Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in Korean patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases

In previous studies, there has been evidence of different allelic associations with a particular disease among various ethnic groups. The present study was done to investigate the associations between HLA and autoimmune thyroid diseases in the Korean. We found no association between Graves’ disease and HLA-B8 or -B35. However, increased frequencies of HLA-A11 and -DRw8, and the decreased frequencies of HLA-A10 and B12 were found in patients with Graves’ disease. In the cases of Hashimoto’s disease, the frequencies of HLA-A2 and -DRw8 were found to be significantly increased and the frequency of HLA-DRw6y decreased. These data indicate that the association between autoimmune thyroid disease and HLA in the Korean would appear to be different from that in most other racial groups, including Caucasians, Japanese and Chinese.

A study of 122 cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

ERCP is a highly accurate and specific method for evaluating patients with suspected pancreatic disease. Its diagnostic significance of specific pancreatographic signs is of even greater importance. We reviewed 122 cases of pancreatic cancer who were done ERCP, at the Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University, College of Medicine between June 1973 and August 1983. The results were as follows: 1. The ages of 122 patients ranged from 27 to 76 with the majority in the 6th and the 7th decades. The male to female ratio was 2.49:1. 2. The success rate of cannulation into the orifice of the duodenal papilla in 122 cases was 97.5% (119/122), and the pancreatic duct was visualized in 91.0% (111/122). 3. Diagnostic accuracy of ERCP in pancreatic cancer was 96.4% (107/111) among cases in whom the pancreatic duct was visualized. 4. By ERCP the most common site of the lesion was head of pancreas (51.4%). 5. According to Fukumoto’s classification, the most common type was obstructive type (65.4%), followed by the stenosing type (29.0%), abnormal branching type (3.7%), and narrowing type (1.9%). 6. According to Takaki’s classification, Type I (obstruction or stenosis of the main pancreatic duct) was most common (85.6%), followed by Type III (pancreatic dilatation) (9.0%), Type IV (normal pancreatic duct) (3.6%), and Type II (obstruction of Wirsung’s duct or Santorini’s duct) (1.9%). 7. Of the 122 cases of pancreatic cancer, the bile duct was visualized in 55 and abnormalities, such as indentation (32.1%), stenosis (42.9%), and obstruction (25.0%) were found in 28. The locations of abnormal findings in the bile duct were distal (50.0%), middle (46.4%), and proximal (3.6%).

Epidemiologic study of hepatitis B in pregnant Korean women

The positive rates of hepatitis B viral markers according to many epidemiologic factors were analyzed in 2,873 pregnant women who delivered at St. Columban’s Hospital in Mokpo City from April 1st, 1985 to March 31st, 1986.

The following results were obtained: The overall HBsAg positivity in all pregnant women was 8.3%. The positive rate of HBsAg was unrelated to age. It was 13.2% in the 11–20 year age group. 12.5% in the 31–40 year age group, 7.8% in the 21–30 year age group and 0.0% in the 41–50 year age group. The positive rate of HBsAg was slightly related to locality. It was a little higher in women who grew up in rural areas (8.6%) than in urban areas (7.7%). The positive rate of HBsAg was unrelated to educational background. The positive rate of HBsAg was unrelated to economic status. It was 8.7% in the highest income group and 8.6% in the lowest income group. The positive rate of HBsAg was higher in cases who had injections more than four times. The positive rate of HBsAg was higher, but not significantly, in cases who had received blood transfusion. The positive rate of HBsAg was higher, but not significantly, in cases who had more than three siblings (0.05

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Continuous transcutaneous PCO2 monitoring during epidural morphine analgesia

We evaluated the transcutaneous PCO2 (PtcCO2) sensor as a ventilation monitor for patients receiving epidural morphine analgesia during interstitial radiation therapy for carcinoma of the cervix. The sensor was heated to 42 degrees C. Ten patients were monitored for 18 +/- 7 h after 2.9 +/- 0.5 mg of morphine was injected epidurally. Baseline respiratory rate (RR) and PtcCO2 were 21 +/- 3 breath/min and 37 +/- 8 torr, respectively. Peak PtcCO2 was 43 +/- 7 torr, corresponding to a RR of 19 +/- 3 breath/min. The increase of PtcCO2 from baseline was statistically significant. PtcCO2 peaked from 1 to 19 h after epidural morphine, and 90% of patients showed peak values between 11 PM and 4:30 AM. The prolonged monitoring caused no complications. Although there was no clinically significant respiratory depression in these patients, the PtcCO2 sensor may be a useful monitor of ventilation during epidural morphine administration.