BACKGROUND: Laser resurfacing of cutaneous scars, rhytides, and photodamaged skin has become very popular. Pulsed erbium:YAG laser resurfacing has recently come into favor for the treatment of pitted acne scars. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of pulsed erbium:YAG laser in cutaneous resurfacing of pitted acne scars. METHODS: 100 patients with pitted acne scars were enrolled in this study. All patients were treated by means of a pulsed erbium:YAG laser with a 2 mm handpiece at the setting of 500 to 1000mJ/pulse and fluences used varied between 5-15J/cm2. Photographs of the face were obtained at baseline and 2 week postoperatively. Two weeks after treatment, postoperative care such as applying hydroquinone 4% and tretinoin 0.05% was recommended for 2 to 4 weeks. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients, 20% of patients showed an excellent response, 50% a good response, 21% a fair response and 9% a poor response. After 6 months, erythema had developed in two patients and and three patients had developed postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation and delayed contact dermatitis. CONCLUSION: Treatment with pulsed erbium:YAG laser shows high efficacy and low morbidity in pitted acne scar resurfacing.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Cicatrix* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Erythema ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Hypopigmentation ; Postoperative Care ; Skin ; Tretinoin

No abstract available.

At the time in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, patients with unsuitable endometrium recovered by hormone. However, the overtreatment of hormone causes indispositionly the uterus internal secretion and finally induces endometriosis. Therefore, this study was done to inverstigate the effects of interleukin-2, which was known to differentiator and proliferator of T cells, on proliferation of the endometrial stromal cells in vitro. We have exammined the effects of interleukin-2, on the proliferation of bovine endometrial stromal cells in vitro, assessed by ['H]-thymidine incorporation and MTT assay methods. Results indicate that we isolated endometrial stromal cells from bovine uterus and established in vitro culture system. And interleukin-2 showed distint stimulatory effect on proliferation of the established stromal cells. These stimulative effects were not affected by estrogen and progesterone indirectly. In conclusion, these data imply that interleukin-2 may proliferate bovine endometrial stromal, cells, and it provides clue for understanding of direct actions of cytokines on the endometriat cells.
Cytokines ; Embryo Transfer ; Endometriosis ; Endometrium ; Estrogens ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukins* ; Progesterone ; Stromal Cells* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Uterus

No abstract available.
Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Eclampsia* ; Female ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly is increasing in Korea and in the developed countries due to the increased elderly population and their predispositions to chronic disease, poverty and decreased immunity. To define the characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis in the elderly, we evaluated the clinical spectrum of pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: We analyzed 92 patients retrospectively that were diagnosed as active pulmonary tuberculosis over the age of 65. The analysis involved patient's profiles, clinical manifestations, coexisting diseases, diagnostic methods, anti-TB medications and their side effects, and treatment outcomes. RESULTS: The results were as follows:- 1) The ratio of male to female was 2.1:1(62:30 cases) 2) Chief complaints were a cough (47.8%),dyspnea(40.2%), sputum(38.0%), chest pain(12.0%), anorexia(10.9%), and fever(9.8%). 3) 38(41.3%) of cases had a past history of pulmonary tuberculosis. 4) The coexisting diseases were:-COPD, 25 cases(27.2%);pneumonia, 17 cases(18.5%);DM, 13 cases(14.1%);and malignancy, 10 cases(10.9%). 5) The positivity of Mantoux test(5 TU, PPD-S) was 82.7%. 6) Pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed using the following methods : sputum AFB (Acid Fast Bacillus) smear 42.4%, sputum TB(M.Tuberculosis) culture 15.2%, sputum TB PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) 10.9%, bronchial washing AFB smear 2.1%, chest radiology only 25.0%. 7) Locations of radiologic lesions were RULF, 50 cases;RLLF, 50 cases, mostly, then LLLF;26 cases were leastly involved. 8) The coexisting tuberculosis were endobronchial TB(8.7%), TB pleurisy(7.6%) miliary TB(5.4%), intestinal TB(2.2%), renal TB(1.1%) 9) The proportion of treatment regimen with 1st line drug and 2nd line drug were 92.3% and 7.6%, respectively. 10) The outcome of treatment were as follows:cured 31.5%, expired 13.0%, no return 47.8%, follow-up now 7.6%. CONCLUSION: The pulmonary tuberculosis in the elderly has atypical patterns with chronic coexisting diseases. Therefore, the possibility of pulmonary tuberculosis should be considered in elderly patients with pulmonary symptoms.
Aged* ; Chronic Disease ; Cough ; Developed Countries ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Poverty ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Animals ; Dietary Fats* ; Rats*

