In spite of the extensive use of antibiotics over several decades, Streptococcus pneumoniae still remains as one of the most serious human bacterial pathogens. In order to clone the pneumococcal genes whose expression is induced when pneumococcus causes infection in mice, S. pneumoniae strain ATCC 6303 was subcultured on blood agar plates (BAP) ten times to reduce the virulence first, and then passaged through BALB/c mice three times to restore the virulence. Subtractive hybridization was performed using the total RNA preparations isolated from BAP-cultured and mouse-passaged strains. Complementary DNAs corresponding to any mRNA species that were differentially expressed in the mouse- passaged strain were used as the probes to screen the genomic library of pneumococcus. Positive recombinants were selected and sequenced partially to identify the genes located within the cloned DNA. GenBank search of the sequence data has identified several genes including two heat shock genes (dnaK and dnap, a transposase-encoding gene, and a sequence which is very homologous to that of the ftsH gene.
Agar ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Genomic Library ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Mice ; Pneumonia ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Shock ; Streptococcus pneumoniae* ; Streptococcus* ; Virulence

To evaluate the influence of tourniquet ischemia and hyperthermia on the radiation effect of skin, theexperimental study was undertaken using a total of 344 mice. A single dose of irradiation from 2000 rads to 8000rads was delivered on skin of mouse tail after hyperthermia of 40degrees(C) to 42degrees(C) with or withouttourniquet application in various subgroups. The resuls are summarized as follows; 1. Tourniquet ischemia duringirradiation caused radioprotective effect. 2. Hyperthermia before irradiation induced radiosensitizing effect,which was increased with temperature elevation of hyperthermia. 3. In combination of tourniquet ischemia andhyperthermia, evident radiosensitizing effect waas noticed. This enhancing effect on irradiation was greater thanthe effect i hyperthermia only. It could be suggested that the combination of tourniquet application andhyperthermia might be intorduced in clinical radiotherapy after trail of clinical experiments on applicable typeand sutiable location of tumors.
Animals ; Fever ; Ischemia ; Mice ; Radiation Effects ; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents ; Radiotherapy ; Skin ; Tail ; Tourniquets

An experimental study on the vascular alternations of the kidney following biopsy procedure was carried out in 47 kidneys from 28 rabbits to clarify their nature and frequency by renal arteriography and microangiography together with histopathologic investigation. Renal arteriography and microangiography were perforemd immediately 2 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks after percutaneous biopsy and the findings were correlated with histological nature. The results are summerized as follows; 1. Important biopsy injuries verified by renal arteriography and microangiography were arterial spasm, perfusion defect, arteriovenous fistula, injury to vasa recta and renaltubules, intrarenal and extrarenal extravasation of contrast media, and arterial obstruction, in order of frequency. 2. Artierial spasm observed in majority of the cases were relieved during the period of 2 weeks. 3. Detectability of perfusion defect was 57% and 72% by angiography and microangiography, respectively, and this perfusion defect seemed to be mostly caused by renal infarction due to vascular injury, such as arteriovenousfistula, arterial obstruction and other vascular injuries. 4. Arteriovenous fistula was detected in 28% byangiography and 50% by microangiography. Many of the arteriovenous fistula appeared to be closed spontaneously within a week. Above findings suggest that renal biopsy procedure results in various degree of vascular injuries with their sequential modification, and that microangiography is assumed the most effective approach in analysisof biopsy injuries such as small arteriovenous fistula, perfusion defect, injury to vasa recta and renal tubules, overcoming the limitation of traditional angiography.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Biopsy ; Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials ; Infarction ; Kidney ; Perfusion ; Rabbits ; Spasm ; Vascular System Injuries

