No abstract available.
Aspergillosis*

Angioleiomyoma(ALM) of the cavernous type is a rare subtype of leiomyomas arising from the smooth muscle of veins. ALM of this type invariably shows clinically and histopathologically distinctive features, compared with the classical solid or venous type. However, no case of ALM of this type has been yet reported in Korea although there have been several reported cases of other types. We herein present the case of a 39-year-old man with a 7-year history of a painless ALM of the cavernous type on his buttock with the histological features of markedly ectatic vascular channels and thin intervascular bundles of smooth muscles.
Adult ; Angiomyoma ; Buttocks* ; Humans ; Korea ; Leiomyoma ; Muscle, Smooth ; Veins

Non-nasal T/NK-cell lymphoma(TNKCL) without nasal cavity invasion is a subtype of angiocentric T-cell lymphomas showing the biphenotype of the T-cell and NK-cell. This tumor is characterized by the absence of clonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor gene, frequent association with Epstein- Barr virus(EBV), poor clinical course, and common extranodal invasion. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by repetitive spontaneaus abortion, thrombocytopenia, thrombotic symptoms and the positivity to the antiphospholipid antibody. Our patient was a 35-year-old woman with skin lesion on her face. Previously, she had been diagnosed of APS. Histopathological, immunohistochemical and serologic studies could disclose EBV-associated non-nasal TNKCL.
Adult ; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome ; Female ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Nasal Cavity ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND: A pathogenesis of skin-homing lymphoid cells in primary cutaneous T-eell lymphoma(CTCL) has not been elucidated, CLA(cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen) defined by HECA-452 monoclonal anfibody has been proposed as the novel skin-homing receptors of infiltrative lymphocytes in atopic dermatitis and graft-versus-host disease. Accordingly, CLA may be a determinant explaining about the skin-homing properties of lymphoid tumor cells in CTCL. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of CLA in the lesional tissue specimens of cutaneous lymphomas. METHODS: Immunohistochemicslly, we examined the expression of CLA, E-selectin, ICAM-1 and LFA-1 antigens in the tissue specimens taken from the skin lesions and lymph nodes of the 22 patients with cutaneous lymphomas and the 20 control subjects with non-cutaneous lymphomas. Results : 1. The expression rate of CLA was 40.9% in the skin specimens of cutaneous lymphomas. We could not fad any expression of CLA in non-cutaneous lymphomas. 2. CTCL showed a more frequent expression of CLA(80%) than cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL)(8.3%). We found more frequently CLA+ high endothelial venules in non-cutaneous lymphomas(40%) than in cutaneous lymphomas(9.1%). 3. CLA and E-selectin were more frequently expressed in primary CTCL(100%, 83.3%) than in secondary CTCL(50%, 0%). 4. The positivity to ICAM-1 and LFA-1 antigens was higher in primary cutaneous lymphomas (72.7%, 81.8%) than in secondary forms(9.1%, 9.1%). Conclusion : CLA and E-selectin may represent the pivotal skin-homing receptor of infiltrative tumor cells and vascular counter-receptor in primary CTCL, respectively. Also, ICAM-1 and LFA-1 may have a role in the primary cutaneous infiltration of lymphoma cells as the additional cofactors.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; E-Selectin ; Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Skin ; Venules

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) such as ulcerative colitis or Croln's disease is often related with varied diseases including pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema nodosum, ankylosing arthritis and psoriasis. To date, however, a cIinical observation of IBD accompanied by psoriasis has been sparcely accomplished although an immunogenetic mechanism explaining a coexistence of IBD and psoriasis has been proposed. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the prevalence of IBD in patients with psoriasis in Korea and investigated the clinical characteristics of IBD accompanied by psoriasis. METHODS: 92 psoriatic patients and 389 non-psoriatic control subjects were enrolled in this study. Colonoscopic biopsy and barium series were performed in 47 psoriatic patients and 110 control subjects showing irritative intestinal symptoms. RESULTS: 1. The prevalence of IBD in psoriatic patients(14.1%) was significantly greater than in the control group(1.0%). 2. In the temporal relationship, psoriasis developed several years prior to the onset of IBD in 84.6% of psoriatic patients. 3. The frequency of arthropathies in the psoriatic patients possessing IBD(84.6%) was significantly higher than that of non-psariatic counterparts with IBD(25.0%) or that of psoriatics without lBD(2.5%), 4. The psoriatir. patients with IBD demonstrated much more frequently diffuse colonal extension than in non-psoriatic subjects with IBD. CONCLUSION: Our findings of an increased prevalence of IBD in the psoriatic population present further evidence of an association between IBD and psoriasis. In the psoriatic patients showing acute or chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, colonoseopic evaluation might be mandatory for the evaluation of IBD.
Arthritis ; Barium ; Biopsy ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon ; Erythema Nodosum ; Humans ; Immunogenetics ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Psoriasis* ; Pyoderma Gangrenosum

