A pilot trial of quetiapine for the treatment of patients with delirium.

Twenty-two Korean inpatients with delirium were administered prospectively a flexible dose of quetiapine. The delirium rating scale-revised-severity 98 (DRS-R-98) and clinical global impression scale-severity (CGI-s) scores were assessed at the time of pre- and post-treatment. The DRS-R-98 and CGI-s scores were significantly reduced by 57.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha gene-G308A polymorphism associated with bipolar I disorder in the Korean population.

We conducted a case-control association study between the -G308A tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha gene polymorphism and 89 patients with bipolar I disorder (BID). A polymerase chain reaction method was used. We found significant differences in genotype and allele distribution.

Paroxetine in the treatment of depressed patients with haematological malignancy: an open-label study.

Objective: The efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine in the treatment of depressive disorders is well known, however, its efficacy and safety for the treatment of depression in patients with cancer has been poorly studied. Therefore this study was aimed at evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine in the treatment of depressed patients with haematological malignancy (HM).

Method: Fifty-two patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) based on DSM-IV criteria along with comorbid HM were allotted to an 8 week trial with a flexible-dose regime of paroxetine in combination with their chemotherapy or supportive pharmacotherapy.

Stability of total nutrient admixtures in reference to ambient temperatures.

Objective: To evaluate the stability of emulsions under different temperatures simulating clinical conditions of storage and exposure during infusion, five total nutrient admixture formulas in this institution were analyzed: adult, patients with hepatic failure, infants, stressed patients, and patients with renal failure.

Methods: Each mixture was allocated in a sterile 100-mL glass bottle, which was prefilled and refilled with nitrogen gas. Bottles were stored at 4 degrees C for 0 d, 3 d, and 7 d and then exposed to three different temperatures: usual room temperature (18 degrees C to 25 degrees C), high (>28 degrees C) in a water bath, or storage (4 degrees C) for 24 and 48 h.

Superoxide dismutase in pediatric palatine tonsils and adenoids and its related clinical parameters.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate a protective system of pediatric palatine tonsils and adenoids against superoxide radicals (O(2)(-)) and to evaluate the clinical factors including otitis media with effusion that are related to both the expression and activities of copper zinc superoxide dismutases (CuZnSODs).

Design: CuZnSODs in the palatine tonsils and adenoids were studied using immunohistochemistry and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Immunohistochemistry showed that CuZnSODs distribute in the crypt epithelium, mucous membrane, mantle zone, and extrafollicular area of the pediatric adenoids as well as in the palatine tonsils.

Possible association between -G308A tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism and major depressive disorder in the Korean population.

Objective: The present study was aimed at examining the association between the -G308A tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism and major depressive disorder (MDD) in the Korean population.

Methods: One hundred and eight in-patients with MDD and 125 healthy controls participated in this study. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Proton MR spectroscopic changes in Parkinson's diseases after thalamotomy.

To investigate whether there are significant changes in regional brain metabolism in patients with Parkinson's disease before and after thalamotomy using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS). Fifteen patients underwent 15 stereotactic thalamotomies for control of medically refractory parkinsonian tremor. Single-voxel 1H MRS was carried out on a 1.

Effect of nizatidine on olanzapine-associated weight gain in schizophrenic patients in Korea: a pilot study.

A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the effect of nizatidine on olanzapine-associated weight gain (OAWG) in ten patients with schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder in Korea. Psychometric ratings with positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) were measured at baseline, week 4 and week 8; as were weight and body mass index (BMI). A combination of nizatidine for 8 weeks resulted in significant reversal of weight gain without worsening the psychopathology (weight: 3.

Effects of testosterone in the treatment of immune-mediated sensorineural hearing loss.

Testosterones have beneficial effects not only on the modulation of expression of autoimmunity of B/W mice, but on other unrelated models such as autoimmune thyroiditis as well. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of testosterone in the treatment of immune-mediated sensorineural hearing loss (IMSNHL). To induce IMSNHL, 29 female Wistar rats were sensitized with bovine inner ear antigen three times weekly.

Prognostic value of otoacoustic emissions in children with middle ear effusion.

The amplitude and frequency spectra of otoacoustic emissions are influenced by the condition of the middle ear. These are noninvasive measurements of cochlear function that are accurate, rapid, and simple to perform. In this study, prognostic value of otoacoustic emissions in children with middle ear effusion (MEE) was investigated.

Prevalence of metallo-beta-lactamase among Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii in a Korean university hospital and comparison of screening methods for detecting metallo-beta-lactamase.

