Benign hemangioma of the mediastinum is rare. This slowly growing tumor is described as well circumscribed, cystic, hemorrhagic tumor. Histologically it can be differentiated into capillary or cavernous form. We present a case of mediastinal hemangioma. A 20-year-old-man was presented with a slowly growing posterior mediastinal mass of 6 years duration, 8x6 cm in size. The mass was relatively well defined but focally invasive. Microscopically, it was differentiated into vessels of capillary, cavernous, and venous patterns. A solid cellular proliferation with inconspicuous capillary lumens was focally seen. The stroma between variable-sized vessels showed marked myxoid change associated with some smooth muscle bundles and adipose tissue. Ultrastructurally, areas of solid cellular proliferation showed formation of lumens. These lumens were lined by active endothelial cells showing plasmalemmal vesicles and Weibel-Palade bodies on the abluminal surface.
Adipose Tissue ; Capillaries ; Cell Proliferation ; Endothelial Cells ; Hemangioma* ; Mediastinum ; Muscle, Smooth ; Weibel-Palade Bodies

No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms*

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the liver is uncommon, representing less than 1% of the primary malignant lesions of the liver. We report primary MFH of the liver in a 59-year-old woman. The tumor, measuring 9.0 9.0 6.0 cm, was located in the left lobe of the liver. It showed multiple areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of plump spindle cells haphazardly arranged in short fascicle and focal storiform pattern. Multiple bizarre giant cells were also noted. Immunohistochemically, many of the tumor cells were positive for vimentin and alpha1-antitrypsin but negative for epithelial markers. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells showed fibroblastic and histiocytic features.
Female ; Fibroblasts ; Giant Cells ; Hemorrhage ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Humans ; Liver* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Vimentin

Sequence comparison of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of human caliciviruses (HuCVs) from Korean children with gastroenteritis revealed significant genetic variation among them. cDNA clones were produced from the HuCVs collected from pediatric population during a period of 1987-1994. The application of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers directed to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region within ORF1 of Norwalk virus (NV) showed that 13.7% of HuCVs yielded PCR products of similar size to the NV prototype, NV8Flla/68/US, with exceptions of HuCV185/87/Korea and HuCV1115/90/Korea. Computer analyses showed that the PCR products had a continuous protein encoding frame on the positive strand, and contained GLPSG and YGDD amino acid motifs at the predicted distance from primers. Alignment of the amino acid sequences of HuCVs with previously published sequences for Snow Mountain agent (SMA), NV, and Sapporo/82/Japan indicated that these strains can be divided into four major genogroups. There were 10 (45%) SMA-like CVs, one (4.5%) NV-like HuCVs, two (9%) Sapporo-like HuCVs, and nine (41%) unidentified HuCVs. This fourth genogroup should be investigated further. HuCV185/87/Korea and HuCV1115/90/Korea, Sapporo-like CVs, were genetically distinct from previously characterized HuCVs and more closely related to known animal CVs. One of the animal CV-like strain, HuCV185/87/Korea, showed nucleotide and amino acid homology of only 67% and 73% with the prototype Sapporo/82/Japan. Further characterization of animal and human CV genomes and studies of possible cross-transmission of CVs from animals to humans are likely to be beneficial in understanding the epidemiology of HuCVs.
Amino Acid Motifs ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Child ; Clone Cells ; DNA, Complementary ; Epidemiology ; Gastroenteritis ; Genetic Variation ; Genome ; Genotype ; Humans* ; Korea* ; Norwalk virus ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA Replicase ; Snow

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans

Familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis is an autosomal-dominant channelopathy characterized by episodic muscle weakness with hypokalemia. The respiratory and cardiac muscles typically remain unaffected, but we report an atypical case of a family with hypokalemic periodic paralysis in which the affected members presented with frequent respiratory insufficiency during severe attacks. Molecular analysis revealed a heterozygous c.664 C>T transition in the sodium channel gene SCN4A, leading to an Arg222Trp mutation in the channel protein. The patients described here presented unusual clinical characteristics that included a severe respiratory phenotype, an incomplete penetrance in female carriers, and a different response to medications.
Channelopathies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis ; Muscle Weakness ; Myocardium ; Penetrance ; Phenotype ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sodium ; Sodium Channels

Safety for both mother and infant is an imperative element in anesthesia for cesarean section, and ketamine has been widely used in obstetrical anesthesia especially for analgesis for normal vagianl delivery. Small doses of ketamins(0.2~0.5mg/kg) provides satisfactory analgesia during delivery without significant marternal and fetal complications. We added nitrous oxide to the small dose of ketamine and applied it to the induction of anesthesia for cesarean section and the results were compared with those of thiopental. A small dose of ketamine with nitrous oxide may be superior to an ordinary dose of thiopental, in the effects on the maternal cardiovascular system and the Apgar score of the fetus although the Apgar score only is not sufficient to evaluate neonatal condition.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Obstetrical ; Apgar Score ; Cardiovascular System ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Infant ; Ketamine* ; Mothers ; Nitrous Oxide ; Pregnancy ; Thiopental

