ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to identify seasonal variations of urinary concentrations of N-methylformamide (NMF) among workers employed at a synthetic leather factory. METHODS: Study subjects consisted of 16 male and 6 female workers who were involved in the direct treatment of dimethylformamide (DMF) in a synthetic leather factory. By using health examination data and the results of air measurements and biologic monitoring conducted in February and July, 2001, we identified seasonal variations of the DMF concentrations in the air and NMF concentrations in urine. RESULTS: 1) In winter and summer, average temperatures at the working sites were 3.2 degrees C and 26.5 degrees C, respectively and average humidities were 35.4 % and 84.5 %, respectively. 2) Airborne DMF concentrations were not significantly different between summer (13.78 ppm) and winter (11.55 ppm). 3) NMF concentrations in urine were found to be significantly higher in summer (96.09 mg/g creatinine) than in winter (31.23 mg/g creatinine) (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The seasonal difference in the urinary excretion values of NMF may be due to increased dermal absorption of DMF with the higher ambient temperature and humidity in summer and the increased area of exposed skin.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Absorption , Dimethylformamide , Environmental Monitoring , Humidity , Seasons , SkinABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between color vision defects and occupational exposure to mixed organic solvents in women workers who were engaged in the shoe manufacturing industry. METHODS: A total of 173 women workers were involved in this study, 85 of whom were exposed to mixed organic solvents and were defined as the exposed group, and 88 workers comprised the non-exposed control group. The patients were questioned as to their drinking history, the year in which they were exposed and whether they had eye symptoms of blurred vision, eye fatigue, and eye irritation. The exposed workers in the shoe manufacturing factory were engaged in 3 work areas which were pasting, trimming, and cleaning. Their Color vision was assessed using the Hahn's double 15 hue test under standard illumination and their current and cumulative exposure levels were measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of color vision defect was 21.2% in the exposed group and 8.0% in the control group, and the blue-yellow defect was found to be 5.9 % in the exposed group. The logistic regression for the acquired dyschromatopsia and color confusion index showed that there were no variables that had significant relationships. Eye symptoms were more frequently developed in the exposed group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a possibility of developing color vision defects when workers are exposed to mixed organic solvents. However, the results of the color confusion index showed that there was no significant relationship to the cumulative exposure level, because of the low exposure level and high occupational turn over rate of the workers. Because the workers in the present study were exposed to low level solvents it will be necessary to study workers exposed to higher levels of organic solvents.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Asthenopia , Color Vision , Color Vision Defects , Drinking , Lighting , Logistic Models , Occupational Exposure , Prevalence , Shoes , SolventsABSTRACT
Captopril, an orally active ACE inhibitor, has been known to attenuate the protein excretion in animal model such as puromycin-aminonucleoside(PAN)- induced nephrotic rats or partially nephrectomized rats and clinical study, but the exact mechanism of its action has not been elucidated yet. Captopril interacts with several important vasoactive agents such as angiotensin, bradykinin, prostaglandin, etc., and then can alter the intrarenal hemodynamics. But it is unclear whether the antiproteinuric effect of captopril is mediated by its action on intrarenal hemodynamics. Because it has been found that the depletion of anionic sites(AS) on glomerular basement membrane (GBM) is the important pathophysiologic mechanism in PAN nephrosis, it can be postulated that captopril may reduce the proteinuria by the action on GBM anionic sites. But it needs the morphological evidence. To find out the mechanism of action of captopril on reducing proteinuria and the relationship with GBM anionic sites in PAN nephrosis, the author induced PAN nephrosis by intraperitoneal injection of PAN, (10mg/100g of body weight) in Sprague- Dawley rats and administered captopril per oral route(25mg/day/100g of body weight). GBM anionic sites were stained with polyethyleneimine(PEI) and cuprolinic blue, the cationic markers, and morphometry was done under the electronmicroscope. In PAN nephrotic rats(group A), systemic blood pressure was significantly elevated compared with normal control rats of group C, (157+/-17 vs. 128+/-14 mmHg, p<0.01). Captopril did not lower the systolic blood pressure significantly, but incresed the creatinine clerance(0.37+/-0.17 vs. 0.13+/-0.04ml/min/100g of body weight, P<0.05). In PAN+captopril group (group B), daily urinary excretion of protein began to attenuate from the sixth day compared with PAN group. On the final day of experiment(the 12nd day), captopril reduced the urinary protein excretion below the half of the amount of group A (20.3+/-5.3 vs. 44.1+/-17.1mg/24hr, P<0.01), but which did not decreased to that of normal group(9.7+/-2.7mg/24hr, P<0.01). The anionic sites on lamina rara externa showed reduction in number in group A (11.8+/-1.1/1000nm GBM) compared with normal group(19.3+/-0.7/1000nm, P<0.01), and in group B the loss of GBM anionic sites was significantly attenuated (16.1+/-1.1/1000nm, P<0.01). Captopril acts to reduce urinary protein excretion in PAN nephrotic rats, and which is associated with inhibition of depletion of GBM anionic sites, so that the action on the GBM anionic sites is thought to be one of the important mechanisms of antiproteinuric effect of captopril.
