Dermatophytes infect the human hair, skin, nail and cause the dermatophytosis. The extracellular and intracellular proteinases of the dermatophytes commonly occur in the genus Trichophyton like T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and T. granulosum. These enzymes play a prominent role in growth, multiplication and infection of the host tissue. Extracellular proteinases have been purified from the species of Trichophyton and Microsporum. We purified the proteinase partially from the culture filtrate of the Trichophyton tonsurans through Mono-Q and Superose 12 column and investigated its biochemical and enzymatic characters. The molecular size of the proteinase was estimated to be 41 kDa by SDS-PAGE. And pI was 3.2. The optimal temperature and pH for an enzymatic activity were 27C and 7.5, respectively. The purified porteinase degraded the keratin, bovine serum albumin, hemoglobin. The serine proteinase inhibitor like PMSF and DFP inhibited the proteolytic activity of the purified enzyme whereas the cysteinase inhibitor did not. These results demonstrated that the purified proteinase is a serine proteinase and can contribute the tissue invasion.
Arthrodermataceae ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Hair ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Isoflurophate ; Microsporum ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Serine Proteases* ; Serine* ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; Skin ; Tinea ; Trichophyton*

PURPOSE: To report a patient with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome with blepharophimosis. METHODS: A 4-year-old girl with congenital facial abnormalities consistent with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome presented with complaints of blepharophimosis. The characteristic features of microstomia, down-slanting palpebral fissure, blepharoptosis, and telecanthus were also found. Y-V epicanthoplasty and levator aponeurosis resection were performed. RESULTS: Surgical intervention to correct ptosis and telecanthus led to initially fair cosmetic results, but one month later an unexpected decrease in interpalpebral fissure height was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Freeman-Sheldon syndrome with blepharophimosis is very rare. It was necessary to correct blepharoptosis, telecanthus, and blepharophimosis in the oculoplastic service in this case.
Blepharophimosis ; Blepharoptosis ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Microstomia

Swallowing caustic materials may produce full-thickness burn and loss of esophageal function. Caustics, both acid and alkalis, can corrode and destroy living tissue. Full-thickness burn of esophiageal epithelium causes severe stricture which frequently requires surgical repair. Recently, non-operative dilatation of luminal stenosis has been utilized. Esophageal endoscopic endoprosthesis has been used widely in malignant esophageal stricture but not in benign stricture. In recurrent benign esophageal stricture following repetitive balloon dilatation, we experienced a case of an 18-year-old woman with severe stricture which was successfully managed by esophageal endoprosthesia So we report this case with the review of the literature.
Adolescent ; Alkalies ; Burns ; Caustics ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Deglutition ; Dilatation ; Epithelium ; Esophageal Stenosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Lye* ; Phenobarbital

Swallowing caustic materials may produce full-thickness burn and loss of esophageal function. Caustics, both acid and alkalis, can corrode and destroy living tissue. Full-thickness burn of esophiageal epithelium causes severe stricture which frequently requires surgical repair. Recently, non-operative dilatation of luminal stenosis has been utilized. Esophageal endoscopic endoprosthesis has been used widely in malignant esophageal stricture but not in benign stricture. In recurrent benign esophageal stricture following repetitive balloon dilatation, we experienced a case of an 18-year-old woman with severe stricture which was successfully managed by esophageal endoprosthesia So we report this case with the review of the literature.
Adolescent ; Alkalies ; Burns ; Caustics ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Deglutition ; Dilatation ; Epithelium ; Esophageal Stenosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Lye* ; Phenobarbital

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: It was known that conventional stress-redistribution imaging was not adequate for detection of severely ischemic but viable myocardium. Albeit the gold criteria of viable myocardium is the presence of metabolism which can be detected by PET, reinjection technique was reported to be able to identify most, if not all, of viable myocardium. Because reinjection imaging is performed immediately after redistribution imaging, an additional redistribution could be happened if we follow the patient longer. To prove the guess authors performed an additional delayed imaging 24 hours after reinjection of 201T1. METHODS: Subject patients were 20 ischemic heart disease patients who showed irreversible perfusion defect(s) on standard pharmacologic(dipyridamole) stress-redistribution images. Immediately after the redistribution images were obtained, 37 MBq thallium was injected at rest, and images were reacquired at 10 minutes and 24 hours after reinjection. Four sets of images(stress, redistribution, reinjection and delayed images) were then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Left ventricle was arbitrarily divided into 9 segments(apex, proximal and distal portions of anterior, septal, inferior and lateral walls). RESULTS: These were 45 irreversible perfusion defects in 20 subject patients, of which 21(46.7%) showed improved thallium uptake after reinjection. Among these 21 segments 2 demonstrated further improvement of uptake on 24-hour delayed images, of the 24 regions determined to have persistent defects after reinjection. 10(41.7%) showed improved uptake on delayed images. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to reinjection imaging, 24-hour delayed imaging after reinjection was also helpful to identify severely ischemic but viable myocardium.
Dipyridamole* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardium* ; Perfusion ; Thallium ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytoses are infections of keratinized tissues, that is, the epidermis, hair and nails, caused by a group of specialized fungi, the dermatophytes. Laboratory diagnoses of dermatophytes such as Tricophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton are made by microscopic examination and in vitro culture but they are either time consuming of lacking specificity. OBJECTIVE: In order to develop and apply more rapid and precise diagnostic tests for fungal pathogens to facilitate the improved identification of dermatophytes, we investigated random amplified polymorphism DNA for classification and identification of dermatophytes. METHODS: Amplification reactions were performed in volumes of 5011 containing 10mM Tris-HCl(pH 8.3), 50mM KCl, 1.5mM MgCl2, 0.01% (w/v), gelatin, 200mM dNTP mixture, 50pM primer, Taq polymerase (0.025 units/ microliter), DNA 0.001 microgram/microliter. The optimal condition to. PCR was 2 cycles (denaturing 94 degrees C 2min, annealing 33 degrees C 2min, extension 72 degrees C 4min), 40 cycles, and extension (72 degrees C 10min). RESULTS: RAPD showed interspecies polymorphism in but it had identical patterns in intraspecies. CONCLUSION: It was confirmed that RAPD PCR analysis with optimal conditions is a fast, economical and reproducible method for identification and classification of dermatophytes isolates.
Arthrodermataceae* ; Classification* ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; DNA* ; Epidermis ; Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Gelatin ; Hair ; Magnesium Chloride ; Microsporum ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Taq Polymerase ; Tinea

BACKGROUND: Trichophyton rubrum is the most common dermatophyte isolated from human and has ability to invade the tissues such as stratum comeum, nail and hair. The potential role of proteinases as virulence factors of F rMSrMm has been discussed at length. OBJECTIVE: As a first step towards assessing its virulence role, we report on the purification and characterization of proteinase from T. rubrum isolate culture filtrates. METHODS: An extracellular serine proteinase has been purified from culture filtrates of Trichophyton rubrum HP-9 by ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and affinity column chromatography. Azocoll and keratin azure were employed as the substrates of enzyme activities. Peak of proteolytic activity was analyzed by gelatin co-polymerized gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was approximately exhibited to 14.0 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The optimum pH and molality of 14.0 kDa proteinase activity was 6.0 and 100mM, respectively. The activity was inhibited by serine proteinase inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). The proteinase degraded gelatin, collagen type VI, and keratin from human epidermis but not hemoglobin. CONCLUSION: The 14,000 Mr extracellular serine proteinase purified from T. rubrum NP-9 culture filtrates has neutral pH optimum 6.0 and activities against gelatin, collagen type VI, and keratin.
Arthrodermataceae ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, Gel ; Collagen Type VI ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Epidermis ; Gelatin ; Hair ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Molecular Weight ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Phenylmethylsulfonyl Fluoride ; Serine Proteases ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate ; Trichophyton* ; Ultrafiltration ; Virulence ; Virulence Factors

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels*

BACKGROUND: It is known that dyslipidemia plays and important role in atherogenesis and progression for the disease. Recently it was reported that apolipoprotein levels are important in athcrogenesis. In Korean patients the study of the apolipoprotein levels as for the risk factor for atherogenesis is still needed. Subjects and METHODS: The 107 patients who underwent coronary angiography to differentiate chest pain syndrome were subjected to this study. Thirty-two patients who had no significant coronary artery disease served as a control group and 75 patients who had one or more coronary stenoses more than 50% narrowing by luminal diameter served as the coronary artery disease(CAD) group. Plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholestero(HDL-C), apolipoprotein A-1(Apo- A1) and apolipoprotein B(Apo B) were measured from venous blood after overnight fastion, and the results were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The male gender and smoking habits were more prevalent in the CAD group. Total cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the CAD group but the HDL-C level was not significantly different in two groups though the mean level of the HDL-C was some lower in the CAD group. The Apo A-1 level was lowere in the CAD group while the Apo B level was higher in teh CAD group compared to those of the control, Apo B / Apo A-1 ratio much more distinctly discriminated the two groups. CONCLUSION: Theses results suggest that the plasma Apo-A-1, Apo B levels and the ratio of Apo B / Apo A-1 can be used for risk statification of CAD.
Apolipoprotein A-I* ; Apolipoproteins B ; Apolipoproteins* ; Atherosclerosis ; Chest Pain ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Dyslipidemias ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Phenobarbital ; Plasma* ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides