BACKGROUND: The proportion of patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus(SCLE) is considered to be 10% among the total LE population in western countries. The morphology of LE-specific skin lesions in SCLE : appear as papulosquamous erythema or annular erythema developing mostly on the exposed areas. Among Korean patients with LE the prevalence and the pattern of cutaneous eruption of SCLE may be different from those patients of western countries. OBJECTIVE: To obtain the prevalence and the morphological characteristics of cutaneous lesions in Korean patients with SCI E v;ere the main objectives. METHODS: With 7 cases of SCLE, clinical dermatologic examinations for the character, the distribution, and the clinical course of those cutaneous lesions, and for the extent of systemic symptoms and LE-related laboratory abnormalities in each patient were performed. Results/Coeclusion. The prevalence of SCLE among Korean patients with LE or latent LE was much lower than those seen in Caucasians. The pattern of cutaneous lesions were papular/ papulosquamous erythemas with no (or rare) cases of annular erytherna among those patients diagnosed as SCLE. ~Other cl~inica! features were similar to Caucasian patients. It seems that there are some racial differences in the cutaneous manifestat.ions of LE, which may be relevant to the dissimilarities in immunogenetic backgrounds between different racial groups.
Erythema ; Humans ; Immunogenetics ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous* ; Prevalence ; Skin

With rapid advancement in techniques of correcting multiple facial anomalies, surgical planning has become more sophisticated, and knowledge of the exact relationship between various areas of the head and face is now indispensible. The importance of capturing the face in proportions has been emphasized by many surgeons. The neoclassical canons are known to modern plastic surgeons, but their usage in surgical planning has been limited to the role of working guides. They are useful, however, in serving as standards. The authors measured 800 normal young Korean females, ranged from 19 to 26 in age, and 21 beauty contestants in Korea, ranged from 20 to 27 in age. Seven vertical and seven horizontal linear measurements were taken from each subject by one examiner. These measurements of normal face and attractive face are compared with each other, and followed by comparison with neoclassical canons. Attractive face of Korean female comprises shorter lower face, especially from stomion to menton, narrower bigonial distance, and longer midface than normal face. It also has wide palpebral fissure and narrow intercanthal distance. Korean female face comprises shorter and narrower lower face than neoclassical canons. We think that it is valuable to take into consideration of this modern concept of beauty when making a preoperative plan for facial plastic surgery.
Beauty ; Female* ; Head ; Humans ; Korea ; Surgery, Plastic

Growth under conditions of iron-restriction and the production of siderophore was examined in Vibrio mimicus ATCC 33653. This strain grew and multiplied in the presence of the high-affinity iron chelators ethylenediamine-di (o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). Chrorne azurol S (CAS) agar and solution were used to detect the production of siderophore under these condition. Siderophore could be detected in the iron-rcstricted culture supernatants. The siderophore was extracted from iron-restricted culture supernatants by phenol-chloroform-ether method and purified by Dowex ion-exchange and Sephadex G-25 gel filtracton chromatography. The purified siderophore was confirmed by paper chromatography and HPLC. The Purified siderophore enhanced the growth of V. mimicus when the bacterium was grown in iron limited medium. Injection of both the siderohore and the bacteria to mice resulted in more rapid death than that of the only bacteria. However, the siderophore did not show lethality to mice and any toxicity to cell line like HeLa and U937.
Agar ; Animals ; Bacteria ; Cell Line ; Chelating Agents ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Paper ; Iron ; Mice ; Vibrio mimicus* ; Vibrio*