To identify the metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) prevalent in Korea, a total of 130 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii (99 P. aeruginosa and 31 A. baumannii) with a reduced susceptibility to imipenem (IPM) and/or ceftazidime (CAZ) was subjected to PCR analyses with primers specific to bla(IMP-1), bla(VIM-1), and bla(VIM-2).

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism at position -308 and schizophrenia in the Korean population.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha gene (A) polymorphism and schizophrenia in a Korean sample of schizophrenic patients and control subjects. Genotyping for the TNFA polymorphism was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Genotype and allele distributions of the TNFA polymorphism between schizophrenic patients and controls were not significantly different.

Polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene and symptomatic dimensions of schizophrenia in the Korean population.

This study was aimed to test the association between schizophrenia and a functional serotonin polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the upstream regulatory region. Genomic DNA analysis with polymerase chain reaction was used for 5-HTTLPR genotyping. One hundred and eleven patients with schizophrenia and 208 healthy individuals participated in this study.

Added benefit of thoracic aortography after transarterial embolization in patients with hemoptysis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of thoracic aortography performed after transarterial embolization in identifying additional arteries responsible for causing hemoptysis.

Subjects And Methods: Between March 2000 and November 2001, we prospectively performed thoracic aortography after transarterial embolization in 76 patients with hemoptysis. Underlying diseases included tuberculosis (n = 34), bronchiectasis (n = 30), emphysema (n = 4), bronchitis (n = 4), aspergillosis (n = 3), and lung cancer (n = 1).

VNTR polymorphism of tyrosine hydroxylase gene and schizophrenia in the Korean population.

This study aimed to test the association of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene with schizophrenia in the Korean population. 334 patients with schizophrenia and 391 healthy volunteers were included. Intron 1 VNTR polymorphism of TH gene was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction techniques.

Consultation-liaison psychiatry in Korea.

The Korean Psychosomatic Society, our national organization for consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry was formed within the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association (KNPA) in 1992. Since then, there has been increasing interest in C-L activities in general hospitals. All psychiatry departments in university teaching hospitals offer C-L experiences as part of the rotation for residents.

HPV oligonucleotide microarray-based detection of HPV genotypes in cervical neoplastic lesions.

Background: In this study we examined the use of a new-human papillomavirus (HPV) detection method, the HPV oligonucleotide microarray system (Biomedlab Co., Korea), which we compared with the well-established HPV DNA detection system (Hybrid Capture II; HC-II, Digene Co.).

Association study between glutathione S-transferase P1 polymorphism and schizophrenia in the Korean population.

This study is aimed to test the association between the coding sequence functional polymorphism (Ile105Val) of glutathione S-transferase P gene (GSTP1) and schizophrenia in the Korean population. Two hundred fourteen patients with schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria and 110 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Patients and controls were biologically unrelated age and sex-matched native Koreans.

Clinical results of laser in situ keratomileusis with superior and nasal hinges.

Purpose: To compare the differences in the clinical results of LASIK with a nasal corneal flap and with a superior corneal flap.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Feasibility of proton chemical shift imaging with a stereotactic headframe.

To prove feasibility of proton chemical shift imaging ((1)H CSI) during stereotactic procedure, authors performed (1)H CSI in combination with a stereotactic headframe and selected targets according to local metabolic information, evaluated the pathologic results. The (1)H CSI directed stereotactic biopsy was performed in four patients. (1)H CSI and conventional Gd-enhancement stereotactic MRI were performed simultaneously after the fitting of a stereotactic headframe.

Tourniquet application to facilitate axillary venous access in percutaneous central venous catheterization.

The authors evaluated the location of peripheral venous lines and changes in opacification of cephalic and axillary veins at fluoroscopically guided venography after tourniquet application. Results suggested that tourniquet application effectively reduces the superficial venous flow and consequently enhances the opacification of the axillary veins. Tourniquet application is a simple and effective way of facilitating axillary venous puncture.

Synergistic effects of mycophenolate mofetil and losartan in a model of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy.

Background: Combined treatments of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and losartan (LSRT) have synergistic effects on various renal diseases through their hemodynamic and anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigated whether MMF treatment is effective in inhibiting inflammatory processes in chronic cyclosporine A (CsA) nephrotoxicity, and whether combined treatment using MMF and LSRT affords superior protection compared with the respective monotherapies.

Methods: Rats on a low-salt diet were given vehicle (VH group, olive oil, 1 mg/kg per day), CsA (15 mg/kg per day), CsA and LSRT (CsA+LSRT group, 100 mg/L per day), CsA and MMF (CsA+MMF group; 40 mg/kg per day), or CsA, LSRT and MMF (CsA+LSRT MMF group).