A Study on Reference Values from Health Checkup Data of Korea Association of Health Promotion by Indirect Method: A Study on Standardization of Reference Values among Laboratories of Korea Association of Health Promotion II / 임상검사와정도관리

BACKGROUND: The reference values of laboratory should review regularly to maintain good quality of practice. This is the second report of studies on reference values of Korea Association of Health Promotion (KAHP). The first one was reported in 2002 in Journal of Laboratory Medicine and Quality Assurance in Korea. The aim of this study is to know the changes of reference values for the past five years. METHODS: The way to analyze the data this time was essentially the same as the previous one (Indirect Method). The data from January to December, 2007 were collected. They totalled 5,133,327 test results from approximately 140 thousands individuals who visited for health checkup. The data were statistically analyzed with Minitab version 15.1.20.0 for Gaussian distribution using Anderson-Darling test. The trimming process repeated for the outliers, the results lying outside of +/-3SD, and as much as four times in certain test items, though, none of the tests showed Gaussian distribution. Subsequently, the reference values of most tests were defined in the ranges from the point of lowest 2.5% to the point of highest 97.5% and others were those, below 95 percentiles according to CLSI C28-A3 guideline. RESULTS: The reference ranges of 56 test items were either set as before or adjusted with new values, and compared. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing to the previous reference values (2002), the tests for liver function showed the lower upper values and the tests for diabetes and lipids showed higher upper values. Others were changed minimally with no significance.

Male Infertility with Reciprocal Translocation t(1;21)(q11;p13) / 대한진단검사의학회지

Reports of male infertility associated with autosomal translocations are rare. Cases involving translocations between chromosomes 1 and 21 are even rarer. We describe an azoospermic male with a reciprocal translocation t(1;21)(q11;p13). The patient, a 31-year-old man with normal intelligence and phenotype, sought medical attention for evaluation of infertility. He had no history of familial infertility or congenital anomalies. Sperm counts on three occasions all revealed azoospermia. The cytogenetic analysis of blood showed a reciprocal translocation between the long arm of chromosome 1 and the short arm of chromosome 21 in all of the cells examined. We believe that the case presented here is the first reported male infertility with t(1;21) at these particular breakpoints.

The Boston Brace in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis / 대한정형외과학회잡지

The results in thrity-six adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients(thirty-nine curves) who have been treated with the Boston brace are reported. The average follow-up was two years and three months(range, one year to four years ten months). Before treatment, all the patients had a curve that measured 20 to 35 degrees; 26 patients were in Risser sign of zero or 1, 10 patients in Risser sign 2 to 4. Although the magnitude of the curve was generally reduced about 40 percent by the initial application of the brace, a gradual loss of this initial correction was observed both during active treatment and after the wearing of the brace. Although eleven(28.2 percent) of the curves had progressed more than 5 degrees at follow up. Sixty-seven percent of the thoracic curve, 33.3 percent of the thoracolumbar, 27.8 percent of the lumbar curve had progression of more than 5 degrees. Twelve patients wore the brace for sixteen hours a day, 19 patients wore for 16 to 20 hours a day and 5 patients wore more than 20 hours a day. 41.7 percent of sixteen hours bracing, 15,8 percent of 16 to 20 hours bracing and 60 percent of 20 hours bracing had progression of more than 5 degrees. Our finding indicates that the Boston brace prevents deterioration in certain cases but does not convert major deformity into minor ones, and part time bracing can prevent progression of the curve and can even afford some correction.

Collateral Ligament Injury of the Fingers / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Collateral ligament injury of the IP joint of the fingers are common and almost always occurs at the PIP joint. But the rupture of collateral ligament is often miss-diagnosed as sprain and it's seriousness is often underestimated, of such injuries frequently result in prolonged and even permanent disability of the injured fingers. During the period of Sept. 1986 to Aug. 1988, 16 collateral ligament injuries in 15 patients were treated surgically at Holy Family Hospital, Bu Cheon and following results were obtained: 1. Among 15 patients, 14 were male and the age was 32.1 years on an average. 2. The 7 cases had associated injuries in the same fingers. 3. In 6 cases ligaments were ruptured at the proximal attachment, in 5 at the distal attachment, and in 5 at the ligament substance. 4. Average range of joint motion at the final observation was 69.2°. The average flexion contracture was 9.3°, and the average further flexion was 78.5°. 5. The flexion was limited more than the average when the ligament was ruptured at the insertion(66°) and when there were other associated injuries in the same finger(58.1°). The extension was limited more than the average when the ligament was ruptured at the substance(18°) and when patients were over the age of 31 years(12.5°).