A case of 39-year-old male with keratosis palmoplantaria nummularis was reported. The skin lesions were characterized by the presence of painful focal keratoses on the plantar pressure points. Biopsy of a keratotic plantar lesion revealed excessive hyperkerstosis, hypergranulosis, focal hypogranulosis, and acanthosis in the epidermis. We could observe aymptomatic relief of this patient who was treated with mixture of corticosteroid, 25% urea and 2.5% salicylic acid.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Keratosis* ; Male ; Salicylic Acid ; Skin ; Urea

Antigen-specific T cell activation requires interaction of the T cell with specialized antigen-presenting cells. Signaling through the TCR is necessary but not sufficient to induce antigen-specific T cell activation and cytokine secretion. This first signal, termed signal 1, is both antigen-specific and MHC-restricted. Signal 2, which is neither antigen-specific nor MHC-restricted, is necessary to induce cytokine secretion, cellular proliferation, and effector function. Recently immunological studies in T cell activation area are mainly focused on biological and molecular biological characterization of TCR/CD3 complex and accessary molecules providing costimulatory signal (signal 2). If signal 2 is not delivered, T cell enter a state of long term un-responsiveness to specific antigen-termed anergy. Monoclonal antibody technique has been especially involved in recognizing novel inducible cell surface antigens on T cell activation. This study was aimed to develop monoclonal antibodies recognizing novel cytoplasmic proteins present in activated T cells. We make 6 monoclones involved in changing pattern of T cell activated cytoplasmic proteins. Using these 6 monoclonal antibodies analyze to find novel molecules involved in T cell activation associated response, apoptosis, and/or heat shock response of the T cells in early T cell activation.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Antigen-Presenting Cells ; Antigens, Surface ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Cytoplasm* ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Heat-Shock Response ; Humans* ; T-Lymphocytes*

The quadrilateral analysis is a proportional analysis which evaluates the skeletal configuration of lower face on the relations between both jaws in the horizontal as well as vertical dimensions. This study was undertaken to analyse the harmony and disharmony of quadrilateral patterns in normal occlusion and malocclusion. The present study was carried out on lateral cephalograms of 530 Korean children; the subjects consisted of 135 normal occlusions (63 male and 72 female), 105 Class II division 1 malocclusions (52 male and 53 female), 109 Class III malocclusions (50 male and 59 female), 91 hypodivergent facial types (44 male and 47 female) and 90 hyperdivergent facial types (45 male and 45 female). The following conclusions were reached: 1. Means and standard deviation in each group and sex were obtained from normal occlusion and malocclusion. 2. Quadrilateral mean diagram in normal occlusion was constructed for male and female, respectively. 3. In normal occlusion, 1:1 ratio exists between the maxillary base length (A' to Ptm') and mandibular base length (B' to J'), but lower facial height is larger than above. 4. Difference is effective to estimate the degrees of Class II and Class III malocclusion, and lower facial height (LFH) and sagittal angle is effective to recognize the hypodivergent and hyperdivergent facial type. 5. Quadrilateral analysis is able to visualize the anteroposterior and vertical dysplasia of lower face, and it is helpful to recognize certain problems in malocclusion.
Child* ; Female ; Humans ; Jaw ; Male ; Malocclusion ; Vertical Dimension

