No abstract available.
Lithium*

No abstract available.
Cicatrix* ; Contracture* ; Forearm* ; Hand*

We herein report a case of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in a 36-year-old male patient, who had a solitary nodular skin lesion on the left supraclavicular area. The histopathologic findings showed typical features of KS as spindle cell proliferation and vascular spaces lined with endothelial cells. The patient's serum was positive for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and he had opportunistic infection of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis. The WBC count was 1,200/mm3 and CD4 count was 50/mm3 with decreased CD4/CD8 ratio to 0.06. He died due to an aggravated respiratory infection.
Adult ; Antibodies ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Endothelial Cells ; HIV ; Humans ; Male ; Opportunistic Infections ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis ; Sarcoma, Kaposi* ; Skin ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

An isolated granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) of the left ovary occured in the absence of leukemia in a 12-year-old woman. This lesion is defined as a localized tumor mass composed of immature cells of the granulocytic series. Granulocytic sarcomas can occur at extramedullary sites including ovary but, isolated myelosarcoma in the absence of usual manifestations of AML may be rare and has some difficulties in diagnosis. Contrary to findings in other series, granulocytic sarcoma arising in this nonleukemic patient did not progress to acute leukemia during two years she has been followed.
Child ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Ovary* ; Sarcoma, Myeloid*

A 60-year-old woman has experienced of right upper quadrant abdominal discomfort. This partient took cholecytectomy due to gall stone 15 years ago. At that time microscopic finding the neck of gallbladder showed well differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma confined to superficial part of musele layer. 3 years before admission she took T-tube drainage due to obstructive jaundice. The microscopic finding af distal common bile duct showed well differentiated adenocarcinoma. Recently she complained of pain and discomfort on T-tube site and so we perforrned endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage after removal of T-tube. The computed tomogram showed no mass in liver or lymph node enlargement. 4 months after procedure of ERBD; we changed to the new catheter for the prevention of cloggiag of prosthesis. We report here a case of longterm survival over 15 years after the diagnosis of cancer of extrahepatic bile duct.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Papillary ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Catheters ; Common Bile Duct* ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Female ; Gallbladder* ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Prostheses and Implants

Epidermal keratinocytes are important sources of a wide variety of cytokines that include the endothelin-1 (ET-1). Glucocorticoids have been shown to inhibit the production of several cytokines. However, their effect on ET-1 synthesis by keratinocytes is still unknown. It has been reported that ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation stimulates both the synthesis and release of ET-1 and it was observed that ET-1 secretion by HaCat cells increased with increasing UVB exposure. In this study, the effects of glucocorticoid on ET-1 production were evaluated using cultured HaCat keratinocytes. The results showed that dexamethasone suppressed basal re-lease of ET-1. In addition, it strongly inhibited the UVB-mediated augmentation of ET-1 production. Furthermore, lincomycin slightly enhanced the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on ET-1 synthesis.
Cytokines ; Dexamethasone* ; Endothelin-1 ; Glucocorticoids ; Keratinocytes* ; Lincomycin

No abstract available.
Anemia* ; Erythropoietin* ; Humans* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic*

