BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide(NO), a multifunctional mediator, is known as a endothelium-derived relaxing factor, a neurotransmitter, and a killer molecule formed by activated immune cells and participates in tissue destruction via apoptosis. In the skin, an increase in apoptotic cells has been desribed in the epidermis in various lichenoid diseases, in response, to ultraviolet radiation, and in neoplasia. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a positive correlation occurs between iNOS(inducible nitric oxide synthase) expression and apoptosis index in psoriasis vulgaris(PV), lichen planus(LP), and Bowen's disease(BD). METHODS: TUNEL staining and immunohistochemical staining with anti-iNOS antibody were done in paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 4 cases of PV, 4 cases of LP, and 2 cases of BD.
Apoptosis* ; Bowen's Disease* ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Epidermis ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Nitric Oxide ; Psoriasis* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Mammary Arteries* ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Mitral Valve* ; Tricuspid Valve*

Eccrine nevus is a rare benign cutaneous lesion, frequently present at birth or at an early age. Herein we report on a 1-year-old girl with erythematous papules in a zosteriform arrangement associated with hyperhidrosis on the left side of her trunk.
Female ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis ; Nevus* ; Parturition

No abstract available.
Alloxan* ; Animals ; Rats*

OBJECTIVE: The results for finding the deficit in the anterior cingulate (ACC) in schizophrenic patients (SZ) have been inconsistent according to the studies that used different Stroop tasks, which is unlike the deficit in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In order to explore for the core region that's responsible for the selective attention deficit in SZ, we examined the results of a functional neuroimaging study, which involved the performance of the Stroop task using high or low prefrontal cortex related loads in SZ. METHODS: Ten schizophrenic patients and healthy controls (HC) received functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a Short/Long-term latency Stroop task. The changes in the neural activity were determined in well-known Stroop related regions of interest (ROIs) that consisted of the DLPFC, ACC, the parietal lobule and in the whole brain regions for both the main and interaction effects of latency, and the results of the short-term and long-term latency Stroop conditions were compared. RESULTS: The response times for both the congruency and latency effects were more prolonged in the schizophrenics than in the HC. For the congruency effect, the schizophrenics showed significantly less activation in the same site of the left DLPFC in both the short-term and long-term latency conditions, as compared with the HC. For the latency effect, the regions of the left-side language network were over- or under-activated in the schizophrenics, as compared with the HC. Any interaction effect was not found for both the behavioral and fMRI results. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the deficit in the left DLPFC is the core impairment of attentional processing in schizophrenics, regardless of other possible interactions such as the latency effect.
Brain ; Functional Neuroimaging ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prefrontal Cortex* ; Rabeprazole ; Reaction Time ; Schizophrenia*

Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which is an obligate intracelluar pathogen. It presents broad spectrum of clinical manifestations depending on the host's specific cell-mediated immune response to M. leprae. Especially, type I Th cells and macrophages are important in defense mechanism to M. leprae, and the immune response is regulated by cytokines secreted by immune cells. Recent investigations showed nitric oxide(NO) was the key molecule in the killing activity of macrophages, which was enhanced by IFN-gamma but suppressed by TGF-beta1 and IL-10. Since cytokine is secreted by activated immune cells with antigenic stimulation, decreased antigens by treatment modulates the expression of cytokines in leprosy. In this study, we observed the dynamics of cytokines expression using RT-PCR, such as TGF-beta1 and IL-10, which suppress the activity of macrophages, IFN-gamma, which activates macrophages, and iNOS, which represents the killing activity of macrophages, in the lesions taken from fifteen borderline lepromatous leprosy patients before and after multiple drug therapy for 4 weeks. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Before treatment, cytokines were expressed in order of IL-10, iNOS, TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma(p>0.05). 2. After 4 weeks treatment, cytokines were expressed in order of iNOS, IL-10, TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma(p<0.05). 3. Fifty-four percent of patients showed a non-polarized Th 0 pattern, 33% a polarized Th 1 pattern, and 20% Th-negative. Th 2 pattern was not observed. 4. The changes of cytokines expression after 4 weeks treatment were not significant, although mRNA of IL-10, TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma were somewhat decreased. 5. There was negative correlation between TGF-beta1 and iNOS(gamma(2)=0.499, p<0.05, before treatment), positive correlation between TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma(gamma(2)= 0.622, p<0.05, before treatment), and positive correlation between IFN-gamma and IL-10(gamma(2)= 0.935, p<0.05, before treatment; gamma(2)= 0.937, p<0.05, after treatment). In conclusion, these results suggest that TGF-beta1 and IL-10 may contribute to immune suppression in multibacterial leprosy patients, and that TGF-beta1 suppresses iNOS expression in macrophages. With 4 weeks treatment, the significant changes in cytokines expression were not observed. Interestingly, the majority of BL patients showed Th 0 pattern of cytokine, and none of Th 2 pattern.
Cytokines ; Drug Therapy ; Granulomatous Disease, Chronic ; Homicide ; Humans ; Interleukin-10* ; Leprosy* ; Leprosy, Multibacillary* ; Macrophages ; Mycobacterium leprae ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

No abstract available.
Extremities* ; Gestational Age*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical features of high myopic eyes with cataracts implanted with negative power intraocular lenses (IOLs) at the time of cataract surgery. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 18 eyes of 14 patients who underwent cataract surgery with negative power IOLs and 10 eyes in 9 patients with low power IOLs. We investigated axial length, IOL power, preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and preoperative and postoperative spherical equivalent (SE) refractive errors. RESULTS: Mean BCVA showed significant improvement in both groups. We measured postoperative SE refraction and the difference between the mean intended and the mean achieved SE refractive errors in the negative power group (17 eyes) was +1.59 ± 1.34 D and +0.31 ± 0.50 D in the low power group. CONCLUSIONS: BCVA was significantly improved in the majority of eyes, although they had myopic macular degeneration or posterior staphyloma. However, the mean achieved postoperative SE refraction was more hyperopic than the predicted postoperative SE error. Additionally, hyperopic refractive error was greater in the negative power group than the low power group. Therefore, we recommend that postoperative hyperopic refractive error should be considered when performing cataract surgery in high myopic patients.
Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Macular Degeneration ; Myopia* ; Refractive Errors ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the state of internet addiction and to investigate the relationships among internet addiction, depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents. METHOD: Participants were 1,670 high school students in an urban city. The Internet Addiction Scale was used to measure internet addiction, the DISC-MDD-SQ was used to measure depression, and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-JR was used to measure suicidal ideation. RESULT: 38.1% of participants were perceived to be in the early stages of internet addiction and 1.5% reported heavy addiction. Overall the internet addiction scale score was 37.57(+/-12.52). The differences of internet addiction in sample characteristics were found to be significant in rank in class. The differences in DISC-MDD-SQ and IAS scores among the states of internet addiction were statistically significant. The level of internet addiction correlated positively to the level of depression and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Based upon these findings, there were significant positive correlations among Internet addiction, depression, and suicidal ideation in adolescents. As schools are often the first line for the identification of potential life-threatening behaviors, nurses, especially school-based health professionals, need to be cognizant of measures and procedures for the assessment of Internet addiction, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Adolescent ; *Adolescent Psychology ; Behavior, Addictive/diagnosis/*psychology ; Depression/diagnosis/*psychology ; Female ; Humans ; *Internet ; Male ; Suicide/*psychology