• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.151-155
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• 2007

Diagnosis and prevention of cytogenetics diseases are one of the most important parts in prenatal care. For that reason, it is necessary to examine birth defects. However, there is no reliable statistical data about birth defects in our country. In this study, the ratio of birth defects were determined by cytogenetics analysis and amniocentesis, in addition, the usefulness of amniocentesis was analyzed. The screening test and the triple marker test were conducted for 3,325 pregnant women of between 15 and 22 weeks gestation. Amniocentesis was performed for 170 pregnant women who were positive in the two tests, 184 women of advanced maternal age and 48 women with family history of chromosome aberrations. Among 419 women, 8 pregnant women who were positive in the triple marker test, 1 woman who close to the cut-off value in the triple marker test, 2 women with advanced maternal age and 1 woman who has history of chromosome aberration pregnance that was positive in cytogenetics analysis. The overall incidence of chromosomal aberration was 12 cases including 7 cases of Down's syndrome, 1 case of Patau syndrome, 1 case of Klinefelter syndrome, 1 case of Edward syndrome, 1 case of Robertsonian translocation and 1 case of XYY syndrome. These results show that amniocentesis for pregnant women who need chromosome test in prenatal cytogenetics analysis is very useful.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2005

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and unconjugated estriol (uE3) were added to AFP to make what is commonly known as the Triple test. The Triple test combines results from these three tests and has been a standard screening procedure for several years. Recent studies have demonstrated the usefulness of adding inhibin-A to Down's syndrome risk assessment. The Quad test adds dimeric Inhibin-A (DIA) to the three other markers and uses the same computer program to calculate risk factors. Testing was performed between 14 and 21 weeks of gestation. Sample size were 648 samples and period of study was from 1, July, 2004 to 30, September, 2004. Used analytical methods for AFP, hCG and uE3 were radioimmunoassay (RIA) and dimeric inhibin A was enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Adding dimeric inhibin-A as a fourth marker to the standard triple test increases the detection rate from 62 % to 75 % with a false-positive rate of 5%. The DIA based Quad test has been shown to be the most effective second trimester screening test for Down's syndrome suitable for routine use. Increased DIA values are observed during normal pregnancy where a bimodal pattern response is seen. Values increase during the first trimester, decline after 14 weeks, and re-ascend between 17-25 weeks. Values for DIA may be additionally elevated during a Down's syndrome pregnancy. Dimeric inhibin A is a glycoprotein hormone made by the ovary and placenta. DIA levels are twice as high in Down's syndrome pregnancies. AFP, hCG, and uE3 levels vary with gestational age, and incorrect gestational dating will influence results. DIA levels do not vary substantially with gestational age, resulting in greater screening accuracy. Although the Quad test is an improvement over the Triple test, it is important to underscore the fact that a positive test on both should be done. Most women who initially screen positive will be found to be carrying normal babies when amniocentesis and definitive diagnostic chromosome analysis are done.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2017

A sudden cardiac death (SCD) is defined as an unnatural sudden death caused by heart disease. To determine the cause of death, observation of the microscopic change in cardiac muscle tissue is suggested, rather than visual postmortem examination. However, this suggestion is time consuming to be applied in the field, is cost-ineffective, and is inconvenient. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand whether temporary inspection used to examine the cardiac marker (Myoglobin, CK-MB, cTn I) in postmortem blood via rapid cardiac triple test kit (which is used by clinics to diagnose patients with acute myocardial infarction) can effectively be utilized for the paragnosis of sudden, unnatural cardiac death. The results of postmortem examination and temporary investigation found that 23 groups (76.7%), among the 30 experimental groups, were assumed to be non-traumatic sudden cardiac deaths, which indicated a positive response (according to comparison with forensic autopsy); 4 groups, among the 10 control groups, were assumed to be cerebrovascular disease, which indicated a negative response; 1 group was assumed to be alcoholic and drug poisoning, indicating a positive response; and 1 group was assumed to be oxygen deficiency due to suffocation, indicating a positive response. Hence, it was found that the level of sensitivity and specificity of cardiac marker's temporary inspection showed significant result, 76.7% and 80% respectively. Given this, temporary inspection can be effectively used for the paragnosis of sudden cardiac death when the medical history, situation of the site, and postmortem interval are considered together. With the result of precedent research on time of first revelation and extinction in blood, and difference in concentration over time progress according to the characteristic of cardiac marker's (myoglobin, CK-MB, cTn I) individual material, further research on concentration of cardiac marker per each post time needs to be conducted in order to estimate time science death (which is required to identify the cause of death and investigation).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 1986

We screened lysates of the laboratory strains of pseudomonads utilizing hydrocarbon by agarose gel electrophoresis and cesium chloride-ethidium bromide equilibrium centrifugation, to find an intrinsic plasmid as a vector and to examine the relationship between the plasmid and hydrocarbon degradation. Only one strain from the examined strains, Pseudomonas putida KU190, contained a plasmid. We named the plasmid pKU41. The molecular size of pKU41 was determined as 41kb, using covalently closed circular forms of RP4 and pSY343 as standard size markers. The restriction sites of pKU41 for BamHI, BglII, EcoRI, HindIII, and SalI were 3, 1, 3, 6 and more than 13, respectively. With double or triple digestion, restriction map of pKU41 was constructed for BamHI, BglII and HindIII. For elucidation on the biological function of the plasmid, test was conducted on the ability of hydrocarbon utilization of the host strain but no apparent relationship was observed.