BACKGROUND: Although the pathophysiology of pulmonary vascular injury has been reported, exact its mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Recent studies have reported that reactive oxygen species, including hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) and superoxide, formed in association with a variety of oxidative stress-related diseases, may play an important role in cell injury and apoptosis. In this study, we investigated whether H2O2 induces apoptosis, a possible mechanism of pulmonary vascular injury. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The calf pulmonary artery endothelial cell line(CPAE) was used in the experiment. For the measurement of cytotoxicity of H2O2, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay was performed. To find out whether H2O2 affects cell morphology, cells were examined by phase-contrast microscopy. To confirm the induction of apoptosis, H2O2-treated cells were analyzed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL) assay, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole(DAPI) staining and flow cytometric analysis. RESULT: Compared to the untreated control(100%), viabilities of cells treated with H2O2 of concentrations of 10 microM, 50 microM, 100 microM and 500 microM for 3 hours were about 70%, 33%, 26% and 28%, respectively. Morphologically, H2O2-treated cells(50 microM) showed retraction of processes, cell shrinkage, cytoplasm condensation and irregularity of shape. Both TUNEL assay and DAPI staining also showed typical apoptotic features of nuclear condensation and nuclear fragmentation in some nuclei of H2O2-treated cells. Through flow cytometric analysis, it was determined that there was an increased number of cells in the sub-G1 phase and a decreased number of cells in the G1 phase among the H2O2-treated cells, compared to those of the control. CONCLUSION: Through morphological and biochemical analyses, it was first demonstrated that cell death induced by H2O2 in CPAE showed classic apoptotic features. These results suggest the possibility that H2O2-induced apoptosis may, in part, be involved in the molecular mechanism of pulmonary vascular injury.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Death ; Cytoplasm ; Endothelial Cells* ; G1 Phase ; Hydrogen ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Superoxides ; Vascular System Injuries

The present study was designed to estimate the seroprevalence of NLVs among diarrheagenic children and in healthy adults in Seoul and its vicinity with the use of an EIA and an Western blot (WB) based on recombinant Norwalk virus capsid protein (rNV) and crude virus preparations as antigen. Seroconversion was observed in 34 (83%) of 41 tested using the EIA and in 21 (54%) of 39 using the WB, suggesting that the NLVs with epitopes common to rNV are prevalent in Seoul area. Diarrheal children who were known to have been infected with several other strains of the NLVs showed no significant antibody response to the rNV. Infection with rNV occurred earlier in life: primary infections with rNV were common before the age of 6 months and over 91% of children had evidence of infection by that age by the EIA. Since the amount of the NLV antigens available for seroepidemiologic surveys is limited, we tried to detect NLV antibody by using crude virus preparations as antigen. One crude virus preparation of a child whose stool yielded genetically distinct NLV revealed the presence of the plural number of bands upon SDS-PAGE, but precipitated only one band (62 kDa) after the WB with a serum (collected 10 days after the onset of symptoms) of another diarrheal child. The WB assay we present in this report revealed that the NLVs are prevalent among Korean population and that the sera contained antibody to a single major structural protein, with molecular sizes of 58 to 62 kDa, compatible with the sizes reported for the Norwalk virus and Snow Mountain agent proteins, respectively. When the results of the WB were compared with those obtained by the EIA, the EIA antibody assay was sensitive enough to detect an antibody rise of as much as 4096-fold but not as specific as the WB. The WB assay presented in this paper will provide a powerful tool to elucidate not only antigenic structures of the NLVs but also seroepidemiology of the NLV infection. The availability of an unlimited source of antigen will enable a large scale serologic studies that will greatly increase our understanding of the role of NLVs in human enteric illness.
Adult ; Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Western ; Capsid Proteins ; Capsid* ; Child ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Epitopes ; Humans ; Norovirus* ; Norwalk virus* ; Seoul* ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Snow

BACKGROUNDS: With the recent elucidation of genetic basis of Rh blood group, it is now available the molecular genotyping methods for Rh blood typing. These can be used when serological typing is difficult. This study was conducted to investigate the usefulness of Rh genotyping method for Koreans. METHODS: Genotyping for Rh C/c and E/e was performed in peripheral blood DNA samples from 34 blood donors by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). The PCR determined genotypes were compared with serologically determined phenotypes. RESULTS: The Rh C/c and E/e genotyping results of 34 blood donors were full concordance with the results of their serologic phenotyping. CONCLUSIONS: Rh genotyping method on the basis of Rh genetic model can be applied to Koreans. This genotyping method would be useful tool in prenatal Rh typing of fetus at risk of hemolytic disease and when serotyping is not available for example massive transfusion. (Korean J Blood Transfusion 10(1): 21-26, 1999)
Blood Donors ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching ; Blood Transfusion ; DNA ; Fetus ; Genotype ; Humans ; Models, Genetic ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Serotyping