It is highly desirable to achieve optimal reproductive performance, reliable morphological and physiological basic data of the reproductive organs. Therefore, seasonal changes in serum testosterone, LH, and FSH concentrations, and morphological changes in testicular epithelial cells were studied in the Korean native pheasant throughout the annual cycle. Mature male pheasants[14-16 months after hatching] were used in this study. The general morphological changes of the epithelia of the seminiferous tubules were observed by dibasic stain, and semithin section from Epon blocks with a phase contrast microscopy. The ultrastructural changes of the the epithelia of the seminiferous tubules were investigated by ultrathin section with transmission electron microscope. The changes in the profiles of the serum FSH, LH, and testosterone concentratioins were measured by RIA[radioimmunoassay]. The results obtained are summarized as follows : 1. There was little variation in the average diameter of the seminiferous tubules from autumn[67.13+/-5.95micrometer] to winter[68.59+/-6.07micrometer], but the highest levels were reached in spring[192.78+/-41.58micrometer]. Thereafter, the diameter decreased slowly in summer[146.57+/-43.68micrometer], then decreased significantly in autumn[67.13+/-5.95micrometer]. 2. Serum testosterne concentration was low from autumn[13.+/-7.21ng/100ml] to winter[17.39+/-13.75ng/100ml], but the highest levels were reached in spring[127.72+/-66.47 ng/100ml]. Thereafter, the concentration was lowest in autumn[13.+/-7.21ng/100ml]. 3. Serum LH concentration increased slowly and linealy from autumn[5.04+/-1.04ng/100ml] to winter[6.23+/-1.08ng/100ml], but the highest levels were reached in spring[11.3+/-3.6 ng/100ml]. Thereafter, the concentration reached the lowest level in autumn[5.04+/-1.04 ng/100ml]. 4. Serum FSH concentration was low from autumn[4.65+/-0.63ng/100ml] to winter[4.2+/-0.98ng/100ml], but the highest levels were reached in spring[17.41+/-8.35ng/100ml]. Thereafter, concentration was the lowest in autumn[4.65+/-0.63ng/100ml]. 5. The seminiferous tubules showed the onset of the spermatongenic cycle in spring but the seminiferous tubules collected in summer exhibited partially degenerative changes. 6. The cytoplasmic process of Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules of the pheasant were collected in summer. Many vesicles and degeneratiye changes were included but many number of spermatozoa were embedded partially in the multivesicular bodies in these processes. 7. The diameter of the seminiferous tubules of the pheasant narrowed markedly in autumn, and atrophied in winter. The spermatogonia and Sertoli cells were arranged in monolayer. 8. The myelin figures in the cytoplasmic process of Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules of the pheasant in autumn. The nucleus of the Sertoli cells were of a round configuration elongated and oriented perpendicularly to the basement membrane. The results obtained provide basic data for reproductive physiology and are useful for studying the male genital organs of the Korean native pheasant. Structural changes of the seminiferous epithelial cells significantly and postively correlated with serum FSH, LH. The correlation of changes in the hormonal status with alterations of Sertoli cell organells precedes the breeding season.
Basement Membrane ; Breeding ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium* ; Genitalia, Male ; Humans ; Male ; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast ; Multivesicular Bodies ; Myelin Sheath ; Physiology ; Seasons* ; Seminiferous Tubules* ; Sertoli Cells ; Spermatogonia ; Spermatozoa ; Testosterone*

The purpose of thisstudy was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Nd:YAG laser and the Er:YAAG laser on etching enamel for direct bonding of orthodontic bracket. The advantages of laser etching rather than conventional acid etching are to reduce the subsurface demineralization rate, to inhibit the spillage of acid onto uninvolved ""its of enamel, and to save the clinical manipulation time involving drying, trashing and drying again. 189 freshly extracted human premolars were prepared for this research. 165 out of them were divided into 11 groups of 15 teeth. One group was acid etching and the rest groups were irradiated with Nd:YAG laser by four different energy levels(1100mj 10pps, 100mj 20pps, 150mj 20pps, 200mj 20pps) and with Er:YAG laser by six different energy levels(60mj 5pps, 60mj 10pps, 100mj 10pps. 200mj 10pps, 200mj l5pps, 400mj 10pps). Shear bond strength was tested with Instron after 24 hours, one week, and three weeks. Twenty-four out of 189 teeth were divided into twelve groups untreated control, acid etching, and ten laser irradiation subgroups. And the ultrastructural enamel surfaces of each group were observed with scanning electron microscope. The results were as follows; 1. The means and the standard deviations of shear bond strength of Nd:YAG and Er:YAU laser irradiation by different energy levels were obtained. 2. Shear bond strengths of Er:YAG laser irradiation groups were higher than those of Nd:YAG laser irradiation groups at the identical energy level. 3. Maximum bond strengths was achieved at the energy of I50mj, 2Opps in Nd:YAG laser irradiation groups or 6Omj, 10pps in Er:YAG laser irradiation groups. 4. It was acceptible for direct bonding to irradiate lb0mj 20pps with Nd:YAG laser or to irradiate 60mj 10pps with Er:YAG laser considering the results of shear bond strength tests and SEM obsesvation.
Bicuspid ; Dental Enamel* ; Humans ; Orthodontic Brackets* ; Tooth

