BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet B(UVB) light, which can cause severe damage like induction and promotion of cancer, cutaneous inflammation and immunosuppression, represents one of the most important environmental impacts for humans. Keratinocytes are natural target cells of UVB in humans. NF-kB plays a role in the cell of the immune system, where it controls the expression of various cytokines and the major histocompatibility complex gene. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of UVB on the NF-kB and AP-1 activity in cultured human keratinocytes and fibroblasts. METHODS: Keratinocyte and fibroblast cultures were produced with DMEM medium. Cells were irradiated for 100J/m, 200J/m, 300 J/m. and Nuclear proteins were extracted. AP-1 and NF-kB activities were measured by the gel shift mobility assay. RESULTS: Gel shift mobility assay. 1. The NFkB activity was increased upon UVB in a dose dependent manner in the keratinocyte. 2. Enhanced levels of AP-1 binding activity in the radiated extracts frorn human skin keratinocytes were detected. 3. The levels of GRE (glucocorticoid responsive element) binding activity were similar in both radiated and unradiated extracts from fibroblasts and keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The activities of NF-aB and AP-1 are increased following stimulation of a cell with UVB irradiation. Therefore, UV induced skin tumors, abnormal cell proliferation, cutaneous inflammation and immunosuppression, may be due to these transcriptional factors.
Cell Proliferation ; Cytokines ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans* ; Immune System ; Immunosuppression ; Inflammation ; Keratinocytes* ; Major Histocompatibility Complex ; NF-kappa B* ; Nuclear Proteins ; Skin ; Transcription Factor AP-1*

Authors measured the degree of posterior instability of the knee in 21 patitients who had posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) injury or have been reconstructed the PCL by using the manual maximal displacement test and quadriceps active test with KT-1000 arthrometer. To compare the reliability between the manual maximal displacement test and the quadriceps active test, two testers participated in the experiment. One tester was a novice and the other tester had substantial clinical experiences with the KT-1000 arthrometer. The quadriceps neutra! Angle was measured in the uninjured knee, and then quadriceps active test was done. Manual maximal displacement test and Quadriceps active test were done by each tester. In manual maximal displacement test, the Pearson correlation coefficient of the uninjured knee between two testers was 0.852 and that of PCL injured knee between two testers was 0.802. In quadriceps achive test, the Pearson correlation coefficient between two testers was 0.173. As a result, the manual maximal displacement test was more reliable for th measurement of the degree of the posterior instability in patients with posterior cruciate ligament tear or reccnstruction.
Humans ; Knee* ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament

The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) was observed in 194 infants admitted in our nursery room, who had birthweighs less than 2000 gm, or who had gestational ages less than 37 weeks and received supplemental oxygen therapy. To minimize the multiple correlation of birthweights and gestational ages with other possible risk factors of ROP, we selected a control group of normal infants whose birthweights or gestational ages were similar to ROP group, and then other risk factors were analyzed statisticully through a case-control study. Among 194 infants, 41 infants(21%) were diagnosed as ROP. The incidence of ROP was 48%(24/50) in infants with birthweights less than 1500 gm , 41%(28/68) in infants with gestational ages less than 32 weeks(p<0.001). In the case-control study, there were statistically significant differences in the duration of oxygen therapy and the maximal oxygen concentration betweenROP and control group, and long duration(>or=5 days) ahd high concentration(>or=40%) were highly associated with ROP(p<0.01). Other statistically significant risk factors included mechanical ventilation duration, 5 minutes Apgar score, apnea of prematurity, blood transfusion, anemia, asphyxia neonatorum, respiratory distress syndrome, xanthine administration, and parity, cesarean section, pregnancy induced hypertension in mother's factors(p<0.05).
Anemia ; Apgar Score ; Apnea ; Asphyxia Neonatorum ; Blood Transfusion ; Case-Control Studies ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Incidence* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Nurseries ; Oxygen ; Parity ; Pregnancy ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retinopathy of Prematurity* ; Risk Factors* ; Xanthine

