No abstract available.
Foot*

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the expressions, microvessel counts and angiogenic pathway of VEGF and PD-ECGF and proliferative activity of Ki-67 according to clinicopathologic feature of cervical tumor. METHODS: Two hundred three cervical specimens were evaluated; among these 20 were designated normal epithelium, 36 mild dysplasia, 28 moderate dysplasia, 36 severe dysplasia, 28 carcinoma in situ, 17 microinvasive carcinoma and 38 invasive cervical carcinoma (21 squamous cell carcinoma and 17 adenocarcinoma). Microvessel count was determined by immunohistochemical staining using anti-factor VIII-related monoclonal antibody. The expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and PD-ECGF (platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor) were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining with anti-human VEGF monoclonal antibody and anti-dThdPase monoclonal antibody. The proliferative activity was examined using a Ki-67 equivalent monoclonal antibody (MIBl). RESULT: There was no statistical significance on microvessel count except invasive cancer comparing with mild dysplasia including normal tissue, but there was a little increase in microvessel counts according to severity of tumor. The intensity of VEGF and PD-ECGF expression was significantly correlated with severity of cervical tumor. And the microvessel density was significantly higher in the positive expression of VEGF and PD-ECGF than in the negative expression. The intensity of PD-ECGF expression in invasive adenocarcinoma was significantly lower in comparison with VEGF expression. The intensity of Ki-67 expression had no correlation with severity of cervical tumor and was significantly higher in moderate and severe dysplasia than in microinvasive and invasive carcinoma. Ki-67 expression had no statistical correlation with VEGF and PD-ECGF. CONCLUSION: The VEGF and PD-ECGF are important angiogenic factors and associated with progression of cervical tumor. The VEGF may be involved in the progressions of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, but the PD-ECGF may not be involved or be minimally involved in the progression of adenocareinoma. There seems to be a different angiogenic pathway pertaining to the histologic difference of cervical cancer. There was no difference of Ki-67 expression according to severity of cervical tumor.
Adenocarcinoma ; Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Microvessels ; Thymidine Phosphorylase* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

We reviewed the 43 medical records of patients with cellulitis or erysipelas who had been admitted at the depar1ment of dermatology of Seoul National University Hospital and followed them up for mean 21.6 months. The results were as follows. 1. The sex ratio of patients with cellulitis was 1:1.4 and the average age was 49 years. 2. The lower extremity as the most frequently invloved site of cellulitis with the frequency of 58.1% (25 cases), with the head and neck being involved in 16 cases(37.2%) and trunk and upper extremity in 1 case each(2.3% ). 3. The portals of infecticin were suspected in 33 cases(76% ), where tinea pedis was detect,ed in 18 cases(41.9%), previous skin infeection 10 cases(23.3%) and trauma in 9 cases(20.9%). 4. Initial systemic symptoms were fever(76.7%), chill(65.1%) and headache(37.2%). Erythema(100%), local heating(90,7%), tenderness(88.4%), swelling(86.0%), ulcer(16.3%), bulla(14.0%), lymphangitis(9.2%) and lymphadenit,is(9.2%) were found in the skin lesions. 5. The laboratory findings revealed leukocytosis in 35.7%, elevaed ESR in 86.8% positive 6. ASO titer in 63.0% and positive CRP in 80%, Microorganism. were detected in only 1 of 15 blood cultures, in 2 of 4 bulla fluid cultures and in 7 of 9 bus cultures. There was no growth of causative microorganisms in 3 tissue cultures and 9 saline needle aspiration cultures. Penicillin was used as primary antibiotics in 19 cases, which changed to another antibiotics due to lack of improvement in 3 cases and cefazolin was used in 21 cases, which changed in 2 cases due to the same reason. 7. Average admission priod was 11 days(range from 3 to 20 days) and 30.2% of patients wit.h cellulitis experienced recurrence, but 48% on low extrernity in contrast with 6.7% on head and neck.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cefazolin ; Cellulitis* ; Dermatology ; Erysipelas ; Head ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Lower Extremity ; Medical Records ; Neck ; Needles ; Penicillins ; Recurrence ; Seoul ; Sex Ratio ; Skin ; Tinea Pedis ; Upper Extremity

