The Evaluation of Integrated Test as an Antenatal Screening Test for Down's Syndrome in Korea

BACKGROUND: Antenatal screening for Down's syndrome has been developed and improved over the past 20 yr. Recently, integrated test, which combines the first and second trimester markers has shown the highest detection rate (DR) and lowest false positive rate (FPR) among Down's syndrome screening tests currently in use. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the screening performance of integrated test and to compare the results with triple test studies in Korea. METHODS: The study population consisted of Korean pregnant women who underwent triple or integrated test between April 2005 and December 2008. Triple test was performed using measurements of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the second trimester. Integrated test was performed using nuchal translucency (NT) by ultrasonography and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) from maternal serum in the first trimester, and AFP, uE3, hCG, and inhibin-A in the second trimester. The screening performance of each test was evaluated by DR and FPR. RESULTS: Twenty-seven Down's syndrome pregnancies were confirmed in women screened by triple (N=6,736) or integrated test (N=7,688). At 1:100, 1:270, and 1:300 of risk cutoff, triple test showed 45%, 73%, and 73% of DR and 4.7%, 11.2%, and 12.4% of FPR, respectively. At 1:100, 1:150, and 1:300 of risk cutoff, integrated test showed 63%, 69%, and 75% of DR and 1.5%, 1.9%, and 3.0% of FPR, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated test showed higher DR and lower FPR, demonstrating better screening performance than triple test.

Characterization of antiphospholipid antibodies in chronic hepatitis B infection

BACKGROUND: Many infections are associated with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, persistence, clinical significance, and characteristics of aPLs in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients. METHODS: This study included 143 patients with HBV infection and 32 healthy individuals as controls. The presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL Ab), anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies (beta2GPI Ab), and lupus anticoagulant (LA) was assessed. RESULTS: The total prevalence of aPLs in HBV-infected patients was 12.6% (18 of 143). Of these 18 patients, 15 had low to medium titers of aCL Ab (10 with IgM, 4 with IgG, and 1 with both isotypes). beta2GPI Ab and LA were detected in 3 (2.1%) and 2 (1.4%) patients with HBV infection, respectively. In follow-up specimens from 14 patients with elevated levels of aCL Ab or beta2GPI Ab, 10 (71.4%) showed the persistent presence of aPLs. No clinical manifestations related to aPLs were identified. CONCLUSION: In HBV-infected patients, the most frequently detected antiphospholipid antibodies were IgM aCL Ab, which have a weak association with the clinical manifestations of APS. Unlike the transient presence reported for other infection-associated aPLs, most aPLs were persistently detected over a 12-week period in patients with HBV infection.

Assessment of Cell Viability in Umbilical Cord Blood before Cryopreservation / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: The viability of cord blood is an important measure of product quality. Trypan blue (TB) stain is the most commonly and conveniently used method to measure the viability of the cord blood. Recently, cytometric analysis using 7-Aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD) was introduced. Staining with 7-AAD is more sensitive in detecting cellular damage than staining with TB. In addition to this, 7-AAD allows specific measurement of the viability of total nucleated cells (TNC), mononuclear cells (MNC) and CD34+ cells. In this study, we compared the viability of TNC between the TB and 7-AAD method, as well as analyzing the viability of each cell population. METHODS: From February to July 2010, 102 cord blood units were collected and assessed for the viability of TNC by the TB and 7-AAD methods. The viability of mononuclear cells (MNC) and CD34+ cells was assessed by 7-AAD method. RESULTS: The TB and 7-AAD methods were used to assess the viability of TNC, which was 90.1+/-5.7% and 68.4+/-8.0%, respectively. The viability of MNC and CD34+ cells measured by the 7-AAD method was 91.8+/-4.3% and 93.4+/-5.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The TNC viability of 7-AAD method was significantly lower than that of TB method. In 7-AAD method, the viabilities of MNC and CD34+ cells were significantly higher than that of TNC. As those are important prognostic factors and measures for successful engraftment after the transplantation, the measurement of the viabilities of MNC and CD34+ cells by 7-AAD method would be helpful to the quality control of the cord blood product.

Two Cases of Independent Infection by Leclercia adecarboxylata / 감염과화학요법

Leclercia adecarboxylata is a facultative gram negative bacillus of the Enterobacteriaceae family. It has been previously reported as a rarely isolated opportunistic pathogen, mainly in the form of mixed infection with other organisms. We report two cases of independent infection by L. adecarboxylata. One strain of L. adecarboxylata was isolated from Baker's cyst in an immunocompetent patient and the other strain from dialysate in a patient on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Two Cases of Independent Infection by Leclercia adecarboxylata / 감염과화학요법

Leclercia adecarboxylata is a facultative gram negative bacillus of the Enterobacteriaceae family. It has been previously reported as a rarely isolated opportunistic pathogen, mainly in the form of mixed infection with other organisms. We report two cases of independent infection by L. adecarboxylata. One strain of L. adecarboxylata was isolated from Baker's cyst in an immunocompetent patient and the other strain from dialysate in a patient on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.