The present study was designed to obtain omparative data on in vitro antifungal activities of imidazole derivatives. Minimum inhibitory oncentrations of clotrimazole, miconazole, econazole, ketoconazlole and griseofulvin on 4 strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 3 strains of Trichophyton rubrum, 2 strains of Microsporum canis and ] strain of Sporothriv: schenckii were etermined after 3 week' incubation at room temperature on Sabouraud's dextrose liquid media. In addition, the fungicidal activities of miconazole and econazole were tested against Z'richophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis, using the techniques described by Vanbreuseghern(1967) The results are summarzed as follows: ] In most of the dermatophytes studied, 1 to 10 pg/ml of M1C were detected. Diverse susceptibility pattern was observed among different fungal species, but no or minor variability was noted within the same species. The susceptibility of Z'ri- chophyton rubrum showed at MIC of 0. 01 to 10 pg/ml, T ichophyton mentagro- phyt.es and Mic osporum canis at 0.1 to 10 pg/ml and 0. 1 to 1000 gg/ml respec- tively. The Trichophyton rubrum was the most sensitive. In the susceptibility test of Sporothrix schenckii, the high resistance to clotrimazole and griseofuhin was observed. The fungistatic activities of miconazole, econazole and ketoconazole were observed only at concentrations higher than JpQ pg/ml.
Arthrodermataceae ; Clotrimazole ; Econazole ; Glucose ; Griseofulvin ; Ketoconazole ; Miconazole ; Microsporum ; Sporothrix ; Trichophyton

A case of lymphocytoma cutis, the circumscribed form in 9 year-old girl is reported. This is seldom conclusive without histological examinatien for a wide variety of conditions has to be considered. The circumscribed form usually responds rapidly to radiotherapy, although recurrence is possible and good results from the use of procaine penicillin especially in the disseminated form. In this case, I experienced good results from CO, slush and topical application of 0.25 % fluocortolone 3 times a day without recurrence in 3 months after treatment.
Child ; Female ; Fluocortolone ; Humans ; Penicillin G Procaine ; Pseudolymphoma* ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence

Muchz-Habermann disease is cutaneous disease of unknown etilogy and characterized by a, polymorphous eruption consisting of papulosquamous, bemorrhagic, ulceronecrotic lesion eventually into varioliform scars. It is also classified into parapsoriasis group according to Broq with parapsoriasis en guttata (pityriasis lichenoides chronica), parapsoriasis en plaques, parapsoriasis en lichenoides. The 61-year-old male patient visited to Dermatologic Department of Severance Hospital due to sudden onset of generalized eruption. He presented pea to fingr tip sized erythematous, silvery maculo-papulo-squamous eruptions on trunk, extre- mities and buttock, but didnt complain of any subjective symptoms except markel fatigue. Skin biopsy was done on right forearm and was confirrr.ed to pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta by histopathologic finding. The lesion was completely controlled by oral tetracycline 2. Ogm per daily for first 4 wecks and reduced dosage l. Ogin per day for second 2 weeks.
Biopsy ; Buttocks ; Cicatrix ; Fatigue ; Forearm ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parapsoriasis ; Peas ; Pityriasis Lichenoides* ; Pityriasis* ; Skin ; Tetracycline

Erythema Annulare Centrifugum is characterized by migratory annular, arcuate or polycyclic erythemas with central clearing. Its etiology is not conclusive but there are many reports about the etiology, i.e." due to dermatophytid"," the drugs",' intemal diseases", or" unknown etiology" etc. A case of Erythema Annulare Centrifugum with "unkown etiology" was reported. The patient revealed slightly elevated, migratory annular erythemas with central clearing on the both posterior portions of thighs. Histopathologically, there was no abnormality in the epidermis. In the dermis, cellular infiltrates sbowing fairly well demarcated perivascular coat-sleeve like arrangement and endothelial prolifera01
Dermis ; Epidermis ; Erythema* ; Humans ; Thigh

