Normal human B cells produce autocrine growth factor in response to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I strain (SAC). However, the functional role and molecular nature of the B cell derived-B cell growth factor (B-BCGF) are largely unknown. We have tried to investigate the nature of B-BCGF using mAb for several years. We report here that B- BCGF is capable of binding to hemoglobin (Hb). The concentrated culture supernatant from tonsillar B cells stimulated with SAC for 24 h was loaded into the fast protein liquid chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. The peak with BCGF activity was shown to have a M.W. of 16-18 Kda in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver stain. Amino acid sequence of the fraction was found to identical to human hemoglobin (Hb) by more than 85%. However, Hb itself had no BCGF activity. The presence of Hb in culture supernatant was due to the contamination of SRBC during B cell purification. SRSC were completely removed from B cells by percoll-gradient centrifugation and B cells were stimulated with SAC and exogenous Hb was added to the cultures. The Hb fraction from FPLC again showed a BCGF activity. These data strongly suggested that BCGF binds to Hb. We confirmed this in dot blot as well as Western blot. The M.W of Hb-binding BCGF was 20 Kda. This information may provide a rapid progress in research of BCGF.
Amino Acid Sequence ; B-Lymphocytes ; Blotting, Western ; Centrifugation ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Silver ; Staphylococcus aureus

BACKGROUND: The peak flowmeter is very useful in monitoring of out-patients as well as those in emergency departments because of its convenience and simplicity with low cost. There have been many studies aimed at determining the accuracy and reproducibility of the peak flow meter in normal population. However, there is a paucity of reports regarding its accuracy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) or asthma. The accuracy of the peak expiratory flow(PEF) measured with a mini-Wright peak flowmeter was assessed by a comparison with the results of a mass flow sensor. METHODS: The PEF measurements were performed in 108 patients aged 19-82 years presenting with either a chronic obstructive lung disease or asthma before and after inhaling salbutamol. The PEF measurements from the mini-Wright flowmeter were compared with those obtained by the calibrated mass flow sensor. RESULTS: The average of the readings taken by the mini-Wright meter were 37-39 l/min higher than those taken by the mass flow sensor. The average percentage error of the mini-Wright meter were higher, ranging less than 300 l/min. The mean of the differences between the values obtained using both instruments (the bias)±limits of agreement(±2 SD) were 37.1±90 l/min for the PEF(p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The mini-Wright peak flowmeter overestimated the flows in patients with COPD or asthma. It was also found that the accuracy of the mini-Wright peak flowmeter decreased in its mid to low range. The limits of agreement are wide and the difference between the two instruments is signigicant. Therefore, the measurements made between the two types of machines in patients with asthma or COPD cannot be used in terchangeably.
Albuterol ; Asthma* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Flowmeters* ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Outpatients ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Reading

Liver is generally known as an organ which is most commonly involved by the metastic tumors. According to the tendency of using fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of hepatic tumors, the differentital diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic carcinoma frequently has been a main issue in the poorly differentitated cases, especially to the pathologists of Korea, an endemic area of hepatocellular carcinoma. Until now the problem has been usually solved by the comparison of cytologic characteristics of their tumor cells but not by background cytologic features which rarely have been studied. We observed the background cytologic features helpful for the differential diagnosis through the analysis of 20 cases who had confirmed primary cancer and were diagnosed as metastatic carcinomas in the liver by fine needle aspiration cytology. Twenty cases included 9 adenocarcinomas, 7 spuamous cell carcinomas, 1 small cell carcinoma, 1 carcinoid, 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma, and 1 renal cell cacinoma. Analysis of background cytologic features revealed that 77% of adenocacinoma cases showed benign mesenchymal components and hepatocytes and spuamous cell carcinoma cases disclosed benign mesenchymal tissue (71%) and necrosis (57%). Remaining cases showed variable combinations of benign mesenchymal component, necrosis, hepatocytes, and bile duct epithelial cells. No case revealed atypical hepatocytic naked nuclei, a useful cytologic finding of hepatocellular carcinoma. In summary, the background cytologic features more commonly observed in metastatic carcinomas than in the hepatocellular carcinoma were benign mesenchymal components, hepatocytes, necrosis, and bile duct epithelium. The endothelial cells and hepatocytic naked nuclei, two relatively specific findings of hepatocellular carcinoma were not observed except for renal cell carcinoma. Above background cytologic features are thought to be helpful for the differential diagnosis between the hepatocellular carcinoma and various metastatic carcinomas in the poorly differentiated cases.
Adenocarcinoma ; Bile Ducts ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoid Tumor ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome* ; Hepatocytes ; Korea ; Liver ; Necrosis ; Pneumococcal Infections* ; Ulnar Nerve

