No abstract available.
Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Renal Dialysis*

The methods available for arthroscopic debridement vary widely in cost and efficiency. The use of laser treatment is growing rapidly with advantages of production of smooth surface and avoidance of direct contact. Nevertheless, growing attention is directed to the negative side effects of laser-controlled cartilage ablation, especially to the depth effects of the various lasers on which various scientific studies have focused. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the thermal side effects of Ho: YAG laser and Excimer laser on human articular cartilage hy histological analysis. Sixteen human articular cartilages were obtained during total knee arthroplasty for patients with advanced degenerative arthritis. Three craters, 1cm in diameter, were created on each articular cartilage by shaver, Holmium: YAG laser and Excimer laser in the saline medium. These total 48 craters were prepared to tissue specimen by paraffin blocks and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin(HE) and Massons trichrome. Under the light microscope, we analysed extents of thermal necrosis and thermal change in craters. Also some specimens were fixed by 2.5% glutaraldehyde and ohserved in changes of three different methods under scanning electron microscope. We report the results as follow: 1. The average times to making one crater were 25 seconds in shaver, 33 seconds in Holmium: YAG laser, and 65 seconds in Excimer laser respecti vely. 2. In gross inspection, the most smoothing surface of crater was seen on the specimens of Excimer laser. 3. In histological findings, thermal necrosis on hematoxylin and eosin sections was not noted after shaver use, whereas seen average of 243.8+/-159.6micrometer in Molmium: YAC laser and 36.6+/-17.1micrometer in Excimer laser(p=0.000). Thermal change on trichrome-stained sections was not noted after shaver use, hut showed average of 372.1 +/-203.1micrometer in Holmium: YAG laser and 76.0+/-47. Imicrometer in Excimer laser(p=0.000). 4. In scanning electron micrograph, coagulation of collagen fiher in the matrix was ohserved, with less extents in Excimer than Holmium: YAG laser. In conclusion, Excimer laser was superior to Holmium: YAG laser in terms of thermal necrosis and precision, whereas Holmium: YAG laser was more effective due to rapid time for procedure. To minimize the thermal necrosis during laser chondroplasty, we suggest it is desirable to less energy and reduce exposure time to laser beam on the articular surface.
Arthroplasty ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular* ; Collagen ; Debridement ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Glutaral ; Hematoxylin ; Holmium* ; Humans* ; Knee ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Necrosis ; Osteoarthritis ; Paraffin

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a logotherapy program entitled 'Finding meaning in my life' for adolescents with terminal cancer. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized design was conducted with a convenience sample of 44 late adolescents with terminal cancer. The experimental group (n=22) participated in the 'Finding meaning in my life' program which consisted of five-day sessions for one week. The control group (n=22) received the usual nursing care. The effects were measured using adolescent meaning in life (AMIL), and quality of life (QOL) scales. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and t-test using SPSS/PC 17.0 program. RESULTS: There were significant differences in AMIL (t=3.36, p<.05) and QOL (t=2.67, p<.05) between the experimental and control groups. CONCLUSION: Logotherapy is effective in improving the meaning in life and quality of life of late adolescents with terminal cancer, and can be used to prevent existential distress.
Adolescent ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasms/psychology/*therapy ; Patient Education as Topic ; Program Evaluation ; *Psychotherapy ; Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: We compared orbital implants with hydroxyapatite and with Medpor (R) in operative group and observed clinical results by retrospective study. METHODS: We used hydroxyapatite implantation in 17 subjects(17 eyes) and Medpor(R) implantation in other 15 subjects (15 eyes) with enucleation and evisceration from April 1996 to May 2000. RESULTS: We observed clinical results for 10~34 month (average 20 month); Three cases of implant exposure, one case of peg extrusion, two cases of superficial conjunctival wound dehiscence, one case of granulation tissue overgrowth, and one case of implant self-infection after hydroxyapatite implantation; Two cases of implant exposure and one case of superficial conjunctivial wound dehiscence after Medpor(R) implantation. In measurement at 6 months after operation, fibrovascular ingrowth pattern after hydroxyapatite implantation was slightly better than Medpor R implantation, and prothesis motility was not different. CONCLUSIONS: We found high frequency of complication with implant exposure, superficial conjunctival wound dehiscence, granulation tissue formation after Hydroxyapatite implantation than Medpor(R) implantation, and that no different complication with the exception of noise of prosthesis movement in Medpor(R) implantation, which is better useful for peg drilling & enucleation. So it is thought to be Medpor(R) is more useful clinical materials for orbital implants than Hydroxyapatite.
Durapatite* ; Granulation Tissue ; Noise ; Orbit* ; Orbital Implants* ; Prostheses and Implants ; Retrospective Studies ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Animals ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Rats* ; Skin*

