No abstract available.
Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Scalp*

OBJECTIVE: The conventional methods to determine fetal genetic status, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling(CVS) have small procedure-related risk of abortion. Recently, several researchers reported that fetal genetic status, such as sex, can be confirmed by fetal nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood and this method might reduce such risk. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to determine the basic fetal genetic status, sex, with fetal nucleated erythrocytes. METHODS: In twelve pregnant women who undertook amniocentesis or CVS, 20 ml of venous blood was drawn immediately before the procedure and the nucleated erythrocytes were recovered by magnetic activated cell sorting(MACS). After MACS, DNA was extracted from 200 microliter of sample and single nucleated erythrocyte was obtained by additional procedure, immunostaining, and microdissection. After recovery of nucleated erythrocytes by microdissection, nested polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and fluorescent PCR of amelogenin gene were performed to identify the fetal gender. RESULTS: The DNA of enriched erythrocytes after MACS could identify the fetal gender in the 58.3% of the samples by nested PCR. After the recovery of single nucleated erythrocyte by MACS, immunostaining and microdissection, the minute DNA in a single cell could be amplified by primer extension preamplification(PEP), nested PCR, and fluorescent PCR. Fetal genders were correctly identified in 8 out of 12 (66.7 %). CONCLUSION: Through this study, we could conclude that fetal nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood might be sufficient sample to determine fetal sex. And single cell isolation by microdissection could get the better results than nested PCR after MACS only. However, in spite of the pregnancy of male fetus, female specific bands were obtained after nested PCR of amelogenin in several cells, which might suggest that part of nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood might be maternal origin. Therefore, to determine fetal genetic condition by nucleated erythrocytes in maternal blood, further improvements of methods to identify the nucleated erythrocytes of fetal origin are needed.
Amelogenin ; Amniocentesis ; Cell Separation ; Chorionic Villi ; Diagnosis* ; DNA ; Erythroblasts* ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Male ; Microdissection ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Interleukin-1* ; Keratinocytes*

No abstract available.
Gastric Stump*

BACKGROUND: Long-term oral itraconazole and terbinafine are widely used in the treatment of onychomycosis. Accelerated nail growth in patients with itraconazole has been described in several reports. However, there has been no report regarding the effect of antifungal agents on cultured nail matrix cells(NMCs). OBJECTIVE: We applied several antifungal agents on cultured human NMCs and epidermal kera- tinocytes(EKs) to compare the cytotoxicity of several antifungal agents and also to verify possible stimulating effects of itraconazole and 6-hydroxyitraconazole on nail growth. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of antifungal agents, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazo1-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyl- tetrazolium bromide(MTT) test, tritiated thymidine incorporation test, and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) leakage test were used. RESULTS: Dose dependent decreases in cell viability and DNA synthesis, and dose dependent increases in LDH liberation were observed in cultured human NMCs and EKs after exposure to several antifungal agents. The dose-response reaction patterns for NMCs and EKs to antifungal agents were similar. The cytotoxicity potency of several antifungal agents measured by each method were slightly different. Itraconazole and 6-hydroxyitraconazole did not show stimulating effects on cell proliferation in in vitro monolayer cell culture systems. CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that itraconazole appeared less cytotoxic but showed no stimulating effects on nail matrix cell proliferation in vitro. Cultured human EKs as well as NMCs may be useful in evaluating the effects of agents which are involved in nails.
Antifungal Agents* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; DNA ; Humans* ; Itraconazole ; Keratinocytes* ; Onychomycosis ; Thymidine

Retroperitoneal tumors are relatively rare, accounting for 0.2% of all cancers; many different histologic types are present, and primitive retroperitoneal germ cell tumors constitute a small miniority of about 3%. Most primary extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGCTs) arise from the mediastinum of retroperitoneum in young males. The authors experienced a case of primary extragonadal mixed germ cell tumor with a 43-year-old woman complaining left lower abdominal pain. With the case report, a brief review was made.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Female ; Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal*

Granulosa cell tumors are uncommon neoplasm of ovary that are characterized by their long natural history and for their tendency to recur years after an aparrent clinical cure. Endometrial cancer occurs in association with these tumor in at least 5% of cases and 25%-50% are associated with endometrial hyperplasia. In this study, we present a case of granulosa cell tumor of right ovary with endometrial cancer after left oophrectomy.
Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Granulosa Cell Tumor* ; Granulosa Cells* ; Natural History ; Ovary*

This study was undertaken to document the effect of transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-beta2(TGF-beta2) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the proliferation of pig retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE). Whereas bFGF increased the proliferation, TGF-beta2 showed the inhibitory effect on the proliferation The inhibitory effect of TGF-beta2 disappeared in RPE subcultured with 10ng/ml of bFGF. Both TGF-beta2- and bFGF-specific antisense oligonucleotides blocked the autocrine effect of the growth factors. PLC-71 -specific antisense oligonucleotide inhibited the effect of TGF-beta2 and bFGF. Genistein inhibited the effect of TGF-beta2 and bFGF in dose-dependent man, ner. The data suggest the involvement. of in PLC-/1 and tyrosine kinase in signalling.
Epithelial Cells* ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; Genistein ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Retinaldehyde* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta2*

Mllerian adenosarcoma of uterus usually present as pedunculated endometrial masses in postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding. Extraendometrial variants are much less common. A 50-year-old woman, after total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy due to adenomyosis and benign ovarian mass, presented with protruding mass through vagina. The mass, originated from vaginal stump, was diagnosed as Mllerian adenosarcoma. We report a case of extrauterine Mllerian adenosarcoma with a review of literatures.
Adenomyosis ; Adenosarcoma* ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Middle Aged ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Uterus ; Vagina

BACKGROUNDS: Since the advent of MRI, cavernous angioma has been recognized as an important cause of chronic epilepsy. However, the natural course or optimal treatment strategies of chronic epilepsy with cavernous angioma have not been established yet. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the Yonsei Epilepsy Data Bank and found 13 patients with characteristic MR findings of cavernous angioma who have been followed at the Yonsei Epilepsy Clinics for longer than one year. The clinical variables and outcome of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The subjects consisted of 7 men and 6 women. The age of seizure-onset was approximately 21 years old and the duration of seizure were 9 years. All patients in this study had small(< 2cm) and single cavernous angioma and the majority of lesions(9/13) were located in the temporal lobe. One patient also had hippocampal atrophy and another two had combined venous malformations. After adequate trials of antiepileptic drug therapy, 5 patients became seizure free, 2 patients showed worthwhile improvement and the remaining 6 patients did not have any improvement. The withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs was tried in two patients after seizure free period of 3 years but seizure recurred in all patients. Epilepsy surgery had been performed in two patients. One patient who had the left hippocampal atrophy has been remain seizure free after a standard anterior temporal lobectomy but the other patient who had performed a lesionectomy alone did not improve after surgery. During the period of follow up for about 36 months, no symptomatic bleeding had been occurred in any patiet included to the study. CONCLUSION: The incidence of hemorrhagic events in chronic epilepsy patients with cavernous angioma is extremely low. About half of the patients can be adequately managed by antiepileptic drugs therapy but the chance of successful withdrawal of AEDs seems slim.
Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ; Anticonvulsants ; Atrophy ; Drug Therapy ; Epilepsy* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe ; Young Adult