No abstract available.
Carcinoma* ; Nevus*

BACKGROUND: Using c-fos expression one of the immediate early gene, as a marker of altered neuronal response, we investigated the effect of superior cervical ganglion block (SCGB) exhibiting the same effect of SGB of human on the activity of several brain regions which are considered as located on autonomic neural pathway and neuroendocrine axis in rat. METHOD: The 48 Sprague-Dawley strain rats were divided into 4 groups, as saline/stress (control) group, SCGB/stress (tested) group, saline group, SCGB group. Superior cervical ganglion block was conducted in the SCGB/stress group and SCGB group while saline/stress and saline group were sham operated. After then restraint stress was imposed on the animals of SCGB/stress group and saline/stress group. And 2 hour after injection (saline, SCGB group) or restraint stress (saline/stress, SCGB/stress group), c-fos protein (Fos) was localized by immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: Much stronger Fos immunoreactivity was induced in the several brain region of control group rats compared to other three groups and the numbers of Fos positive cell count of tested group were significantly decreased in paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (p<0.01), A5 (p<0.01), raphe pallidus (p<0.05), nucleus tractus solitaius (p<0.01) compared to control group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrate that superior cervical ganglion block attenuates stress induced neuronal activities of paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, A5, raphe pallidus, nucleus tractus solitarius.
Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Brain* ; Cell Count ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neural Pathways ; Neurons ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solitary Nucleus ; Superior Cervical Ganglion*

We report a case of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis in a 18-year-old woman who had numerous mild pruritic erythematous plaques with follicular papules and pustules covering almost her whole body. Histopathologically intrafollicular, perifollicular and perivascular eosinophilic infiltrates were present with mild spongiosis. The blocd eosinophil count was 9%. The patient responded well to systemic administration of corticosteroid and dapsoni.
Adolescent ; Eosinophils* ; Female ; Folliculitis* ; Humans

We report a case of Mondor's disease, or superficial thrombophlebitis of the chest wall, which occured in a 35-year-old female after a mild blunt trauma of the right chest wall. She had 0.3 × 25 cm, firm, tender, bifurcated cord-like lesions on the right chest and upper abdomen for two weeks. The histopathologic findings corresponded to the “thrombus organization” stage of Mondor's disease, characterized by numerous small areas of recanalization with marked surrounding fibrosis. The patient was treated with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs and warm compresses. Within 7 weeks, the cord-like lesions virtually disappeared.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax ; Thrombophlebitis

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Telomeres are specialized structures found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomeres stabilize the chromosome and protect DNA from illegitimate recombination. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein, a RNA dependent DNA polymerase, and acts as a reverse transcriptase-like enzyme, which maintains telomere length by adding telomeric repeat units of TTAGGG to the telomeric end. These telomeric repeat units have been found only in cells with unlimited replicative potential such as sperm cells, immortalized cell lines and cancer tissues, but not in normal somatic cells. Telomerase is believed to be characteristic of and may be the best indicator of cell immortality. This study was performed to indentify the role of telomerase activity in the multistep carcinogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS:We performed a telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay in 10 oral leukoplakia, 5 tongue cancers and 10 normal oral mucosa tissues. RESULTS: All the five tongue cancer tissues showed telomerase activity. Although telomerase activity was detected in 9 of 10 oral leukoplakia tissues and in 9 of 10 normal oral mucosa tissues, the activity of telomerase was low compared to that of cancer tissues by semiquantitative analysis. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that telomerase maybe play a key role in multistep carcinogenesis of oral malignancy. Telomerase activity was detectable in normal oral mucosa with renewal activity suggested that this enzyme might be an indicator of cell proliferation.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; DNA ; Leukoplakia, Oral* ; Mouth Mucosa ; Mouth Neoplasms ; Recombination, Genetic ; Ribonucleoproteins ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Spermatozoa ; Telomerase* ; Telomere ; Tongue Neoplasms

