We present 20 medicolegal autopsies performed at the Department of Forensic medicine, Seoul National University Medical College during the year of 1996. In Korea Postmortem Invesigation (PI) system is not established and is needed greatly provide the basic considerations on PI system, we detailed the cases with impediments to be overcome. Among the 20 cases, 13cases were unusual deaths and 6 cases were natural. For unusual deaths, 7 were by mechanical injuries, four by asphyxia. Test for toxic stance was the most needed part to be solved.
Asphyxia ; Autopsy* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Korea ; Seoul

To know the amplification pattern according to relative concentration ratio in mixed samples, two STRloci, vwF locus and MBP locus and two VNTR loci, D1S80 locus and d17S5 locus were amplified in DNA with various concentration of two individuals were easily identified. But when the concentration of one person were lowered to 1/20-1/40 of the other's the intensity of product bands diminshed and hardly discernible. Also different amplification efficiency according to the template length was noted, especially in VNTR loci. Using automatic sequencer and RFLP scan program, the intensity OD of each PCR product band could be calculated, and this correlates the felative amplification efficiency of each allele. By using this we could construct quantitative PCR for the mixed samples. This could be used in practical case work for forensic purpose, and also be a valuable candidate for 'chimerism detection' in case of bone marrow transplatation.
Alleles ; Bone Marrow ; DNA ; Humans ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

Multiplex PCR for three STRs of same repetition unit [GATA]n, 4804LR[D12S66], 27H39LR[DYS19] and 4815LR[D12S67] loci, was constructed for forensic application DNA was extracted from 200 unrelated Koreans and amplified with a mixture of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, so called Amp-FLP procedure. Three loci could be co-amplified in a reaction with easy, and reaction condition was not so quite different from that of each locus. The PCR products of each locus could be separated bp, and 4815LR from 241 bp to 281 bp, so these alleles of each locus could be separated on a single electrophoresis. A total of six alleles was noted in 4804LR and heterozygosity was 0.5764. The allele 11 and allele 12 were frequently noted with the frequency of 0.6225 and 0.1775, respectively. Sequencing was done for 2 alleles, and the exact size of the alleles and the repetition unit were confirmed. Through statistical analysis forensic applicability of the STR 4804LR locus was confirmed. For 4815LR and heterozygosity was 0.5764. The allele 11 and llele 12 were frequently noted with the frequency of 0.6225 and 0.1775, respectively. Sequencing was done for 2 alleles, and the exact size of the alleles and the repetition unit were confirmed. Through statistical analysis forensic applicability of the STR 4804LR locus was confirmed. For 4815LR locus the amplification was successful, but the separation of the alleles on routine polyacrylamide gel was not successful. Some alleles was hardly separable, some alleles did not match the allelic ladder exactly, so the interallele was suspicious. On sequencing gel the electrophoresis pattern was quite different with that of routine polyacrylamide gel. A total of 11 allele was noted in 4815LR and heterozygosity was 0.765. For the routine use of the 4815LR locus, more meticulous method for the separation of the alleles such as using automatic DNA sequencer was necessary.
Alleles ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

No abstract available.
Autopsy* ; Pneumocystis carinii* ; Pneumocystis* ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis*

No abstract available.
Muscular Dystrophies*

PURPOSE: A survey was performed to identify the level of mouthguard use, awareness, wearability issues and attitude toward mouthguard among elite Korean Taewondo athletes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Survey questionnaires were given to 152 athletes participating in the Korea National Taekwondo team selection event for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Questionnaires consisted of three sections, mouthguard awareness, reasons for not wearing mouthguard and the last section to test the level of acceptance on current mouthguard and when the identified problems were resolved. For analyzing difference among response, chi2 test was used and significant level (alpha) was set up as 0.05. RESULTS: Responses in each of items showed significant difference (P<.001). Majority of response regarding each question: Majority of respondents believed that mouthguard were effective in preventing injuries (36.4%) but the result suggested that the provision of information on mouthguard to athletes was inadequate (44.0%) and the result showed that respondents were not greatly interested or concerned in relation to the mandatory mouthguard rule (31.6%). Although the responses on the level of comfort and wearability of mouthguard were negative (34.8%), athletes were positively willing to wear mouthguard if the problems rectified (51.2%). CONCLUSION: Considering the high level of willingness to wear mouthguard if the problems rectified, it is thought that together with efforts in providing more mouthguard information, the work of sports dentistry to research and improve mouthguard will be invaluable in promoting mouthguard to more athletes.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Athletes ; Dentistry ; Humans ; Korea ; Martial Arts ; Mouth Protectors ; Sports ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The allele frequency and mutation rate in a Short Tandem Repeat locus, Y27 were studied in 247 unrelated Korean males using polymerase chain reaction followed by high-resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a procedure called the amplification fragment length polymorphism technique. Six alleles were noted ranging from 190 bp to 210 bp. They existed as discrete bands with 4 bp discrepancy. Among which DY3(198 bp), DY4(202 bp) were common with the frequencies of 0.408, 0.356 respectively. Other alleles, DY1(190 bp, frequency 0.020), DY2(194 bp, frequency 0.121), DY5(206 bp, frequency 0.089), DY6(210 bp, frequency 0.004) were relatively uncommon. In a 78 subject father-son study with parenthood confirmed through other genetic studies, no case of mutation was noted. As the allele number was not as large as 6 and two alleles were dominant, the discrimination power in routine individual identification was thought to be low. But in selective cases such as father-son determination or sex determination, this locus could be a valuable genetic marker and we thought these results to be common for the Korean population. These results were also compared with that of other race.
*Alleles ; Base Sequence ; DNA ; Forensic Medicine ; *Gene Frequency ; Human ; Korea ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