No abstract available.
Oocytes* ; Pregnancy* ; Spermatozoa*

In this study, clinical effectiveness of Pharmacia CAP system for determination of allergen specific IgE was evaluated depending on the results of Bencard skin prick tests in 100 atopic and 18 nonatopic asthmatics. The Pharmacia CAP specific IgE positive rates were higher as the SPT grades were increased : negative (n=623) (17.8%); + (n=81) (34.6%); 2+ (n=223) (56.5%); 3+ (n=106) (70.8%); and 4+/-< (n=127)3+ (92.1%), respectively. The overall concordant rate between Bencard SPT and Pharmacia CAP system was 81.7% with range of 70.7~92.1%. The Overall sensitivity of Pharmacia CAP system was 80.7%. The sensitivities for 10 allergens, which ranged from 57.5% to 100 %, were as followed; D.pteronyssinus (96.1%), D.farinae (96.7%), cat dander (61.5%), cockroach (65.2%), Aspergillus fumigatus (57.1%), ragweed (62.5%), mugwort (75.0%), Meadow fescue (100%), birch (62.4%), and oak (80.0%), respectively. Overall specificity of Pharmacia CAP system was 82.2%. The specificity of CAP system in nonatopic subjects (n=18, 160 test) was 94.4% which was quite different with the 77.6% of atopic subjects (n=100, 463 test). SPT A/H ratios were significantly correlated with Pharmacia CAP specific IgE concentration (KU/L) in D.pteronyssinus (r=0.520, p<0.001), D.farinae (r=0.490, p<0.001), A.fumigatus (r=0.315, p<0.01), mugwort (r=0.210, p<0.05), ragweed (r=0.213, p<0.05), birch (r=0.232, p<0.05), M.fescue (r=0.410, p<0.001). But, in cockroach (r=0.192, p<0.1), cat dander and oak pollen, SPT A/H ratios were not correlated with the concentration of specific IgE. These results suggest that Pharmacia CAP system is useful for etiologic evaluation of immediate hypersensitivity and quantitative evaluation of specific IgE in atopic asthma.
Allergens ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Asthma* ; Betula ; Cats ; Cockroaches ; Dander ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Pollen ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: House dust mites have been known as the most important allergens in respiratory allergic disease. Since environmental factors may have influences on the pathogenesis of allergic disease, the study using Korean house dust mites for immune and biologic reactions in house dust mite-sensitive allergic disease is considered as significant. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We made two in-house allergenic extracts of Korean house dust mites (D. farinae and D. pteronpsssinus) and performed this study for the allergen standardization by in vivo methods and for the evaluation of the reliabilities for clinical applications. RESULT: As a results of biologic standardization using skin prick test teachnique, the activity of 1: 1,500w/v of D. farinae extract was estimated 1,000 biology unit(BU), concentration that elicits a wheal of the same size as that of histamine dihydrochloride 1mg/ml. The activity of 1: 1,000w/v of D. pteronyssinus was condiered as 1,000BU. The activity of 1:100w/v of both D. farinae and D. pteronpssiuns extracts were considered as 100,000 Allergy Unit(AU), based on intradermal skin testing of 30 subjects with strong sensitive reaction. The concordant rates between results of skin prick test done with 5,000BU/ml concentration of in-house allergenic extracts and thoae with the commercially available allergen(Bencard Co., UK) were 84.6% and 81.0% for D. farinae and D. pteronpssinus, respectively. The wheal erythema size and A/H ratios induced by in-house extracts were significantly correlated with those induced by Bencard allergen. CONCLUSION: This results suggest that in-house extracts of the whole bodies of two house dust mites have good allergenic activities in vivo. It is considered to be clinically useful and reliable allergenic extracts.
Allergens ; Biology ; Dust* ; Erythema ; Histamine ; Hypersensitivity ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Skin ; Skin Tests

PURPOSE: In this study, emotional reaction of psychiatric nurses and resident physicians toward suicidal behavior of psychiatric inpatients was examined. METHODS: Subjects were 396 working in general hospitals or mental hospitals. Demographic factors, exposure to suicidal behaviors, mood states, and impact of event scores were collected between April and July 2008. Mood state was measured with Korean Edition of Profile of Mood States (K-POMS). Impact of event was measured with Impact of Event Scale-revised (IES-R). RESULTS: Of the respondents, 90.9% experienced at least one inpatient suicidal behavior. Emotional responses of respondents after their patients' suicidal behavior were shock, anxiety, self-doubt and disbelief. Mood states were negative for those who had worked over 10 years, had experienced colleagues quitting and were significantly different according to patient's diagnosis, period of maintaining emotions, and level of stress. Impact of event was high among those who were nurses, had worked in mental hospitals, had worked over 10 years, had experienced colleagues quitting and were significantly differenced according to job status, patient's diagnosis, period of maintaining emotion, and level of stress. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that suicidal behaviors of inpatients are commonly encountered and significantly stressful events for psychiatric nurses and physicians.
Anxiety ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Life Change Events ; Shock

No abstract available.
Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization in Vitro*

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical implications of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil counts as indices of airway inflammation during the follow-up of asthmatics (BA). METHODS: We repeatedly measured the serum ECP, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and peak expiratory low rate (PFR) during the follow up of 24 symptomatic BA. RESULTS: Mean serum ECP level of BA at uncontrolled status of airflow limitation was significantly higher than that of controlled state (24.5i3.7 ng/ml rs. 16.2+1.9 ng/ml, p<0.05) and the ECP levels of controlled and uncontrolled status were significantly higher than that of health control subjects (n=10, 10.1+/-2.0 ng/ml, p<0.01 respectively). Pe ripheral blood eosinophils were also significantly increased in uncontrolled status than in controlled status of BA (535.7+/-81.0/1tL vs. 300.4+33.4/micro liter, p < 0.05). In controlled status, 8 BA had higher circulating ECP levels than in uncontrolled status, but with peripheral blood eosinophil counts, only 3 BA had higher levels in controlled status than in uncontrolled status. Variations of PFR correlated with the variations of serum ECP level (r=-0.5370, p<0.01) and variations of peripheral blood eosinophil count (r=-0.6215, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil count would be useful tools for monitoring the disease activity of asthma, but we could not obtain any more informations from the measureinert of serum ECP levels than from the peripheral blood eosinophil counts.
Asthma* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Lactation* ; Pregnancy*