BACKGROUND: The extracellular matrix constitutes the dermis supporting an overlying epidermal lining. A small portion of the cell component includes fibroblasts and mast cells, a large amount of fibrous tissue as struct ural proteins, intra-and extracellular adhesive molecules, and extracellular macromolecules, glyccsarninoglycan(GAG) and proteoglycan make up the dermal connective tissue. GAGs, polysacchavide chains secreted by fibroblasts, are the main macromolecules of the extracellular matrix. GAG chains occupy large amounts of extracellular space and form hydrated gels. The various manifestations observed during the cutaneous intrinsic aging process reflect the age-related changes of dermal connective tissue. OBJECTIVE: This study was directed to observe the age-related changes of GAG in human abdominal skin without the influences of photoaeging. MaTERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects involved in this study were grouped according to the age span of 10 years. A minimum of 3 skin samples were included in each age group. After permission, three to five grams of skin samples without known underlying skin diseases were obtained from the pat,ients who were subjected to open abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. GAGs were extracted and purified by repeated cetylpyridium chloride-ethanol precipitation from each skin sample. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of GAGs was carried out with the action of specific GAG degradirig enzymes. RESULTS: The amount of GAGs per gram skin tissue decreased slowly until the 4th decade and thereafter. A statistically- significant reduction in the amount of GAGs was noted between the age groups of under 10 and that of 51-60. This pattern of decline was similar with tte change of the hyaluronic acid content in gram skin tissue. The content of chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate also decreased as a function of ageing. The compositional ratio of GAGs showed no age related changes. The water content measured by acetone dehydration was reduced to a significant level up to the age group of over 30 years. CONCLUSION: These results imply that the wrinkling and laxity of skin during the chronological ageing process reflect the age-related reduction of GAGs and the water content of the skin.
Acetone ; Adhesives ; Aging ; Anesthesia, General ; Cellular Structures ; Cetylpyridinium ; Chondroitin Sulfates ; Connective Tissue ; Dehydration ; Dermis ; Extracellular Matrix ; Extracellular Space ; Fibroblasts ; Gels ; Heparitin Sulfate ; Humans* ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Mast Cells ; Proteoglycans ; Skin Diseases ; Skin* ; Water

Pulsatilla koreana is a member of the buttercup familly(Ranuculaceae) which contains the unsaturated lactone, protoanemonin(C3H4O2), formed after injury to the plant by the breakdown of the glycoside ranunculin. It has been prescribed as a herbal medicine or a folk medicine for antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, astringent and hemostatic effects in Korea. A 20 year-old famale patient presented with confluent vesicobullae on the erythematous base with a burning sensation on her upper back. This was caused by contact with crushed Pulsatilla koreana, a folk medicine for the treatment of left facial nerve palsy, that had occurred 10 days before her visit. A provocation patch test with Pulsatilla koreana upon a heathy male volunteers upper back showed strong positive reactions with the stalk and leaf in fresh and frozen stat.e and after thaw ing resptively. However no reaction was seen when the folk medicine was used in a dried form or with the root in any state. This case indicates that misadvice and ignorant folk remedies could cause misfortunate results to innocent people.
Burns ; Dermatitis, Irritant* ; Facial Nerve ; Herbal Medicine ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Medicine, Traditional ; Paralysis ; Patch Tests ; Plants ; Pulsatilla* ; Sensation ; Volunteers ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Cytokines such as TNF-a, and IL-1, 6, 8 are thought to mediate many host responses in patients with sepsis through the release of many kinds of inflammatory mediators. Vibrio vulnificus is a virulent, halophilic, marine, and Gram-negative bacterium causing wound infections or primary sepsis with fulminant course. It has been known to produce many exocellular factors, such as cytolysin and exozymes, which are possible causes of shock and tissue damage. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the changes of cytokines(TNF-a, Il-l p, and IL-6) after intravenous administration of V. vulnificus cytolysin which have known to be a major virulent factor for elucidating pathogenesis of septic shock. METHODS: After administration of V. vulnificus cytolysin(20 hemolytic units) and physiologic saline through a mouse tail vein, we obtained blood samples from the heart according to a time course(0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240, and 360 minutes). We measured serum concentrations of circulating TNF- a, IL-1 p, and IL-6 using commercially available immunoassay kits. RESULTS: The serum concentration of TNF- a peaked at 60 min (1894 pg/ml, as compared with 829 pg/ml after saline administration), began to decrease at 90 min and fell to baseline at 360min. Concentration of IL-6 rose significantly at 90 min(>3,839 pg/ml) and began to decrease at 120 min, whereas the level of IL-1 0 increased slightly and the peaked around 90min(117 pg/ml) after the cytolysin injection. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the host response to cytolysin is associated with a brief pulse of circulating cytokines in the early stage of sepsis caused by V. vulnipcus infection.
Administration, Intravenous ; Animals ; Cytokines* ; Heart ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6* ; Mice* ; Perforin* ; Sepsis ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* ; Veins ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio* ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND: Although several kinds of treatment methods(destructive therapy, immunotherapy, etc) for plane warts have been attempted but there have been no entirely satisfactory treatments, because the plane wants are seen to recur frequently. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to evaluate the combination therapy of griseofulvin and immunotherapy(dinitrochlorobenzene=DNCB, diphenylcycloprope none=DPCP) on plane warts. METHOD: Sixteen patients(age range, 9 to 41; mean age, 21.8 years) with VPJ were treated with the combination therapy with griseofulvin(500mg/day) and single contact immunotherapy(DNCB or DPCP).
Dinitrochlorobenzene ; Griseofulvin* ; Immunotherapy ; Warts*

No Abstract Available.
Melanoma* ; Stomach*

No Abstract Available.
Cytokines* ; Perforin* ; Shwartzman Phenomenon* ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*

Bacterial, fungal, and viral infections of the skin with extended skin involvement can occur during the early phase of human immunodeficiency virus infection. A significant reduction in circulating CD4+ lymphocytes in the late stage of the disease may cause tumors of the skin such as Kaposi's sarcoma. A 40-year male patient, a former sailor who had multiple sexual contact with native African women, presented with multiple tender follicular pustules and fibrotic brown patches on both his legs. these had been present for 6 months. The skin lesions were healed leaving brown pigmentation. Laboratory examinations revealed the presence of leukopenia, thromocytopenia and a reversed T4/T8 ratio. The ELISA and Western blot analysis to human immunodeficiency virus were positive. A skin biopsy from a brown patch showed early stages of scar tissue and perivascular hemosiderin deposition. We herein report a case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patient with atypical dark brown scarring atrophic patches on the lower legs following purulent bacterial folliculitis. This may have been an early manifestation of Kaposi's sarcoma from a preceding skin lesion.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Biopsy ; Blotting, Western ; Cicatrix* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Folliculitis* ; Hemosiderin ; HIV ; Humans ; Leg ; Leukopenia ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Pigmentation ; Sarcoma, Kaposi ; Skin

We describe an 18-year-old male with generalized pruritic, tense annular or polycyalic blistera on normal-appearing skin or erythematous bases. Histopathological fmdings of an iatact early blistering showed subepidermal blistering and papillary neutrophilic gnicroabscesses. A direct immunofluctescent study of a section from the skin adjacent to a lesioti revealed linear deposits of IgA at the dermoepidermal junction. There were no deposits of IgG, lgM, or C3. In 1.0M NaC1 eplit skin, IgA was found to be bound linearly on the epidermal roof. The patient respmded weIl to eteroid and dapsone therapy.
Adolescent ; Blister ; Dapsone ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis* ; Male ; Neutrophils ; Skin ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

PURPOSE: We performed dynamic MR imaging using GdDTPA to find characteristic enhancement pattern of hepatic hemangioma distinguishing from hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: 28 hepatic hemangiomas and 10 hepatocellular carcinomas were evaluated. Serial dynamic scans after Gd-DTPA(0.1mmol/kg) intravenous injection were obtained by using 0.5T machine and analyzed contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR) of the lesion and enhancement pattern on each scan. RESULTS: Hepatic hemangiomas had positive CNR from 1-2 minute images, and revealed typical "fill-in phenomenon" on early phase with prolonged enhancement in 26 cases(92.8%), and early homogeneous enhancement with isointensity on delayed phase in 2 cases(7.2%) of small hemangiome~ Hepatocellular carcinomas revealed inhomogeneous enhancement with hypointensity on delayed phase in 10 cases(100%) and 3 cases (30%) of capsular enhancement. CONCLUSION: Hepatic hemangioma can be easily distinguished from hepatocellular carcinoma by using Gd DTPA enhanced dynamic MR imaging according to its typical enhancement pattern of "fill-in phenomenon" and prolonged enhancement.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Hemangioma* ; Injections, Intravenous ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

Congenital hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is a rare genodermatosis. It is characterized by hypohidrosis hypotrichosis, dental hypoplasia and characterstic facial features, which reflect a wide constellation of developmental defec of tissue from the ectoderm. We have encountered three cases of congenital hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia in a 28-year-old female, her new-born baby, and a 10-month-old boy with a family history. All of the three patients had hypohidrosis, hypotrichosis, defective dentition, and characterstic facial features, which were characterstic features of this disorder. In addition, they showed dry skin, sparse and thin hairs. Histopathologic findings of previous cases revealed no eccrine gland structure in the dermis with routine and immunohistochemical stainning such cytokeratin and filaggrin. We report three typical cases of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with the review of literature.
Adult ; Dentition ; Dermis ; Eccrine Glands ; Ectoderm ; Ectodermal Dysplasia 1, Anhidrotic* ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypohidrosis ; Hypotrichosis ; Infant ; Keratins ; Male ; Skin