BACKGROUND: Recently Malassezia (M.) furfur fungemia has been increasingly recognized in premature infants and adults receiving parenteral nutrition. Accordingly, analysis of nucleic acids in M. furfur serovars and strain typing methods based on genetic differences and similarities are required for epidemiological studies. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to analyze nucleic acids in M. furfur serovars A, B and C and to adapt the method of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of DNA to differentiate the strains of M. furfur serovars for use in epidemiological studies. METHODS: Cellular nucleic acids were extracted from the strains of M. furfur serovars and electrophoresed, followed by digestion of DNA and electrophoresis of the resultant DNA fragmegments. RESULTS: Each of the six strains, grown both on solid medium and liquid medium, revealed a genomic DNA. Interestingly, unique extra bands of RNA were observed in four of the six strains which had grown on solid medium. These bands were also seen in three of them grown in broth. The size of these bands were from 0.5 to 5.0 kbp by comparison with a ‘1 kb DNA ladder’. The restriction patterns generated by EcoR I, Hae III, Hind III, and Hinf I were not unsuccessful. The DNA from serovar B was insensitive to the above restriction enzymes. CONCLUSIONS: Although DNA was extracted from the strains, the amounts were not thought to be enough for RFLP analysis and the DNA from the serovar B was insensitive to the above restriction enzymes. Thus, further development of an extraction method of DNA is required for obtaining enough DNA from M. furfur serovars, and other restriction enzymes would have to be investigated for their ability to differentiate strains of M. furfur in epidemiological studies. Also, further investigation of RNA bands might be able to adapt them for a typing method.
Adult ; Digestion ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Fungemia ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Malassezia* ; Methods ; Nucleic Acids* ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; RNA ; Serogroup*

To identify the developmental characteristics of fetal skin, the expressions of cytokeratine (CK) and epidermal growth factor (EGFR) in fetal skin (12-24 weeks of gestation) were studied immunohistochemically, and the ultrastructure of epidermis was also observed. The Expressions of CK and EGFR were identified in labelled sterptoavidine biotin immunohistochemical method. Primary antibodies used monclonal mouse anti-human CK (DAKO-CK, MF116) and EGFR Ab-4 which is rabbit affinity-purified polyclonal antibody raised against the amino acid residues 1005-1016 (Onc Science). At 12 weeks of gestation the epidermis was composed basal layer and periderm and the cells of both layers were positively stained for CK and EGFR. At 16-18 weeks of gestation, epidermis was composed basal, intermediate, and periderm. The cells of basal layer and periderm were strongly positive for CK, but the cells of intermediate layer showed weak or negative reaction for CK. EGFR immunoreactivity was noted in cells of all three layers, though cells of basal layer were stained relatively weak. At 23-24 weeks of gestation, the epidermis thickened and appeared 6 or more cell layers. Epidermal cells except horny layer were stained positively for CK and EGFR. EGFR immunoreactivity in basal layer, however, was relatively weak compared to those in intermediate layers. Periderm always were reaction-positive for CK and EGFR. The hair follicles, mainly pre-germ stage, were negatively stained for CK and EGFR at 12 weeks of gestation. The hair follicles with various developing stages were positively stained at 16-18 weeks of gestation. At 24 weeks of gestation, inner sheath of hair shaft and sebaceous gland were strongly reacted for CK, but not reacted for EGFR. In electron microscopic study, epidermis was composed of two layers, basal layer and periderm at 12 weeks of gestation. The periderm was composed of basal, intermediate and periderm at 12 weeks of gestation. The periderm was composed of basal, intermediate and periderm layers at 16-18 weeks of gestation. Intermediate cells consisted of 2-3 layers of spinous cells. The granular cells appeared rarely in superficial cells of intermediate layers. At 23-24 weeks of gestation, epidermis consisted of basal, prickle, granular, and horny layers. Periderm cells were locally exfoliated from the hony layer. The results demonstrate the expression of CK and EGFR in skin of human fetus between 12 and 24 weeks of gestation, and suggest that full thickness of epidermis is formed by 24 weeks of gestation.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Biotin ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Epidermis* ; Fetus* ; Hair ; Hair Follicle ; Humans* ; Keratins ; Methods ; Mice ; Pregnancy ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Sebaceous Glands ; Skin

Persistent burning and derythema were present for 10 months cin he lower lip of a 55-year-old woman, who had extreme melalignment of the anterior maxillary teeth. Candida albicans was identified not only from the surface material of the lower lip but also from tl.e malaigned dental cleft, which was thought to be the source of the organisms. We feel that the impor.ance of malaligned theeth as a source of candida albicans miist be kept in mind when we face persis ent cheilitis in a patient whose teeth arrangement is bad.
Burns ; Candida albicans ; Candida* ; Cheilitis ; Female ; Humans ; Lip ; Middle Aged ; Tooth*

Hibernoma is a rare subcutaneous neoplasm resembling the brown fat of the hibernating animal. It is usually found in the interscapular, cervical or axillary regions. We report a case of this rare tumor which developed on the occeipital scalp of a 42-year-old woman.
Adipose Tissue, Brown ; Adult ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Scalp*

