Herpes simplex esophagitis can occur in those with normal immune function, but is more often seen in those who are immunocompromised. In one series, 5 percent of post-kidney transplant recipients had herpes esophagitis. We experienced a case of herpes simplex esophagitis, following renal transplantation in a 9 year old male. He complained of epigastric pain, nausea and blood-tinged vomiting. Endoscopic examination showed volcano ulcer, mucosal friability and multiple confluent ulcers covered by whitish exudates on elevated margin in the middle and lower esophagus. Microscopic findings revealed multinucleated giant cells, margination of chromatin, intense nonspecific inflammation and strong positive for herpes simplex virus immunohistochemical staining. Esophageal lesions and symptoms improved after acyclovir therapy.
Acyclovir ; Child* ; Chromatin ; Esophagitis ; Esophagus ; Exudates and Transudates ; Giant Cells ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Nausea ; Simplexvirus* ; Transplantation ; Ulcer ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Pigmentation*

No abstract available.
Pigmentation*

PURPOSE: To investigate the relation of the gastric epithelial cell proliferation, apoptosis and genotypes of H. pylori in children. METHODS: Histologic grading by updated Sydney system, PCNA immunostaining, TUNEL method and the genotypes (cagA, picB and iceA) by PCR were performed in H. pylori positive (N=20) and negative (N=20) gastric biopsy specimens. RESULTS: PCNA index was significantly different between H. pylori positive children (77.4+/-13.12) and H. pylori negative children (52.3+/-12.20) (p=0.000). There were positive correlations between PCNA index and H. pylori density (r=0.624, p=0.000), polymorphonuclear neutrophil activity (r=0.460, p=0.005) and chronic inflammation (r=0.433, p=0.009). Apoptosis index of H. pylori positive children (0.70+/-0.411) was significantly higher than of H. pylori negative children (0.14+/-0.201) (p=0.000). Positive correlations between apoptosis index and H. pylori density (r=0.691, p=0.000), polymorphonuclear neutrophil activity (r=0.585, p=0.000) and chronic inflammation (r=0.535, p=0.001) were noted. As PCNA index increased, apoptosis index significantly increased (r=0.527, p=0.001). The positive rates of genotypes were cagA 90%, picB 75%, iceA1 60% and iceA2 15%, respectively. There were no significant correlations between the status of the genotypes and PCNA index, apoptosis index, the endoscopic findings and the histologic findings. CONCLUSION: PCNA index and apoptosis index in H. pylori positive children were higher than in H. pylori negative children but were not related to H. pylori genotypes. This study suggested that correlatively increased gastric epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis are important to pathogenesis of H. pylori infection in children.
Apoptosis* ; Biopsy ; Child* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Genotype* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Inflammation ; Neutrophils ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

PURPOSE: Methemoglobinemia has been observed during a diarrheal illness among those who were not exposed to oxidizing agents in neonates and young infants. We performed the study to determine predisposing factors in this entity. METHODS: The medical records of 24 patients were reviewed, who were admitted for diarrhea with methemoglobinemia to Ewha Womans University MokDong Hospital, from February 1994 to November 2000. The concentration of methemoglobin was measured by CO-oximeter(ABL520(R) , Radiometer, Sweden). RESULTS: All the patients were before 2 months of age, had poor weight gain and dehydration associated with diarrhea. One patient was a breast feeding infant, 20 were bottle feeding, and 3 were mixed feeding. The seasonal variation in the incidence of the disease was indistinct but more cases were found during the winter months. We observed cyanotic skin discoloration in 21 patients, vomiting in 13, lethargy in 13, fever in 9, decreased urine output in 8, tachypnea in 4, and irritability in 2. The mean concentration of methemoglobin was 19.8+/-14.6%(range 3.8-65.0%) on admisssion. The severity of methemoglobinemia was significantly correlated with blood WBC (r=0.506, P=0.012), arterial blood pH(r=-0.600, P=0.002), total CO2 concentration(r=-0.456, P=0.025) and base excess(r=-0.429, P=0.036). The underlying diseases were milk allergy(8 patients), sepsis (2), urinary tract infection(1), salmonellosis(1), viral meningitis(1) and unknown(11). The majority of patients were treated conservatively and 9 patients(37.5%) were treated with intravenous administration of methylene blue. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that diarrhea, acidosis, infection and dehydration may be certain predisposing roles for developing methemoglobinemia in neonates and young infants. We should consider checking methemoglobin concentration in patients with diarrhea and cyanosis.
Acidosis ; Administration, Intravenous ; Bottle Feeding ; Breast Feeding ; Causality ; Cyanosis ; Dehydration ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Lethargy ; Medical Records ; Methemoglobin ; Methemoglobinemia* ; Methylene Blue ; Milk ; Oxidants ; Seasons ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Tachypnea ; Urinary Tract ; Vomiting ; Weight Gain

PURPOSE: Dysregulation of gastric epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis are important in development of ulcer, atrophy and neoplasia in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of infection of H. pylori on gastric epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis in children. METHODS: Histological grading by updated Sydney system, PCNA immunostaining and TUNEL method were performed in H. pylori positive (N=58) and negative (N=40) gastric biopsy specimens. RESULTS: In H. pylori positive children, there were significantly higher grade of polymorphonuclear neutrophil activity (P=0.000), chronic inflammation (P=0.000), epithelial damage (P=0.000) and lymphoid follicles (P=0.000) than in H. pylori negative children. Intestinal metaplasia was not seen in H. pylori positive children. PCNA index was significantly different between H. pylori positive children (67.8+/-18.13) and H. pylori negative children (54.8+/-14.46, P=0.000). There was positive correlation between PCNA index and H. pylori density (r=0.277, P=0.007), polymorphonuclear neutrophil activity (r=0.280, P=0.007) and chronic inflammation (r=0.284, P=0.006). Apoptosis index of H. pylori positive children (0.44+/-0.447) was significantly higher than of H. pylori negative children (0.14+/-0.196, P=0.000). There was positive correlation between apoptosis index and H. pylori density (r=0.472, P=0.000), polymorphonuclear neutrophil activity (r=0.370, P=0.001) and chronic inflammation (r=0.483, P=0.000). There was positive correlation between PCNA index and apoptosis index (r=0.353, P=0.003). CONCLUSION: The PCNA and apoptosis index in H. pylori positive children were significantly higher than in H. pylori negative children. This study suggested that gastric epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis are important to pathogenesis of H. pylori infection in children.
Apoptosis* ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Child* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Inflammation ; Metaplasia ; Neutrophils ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Ulcer

Inhibition of Rho-associated coiled coil-containing kinase (ROCK) has been reported to promote differentiation of neuronal cells. Here, we examined the effect of Y-27632, a ROCK inhibitor, on the outgrowth of neurites in PC12 cells. Y-27632 caused a rapid induction of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells in a time-dependent manner. The neurite outgrowth, triggered by Y-27632, was accompanied by Rac1 activation, and was attenuated by Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766, in a concentration-dependent manner. Y-27632 also induced an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine, an ROS scavenger, inhibited the ROS generation and neurite outgrowth in response to Y-27632. These results indicate that the activation of Rac1 and the generation of ROS contribute to the neurite outgrowth triggered by Y-27632 in PC12 cells.
Acetylcysteine ; Animals ; Neurites* ; Neurons ; PC12 Cells* ; Phosphotransferases ; Reactive Oxygen Species*

In the present study, we investigated the effect of staurosporine on the formation of cellular processes in human gingival fibroblasts and rat astrocytes. Staurosporine caused a rapid induction of process formation in human gingival fibroblasts and rat astrocytes in a concentration dependent manner. The process formation of human gingival fibroblasts and rat astrocytes was prevented by the pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine, suggesting that staurosporine-induced ROS production was responsible for the process formation. Colchicine, a microtubule depolymerizing agent, inhibited the staurosporine-induced process formation, whereas cytochalasin D, an actin filament breakdown agent, failed to suppress the formation of cellular processes. This result indicated that polymerization of microtubule, and not actin filament, was responsible for the formation of cellular processes induced by staurosporine. In support of this hypothesis, Western blot analysis was conducted using anti-tubulin antibody, and the results showed that the amount of polymerized microtubule was increased by the treatment with staurosporine while that of depolymerized beta-tubulin in soluble fraction was decreased. These results indicate that staurosporine induces ROS-mediated, microtubule-dependent formation of cellular processes in human gingival fibroblasts and rat astrocytes.
Acetylcysteine ; Actin Cytoskeleton ; Animals ; Astrocytes* ; Blotting, Western ; Colchicine ; Cytochalasin D ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans ; Microtubules ; Polymerization ; Polymers ; Rats* ; Staurosporine* ; Tubulin

This paper was carried out to investigate the change of food consumption behavior of 733 undergraduate students due to the Korean Economic Crisis in 1997. After the economic crisis, undergraduate students in Ulsan statistically and significantly reduced the intake frequency of almost all foods except rice, kimchi, the Korean tea and the frequency of fast food restaurants used compared with before the economic crisis. The results show that the Korean economic crisis significantly effected the food consumption and restaurant use behavior of the undergraduates in Ulsan.
Fast Foods ; Humans ; Restaurants ; Tea ; Ulsan

No abstract available.
Surgery, Oral* ; Transplants* ; Veins*