BACKGROUND: Suction auto epidermal graft for the treatment of stable vitiligo has become popular clinically. In general, depigmented epidermis is removed by liquid nitrogen freezing for preparation of the recipient site. There have been some problems with the nitrogen freezing method, uneven repigmentation, appearance of Koebner's phenomenon on normal colored skin around the graft site, scar formation on recipients sites. In our view these resulted in unwanted damage to the dermis and epidermal and skin appendageal melanocytes of normal skin by freezing. OBJECTIVE: To introduce a method to remove the depigmented epidermis of recipient site with minimal unwanted damage to melanocytes and dermal tissue. METHODS: Using Ellman surgitron, irradiation equipment of 3.8MHz frequency the depigmented epidermis was removed with a blade electrode under rated electric power around 10 watts depending on the thickness of the epidermis. Operating mode was fully filtered current for minimal charring and destruction of tissue through pure micro-smooth cutting. RESULTS: In the case of removal of the epidermis with Ellman surgitron, oozing and inflammation decreased markedly compared with those applied with liquid nitrogen. And it was confirmed histopathologically that there was no significant unwanted destruction of healthy tissue. Moreover, the electrode of Ellman surgitron is designed to be apt to trace the margin of depigmented lesion. And Ellman surgitron features a continuously linear intensity setting for precise, predictable control to minimize tissue destruction and charring. So we were able to remove the epidermis of the shallow lesion looking like a pseudopod and of the thinnest part of the body like eyelid also. And we grafted normal epidermis successfully on the depigmented lesion. CONCLUSION: The removal of depigmented epidermis by radio-frequency gave satisfactory results in the suction auto epidermal graft by overcoming the defects shown as depigmented epidermis which were removed by liquid nitrogen freezing. And this method made patients comfortable because of less pain, a one day operation procedure and good results.
Cicatrix ; Dermis ; Electrodes ; Epidermis* ; Eyelids ; Freezing ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Melanocytes ; Nitrogen ; Skin ; Suction* ; Transplants* ; Trout ; Vitiligo

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of high dose cisplatin-cyclophosphamide combination chemotherapy on patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: A review of 63 patients previously diagnosed as primary epithelial ovarian cancer after initial operation and histology at Pusan National University Hospital from Jul. 1993 to Jun, 1997 was performed. Patients were received the combination chemotherapy including cisplatin 100mg/m2/day and cyclophosphamide 750mg/m2/day, repeated 6 cycles every 4 weeks. The mean age was 48 years old, and previous surgical procedures were total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with omentectomy. The patients were classified into FIGO stage and pathologic results. RESULTS: The clinical response rate was 100% in the FIGO stage Ic patients with PC combination chemotherapy, 100% in stage II, 53.5% in stage III, and 25% in stage IV. The overall response rate was 69.8%. The 3-year survival rate according to the treatment groups was 93.3% in stage Ic group, 60% in stage II, 50% in stage III and 0% in stage IV. The mean survival duration was 34.6 months. Hematologic toxicities in cisplatin-cyclophosphamide chemotherapy were neutropenia and anemia. Nausea and vomiting were the most common side effects and occurred in 96.8%. Most of the toxicities were grade 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: The combination chemotherapy with cisplatin-cyclophosphamide is relatively safe and effective method in the treatment of primary epithelial ovarian cancer.
Anemia ; Busan ; Cisplatin* ; Cyclophosphamide* ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Neutropenia ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics or the potassium channels existing in the rat urinary bladders. Smooth muscle strips of rat detrusor urinae were examined by isometric myography. Relaxation responses of detrusor muscle strips to the three potassium channel openers pinacidil, a cyanoguanidine derivative, BRL 38227, a benzopyran derivative and RP 52891, a tertrahydrothiopyran derivative were examined. The potassium channel openers reduced the basal tone, and the rank order of potency was RP 52891>pincidil>BRL 38227. Procaine, an inhibitor of the voltage-sensitive potassium channel tended to increase the basal tone, but it did not affect the relaxant effects of the calcium-activated potassium channel opener did not antagonize the relaxant effects, but it reduced the Emax of RP 52891 and BRL 38227. Glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel, antagonized the relaxant effects of pinacidil, RP 52891 and BRL 38227 reducing the Emax of RP 52891 and BRl 38227. Galanin which inhibits secretion of insulin through opening the ATP-sensitive potassium channels in pancreatic β-cells rather increased the basal tone of the isolated detrusor strips. These results suggest that the urinary bladder of the rat has mainly the ATP-sensitive, glibenclamide sensitive potassium channel, which is a different type from that in the pancreatic β-islet cells.
Animals ; Cromakalim ; Galanin ; Glyburide ; Insulin ; KATP Channels ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myography ; Pinacidil ; Potassium Channels* ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated ; Potassium* ; Procaine ; Rats* ; Relaxation ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: As an antihypertensive drug, Nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker was introduced recently, which also has antianginal effect. But due to the relatively short duration of action, another antihypertensive agents having longer duration of action and stronger hypertensive effect were under investigation. Nilvadipine, a new calcium channel blocker, was introduced to have more prologned duration of action and to act more specifically on vascular smooth muscle. So the efficacy and safety of oral Nilvadipine on essestial hypertension was investigated and represented by our institute. METHODS: In order to investigate the efficacy and safety of oral Nilvadipine, daily doses of 4mg twice a day were administered in 30 hypertensive patients whose states were compatible to the criteria : 1) severity of hypertension rated in Stage I and Stage II according to the classification by WHO, 2) ages ranging from 30 to 74 years regardless of sex, 3) blood pressure with 95mmHg or higher but less than 115mmHg in diastolic pressure which was the mean in a sitting position at the last two out of not less three consultations in the 2 week observation period, 4) outpatients with informed consent for 6 weeks. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured every 2 weeks. The complete with blood count with platelet, uronalysis and the electrocardiography were performed at the beginning period and the 6th weeks of therapy. And kinds of side effects were questioned by examining physicians. RESULTS: The following results were obtained : 1) Blood pressure fell significantly in 6 weeks of treatment with Nilvadipine(Mean pressure+/-S.D., 6.00mmHg vs 108.90+/-9.68mmHg p<0.05), 2) There was no significant change in EKG in 6 weeks of treatment with Nilvadipine, 3) Pulse rate was decreased in 6 weeks of treatment with Nilvadipine(80.14+/-11.90/min vs 75.39+/-6.47/min, p<0.05). 4) No significant chsange in body weight was observed(64.50+/-8.7kg vs 63.50+/-10.25kg, p<0.05). 5) There were no significant changes in blood chemistry including blood sugar, cholesterol, electrolytes, serum creatinine and alkaline phosphatase values, 6) Hematologic findings and urinalysis findings reamained unchanged, 7) Total 10 patients(33.30%) had various side effects;facial flushing 30.00%, palpitation 23.33%, headache 20.00%, nausea 10.00%, drowsiness 3.33%, heaviness 3.33% and indigestion 3.33%. But there was no serious side effect that requires to discontinue the medication of the test drug. And there was no need to reduce the dosage due to the side effect, 8) The antihypertensive effect was judged to decrease markedly in 76.70%, decrease 20.00%, unchange 3.30% and increase 0.00%, 9) The utility which was assessed with the data from the overall safety and antihypertensive effect, the drug was judged to be very useful in 60.00%, useful 33.30%, useless 6.67% and inhibited 0.00%. CONCLUSION: From the above results, Nilvadipine in doses of 4mg twice a day was effective and useful in most cases without severe side effects in essential hypertensive patients with diastolic blood pressure of 95 to 115mmHg.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Calcium Channels ; Chemistry ; Cholesterol ; Classification ; Creatinine ; Dyspepsia ; Electrocardiography ; Electrolytes ; Flushing ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Informed Consent ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nausea ; Nifedipine ; Outpatients ; Referral and Consultation ; Sleep Stages ; Urinalysis