We report a case of Rasmussen aneurysm diagnosed by helical CT that well shows vascular imaging. Coil embolization of Rasmussen aneurysm stopped the bleeding successfully.
Aneurysm* ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Hemorrhage ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

MAGE (melanoma antigen gene) is a tumor specific shared antigen, presented by HLA class I molecules, which is recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. MAGE proteins are expressed in malignant tumor cells, in contrast to no expression in normal or benign tissues except for testis and placenta. MAGE might be a potential target for immunotherapy of malignant tumors. However, its biological aspects associated with cell cycle are not yet described. The flow cytometry is a useful tool for objective and quantitative analyses of heterogenous tumor cell population. To understand the status of MAGE related to cell cycle and its relationship with p53 as the G1 checkpoint regulator, p21, and PCNA as a proliferative index, we investigated expression of MAGE-3 protein, mutant p53, p21, and PCNA by flow cytometry and immunohistochemical stain. In addition, double stains for MAGE-3/p53, p53/PCNA, and p53/p21 were analysed with bivariate flow cytometry. DNA histograms using MAGE-3/PI (DNA) and p53/PI (DNA) were also analysed. The cell line (PNUH- 12) used for this study originated from a hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, which has point mutation (exon 7, C-->G) of p53. The expression rate of MAGE-3 was 83%, PCNA 85%, and p53 81%. No expression for p21 was identified. MAGE-3 was expressed in cytoplasm, while both PCNA and p53 were expressed in nuclei of tumor cells. With bivariate analyses, coexpression rates of MAGE-3/p53 and p53/PCNA were 0.96 and 0.97, respectively. Both MAGE-3 and p53 showed constantly high level throughout the cell cycle. These results suggest that expression of MAGE-3 and mutant p53 is not dependent on the cell cycle. p21 seems to be inactivated.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line* ; Coloring Agents ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; Flow Cytometry* ; Immunotherapy ; Mutant Proteins ; Placenta ; Point Mutation ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; Testis

PURPOSE: MAGE (melanoma antigen gene) is a tumor associated antigen, presented by HLA class I molecules, which is recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The expression of MAGE proteins are confined to malignant tumor tissues, except for the normal testis and placental tissues. Therefore, MAGE may be a potential target for immunotherapy of malignant tumors. However, biological aspects associated with the cell cycle are not yet described. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The material used for this study was a novel human squamous cell carcinoma cell line (PNUH-12) from the hypopharynx, which had one point mutation of 78th base, C to G, in exon 7 of p53 gene. To understand the role of MAGE in relation to cell cycle and its relationship with p53 as the Gl checkpoint regulator, the expressions of MAGE-3 protein and mvtant p53 (Mtp53) were accessed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Double stains for MAGE-3/Mtp53 was analyzed with bivariate flow cytometry. DNA histograms using MAGE-3/PI (DNA) and Mtp53/PI (DNA) were also analyzed. RESULTS: The expression rate of MAGE-3 and Mtp53 were 83% and 85%, respectively. MAGE-3 was expressed in cytoplasm, while M:p53 were expressed in the nuclei of the tumor cells on the immunohistochemical sections. With bivariate analyses, coexpression rate of MAGE-3/Mtp53 was 0.96, and MAGE-3 and Mtp53 constantly showed high levels throughout the cell cycle except Go. CONCLUSIONS: These results mean that (I) MAGE-3 might have yet unknown relationship with mutant p53, (2) expressions of MAGE-3 and Mtp53 are not dependent on the cell cycle in PNUH-12 hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cell line, and suggest that MAGE-3 might have a role as important as p53 during the development of malignant tumors.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Line ; Coloring Agents ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; Exons ; Flow Cytometry* ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunotherapy ; Point Mutation ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; Testis