We herein present two cases of generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP) followed by acquired bullous diseases during antipsoriatic management. Although there were several reports de-scribing the coexistence of psoriasis vulgaris and autoimmune bullous diseases such as bullous pemphigoid or pemphigus vulgaris(PV), a coexistence of GPP and bullous disease was sparcely reported. In one patient, we could define atypical autoantigen which was distinct from the other known antigens in documented cases of bullous diseases. The other case was compatible with PV. The psoriatic lesions and bullous eruptions of the two patients cleared in several weeks after administration of cyclosporine.
Cyclosporine ; Humans ; Pemphigoid, Bullous ; Pemphigus ; Psoriasis*

BACKGROUND: The associations of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotypes and cholesterol levels with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are controversial. The aim of this study is to investigate the individual and combined effects of ApoE epsilon 4 allele (Epsilon4) and cholesterol levels on the progression of AD. METHODS: ApoE genotypes and fasting serum total cholesterol levels were measured in 79 patients with AD. The associations were investigated between Epsilon4, cholesterol level and decline in cognitive function (Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination) over one year. RESULTS: No prospective individual and combined associations were found between Epsilon4, cholesterol level and decline of cognitive function. Adjustment for age, gender, education, and functional activities of daily living made little difference to the associations. CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive decline of AD might be determined by other factors rather than the impact of Epsilon4 or cholesterol levels.
Activities of Daily Living ; Alleles ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; Cholesterol* ; Education ; Fasting ; Genotype ; Humans

BACKGROUND: The opportunistic imperfect fungus Candida albicans causing life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients is recognized to be one of important nosocomial pathogens. Recently, an outbreak of septicemia caused by C. albicans was occured in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Chungbuk university hospital. To investigate the molecular epidemiology of these infections, we analyzed genotypes of C. albicans isolates from NICU and non-NICU. METHODS: Fourteen isolates of C. albicans were used for intraspecies genotyping, which were composed of 9 isolates from NICU and 5 isolates from non-NICU from January to April 1998. Each three isolates of C. albicans, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis were used for interspecies genotyping. The genotyping were analyzed by RAPD with four random primers. RESULTS: The genotypes of C. albicans isolates from immature neonates in NICU were identical with those from medical persons in NICU but different with those from patients in non-NICU. Interspecies RAPD profiles were more distinctive than intraspecies RAPD profiles. The reproducibility of RAPD showed good result. CONCLUSION: These results show that C. albicans isolated from NICU disclose the same RAPD genotype, which suggests the clonal origin, and RAPD can be the useful method for the epidemiological study of nosocomial infection caused by C.albicans.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Cross Infection ; DNA* ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Fungi ; Genotype ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal* ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Sepsis*

Recently we experienced three cases of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-amplified invasive breast carcinomas associated with co-amplification or gain of chromosome 17 centromere (CEP17) in silver-enhanced in situ hybridization (SISH) analysis. These cases revealed 2+ or 3+ staining for HER2 immunohistochemistry and >6 HER2 copies per cell on SISH analyses. However, the calculated HER2/CEP17 ratios were low (<2.2) and did not fit within the HER2-positive category. We interpreted those cases as HER2-positive tumors based on the number of HER2 copies per cell. There is a potential for misinterpretation of SISH analysis in cases showing increased CEP17 copy number, based on the criterion used for HER2 positivity (HER2 copies >6 per cell vs HER2/CEP17 ratio>2.2). We recommend reporting raw SISH or fluorescence in situ hybridization data, including number of cells counted, average numbers of HER2 and CEP17 signals, and the calculated HER2/CEP17 ratio to prevent underreporting of HER2 amplification.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Centromere ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Receptor, erbB-2

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous vasculitis associated with viral hepatitis seems to occur as a hypersensitivity reaction against the circulating viral antigens. Hepatitis B virus(HBV)-encoded X antigen(HBxAg) is known to participate in the carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) by the inactivation of p53. However, HBxAg has been found in chronic infiammatory lesions without the overexpression of p53. Accordingly, not only EBsAg and HBcAg but also HBxAg may be involved in HCC-associated cutaneous vasculitis, regardless of the alteration of p53. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the expression of HBV-encoded antigens in cutaneous vasculitis accompanied by HBV hepatopathy. Additionally, we have compared the expression of 3 HBV antigens and p53 between vasculitic patients with HCC and in others showing HCC-non-associated vasculitis. METHODS: Immunohistochemically, we examined the expression of HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBxAg in the tissue specimens taken from the vasculitic lesions of the 33 HBsAg-positive enrolled patients with cutaneous vasculitis proven by skin biopsy. RESULTS: 1. The immunohistochemical positivity rate to HBsAg in vasculitic patients with HBV hepatopathy was 66.7% overall. It was 90% in HCC-associated vasculitic subjects and 56.5% in the vasculitic subjects without HCC, respectively. 2. We found the expression of HBxAg in 80% of the vasculitic subjects showing HCC. The vasculitic patients without HCC showed 17,3% of the positivity rate to HBxAg. 3. We could not find the overexpression of p53 in the vasculitic tissue specimens of the HCC patients without the cutaneous metastasis from primary HCC. CONCLUSION: HBsAg, HBcAg and HBxAg may participate in the pathogenesis of cutaneous vasculitis with HBV hepatopathy, regardless of tumorigenesis.
Antigens, Viral ; Biopsy ; Carcinogenesis ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Skin ; Vasculitis*