• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.546-557
• /
• 2000

Background : Oligonucleotide chip technology has proven to be a very useful tool in the rapid diagnosis of infectious disease. Rifampin resistance is considered as a useful marker of multidrug-resistance in tuberculosis. Mutations in the rpoB gene coding $\beta$ subunit of RNA polymerase represent the main mechanism of rifampin resistance. The purpose of this study was to develop a diagnosis kit using oligonucleotide chip for the rapid and accurate detection of rifampin-resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Method : The sequence specific probes for mutations in the rpoB gene were designed and spotted onto the glass slide, oligonucleotide chip. 38 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium were tested. A part of rpoB was amplified, labelled, and hybridized on the oligonucleotide chip with probes. Results were analyzed with a laser scanner. Direct sequencing was done to verify the results. Result : The low-density oligonucleotide chip design어 to determine the specific mutations in the rpoB gene of M. tuberculosis accurately detected rifampin resistance associated with mutations in 28 clinical isolates. Mutations at codons 531, 526, and 513 were confirmed by direct sequencing analysis. Conclusion : Mutant detection using oligonucleotide chip technology is a reliable and useful diagnostic tool for the detection of multidrug-resistance in M. tuberculosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.311-316
• /
• 1999

Background: The drug-resistant tuberculosis has recently decreased in Korea, but it is still one of the major obstacles in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Unfortunately there are no reliable ways to figure out the drug sensitivity pattern of the M. tuberculosis in the starting point of treatment. At least several months which is critical for the success of treatment have to be passed away before getting the report of drug-sensitivity test. The aim of this study was to find out the clinical and radiological parameters that make it possible to predict the drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis and to make a correct decision on the antituberculosis drug regimens. Method: We studied 253 pulmonary TB patients with sputum and/or bronchial washing fluid culture-positive diagnosed at the Chung-Ang University Young-San Hospital in the period of 1989-1994. The differences in the clinical and raiological variables between the drug-sensitive and the drug-resistant tuberculosis patients were evaluated. Results: In 66 out of 253 patients(26.1%), drug resistant tuberculosis to at least one antituberculosis drug were found. Patients with retreatment showed higher resistance rate than those with initial treatment(30/69, 43.5% vs 36/184, 19.5%, p<0.01). Patients with cavitary TB showed higher resistance rate than those with non-cavitary TB(24/54, 44.4% vs 42/199, 21.1%, p<0.05). Among patients with initial treatment, those with far-advanced TB showed a higher drug resistance rate than those with minimal lesion(9/23, 36.9% vs 10/82, 12.5%, p<0.05). Patients with culture positive only in the bronchial washing fluid showed lower resistance rate than those with sputum culture positive(7/63, 11.1 % vs 59/190, 31.1%, p<0.05). Conclusion: Prior treatment history for pulmonary tuberculosis, the presence of cavity & far advanced tuberculosis in the radiologic exam, sputum rather than solely bronchial washing culture positivity would be the related factors to the drug resistance. So in the patients with such characteristics, it is needed to try to find out the drug sensitivity pattern of the infecting tuberculosis organism as soon as possible.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.54-59
• /
• 1999

This study was based on a series of 164 patients with zygomatic bone fracture treated at Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Chonnam University Hospital from January 1992 to December 1996. The male-to-female ratio was 7:1. Their ages ranged from 8 to 78 years, with a median age of 35.6 years. The age frequency was highest in the second decade (30.5%), and third decade (23.8%), fifth decade (16.5%) in orders. The monthly distrbution of incidence showed October to be the month in which the greatest percentage occured (14.0%). The major cause of zygomatic bone fracture was alleged traffic accidents (53.7%). The incidence of concomitant facial bone fractures was 69,5%, and maxilla fracture (52.4%) was most frequently combined. The admission route was through emergency room (72.3%) and through outpatient department (26.8%). The incidence of associated injuries was 37.2%. The intraoral approach was the major method of treatment in zygomatic bone fracture (57.1%). The most frequent type of zygoma fracture was class IV (33.5%), and class III (25.6%) was next in order of frequency. Complications were enophthalmos (7.3%), facial asymmetry (6.7%), paresthesia (6.1%), and diplopia (2.4%) These results suggest that correct diagnosis and treatment of severity of fracture, concomitant fracture, and associated injuries are necessary, and co-operative treatment with medical department should be performed to reduce postoperative complication.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.81 no.1
• /
• pp.42-48
• /
• 2018

