We describe a case of mycosis fungoides (infiltrative plaque type) in an 86-year-old male. He had experienced dark erythematous round plaques on the face, trunk, buttock, upper and lower extremities. Histopathologic findings revealed band-like superficial dermal infiltration of atypical lymphocytes, epidermotropism, and Pautrier's microabscess in the epidermis. The infiltrative cells were positivly stained with CD3, but not with a CD20. He was treated with a topical application of 0.2% carmustine, but he died due to poor general condition and septicemia.
Aged, 80 and over ; Buttocks ; Carmustine ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; Sepsis

Cervical tab is one of rare developmental anomalies of the brachial apparatus which appears as firm, protruding papule or nodule on the neck along the line of anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. A 5 year-old male patient developed a pea sized, movable, semi-solid mass on the lower portion of right sternocleidomastoid muscle area. On microscopic examination, well-marginated oval shaped cartilage was present. Individual cells in the lacunae had ample cytoplasm and eccentric nucleus. Verhoeff-van Gieson stained section of the mass showed cartilage with a rich elastic network in the matrix, most heavily concentrated about the chondrocyte. We report a rare case of cervical tab manifesting as a skin-colored nodule on the sternocleidomastoid muscle area.
Cartilage ; Child, Preschool ; Chondrocytes ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Peas

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of the pathogenic Yersinia pestis from other Yersinia spp. was developed. Five Y. pestis strains, ninety-two other Yersinia species and twenty-four Enterobacteriaceae strains were collected in Korea and from other countries. Oligonucleotide primers were designed from pathogenic gene of antiphagocytic protein capsule gene (fra 1) and plasminogen activator gene (pla). The 428 bp DNA fragment was amplified from five Y. pestis which contained the fra I gene. No product was amplified from other Yersinia species and other strains of the Enterobacteriaceae. The 439 bp DNA fragment was amplified from three K pestis which contained the pla gene. No product was amplified from two Y. pestis, other Yersinia species and other strains of the Enterobacteriaceae. These showed that the designed primers were specific for detection of Y. pestis among other Yersinia species and Enterobacteriaceae strains. Amplification was successful whether the template was derived from purified DNA or from aliquots of boiled bacterial suspension. The detection limits were 100 pg of DNA and 100 colony forming units (CFU) for fra I and 100 pg DNA and 10 CFU for pla, respectively. Our results prove that the PCR method using specific primers for Y. pestis is a rapid and convenient procedure for routine clinical detection and identification of Y. pestis.
DNA ; DNA Primers ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Plasminogen Activators ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Stem Cells ; Yersinia pestis* ; Yersinia*

No abstract available.
Nails

During the last 9 years, 6 patients of renal angiomyolipoma were managed at Catholic University Medical College. All were unilateral and were not associated with tuberous sclerosis. Preoperative diagnosis were hypernephroma (4), angiomyolipoma and renal stone. All patients were treated with nephrectomy. 17 patients were reported in Korean literature previously. In the review of the 26 cases (23 pts.), 16 cases were diagnosed as angiomyolipoma preoperatively and other as hypernephroma(9) and renal stone(1). Almost all cases(22) were managed with nephrectomy and only 4 cases were managed with conservative treatment (arterial embolization or observation).
Angiomyolipoma* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Nephrectomy ; Tuberous Sclerosis

This study was done to report the epidemiologic characteristics of medical retirement from the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army due to visual impairment and to suggest a practical screening system for the draft. The medical records of 423 eyes of 301 patients who retired from the ROK Army due to visual impairment were reviewed retrospectively between January 2010 and December 2014. The patients were grouped by the presence of trauma, and each group was subdivided by military rank. We analyzed demographic and ophthalmic data, including the etiology of ophthalmologic disease. The etiology was classified into 5 anatomical categories (ocular surface, lens, retina, optic nerve and extraocular visual pathway, and extraocular muscle and orbit), which were then subdivided into the type of disease. The mean age was 24.5 years, and non-traumatic mechanisms accounted for 81.1% (343/423 eyes) of medical retirements. Visual acuity was better in patients without trauma. In enlisted soldiers, disease in the optic nerve and extraocular visual pathway was the most common anatomical category (40.5%), and primary open angle glaucoma (30.8%), retinal dystrophy (18.3%), congenital cataract (14.5%), and retinal detachment (9.7%) were the four most common diseases. Most medical retirements due to visual impairment resulted from non-traumatic mechanisms, even though patients were young. The fundus examination and visual field test would be more useful tools than a conventional vision test for large-scale draft screening for the most common two disease types: primary open angle glaucoma and retinal dystrophy.
Adult ; Cataract/epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Military Personnel ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retinal Dystrophies/epidemiology ; *Retirement ; Retrospective Studies ; Vision Disorders/epidemiology/*pathology ; Visual Acuity ; Young Adult

