A Study on the Relationship between Fatigue, Psychosocial Stress, and Behavior that Reduces Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Exposure in Infertile Males

Purpose@#This study aimed to identify the relationships between fatigue, psychosocial stress, and behavior of infertile males that reduces endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure and to provide baseline data needed for nursing intervention. @*Methods@#A total of 110 infertile males were recruited from a special fertility hospital in Gwangju city in Korea. The participants were administered a self-reported questionnaire. @*Results@#The mean scores were as follows: for fatigue, 59.1 out of 133; for psychosocial stress, 20.3 out of 54; and for behavior that reduced EDC exposure, 52.6 out of 85. Fatigue and psychosocial stress had a positive correlation(r=0.68, p<0.001), behavior that reduces EDC exposure was negatively correlated with fatigue and psychosocial stress(r=-0.54, p<0.001; r=-0.61, p<0.001) @*Conclusion@#Fatigue and stress were higher in infertile males. Our findings suggest that a nursing intervention program should focus on reducing fatigue and stress in infertile males and induce behaviors that decrease EDC exposure.

A Study on the Relationship between Fatigue, Psychosocial Stress, and Behavior that Reduces Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Exposure in Infertile Males

Purpose@#This study aimed to identify the relationships between fatigue, psychosocial stress, and behavior of infertile males that reduces endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure and to provide baseline data needed for nursing intervention. @*Methods@#A total of 110 infertile males were recruited from a special fertility hospital in Gwangju city in Korea. The participants were administered a self-reported questionnaire. @*Results@#The mean scores were as follows: for fatigue, 59.1 out of 133; for psychosocial stress, 20.3 out of 54; and for behavior that reduced EDC exposure, 52.6 out of 85. Fatigue and psychosocial stress had a positive correlation(r=0.68, p<0.001), behavior that reduces EDC exposure was negatively correlated with fatigue and psychosocial stress(r=-0.54, p<0.001; r=-0.61, p<0.001) @*Conclusion@#Fatigue and stress were higher in infertile males. Our findings suggest that a nursing intervention program should focus on reducing fatigue and stress in infertile males and induce behaviors that decrease EDC exposure.

Maternal Depression and Children's Screen Overuse

BACKGROUND: It is known that there are various factors associated with children's screen overuse. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of maternal depression on 2–5-year-old children's overuse of various household screen devices. METHODS: Participants were from the Internet-Cohort for Understanding of internet addiction Risk factors/Rescue in Early livelihood (I-CURE) study, an observational prospective cohort study in Korea. Screen time for six types of screen devices (smartphone, television, computer, tablet, video gaming console, and portable gaming console) were assessed by parental questionnaire. Maternal depression was measured by the Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory II. Logistic regression models were run to determine the association between maternal depression and children's screen overuse. RESULTS: Maternal depression was associated with children's television overuse after adjusting for other factors (odds ratio, 1.954; P = 0.034). Contrary to expectation, the relationship between maternal depression and screen time was not present on other devices such as smartphones, computers and tablets. CONCLUSION: Maternal depression is related with 2–5-year-old children's television overuse. Interventions in maternal depressive symptoms and the associated changes in parent-child relationship can be useful for preventing children's television overuse.

Reference values of hematology, biochemistry, and blood type in cynomolgus monkeys from cambodia origin / 한국실험동물학회지

Cynomolgus monkeys as nonhuman primates are valuable animal models because they have a high level of human gene homology. There are many reference values for hematology and biochemistry of Cynomolgus monkeys that are needed for proper clinical diagnosis and biomedical research conduct. The body weight information and blood type are also key success factors in allogeneic or xenogeneic models. Moreover, the biological parameters could be different according to the origin of the Cynomolgus monkey. However, there are limited references provided, especially of Cambodia origin. In this study, we measured average body weight of 2,518 Cynomolgus monkeys and analyzed hematology and serum biochemistry using 119 males, and determined blood types in 642 monkeys with Cambodia origin. The average body weight of male Cynomolgus monkeys were 2.56±0.345 kg and female group was 2.43±0.330 kg at the age from 2 to 3 years. The male group showed relatively sharp increased average body weight from the 3 to 4 age period compared to the female group. In hematology and biochemistry, it was found that most of the data was similar when compared to other references even though some results showed differences. The ABO blood type result showed that type A, B, AB, and O was approximately 15.6, 33.3, 44.2, and 6.9%, respectively. The main blood type in this facility was B and AB. These biological background references of Cambodia origin could be used to provide important information to researchers who are using them in their biomedical research.