Background: The diffusing capacity of the lung is influenced by multiple factors such as age, sex, height, weight, ethnicity and smoking status. Although a prediction equation for the diffusing capacity of Korea was proposed in the mid-1980s, this equation is not used currently. The aim of this study was to develop a new prediction equation for the diffusing capacity for Koreans. Methods: Using the data of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a total of 140 nonsmokers with normal chest X-rays were enrolled in this study. Results: Using linear regression analysis, a new predicting equation for diffusing capacity was developed. For men, the following new equations were developed: carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLco)=-10.4433-0.1434${\times}$age (year)+0.2482${\times}$heights (cm); DLco/alveolar volume (VA)=6.01507-0.02374${\times}$age (year)-0.00233${\times}$heights (cm). For women the prediction equations were described as followed: DLco=-12.8895-0.0532${\times}$age (year)+0.2145${\times}$heights (cm) and DLco/VA=7.69516-0.02219${\times}$age (year)-0.01377${\times}$heights (cm). All equations were internally validated by k-fold cross validation method. Conclusion: In this study, we developed new prediction equations for the diffusing capacity of the lungs of Koreans. A further study is needed to validate the new predicting equation for diffusing capacity.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.200-205
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effects that the difference of planting time by a method of cultivation in the non-heated greenhouse and the open field with spring planting had on growth and yield. With regard to the tested variety of Momordica charantia, variety 'Dragon' (Japan Yae 農藝) was selected. And 3 treatments on March 20, April 5 and April 20 for the greenhouse cultivation and 3 treatments on April 20, May 5 and May 20 for the open-field cultivation 1 month later than those for the greenhouse cultivation were planted by the randomized complete block design, and 4 secondary vines were trained. In the results of examining 15-day average atmospheric temperature after planting according to the methods of greenhouse and open-field cultivation and planting time, it was shown that there was a tendency for atmospheric temperature inside the greenhouse to decrease as the planting time was moved up. In particular, the average atmospheric temperature was $16.7^{\circ}C$ when seedling was planted on April 20 in the open-field cultivation, which was approximately equal to $17.0^{\circ}C$ of the average atmospheric temperature when a seedling was planted on March 20 in the greenhouse cultivation. With regard to the date of first harvest by the method of cultivation, it was shown that there was a tendency for the date of first harvest to be earlier in the greenhouse cultivation than in the open-field cultivation, and the date of first harvest was moved up as a seedling was planted earlier for the planting period. The number and weight of harvested fruits per plant showed a tendency which was almost similar to that of total number of harvest days and number of harvests. Thus, the number of fruits was 189 and the weight of fruits was 31,649g in case of the greenhouse cultivation and planting on March 20, which were maximum. In case of planting on the latest planting date : May 20 in the open-field cultivation, the number of fruits was 77 and the weight of fruits was 12,502g, which were at a level of 40% of those of planting on March 20 in the greenhouse cultivation 2 months earlier. The total yield per 10a was 10,228kg in the greenhouse cultivation and was 2.2 times as heavy as 4,607kg in the open-field cultivation with regard to the method of cultivation. For the planting period in the greenhouse cultivation, it was 10,539kg and 10,517kg in planting on March 20 and April 5, which was higher by 9% than 9,629kg in planting on April 20. And in the open-field cultivation, it was 4,785kg in planting on April 20 and 4,872kg in planting on May 5, which was higher by 15~17% than 4,163kg in planting on May 20. Taking the above results into account, it is considered proper to plant Momordica charantia from March 20 to April 5 for the greenhouse cultivation and from April 20 to May 5 or thereabouts when a risk of late frost is gone for the open-field cultivation in southern area.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.221-227
• /
• 1985