No abstract available.
Osteochondroma*

Papillary tumor of the temporal bone or middle ear has been recognized as an aggressive neoplasm because of its invasive growth pattern. The site of origin is controversial so that most cases have been reported under various diagnostic terms. Recently, Heffner(1989) suggested that the endolymphatic sac is a possible site of origin, because the tumor resembles the endolymphatic sac in several aspects. We report two such cases. One patient was a 34-year-old female presenting with tinnitus and hearing difficulty for 1 year. Temporal bone CT revealed extensive bone destruction by the tumor which was located in the posterolateral aspect of temporal bone. The other patient was a 56-year-old female who complained of tinnitus, dizziness and otalgia for 2 years. Cranial MR imaging showed an irregularly marginated mass in the left jugular fossa with extension to the petrous bone. Histologically, both cases showed a papillary pattern and locally destructive growth that are typical of papillary tumor of the endolymphatic sac. The papillae were lined by a single layer of bland-looking cuboidal to low columnar cells. Immunohistochemically the lining cells expressed cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, neuron specific antigen and in one case, S-100 protein, supporting the thesis that these neoplasms might be of endolymphatic sac origin.
Female ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Presently, it is well known that there are neurological and systemic complications after carbon monox-ide (CO) intoxication. Until recently, delayed-onset movement disorders after CO intoxication were rarely reported. We analyzed 32 patients with delayed onset movement disorders after CO intoxication. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 242 patients admitted to the Yonsei University Medical Center from January 1986 to December 1996 due to CO intoxication. Patients were analyzed with respect to movement disorders, onset, latency, and radiological findings. RESULTS: Among the 242 patients of CO intoxication, 32 (13.2%) patients had delayed-onset movement disorders. Of these, 23 (71.9%) had parkinsonism, 5 (15.6%) had dystonia, 3 (9.4%) had chorea, and 1 (3.1%) had myoclonus. The mean age of the patients was 46.66 +/-16.91 years. Among the 4 patients with CO intoxication occuring at age 17 or younger (Childhood group), 2 had parkinsonism and 2 had focal dystonia. The mean age of the Childhood group was 1 7 . 7 5 +/-6.99 years. Among the 28 patients with CO intoxication occuring at age 18 or older (Adult group), 21 (75%) had parkinsonism, 3(10.7%) dystonia, 3(10.7%) chorea, and 1(3.6%) myoclonus. Among the 3 patients with dystonia in the Adult group, 1 had focal dystonia and 2 had segmental dystonia. The mean age of the adult group was 50.79 +/-1 3 . 4 6 years. The mean latency between CO intoxication and the onset of movement disorders was 27.20 +/-27.94 weeks in the Childhood group and 9.60 +/-14.97 weeks in the Adult group. The mean latency between CO intoxication and the onset of movement disorders was 6.44 +/-6.76 weeks in parkinsonism, 41.76 +/-27.99 weeks in dystonia, 4.0 weeks in chorea, and 8.0 weeks in myoclonus. The mean latency in dystonia was longer than in the others. Among the 23 patients who underwent brain computed tomography, 12 (52.2%) had abnormal findings. Low density lesions were found in the globus pallidus (13.0%), cerebral white matter (13.0%), and both globus pallidus and cerebral white matter (17.4%). One (14.3%) patient showed cortical atrophy while another patient showed both cortical atrophy and low density in cerebral white matter. CONCLUSIONS: The development of a delayed-onset movement disorder after CO intoxication is not rare. In our research, the radiological findings of patients with delayed-onset movement disorders after CO intoxication were inconsistant. The findings revealed no correlations with the various types of delayed-onset movement disorders.
Academic Medical Centers ; Adult ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Chorea ; Dystonia ; Dystonic Disorders ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Movement Disorders* ; Myoclonus ; Parkinsonian Disorders