Effects of Massage Therapy on Feeding Intolerance and Physical Growth in Premature Infants

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify effects of Massage therapy on feeding intolerance and physical growth in premature infants. METHODS: This study was conducted in the NICU of U university hospital, from June to December 2014. A quasi experimental design was used. A total of 60 premature infants were randomly assigned into two groups of 30 infants each. Infants of control group were given conventional treatment, while infants of experimental group given conventional treatment plus massage therapy. Massage therapy was performed for 15 minutes, 60 min before feeding, 3 times per day for 21 times over 7 days. The number of feedings withheld for feeding intolerance, number of gastric residuals, number of fecal excretions and physical growth variables (weight, height) were measured. RESULTS: After the intervention, number of fecal excretions and weight gain in the experimental group were significantly higher than that of the control group. Also, number of gastric residuals in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Massage therapy laid the basis for nursing intervention to promote feeding tolerance and physical growth in premature infants.

Prediction of Chronicity of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear Using MRI Findings

BACKGROUND: The estimation of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is required in certain cases involving legal and financial administration, such as the worker's compensation and/or insurance. The aim of this study is to propose and evaluate a quantitative evaluation instrument to estimate the chronicity of the ACL tear, based on the four magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. METHODS: One hundred and fifty one cases of complete ACL tear confirmed by arthroscopy were divided into 4 groups according to the time from ACL injury to MRI acquisition: acute ( 1 year). The four MRI findings including ACL morphology, joint effusion, posterior cruciate ligament angle, and bone bruise were analyzed for temporal changes among the 4 groups. Binary logistic regression equations were formulated using the MRI findings to estimate the chronicity of ACL tear in a quantitative manner, and the accuracy of the formulated regression equations was evaluated. RESULTS: The four MRI findings showed substantial temporal correlation with the time-limits of ACL injury to be included in the estimation model. Three predictive binary logistic equations estimated the probability of the ACL injury for the three cutoff time-limits of 6 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year with accuracies of 82.1%, 89.4%, and 89.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A series of predictive logistic equations were formulated to estimate the chronicity of ACL tear using 4 MRI findings with chronological significance.

Evaluation of the MicroScan MICroSTREP Plus Antimicrobial Panel for Testing beta-Hemolytic Streptococci and Viridans Group Streptococci / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: In order to determine the clinical usefulness of the MicroScan (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, USA) MICroSTREP plus antimicrobial panel (MICroSTREP) for testing antimicrobial susceptibility of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) and viridans group streptococci (VGS), we compared the accuracy of MICroSTREP with that of the CLSI reference method. METHODS: Seventy-five BHS and 59 VGS isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to ampicillin, penicillin, cefotaxime, meropenem, erythromycin, clindamycin, levofloxacin, and vancomycin by using MICroSTREP and the CLSI agar dilution method. RESULTS: The overall essential agreement with regard to minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) (within +/-1 double dilution) between MICroSTREP and the CLSI reference method was 98.2%, and categorical agreement (CA) was 96.9%. For the BHS isolates, the CA for erythromycin was 96.0%, whereas that for cefotaxime, meropenem, levofloxacin, and vancomycin (for ampicillin, penicillin, and clindamycin; 98.7%) was 100%. For the VGS isolates, the CA for penicillin was 84.7% and that for erythromycin, clindamycin, and vancomycin (for meropenem, 86.5%; for ampicillin, 88.1%; and for cefotaxime and levofloxacin, 96.6%) was 100%. All categorical errors of penicillin and ampicillin in the VGS isolates were minor. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of MICroSTREP is comparable to that of the CLSI reference method, suggesting that this panel can be effective for testing antimicrobial susceptibility of BHS and VGS.

