The aim of this study was to compare wear resistance of resin denture teeth opposing various restorative materials. The wear resistance of conventional acrylic resin teeth (Trubyte Biotone) and three high-strength resin teeth(Bioform IPN, Endura, SR-Orthosit-PE) opposing different restorative materials (gold alloys, dental porcelain, composite resin) was compared. Wear tests were conducted with a sliding-induced wear testing apparatus which applied 100,000 strokes to the specimen in an mesio-distal direction under conditions of 100 stroke/min and constant loading of 1Kgf/tooth. Wear resistance of the resin denture teeth was evaluated by the following criteria : 1) wear depth, 2)weight loss, and 3) SEM observation. Results were as follows. 1. When opposed to gold alloys and composite resin, high-strength resin teeth showed superior wear resistance compared to acrylic resin teeth. But, in cases opposing dental porcelain, differences between the wear of the high-strength and acrylic resin teeth were not statistically significant (p<0.05). 2. When comparing wear resistance among high-strength resin teeth, opposing gold alloys, Endura was slightly more resistant and while in cases opposing dental porcelain, SR-Orthosit-PE was showed to be slightly resistant(p<0.05). 3. The wear of high-strength resin teeth was greater by 5 to 7 times when opposing porcelain and 2 to 3 times when opposing composite resin compared to gold alloys(p<0.05). 4. SEM observations of the wear surface showed that wear of resin teeth opposing gold alloys is a fatigue type of wear and wear of resin teeth opposing dental porcelain is fatigue and abrasion type of wear. Trubyte Biotone showed more severe fatigue type of wear than high-strength resin teeth. In conclusion, the use of dental porcelain should seriously be considered as restorative material in cases opposing resin denture teeth and improvement seems to be needed on resin teeth in the areas of wear resistance.
Dental Alloys ; Dental Porcelain ; Dentures* ; Fatigue ; Gold Alloys ; Stroke ; Tooth*

No abstract available.
Rectal Neoplasms*

The instability of the degenerative spondylolisthetic lumbar spine was clinically evaluated by patients symptoms and serial radiograms. With X-ray films of patients lumbar spine, the lumbosacral angle, the sacral angle, the vertebral height difference between anterior and posterior surface of the 5th lumbar vertebra and the level of intercristal line were analysed. And the results of treatment were analysed too. The Results were as follows: 1) In degenerative spondylolisthetic L3 and L4 spines, facets were arranged in sagittal plane and sacrum was vertically arranged, but in L5 facets were coronally arranged and sacrum and in horizontal plane. 2) The lumbosacral angle was 149.9 and the average difference between anterior and posterior height of L5 vertebral body was 3mm. These results revealed that sacrum was more vertical and the 5th vertebral body was more rectangular, so lumbar lordosis was decreased as a whole. 3) The intercristal line was passed at IA or L4–5 interspace in 72.1% of cases(normal:95.8%), so L4 vertebra was placed in higher level. 4) In group A posterolateral fusion was done in 2 cases. Among group B and C, operation was done in 9 cases;4 cases with laminectomy and 5 cases with laminectomy and posterolateral fusion. Two years after surgery, slipping and instability were far advanced in 2 laminectomized cases for whom posterolateral fusion was followed later. 5) Unstable group of degenerative spondylolisthesis with severe neurological symptoms and claudication must be treated by decompressive laminectomy and posterolateral fusion, especially in patients under 60 years of age. 6) Young woman having flattened lumbar curve without slipping, narrowed disc space of L4–5, high-seated L4 and vertical sacrum is thought to be in prespondylolisthetic stage of degenerative origin; therefore, intensive back muscle exercise to prevent the slipping should be performed and periodic X-ray examinations should be followed up to detect the progress of the disease.
Animals ; Back Muscles ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Lordosis ; Sacrum ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis ; X-Ray Film