Subject(s)
Animals , Rats , Angiotensins , Blood Pressure , Body Weight , Bradykinin , Captopril , Creatinine , Glomerular Basement Membrane , Hemodynamics , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Models, Animal , Nephrosis , Proteinuria , Puromycin Aminonucleoside , PuromycinABSTRACT
The application of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology to the soft tissue tumors had been neglected. In recent years, however, FNA has been used increasingly in the preoperative diagnosis of these tumors due to its usefulness and accuracy. We present 3 cases of liposarcoma, myxoid, myxoid with round cell, and pleomorphic, diagnosed by FNA cytology with histologic confirmation. Good correlation between his- tologic and FNA cytologic findings was found. Although the cytologic appearances of liposarcomas varied with histologic type, the main criterion was the presence of atypical multivacuolated lipoblast with characteristically scalloped nuclei.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Biopsy, Fine-Needle , Diagnosis , Hypertension, Renovascular , Liposarcoma , Liposarcoma, Myxoid , PectinidaeABSTRACT
Leiomyosarcoma of the soft tissue is a well-defined and characteristic entity histologically, but cytomorphological studes are lacking. A correlaive cytological study of 2 cases of leiomyosarcoma is presented. The smears from case 1 were rich in tumor cells and most cells were arranged in large sheets or clusters. The cells showed round to oval nuclei containing fine chromatin and small promiment nucleoli. The smears from case 2 were moderate in cellularity with loose clusters or isolated cells. The characteristic blunt-ended and cigar-shaped nuclei containing coarse chromatin and prominent nucleoli were identified in case 2. Nuclear atypia, prominent nucleoli and high cellularity permit diagnosis of malignancy, although the atypia is generally less pronounced than in the histology. The cytological diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma may be auxiliary in the diagnosis of recurrence or metastasis in the patients with alleged leiomyosarcoma.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Chromatin , Diagnosis , Dialysis , Leiomyosarcoma , Lipoproteins , Neoplasm Metastasis , RecurrenceABSTRACT
A 70-year-old female who was diagnosed as myxoid chondrosarcoma by fine needle aspiration of a pleural mass is described. She presented with left chest discomfort of 4 months' duration and aggravating dyspnea and chest pain for 2 months. Chest X-ray and CT scan revealed a large lobulated low density mass invading chest wall at the left pleural cavity and massive pleural fluid. Fine needle aspiration was done under the impression of mesothelioma or metastatic cancer. The aspirates from the mass were very cellular and composed of isolated or clustered forms of large plump cells. Abundant cytoplasm was bluish opaque and the margin was rounded in the isolated cells, whereas clustered cells show ill-defined cell borders and aggregating tendency. The nuclei were eccentric, round to ovoid, and had fine chromatin pattern and multiple small nucleoli. Cellular pleomorphism or mitotic figure was not definite. These findings were consistent with cytologic features of chondrosarcoma. Final diagnosis was confirmed as myxoid chondrosarcoma by mediastinoscopic biopsy and the tumor showed strong positivity for S-100 protein.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Biopsy , Biopsy, Fine-Needle , Chest Pain , Chondrosarcoma , Chromatin , Cytoplasm , Diagnosis , Dyspnea , Eosinophils , Mesothelioma , Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory , Peritonitis , Pleural Cavity , S100 Proteins , Thoracic Wall , Thorax , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
"To evaluate whether different qualifications of a cytologic diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) predict a greater or lesser likelihood of tissue diagnosis of uterine cervix, we compared different cytologic qualifications of ASCUS with the tissue diagnosis. One hundred twenty-two con- secutive Papanicolaou smears showing ASCUS in women who had undergone cervical biopsy within nearest 30 days were collected. The 122 smears were qualified as ""favor reactive (25%), favor low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) (24%), favor squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) (16%), favor high grade squa- mous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (16%), and not otherwise specified (19%). Squamous intraepithelial or invasive lesion was pathologically confirmed by cervical biopsy in 13% of the favor reactive, 27% in favor LSIL, 70% in ""favor SIL, 75% in favor HSIL, and 35% in not otherwise specified smears. There were significant associations between the favor reactive smear and the benign biopsy finding and between the favor SIL smear and the biopsy showing a squamous intraepithelial or more severe lesion. Nevertheless, rnost of favor LSIL smears exhibit reactive process in tissue biopsy. Conclusively, qualified ASCUS stratifies women into different risk groups for SIL. The cytopathologist should make the cytologic diagnosis of ASCUS, favor LSIL circumspectly."
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Biopsy , Cervix Uteri , Diagnosis , Papanicolaou Test , Venous ThrombosisABSTRACT
No abstract available.
ABSTRACT
An epidemiological survey on the glycosuria was conducted on the senier students of middle and high school in Seoul, from March 1981 to March 1982. Selected examinee totalled to 254,835 of which 138,116 were male & 116,719 were female. The initial, second and third urine sugar test were done with Combur-test strip(r). Glucose tolerance test was performed on those who were found to have persistent glycosuria. The followings showed the results of the survey. Among the 254,835 examinees, 1,240 were found with initial positive glycosuria. The glycosuria positive rate revealed 0.52% for male, 0.44% for female. Its average was 0.49%. It also revealed that male students in high school had higher positive rate of glycosuria. 2) The persistent glycosuria positive rate revealed 11.58/100,000 for male, 15.42/100,000 for female and its average was 13.34/100,000. 3) Out of the 33 cases with the persistent glycosuria, 60.6% of them were diagnosed as diabetes mellitus. 4) The overall prevalence rate of diabetes was 7.85/100,000. The prevalence rate of male was5.79/100,000, and female was 10.28/100,000. Consequently the rate of male to female was 1:1.78, showing that rates were higher for females than males. The. survey also revealed that the prevalence rate of diabetes was increased with advancing grade. 5) The 70% of the total person who were diagnosed as diabetes, did not recognize of their disease by themselves till the survey was conducted. 6) The frequency of subjective diabetic symptoms were polydipsia, polyuria and polyphagia in order. *Combur-test(r)are registered trade marks of the Boehringer mannheim GmbH Company.
Subject(s)
Child , Female , Humans , Male , Diabetes Mellitus , Glucose Tolerance Test , Glycosuria , Polydipsia , Polyuria , Prevalence , SeoulABSTRACT
There had been total 20 patients with early onset(4 months~2 years) primary nephrotic syndrome in the Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, during the period from March 1987 to February 1993. We analysed clinical courses, response to treatment, pathological findings and prognosis of the patients And the results were as follows; 1) The initial responders to steroid treatment were 10(50%), of whom 3 became late nonresponders. Of the 10 initial nonresponders, 8 revealed continuing nonresponsiveness. 2) Incidence of hypertension was significantly higher in the intial nonresponders than in the initial responders. 3) Renal biopsies were performed in 9 initial nonresponders and 2 late nonresponders. And the results were 6 with minimal change lesion, 4 with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and 1 with mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis. 4) Six continuing or late nonresponders received methylprednisolone pulse therapy or cyclophosphamide. And partial remission was induced in 4 of them. 5) The overall 3 year maintenance rate of normal renal function was 81%(100% in the initial responders and 64% in the initial nonresponders). In conclusion, the initial steroid responsiveness and prognosis were poorer in patients with early onset nephrotic syndrome than in patients with usual childhood nephrotic syndrome.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biopsy , Cyclophosphamide , Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative , Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental , Hypertension , Incidence , Methylprednisolone , Nephrotic Syndrome , Pediatrics , Prognosis , SeoulABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory , PeritonitisABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Glomerulonephritis, Membranous , Hepatitis B virus , Hepatitis B , HepatitisABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic , Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous AmbulatoryABSTRACT
No abstract available.