Follicular stimulating hormone enhances Notch 1 expression in SK-OV-3 ovarian cancer cells / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: Notch is known as a transmembranous receptor family with four homologous forms - Notch 1, Notch 2, Notch 3, and Notch 4 and related to cell fate regulation and angiogenesis. The purpose is to investigate the effect of follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) on the Notch 1 expression and proliferation in ovarian cancer cells. METHODS: Human ovarian cancer cell line, SK-OV-3 and FSH were used. XTT cell proliferation and cell migration assay were carried out with FSH 100 mIU/mL and Notch 1 siRNA. Western blots and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were carried out to determine the expression level of the Notch 1 protein and mRNA with FSH treatment in 0, 1, 5, 10, 100, 200, 300 mIU/mL concentrations. Immunofluorescent (IF) stains were performed in SK-OV-3 cell cultures with FSH 100 mIU/mL. Student-t tests were used in statistical analyses. RESULTS: The SK-OV-3 have Notch 1 receptors in their natural status. FSH stimulated SK-OV-3 cells in XTT cell proliferation and cell migration assays and notch 1 siRNA inhibited. The expression level of Notch 1 protein and mRNA were increased in a dose dependent pattern according to FSH concentrations compared to untreated cells. IF stains also showed brighter Notch1 expressions in the FSH treated cells compared to the control cells. CONCLUSION: FSH enhances proliferation & migration and Notch 1 signaling in SK-OV-3 cells. The Notch signaling probably supports one of the cell proliferating mechanisms of FSH in ovarian cancer cells.

The Effect of Aroma Therapy on Lower Extremity Edema of Terminal Cancer Patients: A Controlled Trial / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the effect of aroma massage therapy on lower extremity edema of terminal cancer patients. METHODS: A total of thirty-six terminal cancer patients with lower extremity edema were divided into two groups: the aroma massage group received massage with blending oil which was applied from toes to 10 cm above the knee of the subject for 15 to 20 minutes in each turn, while the control group received sham aroma massage (applied with carrier oil only). The circumferences of the fore-foot, ankle and calf were measured before massage and 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 12 hours after massage. The blood pressure, pulse and body temperature were also measured to find the change of subject's physiologic conditions. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and lower extremity circumferences between two groups. However, edema at each site was slightly improved in the treatment group after the aroma massage therapy, compared to baseline data (P<0.05). In addition, the reduction of lower extremity circumference was maximal at 2 hours in foot, 30 min in right ankle and 12 hours in right calf after aroma massage therapy (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that aroma massage therapy is not effective on the lower extremity edema of terminal cancer patients.

Frequency and Clinical Characteristics of Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Staphylococcus saprophyticus / 대한임상미생물학회지

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus saprophyticus is the second most common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in young women. As little is known about the incidence of UTIs caused by this organism in Korea, we examined its frequency and clinical characteristics. METHODS: We analyzed the frequency of S. saprophyticus among organisms isolated from urine specimens in Wonju Christian Hospital from July 1996 to June 2008 and reviewed clinical characteristics retrospectively. RESULTS: Of 24,277 strains isolated from urine specimens during the past 12 years, 21 (0.09%) were S. saprophyticus. Outpatients were more common in the S. saprophyticus group than in all patients group (12 of 21, 57% vs 5,098 of 24,277, 21%). The incidence of S. saprophyticus in women was the highest in the group of 15 to 34 years of age. Monthly distributions of isolates were almost constant in all patient groups, while 16 of 21 (76%) cases of the S. saprophyticus group occurred in summer and fall (June to November). CONCLUSION: The fequencies of S. saprophyticus among organisms isolated from urine specimens in all patient groups and women were 0.09% and 0.17%, respectively, and are much lower than those in other countries. However, we need further studies to examine the prevalence of S. saprophyticus UTIs in other regions of this country.

Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater: A Report of Two Cases

Primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater is extremely rare. We report two cases of adenosquamous carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater in a 48-year-old female and an 80-year-old female patient. The gross appearance was a polypoid mass in both cases. Histologically, the majority of the two tumors was composed of squamous cell carcinoma with some intermingled glandular adenocarcinoma components in both cases. Squamous cell carcinomas showed an abrupt transition from the normal glandular epithelium or glandular adenocarcinoma. Although the two cases revealed duodenal wall invasion and lymph node metastasis was found in case 2, both patients are still alive at 19 and 46 months after surgery, respectively.

