PURPOSE: To evaluate leptin values in placental cord blood of newborns with normal intruterine growth after 30 weeks of gestation and to study the relationship of leptin with gestational age, birth size, ponderal index, BMI, placental weight, gender difference, Insulin-like Growth Factor-I(IGF-I) and Insulin-like Growth Factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3). METHODS: Ninety healthy newborns(49 males and 41 females) with normal intrauterine growth were studied. They were classified into 4 groups according to the gestational age(GA):group I(30-33 weeks GA, n=17), group II(34-36 weeks GA, n= 24), group III(37-39 weeks GA, n=32) and group IV(40-42 weeks GA, n=17). At the time of delivery, newborn infant' weight, length, head circumference and placental weight were measured and BMI, ponderal index were calculated. A venous cord blood sample was collected at the time of delivery and serum leptin(RIA), IGF-I (IRMA) and IGFBP-3(IRMA) were measured. RESULTS: Cord blood leptin correlated positively with gestational age(r=0.730, P>0.01), body weight(r=0.686, P<0.01), length(r=0.419, P<0.01), head circumference(r= 0.498, P<0.01), BMI(r=0.750, P<0.01), ponderal index(r=0.704, P<0.01), placental weight(r=0.536, P<0.01), IGF-I(r=307, P<0.01) and IGFBP-3(r=0.736, P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed BMI, IGFBP-3 and sex(female) were independent predictors of leptin values. Leptin values increased progressively throughout gestation. Mean leptin values of group II(3.90+/-.28ng/mL) were significantly higher (P<0.01) than those of group I(1.92+/-.09ng/mL) and also values of group III(5.37+/-.52ng/mL) were higher than those of group II(P<0.05). But there was no significant difference between group III and group IV(6.45+/-.36ng/mL). Mean leptin values in females(5.07+/-.54ng/mL, n=41) were significantly higher than in males(4.07+/-.76 ng/mL, n=49) but there was no inter-gender difference in body weight, BMI, ponderal index, IGF-I, IGFBP-3. In addition, mean leptin values in females(7.45+/-.07 ng/mL) were significantly higher than in males(5.02+/-.09ng/mL) after 40 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION: BMI, IGFBP-3 and sex(female) were independent predictors of leptin values. Leptin values increased significantly after 34 weeks of gestation and females had higher leptin values than males, especially in fullterm newborns. Leptin values in newborns had higher correlations with IGFBP-3 than with IGF-I as gestational age increased.
Body Weight ; Female ; Fetal Blood* ; Gestational Age ; Head ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Leptin* ; Linear Models ; Male ; Parturition ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Gait*

BACKGROUND: Bullous eruption of diabetes(BD) is a rare cutaneous sign of diabetes mellitus(DM). The mechanism for the development of these lesions is unknown, although speculation has ranged from trauma to vascular insufficiency. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose is to evaluate the difference of basement membrane gene expression in cultured skin fibroblasts between patients with diabetes and normal controls. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from cultured skin fibroblasts of DM and normal, and then Northern blot and slot-blot hybridizations were done. RESULTS: The mRNA levels of a(I) procollagen, a(IV) procollagen, fibronectin, and laminin B1 were not altered significantly in the DM. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that BD has no relevance to the alteration of basement membrane components. Further studies are needed to clarify the underlying pathogenic mechanism of BD.
Basement Membrane* ; Blotting, Northern ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Laminin ; Procollagen ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Mononeuropathies* ; Upper Extremity*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Ischemia* ; Peripheral Nerves* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Fetal Growth Retardation* ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans

Unknown primary melanoma shows only metastatic malignant malanoma without obvious primary tumor. These unusual instances of unknown primary melanoma have reported incidences of 1.0~8.7%. This 51 year old patient had many intra-abdominal and mesenteric masses without visible primary tumor. The most commonly accepted explanation for unknown primary melanoma is spontaneous regression of a primary skin lesion.
Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa(CPAN) is a benign form of rare vasculitis of small and medium-size arteries with a recurrent but benign course without systemic involvement. We experienced a 61-year-old male who had two months history of multiple deep-purpurish livedo reticularis on both lower legs. Noncutaneous manifestations including malaise, fever, myalgia, and arthritis were absent. A skin biopsy specimen from the livedo reticularis on the leg showed perivascular and trans-mural neutrophilic and lymphocytic infiltration of medium-sized arteries in the dermal-subcutaneous junction and fibrinoid necrosis of the vessel walls. The patient was treated with colchicine for 2months and showed markded improvement.
Arteries ; Arthritis ; Biopsy ; Colchicine ; Fever ; Humans ; Leg ; Livedo Reticularis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myalgia ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Polyarteritis Nodosa* ; Skin ; Vasculitis

We herein report a case of therapy-resistant dermatomyositis treated with oral prednisolone and chlorambucil combination therapy. Concurrently, she showed cervical carcinoma in situ(CIS). Initially, we started to treat her with combination oral prednisolone, intramuscular methotrexate, hydroxychloroquin, and removal of cervical CIS. However, our patient failed to respond to these regimens. Thus, we had have another combination treatment of oral prednisolone and chlorambucil. After the treatment of this combination regimen, her recalcitrant dermatomyositis improved dramatically without recurrence. There were no significant adverse side effects with chlorambucil therapy.
Chlorambucil* ; Dermatomyositis* ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: The clinical and histopathological classification of erythema multiforme(EM) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) are difficult due to a lack of clear-cut criteria. In recent studies, some authors suggested that erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome were clinically and histopathologically different disorders. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to review the clinicopathological characteristics of the EM and SJS and to suggest specific findings for differentiating between the two diseases. METHODS: Fifty four patients with EM and SJS diagnosed in the Department of Dermatology of Dong-San Hcepita1 from January 1987 through to December 1996 were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: The results were summarized as follows. l. In view of causal factors, 54 cases were classified as drug-induced (n=22, 41%), herpes-induced (n=16, 30%), tuberculosis (n= 2, 3%), pneumonia (n=l, 2%), unknown (n=13, 24%). 2. Fifty four cases were clinically classified as SJS (n= 29, 54%), EM minor (n=-15, 2S%) and EM major (n = 10, 18%). 3. Erythema multiforme was found to be more related to herpes (13 of 25 cases) than to drugs (3 of 25 cases), while SJS was more related to drugs (19 of 29 cases) than to herpes (3 of 29 cases). 4. Varying degrees of necroti changes of keratinocytes were found in all the cases. The severity of degree or extent of necrosis was higher in patients with SJS than EM. 5. In demial changes, EM showed differences from SJS by having a denser and deeper lymphocytic infiltrate, and increased amount of extravasated erythrocytes. CONCLUSION: Taken together, although our findings could not provide a defmite clue to determine whether EM and SJS are different distinet entities or not, this study may be useful to differentiate and to understand the pathogenesis of EM and SJS. A prospective large scaled study should be conducted to definitively characterize these entities.
Classification ; Dermatology ; Erythema Multiforme* ; Erythema* ; Erythrocytes ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Necrosis ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome ; Tuberculosis