A patient (Hellman dental age IIIA) who had anterior cross bite due to functional factor was treated with activator. Following results were obtained: 1) Anterior cross bite was crorrected 3 months after the initial application of the appliance. 2) Comparing pretreatment records with posttreatment, the main effects were labioversion of upper incisors, increase of upper arch length and downward-backward rotation of the mandible. 3) There was no damage on teeth and periodontal tissues and the patient had normal occlusion 1 year after the treatment.
Humans ; Incisor ; Malocclusion ; Mandible ; Prognathism* ; Tooth

Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) can be released from the primary lung tumour into the bloodstream and they may colonize distant organs and give rise to metastasis. The presence of CTCs in the blood has been documented more than a century ago, and ultrasensitive methods have been recently developed to detect circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood of lung cancer patients. Most CTCs require an initial enrichment step, since CTCs are a very rare event. The different technologies and also the differences among the screened populations make the clinical significance of detecting CTCs difficult to interpret. Peripheral blood analyses are more convenient for patients than invasive BM sampling and many research groups are currently assessing the clinical utility of CTCs for assessing the prognosis and monitoring the response to systemic therapies in lung cancer patients. Here we will review the different assays that are currently available for CTC detection and analysis of lung cancer. Moreover, molecular analyses of CTCs have provided new insights into the biology of metastasis of lung cancer with important implications for the clinical management of lung cancer patients.
Biology ; Colon ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Prognosis

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus* ; DNA* ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

Traumatic injury to the lower legs has been increasing in Korea and often leads to skin and soft tissue loss, exposing blood vessels, nerves, tendons or bones. Salvaging these legs often requires free flaps. Over the past two decades, the use of free tissue transfer has produced an increasing salvage rate for severely injured lower leg. Between April. 1988 to July, 1997, 47 cases of lower soft tissue defects were reconstructed with free flaps, and retrospective analysis was performed to determine more about the factors associated with free flap failure or immediate vascular complications. We evaluated wound status before operation, operation time after injury, vascular status of recipient site, use of vein graft, use of reverse flow, salvage protocol in compromised anastomosis, survival rate and complications. There were 9 cases of venous thrombosis and 2 cases of arterial insufficiency while 7 out of 9 cases of venous thrombosis were reexplorated. However, 2 cases of partial flap necrosis and 1 case of total necrosis. Two cases of arterial insufficiency were necrotized, so the overall free flap failure rate was 9.6%. The results were analyzed to determine the factors promoting either failure or vascular complication, Many factors which are often blamed for failure (trauma cause, preoperative general condition, preoperative infection status, intraoperative ischemic time) were not significant in this study, but prolonged time after injury correlated with free flap failure, We concluded the adequate debridement and infection control, adequate selection of recipient vessel, accurate vascular anastomosis and most of all, early free flap transfer after injury, will improve the success rate.
Blood Vessels ; Debridement ; Free Tissue Flaps* ; Infection Control ; Korea ; Leg* ; Necrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Survival Rate ; Tendons ; Transplants ; Vascular System Injuries ; Veins ; Venous Thrombosis ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Mivacurium is a nondepolarizing muscle relaxant and metabolized by pseudo-cholinesterase(pChe). Many reports show fall in pChe activity during pregnancy, so the metabolism of mivacurium may be delayed and muscle relaxation would be prolonged. METHODS: Muscle relaxation of full-term pregnant women(C group, n=10) and nopregnant women(Non-C group, n=10) was maintained by continuous infusion of mivacurium to keep 1st response of TOF at 5+/-1%. After discontinuance of infusion, recovery profiles were measured with accelerography. RESULTS: The Infusion rate of mivacurium to maintain 1st twich response of TOF at 5+/-1% was significantly low in C group comparing with Non-C group(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in pChe activity between two groups. There was no significant difference in recovery index, recovery time(T1 25%-T4 ratio, 0.75). There was a little correlation between the total infusion time and recovery profiles(recovery index: r2=0.37, recovery time: r2=0.28). Strong correlation existed between bolus-TS(time interval from the injection of mivacurium to recovery of 5% twitch hight) and infusion rate(r2=0.76). CONCLUSION: The mivacurium infusion rate of C group to maintain muscle relaxation was significantly lower than Non-C group. There would be many possible reasons including over-estimation of paturient body weight compared with lean body mass, decrease of blood volume due to hemorrhage.
Blood Volume ; Body Weight ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Metabolism ; Muscle Relaxation ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy ; Pseudocholinesterase