No abstract available.
Funnel Chest*

BACKGROUND: Although postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy is known to reduce cardiovascular mortality, the mechanism is not clear yet. Furthermore, the effect of estrogen on vascular tonus is reportedly variable according to the animal models, vascular beds and agonists used. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Bilateral ovariectomies were performed in 12 week-old, 18 spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and 18 normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Rats were divided into three groups according to the dose of 17beta-estradiol (E 2 ) pellets implanted subcutaneously two weeks after ovariectomy: control (no implantation), low-dose (0.5 mg) and high-dose (5 mg) E 2 replacement group. Two weeks after pellet implantation, organ bath experiments were performed using descending thoracic aortae. For endothelium-dependent relaxation, acetylcholine (10(-9) -3x10(-6) M) was cumulatively added into the vessels precontracted with 10(-7) M norepinephrine (NE). For vasoconstrictor responses, cumulative concentration-contraction curves were constructed in quiescent vessels using NE (10(-9) -10(-5) M), U46619 (10(-9) -3x10(-6) M), endothelin-1 (10(-10) -10(-7) M). In addition, contraction to angiotensin II (10(-7) M) was also obtained. Serum 17beta-estradiol levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff method in some SHRs before ovariectomy and after placebo/E 2 replacement. RESULTS: Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was impaired in WKY treated with 5 mg E 2 (pIC 50 : control vs 5mg E 2 : 7.75+/-0.13 vs 7.27+/-0.16: n=6: p<0.05). No significant effect was noted in SHR. Contraction to angiotensin II was inhibited by low-dose E 2 in WKY and high-dose E 2 in SHR (% of the contraction to 60 mM KCl: WKY: control vs 0.5 mg E 2 : 39+/-5 vs 25+/-2: SHR: control vs 5 mg E 2 : 34+/-4 vs 22+/-2: n=6 and p<0.05 in WKY and SHR). In contrast, NE-induced contraction was enhanced by E 2 replacement (both low- and high-dose) in WKY and SHR (WKY: control vs 0.5 mg E 2 vs 5 mg E 2 : AUC: 280+/-24 vs 387+/-26 vs 374+/-25: maximal contraction: 137+/-8 vs 166+/-8 vs 162+/-3: pD 2 : 7.63+/-0.11 vs 8.17+/-0.13 vs 8.13+/-0.13: SHR: control vs 0.5 mg E 2 vs 5 mg E 2 : AUC: 265+/-17 vs 349+/-16 vs 406+/-19: maximal contraction: 152+/-6 vs 181+/-9 vs 203+/-16: pD 2 : 7.45+/-0.13 vs 7.91+/-0.08 vs 8.04+/-0.04: n=6 and p<0.05 between control and treated groups in WKY and SHR for all parameters). Contraction to U46619 was enhanced by E 2 replacement in SHR (control vs 0.5 mg E 2 : AUC: 478+/-30 vs 574+/-23: maximal contraction: 181+/-9 vs 230+/-10: n=6: p<0.05 for both parameters). Maximal contractile response to endothelin-1 was also enhanced in SHR (control vs 0.5 mg E 2 vs 5 mg E 2 : maximal contraction: 165+/-7 vs 189+/-7 vs 199+/-8: n=6 and p<0.05 between control and treated groups) but not in WKY. Blood pressure was not different between placebo and E 2- treated SHR (171+/-2 vs 174+/-4 mmHg). CONCLUSION: In WKY, chronic high-dose estrogen replacement impairs endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine.: low-dose estrogen replacement does not affect endothelium-dependent relaxation in SHR and WKY. Estrogen replacement enhances the contraction to most of the contractile agonists tested except angiotensin II in both WKY and SHR. These results suggest that estrogen replacement affect the vascular tonus differently according to the vasoactive substances and/or hormones without significant effect on blood pressure.
15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5,13-dienoic Acid ; Acetylcholine ; Angiotensin II ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Area Under Curve ; Baths ; Blood Pressure ; Endothelin-1 ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Models, Animal ; Mortality ; Norepinephrine ; Ovariectomy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the standard treatment of benign gallbladder disease. It requires the skill of a trained surgeon, and its safe performance. The advantages of laparoscopy are less postoperative pain, absence of cosmetic damage, shorter recovery times, and decreased length of hospital stays compared with conventional open surgery. METHODS: We reviewed 500 consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies retrospectively at the department of general surgery of Maryknoll Hospital from February 1992 to May 1999. RESULTS: There were 175 males and 325 females(M:F=1:1.86) with ages ranged from 21 to 78 years (mean: 50.0 year). Preoperatively, 72 patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholagiography and 7 patients underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy due to common bile duct stone. Mean operation time was 73.7 minutes. Operative cholangiogram was attempted in 8 patients. Conversion to open cholecystectomy during operation was done in 8 cases(1.6%) and leading causes were severe adhesion, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected malignancy, bile duct injury. Operative Complications occured in 18 patients(3.6%): bile duct injury 1, postoperative bleeding 1, bile leakage 4,subcutaneous emphysema 1, abdominal wall hematoma 3, wound infection 8. There was no operative mortality. The length of hospital stay ranged from 2 to 15 day with average of 4.7 day. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and effective operation in patients with benign gallbladder diseases.
Abdominal Wall ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Common Bile Duct ; Emphysema ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mortality ; Pain, Postoperative ; Retrospective Studies ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Wound Infection