Thrombomodulin (TM) is thrombin receptor present on the luminal surface of endothelial cells. Because the thrombin-TM complex acts as an anticoagulant, the functional variants or deficiency of TM may lead to increment of thrombotic tendency. In this study, we screened the genetic variants of the TM gene in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and analyzed the genotype to elucidate the effects of genetic variations of TM gene on the development of the MI. We screened a promoter region and coding sequence of the TM gene using single strand conformation polymorphism-heteroduplex analysis and identified three common genetic variants: those were TM G-33A, TM Ala455Val, and TM C1922T. The genotype frequencies were investigated in the patients with MI (n=234) and control subjects (n=291) by the method of allele-specific oligomer hybridization. The frequencies of mutant genotypes (TM -33A, TM 455Val, and TM 1922T) were higher in patient group compared to the control subjects in males while there were no significant differences in females. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, TM 455Val and TM 1922T alleles were independent risk factors for MI (OR[95% CI: 1.799[1.125-2.878] p=0.014 and 5.624[1.019-31.025], p=0.048, respectively) in males. However, the genetic variations were not independent risk factors for MI in females. There were significant linkage disequilibriums among three genetic variants. These linkage disequilibriums explain the similar effects of three genetic variants on the development of MI. To investigate the effect of the TM G-33A mutation on TM promoter activity, the two TM promoter constructs (pTM-355 and pTM-125, bearing TM -33G or TM -33A) containing of firefly luciferase gene were transfected into HepG2, BAE, and CHO cells. The promoter activities were higher in the promoter constructs with TM -33G compared to the constructs with TM -33A in pTM-355. These results suggest the possibility of the positive predisposing effect of TM -33A allele on MI in males. The functional study for TM Ala455Val and TM C1922T should be followed to elucidate the genotype effects of these mutations on the development of MI. In this study, we identified three genetic variants of TM gene and showed the significant associations between genetic variants and MI in males. These results proposed that TM gene is an attractive candidate for genetic risk factor for MI in Koreans.
Alleles ; Animals ; CHO Cells ; Clinical Coding ; Cricetinae ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Fireflies ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Logistic Models ; Luciferases ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Phenobarbital ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Receptors, Thrombin ; Risk Factors* ; Thrombomodulin

AC/A ratio of alternating fixation metbod(AF) using Major Amblyoscope was compared with that of simultaneous fixation method(SF). Under SF, AC/A ratio was greater than that of AF and standard deviation of both method was not significantly different. This indicates tbat AC/A ratio of SF was not accurate, because fusional convergence was invariably participated. Therefore, when we measure the AC/A ratio by tbe gradient method using the Major Amblyoscope, AF was desirable.

AC/A ratio of alternating fixation metbod(AF) using Major Amblyoscope was compared with that of simultaneous fixation method(SF). Under SF, AC/A ratio was greater than that of AF and standard deviation of both method was not significantly different. This indicates tbat AC/A ratio of SF was not accurate, because fusional convergence was invariably participated. Therefore, when we measure the AC/A ratio by tbe gradient method using the Major Amblyoscope, AF was desirable.

No abstract available.
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal*