OBJECTIVE: Human embryonic stem (ES) cells have a great potential in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The human ES cells could be differentiated into specific cell types by treatments of growth factors and alterations of gene expressions. However, the efficacy of guided differentiation and isolation of specific cells are still low. In this study, we characterized isolated cells from differentiated human ES cells by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) system using specific antibodies to cell surface markers. METHODS: The undifferentiated hES cells (Miz-hESC4) were sub-cultured by mechanical isolation of colonies and embryoid bodies were spontaneously differentiated with DMEM containing 10% FBS for 2 weeks. The differentiated cells were isolated to positive and negative cells with MACS system using CD34, human epithelial antigen (HEA) and human fibroblast (HFB) antibodies, respectively. Observation of morphological changes and analysis of marker genes expression were performed during further culture of MACS isolated cells for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Morphology of the CD34 positive cells was firstly round, and then it was changed to small polygonal shape after further culture. The HEA positive cells showed large polygonal, and the HFB positive spindle shape. In RT-PCR analysis of marker genes, the CD34 and HFB positive cells expressed endodermal and mesodermal genes, and HEA positive cells expressed ectodermal genes such as NESTIN and NF68KD. The marker genes expression pattern of CD34 positive cells changed during the extension of culture time. CONCLUSION: Our results showed the possibility of successful isolation of specific cells by MACS system from undirected differentiated human ES cells. Thus, MACS system and marker antibodies for specific cell types might be useful for guided differentiation and isolation of specific cells from human ES cells.
Antibodies ; Ectoderm ; Embryoid Bodies ; Endoderm ; Fibroblasts ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Mesoderm ; Nestin ; Regenerative Medicine ; Tissue Engineering

Diencephalic syndrome is a rare cause of failure to thrive in infancy and early childhood. The syndrome is characterized by profound emaciation with normal appetite, loss of cutaneous adipose tissue, hyperactivity, euphoria, and nystagmus. It commonly occurs in association with chiasmatic and hypothalamic gliomas. It has also been described in association with other histologic types. There is the marked increase of serum growth hormone, which may exhibit an inappropriate, even paradoxical response in stimulation test. A male infant of 12 months of age, showed markedly elevated growth hormone but he had failure to thrive findings. Evenly enhanced round mass was seen at suprasella area in brain CT. Its histological findings was "Desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma", very rare histologic type. Here we report a case of diencephalic syndrome presented by failure to thrive in association with hypothalamic tumors.
Adipose Tissue ; Appetite ; Brain ; Emaciation ; Euphoria ; Failure to Thrive ; Glioma ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hypothalamic Neoplasms ; Infant ; Male

BACKGROUNG AND OBJECTIVES: It was reported that low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) was more effective than unfractionated heparin in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Recent studies have shown that the pathophysiology of restenosis in stented lesions was different from those of nonstented lesions. Treatment strategies designed to limit cellular proliferation that were ineffective in nonstented lesions may be efficacious in reducing in-stent restenosis. This study was aimed to compare the clinical and angiographic results of LMWH (nadroparin) after coronary stenting with those of conventional ticlopidine regimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were eligible for inclusion if they had angina and/or objective evidence of myocardial ischemia, and a significant (>50%) stenosis that was documented on a recent coronary angiogram. After stenting, prospective randomized comparison study was performed. Patients were randomly assigned to either nadroparin (200 IU/kg, sc, bid) or ticlopidine (250 mg bid) plus aspirin (200 mg qd) treatment groups. Repeat coronary angiography (KERN=*)was performed at 236+/-90days after stenting, and quantitative coronary angiographic analysis (QCA) was done. RESULTS: Intracoronary stent implantation was performed in eighty five lesions in eighty one patients (ticlopidine:40, nadroparin:41). There was no significant difference in any baseline clinical/angiographic variables between the two treatment groups. There were no subacute stent thrombosis, infarction and death in both groups. Six-month event-free survival was 36 (90%) in the ticlopidine group and 35 (85.4%) in the nadroparin group. Follow-up quantitative angiographic data such as late loss (1.35+/-0.70 vs 1.32+/-0.69), loss index (0.53+/-0.70 vs 0.56+/-0.23) and restenosis rate (36% vs 25.8%) were not different between ticlopidine and nadroparin groups. CONCLUSION: Effects of nadroparin were not different from those with ticlopidine therapy in the prevention of restenosis and subacute stent thorombosis after coronary stenting. Clinical outcomes between two strategies were similar. Low molecular weight heparin may be an alternative to ticlopidine in patients that ticlopidine cannot be administered because of severe adverse effects.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Aspirin ; Cell Proliferation ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heparin ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Nadroparin* ; Prospective Studies ; Stents* ; Thrombosis ; Ticlopidine*

