Extracellular matrix component is degraded by enzymes of thematrix metalloproteinases(MMPs). MMPs are produced by both hemopoietic and structural cells. Increased activity of MMP-3 in periodontium is strongly associated with inflammatory periodontal disease. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of tetracycline analogues on the activity of MMP-3. Tetracycline-HCl, doxycycline-HCl, and minocycline-HCl were applied to huamn gingival fibroblasts at various concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200microgram/ml, and 1 hour later IL-1beta of 25ng/ml was added. After incubation for 24 hours the cells were reacted by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using proMMP-3 ELISA kit. The optical density was measured by microwell plate reader at 450nm. The relative activity of MMP-3 was calculated as the percentage of the optical density of each experimental group to that of the control. The difference of the optical density and the relative activity of MMP-3 between the experimental groups and the control wasstatistically analyzed by one way ANOVA. The results were as follows: 1. Tetracycline-HCl showed the tendency to inhibit the activity of MMP-3 at the concentration lower than 25 microgram/ml, but increased significantly the activity of MMP-3 at the concentration of 200microgram/ml(p<0.05). 2. Doxycycline-HCl inhibited significantly the activity of MMP-3 at the concentration lower than 100microgram/ml, but increased significantly the activity of MMP-3 at the concentration of 200microgram/ml(p<0.05). 3. Minocycline-HCl inhibited the activity of MMP-3 at the concentration in the range of 10 to 200microgram/ml. Within the limit of the present study, the above results suggested that the low concentration of tetracycline analogues could inhibit the activity of MMP-3 induced by IL-1beta in human gingival fibroblasts.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontium ; Tetracycline*

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the body weight, body mass index (BMI), and basal serum level of LH, FSH, testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) are related to the ovarian response to clomiphene citrate (CC) in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). MATERIALS AND METHOD: From January 1996 to June 1997, total 57 patients with PCOS were enrolled in the present study. Women who had other infertility factors were excluded from our study. The ovulation induction using CC was used in all patients. The patients were grouped into 50 mg group, 100 mg group, and 150 mg group according to their daily CC dose. The patients were also grouped to ovulatory and non-ovulatory group. The body weight, BMI, arid basal serum level of LH, FSH, T, DHEA-S were measured in all patients on the 2nd or 3rd day of the menstrual cycle. Results were analysed with Student's t-test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The body weight and BMI of the nonovulating group were significantly higher than those of the ovulating group in all groups (50, 100, 150 mg of CC). However, there were no significant differences of the level of LH and FSH between ovulating and nonovulating groups in all CC groups (50, 100, 150 mg). The level of T of nonovulating group was significantly higher in 50 and 100 mg of CC groups, but not in 150 mg group. The level of DHEA-S of the non-ovulating group is significantly higher in 50 mg group, but not in 100 and 150 mg groups. CONCLUSION: The body weight and BMI could be useful predictors of ovarian response to CC in patients with PCOS, and basal T and DHEA-S also might be useful in cases of low-dose CC treatment.
Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Clomiphene* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Menstrual Cycle ; Ovulation Induction ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Testosterone

Adult ; Connective Tissue ; Extremities ; Head ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; Humans ; Maxilla ; Neck ; Radiotherapy ; Sarcoma

This study was performed to investigate the influence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on preimplantation development, implantation, and expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in mouse embryos. Riverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been used to examine the presence of transcripts. Following reverse transcription, strategically designed nested primers, optimised for specificity, were used for amplification from the cDNA equivalent of a single embryo. The products were then verified by restriction enzyme digestion and sequence analysis. Eight-cell stage mouse embryos were cultured for 48hrs with EGF at concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 ng/ml. Embryos not treated with EGF were served as control. The percentages of embryos which developed to the expanded, hatched blastocyst stage and in vitro implantation at 48hrs were determined. The percentages of fully expanded murine blastocysts at 48hrs in all EGF treated group were not significantly different from the control. The percentages of hatched blastocysts were significantly higher in EGF treatment group at 0.1ng/ml (90.7%), 10 ng/ml (89.3%) compared to the control (82.1%; p < 0.05, p < 0.05). The percentages of implanted blastocyst in vitro were significantly higher following incubation with EGF at concentrations of O.lng/ml (38.1%; p < 0.05), 1.0ng/ml (33.3%; p < 0.05), 10ng/ml (22.2%; p < 0.05) compared to the control (10.7%). Embryo development and implantation in vitro were not significantly inhibited or enhanced in cultures supplemented with 100ng/ml EGF compared to the control. The mRNA concentration of EGFR in embryos treated with 0.1ng/ml of EGF were significantly higher than those of the control and other EGF treatment groups. The implantation rate and mRNA concentration of EGFR in embryos treated with 0.1ng/ml of EGF group were significantly higher than those of other treatd groups. In conclusion, EGF may have a stimulatory role in embryonic development, implantation and expression of EGFR in embryo itself with concentration-specific manner. These results suggest that EGF may act directly on the mouse embryo and favor its implantaion, irtespective of the presence ar absence of the endometrium.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Digestion ; DNA, Complementary ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Endometrium ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Female ; Mice* ; Pregnancy ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Reverse Transcription ; Rivers ; RNA, Messenger ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sequence Analysis

