To investigate the inflammatory cytokine production of human epithelial cell lines stimulated with uropathogenic E. coli strains showing 3 different adherence patterns, differential expression of inflammatory cytokine (IL-1a, IL-lB, IL-8, TNFa, and TGFB) mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. IL-1a, IL-1B, IL-8, and TGFB mRNAs constitutively expressed in epithelial cell lines, but not TNFa. The expression of IL-1a and IL-1B mRNA was increased in J-82 cells stimulated with E. coli strains showing DA, LA, or AggA pattern. The expression of IL-8 mRNA was increased, whereas TGFj3 mRNA was decreased in J-82 cells stimulated with E. coli strain showing AggA.pattern. Treatment with crude bacterial adhesins (CBA) isolated from E. coli strains showing DA or LA pattern increased IL-la, IL-lB, IL-S, and TGFj3 mRNA expressions in J-82 cells and HeLa cells. IL-la, IL-lB, and TGFB mRNA expressions were decreased in epitheUal cells stimulated with CBA from E. coli strain showing AggA pattern, whereas IL-8 mRNA expression was significantly increased. The expressions of cytokine mRNAs showed little differences between epithelial ceRs used, but great differences between CBA from DA or LA and AggA strain. LPS stimulation was little changed cytokine mRNA expressions in epithelial cells. This study suggests that cytokine gene expression of epithelial cells by the bacterial stimulation mainly depends on the bacterial adhesins recognized by the respective receptors of epithelial cells.
Adhesins, Bacterial ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Interleukin-8 ; RNA, Messenger ; Uropathogenic Escherichia coli*

Skull base surgery has developed through the evolution of imaging, anatomic research, surgical approach and reconstructive techniques. The basic disciplines of approaching skull base lesions are provide direct vision, minimizing brain retraction, excellent exposure and minimal blood loss. The focus of this report is to review the advantages of skull base approach in our cases and suggest some indications. We experienced 20 cases of skull base surgery by a team approach consisting of a neurosurgeon and plastic surgeon. The surgical approach were supraorbital osteotomy(5 case), orbitozygomatic osteotomy(8 case), orbitozygomaticoglenoid osteotomy (5 case ) and orbitozygomaticoglenoidocondylar osteotomy (2 case). In our experience, these approaches provided excellent exposure of the lesion, direct access to lesions and minimal brain retraction thereby better outcome.
Brain ; Osteotomy ; Skull Base* ; Skull* ; Surgery, Plastic*

No abstract available.
Molecular Biology* ; Shigella*

In order to evaluate the efficiency of serological typing of A. baumannii in practical application, a total of 63 strains of A. baumannii and 234 strains of Gram-negative, lactose non-fermenting bacteria were tested with polyclonal rabbit immunized sera (RIS) against heat-killed A. baumannii strains by slide agglutination tests. Six typing sera of RIS were finally obtained after the checkerboard agglutination test and reciprocal cross-absorption. Species identification of sixty-three strains of A. baumannii were confirmed by ribotyping. Forty-seven (74.6%) of the 63 strains of A. baumannii showed strong positive reaction by slide agglutination tests. Thirty-nine strains could be serotypable and thus classified into 6 distinct serovars of A. baumannii, but 8 strains were unable to classify into specific serovar. Serovar 4 was the most frequent arbitrary serovar and included 17 strains among the 39. When slide agglutination tests were performed with 50-fold diluted pooled polyclonal RIS, there was no cross-reactions except one of E. coli strain among 234 strains of various Gram-negative lactose non-fermenting. Although each profile of LPS-gel electrophoresis of A. baumannii appeared to be unrelated with serovar, the patterns of western-blot of LPS after immunostaining with homologous RIS showed serovar-specificity. Several fractions of low molecular weight LPS showed cross-reaction with antisera of other serovars. In conclusion, the sensitivity and specificity of serological identification of A. baumannii strains were 74.6% and 99.6%, respectively. This result suggests that serotyping is a useful method for the identification of A. baumannii strains as well as is the epidemiological tool to trace back the source of the nosocomial outbreaks.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Agglutination Tests ; Bacteria ; Disease Outbreaks ; Electrophoresis ; Immune Sera ; Lactose ; Molecular Weight ; Ribotyping ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serotyping

