Ocular rosacea is the eye manifestations of rosacea, which involves the lids, conjunctiva, and cornea. A recent study revealed that all patients with cutaneous rosacea had some degree of ocular involvement which is often undiagnosed. It is difficult to make a diagnosis of ocular rosacea because it lacks clinical or pathological hallmarks. However, early diagnosis and treatment are emphasized to decrease morbidity and prevent potential blindness. We report a case of ocular rosacea in a 49 year-old man who showed blepharoconjunctivitis, keratitis, and cutaneous manifestations of persistent erythema, telangiectasia, and papules. The ocular symptoms and signs had improved significantly with tetracycline therapy.
Blindness ; Conjunctiva ; Cornea ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Erythema ; Eye Manifestations ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Middle Aged ; Rosacea* ; Telangiectasis ; Tetracycline

This paper describes the cloning and sequence analysis of the cDNAs encoding the canine homologues of interleukin-3 (IL-3) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The coding sequences for canine IL-3 and IL-6 were obtained by using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with RNA harvested from canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Canine IL-3 cDNA includes a single open reading frame of 432 nucleotides, which encodes a 143 amino acid polypeptide and has 44.7, 42.4, 37 and 23.7% homology with the cow, sheep, human and rat IL-3 sequences, respectively. Canine IL-6 cDNA (GenBank accession number; AF275796) encodes a putative 20-amino acid signal peptide followed by a 187-amino acid mature protein. The predicted amino acid sequence of canine IL-6 shares 60.4, 77.2, 71.0, 55.8 and 42.0% sequence identity with those of human, feline, porcine, sheep and rat IL-6, respectively.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Concanavalin A/pharmacology ; DNA, Complementary/*chemistry ; Dogs/blood/genetics/*immunology ; Interleukin-3/chemistry/*genetics ; Interleukin-6/chemistry/*genetics ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/chemistry/drug effects ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames/genetics ; Protein Sorting Signals/genetics ; RNA/blood/genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

An ELISA was established to measure bovine IgG directed against the recombinant antigenic determinant of Nc-p43, a major surface antigen of Neospora caninum. In a previous study, two thirds of the Cterminal of the molecule was expressed as a 6 x His tagged protein (Ncp43P) for ELISA using 2/3 of the N-terminal of SAG1 from Toxoplasma gondii as a control (TgSAG1A). Among 852 cattle sera collected from stock farms scattered nation-wide, 103 sera (12.1%) were found to react with Ncp43P positively, but no positive reaction was observed with TgSAG1A. This study shows that Ncp43P could be available as an efficient antigen for the diagnosis of neosporosis in cattle. Furthermore, it together with TgSAG1A, could be useful for the differential diagnosis of N. caninum and T. gondii infections in other mammals.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Coccidiosis/diagnosis/epidemiology/veterinary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods/*veterinary ; Immunoglobulin G/*analysis ; Neospora/*immunology ; Protozoan Proteins/*immunology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

An ELISA was developed for the diagnosis of vivax malaria using multiple stage-specific recombinant antigens of Plasmodium vivax. The DNA from the whole blood of a malaria patient was used as template to amplify the coding regions for the antigenic domains of circumsporozoite protein (CSP-1), merozoite surface protein (MSP-1), apical merozoite antigen (AMA-1), serine repeat antigen (SERA), and exported antigen (EXP-1). Each amplified DNA fragment was inserted into pQE30 plasmid to induce the expression of His-tagged protein in Escherichia coli (M15 strain) by IPTG. His-tagged proteins were purified by Ni-NTA metal-affinity chromatography and used as antigens for ELISA with patient sera that were confirmed previously by blood smear examinations. When applied to patient sera, 122 (80.3%) out of 152 vivax malaria cases reacted to at least one antigen, while no reactions were observed with 128 uninfected serum samples. We applied this ELISA to the screening of 3, 262 civilian residents in endemic regions near the DMZ, which resulted in 236 positively detected (7.2%) cases. This method can be applied to serological diagnosis and mass screening in endemic regions, or can be used as a safety test for transfusion blood in endemic areas.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Antigens, Protozoan/genetics/*immunology ; *Endemic Diseases ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods ; Humans ; Life Cycle Stages ; Malaria, Vivax/*diagnosis/epidemiology/parasitology ; Mass Screening ; Plasmodium vivax/*growth & development/immunology ; Recombinant Proteins/*immunology ; Serologic Tests