Acoustic stimulation test(AST), is currently being used as an alternative tool of nonstress test (NST). However, there are no standard guideline for analysis of AST. Computerized numerical analysis of AST would be helpful for development of diagnostic criteria of AST. Fifty-one normal pre-term pregnancies entered to this study after conventional 20-minutes NST and 10-minutes AST. Acoustic stimulations were performed using Fetal Acoustic Stimulator (Model 146, Corometrics, US). We analyzed the FHR response after acoustic stimulation using our on-line computerized FHR analysis system, HYFM-I & II software. The changes of loss of signal, baseline FHR, variability, number of fetal movements, and number of FHR accelerations were analyzed numerically. The loss of signal was increased about 2 fold(122.61%). The baseline FHR was increased from 144.57bpm to 156.81bpm(8.5%) after acoustic stimulation. Number of fetal movements was increased about 2 fold(from 2.1 to 4.12/10 minutes). FHR variability was also increased from 17.81 bpm to 26.37 bpm. After AST, number of FHR accelaration was increased 55.47%(10sec 10bpm) and 68.42%(15sec 15bpm), respectively. In this study, we acrumulated elemental FHR data using computerized system after AST. These data would be helpful in the accurate analysis of AST and also enable us to develop the objective interpretation system for AST.
Acceleration ; Acoustic Stimulation* ; Acoustics* ; Female ; Fetal Heart* ; Fetal Movement ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Metoclopramide* ; Ondansetron* ; Prospective Studies* ; Vomiting*

In order to compare the corneal sensation after phacoemulsification and the planned extracapsular cataract extraction(p-ECCE), we studied 40 eyes of 31 patients prospetively. A Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer was used to measure corneal sensitivity preoperatively and at one day, three day, one week, one month, and two months postoperatively, by the same surgeon using the same technique. There was no difference in corneal sensation between phacoemulsification and p-ECCE group preoperatively. The mean corneal sensitivity at 10:00(2:00) o`clock in phacoemulsificantion/p-ECCE was 17.3+/-7.0(18.2+/-6.7)/9.9+/-1.5(10.3+1.9), 22.1+/-6.9 (23.2+/-6.3)/14.1+/-2.3(14.3+/-2.3), 29.4+/-7.7(30.6+/-7.2)/17.7+2.2(18.7+/-2.2), 37.7+/-9.3(37.8+/-9.4)/26.3+/-7.9(27.7+/-8.4), 56.3+/-7.6(56.3+7.9)/59.2+/-3.8(59.4+/-2.7)mm after 1, 3, 7, 30, 60 days, respectively. Corneal sensation at the center and the 3, 6, and 9 o`clock positions was not changed in all eyes. Corenal sensitivity was significantly more recovered in phacoemulsification group than the p-ECCE group at postoperative onemonth(p<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant difference in recovery of corneal sensation between phacoemulsification group and p-ECCE group at postoperative two months. Conclusively corneal sensation returned to peroperative level at two months postoperatively in both groups.
Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Phacoemulsification* ; Sensation*

To study the effect of indomethacin treatment on the reactivity of contact hypersensitivity and discuss relevant mediators which could affect contact hypersensitivity, the following items were evaluated: the change in the plasma concentration of prostsglandin E following indomethacin treatment; the change of contact hypersensitivity following indomethacin treatment. The results ore summarized as follows: 1. The plasma level of prostaglandin E in indomethacin treated mice decreased. 2. The contact hypersensitivity of indomethacin treated mice was depressed. Considering the suppression of contact hyper sensitivity by indomethacin treatment, the metabolites of cyclo-oxygenase such as prostaglandin E may be the possible mediators of induction of contact hypersensitivity.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Indomethacin* ; Mice* ; Plasma ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases