BACKGROUND: In epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, it has been recognized that there exists heterogeneity in the clinical and serologic/immunopathologic features. OBJECTIVE: We examined patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita to see if there were any associated clinical and serological features which may predict disease activity or prognosis in the disease. METHODS: Clinical and some serologic features were compared. between 2 groups of patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita; one with complete remission of the symptoms and signs of the disease for more than 2 years and the other group with persistent disease activities of longer than 5 years.
Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita* ; Epidermolysis Bullosa* ; Humans ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis

No abstract available.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Personal Satisfaction ; Smoke* ; Smoking*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant ; Infant Mortality*

No abstract available.
Arginine ; Growth Hormone* ; Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone ; Somatostatin

Routine use of commercially available antisera against hepatitis B core antigen(HBcAg) has permitted a reevaluation of the histochemical distribution of the antigen in liver tissue. HBcAg, classically described almost exclusively in the nucleus, was found with a very high frequency in the cytoplasm of liver cells as well. To elucidate the biologic significance of HBcAg expression and its relation to the natural course of hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection, the patterns of activity in 33 needle liver biopsies of HBsAg carriers were analysed. A good correlation of liver HBcAg with disease activity was demonstrated. HBcAg was present in the hepatocyte nuclei(nHBcAg) or cytoplasm(cHBcAg), or in both(mixed). Pure nHBcAg was seen mainly in non-aggressive reactive liver tissue and cHBcAg was predominantly associated with chronic active hepatitis(95%). The results suggest that expression of HBcAg correlates with the liver pathology and the possibility of HBcAg to be an immunological target for T cell mediated hepatocyte damage.
Biopsy

In order to investigate the level of lead exposure of workers in litharge making industry and to evaluate how lead exposure, personal habit such as smoking and drinking affect the prevalence of lead related symptoms and other study variables, we investigate 114 workers(24 office workers and 90 lead exposed workers) in a litharge making industry. Study variables chosen were blood lead(PbB), zinc protoporphyrin in whole blood(ZPP), Hemoglobin(Hb), hematocrit (Hct), SGOT and SGPT. symptom questionnaires which had 15 lead exposure related symptoms were provided to all workers and filled up by themselves and reconfirmed by physician. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The mean value of PbB, ZPP and SGOT in lead exposed group were higher than those of non-exposed group, and there were no differences of means in other study variables. 2. The smoking and drinking rate of study subjects were 65.8% and 71.0% as a whole. Smoking rates were lower in non-exposed group than exposed group, but drinking rate were not. 3. There were no differences of mean values of study variables between smoker and non-smoker in non-exposed and exposed group, but there was a difference of mean value of SGOT between drinker and non-drinker in lead exposed group. 4. while the symptom prevalence of lead exposed group were higher in neuromuscular category than non-exposed group, those of non-exposed group were higher or same with exposed group in gastrointestinal and general symptom category. 5. The symptom prevalence of smoker were higher than non-smoker regardless of exposure. 6. The symptom prevalence of drinker were only higher in gastrointestinal symptom category than non-drinker. 7. In multiple stepwise regression analysis of lead related symptoms as dependent variable and blood lead, smoking habit, drinking habit and work duration as independent variables, drinking habit contributed to the gastrointestinal symptom category, whereas blood lead and smoking contributed to the neuromuscular symptom category. For the total symptoms work duration and smoking habit contributed significantly.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Drinking ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Zinc

No abstract available.
Vasculitis*

Chylothorax is the most common cause of pleural effusion in the neonatal period and is defined as an effusion of lymph in the pleural cavity. We report a case of chylothorax in a 13-day-old male who was admitted due to respiratory difficulty. Chest AP showed pleural effusion of the left lung and milky yellow fluid was aspirated via thoracentesis upon which laboratory and lipoprotein electrophoresis of pleural fluid revealed findings compatible with that of chylothorax. Due to reaccumulation of chyle after daily thoracentesis, chest tube was inserted at the 4th hospital day, and MCT containing diet was given. He was discharged on the 21st hospital day in good health, and revealed no recurrence for 3 months during outpatient follow up visits.
Chest Tubes ; Chyle ; Chylothorax* ; Diet* ; Electrophoresis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lipoproteins ; Lung ; Male ; Outpatients ; Pleural Cavity ; Pleural Effusion ; Recurrence ; Thoracostomy* ; Thorax ; Triglycerides*

Pseudoatrophoderma colli is a symptomless, persistent, persistent, pigmentary disorder involving the neck and upper thorax first described by Becker and Muir in. 1934 The lesion is usually localized to the neck and upper part of the thorax. It consists of macules or papules which show pigmentation or papules which show pigmentation or depigmentation and look atrophic. Histological examination shows hyperkeratosis, hypogranulosis, focal acanthosis and perivascular lymphocytic infiltration. We present herein a case of pseudoatrophoderma colli which showed symptomless, mottled, pigmentated macules involving the neck clinically and compatible findings histopathologically.
Neck ; Pigmentation ; Thorax

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of preeclampsia, birth weight, fetal sex, maternal body mass index(BMI) on cord blood leptin concentrations. This study is to test whether leptin would be increased in preeclampsia and to test cord leptin concentrations for correlation with maternal leptin concentrations. METHOD: Maternal blood samples were obtained from 56 normal pregnancies and 24 preeclampsia women prior to delivery. Umbilical cord blood were obtained from the all cases studied immediately after delivery. The total leptin levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Mean maternal leptin level was 16.4+/-6.4ng/ml in normal pregnancy and was 19.4+/-7.9 ng/ml in preeclampsia. Mean cord leptin level was 5.4+/- 3.4ng/ml in normal pregnancy and 4.6+/-3.2ng/ml in preecalmpsia. Mean cord blood leptin level in female fetus was 6.6+/-3.7ng/ml and 4.8+/-2.8ng/ml in male fetus. CONCLUSION: This study shows that there are correlation with leptin level and fetal birth weight, body mass index, and fetal gender. Furthermore, physiologic role and mechanism of leptin of maternal serum and umbilical cord would be studied.
Birth Weight ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; Fetus ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Male ; Plasma* ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Umbilical Cord*