Plasmid vectors with either RSV or CMV promoter are frequently used for DNA- mediated immunization due to the availability in commercial. Consequently, influence of the vector constituents, such as promoter, enhancer and transcription termination signal etc. on vaccination efficiency is not studied extensively. As an initial attempt to develop an efficient vector system for DNA-rnediated immunization, influence of promoter for antigen gene expression on vaccination efficiency has been analyzed. Initially, plasmids with either B-actin or muscle creatine kinase (MCK) promoter were constructed from the plasmid with prototype CMV promoter. In addition, ovalbumin (OVA) antigen gene has been cloned into each vectors to generate the plasmid vectors with different promoters for induction of the anti-OVA immune responses. Antigen protein expression in antigen gene transfected mouse muscle myoblast cells showed that the level from MCK promoter containing plasmid was slightly higher than those from either CMV or B-actin promoter containing plasmids. Also, the same plasmid turned out to be slightly more efficient than other plasmids in antibody imrnune response induction in vivo, when they were applied both through intramuscularly and intradermally. These results suggest that the commonly used CMV promoter containing plasmid vector could be further modified to develop an efficient vector for DNA-mediated immunization.
Animals ; Clone Cells ; Creatine Kinase, MM Form ; Gene Expression ; Immunization ; Mice ; Myoblasts ; Ovalbumin ; Plasmids* ; Vaccination*

No abstract available.
Abdominal Wall* ; Diagnosis* ; Fetus*

Though the primary carcinoma of the vermiform appendix is rare, the secondary carcinoma of the vermiform appendix is extremely rare. About fourty cases have been reported through the world. The breast is most common primary site, and adenocarcinoma is most common form. The metastatic carcinoma of the vermiform appendix, from squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, were extremely rare. The authors experienced a case of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the vermiform appendix, in thirty-two years old housewife. She was diagnosed with carcinoma of the uterine cervix on December, 1983, and treated with a radical hysterectomy on February, 1984, at Chicago, and with a radiation therapy. She had been suffered from palpable masses on left axilla and left neck region, and and coughing and chest pain. After an excision biopsy, on August, 1984, she showed intestinal obstruction sign including abdominal distension with abdominal pain. A right-sided hemicolectomy was performed on November, 1984. During gross examination, the wall of the distal portion of the vermiform appendix was moderatery thickened, and showed homogeneous light yellow cut surface. On microscopic examination, there were clusters of tumors that had negative stained preparations. On electron microscopic examination, the secretory granules were not found, and the characteristics of squamous cells, including intercellular spaces, desmosomes and tonofibrils, were noted.
Adenocarcinoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis

We report a case of exogastric schwannoma of the stomach in 41-years-old male patient with papable mass in left upper abdomen. Upper GI series revealed extrinsic compression on the greater curvature of the stomach. CT scan showed a low density mass attached to greater curvature of the stomach with inhomogeneous contrast nhancement in the mass lesion. The mass was removed by surgery, and confirmed pathologically as schwannoma arising from the stomach.
Abdomen ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma* ; Stomach* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Pick's disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder presenting cortical type of dementia. Pick's disease shows unique clinical and pathological features, that are due to a degeneration of fronto-temporal lobes of the cerebrum. The authors experienced a case of Pick's disease in a 58-year-old male patient who had dementia symptoms for five years. The patient showed compulsive behavior since five years ago. Memory decline started from four years ago and progressed. Brain CT disclosed lobar atrophy of the cerebral gyri in frontal and temporal lobes. He died of septicemia associated with aspiration pneumonia. At autopsy, both cerebral hemispheres showed marked encephalomalacia. The gyral atrophy was moderately severe in prefrontal and anterior temporal lobes. Coronal section disclosed moderate dilatation of the lateral ventricles. Microscopically, there were marked neuronal loss in prefrontal and anterior temporal cortices. Also noted were Pick's cells and Pick's body in occasional pyramidal cells preserved.
Atrophy ; Autopsy* ; Brain ; Cerebrum ; Compulsive Behavior ; Dementia ; Dilatation ; Encephalomalacia ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Male ; Memory ; Middle Aged ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons ; Pick Disease of the Brain* ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Pyramidal Cells ; Sepsis ; Temporal Lobe

Human colon epithelial cells secrete an array of proinflammatory cytokines that includes IL-8, MCP-1, GM-CSF, TNF alpha and IL-6. This response may serve to attract neutrophils and macrophags to the site of infection. In addition to IL-8 and MCP-1, the chemokine family contains other members, which, alone or in combination, can recruit and/or activate inflammatory and lymphoid cells. In this study, we asked whether colon epithelial cells express a broader array of chemokines than previously described. The colon epithelial cell line, Caco-2, was stimulated for 3h with IL-1 alpha, or was infected with Salmonella dublin. RNA was extracted and chemokine mRNA levels were determined by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR using internal RNA standards. Ex pression of GRO alpha, GRO beta, GRO gamma and IP-10 increased by bacterial infection or IL-l alpha stimulation. These data strongly support the notion that epithelal cells are an important and integral component of the host's natural immune system.
Bacterial Infections ; Chemokines ; Colon* ; Cytokines ; Epithelial Cells* ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans* ; Immune System ; Interleukin-1alpha ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Lymphocytes ; Neutrophils ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Salmonella

No abstract available.
Bone Diseases, Developmental/diagnosis/drug therapy/*genetics ; Child ; Fibrillin-1/*genetics ; Hand/diagnostic imaging ; Heterozygote ; Human Growth Hormone/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Limb Deformities, Congenital/diagnosis/drug therapy/*genetics ; Male ; Pelvis/diagnostic imaging

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of the ritodrine hydrochloride alone with combined treatment with magnesium sulfate in the management of preterm labor. METHODS: One hundred thirty three singleton pregnancies with preterm labor were treated with either ritodrine hydrochloride (n=97) or ritodrine hydrochloride and magnesium sulfate (n=36). The principal outcomes assessed were delay of duration, maternal-fetal side effects, and fetal outcome. RESULTS: The treatment to delivery time was not statistically different between the ritodrine group and the combined magnesium sulfate group (mean+/-SD 10.7+/-13.0 days, 8.6+/-9.1 days, respectively). The proportion delivered after 48 hours, 72 hours, or 7 days was also not statistically different between two groups (29% vs. 22%, 40% vs. 39%, 60% vs. 64%, respectively). No statistical difference was found in the side effects of treatment or fetal outcomes. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in efficacy and safety between ritodrine hydrochloride and combined treatment with magnesium sulfate in the management of preterm labor.
Female ; Magnesium Sulfate* ; Magnesium* ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pregnancy ; Ritodrine*

Alcohol influences the neuroadaptation of brain cells where receptors and enzymes like protein kinase C (PKC) exist. Naltrexone acts on opioid receptors. However, other mechanisms of action remain unknown. We prepared SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, and fed them with 150 mM ethanol for 72 h followed by treatment with naltrexone for 24 h. We performed microarray analysis and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Our results showed that PKC epsilon increased 1.90 times and showed an overall decreasing pattern as time increased. Phosphorylated ERK also increased 2.0 times according to the change of PKC epsilon. Integrin alpha7 increased 2.32 times and showed an increasing pattern as time increased. In conclusion, naltrexone influences PKC epsilon neuronal signaling system and endothelial adhesion molecule integrin alpha7 in addition to the well-known opioid system.
Antigens, CD/*metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Comparative Study ; DNA, Complementary/genetics ; Humans ; Integrin alpha Chains/*metabolism ; Naltrexone/*pharmacology ; *Neuroblastoma/enzymology/metabolism/pathology ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Protein Kinase C-epsilon/*metabolism ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors

Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease, which is characterized by choreic movement and progressive dementia. A definite diagnosis of Huntington's disease cannot be made by clinical informations alone. Pathologic or genetic studies are necessary to exclude other neurodegenerative diseases which may present with familial dementia, dystonia, and chorea. We report a 40 year-old male patient with Huntington's disease confirmed by pathologic and genetic studies. His daughter who had rigidity, dystonia, involuntary movement, and progressive cognitive decline had abnormal CAG trinucleotide repeat on the short arm of chromosome 4. These findings confirmed that the korean patient with Huntington's disease has same genetic abnormalities with the western and other oriental patients with Huntington's disease.
Adult ; Arm ; Chorea ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4 ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Dyskinesias ; Dystonia ; Humans ; Huntington Disease* ; Male ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Nuclear Family ; Trinucleotide Repeats