No abstract available.
Ciprofloxacin* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium*

No abstract available.
Decompression* ; Head* ; Osteonecrosis*

Primary intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery is a rare disease and there has been no report of any case originating from the pulmonary valve. Recently we experienced a 62 year-old female patient who had a primary intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary valve with distal metastasis. She was brought to medical attention due to exertional dyspnea facial edema productive coughing and general weakness for 1 month. Chest CT and echocardi-ography suggest an acute pulmonary thromboembolism or tumor. Exploration showed a large polypoid mass arising from the pulmonary leaflets and multiple masses on distal pulmonary arteries. We replaced the pulmonary valve and reconstructed the pulmonary artery. She received radiotherapy 1 month postoperatively and now 4 months after surgery she has begun receiving chemotherapy.
Cough ; Drug Therapy ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Pulmonary Valve* ; Radiotherapy ; Rare Diseases ; Sarcoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Arthritis*

No abstract available.
Colon*

We studied the relationship between dermal mast cell proliferation and pruritus in patients with end stage of renal failure. Skin biopsies were taken from 21 patients undergoing hemodialysis in end stage of renal failure. As a control, 12 pruritic patients without any internai problem were u.d. During the hemodialysis, 13 patient ha<) pruritus. Serum PTH levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. We have thought that the cause of pruritus in patients undergoing hemodialysis is related with dermal mast cell proliferation and a release of histamine. The results were as follows .' 1. Significantly larger numbers of dermal mast cells were found in hemodialysis patients than in the control (p<0.001). 2. Significantly larger mumbers of dermal mast cells were found in prnritic patients than in the non pruritic patients among hemodialysis patients (p<0.01). 3. There was no clear relationship between dermal mast cell proliferation and duration of hemodialysis or seum level of parathyroid hormone.
Biopsy ; Histamine ; Humans ; Mast Cells* ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Pruritus ; Radioimmunoassay ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency* ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation is an important inducer of several biological changes in skin, including sunburn, premature skin aging, and skin cancer, and these changes are mediated mainly by direct DNA damage or production of reactive oxygen species. Chemoprevention with an antioxidant, such as melatonin, may be a useful method to reduce skin damage induced by UVB. These processes are closely related with changes in expressions of many genes in cells. However, the expression profiles of genes in UVB-irradiated fibroblasts, with or without melatonin treatment, is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression profiles of genes in UVB-irradiated fibroblasts, with or without melatonin treatment, thereby evaluating the possibility of melatonin for the use as a promising antioxidant. METHODS: We cultured human skin fibroblasts in the presence and abscence of melatonin. Cells were irradiated with UVB (100 mJ/cm2), and the expression profiles of genes in the cells were then evaluated using a cDNA microarray, representing 25,000 genes, and by the RT-PCR method. RESULTS: The expressions of 652 genes with melatonin and 597 genes without melatonin were changed by UVB, and the major genes modified by UVB could be grouped into 4 categories: (1) cell cycle-related genes, (2) genes for structural, extracellular matrix proteins, and cell adhesion-related genes, (3) inflammation-related genes, and (4) oxidation-related genes. CONCLUSION: These results provide the basis for understanding the effect of UVB on human skin fibroblasts and give a new insight into melatonin as an antioxidant.
Chemoprevention ; DNA Damage ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression* ; Humans* ; Melatonin* ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Skin Aging ; Skin Neoplasms ; Skin* ; Sunburn ; Transcriptome*

When about 300mg of L-ascorbic acid was given intravenously to the adults saturated with the vitamin, the increased blood level returned to almost the original level in 3 hours. Also the amounts of the vitamin absorbed by the tissue cells and metabolized in the body or excreted into the gastrointestinal tract were found to average 74.1mg in 3 hours. When about 300mg of L-ascorbic acid was given intravenously twice at intervals of 3 hours, an average of 101 mg of the vitamin was absorbed by the tissue cells and metabolized in the body or excreted into the gastrointestinal tract in 6 hours. When the vitamin was given orally to the saturated adults, the absorption rate increased as the test does increased. When large amounts (3.0gm) of the vitamin were given, the absorption rate reached the maximum. The maximum absorption in 6 hours was estimated as 681 mg of the vitamin.
Adult ; Ascorbic Acid/blood/*metabolism ; Human ; *Intestinal Absorption

BACKGROUND: Scleroderma is a connective tissue disorder characterized by excessive collagen production by activated fibroblasts. TGF-beta plays key roles in fibrosis of dermsis. Although numerous studies have elucidated the pathogenesis of scleroderma, effective therapeutic strategies for improving the sclerosis of the skin have been underinvestigated. Recently several studies indicated that an animal model of sclerotic skin induced by bleomycin is useful for providing clues and therapeutic interventions for scleroderma. We previously reported that AP (Activator protein)-1 decoy ODN (oligodeoxynucleotides) suppresses the TGF-beta1-induced type I collagen gene expression in cultured scleroderma fibroblast in vitro studies. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the anti-fibrotic effect of AP-1 decoy ODN in sclerotic animal model. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is the establishment of a mouse model for scleroderma and confirmation of the anti-fibrotic effect of AP-l decoy ODN in vivo study. METHODS: Dermal sclerosis was induced by intradermal injection of bleomycin at a dose of 0.3, 1.5, 3 (mg/ml) into the back skin of BALB/C mice twice a week for 4 weeks. To confirm anti-fibrotic effect of AP1-decoy ODN, the AP-1 decoy ODN was transfected into subcutaneous tissue of mice with or without bleomycin. Dermal sclerosis was examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson's trichrome staining. TGF-beta1 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and type I collagen gene expression was also analyzed by dot blotting and western blot method. RESULTS: Histopathological examination revealed that the dermal sclerosis with the deposition of thickened and homogenous collagen bundles increased according to the concentration of bleomycin. The expressions of type I collagen and TGF-beta1 were markedly increased in bleomyin-injected mice. Furthermore transfection of AP-1 decoy ODN with bleomycin suppressed the dermal sclerosis and type I collagen gene expression as well as TGF-beta1 in mice. CONCLUSION: AP-1 decoy ODN inhibits the bleomycin-induced dermal sclerosis through down-regulation of type I collagen and TGF-beta1 expression in BALB/C mice. Thus the anti-fibrotic effect of AP-1 decoy ODN in bleomycin-induced sclerotic mouse model suggests the fundamental data for gene therapy of scleroderma.
Animals ; Bleomycin ; Blotting, Western ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Connective Tissue ; Down-Regulation ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Therapy ; Hematoxylin ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections, Intradermal ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Sclerosis ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Transcription Factor AP-1 ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

We describe a case of cutaneous angiomyolipoma found in the ear lobe, that is not associated with tuberous sclerosis. The lesion developed on the youngest patient yet reported in the literature.
Angiomyolipoma* ; Ear ; Humans ; Tuberous Sclerosis