No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

PURPOSE: In the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells do not undergo apoptosis after separation from the basement membrane. In order to investigate the mechanism by which RPE cells resist apoptosis in PVR, the expression of focal adhesion kinase after cryotherapy was studied. METHODS: After lensectomy and vitrectomy was performed on rabbit eyes, a retinal tear was created. Cryotherapy was applied to the tear site one week after the tear creation. Rabbits were sacrificed at 1, 4 and 7 days after the tear formation and 30 minutes, 1, 4, 7, 9, 21 days after cryotherapy. Eyes were stained with anti-focal adhesion kinase (FAK) antibody. RESULTS: Expression of FAK increased after the tear formation and remained increased until 21days after cryotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that creation of a retinal tear and cryotherapy increases FAK expression and may contribute to resistance to apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; Basement Membrane ; Cryotherapy* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases* ; Focal Adhesions* ; Phosphotransferases ; Rabbits ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

We analyzed retrospectively 39 cases of 39 patients who had undergone surgery for penetrating ocular injury involving posterior segment to investigate the effect of pars plana vitrectomy on visual outcome and anatomical success. Patients who received surgery between January, 1990 to October, 1994 were included. The patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy were classified to 'vitrectomy group', and those who had not undergone vitrectomy were classified to 'primary repair group'. There were no significant differences in severity of ocular injury between the two groups. The vitrectomy group had significantly better result in functional success(visual result) and the anatomical success. Success rates of the two groups were compared in the presence of poor prognostic factors, including initial visual acuity worse than hand motion, hyphema more than 50%, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, laceration longer than 7mm, located more than 6mm posterior to the limbus. Vitrectomy group showed better results in the presence of each factor.
Hand ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Lacerations ; Retinal Detachment ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

The effect of topical steroid application on clinical results of 215 eyes(126 patients) performed with excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) from July 1993 to July 1994 was evaluated, postopertively. The range of myopia was between -2.5 and -11.5 diopter and followed for 9 months after PRK with Summit Omnimed(TM). Topical corticosteroid or non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) was not applied for one month after operation in all cases. After one month, in cases of 115 eyes showing myopic regression of more than -1 diopter or stromal haziness of more than grade 1(delayed steroid group; DSG), 0.1% fluorometholone was applied 4 times daily for 4 weeks, then tapered according to the planned schedule. 46.5% (100 eyes, non-steroid group;NSG) did not show the myopic regression nor stromal haziness without treatment of fluorometholone throughout the follow-up period. Uncorrected visual acuity, spherical equivalent and corneal haziness were evaluated 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36 week after operation. 73%(73 eyes) of NSG and 27%(30 eyes) of DSG showed a myopia less than 6.0 diopters preoperatively. The proportion of male was 36% in NSG and 50.4% in DSG. 88.1% of male high myopia(>6.0 diopters) needed 0.1% fluorometholone, while 17.6% of female moderate and mild myopia( Appointments and Schedules ; Female ; Fluorometholone ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Male ; Myopia ; Photorefractive Keratectomy* ; Visual Acuity

The authors reviewed retrospectively retinal detachment(RD)s following posterior chamber intraocular lens(PC-IOL) implantation by transscleral suture fixation. One hundred twenty-two transscleral fixations of PC-IOL were performed from January, 1990 to December, 1992. The follow-up periods for this series ranged from 12 to 42 months. Six retinal detachments developed in this series. and the incidence of RD was 4.9%. There was no statistical difference between the primary operation group(unplanned posterior capsule rupture during extracapsular cataract extraction, lens dislocation/subluxation) and the secondary operation group(already aphakia after previous cataract surgery). The predisposing factors to RD were myopic eye(p=0.03), postoperative vitreous hemorrhage(p=0.001). In cases with RD, the locations of transscleral fixation sutures almost coincided with the meridians of the retinal breaks. The contributing factors to increased incidence of RD were thought to be vitreous loss during operations, vitreous traction by suturing needle or haptics of IOL, proliferative change by vitreous hemorrhage.
Aphakia ; Cataract ; Cataract Extraction ; Causality ; Follow-Up Studies ; Incidence ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Meridians ; Needles ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Sutures ; Traction ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

The faded mouse is a coat color mutant that shows faded coat color and age-related loss of pigmentation. This mutation is transmitted by an autosomal recessive gene with 100% penetrance. In the present study, we carried out linkage analysis of the faded (fe) gene using intra-specific backcross panels. Affected faded mice were carefully confirmed by their faded coat color at about 4 weeks of age. In the intra-specific backcross between faded and CBA mice (n=198), the fe gene was mapped to a region 2.1 cM distal to D10mit191. Therefore, the gene order was defined as follows: centromere-D10mit51 (12.4+/-2.4 cM)-D10mit191 (2.1+/-1.0 cM)-fe-D10mit44 (13.3+/-2.4 cM)-D10mit42 (14.4+/-2.5 cM). This linkage map of the fe locus will provide a good entry point to isolate the fe gene. Since the faded mouse has pigmentary abnormalities, this mutant may be a useful model for studies of pigmentary abnormalities in humans.
Animals ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10 ; Gene Order ; Genes, Recessive ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred CBA ; Penetrance ; Pigmentation