PURPOSE: It is agreed that tumor stage is the definitive prognostic indicator for patients with renal cell carcinoma. We investigated pathologic grade and cell subtype as another prognostic in each tumor stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 206 patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma between January 1991 and June 1998. Renal cell carcinoma grade, stage and cell subtype (conventional [clear cell], papillary, chromophobe, sarcomatoid type) were evaluated using the 1997 Union International Contre Ie cancer (UICC) and the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) grading, TNM staging criteria and renal cell carcinoma classification. Kaplan -Meier survival curves were used to determine 5-year survival for all patient groups. Univariate analysis using log rank test was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of TNM stage, Fuhrman nuclear grade, cell subtype and tumor size. We investigated pathologic grade and cell subtype with log rank teat whether those were another significant prognostic factors in each tumor stage. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine which factors had an independent impact on survival of patients with renal cell carcinoma. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed that TNM stage (p<0.001), pathologic grad (p<0.001) were the important prognostic indicators for renal cell carcinoma. Survival was affected significantly by tumor size when cutoff diameter for localized T1 lesions was 7cm but not 2.5cm. Pathologic grade had a significant impact on patient survival (p<0.0001). In the cell subtype chromophobe type had the best survival and sarcomatoid type had the worst survival though cell subtype did not appear to affect survival significantly (p=0.0583). Multivariate analysis revealed that N classification (p=0.009) and M classification (p=0.018) were the most important prognostic indicators for cell subtype (p=0.841) were not shown to have any independent impact on patient survival. In the group of localized disease(TXN0M0 stage) at the diagnosis, cell subtype had a significant impact on survival in T1(p<0.001), T2(p=0.01) and T3(p=0.029) and grade in T1(p=0.0016) and T3(p=0.0054). CONCLUSIONS: Pathologic grade and cell subtype were significant predictors of survival in each T stage of localized disease though they didn't have independent impact on the patient survival.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Classification* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Joints ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Nephrectomy

Chromoblastomycosis, a chronic fungal infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, is known to be difficult to treat. Recently itraconazole has proved effective for treatment of this infection, but requires a prolonged treatment course. We experienced a case of chromoblastomycosis caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi in a 68-year-old Korean man showing a complete resolution with a short course of oral itraconazole, 200 mg daily, for six weeks.
Aged ; Chromoblastomycosis* ; Humans ; Itraconazole* ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

No abstract available.
Humans

Microsporum ferrugineum was the most common cause of tinea captis in Korea until the middle of the 1970s, but this organism has been only rarely isolated from the scalp ringworm during recent years. We report, three cases of tinea capitis occurring in a 2-year-old male, a 10 year-old female and a 5-year-old male. From all three patients, Microsporum ferrugineum was isolated.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Microsporum* ; Scalp ; Tinea Capitis* ; Tinea*

BACKGROUND: Although the wet earwax has been known to be related with the incidence of tinea versicolor, very little has been revealed on how they are correlated with each other. The incidence of Malassezia furfur, the etiological organism of tinea versicolor, and its population densities as yearst and mycelial form in the different types of earwax, the dry and the wet, have not been studied. METHODS: The type of earwax in 65 patients with tinea versicolor were classified into 2 types, dry and wet, by its appearence and the subjective complaints of the patients. The dry and wet cerumens were obtained from 142 and 49 individulas without tinea versicolor respectively. The cerumens were stained with 10% Parker ink-KOH solution. The incidence and its population densities of yeast and mycelial M. furfur in the wet cerumens were compared with those in the dry cerumens according to a new grading method using bacterial index(BI) of lepra bacilli. RESULTS: 1. Dry and wet earwax were observed in 58.5%(38 cases) and 41.5%(27 cases) of 65 patients respectively. 2. The incidence of yeast M. furfur in the dry and wet cerumens were 100% and 63.3%(31 of 49 cases) respectively, and that of mycelial M. furfur, 28.2%(40 of 142 cases) and 32.7%(16 of 49 cases) respectively. 3. The population densities(from 3+ to 6+) of yeast M. furfur in the dry and wet cerumens were ob served in 93.0%(132 of 142 cases) and 49.0%(24 of 40 cases), and those(3+) of mycelial M. furfur, 21.1%(30 of 142 cases) and 24.5%(12 of 49 cases) respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence(41.5%) of wet earwax in tinea versicolor patients is significantly higher than that(0.8%) in The Korean control group. The ratio between the incidence of mycelial M. furfur and that of yeast M. furfur in the wet cerumens is higher than in the dry cerumens, and the ratio of population densities in the wet cerumens is also higher. These observations suggest that the skin surface conditions of the wet earwax group may be more suitable for yeast-mycelial transformation of M. furfur than those of the dry earwax group. The comparison of chemical compositions of the skin surface between dry and wet earwax groups is needed to elucidate the correlation between tinea versicolor and the types of earwax in the future.
Cerumen ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Malassezia* ; Population Density* ; Skin ; Tinea Versicolor* ; Tinea* ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Dermatomyositis*