The authors observed 2 cases of poikilcdermatomyositis who were 16 and l0 years old female. The former visited our dept. due to rashes on the anterior portion of right thigh with 3 months duration. The skin lesion revealed mottled skin pigmentation, telangiectasia, atrophy, and cigarrette paper like wrinklings. On the palpation, hardness and tenderness in the lesion were felt. The latter visited our dept. due to weakness of the right lower extremity for 3years. The skin lesion revealed the same feature as the former but more prominent. Histophthologically, P.V.A. patterns are seen in the both skin lesions. The epidermis shows moderate atrophy of St. malphigi and flattening of reteridges. The dermis is edematous, vascular dilatations, and cellular infiltrations, most of lymphocytes, around the blood vessels. The muscle biopsies for the Quardriceps Femoris sbow Dermatomyositis patterns which the muscle bundles are degenerative changes and many cellular infiltrations, chiefly of lymphocytes, are seen between the muscle bundles. Diagnosis was confirmed by the clinical and histological pictures. These patients were markedly improved by the prednisolone therapy.
Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Blood Vessels ; Dermatomyositis ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Epidermis ; Exanthema ; Female ; Hardness ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Lymphocytes ; Palpation ; Prednisolone ; Skin ; Skin Pigmentation ; Telangiectasis ; Thigh

Diagnosis of dermatophytosis is relatively easy with the typical clinical feature but sometimes we need more studies such as direct microscopy and culture to confirm the diseaee. The direct microscopic test is simple and ra.pid, but the result is often complexing, and the culture needs rnuch experience, skill, and deep knowledge in mycology. In 1959, Taplin et al. devised Dermatophyte Test Medium(DTM) which contains phcnol red as a color indicator for the simplified diagnosis of dermatophytosis. Result can be evaluated by noting the change of the color indicator of the medium. from yellow to red without detailed knowledge of colony morphology. So the non-mycologist can recognize well by color change of the medium. Moreover DTM is superior to Sabouraud medium in eliminating bacterial contamination, allowing a higher recovery rate and early recongnizing, since the color change of the medium begin to appear with the growth of fungus. The cultures were done on DTM and Sabouraud medium in 105 cases of the suspected dermatophytosis. In DTM, dermatophytes were cultured in 53 cases(M. canis 1, T. mentagrophytes 24, T. rubrum 28) and the color changes were observed in all of them. The others were 29 cases of Candida spp. 5 cases of saprophytes, and only one case of bacterial contaminatiion was observed. Compared with DTM, the dermatophytes were cultured in 36 cases and bacterial contamination were 16 csses in Sabouraud medium. The colors of DTM of 53 cases of dermatophytes were changed to red between the second to fourteenth day after culture. In 8 cases of Candida spp. among 29, 3 cases of saprophytes among 5, thc color change of DTM begin to appear after tenth day of culture. So DTM is very useful for the diagnosis of dermatophytosis by unsk;illed personnel under most environmental condition with only redimentary knowledges of colonial morphology to distinguish contaminant fungi and bacteria from dermatophytes.
Arthrodermataceae* ; Bacteria ; Candida ; Diagnosis ; Dronabinol ; Fungi ; Microscopy ; Mycology ; Tinea

Temporal and spatial expression of bmp-2 and bmp-4 was investigated in distraction osteogenesis and fracture healing models in order to delineate their roles in these new hone formation processes. Distraction osteogenesis was performed on the left tihia diaphyses of Sprague-Dawley rats, and was confirmed by serial radiographs and histologicaJ examination. Total RNA was isolated from the distraction gaps and fracture sites sequentially until the postoperative eighth week, and mRNA expression was quantitated hy competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) using specific primers for bmp-2 and bmp-4. In-situ hybridization was performed on the undemineralized tissue section of distraction osteogenesis group. Both bum-2 and bmp-4 mRNA expression increased during distraction osteogenesis and fracture healing. Increase in bmp-2 mRNA expression was more marked and prolonged in distraction osteogenesis compared with fracture healing, whereas bmp-4 mRNA expression was persistently increased in both groups. In-situ hybridization study revealed that hoth bmp-2 and bmp-4 were expressed at eariy osteohlasts producing osteoid, trabeculae-lining osteoblasts and osteocytes of regenerate bone. Enhanced new bone formation in distraction osteogenesis is associated with prolonged and increased expression of BMPs, especially BMP-2. lnspite of their structural similarity, BMP-2 and BMP-4 appear to have their distinct roles in new hone formation.
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins* ; Diaphyses ; Fracture Healing* ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocytes ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger*

Bone is a heterogenous and anisotrophic material exhibiting elastic, viscoelastis and plasticproperties. A considerable amount of information is now available regarding biomechanical properties and mechanisms of fractures of mature long bones, but less is known about the properties of the growing bones. In order to assess the biomechanical properties under tension, rabbits growing bones were loaded with Instron Modal 1,000 until fracture occurred. Two hundred tibiae of 100 New Zealand white immature rabbits were divided into 6 experimental groups according to maturity and size. Group I-R(40 right tibiae of 1-month old rabbits), Group I-L (40 left tibiae of 1-month old rabbits), Group II-R(20 right tibiae of 3-month old rabbits), Group II-L (20 left tibiae of 3-month old rabbits), Group III-R(40 rigth tibiae of 5-month old rabbits), and Group III-L(40 left tibiae of 5-month old rabbits). The following results were obtained. 1. Fracture type was transverse.or nearly transverse in 170 out of the total 200 tibiae(85%).
Absorption ; Elastic Modulus ; New Zealand ; Rabbits ; Tensile Strength ; Tibia

BACKGROUND: Estrogen deficiency is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and osteoporosis in women. Ovarian hormones are also presumed to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study was designed to investigate the clinical evidences of estrogen deficiency and therapeutic efficacy of hormone replacement (HRT) in women with AD. METHODS: Clinical tests indicative of ovarian insufficiency were performed in 44 female patients with AD (age: 49-81: 68.0+1.2, Mean+SEM). Out of 40 patients treated with HRT, 16 completed one-year follow-ups. Modification of risk factors for CVD and changes in bone mineral density with HRT were assessed. Periodic MMSE was performed to evaluate changes in cognitive function under HRT. RESULTS: All the patients except two were postmenopausal, and years since menopause were 18.2+1.8. Six patients had early menopause. Hypertension was detected in 9 patients, and one had history of CVD. Prevalence of osteoporosis at lumbar vertebrae or femur neck and that of fragility fracture were 57% and 39%, respectively. Sixteen patiens who completed one-year HRT were analyzed separately: HRT reduced significantly blood levels of total cholesterol, Lp(a), and glucose and increased HDL-cholesterol. HRT also prevented bone loss at both lumbar spine and femur neck. MMSE scores at 3, 6, and 12 months of HRT revealed no significant decline compared with baseline score. CONCLUSIONS: Female AD is late problem after menopause, and frequently associated with osteoporosis. In addition to beneficial modification of risk factors for CVD and prevention of further bone loss, HRT might inhibit cognitive decline assessed by MMSE in AD.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Bone Density ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Dementia ; Estrogens ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Menopause ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Spine

PURPOSE: Immunosuppressive regimen based on reduced-dose Tacrolimus (TAC) is widely accepted in the field of renal transplantation. However, optimal targetsfor TAC whole blood trough concentrations during the early period after kidney transplantation remain uncertain. METHODS: A total of 184 consecutive adult renal transplant recipients with triple immunosuppression (TAC/Mycophenolate/corticosteroid) were included in this study. According to the trough level of TAC at day 7 after transplantation, patients were classified as low TAC concentration (LT, <10 ng/ml, n=85), intermediate TAC concentration (IT, 10~15 ng/ml, n=75), and high TAC concentration (HT, >15 ng/ml, n=24) groups. Rate of acute rejection, graft function and side effects of TAC within 1 yr after transplantation were evaluated. RESULTS: There was no difference in trough concentrations of TAC at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after transplantation among the three groups. Significantly higher incidence of acute rejection within 2 weeks after transplantation was observed in LT group compared with IT and HT groups (17.4%, 5.6% and 4.8%, respectively, P=0.037). HT patients showed significantly better estimated glomerular filtration rates until 6 months after transplantation than IT and LT patients (75.5+/-24.8 vs. 63.8+/-12.8 and 64.3+/-15.2 ml/min at 6 months, P=0.03). There was no significant difference in TAC toxicity in terms of post-transplant diabetes and renal toxicity. CONCLUSION: Short-term high TAC exposure immediately after kidney transplantation may provide lower incidence of acute rejection and better restoration of graft function compared with low or intermediate TAC exposure.
Adult ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Graft Rejection ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation ; Rejection (Psychology) ; Tacrolimus ; Transplants