No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: Patients with schizophrenia often present idea of reference in social situations, but there has been a limitation in quantitatively measuring their reactions to the social stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate behavioral characteristics of patients with schizophrenia in social situations in which idea of reference can be provoked. METHODS: Forty subjects with schizophrenia (21 males) and 26 healthy volunteers (17 males) performed the idea-of-reference-provoking task, which was composed of movie clips with scenes of two women sitting on a bench of 1 or 5 m away. The conditions consisted of "referential conversation", "non-referential conversation" or "no conversation". The reactions of the participants were rated by the questionnaires for self-referential perception, malevolent interpretation and anxiety reaction. RESULTS: There were significant group differences in the reactions on self-referential perception, malevolent interpretation and anxiety reaction. After the treatment, patients with schizophrenia showed improved scores of the reactions. In particular, score changes of malevolent interpretation and anxiety reaction in patients with schizophrenia were correlated with change of paranoia scale (rs=0.65, p<0.05 and rs =0.73, p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia revealed self-referential bias and paranoid responses to social situations, which were improved after psychiatric treatment. Self-referential perceptions and paranoid responses may be state dependent rather than trait of schizophrenia.
Anxiety ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Paranoid Disorders ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia* ; Social Perception*

BACKGROUND: Contact immunotherapy using diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) has been used in the treatment of alopecia and warts. DPCP seemed to be a promising agent for viral disease including molluscum contagiosum (MCI). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of DPCP immunotherapy on MC in children. METHODS: Twenty three patients with multiple lesion of MC were treated with DPCP immunotherapy. RESULTS: Twelve patients (52.2%) showed cure, and eleven patients (47.8%) showed treatment failure. No severe side effects were seen. CONCLUSION: DPCP immunotherapy may be an effective treatment in children with MC without serious side effects.
Alopecia ; Child ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Treatment Failure ; Virus Diseases ; Warts

The T cell responses to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were analyzed in acute hepatitis patients, chronic active hepatitis (CAH) patients and asymptomatic carriers. Neither proliferative responses nor substantial cytokine production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in response to HBsAg was detected. For further studies, HBsAg- reactive T cell lines were prepared from PBMC of the hepatitis patients and asymptomatic carriers. No proliferative response of the T cell lines was observed. Interestingly, however, T cell lines obtained from acute hepatitis patients were found to produce IFN-r, but not IL- 4, in response to HBsAg stimulation, whereas T cell lines obtained from CAH patients and carriers were not. Results of this study suggest that HBsAg-reactive T cells producing Thl type cytokines may play an important role in the viral clearance during acute infections, while defects in those T cells may be responsible for the viral persistency.
Cell Line ; Cytokines ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; T-Lymphocytes*

Vincristine has been extensively need in chemotherapy to treat leukemia, lymphoma, and a variety of solid tumor. The major antitumor effect has been known to be associated with its high affinity binding to the basic protein sub unit of microtubule, tubulin, which causes disruption of the mitotic spindle apparatus and arrest of calls in metaphase. The principal side effect that has commonly limited the use of this agent is peripheral sensori-motor neuropathy, a feature probably related to the disruption of microtubule in neural tissues. There has been a need for animal experimental models w study the peripheral neuropathy induced by vincristine. However, it was not easy to develop an adequate model due to reported interspecies difference of susceptibility to vincristine. In addition, electrophysiologic test methods to confirm peripheral neuropathy in small experimental animals has not been properly addressed. The purpose of this experiment is to find out whether rat can be used as an animal experimental model of vincristine neuropathy. The authors also incorporated serial noninvasive electrophysiololgic tests, in attempt to correlate morphologic alterations induced by vincristine and functional status of peripheral nerve and muscle. Experiment Group 1 of 14 rats were given 0. 2mg/kg vincristine sulfate once a week, Group 2 of 14 rats were given same does twice a week and Group 3 of 14 rats were given 0. 4mg/kg intravenously, through tail veins for 6 weeks, to delineate the possible different effects from dosage and frequency of injections. The 14 rats for control were given only normal saline with the same methods. The electrophysiologic tests including motor nerve conduction study, sensory nerve conduction study and cervical somatosensory evoked potential were per formed 2 weeks interval. The morphologic examinations of posterior tibial nerves using light microscope and electron microscope were done 4 weeks interval up to 16 weeks. The H&E, modified Gomori-trichrome and histochemical stain(ATPase & NADH) 1. Vincristine induced peripheral neuropathy was successfully established in rat.. This was confirmed not only by morphologic measurements but also by noninvasive serial electrophysiologic examinations of peripheral nerves. 2. The vincristine neuropathy in rats was sensori-motor type similar to those in human. 3. The motor and sensory conduction velocity of posterior tibial nerve in rats fell significantly at ter 2-4 weeks in the vincristine injected groups A tendency of recovery was noted, but the conduction velocity failed to return to normal level up to 16 weeks follow up study. However, the amplitude of compound muscle action potentials as well as compound nerve action potentials showed a great deal of fluctuation during the genesis of neuropathy. Therefore, these electrophysiologic parameters were not optimal predictors in assessment of functional integrity of given nerves with the electrophysiologic test methods used in this experiments. 4, Morphologic examinations revealed that vincristine neuropathy I rats are clearly these of axonal degeneration, compatible to the findings of electrophysiologic examination. 5. The higher dose of vincristine induced the more damage to the peripheral nerves but it also resulted in high mortality rate. Administration of 0.2mg/kg/week would be adequate in generation of experimental neuropathy. 6. The examinations of gastrocnemius and soleus muscle showed same evidence of mild degree of myopathy but it was felt to be direct toxic effect, rather than secondary changes due to the neuropathy.
Action Potentials ; Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Axons ; Drug Therapy ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma ; Metaphase ; Microtubules ; Mortality ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscular Diseases ; Neural Conduction ; Peripheral Nerves* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Rats* ; Spindle Apparatus ; Tibial Nerve ; Tubulin ; Veins ; Vincristine*

