In view of the potential of replicase protein as a diagnostic reagent for human caliciviruses (HuCVs), we have cloned and over-expressed this gene from the Snow Mountain-like Korean strains in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST, and described the preliminary antigenic characterization of the recombinant products. Each 470bp fragment corresponding to highly conserved region of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase was generated by RT-PCR from stools of two diarrheal children, cloned in pMOSBlue T-vector, and subcloned between the EcoRI and SalI restriction sites of pGEX-47-3, a GST gene fusion vector, yielding pGCVpol. This construct expressed a Snow Mountain-like HuCV replicate under the control of the IPTG-inducible pac promoter. An extract prepared by sonication of the E. coli cell inclusion bodies bearing pGCVpol products was purified and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. After Coomassie blue staining, it was shown that the recombinant replicase migrated on the gels with an approximate molecular mass of 46.5 kDa, that was subsequently cleaved into a 26 kDa GST fragment and a 20.5 kDa replicase protein upon digestion with thrombin protease. The replicase was recognized on immunoblotting with the sera from symptomatic children with the HuCV-associated diarrhea but not by asymptomatic sera from adults. The results presented the first biological activity of individually expressed HuCV replicase subunit and provided important reagents for diagnosis of HuCV infection.
Adult ; Child ; Clone Cells ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Digestion ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; Gels ; Gene Fusion ; Glutathione Transferase ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Inclusion Bodies ; Indicators and Reagents ; RNA Replicase ; Snow* ; Sonication ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; Thrombin

Porencephaly is relatively rare condition defined by an defect or a defect or cavity in the cerebrum owing to a developmental malformation or to a destructive lesion. Fory-five porencephaly patients diagnosed by Brain CT were clinically analyzed and the following results were obtained. 1) By the age group presenting initial symptoms, the peak incidence was from 1 month to below 3 years old. 2) In initial symptoms, seizure, spastic weakness, headache were showed in order of frequency. But 7 cases (15.5%) were asymptomatic. 3) The latency of diagnosis after presenting initial symptoms from the symptom onset time to 10 years. 4) The subsequent symptoms were as follows: spastic weakness, speech disturbance, gait disturbance, mental retardation, sensory loss and seizure showed independently or combined. 5) As etiologic factor, 21 cases (46.7%) were congenital, 16 cases (35.5%) were post-traumatic or post-operative and 8 cases (17.8%) were perinatal. 6) The prognosis was seen various from mild to severe. Out of 45 cases, 29 cases (64.4%) were no complications. But the prognosis in patients with post-traumatic or postoperative etiological factors was poor. With the advent of brain CT and the resultant capability of detecting structural defect and cerebral lesions responsible for epilepsy or focal neurologic signs, porencephaly was seen to be readily recongizable by CT examination. Since porencephaly is a significant contributor to the spectrum of CNS lesion and benign condition, ist recognition is important in determining prognosis and therapy.
Brain ; Cerebrum ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy ; Gait ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intellectual Disability ; Muscle Spasticity ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prognosis ; Seizures

No abstract available.
C-Reactive Protein* ; Chorioamnionitis* ; Female ; Humans ; Membranes* ; Pregnancy ; Rupture*

Peri-vater divertieula may interfere with the normal flow of biliary and pancreatic secretion, thus leading to pancreatobiliary diseasa and the very presence of juxtapapillary diverticulum makes cannulation technically difficult and contributes to the low success rate. In this present series, the relationship between duodenal diverticula and age, sex, and biliary-pancreatic pathology was stud.ied in 1400 patients examined with ERCP. The results are as follows. 1) Duodenal diverticula was demonstrated in 73 of 1400 patients(5, 2%). 2) The incidence of duodenal divertieular increased with age and they were more frequent in men. 3) The cannulation of one or both duct system was suecessful in 69 of the 73 patients, the success rate was 94. 5%. 4) The biliary pathology was found in 41 of the 73 patients and the pancreatic pathology in 6 of the 73 patients. The rnost common finding was biliary calculi which were demonstrated in 35 patients(47. 9%).
Catheterization ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Diagnosis* ; Diverticulum* ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Pathology

Aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery is rare. We reviewed seven cases of aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery, which were confirmed surgically and angiographically. The results were as follows: The most common site of aneurysm was left superficial temporal artery, major feeding artery was anterior branch of superficial temporal artery, mean diameter was 7.8mm×12.6mm, and all aneurysms showed lobulated margin with intraluminal filling defects.
Aneurysm* ; Arteries ; Temporal Arteries*

Papillary tumor of the temporal bone or middle ear has been recognized as an aggressive neoplasm because of its invasive growth pattern. The site of origin is controversial so that most cases have been reported under various diagnostic terms. Recently, Heffner(1989) suggested that the endolymphatic sac is a possible site of origin, because the tumor resembles the endolymphatic sac in several aspects. We report two such cases. One patient was a 34-year-old female presenting with tinnitus and hearing difficulty for 1 year. Temporal bone CT revealed extensive bone destruction by the tumor which was located in the posterolateral aspect of temporal bone. The other patient was a 56-year-old female who complained of tinnitus, dizziness and otalgia for 2 years. Cranial MR imaging showed an irregularly marginated mass in the left jugular fossa with extension to the petrous bone. Histologically, both cases showed a papillary pattern and locally destructive growth that are typical of papillary tumor of the endolymphatic sac. The papillae were lined by a single layer of bland-looking cuboidal to low columnar cells. Immunohistochemically the lining cells expressed cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, neuron specific antigen and in one case, S-100 protein, supporting the thesis that these neoplasms might be of endolymphatic sac origin.
Female ; Humans

Actinic reticuloid as a manifestation of chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is a rare dermatosis whose clinical and histologic features resemble other types of pseudolymphomas including mycosis fungoides and Jessner's lymphocytic infiltration, and it is regarded as an eventual stage of various photodermatoses like photosensitive eczema or persistent light reaction or chronic photoallergic contact dermatitis and so on. Phototests in the patients with actinic reticuloid usually reveal hypersensitivity to UVB, UVA, and sometimes to visible light. We present a case of actinic reticuloid in a 65-year-old male, whose skin lesions developed as erythematous lichenified infiltrating plaques on the face at first, and then spread themselves onto the upper trunk later. Histologically those skin lesions showed the aggregation of atypical lymphocytes and photobiologically the results of phototests revealed photosensitivity to UVB and UVA.
Actins* ; Aged ; Dermatitis, Photoallergic ; Eczema ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Light ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mycosis Fungoides ; Photosensitivity Disorders ; Pseudolymphoma ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate fracture strength of collarless metal-ceramic FPDs according to their metal coping designs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four different facial margin design groups were investigated. Group A was a coping with a thin facial metal collar, group B was a collarless coping with its facial metal to the shoulder, group C was a collarless coping with its facial metal 1 mm short of the shoulder, and group D was a collarless coping with its facial metal 2 mm short of the shoulder. Fifteen 3-unit collarless metal-ceramic FPDs were fabricated in each group. Finished FPDs were cemented to PBT (Polybutylene terephthalate) dies with resin cement. The fracture strength test was carried out using universal testing machine (Instron 4465, Instron Co., Norwood MA, USA) at a cross head speed of 0.5 mm/min. Aluminum foil folded to about 1 mm of thickness was inserted between the plunger tip and the incisal edge of the pontic. Vertical load was applied until catastrophic porcelain fracture occurred. RESULTS: The greater the bulk of unsupported facial shoulder porcelain was, the lower the fracture strength became. However, there were no significant differences between experimental groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: All groups of collarless metal-ceramic FPDs had higher fracture strength than maximum incisive biting force. Modified collarless metal-ceramic FPD can be an alternative to all-ceramic FPDs in clinical situations.
Aluminum ; Bites and Stings ; Collodion ; Dental Porcelain ; Denture, Partial, Fixed ; Head ; Resin Cements ; Shoulder

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans ; Korea*

Luteal phase defect (LPD) is an ovulatory disorder of considerable clinical importance that leads to delayed endometrial maturation and inadequate endometrium for blastocyst implantation. This disorder is implicated in infertility and recurrent spontaneous abortion. We analyzed the endometrial histological maturation, and the estrogen receptor(ER) and progesterone receptor(PR) status in patients with unexplained delayed ovulation, and in patients with ovulation induction by clomiphen citrate. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the length of the follicular phase influences the endometrial histological maturation and the hormonal receptor status, and to know the effect of clomiphen citrate on the endometrium. In the delayed ovulation group, the endometrium was characterized by an irregular outpouching and dilated lumina of the glands, a decreased secretory activity and predecidualization, and a decreased number of granulocytes in the stroma. In the clomiphen citrate-ovulation induction group, glandular proliferation was markedly diminished with poorly convoluted and narrow glands, secretory activity was decreased, stroma was undecidualized, and there was an absence of granulocytes. ER expression was increased in the glandular epithelium in the delayed ovulation group, and both ER and PR expressions were markedly decreased in the glandular epithelium and stromal cells in the ovulation induction group. Endometrial maturation and differentiation may be diminished by increased estrogenic and relatively deficient progesterone effects in patients with delayed ovulation. The hormonal receptor status might also be influenced by hormonal changes. Clomiphen citrate successfully induced ovulation in patients with delayed ovulation, however, endometrial proliferation and maturation were markedly suppressed. This might be related to the lower pregnancy rate and higher abortion rate in patients with clomiphen citrate induced ovulation.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans