The concentrations of fibronectin in aqueous humor, measured by ELISA which was developed to detect fibronectin, ranged from 5 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml. Aqueous humor was aspirated from human eyes with cataracts and glaucomas using a 26 gauge needle through the peripheral cornea before making the limbal incision into the anterior chamber during surgery. The results of the study show that the average concentration and standard deviation of fibronectin was 0.136 +/- 0.192 microgram/ml in cataract eyes, and 0.962 +/- 0.918 microgram/ml in glaucoma eyes respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between both groups (p = 0.000). However, no significant differences according to age and sex were noted. There was no influence due to preoperative intravenous mannitol injection on fibronectin concentration. The source of aqueous fibronectin is still not clearly known and the mechanism of the higher concentration of fibronectin in glaucoma has not been clearly disclosed, however it is thought that normally present fibronectin is accumulated in the anterior chamber because it can not pass the aqueous outflow pathway, or that fibronectin production may be increased in glaucoma.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aqueous Humor/*metabolism ; Cataract/metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fibronectins/*analysis ; Glaucoma/metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

No abstract available.
Salivary Ducts*

We studied the regulation of fibronectin (FN) gene expression by cAMP and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) in HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma cells. Dibutyryl cAMP increased FN synthesis and mRNA levels, while PMA inhibited the cAMP-induced FN synthesis. In transient transfection assays, cAMP increased FN promoter activity, while PMA paradoxically enhanced the cAMP-induced promoter activity. Stable transfection experiments, however, showed that neither cAMP or PMA alone nor together affected FN promoter activity. These results suggest that PMA antagonizes the cAMP-induced FN gene expression and that both the action of cAMP and the inhibition of its action by PMA may occur at the posttranscriptional level in HT-1080 cells.
Blotting, Northern ; Bucladesine/pharmacology* ; Bucladesine/antagonists & inhibitors ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibronectins/metabolism ; Fibronectins/genetics* ; Fibrosarcoma/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation* ; Human ; Luciferase/metabolism ; Precipitin Tests ; Promoter Regions (Genetics) ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology* ; Transfection ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; beta-Galactosidase/metabolism

PURPOSE: To evaluate endothelial cell changes following LASIK with residual corneal thickness of less than 250 micro meter. METHOD: We performed noncontact specular microscopy preoperatively, and 1 week, 1, 3, 6, 9 months after surgery to examine 82 eyes which had undergone LASIK. Corneal endothelial density (CD), coefficient of variation of the cell area (CV), and the percentage of hexagonal cells(hexagonality, 6A) were obtained according to the corneal endothelial cell analysis program. Analysis was done according to the parameters such as residual stromal bed thickness, number of laser pulse and percentage of ablated stromal thickness and preoperative spherical equivalent. RESULTS: Changes in CD and CV showed no significant difference throughout the follow-up period after surgery. Hexagonality, however, decreased after surgery. In particular, corneas with residual thickness of less than 235 micro meter or the number of laser pulse over than 400, or ablation more than 30% of stromal thickness showed significant decrease in hexagonality. CONCLUSIONS: This results suggest that LASIK with deep ablation might cause corneal endothelial damages, and at least 235 micro meter or more of residual thickness should be preserved to avoid endothelial damages.
Cornea ; Endothelial Cells ; Follow-Up Studies ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ* ; Microscopy

No abstract available.
Leg*

Background : There is a substantial body of evidence that intraocular pressure increase with age among western population. However, Japanese study showed that intraocular pressure was inversely related with age. So we investigated whether intraocular pressure is related with age for Koreans. Methods : Between March, 1996 and February, 1997, 6201 subjects underwent comprehensive health examinationinthe Kyung Hee medical screening center in Seoul, Korea. The intraocular pressure was measured with pneumatonograpyh. At the same time blood pressure, body weight, height, serum osmolarity, fasting blood glucose, T3, T4, TSH(thyroid stimulating hormone), hematocrit measurements were performed. We selected 250 case randomly and investigated whether the distribution of C/D ration(cup/disk ratio), smoking status, alcohol drinking amount are uniform by aged group. So we measured C/D ratio by fundusphotograph and investigated smoking and drinking habits by questionnaires. Results : In the randomly sampled 250 cases, the amounts of smoking and alcohol consumption were lower in the elderly group. But, the C/D ration didn't show any difference between young and elderly group. In a multivariable analysis, both right and left intraocular pressure showed significantly inverse correlations with aged and visual acuity. Male had significantly higher intraocular pressure than female. Both right and left intraocular pressure showed significant positive correlations with body mass index, fasting blood glucose, hematocrit and systolic blood pressure. Diastolic blood pressure, serum osmolarity, T3 and T4 were not associated with intraocular pressure. TSH had significant positive correlation with right intraocular pressure, but no correlation with left intraocular pressure. Conclusion : Age was independently and inversely related with intraocular pressure for Koreans.
Aged ; Aging* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Drinking ; Fasting ; Female ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure* ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Osmolar Concentration ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Visual Acuity