Many investigators have reported that collagen gel contraction reflects the mechanism of wound contraction. In 1995, Tsai et al. reported that hypertrophic scar-derived fibroblasts in a connective tissue model possessed the greatest contraction potency when compared with those of normal skin and normal oral mucosa-derived CTMs. In this study, we studied the effect of collagen gel contraction by growth factors such as epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-bata1, and transforming growth factor-bata3, Skin fibroblasts used in this study were obtained from the explant of rat skin culture. Fibroblasts were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Growth factors were added per FPCL in the desired concentrations and we measured the collagen gel diameters in growth factor-treated FPCL on day 1,2,3, and 4 respectively after starting incubation. We examined the effects of EGF, PDGF, TGF-bata1, TGF-bata3 and the effects of combinations of TGF-bata1 + EGF, TGF-bata1 + PDGF, and TGF-bata1 + TGF-bata3 to contract a collagen gel. EGF has little influence on collagen gel contraction. TGF-bata1 and TGF-bata3 increase the collagen contraction. TGF-bata1 enhanced the contractility of collagen gel according to the concentrations. While TGF-bata3 alone had stimulatory contraction effects at low dose, high doses of TGF-bata3 decreased the potency of collagen gel contraction. A combination of TGF-bata1 and EGF minimally decrease TGF-bata1 activity. A combination of TGF-bata1and PDGF had an effect similar to TGF-bata1 activity. A combination of TGF-bata1 and TGF-bata3 decreased TGF-bata1 activity. According to reports that FPCL contraction is equivalent to the process of wound contraction, growth factors which enhance gel contraction may be related to wound contraction and wound healing. TGF-bata1 is reported to enhance scar formation in fetal wound. EGF accelerates wound healing and inhibits the promotion of hypertrophic scar formation. Compared to the effect of collagen gel contraction in this study, the combination of TGF-bata1 and TGF-bata3 that inhibited the promotion of collagen gel contraction are thought to diminish the formation of scar tissue. As well, EGF that has not enhanced collagen gel contraction is thought to diminish the production of scar tissue. We will study the interactive effects of TGF-bata3, EGF and TGF-bata1 on the contraction of collagen gels in the future.
Animals ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Collagen* ; Connective Tissue ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Fibroblasts ; Gels ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Rats ; Research Personnel ; Skin ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries*

Acinetobacter species encounters frequently with clinical specimens and now accounts for a substantial proportion of endemic nosocomial infections in Korea. Recent trends indicate that the antimicrobial resistant strains of Acinetobacter species are increasing. Sixty-one strains were isolated from specimens of patients suspected of nosocomial infections during 1991 to 1996. At present, phenotypic identification of Acinetobacter using biochemical test may not be reliable and resulted in the difficulty to clarify the source of infections and epidemiological study of hospital-acquired infections. Aware of the importance of rational taxonomic proposal for these isolates, correct species identification of these organisms by molecular typing method was carried out. A total of fifty-four strains of A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex species which were identified to genospecies 2 and 13 by biochemical characteristics was subjected to identify by ribotyping using restriction endonuclease EcoRI, ClaI, and SalI. Of fifty-four strains, twenty-five strains were identified as A. baumannii (genospecies 2) and twenty-one strains as genospecies 13, and six strains changed to genospecies 3, and the rest two strains were confirmed as A. haemolyticus (genospecies 4). This result suggests that the ribotyping may be of value for identification of genospecies and epidemiological information of Acinetobacter strains.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus* ; Acinetobacter* ; Cross Infection ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; Humans ; Korea ; Molecular Typing ; Ribotyping*

No abstract available.
Plasmids* ; Shigella* ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

No abstract available.
Sperm Motility* ; Spermatozoa*

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a destructive joint disease requiring early hip arthroplasty. The polyethylene-metal design using a 22-mm femoral head component, introduced by Charnley in 1950, has been widely used for over half a century. Since then, different materials with the capacity to minimize friction between bearing surfaces and various cement or cementless insert fixations have been developed. Although the outcome of second and third generation designs using better bearing materials and technologies has been favorable, less favorable results are seen with total hip arthroplasty in young patients with osteonecrosis. Selection of appropriate materials for hip arthroplasty is important for any potential revisions that might become inevitable due to the limited durability of a prosthetic hip joint. Alternative hip arthroplasties, which include hemiresurfacing arthroplasty and bipolar hemiarthroplasty, have not been found to have acceptable outcomes. Metal-on-metal resurfacing has recently been suggested as a feasible option for young patients with extra physical demands; however, concerns about complications such as hypersensitivity reaction or pseudotumor formation on metal bearings have emerged. To ensure successful long-term outcomes in hip arthroplasty, factors such as insert stabilization and surfaces with less friction are essential. Understanding these aspects in arthroplasty is important to selection of proper materials and to making appropriate decisions for patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Friction ; Head* ; Hemiarthroplasty ; Hip ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Joint Diseases ; Osteonecrosis*

No abstract available.
Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; HeLa Cells* ; Humans ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*