The clinicopathological manifestations of gastric mucormycosis range from colonization of ulcer disease to infiltration of tissue with or without vascular involvement. The prognosis of this disease is extremely poor when blood vessel invasion is observed. Herein, we report on a rare case of ischemic gastric perforation that was associated with vascular invasive mucormycosis in a renal recipients 7 years after transplantation.
Blood Vessels ; Colon ; Kidney Transplantation ; Mucormycosis* ; Prognosis ; Transplantation* ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: Small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) is a major problem in liver surgery, and splenectomy has been used to prevent SFSS. However, it is unknown whether splenectomy has the same effect on liver regeneration in both standard and marginal hepatectomy. The aim of this study is to see a difference in effect of splenectomy on liver regeneration according to the amount of liver resection. METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats (220 to 260 g) were divided into the following five groups: control (n = 6), 70% hepatectomy (n = 6), 70% hepatectomy with splenectomy (n = 6), 90% hepatectomy (n = 6), and 90% hepatectomy with splenectomy (n = 6). The animals were euthanized 24 hours after surgery and liver specimens were obtained. To assess liver regeneration, we performed immunohistochemistry of liver tissue using 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling and Western blot analysis of hepatic growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in the liver tissue. RESULTS: The splenectomized subgroup had a higher BrdU-positive cell count in the 90% hepatectomy group, but not in the 70% hepatectomy group (P < 0.001). Splenectomy significantly decreased TGF-beta expression (P = 0.005) and increased the HGF to TGF-beta ratio (P = 0.002) in the 90% hepatectomy group, but not in the 70% hepatectomy group. CONCLUSION: The positive effect of splenectomy on liver regeneration was greater in the group with the larger liver resection. This phenomenon may be related to the relative balance between HGF and TGF-beta in the liver.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Count ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; Liver Regeneration ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Splenectomy ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

BACKGROUND: The inflammation is an important feature of atherosclerotic lesions, and high level of C-reactive protein (CRP) is known to be associated with increased coronary events and poor prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We examined the clinical and angiographic outcomes, success rate of the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and long-term survival rate after PCI according to the level of CRP on admission. METHODS: Two hundred and eight patients with AMI who underwent primary or rescue PCI between 1997 and 1999 at Chonnam National University Hospital were divided into two groups: Group I (n=86, 59.9+/-9.3 years, male 74.4%) with normal CRP (<1.0 mg/dL, mean value=0.43+/-0.14 mg/dL) on admission and Group II (n=122, 59.1+/-10.4 years, male 83.6%) with elevated CRP (> or = 1.0 mg/dL, mean value=3.50+/-0.93 mg/dL) on admission. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between two groups. The incidence of cardiogenic shock was higher in Group II than in Group I (Group I; 3/86, 3.5% vs Group II; 15/122, 12.3%, p=0.026). The coronary angiographic findings were not different between two groups. The ejection fraction and Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow were improved after PCI in both groups (Group I; 49.4+/-10.5 to 52.0+/-9.0%, 1.52+/-1.13 to 2.77+/-0.55, p<0.001 vs Group II; 50.1+/-11.2 to 52.7+/-9.7, 1.55+/-1.11 to 2.76+/-0.53, p<0.001). Primary success rate of PCI was 94.2% (81/86) in Group I and 95.1% (116/122) in Group II (p=0.776). The survival rates of Group I was 97.7%, 97.7% and 96.5%, and those of Group II was 91.8%, 91.0% and 86.9% at 1, 6 and 12 months, respectively (p=0.043 at 1 month, p=0.040 at 6 months, p=0.018 at 12 months). CONCLUSION: Higher incidence of cardiogenic shock and worse long-term survival after PCI are observed in AMI patients with elevated CRP.
C-Reactive Protein* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prognosis ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Survival Rate

Meningeal melanocytoma is a rare benign melanotic tumor arising from melanocytic cells in the leptomeninges. Preoperative differential diagnosis of meningeal melanocytoma from other melanotic tumors is difficult based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Definitive diagnosis of meningeal melanocytoma from other melanotic tumors is done on the basis of histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The prognosis of this tumor is not always favorable with occasional local recurrence, especially in cases of subtotal gross resection. The authors report on a case of a 58-year-old man who presented with a melanocytoma located at the T7-8 level. The patient underwent on a total surgical excision for successful control of the tumor. During a follow-up period of 2 years, the patient presented no signs of recurrence. We emphasize the importance of discrimination of meningeal melanocytoma from other melanotic tumors to facilitate appropriate treatment. Complete resection is the treatment of choice for spinal melanocytoma. Radiation therapy should be reserved for those cases in which complete resection is not possible or in which there is recurrence.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Recurrence