Thirty-four patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy whose serum hCG levels had been measured by beta-hCG EIA before surgery were evaluated retrospectively. The results were as follows: 1. Final diagnosis of thirty-four patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy comprised twenty- eight tubal pregnancy, five ruptures of hemorrhagic corpus luteum and, one tubo-ovarian abscess. One of the five patients with rupture of hemorrhagic corpus luteum was accompanied by missed abortion. 2. Range of serum hCG levels in twenty-eight patients with tubal pregnancy was 59-21,980 mIU/ml and that of four patients with rupture of hemorrhagic corpus luteum and one patient with tubo-ovarian abscess was 0.6-6.6mIU/ml. Serum hCG level of a patient with rupture of hemorrhagic corpus luteum who was accompanied by missed abostion was 200 mIU/ml. 3. Serum hCG levels in twenty-two of twenty-eight patients with tubal pregnancy were lower than 3,000 mIU/ml. Low serum hCG level below 100mIU/ml and high serum hCG level above 6,500 mIU/ml were noticed in four and six patients with tubal pregnancy, respectively. 4. Mean serum hCG levels (${\pm}SD$) of twelve patients with tubal pregnancy who had intra-abdominal free blood of less than 500ml and sixteen patients with tubal pregnancy who had intra-abdominal free blood of more than 500ml were 4,131 (${\pm}7,801$) mIU/ml and 3,208 (${\pm}5,081$) mIU/ml, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the mean level of serum hCG between both group (P>0.05). 5. Mean serum hCG levels (${\pm}SD$) of thirteen patients with unruptured tubal pregnancy and fifteen patients with ruptured tubal pregnancy were 2,628 (${\pm}5,448$) mIU/ml and 4,449 (${\pm}6,938$) mIU/ml, respectively. Mean level of serum hCG was statistically higher in ruptured tubal pregnancy (P<0.01). 6. Positive rate of urine pregnancy test in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was 64% (16/25) and mean range of serum hCG level of nine patients with false negative result were 353 mIU/ml and 59-933 mIU/ml.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.57-64
• /
• 2010

Objectives: Likewise fresh cycle, it is also important to select right blastocysts for transfer in purpose of improving the pregnancy and implantation rates in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (ET) cycles. To investigate the relationship between the developmental velocity at the time of cryopreservation and pregnancy rates, we compared pregnancy rates between the day 5 cryopreservation group and the day 6 cryopreservation group. Methods: Transfers of frozen-thawed blastocysts which had been cryopreserved by vitrification on day 5 or day 6 were performed between January 2006 and June 2007. Ethylene glycol, DMSO, and pull and cut straws were used for vitrification and artificial shrinkage was done in expanded blastocysts. Thawing was performed on the day before transfer and thawed blastocysts were cultured in for 15~18 hrs in Quinn's blastocyct media. Blastocyst survival was assessed before transfer and post-thaw survival was defined as >50% of cells remaining intact and blastocoele re-expansion by the time of transfer. Results: Transfers of thawed blastocyst had been cryopreserved on day 5 were 52 cycles and 41 transfer cycles were cryopreserved on day 6. Patient characteristics, the number of transferred embryos and the survival rate of thawed blastocysts were not different in each cryopreservation day. But the biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, and implantation rate were significantly high in transfer of frozen-thawed blastocyst which were cryopreserved on day 5. Conclusions: The clinical pregnancy and implantation rate of day-5 blastocyst showed significantly higher than those of day-6 blastocyst in frozen-ET cycles. This result indicated that developmental rate of blastocyst at cryopreservation time in frozen-thawed cycle is discriminative marker of pregnancy outcome as like in fresh cycle.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.46-53
• /
• 2002

Background: Pulmonary aspergilloma is relatively common in korea. It arises from the colonization and proliferation of Aspergillus in preexisting lung parenchymal cavities, in particular tuberculosis. The most common symptom in this disorder is hemoptysis, which mayor may not be massive and life threatening. A routine chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) are the most important diagnostic procedures. A surgical resection of the aspergilloma has recently been recommended, because of the relatively low incidence of postoperative complications than in the past. A more concentrated sample of patients with aspergilloma, who either underwent a thoracotomy or tested positive for aspergillus antibodies, were reviewed. Method : The medical records of twenty-two patients with aspergilloma, who had a proven thoracotomy (9 cases), or who tested positive for the diagnostic procedure and/or aspergillus antibodies (13 cases) from January 1995 to December 2000, were reviewed retrospectively. Results : The most common underlying lung disease was a current or old healed tuberculosis, and 3 patients had cultures of mycobacterium other than tuberculosis (MOTT). The mean time until the aspergilloma was detected 5.91 years in the healed tuberculosis cases. The others cases involved a lung abscess, bronchiectasis and without lung disease. The extrapulmonary disease was alcoholism and diabetes. Hemoptysis was most common in 72.7%. A computed tomography (CT) is useful for diagnosis. The right upper lobe, especially the posterior segment, is the most common location. Bronchial artery embolization is ineffective for a long term follow-up. A lobectomy is most common in a thoracotomy, and intra-operative and post-operative complications are rare. During follow-up, the mortality rate, not from the aspergilloma but from respiratory failure, was 13.6%. Conclusion : Aspergilloma is a common cavitary lung disease, It mainly arises from tuberculosis, either current or healed, but extra-pulmonary disease including alcoholism or diabetes are other possible risk factors. Their most common problem in aspergilloma is hemoptysis. Surgery has a low risk of post-operative complications and is recommended in relatively preserved lung function or healthy patients. Medical maneuvers including embolization, and the local insertion of certain materials needs to be studied more closely.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.12-28
• /
• 2001

