Lymph nodes, one of peripheral lymphoid organs, are the sites, where the lymphocytes receive their initial instructions for producing effector functioning resulting in humoral or cell-mediated immunity. Each lymph node consists of an outer cortex in which there are aggregates of cells constituting the follicles, B-cell areas. Some follicles have central areas called germinal centers, which stain lightly. Germinal centers are B lymphoblast cell areas arising eccentrically in primary lymphoid follicles in response to T-cell dependent antigenic stimulation and are the generally accepted sites of generation of memory B cells and undergoing isotype switching and somatic mutation. We observed the morphologic, cellular, protein and molecular events arising in mouse popliteal lymph nodes in response to T-cell dependent antigenic stimulation. In this study mice were immunized into footpads with TNP-chicken ovalbumin. The germinal center formation in primary follicles of popliteal lymph nodes was first observed 6 days after immunization and germinal centers persisted until 24 days of immunization. Lymph node cells were stained with PE-labeled anti-B220 antibody and/or FITC labeled PNA and analyzed by using FACScan. B cells (B220(+) cell) in lymph node increased after 3 days and peaked between 6 and 18 days after immunization. The proportion of germinal center B cells (B220, PNA(high) cells) among lymph node B cells was low (2%) before immunization but increased at day 6 (9%) and reached the peak (30%) at day 18. The expression of IgG1 productive mRNAs and germline transcripts were observed by using RT-PCR. The expression of IgG1 productive mRNA was detected at day 10 and continued until 24 days after immunization. The expression of IgG1 germline transcripts was observed 10 days after immunization and rapidly declined over the next one week. IgG1 anti-TNP antibody, main isotype of anti-TNP antibodies, was first detected at day 14 and reached the peak level 24 days after immunization. Taken these data together, we can conclude that the first immunological event observed from mouse popliteal lymph node in response to T-cell dependent antigenic stimulation is the increase in the number of B cells, and this event is followed by appearance of germinal center B cells and at the same time by the formation of germinal center in primary lymphoid follicles. Once the germinal center is formed, the process of isotype switching to IgG1 occurs in lymph node and antigen-specific IgG1 antibody is produced.
Animals ; Antibodies ; B-Lymphocytes ; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate ; Germinal Center ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin Class Switching ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins* ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphocytes ; Memory ; Mice ; Ovalbumin ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes

Carcinsarcoma is an uncommon pulmonary malignancy characterized by carcinmatous parenchyma and sarcomatous stroma. The cytologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of a case of pulmonary carcinosarcoma suspected by fine needle aspiration cytology is presented. Only bizarre spindle cells arranged in loose groups, in microtissue fragments and in a dissociate fashion were present in the aspiration smears. They were markedly positive for vimentin. The epithelial component was not found, which was probably due to marked paucity of carcinomatous component that was proved by histologic examination of the resected tumor. The diagnosis of pulmonary carcinosarcoma should be conidered whenever poorly differentiated epithelial cell groups with a malignant mesenchymal component set in a myxoid background are seen in a pulmonary cytology specimen.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinosarcoma ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Nephritis* ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch* ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: Although there are varied etiological factors in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, recent data where viral hepatitis is more frequently found in psoriasis patients than in the normal population, suggests the possibility that some kinds of viral antigens may participate as causative factors of psoriasis. Hepatitis C virus(HCV) in particular, which has been proven to be associated with many dermatoses such as porphyria cutanea tarda, lichen planus and vasculitis, is currently suspected as a possible pathogen in psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of viral hepatitis infection among psoriasis patients in Korea where it is known to be endemic. Additionally, we analysed the relationship between the clinical severity of psoriasis and viral hepatitis according to the serotypes. METHODS: In this study, we looked for the presence of HCV, HBV, HAV, HDV and HEV infection in 65 enrolled psoriasis patients and 98 non-psoriatic patients by enzyme immunoasay, recombinant immunoblotting, radioimmunoassay and reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions. RESULTS: 1. We found a higher prevalence of viral hepatitis in the psoriasis group(70.8%) than the control group(45.9%). 2. 10.7% of patients were shown to be infected with HCV in the psoriasis group, in comparison with 2% in the control group. Also 52.7% of psoriatic patients were positive to HBV markers as HBcAb and HBsAg in comparison with 38.8% in the control group. 3. There was a statistically significant correlative relationship between the clinical severity of psoriasis and the presence of viral hepatitis. 4. We could establish a significant association among higher titers of ALT, positivity of HBcAb and HBsAg, and HCV hepatitis in psoriatic patients. CONCLUSION: Psoriatic patients had a higher prevalence of viral hepatitis than normal controls. Also psoriatic patients with viral hepatitis showed relatively different clinical features and labaratory results in comparison with those without it.
Antigens, Viral ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Korea ; Lichen Planus ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Porphyria Cutanea Tarda ; Prevalence ; Psoriasis* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reverse Transcription ; Skin Diseases ; Vasculitis

