Basement membrane zone gene expression by fibroblast cultures was examined by molecular hybridizations with human sequence specific cDNAs corresponding to type 1V procollagen and laminin subunit polypeptides. Northern transfer analysis with total RNA revealed the presence of specific mRNA transcripts for al (IV) and a2 (1V) chains of type 1V procollagen as well as Bl and B2 chains of laminin. Laminin A chain mRNAs were not detected using the same RNA preparations. The molecular size of al (1V) and a2 (1V) procollagen mRNA revealed 6.8kb and 6.7kb, respectively. The molecular size of Bl chain of laminin revealed 5.6kb, and B2 chain revealed 8.2 and 5.5kb polymorphic transcripts. In slotblot analysis using densitometer, steady-state levels of type IV procollagen and laminin mRNAs indicated that they were in relatively low abunclance, as compaired with type I procollagen mRNA. Quantitative levels of al (IV) and laminin Bl chaii mRNAs were more abundant than those of a2 (IV) and laminin B2 mRNAs. The mRNA ratio of al (IV)/a2 (lV) and laminin Bl/B2 were 1.9 and 1.5, respectively. These results demonstrate evidence for differential regulation of the expression of different basement membrane zone molecules during the formation of basement membrane.
Basement Membrane ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen Type IV* ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Laminin* ; Peptides ; Procollagen ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the change in blink rate in adolescents according to the type and duration of computer tasks and to analyze the risk of ocular dryness using an ocular protection index. METHODS: Fifteen male high school students played computer games and viewed Internet lectures for 20 minutes each. Blink rate was measured by USB camera, and ocular protection index (OPI, the ratio of BUT to inter-blink interval) was calculated for each subject during the two tasks. In addition, 7 of the 15 subjects played computer games again for 40 minutes on another day, and the change in blink rate according to the duration of computer games was observed. RESULTS: The average blink rate was 5.44+/-3.29 per minute (median 5, range 2-12.75) while playing computer games and 20.63+/-11.21 per minute (median 18.25, range 4.93-42.2) while viewing Internet lectures, and this difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). The percentage of subjects with OPI values less than 1 was 53% for computer games and 13% for Internet lectures (p=0.025). While playing computer games for 40 minutes, the mean of total blinks during ten-minute intervals decreased over time: 59.43 times (median 57) during the first 10 minutes, 33.86 times (median 41) during the last 10 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The blink rate in adolescents was significantly lower and the risk of ocular dryness was higher while playing computer games compared with that of viewing internet lectures. As playing time increased, the blink rate decreased and risk of ocular dryness increased.
Adolescent* ; Humans ; Internet ; Lectures ; Male ; Video Games

No abstract available.
Arthritis*

No abstract available.
Asphyxia* ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Parturition*

Psoriasis is characterized by disregulation of keratinocyte growth with profound epidermal hyperplasia. Keratinocyte hyperplasia in psoriasis may be expained in part by overproduction of growth factor, and by altered metabolism of the epidemal growth factor receptors (EGFR) in affected skin. The expression of epidermal growth f ictor receptor was investigated by Northern blot and slot-blot analysis of total RNA extrated from biopsies of normal skin and psoriatic lesions. In Northern blot analysis, EGFR-specific mRNA transcripts from psoriatic tissues demonstrated the specificity of hybridizarion with a EGFR mDNA probe. The size of EGFR mRNA transcript was 6.7kb in psoriasis lesions which showed no change of quality. In slot-blot analysis, the levels of EGFR mRNA in poriasis revealed a 1.2 fold to 4.1 fold elevation when compared to normal skin. EGFR were present in all epidermal layers by immunoperoxidase staining, whereas in normal skin they were primarily present in the stratum basalis. These results indicate that the increased expresion of the EGFR gene may be, in part, responsible for the hyperproliferation of the epider nis and that retained EGFR may reflect incomplet; abnormal differentiation in active porasis. This altered process of EGFR metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
Biopsy ; Blotting, Northern ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Genes, erbB-1 ; Hyperplasia ; Keratinocytes ; Metabolism ; Psoriasis* ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Receptors, Growth Factor ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin

No abstract available.
Anaphylaxis* ; Histamine Release* ; Histamine* ; Mast Cells*

No abstract available.
Ganoderma* ; Pancytopenia*

Experinece in the management of 74 patients with delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage(DTICH) of 474 head injury from January 1996 to December 1996 is poresented with emphasis on the incidence, occurring time, risk factors and outcome. The incidence of DTICH was 15.6% of all hospitalized head-injury patients. After an injury, every patient had an immediate computerized tomography(CT) scan to diagnose intracranial pathology and then CT follow-up was carried out according to intial CT finding and reurological deficit. The lesion was almost occurred in patients with initial abnormal CT finding(85.1%). 82.4% of DTICH were noted within 72 hours after injury. The delayed epidural hematoma and intracerebral hemorrhage were almost noted in first 72 hours(>90%), but the delayed subdural hemorrhage was found after a time interval varying from 6 hours to 10 days. So we strongly recommend CT follow-up in 4-8hour, 24-72hour, and then 7th day after head injury, especially in patients with initial abnormal CT findings. The risk factor of the delayed lesion was not hypotension, hypoxia, and consciousness level, but age of patients and the initial CT finding. The development of DTICH was not heralded by neurological deterioration. The prognosis of DTICH was not worse than non-DTICH. The patient with delayed subdural hemorrhage was better than the patient with non-delayed lesion(including hemorrhage and normal CT finding).
Anoxia ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Consciousness ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Intracranial Hemorrhages* ; Pathology ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors

It is generally considered that enteral feeding is superior to parenteral nutritional support. Thus enteral meal should be given whenever patients have proper gastrointestinal function to take enteral feeding. Because the morbidity and mortality for surgical jejunostomy have been reported as high as 50% and 10% respectively, direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy has been developed to reduce the morbidity and mortality. A 55-year-old male patient, who was suffering from dysphagia and oropharyngeal aspiration, was transferred to the division of gastroenterology to be done permanent enteral feeding. His stomach was resected (subtotal gastrectomy with billroth II anastomosis) due to peptic ulcer hemorrhage 10 years before. We performed direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy without any complication. Herein, we report a successful case.
Deglutition Disorders ; Enteral Nutrition ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastroenterology ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Jejunostomy* ; Male ; Meals ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Nutritional Support ; Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage ; Stomach

In this study, the ontogeny of the dopamine D1 and D2 receptors on fetal rat retina was investigated by using in situ hybridization technique. The expression of the D1 and D2 receptor mRNAs showed different pattern of appearance, distribution and density. At gestational day(GD) 13.5, D1 receptor was first detected in neuroepithelium of the retina. Both D1 and D2 receptors were detected at GD 15.5 in the ventricular layer and ganglion cell layer of developing retina of the rat, and D1 receptor showed more strong density than that of D2 receptor. At GD 17.5, Both D1 and D2 receptors were detected in the ganglion cell layer, ventricular layer and pigment epithelium. The labelling density of D1 receptor was higher than that of D2 receptor. At GD 19.5, both D1 and D2 receptors were additionally detected in the optic nuclear layer and plexiform layer. These results imply that D1 and D2 receptor may mediate different important function of the retina.
Animals ; Dopamine* ; Epithelium ; Ganglion Cysts ; In Situ Hybridization ; Rats* ; Retina* ; RNA, Messenger*