No abstract available.
Cryptococcosis*

BACKGROUND: Melanin pigment plays a major role in the expression of normal human skin color as well as in the photoprotection against ultraviolet damage. Melanin produced in melanocytes is transferred via dendrites to surrounding keratinocytes, and this anatomical relationship is termed as epidermal melanin unit. The rates of pigment synthesis and transfer by melanocytes appear to be influenced by ultraviolet light, though the precise factors regulating human epidermal pigmentation remain unelucidated. It has been reported that keratinocytes in vitro release factors that could modulate melanocyte behavior. Ultraviolet irradiation was also been known to enhance the release of various kinds of cytokine from keratinocytes in vivo and in vitro. OBJECTIVE: We postulated that keratinocytes rather than melanocytes could play a primary role in UVB-induced pigmentation, and keratinocytes, when irradiated with UVB, release substances that could modulate or stimulate melanin synthesis from melanocytes. The fact that keratinocytes are located efficiently for direct sunlight irradiation at the top of melanocytes, that they release various biological factors known to simulate melanin synthesis from melanocytes and that they constitute the majority of epidermal cells supported this possibility. To investigate this possibility, we evaluated the effect of supernatant from UVB-irradiated cultured keratinocytes on the growth, melanin content, and tyrosinase activity of human melanocytes. METHODS: Human cultured keratinocytes were irradiated with UVB(30, 60, or 120mj/cm2)once, and after 24 hours, supernatant of the keratinocytes were collected and added to a growth medium of melanocytes for 5 days in concentration of 15, 25 or 35%, We observed numeric and morphologic changes as well as melanin content and tyrosinase activity in situ of cultured human melanocytes. RESULTS: 1. When cultured melanocytes were incubated with supernatant of non-irradiated keratinocytes, the number of melanocytes, amount of melanin and tyrosinase activity increased in groups added with 25% or35% concentration of supernatant. 2. The number of melanocytes incubated with 15% or 25% concentrations of supernatant from cultured keratinocytes irradiated with UVB increased in both 30 and 60mj/cm2 of UVB irradiated groups and decreased in 120mJ/cm2of UVB irradiated groups. 3. The melanin content of melanocytes incubated with 15% concentration of supernatant from UVB-irradiated cultured keratinocytes increased in 120mJ/cm2 of UVG irradiated groups. 4. The tyrosinase activity of melanocytes incubated with 15% concentration of supernatant from UVB-irradiated cultured keratinocytes increased in 120mJ/cm2 of UVB irradiated groups and the tyrosinase activity of melanocytes incubated with 25% concentration of supernatant from UVB-irradiated cultured keratinocytes increased with 35% supernatant concentration of supernatant from UVB-irradiated keratinocytes, the tyrosinase activity increased in 30mJ/cm2of UVB irradiated groups. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that UVB-irradiated kerationcytes release soluble or photoactivated factors which could modulate the growth and melanization of melanocytes, and that keratinocytes play an important or primary role in the regulation of UVB induced pigmentation.
Biological Factors ; Dendrites ; Humans* ; Keratinocytes* ; Melanins* ; Melanocytes* ; Monophenol Monooxygenase* ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Sunlight ; Ultraviolet Rays

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical effect of antithrombin lll concentrates in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) of neonates. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records of 11 newborn patients who had been admitted and diagnosed as DIC at the neonatal intensive care unit of Sanggye Paik Hospital from November, 1995 to September, 1996. RESULTS: There were 6 males and 5 females. In 9 cases (81.8%), gestational age was less than 37 weeks and birth weight was less than 2,500g. Sepsis was the most common underlying disease in 9 cases (81.8%), followed by respiratory distress syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, and fulminant hepatitis. The etiologic organisms of sepsis, were gram negative organisms, fungus, and gram positive organisms in decreasing order. There were signs of gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage, pulmonary hemorrhage, and intracranial hemorrhage as a result of DIC. In the clinical outcome of DIC patients, 6 out of 11 patients survived (54.5%). CONCLUSION: Administration of antithrombin lll concentrates in DIC of neonates produces improvement of clinical course and survival.
Birth Weight ; Dacarbazine ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation* ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Female ; Fungi ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Male ; Sepsis