Herein we report a case of subungual osteochondroma in a male patient. Although there have been several reports about cases of subungual exostosis in Korea, a case of subungual osteochondroma had not been reported until now. Osteochcndromas are clearly different disease entities from exastosis in that they have diagnostic hyaline cartilaginous caps instead of the fibrocartilages in subungual exostosis. Additioaally, subungual osteochondroma is a very rare type having an incidence rate of less than 1% among all osteochondromas. Our patient was an 18-year-old male with a solitary woody mass on his right great toe that was painfuL A surgical excisional biopsy following a nail plate avulsion showed the characteristic hyaline cattilaginous caps enclosing bony trabecula connected with the inferior cortical bone.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Exostoses ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Osteochondroma* ; Toes

We herein report a case of Spitz nevus which occurred in a 6-year-old girl with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The lesion was a well delimited, symmetric, 1.0 * 1.0cm sized, dome-shaped light pinkish nodule with a shiny surface on her forehead. The histopathological findings of the excisional biopsy specimen revealed mild epidermal hyperplasia ; numerous uniform nests of spindle cells and epitheloid cells with sparce pigmentation along the dermoepidermal junction; colloid body-like eosinophilic globules ; multinucleated giant nevus cells in the epidermis and edema in the upper dermis. Since the complete excision of her lesion was accomplished, there have been no new lesions over the past year.
Biopsy ; Child ; Colloids ; Dermis ; Edema ; Eosinophils ; Epidermis ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Nevus ; Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell* ; Pigmentation ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*

A case of keratosis follicularis associated with mild mental aberration in 27 years old male is presented. The clinical and histo-pathological studies revealed characteristic features of the disease. The etiologic and therapeutic aspects of this disease as well as on its "forme fruste" are discussed.
Adult ; Darier Disease* ; Humans ; Keratosis* ; Male

A case of nevus syringocystadenoma papilliferus which resembles eclinically as nevus sebaceus in 17 year-old female is presented. The histopathological examination revealed characteristic features of the disease.
Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Nevus

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Morphologically, kyphosis is devided into two groups, pure kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis, according to whether or not scoiiosis is combined. Or kyphosis can be devided into round kyphosis or angular kyphosis. The examples of round kyphosis are Scheuermanns kyphosis or ankylosing spondylitis. Acute angular kyphosis are of congenital kyphosis or old healed tuberculosis. The purpose of surgical correction of fixed kyphosis is to correct deformity as well as to prevent or to recover from paraplegia. The operation also improve respiratory and digestive function by diminishing compression of abdomen. However, the correction of this deformity is more dangerous in eliciting paraplegia than any other spinal deformity. In considering surgical correction of kyphosis we have to decide which approach is the best for that particular patient at that particular time. Usually majority of patient need combined anterior and posterior approach. The extent of fusion depends upon the flexibility of the kyphosis. Anterior fusion should encompass at least the rigid and inflexible portion of the kyphosis as determined by the hyperextension x-ray of the spine. Posterior fusion should encompass the full extent of the kyphosis. The purpose of this study is to report our results for surgical correction and to find the operative procedure which shows the best result. We hereby report surgically corrected 14 cases of fixed kyphosis who were hospitalized here from April 1988 to February 1995.
Abdomen ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Kyphosis* ; Paraplegia ; Pliability ; Scheuermann Disease ; Spine ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tuberculosis