BACKGROUND: The CD34(human progenitor cell antigen) is a monomeric, 115 kD glycoprotein which is expressed on hemitopoietic progenitor cells. It is also now known as an immunohistochemical marker of endothelial cell like UEA-I and factor VIII R Ag and its function is thought to be related to endot.helial adhesion, migration, and angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to investigate the patterns of CD34 expression during the early and late stages of vascular formation in pyogenic granuloma. METHOD: We performed immuinoperoxidase staining(ABC technique) by using a monoclonal anti-CD34 antibody(QBEND10, IgG1) on the formalin fixed, paraffin embedded sections of 19 cases of pyogenic granulomas. Result : 1. In all cases of pyogenic grinulomas, CD34 was strongly expressed in the endothelial cells of normal vessels in the perilobular stroma and in the endothelial cells of the mature vessels within the lobules of hemangioma. 2. In the foci of immature vessels, most of the endothelial cells located near the small vascular lumina and endothelial cells with intracellular lumen formations expressed CD34, while the endothelial cells far from the vascular lumina and endothelial cells without intracellular lumen formations mostly did not express CD:4. CONCLUSION: The above result. suggested that the expression of CD34 of the endothelial cells vary with the stage of maturation of the vessels.
Endothelial Cells ; Factor VIII ; Formaldehyde ; Glycoproteins ; Granuloma, Pyogenic* ; Hemangioma ; Paraffin ; Stem Cells

Trichoadenoma is a rare tumor with differentiation towards the infundibular portion of the pilosebaceous canal. Clinically, it is a nodular growth, usually on the face and buttock. Histologically, it is characterized by numerous horn cysts lined with squamous epithelium in the dermis. In this report, we describe a 44-year-old man who developed trichoadenoma on his right shin. Anti-CD34 antibody stained spindle-shaped cells in the stroma just adjacent to the peripheral layers of keratinous cysts and solid masses of squamous epithelial cells. To our knowledge, this is the first description of an occurrence of trichoadenoma in the lower leg and the first to use immunohistochemical staining to know the CD34 staining pattern.
Adult ; Animals ; Buttocks ; Dermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Horns ; Humans ; Leg

A 70 year-old male visited with 1 month history of dark brown, hard, non-movable subcutaneous nodule on the anterior chest. Histopathologic findings were compatible with the metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Thorax ; Urinary Bladder*

Although vitiligo is a common disorder with well-known clinical features, its etiology is still vague. It has been suggested that immunologic factors are important in the pathophysiology of vitiligo. And the association of HLA antigens with vitiligo has been reported. Authors examined HLA phenotypes in thirty-nine patients, T lymphocytes in thirty- three patients, B lymphocytes in thirty-one patients, and quantitation of IgG, IgA, IgM and IEP(immunoelectrophoresis) in twenty-five patients with vitiligo in this study. T3 and T4 were investigated in twelve patients, CBC in thirty-nine and urinalysis in thirty-five patients with vitiligo for screening of associated diseases ; thyroid disease, anemia and diabetes mellitus. The results are as follows; The frequency of HLA A9, Bw15 and Bw22 was significantly decreased in vitiligo patients compared to control group(p=0. 003, 0. 02, 0. OR) 2. There were no significant differences in the results of total and active lymphocytes and B lymphocytes in vitiligo patients compared to the control group. The results of quantitation of IgG, IgA, IgM and IEP showed within normal lirnits except one, an increased IgG, 2,200rng/100ml (normal: 500 1,500) and polyclonal gammopathy. 4. Among twelve vitiligo patients, one showed increased TR, 355ng/100ml (normal: 80 220) and T4, 17. 3pg/100ml (normal: 5 13). 5. CBC and urinalysis were within normal limits in all patients.
Anemia ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; HLA Antigens* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunologic Factors ; Lymphocytes ; Mass Screening ; Phenotype ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thyroid Diseases ; Urinalysis ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: Norwegian scabies is a highly infectious disease characterized by crust formation, different from ordinary scabies, and is caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. After the patient in our case was diagnosed with Norwegian scabies, active measures were taken to prevent its transmission within the hospital. Methods: A 66-year-old female patient was admitted to the general ward of a university hospital on January 23rd, 2008 and 6 days later, she was found to have been infected with Norwegian scabies all over the body. For epidemiological investigation, those who had been in contact with the patient were identified and interviewed. The patient was advised to follow the contact precaution, and linen the patient used was cleaned thoroughly. The surrounding environment was decontaminated by applying surface disinfectant. Preventive cream against the Norwegian scabies was distributed to staff members and patients who had been exposed to the patient, and appointed a dermatologist to educate them on how to use of medicine, what the mechanism of the disease is, what cautions must be taken, and how to write an ex post facto report. RESULTS: After the confirmation of the 1st case, no additional cases have been reported in the hospital during the ensuing 2 months. Therefore, prompt prevention and infection control activities against Norwegian scabies can be thought to have been successful. CONCLUSION: Whena patient with an uncertain skin disease is admitted, pertinent measures must be taken from the moment the patient is admitted and contact precaution should be applied both to the patients and the staff members. When a scabies patient is detected in an institution, the medical staff must enforce as much active preventive measures as possible, and by doing so, there will be a better chance to prevent the outbreak of scabies in the hospital.
Aged ; Bedding and Linens ; Communicable Diseases ; Cross Infection ; Female ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Medical Staff ; Patients' Rooms ; Sarcoptes scabiei ; Scabies ; Skin Diseases

Cutaneous metastasis from visceral malignancies shows diverse manifestations. Very rarely, cutaneous metastasis mimicks benign mesenchymal tumors. We describe a case in which metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma mimicked fibrohistiocytic tumors. The diagnosis of cutaneous metastasis was confirmed by the presence of atypical cells and signet-ring cells, positive staining for mucin and positive immunohistochemical stainings for keratins, carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), and lysozyme within the tumor cells infiltrated in the irregular, intertwining bundles of collagen in the reticular dermis.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Mucins ; Muramidase ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Intussusception can develop at any age but about 95% of patients are children under 2 years-old. Adult intussusception is a rare condition. Unlike children, nearly all adults with intussusception have a lead point such as benign or malignant small bowel tumors, intestinal tuberculosis, or Meckel's diverticulum. First case is a 48-year-old male who was admitted with 2 days of diffuse abdominal cramping pain and no other associated gastrointestinal symptoms. Barium enema revealed ileocolic intussusception with a round cecal mass after barium reduction. An ileocecectomy was performed electively. The pathologic report was cecal cyst, which was an intraluminal structure with an epithelial lining of colonic mucosa. The second case, a 53-year-old male, was admitted with 1 week of diffuse abdominal cramping pain and watery diarrhea. Barium enema revealed ileocecal intussusception. Emergency surgery (ileocecectomy), revealed a polypoid small bowel mass. The pathologic report was lipoma. Recently, we experienced two cases of adult intussusception and report these cases with a brief review of the literature.
Adult* ; Barium ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colic ; Colon ; Diarrhea ; Emergencies ; Enema ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Lipoma ; Male ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Tuberculosis

Orientia tsutsugamushi, a causative pathogen of Scrub typhus, is a gram-negative intracellular bacterium. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are produced from the membrane of bacteria and play many roles related to the survival of the pathogen. However, there have been no reports confirming whether O. tsutsugamushi indeed produce OMVs. O. tsutsugamushi boryong was cultured in ECV-304 cells for the purification of OMVs. Western blot analysis and immunoenrichment using anti-O. tsutsugamushi monoclonal antibody and electron microscopy were employed for identification and characterization of OMVs. We confirm the presence of OMVs derived from O. tsutsugamushi, and also found that those OMVs contain a major surface antigen of 56-kDa protein and variant immunogenic antigens.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/*immunology ; Antigens, Bacterial/*immunology ; Antigens, Surface/*immunology ; Cell Line ; Cell Membrane/immunology ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron ; Orientia tsutsugamushi/*immunology/metabolism ; Scrub Typhus/diagnosis/microbiology ; Secretory Vesicles/*immunology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Voice quality may be an important issue for choosing treatment options of early glottic cancer. It has been reported that voice quality is worse after laser cordectomy compared to that of radiation therapy. But, with developed visualization tools, the precise localization of lesions became possible enabling surgeons to decide the appropriate surgical extent to preserve voice after laser cordectomy. The authors assessed the postoperative voice quality of patients who underwent laser cordectomy according to the classification by the European Laryngological Society. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty patients who were diagnosed with glottic cancer and treated with laser cordectomy between April, 1999 and January, 2006, were evaluated. All the patients were followed-up more than 6 months. Objective evaluations included maximal phonation time, fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, noise-to-harmonics ratio and subjective evaluation was performed by the GRBAS scale. RESULTS: The type II laser cordectomy group and some cases of the type III cordectomy showed no significant differences compared with the normal control group in both objective and subjective evaluations. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the group of laser cordectomy type II and some cases of type III had acceptable results compared to that of the normal control group. Thus, laser cordectomy could be considered as an alternative to radiation therapy in selected patients with early glottic cancer, even when preserving the quality of voice is an important issue.
Humans ; Phonation ; Voice ; Voice Quality

Although DNA damage responses (DDRs) are reported to be involved in nitric oxide (NO) production in response to genotoxic stresses, the precise mechanism of DDR-mediated NO production has not been fully understood. Using a genotoxic agent aphidicolin, we investigated how DDRs regulate NO production in bovine aortic endothelial cells. Prolonged (over 24 h) treatment with aphidicolin increased NO production and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein expression, which was accompanied by increased eNOS dimer/monomer ratio, tetrahydrobiopterin levels, and eNOS mRNA expression. A promoter assay using 5’-serially deleted eNOS promoters revealed that Tax-responsive element site, located at −962 to −873 of the eNOS promoter, was respon-sible for aphidicolin-stimulated eNOS gene expression. Aphidicolin increased CREB activity and ectopic expression of dominantnegative inhibitor of CREB, A-CREB, repressed the stimulatory effects of aphidicolin on eNOS gene expression and its promoter activity. Co-treatment with LY294002 decreased the aphidicolin-stimulated increase in p-CREB-Ser133 level, eNOS expression, and NO production. Furthermore, ectopic expression of dominant-negative Akt construct attenuated aphidicolin-stimulated NO production. Aphidicolin increased p-ATM-Ser1981 and the knockdown of ATM using siRNA attenuated all stimulatory effects of aphidicolin on p-Akt-Ser473 , p-CREB-Ser133 , eNOS expression, and NO production. Additionally, these stimulatory effects of aphidicolin were similarly observed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Lastly, aphidicolin increased acetylcholine-induced vessel relaxation in rat aortas, which was accompanied by increased p-ATM-Ser1981 , p-Akt-Ser473 , p-CREB-Ser 133 , and eNOS expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that in response to aphidicolin, activation of ATM/Akt/CREB/eNOS signaling cascade mediates increase of NO production and vessel relaxation in endothelial cells and rat aortas.