The antigenic domain of the major surface protein (Nc-p43) of Neospora caninum was examined by polymerase chain reaction of its gene fragments and recombinant expression as GST fusion proteins. The fragments of Nc-p43 were as follow: a total open reading frame (OFR), T; OFR without signal sequence and C-terminal hydrophobic sequence, S; N-terminal 2/3 parts of S, A; C-terminal 2/3 parts, P; N-terminal 1/3 part, X; middle 1/3 part, Y; and C-terminal 1/3 part, Z, respectively. The DNA fragments were cloned into pGEX-4T vector. Recombinant plasmids transformed into Escherichia coli of BL21 pLysS (DE3) strain were induced to express GST or GST fused fragments of Nc-p43 such as 69 kDa protein for T, 66 kDa for S, 52 kDa for A, 53 kDa for P, and 40 kDa proteins for X, Y, and Z, respectively in SDS-PAGE. The Nc-p43 fragments of T, S, and P reacted with a bovine serum of neosporosis while those of A, X, Y, and Z together with GST did not in the western blot. These findings suggest that the antigenic domain of Nc-p43 of N. caninum may be localized in the C-terminal 2/3 parts. Together with A19 clone in SAG1 of Toxoplasma gondii (Nam et al., 1996), the P fragment of Nc-p43 could be used as efficient antigens to diagnose and differentiate those infections with both species.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Biological Markers/analysis ; Blotting, Western ; Cells, Cultured ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Coccidiosis/diagnosis ; Neospora/*immunology ; Protozoan Proteins/*analysis/genetics/immunology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Vero Cells/parasitology

In the present study, we have etamined the role of c-kit and KL ligand in the mouse brain after kainate-induced seizure. To investigate whether c-kit receptor and KL ligand might involved in kainate-induced apoptosis, the expression patterns of c-kit and KL mRNA and localization of immunoreactivity for c-Kit, SCF and Bcl-2 protein were examined by in situ hybridization technique and immunohistochemical method, respectively, in the mouse hippocampus after kainate treatment. This report is the first demonstration for the role of c-kit receptor and KL ligand in the kainate-induced apoptosis. Our conclusion is based on : 1] c-kit and KL mRNA expressions were increased in CA3 region of the hippocampus in 1h after kainate treatment, 2] immunoreactivities for c-Kit protein and SCF were detected higher level in the CA1 and CA3 sectors in 24h after kainate treatment, 3] expression level for Bcl-2 protein was increased in the CA3 region of the hippocampus 24h after kainate treatment. These results suggest that bcl-2 could promote cell survival of injured neurons in CA3 after kainate-induced seizure. And increased translations of c-kit receptor and KL ligand after kainate injection in this area susgest that c-kit receptor and KL ligand could have a role in the kainate-induced apoptosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain ; Cell Survival ; Hippocampus* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Kainic Acid ; Mice* ; Neurons ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; RNA, Messenger ; Seizures* ; Translations

