Mucositis is a threatening complication of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. To evaluate the prophylactic effect of sucralfate on adriamycin induced mucositis in the rat for the basis of application of sucralfate in cnacer patients, the experiments were performed.

In preliminary study 250 ~ 300gm Sprague Dawley rats were injected 10mg/kg of adriamycin intraperitoneally and 4 rats were dissected every other day till 12 days.

The sucralfate were applied per os with aqueous portion of 100mg/kg and 50 mg/kg just after intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin 10mg/kg. On Day 10, 4 rats on each group were dissected and oral, esophageal and gastric mucosa were obtained and histologocally examined.

On day 10, adriamycin induced mucositis was most severe. The application of sucralfate significantly lessened the adriamycin induced mucositis was most severe. The application of sucralfate significantly lessened the adriamycin induced mucositis compared to that of control without sucralfate on the dose of 100mg/kg or 50mg/kg, respectively. And there was no adverse effect by sucralfate itself.

Oral sucralfate could prevent the adriamycin induced mucositis in the rats without any adverse effect. This result supports that sucralfate can be used in the clinical trials on chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy induced mucositis for prophylaxis.

To assess intraovarian blood flow Doppler parameter during the natural and controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles in early follicular, periovulatory and midluteal phase each other.

Serial measurement throught the menstrual phase in natural 9 cases and controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles 14 cases. We measure the doppler parameter which were PI, RI, and A/B ratio by transvaginal ultrasound-color flow doppler.

No differences were observed between the two groups. During the natural cycle, ovarian blood flow velocity has a pulsatility index(PI) was 0.68, 0.68 and A/B ratio was 3.37, 3.38 respectively, which were not statistically significant. And so, during the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycle blood velocity was a PI of 1.43, 1.38, 0.87 in early follicular, periovulatory and midluteal phase, RI was 0.67, 0.66, 0.77 and A/B ratio was 3.29, 2.42, 2.35 respectively, which were not statistically significan, too.

Transvaginal ultrasound-color Doppler velocimetry is easy application and comfortable to physician and patient. And the image of pelvic organ and pathophysiologic condition are concerned by sonogram tools especially doppler measurement. We think that the sonographic information are very available to evaluated clinical result and outcome, of ART future.

The approaches for skull base lesions should allow excellent visualization, minimized working distance and avoid brain retraction. We consider the supraorbital approachto be the approach of choice for orbital, anterior and middle cranial fossae lesions. Thetechnique of procedure is described and reviewed its advantages.

the authors reviewed the eleven cases which were operated bysupraorbital approach and one case which were operated by supraorbital bifrontal approach,from May 1992 to May 1996.

Eleven patients(four cases of tuberculum sellae meningiomas, one case of pituitarymacroadenoma, two case of suprasellar germinoma, one case of cavernous hemangioma in theorbit, two cases of huge size of craniopharyngiomas, one case of optie and oculomotor nervepalsy due to compound fiacture of orbit) were cured or improved with the supraorrbtal andsupraorbito-bifrontal approsch. But one case of suprasellar germinoma died.

The supraorbital approach is preferred in lesions of orbital, anterior and middlecranial fossae, because it minimize brain retraction, shorten the distance of the target of lesionsand provide multiple pathways for dissection of the lesions. Also this approach may combinewith other skull base approaches.

This study was aimed to investigate whether there is any change in palsma nitric oxide during acute rejection of infection after lung allotransplantation.

After lung allotransplantation, dogs were immunosuppressed with standardized triple therapy and divided into 3 groups : in group 1(control: n=4), immunosuppression was maintained; in group 2(n=7), triple therapy discontinued to induce acute rejection at the postoperative day 5; in group 3(n=6), infection was inudced by bronchoscopic inoculation of E. coli at the postoperative day 5. Plasma nitric oxide was measured by chemiluminescene method prior to surgery(day 0), and at postoperative day 5 and 9. In each group, plasma nitric oxide level at day 9 was compared to that at day 0. Plasma nitric oxide levels at day 9 were compared in three groups.