Clinical Manifestations of Posttransplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD) after Liver Transplantation / 감염과화학요법

BACKGROUND: Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after liver transplantation is a rare but potentially fatal disease. Clinical manifestations and prevalence of PTLD after liver transplantation in Korea have not been investigated thoroughly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was done for 284 liver transplant recipients at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea during the period from 1996 to 2003. RESULTS: The incidence of PTLD after liver transplantation was 3.9% (11/284). PTLDs were more prevalent in children (9/55, 16.4%) than in adults (2/237, 0.9%; P<0.01). Among the PTLD patients, four cases were male (36.3%) and seven were female (63.7%). Median time from the transplantation to PTLD diagnosis was 9 months. The type of PTLD was as follows:early lesion (6 cases, 54.5%), polymorphic PTLD (3 cases, 27.3%), and B cell lymphoma (2 cases, 18.2%). PTLDs were more prevalent in the patients with cyclosporine use (OR 13.28, 95% CI:1.29-136.31, P=0.03), acute rejection (OR 5.63, 95% CI:1.03-30.62, P=0.04), and negative serology for EBV VCA IgG (OR 19.15, 95% CI:1.99-183.98, P=0.01) by multivariate logistic regression. Three patients (27.3%) died of B cell lymphoma (2 cases) and polymorphic PTLD (1 case). The remaining patients were improved with reduction of immunosuppression and treatment with acyclovir. CONCLUSION: The incidence of PTLD was high in children. The risk factors of PTLD were negative serology for EBV VCA IgG, history of acute rejection, and cyclosporine use. Considering the poor prognosis of PTLD, effective strategies for prevention and early diagnosis for early treatment should be emphasized.

Clinical Manifestations of Posttransplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD) after Liver Transplantation / 감염과화학요법

BACKGROUND: Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after liver transplantation is a rare but potentially fatal disease. Clinical manifestations and prevalence of PTLD after liver transplantation in Korea have not been investigated thoroughly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was done for 284 liver transplant recipients at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea during the period from 1996 to 2003. RESULTS: The incidence of PTLD after liver transplantation was 3.9% (11/284). PTLDs were more prevalent in children (9/55, 16.4%) than in adults (2/237, 0.9%; P<0.01). Among the PTLD patients, four cases were male (36.3%) and seven were female (63.7%). Median time from the transplantation to PTLD diagnosis was 9 months. The type of PTLD was as follows:early lesion (6 cases, 54.5%), polymorphic PTLD (3 cases, 27.3%), and B cell lymphoma (2 cases, 18.2%). PTLDs were more prevalent in the patients with cyclosporine use (OR 13.28, 95% CI:1.29-136.31, P=0.03), acute rejection (OR 5.63, 95% CI:1.03-30.62, P=0.04), and negative serology for EBV VCA IgG (OR 19.15, 95% CI:1.99-183.98, P=0.01) by multivariate logistic regression. Three patients (27.3%) died of B cell lymphoma (2 cases) and polymorphic PTLD (1 case). The remaining patients were improved with reduction of immunosuppression and treatment with acyclovir. CONCLUSION: The incidence of PTLD was high in children. The risk factors of PTLD were negative serology for EBV VCA IgG, history of acute rejection, and cyclosporine use. Considering the poor prognosis of PTLD, effective strategies for prevention and early diagnosis for early treatment should be emphasized.

A case of vulvar adenocarcinoma associated with extramammary Paget's disease / 대한산부인과학회지

Extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva is a rare intraepithelial neoplasm with a high recurrence rate. Extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva is rarely associated with an underlying vulvar adenocarcinoma, but underlying malignant tumor must be evaluated. We experienced a case of vulvar adenocarcinoma associated with Paget's disease and present with a brief review of literature.

