SUMMARY: To investigate the influences on semen parameters and fertilizing capacity of immuno- globulin(Ig) isotypes and regional distribution of antisperm antibody (ASA) on the human sperm surface. Sixty-seven ASA-positive patients were compared with 96 ASA-negative donors. ASAs in semen showed significant negative effects on both semen parameters and fertilizing capacity; in those with ASAs in the sperm head and/or tail, the reductions were significant. In the head as well as the tail, there was close correlation between fertilizing capacity and both IgG and IgA. Both semen parameters and fertilizing capacity are significantly affected by the presence of ASA in semen. In particular, antibodies IgG to sperm head and/or tail, and antibodies IgA to sperm tail appeared to have a highly detrimental effect on fertilizing capacity.
Antibodies* ; Head ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Semen* ; Sperm Head ; Sperm Tail ; Spermatozoa ; Tissue Donors

Freys syndrome is characterized by attacks of facial erythema and gustatory sweating occurring in the cutaneous distribution of the auriculotemporal nerve. After sugery, trauma, abscess, or other diseases of the parotid gland, the postganglionic sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibers are disrupted. Some misdirected auriculotemporal nerve fibrils join with the distal sympathetic nerves innervating the sweat glands and subcutaneous vessels. We report a case of Freys sindrome in a 6-year old boy without any definite injury to the parotid gland. After considering our case and review of literature of Freys syndrome in children, we conclude that there may be a congenital defect in the auriculotemporal nerve innervation responsible for cases occuring in children.
Abscess ; Child* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Erythema ; Humans ; Male ; Nerve Fibers ; Parotid Gland ; Sweat Glands ; Sweating, Gustatory

OBJECTIVES: To assess the fertilizing capacity using sperm penetration assay (SPA) to predict the outcome of the in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (iVF-ET) outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen samples were provided by 129 patients undergoing iVF. We attempted to correlate the extent of sperm penetration under enhanced SPA protocol with the results of fertilization, cleavage, preimplantation embryo development, and pregnancy. RESULTS: Univariate analysis demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between fertilizing capacity and motility, kinetics, fertilization, cleavage and embryo development, and pregnancy rate. By logistic regression analysis, fertilizing capacity was found to be the only variable that was statistically significant with respect to pregnancy rate. Fertilizing capacity, cleavage rate and pregnant rate were significantly higher in pregnant group. However, the fertilization rates was comparable with both group. CONCLUSIONS: Lower fertilizing capacity could denote a poorer prognosis for establishing a pregnancy, even after satisfactory fertilization rate is achieved.
Embryonic Development* ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Logistic Models ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy* ; Prognosis ; Semen ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; Spermatozoa*

OBJECTIVE: Angiogenesis is a critical factor in the progression of solid tumors. The mechanisms responsible for angiogenesis in cervical neoplasia, however, are not well defined. Our study was aimed to determine the expression of VEGF(Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor), its receptor(KDR), and TGF-beta1(Transforming Growth Factor-beta1) in cervical neoplasia, to determine the role of these angiogenic factors in preinvasive(dysplastic) process and the progression of cervical cancer and to investigate the progression of angiogenesis in the transition from normal cervix to invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. METHODS: The cervical lesions of 76 patients were punch biopsied and paraffin embedded. Among these, 5 were normal cervix, 36 were cervical intraepithelial lesion I-III, and the other 35 were invasive squamous cell carcinomas. The tissues were immunostained with antiVEGF, antiKDR, and antiTGF-beta1 polyclonal antibody. RESULTS: The expression of VEGF, KDR, and TGF-beta1 in CIN III was stronger than those of CIN I(p<0.01). Their expression were not significantly different among the each staged cervical cancers(p>0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that VEGF, KDR, and TGF-beta1 are important angiogenic factors in cervical neoplasia, especially in an early event to neoplastic transformation of cervical tissues, but these angiogenic factors are not associated with the progression of cervical cancer.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Humans ; Paraffin ; Phosphotransferases* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No abstract available.
Chromatin* ; Humans* ; Population Characteristics* ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions* ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.

We studied clinical applicability of the contact transscleral retinopexy using the continuous-wave Nd:YAG (CW-YAG) laser. CW-YAG laser photocoagulation was done over sclera through contact probe in the pigmented rabbit eyes. Cryoretinopexy was also done and their morphologic findings were compared. Acute lesions produced with the laser photocoagulation were noted to have the characteristic white-colored distinct depigmentation. Its microscopic findings were oharacterized by choroidal necrosis, disruption of Bruch's membrane, dispersion of retinal pigment epithelial cells, and disorganization of sensory retina. Acute lesions after the cryoretinopexy were much more broader in its area and showed slight tanslucent retinal edema. Its microscopic findings showed relatively well-preserved choroid including Bruch's membrane. These data demonstrated that the contact transscleral CW-YAG laser retinopexy is capable of inducing more localized, stronger chorioretinal adhesion than the cryoretinopexy.
Bruch Membrane ; Choroid ; Diathermy ; Epithelial Cells ; Light Coagulation ; Necrosis ; Papilledema ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Sclera

We reported our experiences with 23 patients with established facial nerve palsy who had a total of 23 gold weights inserted between January 1993 and March 1995. Ten patients of them underwent lateral tarsal stripping for treatment of lower eye lid ectropion at the same time. Functional improvement i.e. reduction of lagophthalmos and restoration of the blink reflex was good in all cases except 1 patient. Especially, patients who underwent gold weight within 6 months from onset of the palsy and patients who underwent lateral tarsal stripping at the same time revealed much better surgical results. Complications of gold implant were exposure of the implant, visibility through the thin upper eye lid skin and cosmetic problem due to bulky mass of upper eye lid. In 2 patients, the gold weights were removed due to implant exposure, but in one patient of the two, exposed gold was reimplanted after the managenent of wound infecton but the other refused our recommend of reimplant. We reported that gold weight implant is good surgical method for treatment of facial nerve palsy with lagopthalmos.
Blinking ; Ectropion ; Facial Nerve* ; Humans ; Paralysis* ; Skin ; Weights and Measures ; Wounds and Injuries

Dendritic cells (DC) are highly efficient antigen-presenting cells that initiate the primary immune response. Several laboratories have developed culture systems for human DC from peripheral blood monocytes. Most of these studies have used fetal calf serum (FCS) containing culture conditions that are inappropriate for human application. GM-CSF and IL-4 were used to make immature DC. The monocyte-conditioned medium (MCM) was used to induce the final maturation of DC. Using the previously described methods, the quality of MCM has unpredictable variations. Therefore using a defined cocktail of growth factors for the generation of mature DC would be advantageous for experimental as well as clinical purposes. In this study, it is suggested that combinations of both GM-CSF/IL-4 or GM-CSF/IL-13 could be used as the first-step culture to produce immature DC, and that cytokine cocktail (GM-CSF, IL-4, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, PGE2) was as efficient as MCM for the second step-culture to produce fully maturated DC. Here, we have generated an easily reproducible culture system for DC that allows for the generation of large amounts of immature and mature DC, and we also now have established the method in a FCS-free system that is suitable for clinical use.
Cell Division/drug effects ; Culture Media/pharmacology ; Cytokines/pharmacology ; Cytological Techniques* ; Dendritic Cells/cytology* ; Human ; Monocytes/cytology*

No abstract available.
Fertilization in Vitro* ; Fertilization* ; Humans*