BACKGROUND: Epidermis is directly exposed to various external stimuli and protects internal structures. Most studies about skin tension focused on the dermis, and epidermal tension has not been able to attract interest because dermis much thicker than epidermis and dermal collagen fibers play a predominant role in the skin tension. However, circumstances which involve only the epidermis are often shown, and thus it is necessary to study the mechanical property of the epidermis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to quantify the role of the epidermis as a mechanical barrier. METHODS: Human epidermal sheets were obtained from suction blisters in 14 patients with vitiligo during epidermal grafting. Maximal tension, that is the power required to break the epidermal sheets, was measured by tensiometer. RESULTS: The maximal tension of the epidermis ranged from 40.0 g/cm² to 84.5g/cm² with a mean values of 56.1g/cm² and did not differ significantly according to the age or anatomical sites. CONCLUSION: The barrier function of epidermis is important and the results are expected to be used as the basic information for other studies about the mechanical property of the epidermis. In addition, this will be important data in developing an artificial skin whose mechanical property is similar to that of the human skin.
Blister* ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Epidermis* ; Humans* ; Skin ; Skin, Artificial ; Suction* ; Transplants ; Vitiligo

OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential clinical utility of in-vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in patients with various malignant and benign breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients with untreated primary malignant breast lesions (group I), eight patients with untreated benign breast lesions (group II) and seven normal breasts (group III) were included in this study. In-vivo 31P MRS was performed using a 1.5 Tesla MR scanner. Because of the characteristics of the coil, the volume of the tumor had to exceed 12 cc (3 x 2 x 2 cm), with a superoinferior diameter at least 3 cm. Mean and standard deviations of each metabolite were calculated and metabolite ratios, such as PME/PCr, PDE/PCr, T-ATP/PCr and PCr/T-ATP were calculated and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Significant differences in PME were noted between groups I and III (p=0.0213), and between groups II and III (p=0.0213). The metabolite ratios which showed significant differences were PME/PCr (between groups II and III) (p=0.0201), PDE/PCr (between groups I and III, and between groups II and III) (p=0.0172), T-ATP/PCr (between groups II and III) (p=0.0287), and PCr/T-ATP (between groups II and III) (p=0.0287). There were no significant parameters between groups I and II. CONCLUSION: In-vivo 31P MRS is not helpful for establishing a differential diagnosis between benign and malignant breast lesions, at least with relatively large lesions greater than 3 cm in one or more dimensions.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/*methods ; Middle Age ; Phosphates/metabolism ; Tumor Markers, Biological/metabolism

Sensitivity to mercury appears to be not uncommon and perhaps the commonest contact with mercury in the general population is by amalgam dental restorations. Recently, we have experienced 2 cases of mercury dermatitis following amalgam dental restorations which were confirmed by the patch test. We report our cases with the patch test results and review the literatue on previous reports.
Dermatitis* ; Patch Tests

Successful middle ear surgery requires the availability of al safe, effective bonding material. Side effect caused by synthetic materials have led to the use of biologic adhesive, However, they carry the risk of transmission of infectious diseases if they are prepared from pooled human blood. The adhesive strength of ammonium sulfate fibrin adhesive produce an adhesive strength that is half that of the homologous commercial product. It is, however, good enough for use in several otolaryngological operations, tympanoplasty, facial nerve repair, reconstruction of ossicles. Reconstruction of posterior wall of ear canal and obliteration of frontal sinus and mastoid antrum using bone dust.
Adhesives ; Ammonium Compounds* ; Ammonium Sulfate* ; Communicable Diseases ; Dust ; Ear Canal ; Ear, Middle ; Facial Nerve ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Frontal Sinus ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Tympanoplasty

A case of acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome) characterized by tender erythematous plaques on the face, neck, and limbs was reported. This 43-year-old male patient has been suffering from fever and sore throat prior to development of skin lesions. Positive laboratory findings were polymorphonuclear leukocytosis and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The symptoms well responded to corticosteroid therapy.
Adult ; Blood Sedimentation ; Extremities ; Fever ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Neck ; Pharyngitis ; Skin ; Sweet Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Tuberculosis, Lymph Node*

Thelper (Th) cells play a pivotal role in the regulation of immune responses. Since Th epitopes in adenovirus have not yet been defined, in this study, it was attempted to search for Th epitopes of adenovirus antigens that are restricted by MHC class II (H-2E). Among candidate viral proteins to be screened for Th epitopes, structural protein was selected, since they induced strong IL-2 release from adenovirus immune lyrnph node (LN) cells and the presence of E1 protein, which contains immunodominant cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes, did not potentiate the T cell responses. To confirm the presence of Th epitopes in the structural protein, virions were trypsinized and the resulting polypeptides whose molecular weights were lower than 5,000 were fractionated by HPLC. Some of the HPLC fraction turned out to induce LN cell proliferation. Ten synthetic peptides were designed as candidate Th epitopes from the primary amino acid sequences of adenovirus hexon and penton protein which are major constituents of the virion. The selected sequences share the common features of other known H-2E' binding ligands. Among these ten synthetic peptides, peptide of hexon protein amino acid residue 709-721 induced noticeable proliferation of LN cells from preimmune mice, and also able to induce IL-2 secretion from adenovirus-specific T hybridomas, suggesting that the peptide was the most immunodominant Th epitope. Hexon protein 221-233 and hexon protein 676-688 are considered as epitopes also. This study revealed three epitope sequences from adenovirus structural protein that are presented by class II MHC, H-2E.
Adenoviridae* ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Epitopes ; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte* ; Hybridomas ; Interleukin-2 ; Ligands ; Mice ; Molecular Weight ; Peptides ; Trypsin ; Viral Proteins ; Virion

We observed the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of acquired, bilateral nevus of Ota-like macules in each 80 and 23 patients. The results were as follows: 1. All patients were female and the peak age of onset was third decade with an a,verage age of 27.4 years. 2. The colors of lesions were slate, brown, dark brown, and blue black in order of freguency. 3. The lesions were most comrnonly observed in the malar area and alae nasi. 4. Three patients had family history of acquired, bilateral nevus of Ota-like :macules. 5. Histopathologically pigment-bearing cells, bipolar or irregular in shape, were found mostly in the upper- and mid-portion of the dermis. The melanocytes showed weakly positive dopa reaction. 6. In electron microscopic observation, these pigrnent-bearing cells contained many singly dispersed melanosomes in stage 3 and 4 of melanization and wece surrounded by an extracellular sheath.
Age of Onset ; Dermis ; Dihydroxyphenylalanine ; Female ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; Melanosomes ; Nevus of Ota* ; Nevus*

No abstract available.

Regardless of the any cause leg ulcers are painful and inconvenient to patients and present clinical and economic problems due to their chronicity. Conventional skin grafts, cultured allogenic epidermis, and cultured autologous epidermis have been used for the treatment of leg ulcers. In a twenty-year-old woman with leg ulcers, autologous pure epidermal sheets were obtained from the lower chest by means of suction blisters and grafted to the leg ulcers. All lesions were healed completely in 20 days after grafting. The donor sites showed slight postinflammatory hyperpigmentations without scars. The autologous epidermal graft using suction blisters appears to be a useful method for the treatment of leg ulcers, with no immunologic rejection, no need for cultivation and anesthesia, no desiccation, and no scars on the donor sites.
Anesthesia ; Blister* ; Cicatrix ; Desiccation ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Leg Ulcer* ; Leg* ; Methods ; Skin ; Suction* ; Thorax ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*