BACKGROUND: Generalized immune activation occurs early in the course of many infectious disease. Laboratory investigations have shown that immune activation can be quantified by the measurement of soluble immune activation products in serum. Soluble CD25, CD8, and CD4 are major immune activation products. Soluble CD8 and CD4 are indices of CD8+ T cell and CD4+T cell activity, respectively. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the concentrations of these molecules in patients with leprosy. METHODS: The study population consisted of 31 patients with tuberculoid leprosy and 71 patients with lepromatous leprosy(32 cases of M. leprae negative patients and 39 cases of M. leprae positive patients). Serum samples and clinical and laboratory data were collected form each patient and control. The levels of serum soluble CD25, CD8, and CD4 were measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The levels of serum soluble CD25 were significantly raised in leprosy patients as compared to control and did not vary signficantly between tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy. The soluble CD8 levels in the serum of patients with leprosy did not differ from the levels of the control. The levels of serum soluble CD4 were significantly decreased in the patients with lepromatous leprosy, but not in the patients with tuberculoid leprosy. However, there was no significant correlation between CD25, CD8, and cD4 and bacterial indices in patients with lepromatous leprosy. CONCLUSIONs: There data suggest that non-specific immune activation occurs the spectrum in leprosy, while CD4+ T cell activity is significantly decreased in patients with lepromatous leprosy.
Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Leprosy* ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid

Malignant histiocytosis is a rare, usually fatal malignant neoplasm of reticuloendothelial systems. The disease is associated with fever, malaise, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pancytopenia, jaundice, and purpura. A 44-year-old female patient is described who had multiple, purple crusted nodules and plaques in the skin. In the laboratory study, pancytopenia was noted on the peripheral blood. In addition many atypical histiocytes were seen on the bone marrow aspiration. A lesional biopsy showed nodular infiltrations of atypical histiocytes in the dermis and some erythrophagocytosis was seen. Immunohistochemically, the histiocytes were weakly stained for lysozyme and α-l-antichymotrypsin, but were unstained for S-100 protein, cytokeratin, CEA(carcinoembryonic antigen), pan T/B marker CD30(ki-1), UCHL-1 LCA(leukocyte common antigen), and α-l-antitrypsin.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Dermis ; Female ; Fever ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytic Sarcoma* ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Keratins ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mononuclear Phagocyte System ; Muramidase ; Pancytopenia ; Purpura ; S100 Proteins ; Skin ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: The human homologue of the SC2 gene from a human dermal papilla cell cDNA library has been isolated and designated hSC2. HSC2 protein also shares similarity with 5 -reductase, a protein important in testosterone metabolism. OBJECTIVE: Prior to knowing the functions of hSC2 in dermal papilla, we cloned it and analyzed its relative expression levels in adult tissues and cancer cell lines. METHODS: hSC2 was isolated from low abundant clones in dermal papilla cDNA library using cDNA array hibridization method. Full-length clone was sequenced and we studied its expression in different tissues by Northern blot hybridization. RESULTS: Sequence data reveals a single open reading frame, encoding a putative hydrophobic protein with a calculated molecular weight of 36 kDa. Its deduced amino acid sequences are almost 97.4% identical to t4ose of rat protein. Northern blot hybridization shows that hSC2 cDNA recognizes a 1.35 kb transcript that was expressed in various epithelial and mesenchymal tissues including testis and liver. CONCLUSION: We have cloned and analysed tissue distributions of hSC2. It was interesting that it had homology with 5α-reductase isozymes. Further studies will be needed to understand the involvement of hSC2 in androgen hormone signaling.
Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Molecular* ; DNA, Complementary ; Gene Library ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Open Reading Frames ; Rats ; Testis ; Testosterone ; Tissue Distribution

Experimental study was done to investigate the effect of suramin on the in vitro and in vivo proliferation and metastasis of penile squamous carcinoma cell line(CUPE-1), morphological changes of CUPE-1 cells induced by suramin and mechanism of action of suramin. Suramin inhibited in vitro proliferation of CUPE-1 significantly with 1C50 of 100 microgram/ml media. In vitro antiproliferative effect of suramin on CUPE-1 was reversible after stopping administration of the drug. Weekly intraperitoneal administration of 200 mg/kg of suramin to nude mouse inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of intraperitoneally implanted CUPE-1 cells significantly. but did not show significant effect on the proliferation of subcutaneously implanted CUPE-1 cells. Suramin induced senile changes on ultrastructure of CUPE-1 cells. Suramin of 300 microgram/ml inhibited the prolireration-stimulating effect of EGF significantly, whereas, suramin of 100 microgram/ml did not inhibit the effect of EGF significantly. Suramin did not show significant cytotoxicity on 3H-thymidine release assay. These results suggest that suramin is a promising drug for the treatment of advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma and blood level of suramin in clinical trial should be continuously maintained in about 300 microgram/ml, and that the main machanism of suramin against CUPE-1 is cytostatic. by antagonizing the action of EGF and inducing growth arrest and senile change.
Animals ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Robenidine ; Suramin

