BACKGROUND: Several keratolytic agents have been used in many dirmatologic conditions such as callus, keratosis palmaris of plantaris, however the evaluation method of the effects of keratolytiic agents has not been good enough in clinical use. OBJECT: We have conducted an investigation to measure the effect of several keratolytic agents using an in vitro model. METHOD: We measured the fegraded protein of keratin by the bui iet method after adding enzymes such as trypsin, pepsin and papain, and irritants, salicylic acid and sodii m lauryl sulfate to the collected callus. RESULT: The order of the keratolytic effect of the enzymes was trypsir >pepsin>papain. It was difficult to detect the keratolytic effect of salicylic acid becaues of color hiidrance and there was an increasing tendency of keratolyti effect of sodium lauryl sulfate, however it was prominent mainly at a high concentration. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the potency of similar types of keratolytic enzymes such as pepsin, trypsin and papain can be possible. However it was not such a sitable model to check the potency of the keratolytic effect of salicylic acid and the eoncentration tevel may be an important factor for certain kinds of chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate.
Bony Callus ; Irritants* ; Keratolytic Agents ; Keratosis ; Papain ; Pepsin A ; Salicylic Acid ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate ; Trypsin

The paratertiary butylphenol formaldehyde resin (PTBP-FR) is commonly used as a shoe adhesives because it sticks rapidly, is durable and pliable, and maintains good bond strength at raised temperature. We report two cases of allergic contact dermatitis due to PTBP-FR-containing shoes. Two women visited our department because of the skin rash on their .
Adhesives ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Exanthema ; Female ; Formaldehyde* ; Humans ; Shoes*

Vasoconstrictive effect of several topicsl corticosteroids was measured using laser Doppler flowmeter. Hydrophilic ointment base, 1% hydrocortisone cream, 0.1% clocortolone pivalate cream, and 0.25% desoxymethasone cream were applied on both forearms of 20 volunteers. To augment the vasoconstrictive effect of the corticosteroids, We had cut off the blood flow to forearms for 4 minutes by tourniquet. The reactive hyperemia was measured by laser Doppler flowmeter and the ares under the curve were calculated by digitizer aided by a computer. The mean areas of esch drugs were in the following order : hydrophilic ointment base, 0.1% clocortolone pivalate cream, 1% hydrocortisone crearn and 0.25% desoxymethasone cream. However, the standard deviations were too large for the difference to be statistically significant. We concluded that laser Doppler flowmeter is not suitable for the measurement of vasoconstrictive effect of corticosteroid.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Desoximetasone ; Flowmeters* ; Forearm ; Humans* ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperemia ; Tourniquets ; Vasoconstriction ; Volunteers

A total of 672 surgically resected gastric carcinomas were reviewed, and fourteen cases(2.1%) of "gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma" were identified. The tumor was located mostly in cardia and body portion(86%). Thirteen patients one was lost to follow up were alive without recurrence of tumor. Grossly, this carcinoma was characterized by an expanding growth pattern or a multinodular pattern. Histologically, this carcinoma showed an irregular trabecular and alveolar arrangement and densely infiltrated lymphoid cells with lymph follicles. The tumor cell nests were widely separated by non-desmoplastic lymphoid stroma. On immunohistochemical study, T cells were evenly distributed throughout the tumor lesion with intimate contact with individual carcinoma cells, but B cells were mainly present within the germinal centers of lymph follicles. Thus, the organized immune response combined with cell mediated and humoral immunities against the carcinoma cells may be a defense mechanism of the host in this type of gastric carcinoma.

Halo nevus clinically presents as a nevus with a surrounding ring of depigmentation that histopathologically demonstrates a dense lymphocytic reaction to the melanocytic component of the epidermis. While melanocytic nevi with halo phenomena are common, a halo reaction is uncommon in Spitz nevus. When a halo reaction develops around a Spitz nevus, differential diagnosis from melanoma arising from pre-existing nevus is difficult due to the presence of dense inflammatory components. A halo reaction itself can increase the cytologic atypia of melanocytes and can obscure nest maturation. Herein, we report rare cases of Spitz nevus combined with a halo reaction. It is important to note that the halo phenomenon can occur without a clinically evident white patch and that the architectural features of the nevus components can be used to distinguish Spitz nevus from malignant melanoma.