We report a case of focal eosinophilic myositis of the frontalis muscle in a 38-year-old man. The skin lesion was a single firm flesh-colored swollen lesion measuring 1×1.5 cm in size on the right forehead. The biopsy revealed inflammatory infiltrates composed of mainly eosinophils and a few lymphocytes in the muscles. The skin lesion subsided with intralesional injections of triamcinolone acetonide, 5 mg/ml.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Eosinophils* ; Forehead ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Lymphocytes ; Muscles ; Myositis* ; Skin ; Triamcinolone Acetonide

BACKGROUND: The oral ulcer is a common oral disorder, but the precise etiology remains elusive despite of intensive clinical, immunological, hematological and microbiological investigations. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine oral ulcers for the detection of HSV DNA by using PCR and to characterize clinical features of HSV DNA positive cases. METHODS: Specimens collected with cotton swabs and saliva from 48 cases of oral ulcers were examined for HSV DNA by PCR and Southern blot hybridization. RESULTS: 1. HSV DNA was detected in 8 of 48(16.7%) cotton swabbed specimens of oral ulcers and saliva by PCR and Southern blot hybridization. 2. Clinical features of HSV DNA positive oral ulcers were a. predominently located in buccal mucosa. b. mall sized(<3mm), multiple(> or =5) lesions. 3. In Behcet's disease, 2 of 7(28.6%) cases of oral ulcers were positive for HSV DNA CONCLUSION: PCR is an useful and accurate method for the detection of HSV DNA from cotton swabbed specimens of oral ulcers.
Blotting, Southern ; DNA ; Herpes Simplex* ; Mouth Mucosa ; Oral Ulcer* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Saliva ; Simplexvirus*

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is being increasingly used to treat numerous immune-mediated diseases. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on the specific mode of action of IVIG in vivo. In this study, the in vitro effects of IVIG on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation using phytohemagglutinin (PHA), anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (MAb), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), or purified protein derivatives (PPD) have been analyzed. The PBMCs were obtained from more than 10 individual donors. In all cases, IVIG almost completely inhibited PBMC proliferation at concentration above 20 mg/mL except when used in conjunction with PMA. PHA-induced proliferation of PBMCs at concentrations ranging from 1 to 15 mg/mL did not show significant differences. Anti-CD3 MAb-induced proliferation showed dose-dependent inhibition at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 mg/mL. Interestingly, PMA-induced proliferation of PBMCs showed a dose-dependent increase at the same concentration range. PPD-induced proliferation of PBMC at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 mg/mL did not show any statistically significant differences. These results suggest that high dose IVIG may be necessary to immune modulation in vivo and IVIG has various effects on PBMCs proliferation in limited concentration in vitro.
Cell Division/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Human ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/*pharmacology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/*drug effects/physiology ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology

No abstract available.
Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

PURPOSE: Hypogammaglobulinemia has been observed in nephrotic syndrome, but its pathophysiology remains unknown. We evaluated the relationship between the serum IgG and albumin levels for children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome(MCNS). METHODS: The levels of immunoglobulin G(IgG), albumin and total cholesterol of a total of 46 children with MCNS(proteinuria >40 mg/m2/h, and serum albumin level <2.5 g/dL) were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean values of albumin, IgG and total cholesterol in MCNS children were 1.7+/-0.3 g/dL, 368+/-143 mg/dL and 431+/-78 mg/dL, respectively. There was an inverse correlation between the albumin values and the total cholesterol values(r=0.68, P=0.0001), whereas there was a direct-proportional correlation between albumin values and the IgG values(r=0.4, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: The IgG level is associated with albumin level, and it may reflect the severity of urinary protein loss in MCNS. Further studies are needed to evaluate this phenomenon.
Agammaglobulinemia ; Child ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulins ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Serum Albumin*