Kimura's disease is a benign, uncommon, chronic inflammatory condition that usually presents with painless subcutaneous nodules or plaques. Head and neck are the most frequently involved sites in Kimura's disease. Mandible is the most commonly involved, followed by neck, cheek, scalp and forehead. Other possible sites are oral cavity, inguinal area and extremities, but there have been no reports involving the nose, especially the one that looks like a rhinophyma. We describe a case of Kimura's disease presenting like a rhinophyma.
Cheek ; Extremities ; Forehead ; Head ; Mandible ; Mouth ; Neck ; Nose ; Rhinophyma ; Scalp

Progressive renal fibrosis is considered to be the final common pathway leading to chronic renal insufficiency, however, the mechanism regarding renal fibrosis in renal injury is not well understood. Recently, several kinds of cytokines have been known to be related to fibrosis after renal injury. The interaction between elements regulating fibrogenesis would be better understood by looking at the effect of TGF-beta1 on the synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix, especially collagenous proteins. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) was induced in New Zealand White rabbits by administration of guinea pig anti-GBM IgG after sensitization with guinea pig IgG; and their kidneys were analyzed for the development of crescents and fibrosis through sequential renal biopsies. Serum creatinine levels in a time course progressively increased until day 15. We semi-quantitatively assayed the levels of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA factored for GAPDH mRNA using RT-PCR. We observed a progressive interstitial fibrosis and the expression of collagen I both in the cortex and medulla. The effect of repeated renal biopsy itself on pathology and on the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA in a time course were not significant, but a very mild increase of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was noted at day 15. Histology showed a progressive crescent formation and interstitial fibrosis in a time course that roughly paralleled the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in both cortex and medulla. TGF-beta1 mRNA was hardly expressed at day 0 in cortex as well as in medulla. It was elevated from day 1, peaked at day 7, and then decreased. In medulla, TGF-beta1 mRNA was noticeably expressed at day 1, peaked at day 4, and then decreased. The expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was seen even before inducing CGN. It was gradually and continuously increased until day 15 both in cortex and medulla. These results suggest that the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA precedes that of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in the early stage of CGN and has a central role for provoking the accumulation the collagen I, the most representative interstitial extracellular matrix, in the rabbit model CGN induced by anti-GBM antibody. We conclude that the measurement of the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA and/or alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in a biopsy sample can be a useful predictor for renal outcome.
Animals ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Creatinine ; Cytokines ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibrosis ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Pathology ; Rabbits ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

No abstract available.
Spleen*

No abstract available.
Niemann-Pick Disease, Type A*

Recently it is known that Turner's syndrome is frequently associated with hypothyroidism. We report a case of Turner's syndrome associated with subclinical hypothyroidism. A 23-year-old female was admitted to the hospital with complaints of amenorrhea and short stature. She had a mosaicism of 45, X0/46, Xi(X_q) in the cell, cultured from the peripheral blood. The plasma thyroxine and triiodothyronine were normal and there was no clinical symptom of hypothyroidism. But the thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH) concentration was unusually higher(184 uU/L). She has been treated with the cyclic therapy of conjugated estrogen and medroxyprogesterone, in addition to the thyroxine replacement therapy. After 2 months, the menstruation was restored and TSH was normalized.
Amenorrhea ; Cells, Cultured ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Medroxyprogesterone ; Menstruation ; Mosaicism ; Plasma ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine ; Turner Syndrome ; Young Adult

Forth-nine patients with clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas were evaluated clinically, endocrinologically and morphologically in this study.The results obtained were as follows.1) The mean age was 47.1 years(range 23 to 76 years), and 22 were male(44.9%) and 27(55.1%) female.2) The major clinical manifestations of male patients were visual disturbance(72.7%), headache(54.5%), loss of libido(45.5%), but those of female visual disturbance(59.6%), headache(48.1%), amenorrhea(48.1%), loss of body hair(25.9%), and galactorrhea(22.2%).3) All were macroadenomas evaluated by CT scan, and in the male patients 16(72.7%) were grade III and 6(27.3%) grade IV by Hardy classification, and in the female patients 6(22.2%) were grade II, 12(44.4%) grade III, and 9(33.3%) grade IV.4) The elevation of serum prolactin were observed 7(31.8%) out of male, and 24(88.9%) of female.5) Combined stimulation test revealed that GH insufficiency was 89.6%, ACTH 58.9%, LH 58.7%, FSH 51.1 %, and TSH 50.0% and hormone insufficiency more than 4 pituitary hormone was 54.2%.6) Prolactin response to TRH decreased in 12(70.6%) of 17 patients with normal basal prolactin, and 19(76.0%) of 25 with elevated prolactin.7) Immunohistochemistry revealed that null cell adenoma was 57.1%, gonadotrope adenoma 26.5%, plurihormonal adenoma 8.0%, silent corticotrope adenoma 4.0%, thyrotrope adenoma(2.0%), and lactotrope adenoma(2.0%).8) The ultrastructural characteristics examined by electron-microscopy were similar despite of immunohistochemical differences.In summary, the prevalance of clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma was middle aged men and women, and their main symptoms were visual disturbance and headache. Hyperprolactinemia and pituitary hormone insufficiency more than 4 hormone were observed commonly. Most of them were null cell adenoma and gonadotrope adenoma examined by immunohistochemistry. Further study using modern techniques: cell culture, subunit-immunostaining. And Northern blot analysis of mRNA for pituitary hormone or subunit, will be needed to clarify null cell adenomas.
Adenoma ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Blotting, Northern ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Classification ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphocytes, Null ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Prolactin ; RNA, Messenger ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in cardiopulmonary endurance among positions in middle school soccer, and to identify the incidence of sports injuries in association with soccer matches and training. Ninety-six (32 forwards, 27 defenders, 29 midfielders, and eight goalkeeper [GK]) middle school soccer players (12.77+/-0.53 years) participated in this study. They had no medical problems. Their height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were measured, and they also went through tests for maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). We interviewed middle school soccer players about their soccer careers and their history of sports-related injuries. Physical fitness was compared among players in different playing positions. VO2max was significantly higher in forward and defender groups than GK group. There was no significant relationship in cardiopulmonary endurance among outfield players. GK were taller and heavier than outfield players. BMI was significantly higher in GK group than midfielder group. They had played soccer for 39.08+/-20.28 months on average. During matches and training, forwards suffered 13 injuries (36.1%); defenders suffered 10 injuries (27.8%); midfielders suffered 12 injuries (33.3%); and only one GK came down with an injury (2.8%). The most common types of injuries were to knees (36.1%) and ankles (33.3%).
Ankle ; Athletic Injuries* ; Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Incidence ; Knee ; Oxygen Consumption ; Physical Fitness ; Soccer* ; Sports*

The object of this study was to investigate the influences of hypoglycemia and hypothermia on the direct current(DC) pontetial changes during cortical spreading depression(CSD) in rats. The induction of CSD was achieved by the application of KCI solution on the cortex of the frontal lobe. Hypoglycemia and hypothermia were induced respectively by insulin injection and the application of an ice pack. The DC potential changes during progressive hypoglycemia and hypothermia were measured with microelectrodes from the cortex of the parietal lobe of rats. Under contril condition, the rate of CSD was one per 5-10 min and the negative shift of DC potential was about 30 mV. The recovery time from negative shift to base line of DC potential was about 40 sec. In rats treated with insulin, the amplitude of DC potential shift was unaffected by hypoglycemia. The recovery time of DC shift was 40+/-2.26 sec at normoglycemia and it was delayed progressively as the blood glucose level lowered. The mean of it was 63+/-8.02 sec at 30 mg/dl and 77.1+/-22.0 sec with the blood glucose falling below 20 mg/dl. The same delay in the recovery time as seen in the hypogylcemia group was observed in rats treated with hypothermia. The recovery time of DC shift was 39.4+/-3.02 sec in normothermia(36.5degrees C), but it was delayed to 61.15+/-4.15 sec at 30degrees C and 96.67+/-14.92 sec at 26degrees C body temperature. This study suggested that each condition of profound hypoglycemia below 30 mg/dl and hypothermia below 30degrees C was to be harmful to the ion homeostasis and the integrity of the cell membrane and it may lead neurons to death.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Body Temperature ; Cell Membrane ; Cortical Spreading Depression* ; Frontal Lobe ; Homeostasis ; Hypoglycemia* ; Hypothermia* ; Ice ; Insulin ; Microelectrodes ; Neurons ; Parietal Lobe ; Rats*

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been reported to possess the capacity to colonize vascular grafts and hold promise for therapeutic neovascularization. However, limited quantities of EPCs have been the major factor impeding effective research on vasculoangiogenesis. In this study, cytokine and culture conditions necessary for the provision of large quantities of endothelial cells (ECs) were investigated. Cord blood was collected from 18 normal full-term deliveries and CD34+ cells were isolated by MACS system (Miltenyi Biotech, Bergish-Gladbach, Germany). To evaluate the effect of cytokines, CD34+ cells were cultured with various cytokine combinations, such as stem cell factor (SCF), flt3-ligand (FL), and thrombopoietin (TPO) with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-1beta, fibroblast growth factor-basic (FGF-b) as basic cytokines. The quantities of non-adherent and adherent cells were the greatest with SCF, FL and TPO. The addition of TPO to all other cytokines significantly increased the number of non-adherent and adherent cells (p< 0.05, Wilcoxon rank sum test). After four weeks of culture, adherent cells expressed endothelial specific markers such as KDR, CD31 and CD62E. Typical morphology of ECs was observed during culture, such as cord-like structure and cobblestone appearance, suggesting that the adherent cells were consistent with ECs. In this study, the experimental conditions that optimize the production of ECs for therapeutic neovascularization were described. And it was possibly suggested that TPO plays a major role in differentiation from EPCs to ECs.
Antigens, CD34/analysis ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects ; Cell Division/drug effects ; *Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines/pharmacology ; *Endothelial Cells/immunology ; Fetal Blood/*cytology ; Fetus ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; *Stem Cells/*immunology ; Thrombopoietin/pharmacology

No abstract available.
Choriocarcinoma* ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Pregnancy