High-protein anti-D reagents prepared from pools of human serum have been used for routine RhD typing but, low-protein, saline reactive anti-D reagents formulated predominantly with monoclonal antibodies are in current use. Because some of the high-protein reagents contain macromolecular additives that may cause red cells coated with immunoglobulin to aggregate spontaneously, antisera with these additives may produce a false-positive reaction. A four-day old male was admitted due to severe jaundice. Initially, the RhD type of the newborn using a high-protein reagent was D-positive and then, using two low-protein reagents, it was D-negative. The blood type of the mother was B, CDe, and that of the newborn was B, CcdEe. The direct antiglobulin test on the newborn's RBC was positive. Anti-E and anti-c were identified in the mother's serum and anti-E only was identified in the newborn's serum. The newborn was treated with phototherapy for 10 days and discharged as recovered. We present a case of hemolytic disease of the D negative newborn, which showed a discrepancy between high protein anti-D and low protein anti-D. With a review of literature, the newborn was possibly misinterpreted as D positive.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Coombs Test ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Immunoglobulins ; Indicators and Reagents ; Infant, Newborn* ; Jaundice ; Male ; Mothers ; Phototherapy

No abstract available.
Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; Tretinoin ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND: A two-dose measles vaccination schedule is recommended routinely for either school entry or 11 to 13 years of age in America since 1989. But, several studies were performed on measles antibody in Korea and it remains controversial whether a second dose measles vaccine after 15 months is necessary. To generate baseline data, measles antibody prevalence and its levels according to different age groups in children and young adults in Taejon area were studied. METHODS: A total of 261 subjects at 3 to 21 years of age, who had received a single dose of measles vaccine, were tested for measles antibody by quantitative alpha enzyme immunoassay. The subjects were divided into five age-groups based on the educational system (preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, young-adult). RESULTS: The seropositivity rates were 97.7% and not significantly different among groups. The expected tendency of declining antibody levels with advancing age, as reported by other studies, was not observed in this study. Except for between Group I and Group II, no significant difference was noted in the antibody levels among the five age groups. Group II showed significantly higher antibody levels than those of Group I (P=0.0025). CONCLUSIONS: No declining tendency of measles antibody levels with advancing age is different from many other studies and contradicts the current recommendations for supplementary vaccinations after 15 months. These might reflect the regional characteristics of the study population in Taejon area and current vaccination rate. Therefore, futher studies with larger population in different geographic regions by quantitative EIA would be needed.
Americas ; Appointments and Schedules ; Child ; Daejeon ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Korea ; Measles Vaccine ; Measles* ; Prevalence ; Vaccination* ; Young Adult

We report a case of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension in a 73 year-old woman, who had 19-year history of idiopathic myelofibrosis. There were esophageal varix, splenomegaly, and ascites. The biopsied liver showed irregular sinusoidal/ perisinusoidal fibrosis and occasional central-to-central fibrous connection. In areas with extensive fibrosis, coarse collagen fibers filled the sinusoidal spaces and compressed hepatocytes. However, nodular regeneration was absent. Double immunohistochemical stain for smooth muscle actin and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) revealed diffusely activated stellate cells, some of which showed nuclear PCNA staining. There was also extramedullary hematopoiesis with bizarre megakaryocytes. The portal vein and its branches were patent. Idiopathic myelofibrosis is a rare cause of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: the portal hypertension was considered to be the result of sinusoidal/perisinusoidal fibrosis in this case.
Actins ; Aged ; Ascites ; Collagen ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hematopoiesis, Extramedullary ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal* ; Liver ; Megakaryocytes ; Muscle, Smooth ; Portal Vein ; Primary Myelofibrosis* ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Regeneration ; Splenomegaly

The hepatitis C vims(HCV) is now known to be the chief cause of transfusion-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis. The ultimate goal of blood donor screening for anti-HCV antibodies is the specific exclusion of vital carriers from the blood donor population. Recently, a third generation anti-HCV screening(Green Cross Center Innotest HCV 3.0 Genedia HCV 3.0 ) and immunoblot assay, Inno-Lia HCV Ab III (Innogenetics) using antigens derived from the core and different nonstructural regions(NS3, NS4 and Ns5) of the HCV viral genome were developed. To evaluate the usefulness of these assays, anti-HCV reaction patterns of the Inno-Lia HCV Ab III or presence of HCV-RNA detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) were examined samples in which were repeatedly positive or discrepant with Abbott EIA-2, Innotest HCV 3.0 Genedia HCV 3.0 The reaction intensity of Innotest HCV 3.0 Genedia HCV 3.0 was higher than that of Abbott EIA-2. The sensitivity and specificity of Innotest HCV 3.0 and Genedia HCV 3.0 were 92.9% and 86.8%, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 72.2% and 97.1%. both. The sensitivity and specificity of Abbott EIA-2 were 100% and 78.9%, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 63.6% and 100%, respectively. We concluded that the new third generation HCV EIA reagents can decrease a false positivity of second generation EIA reagents and correlate well with detection of HCV-RNA by RT-PCR.
Blood Donors ; Genome, Viral ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques* ; Indicators and Reagents* ; Mass Screening ; Sensitivity and Specificity