During acute rejection period, plasma nitric oxide concentration was found to be elevated significantly at postoperative day 9, compared to day 0(11.52±2.58 vs 6.01±0.88uM/L ; p<0.05). However, plasma nitric oxide concentration wasn't altered by the E. coli-induced infection(14.53±5.19 vs 6.12±0.98uM/L ; p>0.05). Plasma nitric oxide of day 9 weren't different in three groups(p>0.05).

Plasma nitric oxide may be a good marker for acute rejection after allotrans-plantation, but not for infection.

Experiment was designed to compare cellular profile of bronchoalveolar lavage following induced bacterial infection, acute rejection and acute rejection plus bacterial infection after lung allotranplantation.

After single lung allotransplantation, dogs were immunosuppressed with standard triple therapy and divided into 4 groups. Group I(n=4) was maintained on immunosuppression as controls. In group II(n= 6), infection was induced by bronchoscopic inoculation of E. coli at postoperative day 5. In group III(n=6), triple therapy was discontinued to induce acute rejection from postoperative day 5. In group IV(n= 8), triple therapy was discontinued and bacterial infection was induced by bronchoscopic inoculation of E coli at postoperative day 5.

At postoperative day 9, bronchoalveolar lavage was obtained in the native and transplanted lung resprctively through bronchoscopy. Total cell count and differential cell count of bronchoalveolar lavage were compared in four groups.

In the native lung, there was no significant difffrence in total cell count and differential cell count in four groups. In the transplanted lung, total cell count of group II(Infection) was increased, compared to group III(Rejection) (p <0.05). In the transplanted lung, differential neutrophil count of group II(Infection) and group III(Rejection) were increased, compared to group I(Immunosuppression) (p <0.05). In the transplanted lung, differential macrophage count of group II(Infection), III(Rejection) and IV(Rejecion plus Infection) were decreased, compared to group I(Immunosuppuression) (p<0.05).

Cellular profile of bronchoalveolar lavage reflected the pathological process ofinfection or acute rejection following lung allotransplantation in the transplanted lung. But conventional total and differential cell counts had limitation to differentiate either process.

The host immune system normally functions to destroy neoplastic cells that continually develop as a result of somatic mutations. However, patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have depressed cell-mediated immune function, which has recently been shown to be most pronounced in the local and regional environment of the primary tumor. Recent studies suggest a local modulation of the host immune response to tumor by secreted immunoregulatory factors such as cytokines, especially pro-inflammatory cytokines(interleukin-1, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interferons, and tumor necrosis factor).

To assessthe ability of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to produce these cytokines, initially, we have performed immunohistochemical staing for interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor in 20 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 10 cases of laryngeal nodule as a control group.

We detected interleukin-6 in 11 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma(55%) and tumor necrosis factor in 11 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma(55%). All of 10 papillomas showed no expression of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor. There is no statistical correlation between interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor expression and clinical stage or pathologic grade.

These results suggest that laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma may secrete cytokines influencing the response of local immune cells. But future studies of the role of tumorderived cytokines in the local immune response to tumor could be investigated,since cytokines may directly or indirectly regulate tumor growth and metastasis.

Levofloxacin, an oral fluroquinolone antibacterial agent, is the optical S-(-) isomer of ofloxacin. In vitro it is generally twice as potent as ofloxacin and active against most aerobic gram positive and gram negative organisms, but only moderate activities against anaerobics.

Our purpose was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of levofloxacin in patients with several kinds of cutaneous infections.

Levofloxacin(CRAVIT®; Korea Daiich Parm. Co.) 300-600mg/day for 5-14days was administrated to eighteen patients with cutaneous and subcutaneous infections. The Bacterial culture and laboratory tests were performed prior to and after treatments. Clinical effects and adverse events were evaluated on laboratory indics.

