No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Spondylarthropathies*

No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis* ; Polymyositis*

No abstract availalble.
Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Pregnancy*

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a prototype of systemic autoimmune disease which is characterized by polyclonal B cell activation and production of various autoantibodies, especially antibodies against nucleosome. The pathogenesis of lupus does not depend on a single gene defect but depend on multiple genetic and environmental factors. Lately defects of apoptosis have been focused as a potential etiologic factor of systemic autoimmune diasease. Apoptosis is an active programmed cell death which removes unwanted cells without any inflammatory sequelae. Cells of immune system are programmed to be deleted unless recruited into appropriate immune response. The fate of certain cell may be controlled by the balance between cell death signals and survival signals for each cells. The importance of these pathways in maintaining tolerance is highlighted by the development of lupus-like disease in three different mouse strains that have spontaneous mutations in the Fas or its ligand. We have a lot of reports on the relationship between apoptosis and systemic lupus erythematosus in terms of pathogenesis after then. We need to review all information on apoptosis and lupus and find appropriate direction toward research and clinical aspect, even though we don t have complete knowledge on signal transduction and regulators of apoptosis. Here relationships between systemic lupus erythematosus and apoptosis were reviewed on a few different viewpoints : 1) too little apoptosis of immune cell, 2) accelerated spontaneous apoptosis and nucleosome secretion, 3) defective phagocytosis of macrophage, 4) relationship between antiphospholipid antibody and apoptosis.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid ; Apoptosis* ; Autoantibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Cell Death ; Immune System ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Nucleosomes ; Phagocytosis ; Signal Transduction

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia*

Lupus nephropathy shows a variable clinical course including remission, relapse and progression to renal failure. To examine the clinical or morphological parameters which might be related to the progression of lupus nephropathy, we have analyzed renal biopsies of 19 patients (M : F=5 : 14), who underwent repeated renal biopsies by morphology and morphometry. The average age of the patients was 22.8+/-9.0 years. The mean interval between two biopsies was 34.5+/-13.3 months. The first renal biopsies of these patients were diagnosed with WHO class IV (74%), class II (11%), class I (5%), class III (5%), and class V (5%). According to the clinical data the patients were divided into 3 groups, static, relapsing and progressive. At the time of the first biopsies, the amount of proteinuria in both the static and relapsing groups was significantly higher than that in the progressive group (P<0.05). The volume density of the renal cortical interstitium of the first biopsies in the progressive group was significantly greater than that in the static and relapsing groups (0.14+/-0.07 micrometer3/micrometer3 vs. 0.05+/-0.02 micrometer3/micrometer3, P<0.05; 0.14+/-0.07 micrometer3/micrometer3 vs. 0.05+/-0.04 micrometer3/micrometer3, P<0.05). The activity index of the second biopsies in the relapsing group was significantly higher than that in the static group (2.7+/-0.6 vs 1.2+/-1.0, P<0.05). In the progressive group, the percentage of glomeruli with global sclerosis and the volume density of the renal cortical interstitium in the second biopsies was elevated over the first biopsies (P<0.05). Half of the patients in the static and relapsing groups underwent a morphologic transformation on the second biopsy. However, of the 7 patients in the progressive group, only one showed a transformation from WHO class IV to class III, suggesting that the transformation is not related to the progression of lupus nephropathy. These results suggest that interstitial expansion and heavy proteinuria at the time of the first renal biopsy may bode for poor prognosis in lupus nephropathy. Furthermore, they suggest that an increased histologic activity index could be related to the relapse of the disease.
Biopsy* ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Proteinuria ; Recurrence ; Renal Insufficiency ; Sclerosis

The authors report our experience of digital pulp reconstruction by free great toe pulp transfer. Twelve patients were treated with lateral great toe hemipulp. Twelve cases of digital pulp defect were reviewed, including 2 thumbs and 10 indices. There were 11 primary cases and 1 case of secondary reconstruction. We noted no necrosis and 5 patients suffered from cold intolerance. The flap sensibility, according to ASSH criteria, was excellent in 1 case, good in 10 cases, fair in 1 case and poor in no cases. The range of the stationary two-point discrimination test was between 4 and 15mm (mean S2-PD value; 7.2mm). The subjective evaluation found in 11 patients was satisfactory and dissatisfactory in 1. Performing this procedure during the acute phase may improve the management of trauma by reducing the time needed for cicatrisation and the length of disability. Furthermore, the principal advantages of this procedure are minimal donor site morbidity, as well as excellent functional and cosmetic gain.
Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Thumb ; Tissue Donors ; Toes*

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Antinuclear* ; Scleroderma, Systemic*

A clinical study was made on 148 cases of cutaneous malignant tumors that visited the Department of Dermatology at Seoul National University Hospital during a 11-year period from 1973 to 1983. The results were summarized as follows: 1) The incidence of cutaneous malignant tumors in the total number of outpatients visiting the Department of Derrnatology was 0. 025g. 2) There were 90 cases of male (60. 8p,) and 58 cases of female (39. 2g). The ratio of male to female was l. 55: l. Among the 148 cases of cutaneous malignant tumors, the most frequently observed type was basal cell carcinoma, 58 cases (3j.2 p:). The next most frequent types were squamous cell carcinoma, 42 cases(28. 4g) and malignant melanoma, ]1 cases (7. 4g). We described the clinical characteristics of the patients with basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma that have been observed.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Dermatology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Melanoma ; Outpatients ; Seoul