Background and Object : Immunostimulatory CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (ISS CpG-ODN) up-regulate the $T_{H1}$-type immune response and down-regulate the $T_{H2}$-type response. This study was performed to investigate the immune response changes resulting from ISS CpG-ODN on bronchial hyperresponsiveness, eosinophilic inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in rat asthma. Materials and Methods : 10 normal controls(NC) and 26 asthmatic rats, which were generated by ovalbumin(OVA) sensitization and challenge, were studied. The asthmatic rats were randomized into 11 asthma controls(AC) and 15 in the asthma-CpG treatment group(CpG). The CpG group was administered ISS CpG-ODN intramuscularly and the AC group was administered a placebo(0.9% NaCl) on day 15 and 20. After CpG-ODN or placebo administration, we measured the IFN-${\gamma}$($T_{H1}$-type cytokine) and IL-4($T_{H2}$-type cytokine) levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), the specific airway resistance(sRaw), eosinophilic fraction in BALF, eosinophilic infiltration, goblet cell dysplasia and MUC5AC gene expression in the lung tissue. Results : In the BALF of the CpG group, the IFN-${\gamma}$ concentration was significantly high and the IL-4 concentration was significantly low when compared with the AC group. Both the sRaw and eosinophilic fraction, and infiltration into the BALF and lung tissue significantly lower in the CpG group when compared with the AC group. However, little difference in goblet cell dysplasia and MUC5AC gene expression was observed between the CpG group and the AC group. Conclusion : ISS CpG-ODN decreases bronchial hyperresponsiveness and eosinophilic inflammation in the rat asthma model through the up-regulation of the $T_{H1}$-type immune response with the down-regulation of the $T_{H2}$-type response. However, the effect of these immune response changes on mucus hypersecretion was is not remarkable in this study.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.341-350
• /
• 1998

Background: Airway hyperreponsiveness is a cardinal feature of asthma. It consists of both an increased sensitivity of the airways, as indicated by a smaller concentration of a constrictor agonist needed to initiate the brochoconstrictor response and an increased reactivity, increments in response induced subsequent doses of constrictor, as manifested by slopes of the dose-response curve. The purpose of this study is to observe the relationship between bronchial sensitivity and reactivity in asthmatic subjects. Method: Inhalation dose-response curves using methacholine were plotted in 56 asthmatic subjects. They were divided into three groups(mild, moderate and severe) according to clinical severity of bronchial asthma. PC20 were determined from the dose-response curve as the provocative concentration of the agonist causing a 20% fall in FEVl. PC40 were presumed or determined from the dose response curve, using the PC20 and the one more dose after PC20. Reactivity was calculated from the dose-response curve regression line, connecting PC20 with PC40. Results: PC20 were 1.83mg/ml in mild group, 0.96mg/ml in moderate, and 0.34mg/ml in severe. PC40 were 7.l7mg/ml in mild group, 2.34mg/ml in moderate, and 0.75mg/ml in severe. Reactivity were $24.7{\pm}17.06$ in mild group, $46.1{\pm}22.l0$ in moderate, and $59.0{\pm}5.82$ in severe. There was significant negative correlation between PC20 and reactivity (r= -0.70, P<0.01). Conclusion: Accordingly, there was significant negative correlation between bronchial sensitivity and brochial reactivity in asthmatic subjects. However, in some cases, there were wide variations in terms of the reactivity among the subjects who have similar sensitivity. So both should be assessed when the bronchial response tor bronchoconstrictor agonists is measured.