Inflammatory linear verrucose epidermal nevus(ILVEN) is characterized by an early age of onset, predominance in females, pruritus, unresponsiveness to treatment, and a distinctive inflammatory and psoriasiform histologic appearance. We present two cases of typical ILVEN. One of them was a 16-year-old male, who had had a mild pruritic linear verrucose patch involving the right arm which grew slowly for about 8 years. The other case was a 14-year-old girl whose lesion appeared at the age of 13. This lesion was localized on the right posterior thigh and showed linear distribution and verrucose appearance. Histopathological findings of two cases showed hyperkeratosis with foci of parakeratosis, moderate to marked acanthosis, elongation of the rete ridges, and occasional slight spongiosis, and chronic inflammatory infiltration in the dermis.
Adolescent ; Age of Onset ; Arm ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn* ; Parakeratosis ; Pruritus ; Thigh

BACKGROUND: In order to understand the pathogenetic mechanism of sepsis-induced acute lung injury, inhibition of phospholipase A2 (PLA A2) was carried out in an endotoxin-induced septic lung model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided three groups; sham group, endotoxin group (instillation of E coli endotoxin, 100microgram/rat, type 017) and mepacrine group (the non-specific PLA2 inhibitor, 50 ml/kg intraperitoneal injection after endotoxin treatment). Five hours after endotoxin treatment, protein contents, neurophils counts, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity and surfactant concentrations in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BAL), meyloperoxidase (MPO) and PLA2 activity in the lung were measured. A morphological study for the effect of the endotoxin and mepacirne, and a cytochemical electron microscopy for detection of hydrogen peroxide in the lung were also performed. RESULTS: Endotoxin increased the concentrations of protein, the number of neutrophils, and GGT activity in the BAL fluid, MPO and PLA2 activity in the lung but mepacrine decreased these parameters (P < 0.001). The light density of surfactant was increased by the endotoxin (P < 0.001), but mepacrine diminished this pathological change. In the light microscopic findings, the endotoxin caused pulmonary accumulation of neutrophils, atelectasis and transudation of intravascular protein was observed. In contrast, mepacrine lessened these pathological findings. In ultrastructural findings, adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial cells, necroses of type II cells and endothelial cells, and the damage of lamellar bodies were observed after the endotoxin treatment, which recovered with mepacrine. In the cytochemical electron microscopy for detection of hydrogen peroxide in the lung, the deposits of cerrous perhydroxide were increased by the endotoxin but mepacrine decreased deposits of cerrous perhydroxide. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of PLA2 in an endotoxin induced acute lung leak showed protection against oxidative stress by a diminution of neutrophilic respiratory bursts and a decreased production of free radicals. It is suggested that PLA2 has a pivotal role in causing acute oxidative stress in endotoxin induced acute lung injury.
Acute Lung Injury* ; Endothelial Cells ; Escherichia coli* ; Free Radicals* ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Lung* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Oxidative Stress ; Oxygen* ; Phospholipases A2* ; Phospholipases* ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Quinacrine ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Respiratory Burst

BACKGROUND: A clinical study of rosacea has never been reported in Korea. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the clinical observations of rosncea. METHODS: During a 5-year-period from Jan. 1990 to Dec. 1994, 133 patients were evaluated with regard to age, sex, location of skin lesions, clinical type, duration, and precipitating factors. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. Of the 7,787 cases amongst outpatients, 133 cases(1.7% ) were dignosed with rosacea. Of there 46 were male patients and 87 females, giving a sex ratio of 1:1.9 in favor of females. 2. The most common type of rosacea was vascular rosacea(60.2%) 3. The average duration of rosacea was 3.4 years. 4. Rosacea afflict persons aged 40-49 most frequently. 5. The predilection sites of the rosacea were : cheek(42.9%), nose(23.3%), entire face(11.3%), cheek & nose(9%), zygomatic area(6.8%), extra-facial area(3.8%), forehead(2.9%). 6, The aggravating factors of rosacea were : unknown cause(32.3%), coffee & tea(18%), alcohol(13.5%), emotional stress(10.5%), sun exposure(9.8%), multi-factoral(7.5%), drugs(steroids)4.6%).
Cheek ; Coffee ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Outpatients ; Precipitating Factors ; Rosacea* ; Sex Ratio ; Skin ; Solar System

No abstract available.
Meconium* ; Peritonitis*

From July 1997, Authors have reconstructed the posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) deficient knees with two graft tendons; an autogenous bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) and a semitendinosus tendon. At Femoral side, the two graft tendons were fixed through the two tunnels which were made at the site of foot print of PCL. The original site of anterolateral bundle of the PCL was reconstructe(I with the autogenous BPTB and the original site of posteromedial bundle with the semitendinosus tendon. At tibial side, the two graft tendons were fixed by modified inlay technique; the BPTB was fixed with a cancellous screw and the semitendinosus tendon with staples. Seven cases were followed up more than six months and authors evaluated the results with the KT-1000TM arthrometer and the posterior stress radiographs by Telos stress dcvice and compared the resu]t of injured knee with the uninjured side of each patient. The results of manual maximal displacement test with arthrometer were less than 4 mm in six patients and 8 rnm in one patient at last follow up. The average distance of posterior displacement on stress radiographs was 10.3 mm preoperatively and 2.7 mm at final follow up period. Six of the seven patients had a good stability on posterior stress radiographs compared with the uninjured side. One patient had posterior knee insta- bility on stress radiographs due to loosening of the grafted tendon and retightening of the grafted tendon was performed through the posterior approach to the proximal tibia. The original idea of femoral dual tunnel method in PCL reconstructiori is to reconstruct the PCL more anatomically and the modified tibial inlay technique can solve the problern of graft tendon abrasion at the posterior opening of the tibial tunnel in transtibial tunnel method and retightening of the loose grafted tendon is simple than the other methods of PCL reconstruction. Authors expect that this combined femoral dual tun- nel and modified tibial inlay method may improve the quality of the outcome of the arthroscopic PCL reconstruction.
Arthroscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Inlays* ; Knee ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Tendons* ; Tibia ; Transplants*

To predict the mydriatic status of the cataract patients preoperatively, we performed maximal mydriasis test with stepwise instillations of 1% tropicamide and 2.5% phenylephrine or 10% phenylephrine to the out-patients who was scheduled to have cataract operation. Among 210 eyes of 113 patients, the pupillary size of 167 eyes was dilated to 8mm or more and the other 43 eyes were insufficiently dilated to less than 8mm diameter. In the insufficiently dilated group, we have observed the presumable causes of insufficient mydriasis as follows: posterior synechiae, diabetic autonomic pupillopathy, age-related miosis and unknown. By this test, we could predict the mydriatic status of the cataract patient preoperatively and could prepare the appropriate operative method and equipment effectively.
Cataract* ; Humans ; Miosis ; Mydriasis* ; Outpatients ; Phenylephrine ; Tropicamide

Here we report an autopsy case of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with severe hypertriglyceridemia (12,900 mg/dl). A 29-year-old woman with a history of type 1 diabetes was found dead at a motel. There was no injury on external inspection, but a lump of cheese-like material was noted in the heart at autopsy and peripheral blood plasma had a creamy appearance. After postmortem biochemical analysis, we made a diagnosis of DKA with severe hypertriglyceridemia and concluded that these unusual autopsy findings were caused by DKA and postmortem change. Uncontrolled diabetes often causes DKA and hypertriglyceridemia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in Korea of DKA with severe hypertriglyceridemia diagnosed by autopsy.
Adult ; Autopsy* ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia* ; Korea ; Plasma ; Postmortem Changes