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are characterized by immediate - and late - phase reactions to various allergens by the selective activation of a subset of CD4 + T cells. In response to allergen, T cells isolated from atopic donors are biased to low levels of IFN - y and high levels of IL - 4, and vice versa by T cells from non - atopic donor. Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the patterns of IL - 4 and IFN - y production after Der p I stimulation and the effect on the cytokine production from T cells by budesonide, disodium cromoglycate and cyclosporin A in atopic and non - atopic individuals. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Seven Der p I specific atopic and 7 non - atopic individuals were selected. We decided the 50% inhibiting concentration of each immunomodulator by lymphocyte proliferation assay, and measured their effects on the cytokine production in vitro by intracellular IL - 4, IFN - y staining and flow cytometry. Results and CONCLUSION: There was significant difference on stimulation index ( SI ) of production of IFN - y as well as IL-4 after Der p I stimulation between atopic and non-atopic individuals ( IL - 4 ; 1.57 +/- 0.7 : 0.98 +/- 0.2, p = 0.026, IFN - r : 1.45 +/- 0.5 : 0.95 +/- 0.2, p = 0.048 ). The synthesis of IL - 4, and IFN - r were significantly inhibited after the stimulation of every immunomodulators in atopic individuals, DSCG couldnt inhibit IL - 4 and IFN - r in nonatopic individuals. There was no significant difference in the inhibiting effect of these immunomodulators in both of them.
Allergens ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Budesonide ; Cromolyn Sodium ; Cyclosporine ; Dust* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; Interferons* ; Interleukin-4 ; Lymphocytes ; Pyroglyphidae* ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensins* ; Animals ; Endocrine System* ; Rats*

To find out the good visual environment for reading, the methods of illumination were studied using Arden Contrast Sensitivity System. Among various factors for comfortable reading condition such as air condition, temperature, humidity, noise and light, the intensity and characters of illumination were the most important factors for eye health. If the character of illuminations are fairly good, to make the brighter condition is better for eye hdalth. But in artificial illumination, there are so many limitations for supplying light of good characters. So we set the luminosity on the desk to 500 lx in which tbe best visual acuity presented, and checked the contrast sensitivity by changing the luminosity of the room. The results suggested that the condition in which luminosity on the desk was higher twice than the room was favorable for reading.
Contrast Sensitivity* ; Humidity ; Lighting* ; Noise ; Visual Acuity

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the serum levels of IL-10 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are different from those of normal controls and SLE patients and to find out any correlation with disease activity parameters of rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Sera from 20 healthy normal persons, 16 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 16 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were collected and measured for IL-10 and IL-6. Various disease activity parameters were measured in RA patients. RESULTS: The serum level of IL-10 in RA patients was significantly elevated compared to normal controls but lower than those of SLE patients. In RA patients there was no definite correlation between the disease activity parameters and serum IL-10 levels. Despite significant improvements in terms of various disease activity parameters, there was no significant change of serum IL-10 levels after treatment in RA patients. In seropositive RA patients, positive correlation was found between serun IL-10 and rheumatoid factor levels. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that the serum IL-10 levels in patietns with RA are elevated compared to normal controls but lower than those of SLE patients. There was no correlation between serum IL-10 levels and disease acivity parameters of RA.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Humans ; Interleukin-10* ; Interleukin-6 ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Rheumatoid Factor

OBJECTIVES: This study was planned to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of cefazedone in the treatment of patients with infectious disease in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. METHOD: Cefazedone was used in 20 patients with infectious disease in obstetrics and gynecology, who visited the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Yonsei university college of medicine, from June 1998 through July 1999. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 42.5 years(range of 18 to 68 years) and 17 of patients were diagnosed as pelvic inflammatory disease(PID), 2 were urinary tract infection due to huge ovarian tumor, and 1 was Bartholin's gland abscess. Cefazedone was proven its efficacy in treating infections of obstetrics and gynecology so as to reach 100% of response rate. The cefazedone was sensitive to all isolated organisms - G. vaginalis, E. coli, Staphylococcus, coagulase (+), etc. In the course of treatment, 1 patient experienced mild nausea, another 1 patient complained mild diarrhea, and another 1 patient showed transient leukopenia but their symptoms and signs were disappeared with only conservative management. There was no significant renal and hepatic function changes. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that cefazedone is relatively effective in treating infections of obstetrics and gynecology to show excellent antibacterial effects and low incidence of complications.
Abscess ; Coagulase ; Communicable Diseases ; Diarrhea ; Gynecology* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukopenia ; Nausea ; Obstetrics ; Staphylococcus ; Urinary Tract Infections

No abstract available.