OBJECTIVE: To assess the pre-pregnancy and pregnancy factors influencing pregnancy outcome in renal transplanted women Materials and METHODS: This retrospective study included all pregnancies in renal transplanted women in Asan Medical Center between June 1996 and February 1998. We collected data from the medical records of allograft recipients. Pre-pregnant status and pregnancy outcome were described. RESULTS: Seventeen pregnancies in 13 allograft recipients resulted in 7 term deliveries, 4 preterm births, 2 spontaneous abortions, and 4 therapeutic abortions. All but one patient received immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin A, azathioprine, and prednisolone during pregnancy. The mean interval from the time of transplantation to conception was 28.8+/-14.3 months(range 6-60 months). In live birth group, the mean gestational age at delivery was 37.7+/-1.2 weeks and the mean birth weight of their offspring was 2.85+/-0.37 kilogram. Apgar scores at 5 minutes were 8 or more in all of them. The obstetric complications were distributed as follows: pregnancy induced hypertension in 6 cases(55%), pregnancy aggravated hypertension in 2 cases(18%), fetal growth restriction in 1 case(9%), prematurity in 4 cases(36%). Cesarean sections were done in 4 cases(36%) because of previous Cesarean section(3 cases) and uncontrolled hypertension(1 case). Neonatal complication, transient tachypnea of the newborn, was found in one case. Graft rejection after transplantation occurred in 4 cases: 3 cases in preterm births and 1 case in therapeutic abortions. Maternal renal functions were normal during pregnancy and postpartum period whose pre-pregnant renal functions had been normal. No patient experienced any rejection episode or graft loss during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Successful pregnancy can be expected in women with a renal transplant, although there was high incidence of pregnancy-related complications, especially hypertensive disorders. Pregnancy can be encouraged to these allograft recipients if they have good renal function.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Abortion, Therapeutic ; Allografts* ; Azathioprine ; Birth Weight ; Cesarean Section ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cyclosporine ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fetal Development ; Gestational Age ; Graft Rejection ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation ; Live Birth ; Medical Records ; Postpartum Period ; Prednisolone ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Premature Birth ; Retrospective Studies ; Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn ; Transplants

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to explore the cyber world immersion experience of adolescents. METHOD: Multiple strategies for data collecting were used: an in depth face-to-face interview; analysis of adolescent` writings; and analysis of examples of phenomenon in the realistic world. The sample group consisted of 10 adolescents. RESULT: Although the experience was different for all adolescent interviewed, the essential themes of experience emerged: "fill up", "homoeologous feeling", "the older generation has a conflicting negative opinion", "change in social character", "become habitually skeptic", "have bad health", "mean of superiority and getting everything solved", "ease of access", "monetary benefit", "addiction to the computer", "forget real life solved stress", "do harm to society", "take comfort", or "new job". CONCLUSION: Accordingly this paper suggests that contact with various software is necessary in adolescents, and good quality contents function to prepare and activate adolescents to apply the internet for good use.
Adolescent ; *Adolescent Psychology ; Adult ; *Attitude to Computers ; Humans ; *Internet ; Male

Piebaldism is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by localized and stationary hypomelanosis of skin and hair secondary to an absence of melanocytes in the involved skin. Depigmentation in piebalrlism shows a characteristic distribution that involves the forehead, ventral chest, abdomen, and extremities. Cases of piebaldism have been reported in association with extracutaneous abnormalities such as heterochromia irides, osteopathia striata, deafness, mental retardation, and Hirschsprung's disease. We report a case of piebaldism associated with strabismus and torticollis in a 6-year-old female patient. Piebaldism associated with strabismus and torticollis has not been reported in any previous literature.
Abdomen ; Child ; Deafness ; Extremities ; Female ; Forehead ; Hair ; Hirschsprung Disease ; Humans ; Hypopigmentation ; Intellectual Disability ; Melanocytes ; Piebaldism* ; Skin ; Strabismus* ; Thorax ; Torticollis*

Mouse models of chronic toxoplasmosis and atopic dermatitis (AD) were combined to clarify the effect of opportunistic Toxoplasma gondii infection on the development of AD. AD was induced as a chronic contact hypersensitivity (CHS) with repeated challenge of 2,4,6-trinitro-1-chlorobenzene (TNCB) on the dorsal skin of mice. TNCB induced skin thickness increases in both normal and toxoplasmic mice. The changing patterns were different from the sigmoidal which saturated at 20 days in normal mice to the convex saturated at 12 days in toxoplasmic mice with the crossing at 18 days. Compared to normal mice, toxoplasmic mice presented CHS more severely in earlier times and then moderately in later times. These data suggest that host immune modification by T. gondii infection enhances CHS in early times of atopic stimulation but soothes the reaction of CHS in later times in mouse model.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Contact/*immunology/parasitology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Picryl Chloride/adverse effects ; Skin/immunology/parasitology ; Toxoplasmosis/*immunology/parasitology