The leprous involvement of the ankle joint and the upper surface of the talus is said to be a rare entity and this is in sharp contract to the Charcot joint of other causes in which the ankle involvement is relatively common. This can partly be explained by the concept that the articular branch of tibial nerve to the ankle joint is usually spare din leprosy, although the fibular nerve is affected around the knee level. During the survey of nearly 3000 leprous patients in the National Leprosy Center we selected 26 cases with obvious bone change of the ankle joint and the clinical study on these 26 cases was made with the following results. 1. The 26 cases consisted of 15 males and 11 females 2. Average age of the patients was 56 years and those over 50 years numbered 20(77%)and undre 39 years of age there was only one involvement. 3. Ankle destruction can be classified according to the causative factors attributable to its occurrence as follows: destruction of ankle joint following fracture of which four were Potts type and eight hyperdorsif-lexion injury: those following idiopathic arthritis in four, and those following subtalar incongruity due to calcaneal flattening in ten. 4. The results of this study which clarify the pathogenesis of ankle involvement in leprous patients may offer reliable preventive measures for each case of ankle destruction.
Ankle Joint ; Ankle ; Arthritis ; Arthropathy, Neurogenic ; Clinical Study ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Leprosy ; Male ; Peroneal Nerve ; Talus ; Tibial Nerve

In order to evaluate the ability of spin-echo MR imaging to differentiate slow flow from mural thrombus in aortic diseases, we reviewed the spin-echo MR images of 13 patients with intraaortic thrombus documented by CT (N=11) or aortography (N=2). Six patients had aortic aneurysms and seven had aortic dissection. Intraaortic mural thrombi were accompanied by flow-related intraluminal signal of various patterns and extents in all 13 patients. On 10 gated MR studies, slow flow regions showed even-echo rephasing phenomenon (N=8), interslice variation of signal intensities of the intraluminal signal (N=7) and flow-related ghost artifact (N=2). However, these MR flow phenomena were obscured on two of three non-gated studies. Seven of 13 intraaortic thrombi remained hyperintense on T2-weighted second-echo images. In these circumstances, a hypointense boundary layer between slow flow and mural thrombus, which was caused by either 'boundary layer dephasing phenomenon' of slow flow or 'paramagnetic T2 shortening' of fresh clot at the edge of mural thrombus, was useful in discriminating the area of slow flow from that of mural thrombus. Proper interpretation of spin-echo MR images may obviate the need for phase display imaging or gradientecho imaging in differentiating slow flow and mural thrombus.
Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Diseases* ; Aortography ; Artifacts ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Thrombosis*

In order to evaluate the ability of spin-echo MR imaging to differentiate slow flow from mural thrombus in aortic diseases, we reviewed the spin-echo MR images of 13 patients with intraaortic thrombus documented by CT (N=11) or aortography (N=2). Six patients had aortic aneurysms and seven had aortic dissection. Intraaortic mural thrombi were accompanied by flow-related intraluminal signal of various patterns and extents in all 13 patients. On 10 gated MR studies, slow flow regions showed even-echo rephasing phenomenon (N=8), interslice variation of signal intensities of the intraluminal signal (N=7) and flow-related ghost artifact (N=2). However, these MR flow phenomena were obscured on two of three non-gated studies. Seven of 13 intraaortic thrombi remained hyperintense on T2-weighted second-echo images. In these circumstances, a hypointense boundary layer between slow flow and mural thrombus, which was caused by either 'boundary layer dephasing phenomenon' of slow flow or 'paramagnetic T2 shortening' of fresh clot at the edge of mural thrombus, was useful in discriminating the area of slow flow from that of mural thrombus. Proper interpretation of spin-echo MR images may obviate the need for phase display imaging or gradientecho imaging in differentiating slow flow and mural thrombus.
Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Diseases* ; Aortography ; Artifacts ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Thrombosis*