The C57BL/6J-fe/fe mouse is a coat color mutant. The coat color of the homozygote mouse becomes progressively lighter with advancing age. The faded gene (fe) of C57BL/6J-fe/fe was mapped in a 2.0 cM distal to D10mit191 by our group. To make a high-resolution map, we used the Korean wild mouse (KWHM) for a backcross panel, which was captured in 1995 and has been maintained as an inbred line by our laboratory. In the inter-specific backcross panel (N=400), the fe gene was mapped to 1.0 cM distal to D10mit156. The gene order was defined: centromere -D10mit3/85 (1.3+/-0.6 cM)-D10mit155 (1.3+/-0.6 cM)-D10mit191 (2.0+/-0.7 cM)-D10mit156 (1.0+/-0.5 cM)-fe-D10mit193 (1.3+/-0.6 cM)-D10mit54 (1.0+/-0.5 cM)-D10mit44 (8.5+/-1.4 cM)-D10mit42 (10.0+/-1.5 cM). The measured distance between D10mit191 and D10mit 44 differed in both inter-specific (DBA/2) and intra-specific (KWHM) backcross panels (14.2 vs 13.8 cM). Taken together, our high-resolution linkage map of the fe locus from an intra-specific backcross panel will provide a good entry point to isolate the fe gene.
Animals ; Centromere ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10 ; Gene Order ; Hair Color ; Homozygote ; Mice

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical manifestations and treatments of parafoveal telangiectasis. METHODS: Twenty-two eyes of fifteen patients diagnosed as parafoveal telangiectasis were selected who had visited Kong Eye Center from September 1999 to August 2003 complaining of decreasing visual acuity. Visual acuity was checked and fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were done. Authors treated six eyes of six patients experienced decreasing visual acuity due to macular edema with argon laser photocoagulation and one eye of one patient accompanying with choroidal neovascularization with photodynamic therapy. RESULTS: Among fifteen patients, group 1 cases were eight (1B eight) and group 2 cases were seven by classification of Gass and Blodi. Visual acuity improved in two eyes of six eyes and maintained in four eyes of six eyes and optical coherence tomography showed decrease of macular edema in six eyes of six patients all after argon laser photocoagulation. Visual acuity improved and optical coherence tomography showed decrease of macular edema in one eye of one patient after photodynamic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Group 1 cases were more than group 2 cases. Argon laser photocoagulation can be effectively used to treat decreasing visual acuity due to macular edema in parafoveal telangiectasis patients. Photodynamic therapy seems to be effective in parafoveal telangiectasis accompanied with choroidal neovascularization but we think that additional studies with more cases are needed.
Argon ; Choroidal Neovascularization ; Classification ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Light Coagulation ; Macular Edema ; Photochemotherapy ; Telangiectasis* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity

The traditional light microscopy has limitations for precise growth assays of malaria parasites in culture or for assessment of new compounds for antimalarial activity; the speed and high reproducibility of flow cytometry can overcome these limitations. A flow cytometric method using PicoGreen, a DNA-binding fluorochrome, was developed with optimal precision suitable for performing growth assays of low-parasitemia field isolates. In addition, intra- and inter-person reproducibility of the flow cytometric and the microscopic method were compared in order to quantitatively demonstrate the improved precision. RNase treatment contributed to the precision of the flow cytometric measurements by enhancing the signal-to-noise ratios. Coefficients of variation of the method were smaller than 10% for 0.1% or higher parasitemia samples. The intra- and inter-person coefficients of variation of the flow cytometric method were three to six times smaller than those of the microscopic method. The flow cytometric method developed in this study yielded substantially more precise results than the microscopic method, allowing determination of parasitemia levels of 0.1% or higher, with coefficients of variation smaller than 10%. Thus, the PicoGreen method could be a reliable high sensitivity assay for analysis of low parasitemia samples and might be applied to a high throughput system testing antimalarial drug activity.
*Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Dyes/chemistry ; Humans ; *Microscopy ; Organic Chemicals/chemistry ; Parasitemia/*diagnosis ; Plasmodium falciparum/*isolation & purification ; Reproducibility of Results ; Ribonucleases/metabolism ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio

PURPOSE: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is an intractable epilepsy which is comprised of several types of etiology and generalized seizures. It also combines with mental retardation. The present study was made to ascertain the clinical study on Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in Korea. METHODS: From January, 1985 to December, 1995, 31 children, diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome at Kyung Hee University Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 2.4:1. With regard to etiology, idiopathic form was found in 7 cases (22.6%) and symptomatic form in 24 cases (77.4%). Transition from West syndrome to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome was observed in 14 cases (45.2%). The most common type of seizure was tonic seizure which was seen in 19 cases (61.3%) and atypical absence, myoclonic seizure and atonic seizure were also observed. The most common clinical signs and symptoms were mental retardation, but others such as progressive loss of psychomotor function and attention deficit were also frequently associated with this syndrome. The EEG usually had abnormal background activity, slow spike and wave complexes and often showed multifocal abnormalities. In spite of intractable epilepsy, 18 cases (58.1%) were controlled with complex anticonvulsant therapy. CONCLUSION: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome manifested itself in children aged 1-6 years and had polyetiology. Most tonic seizures and mental retardation were observed. After complex anticonvulsant therapy with vigabatrin, complete remission was induced in many cases.
Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intellectual Disability ; Korea ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Spasms, Infantile ; Vigabatrin