A Multi-center Study for Birth Defect Monitoring Systems in Korea

The aim of this study was to establish a multi-center birth defects monitoring system to evaluate the prevalence and the serial occurrence of birth defects in Korea. Ten medical centers participated in this program. A trained nurse collected relevant records from delivery units and pediatric clinics in participating hospitals on a monthly basis. We observed 1,537 cases of birth defects among 86,622 deliveries, which included live births and stillbirths. The prevalence of birth defects was 1.8%, and the sex distribution of the birth defect cases was 55.2% male and 41.6% female. The highest proportion of birth defects was in the cardiovascular system (17.5%), followed by birth defects involving in the genitourinary system (15.6%). Chromosomal anomalies were detected 30.0 per 10,000 births. Of these chromosomal anomalies, Down syndrome was most frequently observed. This study led to an establishment of a multi-center active monitoring system for birth defects. To better understand the serial occurrence of birth defects in Korea, it is necessary to increase the number of participating hospitals and to launch on a nation-wide multi-center study.

Multi-center Study for Birth Defects Monitoring Systems in Korea / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to establish a birth defects monitoring system in Korea by multi-center study. This novel study was initiated in 1999, and extended to detect the frequencies and trends of birth defects in Korea. METHODS: Six centers participated in this study. The actively ascertained surveillance data was collected from May 1999 to November 2001. RESULTS: Of the 65,653 births included in this study, 1,143 (1.7%) had birth defects. About one third of them were terminated. While disease of the genitourinary tract was more frequent in isolated defects, cardiovascular disease was more frequent in combined defects (19.7% and 21.7%, respectively). Chromosomal anomalies were detected 23.5 per 10,000 births. And it showed increasing tendency for 3 years. CONCLUSION: We could establish multi-center monitoring system for birth defects successfully. But, many of the problems arising in the collection of accurate, valid, and comparable epidemiological data about birth defects have not yet been overcome. It appears that the development of joint projects at national level is essential for upgrading the quality and usefulness of this study.

Immunohistochemical Studies of Isoimmune Myocarditis in Rabbits

The myocardial lesions by the injections of isologous heart emulsion were produced in rabbits, and organspecific isoimmune mechanism in the genesis of myocardial lesions was studied by fluorescent antibody technique and demonstration of antibodies against isologous heart muslce. Four groups of rabbits were subjected to normal untreated control, adjuvant control, injection of isologous heart homogenate aIone and injection of heart homogenate plus Freund's adjuvant. Injection of isologous heart homogenate produced circulating anti-heart muscle antibodies which were enhanced by addition of Freund's adjuvant in heart homogenate. Histologic lesions in the heart consisted of interstitial edema, mononuclear cell infiltration, degeneration of myofibers and stromal reaction. Fluorescent antibody technique on myocardial lesions showed presence of anti-heart antibodies in parallel with the degree of myocardial lesions as well as with titre of circulating antibodies. Skeletal muscle and other organs showed neither histologic alteration nor precence of anti-heart antibodies. These data clear1y indicated that the lesion in the myocardium produced by isologous heart homogenate was developed by organ-specific isoimmune reaction.