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a phenolic compound derived from licorice, exhibits various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-tumor, and antioxidant effects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-cancer effects are not well understood in SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. Melanoma, a highly aggressive and treatment-resistant cancer, remains a significant health challenge. This study investigates the anti-cancer effects of ISL, focusing on identifying reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis mechanisms on SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. Our results show that ISL treatment induces apoptosis in SK-MEL-28 cells, as evidenced by the cleavage of caspase-9, -7, -3, and PARP. ISL increased Bax expression, decreased Bcl-2 expression, and promoted cytochrome C release into the cytosol. ISL also reduced the expression of cell cycle markers, including cyclin D1, D3, and survivin. Notably, ISL treatment markedly increased intracellular ROS levels and pretreatment with N-acetyl cysteine, a ROS scavenger, abrogated the ISL-induced inhibition of the p38/mTOR/STAT3 pathway and prevented apoptosis.Moreover, ISL significantly diminished the constitutive phosphorylation of mTOR and STAT3 in SK-MEL-28 cells by blocking the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, an upstream kinase of mTOR. Pharmacological inhibition of mTOR attenuated the STAT3 signaling, indicating that mTOR acts as an upstream kinase of STAT3 in these cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ISL inhibits SK-MEL-28 cell growth by downregulating cell survival proteins and inducing apoptosis through ROS generation.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a phenolic compound derived from licorice, exhibits various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-tumor, and antioxidant effects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-cancer effects are not well understood in SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. Melanoma, a highly aggressive and treatment-resistant cancer, remains a significant health challenge. This study investigates the anti-cancer effects of ISL, focusing on identifying reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis mechanisms on SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. Our results show that ISL treatment induces apoptosis in SK-MEL-28 cells, as evidenced by the cleavage of caspase-9, -7, -3, and PARP. ISL increased Bax expression, decreased Bcl-2 expression, and promoted cytochrome C release into the cytosol. ISL also reduced the expression of cell cycle markers, including cyclin D1, D3, and survivin. Notably, ISL treatment markedly increased intracellular ROS levels and pretreatment with N-acetyl cysteine, a ROS scavenger, abrogated the ISL-induced inhibition of the p38/mTOR/STAT3 pathway and prevented apoptosis.Moreover, ISL significantly diminished the constitutive phosphorylation of mTOR and STAT3 in SK-MEL-28 cells by blocking the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, an upstream kinase of mTOR. Pharmacological inhibition of mTOR attenuated the STAT3 signaling, indicating that mTOR acts as an upstream kinase of STAT3 in these cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ISL inhibits SK-MEL-28 cell growth by downregulating cell survival proteins and inducing apoptosis through ROS generation.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a phenolic compound derived from licorice, exhibits various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-tumor, and antioxidant effects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-cancer effects are not well understood in SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. Melanoma, a highly aggressive and treatment-resistant cancer, remains a significant health challenge. This study investigates the anti-cancer effects of ISL, focusing on identifying reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis mechanisms on SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. Our results show that ISL treatment induces apoptosis in SK-MEL-28 cells, as evidenced by the cleavage of caspase-9, -7, -3, and PARP. ISL increased Bax expression, decreased Bcl-2 expression, and promoted cytochrome C release into the cytosol. ISL also reduced the expression of cell cycle markers, including cyclin D1, D3, and survivin. Notably, ISL treatment markedly increased intracellular ROS levels and pretreatment with N-acetyl cysteine, a ROS scavenger, abrogated the ISL-induced inhibition of the p38/mTOR/STAT3 pathway and prevented apoptosis.Moreover, ISL significantly diminished the constitutive phosphorylation of mTOR and STAT3 in SK-MEL-28 cells by blocking the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, an upstream kinase of mTOR. Pharmacological inhibition of mTOR attenuated the STAT3 signaling, indicating that mTOR acts as an upstream kinase of STAT3 in these cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ISL inhibits SK-MEL-28 cell growth by downregulating cell survival proteins and inducing apoptosis through ROS generation.

BACKGROUND: Cancer that tends to metastasize to other internal organs also involves the skin with various clinical features. OBJECTIVE: We studied the clinical and histopathological findings of metastatic skin cancer and primary lung cancer. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical features and histopathological findings in 7 patients with metastatic skin cancer from the lung cancer. We performed routine hematoxylin-eosin stain and immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibody to cytokeratin, neuron specific enolase, S-100, leukocyte common antigen, and epithelial membrane antigen using the formalin-fixed paraffin embedded skin tissue of cutaneous metastatic and primary lung cancer. RESULTS: All patients are men ranging from 44 to 72 years in age(mean, 63.0 years). Cutaneous lesions were nodule, tumor, and sclerotic plaque. Skin lesions appeared on all parts of body. The neck, chest, and scalp were the most common locations of metastases. Pathologic findings were squamous cell carcinoma in 5 patients, adenosquamous cell carcinoma in 2 patients. We found some different immunophenotypes in cutaneous metastatic lesion and lung cancer. Mean survival time from the diagnosis of lung cancer was 10.4 months, and 8.4 months from the diagnosis of skin metastasis. CONCLUSION: We conclude that patients with cutaneous metastasis of lung cancer reflect progressive, terminal stage, and poor prognosis of the disease.
Antigens, CD45 ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Keratins ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Male ; Mucin-1 ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraffin ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Prognosis ; Scalp ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Survival Rate ; Thorax