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen presenting cells that can activate naive T cells. Mature DCs exress high levels of MHC and costimulatory molecules on their surface and have capacity to produce IL-12, a 75 kDa heterodimeric cytokine composed of p35 and p40 subunit. IL-12 is currently thought to be one of most critical determinants for skewing the immune response towards Th1. Expression of IL-12 in dendritic cells seems to be regulated by various stimuli including CD40L. In the present study we investigated expression of IL-12 in mature DCs, which were cultured from bone marrow cells in the presence of GM-CSF. Maturity of the DCs was confirmed by morphologic characteristics, immunophenotypes, and allostimulatory activities. Exprssion levels of IL-12 p40 in the DCs were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Increases in IL-12 p40 expression were observed after treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an anti-MHC class II monoclonal antibody, or an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody. The most remarkable increases, however, were observed in the DCs treated with an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody. These results support a previous notion that signals through CD40/CD40L interaction may be important for the production of IL-12 by DCs. Moreover, results of this study show a possibility of using monoclonal antibodies against CD40 molecules for preparing DCs producing high amount of IL-12, which can be used for anti-tumor or anti-viral immunotherapy.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antigen-Presenting Cells ; Bone Marrow Cells ; CD40 Ligand ; Dendritic Cells* ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Immunotherapy ; Interleukin-12* ; Mice* ; T-Lymphocytes

OBJECTIVES: We studied peritoneal fluid and serum LDH levels to identify patients with ovarian carcinoma and differentiate them from patients with benign ovarian tumor or other gynecological tumors. METHODS: From July 1998 to May 1999, peritoneal fluid and serum LDH, serum CA-125 levels were measured in 95 patients: 11 with ovarian carcinoma, 2 with borderline ovarian tumor, 45 with benign ovarian tumor, 2 with endometrial carcinoma, 21 with CIS, 7 with cervical cancer and 7 with uterine myoma. RESULTS: Peritoneal fluid LDH and serum LDH and CA-125 levels in ovarian cancer patients were significantly higher than those in patients with benign ovarian tumor and other gynecological tumors(p<0.05). Peritoneal fluid LDH demonstrated higher sensitivity(100%) and greater diagnostic efficiency(86%) than serum LDH(73% and 84%, respectively) or serum CA-125.(82% and 83%, respectively) CONCLUSION: Peritoneal fluid LDH, compared to serum LDH and serum CA-125, presented the greatest diagnostic efficiency in discriminating ovarian cancer from benign ovarian tumor and, therefore, it may be efficient as a biochemical marker in diagnosis of ovarian cancer, even in early stages of the disease.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Biomarkers ; Diagnosis ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Lactic Acid* ; Leiomyoma ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms