Improvement of lichen planus was achieved by 11 weeks of daily oral treatment with griseofulvin. The patient was 59-year-old male, has had hypertension and diabetes mellitus for 9 months, and history of various drug intake to these diseses for 6 months. Four months before first visit, symptome of lichen planus had developed suddenly. Because of treatment failure of oral antihistamine and topical steroid for 6 weeks, we began to use griseofulvin. Praspective studies are needed to better assess the affectiveness of griseafulvin in the treatment of lichen planus.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Griseofulvin* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Failure

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and surgical morbidity of preoperative chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: Between December 1997 and March 2000, 36 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (clinical stage II or III) were treated with preoperative chemoradiation: bolus i.v. leucovorin, 20 mg/m2, plus 24-h continuous infusion i.v. 5-Fluorouracil, 425 mg/m2, Days 1-5, 29-33 and concurrent radiotherapy 4,500 cGy over 5 weeks. Surgery was performed 4-8 weeks after completion of the chemoradiotherapy. RESULTS: Grade 3-4 toxicity during chemoradiotherapy was low: hematological toxicities 2.8%, gastro-intestinal toxicities 5.5% and skin toxicities 8.3%. Complete response rate was 16.7% and partial response rate was 47.2%, the rate of downstaging for tumor was 65.5%. The overall rate of resectability was 94.1%. In 13 of 22 (59.1%) patients planned APR, the sphincter was preserved. The overall rate of surgical morbidity was 23.5%, but there was no postoperative mortality. One patient needed a reoperation because a complication may be associated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer seems to afford some potential advantages: patients are able to tolerate higher chemotherapy doses with low toxicities; tumor downstaging and resectability rates are high; sphincter preservation is feasible; But perioperative morbidity has generally tolerable complications. And so we recommend the preoperative chemoradiotherapy may be one of the best treatments for locally advanced rectal cancer.
Chemoradiotherapy* ; Drug Therapy ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Leucovorin ; Mortality ; Radiotherapy ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Reoperation ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenesis of the endometriosis is very complex and the etiology is still unclear. Our hypothesis is that there may be some difference in gene expression patterns between eutopic endometriums with or without endometriosis. In this study, we analyzed the difference of gene expression profile with cDNA microarray. METHODS: Endometrial tissues were gathered from patients with endometriosis or other benign gynecologic diseases. cDNA microarray technique was applied to screen the different gene expression profiles from early and late secretory phase endometria of those two groups. Each three mRNA samples isolated from early and late secretory phase of endometrial tissues of control were pooled and used as master controls and labeled with Cy3-dUTP. Then the differences of gene expression pattern were screened by comparing eutopic endometria with endometriosis, which were labeled with Cy5-dUTP. Fluorescent labeled probes were hybridized on a microarray of 4,800 human genes. RESULTS: Twelve genes were consistently overexpressed in the endometrium of endometriosis such as ATP synthase H transporting F1 (ATP5B), eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (NADP+), mitochondrial ribosomal protein L3, ATP synthase H+ transporting (ATP5C1) and TNF alpha factor. Eleven genes were consistently down-regulated in the endometriosis samples. Many extracellular matrix protein genes (decorin, lumican, EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1, fibulin 5, and matrix Gla protein) and protease/protease inhibitors (serine proteinase inhibitor, matrix metalloproteinase 2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1), and insulin like growth factor II associated protein were included. Expression patterns of selected eight genes from the cDNA microarray were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR or real time RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The result of this analysis supports the hypothesis that the endometrium from patients with endometriosis has distinct gene expression profile from control endometrium without endometriosis.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Gene Expression* ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Isocitrate Dehydrogenase ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Peptide Elongation Factor 1 ; Ribosomal Proteins ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcriptome*

PURPOSE: To compare image quality of storage phosphor digital radiography(DR) with film-screen radiography in portable chest imaging, and to assess the minimum X-ray dose that can be applied to DR in adults without image degradation, and also to compare image qualities of low dose and standard dose DR. Materials and Methalos: A geometrical phantom similar to the human thorax was imaged by a portable radiographic unit with fixed kVp and variable m^s in both film-screen and DR systems. Three radiologists scored the images by four grades in four categories of 1) contrast between mediastinum and lung, 2) definition of the nodule in the lung, 3) definition of another nodule through the mediastinal shadow, and 4) grainess(noise : assessed only in DR). Additionally, portable chest images were obtained in 10 patients in a intensive care unit by film-screen, standard dose and half dose DR in consecutive days. The same readers scored the images by four grades in six categories of 1) the lungs and hila, 2) the mediastinum, 3) subphrenic area. 4) musculoskeletal shadow, 5) tubes and lines, and 6) grainess (only in DR). The images with superior quality were assessed by paired t-test. RESULTS: In phantom study, the minimum dose of digital images scored 3 or more by all readers was 39% of the standard dose. In patient study, DR was superior to film-screen radiography in all categories except tube and line. Low dose DR was not inferior to standard dose DR in five categories other than grainess to two readers or more. CONCLUSION: In portable chest imaging, storage phosphor DR image was superior to conventional film-screen radiography and half dose DR was comparable to standard dose DR despite of more noise.
Adult ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Noise ; Radiographic Image Enhancement* ; Radiography ; Thorax*

PURPOSE: To compare image quality of storage phosphor digital radiography(DR) with film-screen radiography in portable chest imaging, and to assess the minimum X-ray dose that can be applied to DR in adults without image degradation, and also to compare image qualities of low dose and standard dose DR. Materials and Methalos: A geometrical phantom similar to the human thorax was imaged by a portable radiographic unit with fixed kVp and variable m^s in both film-screen and DR systems. Three radiologists scored the images by four grades in four categories of 1) contrast between mediastinum and lung, 2) definition of the nodule in the lung, 3) definition of another nodule through the mediastinal shadow, and 4) grainess(noise : assessed only in DR). Additionally, portable chest images were obtained in 10 patients in a intensive care unit by film-screen, standard dose and half dose DR in consecutive days. The same readers scored the images by four grades in six categories of 1) the lungs and hila, 2) the mediastinum, 3) subphrenic area. 4) musculoskeletal shadow, 5) tubes and lines, and 6) grainess (only in DR). The images with superior quality were assessed by paired t-test. RESULTS: In phantom study, the minimum dose of digital images scored 3 or more by all readers was 39% of the standard dose. In patient study, DR was superior to film-screen radiography in all categories except tube and line. Low dose DR was not inferior to standard dose DR in five categories other than grainess to two readers or more. CONCLUSION: In portable chest imaging, storage phosphor DR image was superior to conventional film-screen radiography and half dose DR was comparable to standard dose DR despite of more noise.
Adult ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Noise ; Radiographic Image Enhancement* ; Radiography ; Thorax*

In Korea, international marriage and inflow of foreigners have increased, as globalization leads to increase of human and resource movement, unbalanced sex ratios in marriage markets, and aging phenomenon, and decrease of fertility rate. The number of marriage-based immigrant women and their children is expected to be growing continuously. Because the majority of immigrant women are between 18 and 49 years old and permanently reside in Korea, there is a high possibility for them to give birth in the country. Many immigrant women get pregnant before acquiring nationality in Korea or without having enough time to adapt themselves to new circumstances. Thus, it is critical for them to have basic reproductive health care and health protection services. Also, there is a great need of maternal and child health services for multi-cultural family. marriage-based immigrant women are more likely to be vulnerable to injuries and diseases due to the relatively low level of income, education, and language skill, as well as cultural and environmental differences from their home country. Despite of the great health care needs for women and children in multi-cultural family, it lacks decent health care services for them and also there is no integrated national survey on their health. Therefore, it is necessary to establish integrated research system to understand the current health conditions and problems of women and children in multi-cultural family. Additionally, we need to set up the long-term life-support policies concerning different situations in multi-cultural families.
Aging ; Birth Rate ; Child Health Services ; Child Health* ; Child* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Humans ; Internationality ; Korea* ; Marriage ; Parturition ; Reproductive Health ; Sex Ratio

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the expression of TSP-1 and -2 in eutopic endometrium of advanced endometriosis and control patients. METHODS: The 33 endometriosis patients and 32 controls were enrolled. Endometrial samples were obtained from 65 premenopausal women aged 29-44 years, undergoing laparoscopic surgery or hysterectomy for non-malignant lesions. Sufficient samples were collected from 33 patients with endometriosis stage III and IV and 32 controls without endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopic surgery. The mRNA expression from eutopic endometrium for TSP-1 and -2 were analyzed by RT-QC PCR. RESULTS: The mRNAs of TSP-1 and -2 were expressed in eutopic endometrium from endometriosis and normal controls throughout the menstrual cycle. There were no significant differences in expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 in eutopic endometrium between controls and endometriosis patients. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that TSP-1 and -2 had no crucial role compared to other molecules in the regulation of angiogenesis. These findings also suggest that dysregulation of other angiogenic regulators would be concerned in pathophysiologic role in endometriosis development.
Endometriosis* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparoscopy ; Menstrual Cycle ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger* ; Thrombospondin 1 ; Thrombospondins

No abstract available.
Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Nephritis* ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch*

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the expression of uPA and uPAR in eutopic endometrium of advanced stage endometriosis and control patients. METHODS: The 33 endometriosis patients and 32 controls were enrolled. Endometrial samples were obtained from 65 premenopausal women aged 29~44 years, undergoing laparoscopic surgery or hysterectomy for non-malignant lesions. Sufficient samples were collected from 33 patients with endometriosis stage III and IV and 32 controls without endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopic surgery. The mRNA expression of uPA and uPAR from eutopic endometrium were analyzed by RT-QC PCR. RESULTS: The mRNAs of uPA and uPAR were expressed in eutopic endometrium from endometriosis and normal controls throughout the menstrual cycle. Uterine endometrium from women with endometriosis expresses significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of u-PA mRNA than endometrium from normal women without endometriosis in the proliferative phase. There were no significant differences in expression of uPAR in eutopic endometrium between controls and endometriosis patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that eutopic endometrium from endometriosis patients may be more invasive and prone to peritoneal implantation because of greater u-PA mRNA expression than endometrium from women without endometriosis. Thus, increased proteolytic activity may be one etiology for the invasive properties of the endometrium resulting in the development of endometriosis.
Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparoscopy ; Menstrual Cycle ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Proteolysis ; RNA, Messenger* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator