OBJECTIVES: To evaluated the relation of familial history of alcoholism and plasma level of beta-endorphin, ethanol, beta-endorphin, cortisol and blood glucose were compared in 48 male alcoholics and 29 normal controls. METHODS: Subjects are divided into two groups by family history of alcoholism. Blood samples were obtained before and after 0.75mg/kg of ethanol consumption a 7th admission day. RESULTS: 1) The ratio of family history positive to negative of the patient group was 2 to 1. 2) The age at admission of positive family history group was younger than negative groups. 3) There was no significant difference in change of plasma ethanol level among three groups. 4) There was no significant difference in change of plasma beta-endorphin level among three group. 5) There was no significant difference in change of plasma cortisol level among three groups. 6) There was no significant difference in change of fasting blood sugar level between two patients groups.
Alcoholics ; Alcoholism* ; beta-Endorphin* ; Blood Glucose ; Ethanol ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Male ; Plasma

OBJECTIVE: Asymmetries in evoked potential P300 topography of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are still controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in P300 topography between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. METHOD: P300 was recorded from 16 schizophrenic, 15 bipolar manic, and 16 control subjects. All were right-handed. Subjects silently counted target stimuli(2.0kHz) among trains of standard stimuli(1.0 kHz). Averages were constructed from brain responses to target stimuli. RESULTS: 1) Schizophrenics displayed significantly smaller peak amplitude of P300 over Cz, Pz, T3 than controls. 2) Schizophrenics displayed significantly smaller peak amplitude of P300 over T3 than bipolar manics. 3) Schizophrenics displayed significantly smaller peak amplitude of P300 over T3 than their T4. 4) Schizophrenics displayed significantly delayed latency of P300 over T3 than bipolar manics. 5) Schizophrenics displayed significantly delayed latency of P300 over T3 than their T4. CONCLUSION: Left-sided P300 abnormality, especially left superior temporal gyrus, in schizophrenics, relative to bipolar manics and controls suggests that psychophysiological cause of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is different and P300 asymmetry is specific to the psychophysiological cause of schizophrenia.
Bipolar Disorder* ; Brain ; Evoked Potentials ; Schizophrenia*

No abstract available.
Mouth Mucosa* ; Salivary Ducts*

Angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE) is a ipeptidyl carboxypeptidase that is a membrane bound mainly on the luminal surface of pulmonary endothelial capillary cells. It functions to inactivate bradykinin, and also converts angiotensin 1 to angiotensin Activity of ACE was first identified in plasma by Skeggs and co-workers in ]956 In 1974 Lieberman discovered that elevated levels of serum ACE were associated with active sarcoidosis and that this assay would be usei to assist a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The association of sarcoidosis and enhanced ACE activity was subsequently supported by data from other investigators. Increased serum ACE levels have also been observed in patients with nongranulomatous diseases and granulomatous diseases including leprosy. The author studied the serum ACE levels in leprosy patients(fourty-three with tuberculoid type and eighty-nine with lepromatous type) and twenty normal healthy controls by the spectrophotometric method described by Lieberman. Comparative studies of ACE levels in these two types of leprosy with normal healthy controls and relationship among the duration of treatment, age, and sex were also conducted. The results were summarized as follows: Ages of the selected patients were between 3Q to 77 years in tuberculoid leprosy (average 54 1), 23 to 75 years in lepromatous leprosy(average 53. 8) and 14 to 49 years in the control group(average 28 4) The duration of treatment in tuberculoid leprosy was between 1 and 39 years and average was 2p 7 years. Of lepromatous leprosy, duration of treatment was between 2 and 50 years and the average was 25. 4 years.
Angiotensins* ; Bradykinin ; Capillaries ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Leprosy, Tuberculoid ; Membranes ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A* ; Phenobarbital ; Plasma ; Research Personnel ; Sarcoidosis