A 62-year-old man presented with a tender, solitary nodule on the left upper arm. He had no specific family history of the lesion. A biopsy specimen showed various sized irregular vascular lumens in the upper dermis. The vascular walls consisted of an endothelial cell layer and rim of one to three layers of glomus cell nests outside the endothelial cells. The cell nests consisted of round shaped epitheloid cells with relatively uniform round or oval shaped nuclei and pale cytoplasm. These tumor cells were strongly positive for vimentin, and a-smooth muscle actin. On electron microscopic examination, the cytoplasm of these tumor cells contained fine filamentous components and many electron dense bodies were found at the plasma membrane and the cytoplasm. We report a case of a solitary glomus tumor(glomangioma) that showed the histological features of the multiple type of glomus tumor. In addition we describe the results of an immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study.
Actins ; Arm ; Biopsy ; Cell Membrane ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Endothelial Cells ; Glomus Tumor ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Vimentin

No abstract available.

Dysregulation of TGF-beta that is a modulator of cell growth and differentiation can result in uncontrolled growth and tumor formation. Monitoring these pattern of genes and protein expression during tumor development will provide a basis for understanding normal growth and distortion of osteochondrogenesis. Our comparative studies on the experssion of TGF-beta protein indicate that TGF-beta may primarily be a regulator of epithelial differentiation during tooth development (between 4 weeks and 40 gestational weeks) and tumorigenesis of odontogenic neoplasm (ameloblastoma). In early human tooth germ (cap/early bell stage) TGF-beta protein was found in the epithelial dentallamina and enamel orgen. TGF-beta experessions were seen in inner and outer dental epithelium during bell stage. During enamel and cementum appositional stage, TGF-beta expression shifted from the ameloblast to the odontoblast. In eruption stage, TGF-beta expressions look like moderate positive pattern in odontoblast and rare pattern in enamel, dentin and cementum. TGF-beta expressions of follicular and plexiform amelobalstoma are moderate positive reaction in ectodermal tumor components and mild positive in vessels of stroma tissue. In acanthomatous type, TGF-beta expression was shown severely positive finding in stellate reticulum cell. TGF-beta expressions were noted moderate reaction in margin of tumor epithelium and stellate reticulum cell of granular ameloblastoma. In unicystic ameloblastoma, TGF-beta expression was rare feature in cystic luminal epithelium. With these result, I should be suggested that TGF-beta may play an important role in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in human tooth morphogenesis and development of odontogenic epithelial tumors.
Ameloblastoma* ; Ameloblasts ; Carcinogenesis ; Dental Cementum ; Dental Enamel ; Dentin ; Ectoderm ; Embryonic Structures* ; Epithelium ; Fetus* ; Humans* ; Morphogenesis ; Odontoblasts ; Phenobarbital ; Reticulum ; Tooth Germ* ; Tooth* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta*

The 5-HT2A receptor is of great interest for research into schizophrenia and psychopharmacology in light of the observation that schizophrenic patients has 5-HT cortical-subcortical imbalance and atypical antipsychotic clozpine has 5-HT2A antagonists properties. An significant association between schizophrenia and the T102C polymorphism of the gene for 5-HT2A receptor has been reported. In this study, we investigated an association between schizophrenia and the T102C polymorphism of the gene for 5-HT2A receptor in Korean schizophrenic patients. The subjects consisted of 139 schizophrenic patients and 88 normal controls. Genomic DNA was amplified by PCR and digested with MsPI. The uncutt product identified allele 1(nucleotide sequence TCT) ; digested products of 216bp and 156bp identified allele 2(nucleotide sequence TCC). The allele frequencies and the genotypic distribution of 5-HT2A receptor gene were not significantly different between schizophrenic patients and normal controls. Since allele frequencies of the T102C polymorphism may differ between individuals of different ethnic backgrounds, it needs to be conducted in an advanced research.
Alleles ; DNA ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Psychopharmacology ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A ; Schizophrenia* ; Serotonin ; Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists