We report a case of recurrent herpes genitalis in a 5-year-old girl which was considered to result from childhood sexual abuse. The skin lesion was an eroded erythematous macule with overlying multiple vesicles on the labia majora. We detected Herpes simplex virus DNA by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a biopsy specimen from the vesicular lesion.
Biopsy ; Child, Preschool ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; DNA ; Female ; Herpes Genitalis* ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sex Offenses* ; Simplexvirus ; Skin

We report a case of recurrent herpes genitalis in a 5-year-old girl which was considered to result from childhood sexual abuse. The skin lesion was an eroded erythematous macule with overlying multiple vesicles on the labia majora. We detected Herpes simplex virus DNA by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a biopsy specimen from the vesicular lesion.
Biopsy ; Child, Preschool ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; DNA ; Female ; Herpes Genitalis* ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sex Offenses* ; Simplexvirus ; Skin

The fibrofolliculoma is characterized by abnormal hair follicles with epithelial strands extending out from the infundibulum of the hair follicle into a hyperplastic mantle of specialized fibrous tissue. We have seen a peculiar case of a 1 year and 2 months old male who had a solitary papule on the left side of his face which histologically showed a typical fibrofolliculoma pattern.
Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Infant ; Male

BACKGROUND: It has become generally accepted that cigarette smoking contributes to accelerated coronary and peripheral vascular disease, pulmonary fibrosis and periodontal disease. Moreover, it has been postulated that cigarette smoking causes skin-aging. Many of cutaneous manifestations of nicotine which is a major component of the particulate phase of tobacco smoke are related to its vasoconstrictive and thrombotic effects on the peripheral vascular system. How-ever, direct effect of nicotine on extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins including collagens is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of nicotine on type I collagen gene expression in cultured human skin fibroblasts. METHODS: After exposure to different doses of nicotine on cultured human skin fibroblasts, we examined the expressions of α1(I) procollagen gene and fibronectin gene by Northern blot analysis and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay with CAT construct containing the 3.5 kb COL1A2 promoter. RESULTS: In Northern blot hybridization, steady-state levels of α1(I) procollagen mRNA were decreased 0.8-fold at 1 µg/mL of nicotine, 0.5-fold at 10 µg/mL and 0.2-fold at 100 µg/mL, compared to untreated control. Those of fibronectin mRNA were decreased 0.9-fold, 0.7-fold, and 0.3-fold, respectively. In CAT assay, the relative COL1A2 CAT activity was 1.0 in the untreated control, 0.7 at a concentration of 1 µg/mL of nicotine, 0.5 at 10 µg/mL, and 0.3 at 100 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that nicotine is a down-regulator of collagen gene expression at transcriptional level in vitro. We speculate that nicotine may contribute to the skin-aging by modulation of extracellular matrix gene expression including collagen as well as by its vasoconstrictive and thrombotic effects.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Nicotine* ; Periodontal Diseases ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Procollagen ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is the most prevalent T-cell-mediated inflammatory skin disease in humans. Numerous cytokines and adhesion molecules are expressed in the skin lesion of psoriasis such as TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. All of them contain at least one binding site for the transcription factor NF-κB. TNF-α activates NF-κB and many other transcription factors. Thus, transcription and expression of many genes involved in the inflammatory process may be influenced by TNF-α. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study the effect of synthetic double-stranded DNA with high affinity for the NF-κB binding site on the TNF-α induced proinflammatory cytokines and ICAM-1 gene expression in the HaCaT cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined whether inhibition of NF-κB activity by oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) decoy for NF-κB blocks TNF-α induced cytokines such as IL-la, IL-1 a, IL-6 and ICAM-1 expression with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: In EMSA, TNF-α treatment (10 ng/ml) induced the activation of NF-κB. The NF-κB binding activity in the TNF-α treated HaCaT cells increased 5.0-fold compared to non-treated group. Next, we examined the effect of liposome mediated NF-κB decoy oligonucleotides (ODN) transfection. After transfection of the NF-κB decoy ODN, TNF-α increased NF-κB binding activity to 1.9-fold of non-treated group. Accordingly the transfection of NF-κB decoy ODN inhibited the TNF-α induced NF-κB binding activity up to 63%. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the transfection of NF-κB decoy ODN inhibited TNF-α induced cytokines and ICAM-1 mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest the potential utility of NF-κB decoy technique for biologic therapy of psoriasis.
Binding Sites ; Biological Therapy ; Cytokines ; DNA ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1* ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Liposomes ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides ; Oligonucleotides ; Psoriasis ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Transcription Factors* ; Transfection ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