1) Nine of thrteen cases(70%) were useful, four cases(30%) were slightly useful.

2) Clinically twelve of eighteen cases were cured and eight cases were partial response to the drug.

3) There were no laboratory abnormalities after levofloxacin treatment

4) Side effects were not significant except dizziness and sleep disturbance.

Levofloxacin was evaluated as a highly effective antibacterial agent against dermatologic infections.

To observe the developmental maturation of brainstem auditory evoked potential(BAEP) for neonates by obtaining the normative data of each BAEP component in our own electrophysiological laboratory.

We reviewed 129 BAEP recordings in neonates ranging in gestational age from 33 weeks to 44 weeks. The BAEP recording were analyzed into latency(wave I,III,V), interpeak latency(I-III,III-V,I-V) and amplitude ratio(I/V) at 75dB sensation level clicks according to gestational age.

The latencies of each BAEP component decreased with maturation. Interpeak latency of waveI-V(central conduction time)also decreased with increasing age during 33-40 weeks of gestational age.

These results provided the concept of abnormal in neonatal BAEPs and opportunity of functional evaluation about the auditory or brainstem maturation in pathologic conditions.

This study aimed at an examination of the item analysis and reliability of the Family screening test which was developed to assess the family's charateristics and the degree of family psychopathology from March 15 to May 30 1996

The subjects were 467 housewives who were sampled by the random sampling method in Seoul. This family screening test is composed of 11 subscales, the self-report measure, and a 5-point scale.

1) 98 items were selected by the item analysis and reliability evaluation among the original 1999 items which were categorized 11 subscales.

2) The internal consistency of the Cronbach's alpha and the speraman-Brown split-half correlation coefficients were more than 0.70 for all scales exept 8,9,10,11 scales.

3) The reliability coefficients of the Cronbach's alpha and the split-half correlation for 8,9,19,11 scales were less than 0.70 which were evaluated to have the insufficient corrected item-total correlation coefficients.

It was suggested that 8,9,10,11 scales need to the most items for increasing the reliability coefficients through the complemantary work.

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of psychiatric diagnoses(Axis I,II and III) using DSM-IV as well as the significances of personality traits and social of occupational functioning in a group of psychiatric outpatient insomnmiacs.

62 subjects who complained of insomnia over a 2-week period were evaluated for psychiatric and personality disorders and medical conditions by a comprehensive psychiatric diagnostic interview. Each patient also completed the MMPI test and was evaluated on GAF score.

The higher prevalence of insomnia has been reported in the age group of 21 to 50 years, married and unemployed patients in this study.

95.2% of the subjects had a principal diagnosis on Axis I and the most prevalent diagnoses were mood disorders and accompanying diagnoses were anxiety and somatoform disorders(in frequency order). 51.6% of the subjects had a principal diagnosis on Axis II and the most prevalent diagnoses were compulsive personality disorders and accompanying diagnoses were others(avoidant, dependent, and passive-aggresive) and historionic personalty disorders. 50% of the subjects had Axis III diagnoses and the most prevalent diagnoses were gastrointestinal disordrs. 72.6% of the subjects had elevated scores on one or more MMPI scales(T score of 70 or greater) and the most frequently elevated scale was the depression and accompanying scales were hysteria and hypochondriasis. The mean GAF score value of the patient was 61.65±5.64 and showed significant difference in each Axis I principal diagnoses.

In summary, strong associations between insomnia and psychiatric disorders were confirmed by this investigation

Helicobacter pylori infection is now recognized as a cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and is also a major risk factor for development of gastric carcinoma and gastric lymphoma. Several diagnostic methods of H. pylori infection, such as histopathology, Giemsa stain, culture, rapid urease test, urea breath test and serologic test have been used. Recently, the polymerase chain reaction(PCR) assay has provided a means of rapid and sensitive detection of H. pylori. This study aimed to evaluate PCR assay for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.

I compared the PCR assay using the ureC gene specific for H. pylori with culture in gastric biospy specimens from 30 chronic gastritis, 10 gastric ulcer and 41 duodenal ulcer patients and evaluated the positive rates of H. pylori according to the gastroduodenal diseases.

Fifty-seven out of 81(70%) patients were culture positive and 64 out of 81(79%) patients were PCR positive. In seventy-two out of 81 patients, PCR was concordant with culture, but 8 patients had only positive-PCR and one patient had only positive-culture. Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic efficiency of culture were 85%, 100%, 100%, 58% and 88%, respectively and those of PCR were 96%, 100%, 100%, 82% and 96%, respectively. The positive rates of H. pylori using PCR were 73%, 90% and 80% and those using culture were 63%, 90% and 71% in chronic gastitis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer patients, respectively.

These findings suggest that the PCR assay using the ureC gene in gastric biopsy is more sensitive and rapid than culture and an effective test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the MR findings of intramedullary tumors and review the literatures for evaluating of characteristic findings of each intramedullary tumors.

We experienced eight intramedullary tumors from March 1993 to February 1995, including four astrocytomas two ependymoma, one hemangioblastoma, and one cavernoma. MR images were get by 1.5T GE Signa and analized retrospectively.

Intramedullary tumor was demonstrated by MR images in eight patients. They were five men and three women ranging in age from 3 to 56 years and complained both motor and sensory changes and symptom duration was between 6 months and 3 years. Ependymoma showed diffuse homogenous enhancing mass at the level of thoracic cord(T2-3) and thoracolumbar level(T11-L2) without cystic change, One had hemorrhage within the mass and massive leptomeningeal metastasis at all spinal cord and brain. Among astrocystomas, one case at the cervical cord unusually revealed hemorrhage in the mass and regional large syrinx. The other one occured at the conus medullaris portion and showed well-defined mass and intratumoral cystic change. We also experienced rare intramedullary hemangioblastoma, which demonstrated typical signal voided vascular structures revealed homogenous enhancing mass. A very rare intramedullary cavernoma at the level of cervical cord showed typical dark signal hemosiderin rim and variable staged hemorrhage in the mass.

Although, MR imaging appearance of intramedullary tumors is nonspecific, and it is often impossible to differentiate with certainty between the various possible tumors, especially ependymomas and astrucystomas. However, MR findings of hemangioblastoma and cavernoma are specific and possible to diagnose. MR imaging is the unquestioned technique of choice in demonstrating and differentiating the intramedullary tumors.

The present study was aimed to investigate the ability of free radical scavenger(hydroxyl radical scavenger, dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO) to change the release of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)from the hypoxia-sensitive rat hippocampal slices.

The hippocampus was obtained from the rat brain and sliced 400µm thickness with the manual chopper. After 30min's preincubation in the normal buffer, the slices were incubated for 20min in a buffer containing[³H]-5-HT(0.1µM, 74µCi/8ml) for uptake, and washed. To measure the release of [³H]-5-HT into the buffer, the incubation medium was drained off and refilled every ten minutes through sequence of 14 tubes. Induction of hypoxia(gassing it with 95% N₂, 5% CO₂) was done in 6th and 7th tube, and DMSO was added 10 minutes prior to these manipulations. The radioactivities in each buffer and the tissue were counted using liquid scintillation counter and the results were expressed as a percentage of the total radioactivities.

When slices were exposed to hypoxia for 20min, [³H]-5-HT release was decreased and a rebound release of [³H]-5-HT was observed on the post-hypoxic period. Administration of DMSO(10mM) increased the spontaneous release of [³H]-5-HT in the control group. And DMSO also prevented hypoxia-induced decrease of [³H]-5-HT release. But the rebound release of [³H]-5-HT during post-hypoxic period was not affected by DMSO.

In addition to the hydroxyl radical scavenging effect, DMSO has direct stimulation effect on the firing of 5-HT neuron.