A case of 49 year-old male with dermatomyositis associated with stomach cancer and Sjogren's syndrome is reported. The skin changes were characterized by the presence of Gottron's sign and dusky erythematous and finely scaling macular eruptions with telangiectasias on the scalp, forehead, butterfly area of the face, both elbows and knees. Dryness of eyes and mouth, nuchaI rigidity, numbness on extremities and epigastric hunger pain were also noted. The family history and past history were not contributory. After that weakness on proximal muscles, nuchal rigidity, dysphagia and walking difficulty were more aggravated. On dental and ophthalmologic examinations, shiny appearance of tongue and oral mucosa, burning and dry sensation in the mouth was noted and diminished tear and saliva production was also discovered. On laboratory findings, ESR, serum enzymes, especially CPK 3 and LDH, urinary creatine excretion were increased. LE cell was not found and RA test was also negative. Electromyographic and nerve conduction studies revealed myopathic EMG and normal nerve conduetion in both motor and sensory. There are gastric ulcer, positive vallecular sign on esophagus and thread like narrowing on almost all main and minor ducts of parotid gland. Histologic findings revealed ulcerative adenocarcinoma of stomach, a mild focal infiltration of lymphocytes and degenerative changes in left deltoid muscle and diffuse and extensive dermal edema associated with inflammatory infiltrates and hydropic degeneration and atrophy on the facial skin. He was treated with prednisolone, aspirin and intravenous methotraxate but no favorable effect was noted. Authors reviewed relevant literature.
Adenocarcinoma ; Aspirin ; Atrophy ; Burns ; Butterflies ; Creatine ; Deglutition Disorders ; Deltoid Muscle ; Dermatomyositis* ; Edema ; Elbow ; Esophagus ; Extremities ; Forehead ; Humans ; Hunger ; Hypesthesia ; Knee ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; Mouth Mucosa ; Muscle Rigidity ; Muscles ; Neural Conduction ; Neutrophils ; Parotid Gland ; Prednisolone ; Saliva ; Scalp ; Sensation ; Sjogren's Syndrome* ; Skin ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach Ulcer ; Stomach* ; Tears ; Telangiectasis ; Tongue ; Ulcer ; Walking

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) have been reported to be absent in melanomas. But recently, the presence of EGFR on melanocytic cells was reported to be a marker of malignant transformation. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the presence of EGFF in melanocytic lesions and to determine whether EGFR presence correlates with the potential or malignant transformation of melanocytic cells. METHODS: We performed the immunohistochemical studies to reveal immunoreactivity of EGFR in 7 compound nevi, 10 intradermal nevi, and four melanomas using the Vectastain ABC immunoperoxidase stain system. RESULTS: Although the intensity of staining was slightly variable, all melanocytic cell types in the studied lesions of compound nevi, intradermal nevi, and melanoms had immunoreactive EGFR. Intense staining far EGFR of all nucleated layers of keratinocytes overlying a melanocytic lesion was also seen. But in the melanoma cells, the staining intensity was modarately deereased. CONCLUSION: Although we found no correlation of EGFR with the potential for malignancy in melanocytic lesions, the high level of expression within nevocytes and lesional keratinocytes suggests EGFR or transforming growth factor a, by acting through the EGFR, plays a role in the pathogenesis, maintenance, or evolution or these lesions.
Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Keratinocytes ; Melanoma ; Nevus ; Nevus, Intradermal ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Transforming Growth Factors

No abstract available.
Humans ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes*

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor(EGF) usually stimulate she growth and proliferation of a variety of cell types in vitro and in vivo through binding to a peific cell surface receptor, a 170- kilodalton glycoprotein. The EGF receptor (EGFR) may be respansi ile for deranged keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the pattern of EGFR expression in malignant epidermal tumors. METHODS: We performecl immunohistochemical studies to reveal immunoreactivity of EGFR in 7 basal cell carcinomas, 6 squamous cell carcinomas, and five nomal control skin using the Uectastain ABC immunoperoxidase stain system. RESULTS: In normal skin, EGFR showed strong staining of basal cells and lower keratinocytes of the stratum malpighii. As squaous cells matured, staining gradually beame weaker. In all cases of basal cell carcinoma studied, there was loss of membrane labelling of the tumor cells and but in half the cases there was little or no siaining of the lesional cells. In squamous cell carcinomas, variable patterns were seen. The better differentiated tumors showed an essentially no mal pattern of EGFR expression. However, less well differentiated areas showed loss of membrane staining, cytoplasmic accumulation of receptor, and a heterogeneiy of staining intensity. CONCLUSION: Dysregulation of the EGFR may be important in the levelopment, of cutaneous epithelial malignancies but that giossly abnormal forms of the receptor do not occur. The quantitative and qualitative changes in EGFR that we have demonstrated may well be of importance in the pathogenesis of these keratinocyte tumors.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cytoplasm ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Glycoproteins ; Keratinocytes ; Membranes ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Influenza, Human* ; Vaccination*

No abstract available.
Hand*