Analysis of Long-Term Survival and Disease Free Survival after Liver Resection for Hepatocelluar Carcinoma

PURPOSE: Liver resection has been the treatment of choice for a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but the survival rates remain low, and recurrences common. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors that could affect the overall and disease free survivals of HCC. METHODS: Five hundred ten and liver resections for HCC, conducted 1994- and -2001, were retrospectively reviewed. They subjects consisted of 409 men and 101 women with a median age of 51.2 years, (ranging: from 10- to 88-). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on several of the clinicopathological variables in order to find factors affecting the overall and disease free survivals. The statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test and Cox regression hazard model, with SPSS 11.0 for Windows. RESULTS: The 1-, 3-, 5- year overall survival rates were 85, 68 and 54%, and the 1-, 3-, 5- year disease free survival rates were 61, 42 and 34%, respectively. Tumor recurrence occurred in 314 patients (61.6%) and was the main cause of death in 205 (56%). The independent prognostic factors for overall survival were ICGR15, tumor capsule formation and size. Furthermore, the independent prognostic factors for disease free survival were alfa-feto protein (AFP), transfusion, tumor capsule formation, size and venous emboli. CONCLUSION: HCC is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and a partial hepatectomy is a safe, effective, and potentially curative therapy. However, the postoperative recurrence rate remains high rate. The prudent evalulation of patients factors of survival and recurrence is required before an operation and high risk patients should be followed up more carefully.

Correlation between Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Expression and Recurrence in Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE: Angiogenesis occurs in response to tissue damage, and vitally important for tumor growth and metastasis. In several tumors, including hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most potent tumor angiogenetic factors. This study was planned to evaluate the correlation between the expression patterns of VEGF and the clinicopathological features of patients with small HCC. METHODS: Twenty patients, who underwent curative partial hepatectomy from May 2000 to December 2003, were included in this study. Western blotting was used in order to observe the expression patterns of VEGF, and was performed on tissues acquired from tumor mass and non-tumor region resected specimens, using monoclonal mouse lgG (Santa Cruz, CA, USA) as a primary antibody. To determine the VEGF expression patterns, the tumor/ non-tumor ratio (T/N) of the expression level was calculated, and compared and analyzed with respect to the clinicopathological features of the patients. RESULTS: There were 19 males and 1 female, with an average age of 46.6 years. The average tumor size and T/N ratio were 2.4 cm and 1.077, respectively. Clinicopathological factors had no significances on the expression of VEGF. There were significantly higher disease free survival rates in patients with a T/N ratio > or = 0.8 (P=0.0004). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the expression of VEGF in HCC cells, by itself, may be a significant factor in the recurrence prognosis of small HCC. Higher VEGF expressions in non-tumor tissues seem to be correlated with higher recurrence rates of HCC.

Clinical Significance of Human Parvovirus B19 Infection in Kidney Transplant Recipients / 대한임상미생물학회지

BACKGROUND: Human parvovirus B19 infection has been known to cause chronic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, glomerulopathy and allograft dysfunction in kidney transplant (KT) recipients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of B19 infection in KT recipients. METHODS: Five hundred and thirty seven serum samples from 167 KT recipients were included in the present study. The prevalence of B19 infection was based on either qualitative or quantatitive polymerase chain reaciton (PCR) with LightCycler Parvovirus B19 Quantification kit (Roche Diganostics, Mannheim, Germany). Clinical significance of B19 infection was investigated by retrospective review of hemoglobin levels and the results of kidney and bone marrow biopsies. RESULTS: Overall PCR positive rate was 18.3% (98/537) and 52 out of 167 (31.1%) KT recipients showed at least one positive PCR result. In addition, 20 out of 167 subjects (12.0%) showed PCRpositivity more than two consecutive times and they had significantly lower hemoglobin level than those with negative PCR result or only one-positive result (P < 0.0001 by ANOVA and multiple comparison). In addition, two patients (1.2%) suffered from pure red cell aplasia which was confirmed by bone marrow biopsy. Nevertheless, B19 infection did not seem to affect the graft outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The parvovirus B19 infection in KT recipeints was not uncommon and was associated with low hemoglobin level and pure red cell aplasia after KT. Therefore, routine examination for the B19 infection should be provided for the KT recipients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the incidence and clinical significance of B19 infection in Korean KT recipients.

Risk Factors of Morbidity and Mortality Following Surgical Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, mortality following surgical resection for hepatocelluar carcinoma has been reduced significantly. Morbidity, however, is still significant. This study evaluated the risk factors leading to morbidity and mortality. METHODS: 510 patients who had a hepatic resection form Nov. 1994 to Dec. 2001 were included. The patient demographics showed a mean age of 51.6 years with a male to female ratio of 4:1. The HBsAg was positive in 76.0% and the anti-HCV was positive in 8.2%. The mean tumor size was 5.2 cm, 26.2% of patients had preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), and 8.7% had preoperative percutaneous transhepatic portal embolization (PTPE). Limited resection was performed in 259 cases (50.7%), and major resection was conducted in 251 cases (49.1%). Risk factors included age, sex, laboratory findings (liver function test, prothrombin time, albumin, glucose, alpha-fetoprotein, ICG test), preoperative TAE, PTPE, operation type, operation time, intraoperative transfusion, tumor size, and cirrhosis. RESULTS: The morbidity was 10.5% (54 cases). Operative death occurred in 5 cases (1.0%). Hospital death, including operative death, occurred in 6 cases (1.2%). Five cases were associated with hepatic failure and 1 case was associated with aspiration pneumonia accompanying hepatic failure. Transfusion (P=0.002), glucose (P=0.002), and prothrombin time (P=0.038) were significantly related to morbidity. Age (P=0.028), glucose (P=0.011), and TAE (P=0.046) were significantly related to mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative transfusion, which is mainly related to intraoperative bleeding, should be reduced if possible to decrease morbidity. Diabetes mellitus patients and the elderly need careful perioperative management.

Prevention of de novo Hepatitis B Infection from HBcAb Positive Donors in Living Donor Liver Transplantation / 대한이식학회지

PURPOSE: HBV prophylaxis is necessary to prevent de novo hepatitis B infection from HBcAb positive donors. However, it is somewhat controversial in which protocol is more effective, and whether it is necessary to administer the HBV prophylaxis for HBsAb positive recipients. In this study, we attempted to elucidate whether it is necessary to administer the HBV prophylaxis for HBsAb positive patients and to evaluate the efficacy of HBIG monotherapy protocol. METHODS: From May 1996 to July 2001, 58 donors (45.3%) were HBcAb positive among 128 donors who were examined for HBcAb. Eighteen HBcAb positive grafts were transplanted to HBsAg negative recipients. Four patients died of unrelated causes were excluded. Of 14 study cases, 12 recipients were HbsAb positive, and 2 were negative. Among 12 HBsAb positive recipients, 3 were HbcAb positive simultaneously. In early period (Nov. 1997~Nov. 1998), only HBV vaccination was applied for de novo infection prophylaxis. In late period (since Dec. 1998), regardless of HBsAb positivity in recipients, HBIG was administered from the beginning of liver transplantation. RESULTS: The overall de novo HBV infection from HBcAb positive donors was 21.4 % (3/14). All 3 recipients without HBIG prophylaxis presented de novo HBV infection. Two of them were HBsAb positive postoperatively. No de novo HBV infection occurred in recipients with HBIG prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to administer the HBV prophylaxis even for vaccinated HBsAb positive patients and HBIG monotherapy protocol is effective to prevent de novo hepatitis B infection from HBcAb positive donors in living donor liver transplantation.

Activation of ATP-sensitive potassium channels by the predominant metabolite of isoflurane in rabbit ventricular myocytes

Background: Recent in vivo experimental evidence suggests that isoflurane-induced cardioprotection may involve KATP channel activation. However, it was demonstrated that isofluran inhibited KATP channel activities in the inside-out patch mode. To explain this discrepancy, the present investigation tested the hypothesis that a metabolite of isoflurane, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), contributes to isoflurnae-induced cardioprotection via KATP channel activation during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Methods: Single ventricular myocytes were isolated from rabbit hearts by an enzymatic dissociation procedure. Patch-clamp techniques were used to record single-channel currents. KATP channel activities were assessed before and after the application of TFA with the inside-out patch mode. Results: TFA enhanced channel activity in a concentration-dependent fashion. The concentration of TFA for half-maximal activation and the Hill coefficient were 0.03 mM and 1.2, respectively. TFA did not affect the single channel conductance of KATP channels. Analysis of open and closed time distributions showed that TFA increased burst duration and decreased the interburst interval without changes in open and closed time distributions shorter than 5 ms. TFA diminished ATP sensitivity of KATP channels in a concentration-response relationship for ATP. Conclusions: TFA, a metabolite of isoflurane, enhanced KATP channel activity in a concentration-dependent fashion. These results imply that TFA could mediate isoflurane-induced cardioprotection via KATP channel activation during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.