Takayasu's arteritis is an arteritis of undetermined etiology, which affects the aorta, the proximal portions of its major branches, and the pulmonary arteries, and causes coarctation, occlusion, or aneurysmal dilatation of the affected vessels. Authors has reported 9 cases in 1973, and another 24 cases in 1977. Thereafter, during next 4 years, authors experienced another 42 cases and obtained some additional results. The results are as follows: 1. Among 75 cases, 10 are male and 65 female patients with sex ratio of 1:6.5, and about 2/3 of total patients are under 30 years of age. 2. Headache, dizziness, absent or weak radial pulse and hypertension are the most common symptoms and signs. 3. Conventional chest roentgenography may be helpful but not specific in diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis. 4. The aortographic findings are characteristic and pathognomonic in diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis. In our series, the most common findings are stenosis or occlusion of subclavian artery, diffuse narrowing and aneurysmal dilatation of abdominal aorta and its branches, narrowing with irregular contour of descending thoracic aorta, and renal artery involvement. 5. Involvement of the aorta was classified as extensive type in 38 cases, descending thoracic and abdominal type in 22 cases and arch type in 15 cases. 6. As total aortography in cluding abdominal aorta uncovers evidence of unsuspected involvement of aorta and its branches, it is of paramount importance in the diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortography ; Arteritis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Dizziness ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery ; Radiography ; Renal Artery ; Sex Ratio ; Subclavian Artery ; Takayasu Arteritis* ; Thorax

To assess the value of CT and MR in the detection of local tumor recurrence after hysterectomy, we evaluate CT and MRI findings of the vaginal stump in fifteen patients who underwent hysterectomy for uterine cervical carcinoma (N=14) or endometrial carcinoma (N=1). The presence of stump recurrence was confirmed by needle biopsy in 7 patients and by reoperation in 1 patient. The absence of stump recurrence was diagnosed by needle biopsy in 3 patitients and by clinical follow-up in 4 patients. In eight patients with vaginal stump recurrence, six patients were correctly diagnosed by CT and seven patients by MRI. In remaining seven patients who had no evidence of tumor recurrence, four patients were correctly diagnosed with CT and all the rester patients with MRI. ON the bases of our results, MRI seems to be superior to CT in the evaluation of local tumor recurrence after hysterectomy.
Biopsy, Needle ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Recurrence* ; Reoperation

To assess the value of CT and MR in the detection of local tumor recurrence after hysterectomy, we evaluate CT and MRI findings of the vaginal stump in fifteen patients who underwent hysterectomy for uterine cervical carcinoma (N=14) or endometrial carcinoma (N=1). The presence of stump recurrence was confirmed by needle biopsy in 7 patients and by reoperation in 1 patient. The absence of stump recurrence was diagnosed by needle biopsy in 3 patitients and by clinical follow-up in 4 patients. In eight patients with vaginal stump recurrence, six patients were correctly diagnosed by CT and seven patients by MRI. In remaining seven patients who had no evidence of tumor recurrence, four patients were correctly diagnosed with CT and all the rester patients with MRI. ON the bases of our results, MRI seems to be superior to CT in the evaluation of local tumor recurrence after hysterectomy.
Biopsy, Needle ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Recurrence* ; Reoperation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of antegrade balloon dilatation and uteteral stenting in benign ureteral strictures. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Percutaneous antegrade balloon dilatation was attempted in 46 patients with benign ureteral strictures. The underlying causes of the strictures were urinary tract tuberculosis in 20 patients, congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction in eight, ureteroneocystostomy or ureteroileostomy state in five, postoperative or post-extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy state for ureteral calculi in eight, ureteral injury during surgery in four, and retroperitoneal fibrosis in one. RESULTS: Antegrade balloon dilatation was performed with initial technical success in 43 patients but the procedure was aborted in the remaining three with urinary tract tuberculosis due to the failure in passing a guidewire through the stenotic lesions. Intravenous urograms obtained 4-76 months after the procedure showed improvements in 76%(13/17) with urinary tract tuberculosis, in 63%(5/8) with congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction, in 88%(7/8) with strictures associated with ureteral calculi, and in 100%(4/4) with iatrogenic ureteral injury. The results were relatively poor in strictures of the ureteral anastomosis(1/5) and in ureteralstrictures associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis(0/1). CONCLUSION: Antegrade balloon dilatation of the urinary tract combined with ureteral stenting was an effective technique for the management of the benign ureteral strictures.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation* ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Retroperitoneal Fibrosis ; Shock ; Stents* ; Tuberculosis ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Calculi ; Urinary Tract