No Abstract Available.
Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium*

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to determine the relationship between osteopontin(OPN) and osteoclast, especially focused on whether ostecolast could produce osteopontin or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteoclasts were isolated from the giant cell tumor of proximal tibia and seeded on the 13 mm round cover slip resided in 24 multi-well plates for culture. After 2 days, osteclasts on the cover slip were fixed with cold acetone for 3 minutes and immunocytochemistry was done with rabbit osteopontin antibody. For in situ RT-PCR, osteoclasts on the cover-slips were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for 4 hours and were treated to pepsin. PR-PCR was done and the PCR producst were stained with anti-digoxigenin-AP. RESULTS: Osteopontins were found on the surface of the osteoclast by immunocytochemistry, and intense osteopontin mRNAs were found by in situ RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: We have identified that osteoclast could synthesize the osteopontin, and confirmed that in situ RT-PCR was a very useful method in expressing small amount of mRNA in case of mixed cell culture. Further study was needed to identify the action of the osteopontin produced by the osteoclast.
Acetone ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Immunohistochemistry ; Osteoclasts* ; Osteopontin* ; Pepsin A ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Tibia

This study evaluated the effect of dagassing on the ceramic bond strength of two Ni-Cr alloys under varying holding time at the upper limit temperature and atmospheric conditions. Metal specimens were divided into 5 groups for each alloy according to degassing conditions prior to porcelain application : no degassing, degassing under vacuum without hold, degassing under vacuum with hold for 5min. and 10 min. respectively at the upper limit temperature and degassing in air. Total number of metal ceramic specimens was eighty and each group had eight specimens : The ceramic bond strength was measured by four-point flexural test using Instron and the fractured surface was examined under SEM. The results obtained were as follows. 1. Degassing in air improved the ceramic bond strength of Ni-Cr alloys. 2. in degassing under vacuum, hold at the upper limit temperature was advantageous to the ceramic bonding of Ni-Cr alloys. 3. After ceramic metal bond test, metal surfaces were partially covered with the thin porcelain layer, and the cohesive failures in porcelain were predominant in groups showing higher ceramic bond strength.
Alloys* ; Ceramics* ; Dental Porcelain ; Vacuum

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infected macrophages can become ineffective at activating CD4+ T cells through presentation of peptide antigens by MHC class II, possibly contributing to the ability of M tuberculosis to persist despite the presence of an intact immune system. Presentation of lipid antigens may help to overcome this problem. CD1 represents the key component of an MHC independent pathway for presentation nonpeptide lipid antigens to T cells. The 38 kDa glycolipoprotein antigen of M. tuberculosis is actively secreted. The antigen induces strong antibody and T-cell responses and provided partial protection against M. tuberculosis infection in mice when it is administered either entrapped in biodegradable microparticles or in the form of a DNA vaccine. But an selective anergy to stimulation with peptide of the 38 kDa was observed in the majority of tuberculosis patients. An 38 kDa antigen has been isolated by affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody. This antigen contains some immunosuppressive cell wall associated antigens such as lipoarabinomannan. Therefore, we purified the 38 kDa glycolipoprotein from the culture filtrate of M tuberculosis H37Rv by ammonium sulfate precipitation (55~80%), hydroxylapatite and DEAE-Sephacel column. The purified antigen showed three major bands on isoelectric focusing gel, and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis of this antigen revealed five distinct spots of the 38 kDa molecular mass. One of five spots had a N-terminal sequence identical to that of the 38 kDa glycolipoprotein (pstS-1). Other protein spots could not determine sequences. An antiserum against the recombinant 38 kDa antigen of M tuberculosis reacted strongly with the purified the 38 kDa antigen.
Ammonium Sulfate ; Animals ; Cell Wall ; Chromatography, Affinity ; DNA ; Durapatite ; Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Immune System ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Whether the changes of risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol) can precipitate stroke remains unknown, and antecedent infection and psychologic stress are described inss case-control study, 113 consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular disease (38 small vessel disease, 43 large vessel disease, 11 cardiogenic infarction, 4 infarction of undetermined cause, and 17 intracerebral hemorrhage) and 23 control subjects were evaluated. Changes of the risk factors (and their management) were interviewed. A sign/symptom based questionnaire was used to characterize the prevalence of recent prior infection and exposure to coldness. Psychologic stress was measured with the use of Social Readjustment Rating Scale. RESULTS: The negative change of alcohol drinking was significantly higher in the stroke group. However, there was no significant difference between stroke and control groups in the changes of thether risk factors. The prevalence of previous (within 1 month) infection was significantly higher in the stroke group compared with control subjects (p=0.03). However, there were no significant differences among the stroke subtypes in the prevalence of infection(p=0.08). Upper respiratory tract infections constituted the most common type of infection. The exposure to coldness was significantly higher in the stroke group compared with control subjects (p=0.002). The level of stress within the prior 1 month/1 year was significantly higher in the stroke group than control group (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that preceding infection, exposure to coldness, psychologic stress, and the negative change of alcohol drinking may be comm.
Alcohol Drinking ; Case-Control Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Infarction ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stress, Psychological ; Stroke