Solitary plasmacytoma, in contrast to the disseminated neoplastic proliferation of plasma cells with marked infiltration of multiple organ system in multiple myeloma, is plasma cell neoplasm of a single focus occuring either in bone or soft tissue. The association between a solitary plasmacytoma and peripheral neuropathy is rare, and it is a progressive sensorimotorneuropathy, with a raised CSF protein and mixed demyelination and axonal loss in nerve biopsy. Localized radiotherapy indeed proves to be effective of not only arresting the progress of the neuropathy but also allowing a degree of recovery. We experienced a 55-year-old male with a solitary plasmacytoma and peripheral neuropathy confirmed by the radiologic studies, immunohistochemical stain of nasopharyngeal mucosa biopsy and sural nerve biopsy, which has loss of myelinated fiber and axonal degeneration. Until now, the reported cases are very rare in Korea, so we presented a case of solitary plasmacytoma associated with peripheral neuropathy.
Axons ; Biopsy ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Multiple Myeloma ; Myelin Sheath ; Neoplasms, Plasma Cell ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Plasma Cells ; Plasmacytoma* ; Radiotherapy ; Sural Nerve

Epidural anesthesia is a reliable technique of conduction anesthesia that is not temporally limited and provides profound relaxation. Epidural anesthesia, even in skilled hands, has a failure rate as high as 8%. Technical difficulties may result from abnormalities of the vertebral column and bands or sheaths within the epidural space. Furthermore, kinking, knots, and misplaced epidural catheters may cause incomplete or absent anesthesia. A flexible cannula passed into the epidural space cannot be relied upon to travel for any distance according to the direction of the bevel of the Tuohy needle. Only about one in four cannulas pursues a straight upward course within the epidural space. We describe accidental pass out of epidural space through an intervertebral foramen. A 72-years old man was scheduled for open prostatectomy under epidural anesthesia. The epidural catheter was placed in standard fashion without difficulty or indication of catheter rnalposition but epidural anesthesia was failed. Operation was taken under general anesthesia. At the end of the operation epidurography of the lumbar spine was taken. The epidurography showed that the catheter passed out of epidural space through an intervetebral foramen.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Conduction ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Catheters* ; Epidural Space ; Hand ; Humans ; Needles ; Prostatectomy ; Relaxation ; Spine

Primary lymphoma of the uterus is a rare disease, the reported characteristic MR imaging findings being homogeneous intermediate signal intensity of the indistinct mass on T1- and T2-weighted images, and the preservation of endome-trial lining and uterine architecture. We report a case of primary uterine lymphoma which showed tumoral necrosis, endometrial disruption and diffuse anterior vagi-nal wall involvement.
Case Report ; Female ; Human ; Lymphoma, Lymphoblastic/*diagnosis ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Age ; Necrosis ; Uterine Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Uterus/pathology

No abstract available.
Sarcoma*

Systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE), a rheumatic disease of unknown causes, is characterized by autoantibodies directed against self-antigens, resulting in inflammatory damages to target organs including kidney, blood-forming cells, and central nervous system. The prevalence rates are higher in Native Americans, Asians, Latin Americans and black people. A female to male ratio of approximately 2 : 1 occurs before puberty, and 4 : 1 after puberty. Children of SLE most frequently present with fever, fatigue, arthralgia or arthritis, and rashes. The diagnosis is confirmed by clinical and also laboratory manifestations satisfying at least 4 out of 11 criteria. A central nervous system is not rarely involved in children of SLE with the prevalence rate of 23-44%. However, cerebral infarcts are not a common phenomenon and can be seen only for 6% of children with SLE. There have been no cases reported in Korea. This is why we present a case of basal ganglia infarct associated with SLE in a 19-month old girl. We report this case with a brief review of related literature.
Adolescent ; Arthralgia ; Arthritis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Autoantibodies ; Autoantigens ; Basal Ganglia* ; Central Nervous System ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Exanthema ; Fatigue ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Indians, North American ; Infant ; Kidney ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Male ; Prevalence ; Puberty ; Rheumatic Diseases

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Prostate*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Prostate*