No abstract available.
Rupture* ; Spleen*

BACKGROUND: Desmosomes are adhesive intercellular junctions that form an important component of the junction complexes of epithelial cells. They provide intercellular links between the intermediate filament cytoskeletons of adjacent cells and are thus involved in maintaining the structural integrity of tissues. OBJECTIVE: Calcium and retinoids are major regulators of epidermal differentiation and their role on keratin proteins are well known. However, their effects on desmosome moleucles are unknown. To address this question we initiated a study of the effects of these epidermal differentiation regulators on desmosomal components, i.e., desmoplakin, desmoglein, and pemphigus antigens. METHODS: We used monoclonal antibodies against desmoplakin(DP) and desmoglein(DG), and sera from patients with pemphigus vulgaris(PV), pemphigus foliaceus(PF) and paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) to study the effects of calcium and retinoic acids, which are major regulators of epidermal differentation, on desmosomal protein formation in human cultured deratinocytes. We performed immunofluorescence, immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation study using human keratinocytes cultured in high calcium media with or without retinoic acid and in low calcium media with or without retinoic acid. RESULTS: 1. In low calcium (0.15mM) media, PV antigen and DG were produced in a small amount and it appeared that these desmosomal proteins were located in cytosol. Whereas in high calcium (1.8mM) media, production of these desmosomal proteins was increased not they were assembled at the desmosomal structures located in cell-cell contact margins. 2. PF antigen, which was identical to the DG, were not produced or expressed in cultured keratinocytes even when cultured in high calcium media. 3. PNP antigen and DP were produced in cultured keratinocytes grown in both high low calcium media but their production was increased in high calcium media and only in high calcium media they were assembled at the desmosomal structures. 4. Retinoic acids induced loosening of cell-cell contacts of cultured keratinocytes and decreased the production of desmosomal proteins. CONCLUSION: Our results suggests calcium is a major regulator of the production and assembly of desmosomal proteins including pemphigus antigens, but PF sera and monoclonal antibodies against DG show different antigen binding characteristics. It appears that retinoic acids inhibit production of desmosomal proteins.
Adhesives ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Calcium* ; Cytoskeleton ; Cytosol ; Desmogleins ; Desmoplakins ; Desmosomes* ; Epithelial Cells ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoprecipitation ; Intercellular Junctions ; Intermediate Filaments ; Keratinocytes ; Pemphigus ; Retinoids ; Tretinoin*

The physical conditions of the Korean and the Japanese young adults (aged 18-29) were analyzed for the 10 important body dimensions such as stature, body weight, sitting height, chest circumference, and etc.. The Korean data published in 1979 and 1992 were compared with the Japanese data published in 1984 and 1994, respectively. Also, the physical developments and the sex differences of the Korean in past 13 years were compared with those of Japanese. The results are as follows. 1) The stature, sitting height and perineum height of the Korean young male and female are significantly smaller than those of the Japanese. 2) In the past, the chest circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, body weight of the Korean are larger values than those of the Japanese. But, there are no significant differences in recent surveys. 3) Most body dimensions of male show significantly larger than those of female in the two countries. 4) There is no significant difference in thigh circumference between the Korean male and female in 1992. 5) There are no significant differences in thigh circumference between the '84 Japanese male and female and in hip circumference between the '94 Japanese male and female. 6) Compared with the results of the past surveys, the relative body weight, perineum height, and chest circumference of female to male are decreased in the two countries. But, the relative hip circumference of female to male are increased in both countries.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Body Weight ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Male ; Perineum ; Sex Characteristics ; Thigh ; Thorax ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Growth and Development*

The perineum refers to the anatomical area immediately below the pelvis, and is comprised of diverse anatomic and somatic innervation. Although various interventions have been proposed for the management of intractable cancer-related perineal pain, their efficacy are limited because the target of nerve blocks has focused on somatic rather than sympathetic components. Recently, blockade of the ganglion impar has been introduced as an alternative means of managing intractable neoplastic perineal pain of sympathetic origin. We successfully treated a patient who had suffered from cancer-related intractable perineal pain with ganglion impar block.
Ganglion Cysts* ; Humans ; Nerve Block ; Pelvis ; Perineum ; Rectal Neoplasms

A Histologic finding of the Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita( CMTC) is non-specific, but dilated capillaries and increased number of vessels are often observed. Capillary hemangioma, mostly represented by strawberry nevus, may show various clinical manifestations. We report a case of Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita, which may be an unusual clinical presentation of capillary hemangioma.
Capillaries* ; Fragaria ; Hemangioma, Capillary* ; Nevus