No Abstract Available.
Humans ; Interleukin-12* ; Interleukin-18* ; Tuberculosis, Pleural*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Interleukin-12* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

Phenol sympathetic block is valuable for the treatment of ischemic pain, gangrene, intermittent claudication, Pager's disease of the bone and pain associated with pancreatitis, pancreatic cacinoma, etc. The author has experienced a case of successful lumber sympathetic block using 7% phenol under fluroscopy and given to a patient with Buerger's disease who had severe pain and ulceration of the right great toe for several years. After the sympathetic block, 2 epidural blocks with 2.5% bupivacaine were done in order to augment the effects of this sympathetic block. Subsidence of rest pain, increase in walking distance from under 100M to over 500M and circulatory improvement of the affected limb were observed. Imporvement of circulation was confirmed by strain gauge plethysomgraphy.
Bupivacaine ; Extremities ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Intermittent Claudication ; Pancreatitis ; Phenol* ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans* ; Toes ; Ulcer ; Walking

Exercise is one of the most ubiquitous triggers of acute bouts of asthma. Late asthmatic responses(LARs) have been described following strenuous exercise, as in allergen-induced asthma. However, most studies have reported that airway responsiveness is not increased after exercise, even in subjects with LAR to exercise. This suggests that LAR after exercise may not be associated with inflammatory changes in the airways. We have frequently seen asthmatic children whose complaint is that symptoms are exacerbated at night after strenuous daytime exercise. Furthermore, airway responsiveness to allergen was reported to increase after LAR to exercise. Therefore, it is crucial to know whether exercise can induce airway inflammation, as in allergen-induced asthma. As an indirect measure to investigate it, we measured the activation status of eosinophil granulocyte in the peripheral blood during the early and late phase of exercise- or allergen-induced asthma. Eight subjects who showed early asthmatic response(EAR) and LAR(group 1), or EAR only (group 2) to allergen (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) challenge were selected. Similarly eight subjects who showed EAR and LAR(group 3), or EAR only (group 4) to exercise were selected. Blood samples were drawn at baseline, the early phase, the late phase, and 24 hours after each stimuli. Eosinofphil cationic protein (ECP) was measured in the serum. Eosinophil granulocytes were separated and the production of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) from purified eosinophfis was measured after stimulation with the calciumionophore. Serum levels of ECP were unchanged at EAR after allergen or exercise challenge. In the dual responder to allergen (group 1), serum ECP level was elevated at LAR and 24 hours after allergen challenge, as compared with the baseline level. On the other hand, in the dual responder to exercise (group 3), it remained unaltered up to 24 hours after exercise challenge. Eosinophils at EAR after allergen or exercise challenge in each group generated the similar amounts of LTC4 as baseline values. In group 1, the production of LTC4 was slightly increased though not significantly at LAR, and significantly increased 24 hours after allergen challenge. In group 3, it was increased significantly at LAR, but restored to the baseline values at 24 hours after exercise challenge. These results indicate that not only allergen but also exercise can activate eosinophils in accordance with LAR. The present findings suggest that LAR to exercise may also have the potential to induce airway eosinophilic inflammation although its duration may be shorter than that of LAR to allergen. Therefore exercise should be understood not only as a triggering factor of bronchoconstriction but also as one that incites or deteriorates airway inflammation.
Asthma* ; Bronchoconstriction ; Child ; Ear ; Eosinophils* ; Granulocytes ; Hand ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukotriene C4

Osteoporosis represents reduced amount of bone mass per unit volume as compared with controls of the same age and sex. The purpose of this study was to show how bone mineral densities of spine and intertrochanteric area decrease with aging, to investigate the relationship between the bone mineral densities (BMD) of the two areas, and to obtain fracture threshold values. We measured BMD of lumbar vertebrae and intertrochanteric areas by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) from 241 postmenopausal women. 190 normal postmenopausal women comprised non-fracture group and there were 50 fresh thoracolumbar fracture patient and 31 intertrochanteric fracture patients in whom the fractures were not caused by high energy trauma. The mean bone mineral density values of non-fracture group were significantly higher than those of fracture groups and significant correlation held between bone density of spine and that of intertrochanteric area in non-fracture group and fracture groups. The fracture threshold was 0.837 g/cm3 in spine fracture group and 0.792 g/cm3 in the intertrochanteric fracture group.
Absorptiometry, Photon* ; Aging ; Bone Density* ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Osteoporosis ; Spine