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease(PMD) is very rare x-liked recessive leukodystrophy, rather dysmyelinating d due to defect of biosynthesis of proteolipid protein, a component of myelin. Its usual clinical features are stridor, pendular nystagmus, extrapyramidal sign, pyramydal sign, developmental delay and cognition deterioration. Until now PMD has not been published in our country. A 4-year 3 month-old boy developed abnormal eye movement at 3 months of age. His psychomotor development was delayed. On our examination, definite horizontal pendular nystagmus was noted. He showed severe dysarthria, quadriparesis with generalized hyperreflexia, bilateral extensor plantar signs. All laboratory findings including cerebrospinal fluid study were normal. Brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) -revealed diffuse and symmetrical white matter changes in cerebrum and cerebellum. His 23-year-old younger maternal uncle also showed similar clinical history and brain MRI findings. Although the diagnosis of PMD depended on histopathologic investigation, recently MRI can make an important contribution to the diagnosis of PMD with characteristic clinical features. So we could diagnose him and his uncle as PMD.
Brain ; Cerebellum ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Cerebrum ; Cognition ; Diagnosis ; Dysarthria ; Eye Movements ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Myelin Sheath ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease* ; Quadriplegia ; Reflex, Abnormal ; Respiratory Sounds ; Young Adult

The purpose of this project was to study the effect of calcium sulfate on early bony consolidation in distraction osteogenesis. In the control group, a total of 17 patients were treated between December 1997 and December 1999. The age of patients ranged from 2 to 45 years. The follow up period was 6 to 24 months(mean 15.3 months). In experimental group, a total of eight patients with craniofacial microsomia were treated between April 2000 and February 2001. The age of patients ranged from two to 40 years old. All patients were male. The follow up period was 3 to 15 months. The operative procedure in adult was based on the Ortiz Monasterio's simultaneous mandibular and maxillary distraction technique. The authors modified the original Ortiz Monasterio's method by using Le Fort I osteotomy with complete separation of both pterygomaxillary junction and mandibular osteotomy to avoid the resistance during distraction. In child, the osteotomy of the mandible was performed to distract. In the control group, in adults, after 5 days of latent period, distraction was performed at a rate of 1 mm per day. After 6 to 8 weeks of consolidation period, intermaxillary fixation and distraction device were removed. In children, the distraction was started at a rate of 1 mm per day without latent period. The consolidation period was 4 to 6 weeks. In the experimental group, after 5 days of latent period, distraction was performed at a rate of 1 mm per day in 2 adults. However, in children distraction was performed at a rate of 1 mm per day in 2 patients and 2 mm per day in 4 patients without latent period. On the completion of distraction, the calcium sulfate mixed with carboxymethyl cellulose was injected into the distracted zone. Radiographs showed bony consolidation in 4 weeks in 1 child, 5 weeks in 1 child with distraction rate of 1 mm per day, in 5 - 7 weeks in 4 children with distraction rate of 2 mm per day and in 5 weeks in 2 adults with distraction rate of 1 mm per day after injection of the calcium sulfate. The consolidation period in adult was statistically significant compared with that of the control group using Mann-Whitney U test.In conclusion, these findings suggested that injectable calcium sulfate is effective for early bony consolidation in distraction osteogenesis in adult.
Adult ; Calcium Sulfate* ; Calcium* ; Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium ; Child ; Facial Bones* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Goldenhar Syndrome ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible ; Mandibular Osteotomy ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Osteotomy ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

Neuroimaging of the brain is useful diagnostic evaluation of patients with hepatic encephalopathy msofar as it is able to exclude other causes of abno rmal mental status. Recently, changes of basal ganglia on MRI characteriwd by increased signal mtensity on Tl-weighted images were reported m patients with liver cirrhosis. Signal abnormality involves mainly the globus pallidus and seems to be specific for patients with chronic liver disease. Its pathogenesis and significance are obscure, and no pathological reports have been made. We experienced 3 cases of Chronic acquired hepatic failure whose MRI showed increased signal in-tensity in the basal ganglia on Tl-weighted imaging. Our findings su-ggest that basal ganglia signal abnormality could arise as a marker of brain impairment related to deposition of an unidentified paramagnetic substance or altered intracellular water relaxation.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Globus Pallidus ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Failure* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuroimaging ; Relaxation

Seizure induced transient brain CT or MRI abnormalities following status epilepticus have previously been reported. However, focal transient imaging abnormalities involving hippocampus or mesial temporal lobe as a consequence of seizure are rare findings. We report 2 patients with transient mesial temporal abnormalities on MRI associated with partial seizure of temporal lobe origin. A 59-year-old man with a 4-month history of occasional epigastric rising sensation had developed frequent olfactory hallucination 7 days prior to presentation. On brain MRI, T2 signal was increased in the right mesial temporal region, and the lesion showed mild mass effects and partial enhancement after gadolinium injection. Interictal spikes were noted from right nasopharyngeal electrode, but there was no clinical or electrical evidence of status epilepticus during prolonged scalp/sphenoidal EEG monitoring. His seizures were successfully controlled by phenytoin. T2 high signal was markedly decreased and prior enhancement was no longer seen on brain MRI done 5 weeks later. A 33-year old woman with a 6 month history of occasional vacant staring and oral automatism with amnesia complained progressive memory impairment. Right amygdala and hippocampal head was enlarged and showed T2 high signal without contrast enhancement. EEG with sphenoidal electrodes showed right sphenoidal spikes. Her seizures were controlled by carbamazepine and brain MRI became unremarkable 6 weeks later. Suggested mechanisms and significance of the transient imaging abnormalities following seizures will be briefly reviewed.
Adult ; Amnesia ; Amygdala ; Automatism ; Brain ; Carbamazepine ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Gadolinium ; Hallucinations ; Head ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Middle Aged ; Phenytoin ; Seizures* ; Sensation ; Status Epilepticus ; Temporal Lobe*