Ten healthy adult female patients scheduled for elective abdominal hysterectomy were evaluated for their rates and degrees of absorption following subarachnoid administration of 150 mg of 5% lidocaine in 5% dextrose solution. The mean blood concentrations of lidocaine measured at 5, 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after subarachnoid administration were 0.34+/-0.23, 0.78+/-0.27, 1.10+/-0.26, 1.24+/-0.24 and 1.07+/-0.19 mcg/ ml, respectively. The mean values of Cmax and Tmax obtained from these measurements were 1.30+/- 0.21 mcg/ml and 57+/-17 minutes, respectively. These results revealed that in comparison with other regional administration, absorption of lidocaine follwing subarachnoid injection is slower.
Absorption ; Adult ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lidocaine*

The concurrence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in a patient with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is rarely described in the literature. Significant and sustained efficacy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blockers has been demonstrated in AS patients. However, evidence to date has revealed associated side effects, including antinuclear antibody induction and development of a lupus-like syndrome. Several authors have reported lupus-like manifestations in MCTD patients treated with TNF-alpha blockers used to control peripheral polyarthritis. In our case report, we demonstrate a good response to etanercept therapy for refractory sacroiliitis in a patient with coexisting AS and MCTD, without development of a lupus-like syndrome. This demonstrates that etanercept therapy may be an appropriate therapeutic agent for sacroiliitis in MCTD patients, as it is in AS alone.
Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/*therapeutic use ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease/complications/*drug therapy/*pathology ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor/*therapeutic use ; Sacroiliac Joint/*drug effects/*pathology ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/complications/*drug therapy/*pathology ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Colon* ; Colonic Polyps* ; Female* ; Humans ; Urethra*

BACKGROUND: This study examined hemodynamic variables, oxygen delivery, extraction, and consumption in response to acute progressive hypoxia and hypercarbia in the setting of apnea. METHODS: Apnea was induced in 9 healthy mongrel dogs by disconnecting animals from mechanical ventilation of 30 minutes with pure oxygen. Hemodynamic variables, oxygen transport, extraction, and consumption were rapidly and repeatedly measured using pulmonary arterial and arterial catheters until cardiac output was undetectable. RESULTS: The baseline PaO2, PaCO2, pH, base excess were 318 +/- 137 mm Hg, 36 +/- 3.5 mm Hg, 7.30 +/- 0.06, 6.81 +/- 2.65 mmol/l respectively. Hypercarbia and hypoxemia (76 +/- 33 mm Hg) was first noted at 1 and 4 minute respectively. Base excess was not changed. Indices of preload (PCWP and CVP) were increased early in the time course (p<0.05). In contrast, indices of afterload (SVR) increased later, just before cardiac decompensation began (p<0.05). No significant reduction of cardiac output, oxygen delivery, extraction, and consumption was detected just until abrupt cardiac decompensation started, 5 minute. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the early increase in preload was primarily due to hypercarbia whereas the late increase in afterload was due to hypoxemia, but the main cause of acute cardiac decompensation was a critical decrease in arterial oxygen tension with some contribution of increased preload and afterload.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Apnea* ; Cardiac Output ; Catheters ; Dogs* ; Hemodynamics* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Oxygen* ; Respiration, Artificial

No abstract available.
Meals* ; Measles* ; Vaccination*