With the advent of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the fertiliution and pregnancy have been reported even in complete asthenozoospermia. However, the results of ICSI in men with totally immotile sperm was still disappointing. The reasons for the total lack of sperm movement are not yet determined. The immotility of ejaculated spermatozoa is probably caused by sperm degeneration during epididymal transport, therefore higher viable spermatozoa can be obtained by testicular sperm recovery in some cases with low viability and total lack of movement of ejaculated spermatozoa. Recourse to testicular spermatozoa for ICSI is thus an alternative treatment possibility in this kind of pathology. This clinical study was performed to investigate the efficacy of ICSI employing testicular and ejaculated spermatozoa. From December 1995 to March 1998, 35 couples with totally immotile spermatozoa were included in the study. In 14 patients, the ejaculated spermatozoa were used whereas in 21 patients the spermatozoa were recovered from the testis. There were no significant differences in the fertilization and cleavage rates between the testicular sperm group with 62.6%, 52.7% and the ejaculated sperm group with 56.1%, 74.3%. Two pregnancies were achieved, one in the testicular spnm poup and the other in the ejaculated group. A healthy child was delivered at term in the ejaculated sperm group, but a clinical abortion occurred in a pregnancy in the testicular sperm group. In conclusion, it was suggested that ICSI using ejaculated sperm might be a primary treatment in cases with totally immotile spermatozoa and, if failed, testicular sperm could be used as an alternative mode of heatment.
Asthenozoospermia ; Child ; Family Characteristics ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Male ; Pathology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic* ; Spermatozoa* ; Testis

Actinomycosis is an oppoturnistic infection of actinomyces, which are relatively avirulent endogenous oral commensals. After trauma or infection, they breach the normally protective mucosal barriers to invade adjacent soft tissue structures. Lesions routinely contain other bacteria, the normal resident flora at the site of primary infection, which act synergistically with actinomyces species to provoke this unique infection, which range from an acute suppurative process to a chronic fibrotic process. According to epidemic studies about pelvic actinomycosis, it should be significantly related to IUD(intrauterine device). It is accounted that IUD cause chronic intrauterine infection, tissue injury and act as nucleus for parasitic infestation. Here we present a case of pelvic actinomycosis related to IUD with brief review of the concerned literature.
Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Bacteria

In the treatment of chronic adult periodontitis, scaling and root planing have been generally performed prior to periodontal flap surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of non-surgical periodontal therapy prior to periodontal flap surgery in patients with chronic adult periodontitis. Fifty six molars showing bilateral bony defects and 4-6mm periodontal pocket in twelve patients with chronic adult periodontitis were selected. By randomized split-mouth design, in one side, flap operation was performed 4 weeks after scaling and root planing, in the other group, flap operation was only performed without scaling and root planing. Probing pocket depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level, gingival index, plaque index, and tooth mobility were measured at baseline, before flap operation and post-operation 12 weeks. The difference of clinical parameters between groups and between each measuring time was statistically analyzed. The results were as follows; 1. At 12 weeks after flap operation, there was no significant difference in probing pocket depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level, gingival index, plaque index and tooth mobility between groups(p<0.05). 2. In both groups, probing pocket depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level, gingival index, plaque index and tooth mobility were significantly improved at 12 weeks after flap operation compared to baseline(p<0.05). Within the limitation of short period, the results failed to demonstrate that the non-surgical periodontal therapy prior to periodontal flap surgery could have clinical significance in improvement of clinical parameters compared to periodontal surgery without non-surgical periodontal therapy.
Chronic Periodontitis ; Gingival Recession ; Humans ; Molar ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontal Pocket ; Root Planing ; Tooth Mobility