BACKGROUND: Generalized immune aetivation occurs early in the course of many infectious diseases. Clinical investigations have known that immune activation can be qiantified by the measurement of soluble immune activation products, neopterin and elastase-a-antitypsm in serum. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess macrophage and neutrophil activation in patient with leprosy by measurement of neopterin and elhstase-a-antitrypin. METHODS: The study population consisted of 31 patients with subculoid leprosy and 71 patients with lepromatous leprosy (39 cases of M. leprae positive patients and 32 cases of M. leprce negative patients). Serum samples and clinical and laboratory data were collected form each patient and control. The levels of serum neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin were masured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The serum neopterin levels were significantly raised in patients with leprosy and significantly higher in lepromatous leprosy than tuberculoid leprosy. The sejum elastase-a-antitrypsin levels were significantly increased in pat,ients with leprosy, but did not vary significantly between tuberculoid and lepramatous leprosy. There was also no significant correlation between the neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin levels and bacterial index in patients with lepromatous prosy. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that non-specific activation of macrophages and neutrophiles occurs in leprosy and high titers of ineopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin alore, in the absenee of a functioning T cell response, do not appee,r to confer resistance against Mycobacterium leprae.
Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Leprosy ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Macrophages ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Neopterin* ; Neutrophil Activation ; Neutrophils ; Pancreatic Elastase* ; Syphilis ; Treponema pallidum

BACKGROUND: Generalized immune aetivation occurs early in the course of many infectious diseases. Clinical investigations have known that immune activation can be qiantified by the measurement of soluble immune activation products, neopterin and elastase-a-antitypsm in serum. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess macrophage and neutrophil activation in patient with leprosy by measurement of neopterin and elhstase-a-antitrypin. METHODS: The study population consisted of 31 patients with subculoid leprosy and 71 patients with lepromatous leprosy (39 cases of M. leprae positive patients and 32 cases of M. leprce negative patients). Serum samples and clinical and laboratory data were collected form each patient and control. The levels of serum neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin were masured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The serum neopterin levels were significantly raised in patients with leprosy and significantly higher in lepromatous leprosy than tuberculoid leprosy. The sejum elastase-a-antitrypsin levels were significantly increased in pat,ients with leprosy, but did not vary significantly between tuberculoid and lepramatous leprosy. There was also no significant correlation between the neopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin levels and bacterial index in patients with lepromatous prosy. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that non-specific activation of macrophages and neutrophiles occurs in leprosy and high titers of ineopterin and elastase-a-antitrypsin alore, in the absenee of a functioning T cell response, do not appee,r to confer resistance against Mycobacterium leprae.
Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Leprosy ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Macrophages ; Mycobacterium leprae ; Neopterin* ; Neutrophil Activation ; Neutrophils ; Pancreatic Elastase* ; Syphilis ; Treponema pallidum

Sixteen patients with prostatodynia underwent clinical studies including urodynamic study, MMPI, and endoscopy. As a control group, another 19 patients with nonbacterial prostatitis and 16 normal man of 20-40 years of age also underwent urodynamic study. The most characteristic urodynamic findings in patients with prostatodynia was a significant increase in maximum urethral closing pressure as compared to control group (mean, 140.9 : 92.1 : 84.1 cmH20). In prostatodynia group, peak urinary flow rate was also significantly decreased as compared to the control group (mean, 12.0: 17.8 : 23.9cc / sec). 11 of 16 patients with prostatodynia was found to have functional outlet obstruction, probably at sympathetically innervated urethral sphincter. And they were treated with minipress and diazepam, of whom 7 showed significant improvement both symptomatically and urodynamically. On MMPI 7patients with prostatodynia showed significant underlying psychiatric disorders, and were treated by psychiatric treatment, of whom 4 showed significant clinical improvement. 2 patients with prostatodynia showed vermontanal pseudopolyp suggestive of prostatitis, were treated with long term TMF-SMX administration, and showed significant improvement. It is suggested that prostatodynia may develop from urethral sphincter overactivity and underlying psychiatric disorders, and that at least some cases with prostatodynia are in fact prostatitis. Uroflowmetry, urethral pressure profile, MMPI study and repeated EPS study may be of help in deciding the treatment plan of prostatodynia.
Diazepam ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; MMPI ; Prazosin ; Prostatitis ; Urethra ; Urodynamics*