BACKGROUND: Recently doubts have been raised regarding the diagnostic significance of some of the minor clinical features of atopic dermatitis (AD) proposed by Hanifin and Rajka. Some of them may be nonspecific and racial difference was suggested. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic significance of 14 minor clinical features out of Hanifin and Rajka's 23 minor features of AD in the Korean pediatric population. The significance of 5 more items was evaluated as additional minor features. METHODS: The difference in frequency of the total 19 features of AD was compared between 100 patients with AD and 76 controls. RESULTS: Fourteen of these were shown to be significantly more frequent in patients than in controls including our 5 additional clues such as scalp scaling, postauricular fissure, infraauricular fissure, forehead lichenification, and infragluteal eczema. CONCLUSION: Our study about the minor features may be a valuable guideline for the diagnosis of AD in the Korean pediatric population.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diagnosis ; Eczema ; Forehead ; Humans ; Scalp

BACKGROUND: Recently doubts have been raised regarding the diagnostic significance of some of the minor clinical features of atopic dermatitis (AD) proposed by Hanifin and Rajka. Some of them may be nonspecific and racial difference was suggested. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic significance of 14 minor clinical features out of Hanifin and Rajka's 23 minor features of AD in the Korean pediatric population. The significance of 5 more items was evaluated as additional minor features. METHODS: The difference in frequency of the total 19 features of AD was compared between 100 patients with AD and 76 controls. RESULTS: Fourteen of these were shown to be significantly more frequent in patients than in controls including our 5 additional clues such as scalp scaling, postauricular fissure, infraauricular fissure, forehead lichenification, and infragluteal eczema. CONCLUSION: Our study about the minor features may be a valuable guideline for the diagnosis of AD in the Korean pediatric population.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diagnosis ; Eczema ; Forehead ; Humans ; Scalp

This paper shows anthropometric differences among four regions of urban community using Korean anthropometric data surveyed in 1992. The anthropometric data include 84 measurements of Korean aged 12~50. The principal component analysis reduce 84 measures to five components. The discriminant analysis using these components is performed to observe the anthropometric differences among four regions : Seoul and Kyungki, Kangwon and Chungbuk, Chungnam and Ch lla, Kyungsang. The results on age groups (12~14, 15~17, 18~24, 25~50 ages) and city size (big city, medium city, small city) can be summarized as follows ; 1) In male aged 12~14 and 15~17, there are significant differences of anthropometry among four regions in all city size. But in another age groups (18~24 and 25~50 ages), these are not significant differences of anthropometry among four regions except medium city. 2) In female, there are significant differences of anthropometry in all city sloe in aged 18~24 and 25~50 and in medium city in aged 15~17. however, there are not significant differences in aged 12~14 and 15-17.
Anthropometry ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Discriminant Analysis ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Male ; Principal Component Analysis ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus are chronic autoimmune blistering disorcers characterized by acantholysis. In addition to pemphigus vulgaris(PV), the major clinical variarts are pemphigus foliaceus(PF), paraneoplastic pemphigus(PNP) and drug-induced pemphigus(DP). Detection of pemphigus antigen is important for differential diagnosis as well as research work. Most investigators have identified pemphigus antigens by means of immunoprecipitation using metabolically radiolabeled cultured keratinocytes. However, immunorepitation is generally more expensive, hazardous and time-consuming than immunoblotting. Therefore, establishment of the immunoblotting as a standard technique for the detection of the pemphig us antigens is desirable. OBJECTIVE: To characterized pemphigus antigens by an immunobloting analysis of human epidermal extract and by indirect itnmunofluroscence study using human of cultured keratinocytes as a substraie. METHOD: We performed imrnunoblotting analysis af sera from patieiits with PV, PF, PNP and DP with human epidermal extract as a source of antigen. Indirect immunof uorescence study was also performed using human keratinocytes cultured in high or low calcium media for detection of pemphigus antigens. RESULTS: In an immunoblotting analysis, all(9/9) PV sera showed secific reactivities with a 130-KD protein and all(5/5) FF sera showed reactivities with a 150-KK protein, which is most likely desmoglein 1. Furthermore, one of nine PV serum also reacted with a 150-KD protein, which seems to be the identical antigen detected in PF. All PNP(3/3) sera showed reactivities with two protein bands, 210KD and 190KD. In our indirect imrnunofluorescence study using culltured human keratinocytes as a substrate, when keratinocytes were grown in low calcium media, no pimphigus antigens could be detected. However, when grown in high calciurn media, pemphigus vulga ris and paraneoplastic pernphigus antigens were present t the cell-cell contact areas with a puncta;e pattern, whereas pemphigus foliaceus antigen was not, presint in keratinocytes even when cultured in high calcium media. CONCLUSION: Our results suggests (1) immunoblotting analysis is a reliable technique for defining pemphigus antigen and could be a valuable tool for the differentiation of PV, PF and PNP and(2) PF antigen rnay not be expresseden cultured keratinocytes.
Acantholysis ; Blister ; Calcium ; Desmoglein 1 ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoprecipitation ; Keratinocytes* ; Pemphigus* ; Research Personnel