The aim of this study was to recommend the optimal age for prevention of periodontal disease and to investigate the trend of treatment modality according to different period. From the chart recordings of the patients who had been treated periodontally from Jan. 1981 to Dec. 1995 in the dept .of periodontics, Chosun University Dental Hospital, those of the periodontally treated patients on more than 4 sixtants were selected for the present study. The distribution of the patients was counted according to the age group and the gender. And they were divided into 3 groups(group 1: 1981-1985, group 2: 1985-1990, group 3: 1991-1995) by 5 year interval according to the treated year. The periodontal treatment modalities were classified into non-surgical therapy, pocket elimination surgery, regenerative periodontal surgery, mucoginigival surgery, clinical crown lengthening, and others. The results were as follows; 1.In the distribution of the periodontally treated patients according to the age group, 40's age group was the highest, and 30's, 40's, and 50's age groups occupied more than two thirds(73%). 2.The sexual distribution of the periodontally treated patients showed that males(53.4%) were a little more than females(46.6%). Within 20's group female was higher, but within 40's male was higher. 3.Regardless of the age group and the gender, pocket elimination surgery was the most frequent treatment modality. 4.In group 1 and 2(1981-1990) the main treatment modality was pocket elimination surgery and non-surgical therapy, but in group 3(1991-1995) it was regenerative periodontal surgery and pocket elimination surgery. The above results suggest that the prevention of periodontal disease should be initiated from early twenties, and the most frequent treatment modality may be closely related with development of new material and method.
Crown Lengthening ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontics

Surgical resection of esophageal cance has played a prominent role in both cure and palliation. The radiologic evaluation of postesophagectomy patients is directed at the detection of normal and pathological appearances after surgical resection. Since early detection of recurrent tumor is important in the management of patients who have undergone esophagectomy, we undertook a retrospective study to evaluate the findings of recurrence on CT in postesophagectomy patients. Between January 1988 and July 1991, 26 patients who had undergone transthoracic esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy for epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus with following reoccurance were examined by chest CT. The group included 25 male and one female patients were aged 45-71 years(mean, 53). All patients had studies done immediate post operative 7-10 days. The CT were performed with a CT 9800 scanner (GE Medical System, Milwaukee) after administration of oral contrast media and intravenous injection of contrast media. The findings seen on CT were cnfirmed by biopsy in five cases and by clinical, radiological follow-up manifestation in 21 cases. The abnormalities that were demonstrated on follow-up CT were adenopathy-mediastinal node(ten cases) or abdominal node(five cases), local recurrence-previous tumor site (five case), anastomotic siteI(two cases) or thoracases), peicardial effusion(two cases). Our results indicate that serial chest CT play an important role in the evaluation of the patients after transthoracic esophagectomy with esophagogastrotomy.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Contrast Media ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagectomy* ; Esophagus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Changes of bone turnover with aging are responsible for bone loss and play a major role in osteoporosis. Among the early postmenopausal women, as are known by previous study, there are about 35% ""fast bone losers and bone turnover is more uncoupled in osteoporotic group than in normal control. So, early detection of such fast losers"" and women who have high turnover rate is important to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis and spontaneous fracture. Dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry (DEXA), however, cannot reflect current bone loss because changes in bone mineral density (BMD) are only seen after 1 or more years of bone densities declining. In this study, we have measured a battery of new sensitive and specific markers of bone turnover which reflect current bone loss. To investigate the changing pattern of those markers, 674 healthy women including 451 postmenopausal women were classified, according to their menopausal period (less than 5 years, 5-10 years, more than 10 years). Bone formation was assessed by serum osteocalcin (OC), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and bone resorption by the urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline (DPD), cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX). All Biochemical markers, except OC, significantly increased after menopause (p < 0.05). NTX and BSAP remained elevated after 10 years of menopause. These data indicated that the overall rates of both bone formation and bone tesorption increased after menopause and remained high in elderly women.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Aged ; Aging ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Biomarkers ; Bone Density ; Bone Resorption ; Collagen Type I ; Female ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Humans ; Menopause ; Osteocalcin ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal