ml$ ; PCV, $417{\pm}99ml$ ; PRVC, $414{\pm}97ml$) 2) The coefficient of variation(CV) of $V_T$ were $5.2{\pm}3.9%$ in VCV, $15.2{\pm}7.5%$ in PCV and $19.3{\pm}10.0%$ in PRVC. The CV of $V_T$ in PCV and PRVC were significantly greater than that in VCV(p<0.01). 3) Mean peak inspiratory pressure(PIP) in VCV($31.0{\pm}6.9cm$ $H_2O$) was higher than PIP in PCV($26.0{\pm}6.5cm$ $H_2O$) or PRVC($27.0{\pm}6.4cm$ $H_2O$)(p<0.05). 4) The CV of PIP were $13.9{\pm}3.7%$ in VCV, $4.9{\pm}2.6%$ in PVC and $12.2{\pm}7.0%$ in PRVC. The CV of PIP in VCV and PRVC were greater than that in PCV(p<0.01). Conclusions : Because of wide fluctuations of VT and PIP, PRVC mode did not seem to have advantages compared to VCV or PCV in the patients with unstable respiratory mechanics.