No abstract available.
Acantholysis* ; Captopril* ; Penicillamine* ; Rifampin* ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: The population is aging and life expectancy is increasing. It is important to evaluate the functional ability of elderly for optimal care for elderly. This study was conducted to assess functional disability of elderly and to find out the factors having an effect on the disability. METHODS: It surveyed 1,541 individuals aged 65 years and older in Cluing-Yang province. Six ADL categories (bathing, dressing, feeding, transferring, toileting, and walking) were assessed and related factors were analyzed. RESULTS: ADL was independent in 85.2% of elderly and dependent in 14.8% of elderly. 55.1% of dependent elders were living without family. Bathing was the most common disable AI)L category. The factors having an effect on the disability of ADL were brain disease, self-rated health status, dyspnea, constipation, heart disease, diabetic mellitus, and living status. CONCLUSION: In a rural area, special prevention programs for brain disease, heart disease, and diabetic mellitus and a rehabilitation health service may improve ADL status of elders.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Aged* ; Aging ; Bandages ; Baths ; Brain Diseases ; Constipation ; Dyspnea ; Health Services ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Life Expectancy ; Rehabilitation

No Abstract Available.
Hyaluronic Acid* ; Phacoemulsification*

A total seven cases of tuberculous spondylitis of the lumbosacral junction were treated by transperitoneal anterior vertebral interbody fusion. The postoperative course was unevenful with minimal complications in all cases. There was no evidence of recurrence of infection, low back pain, or sciatica during follow-up periods of seven to sixty months. The clinical experience gained in this study leads us to conclude that the transperitoneal approach for tuberculous spondylitis of the lumbo-sacral junction is advantageous in that, the lesion is exposed under direct vision, so adequate curettage and the bone graft can be carried out accurately and easily.
Curettage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Low Back Pain ; Recurrence ; Sciatica ; Spondylitis ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyoma is the most common pelvic tumor, occurring in 20-25% of women in reproductive age. Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) has been reognized as a temporary medical management for this disorder. The etiology of these tumors is unknown but it has been shown that the insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I, IGF-II) are promoters of growth in nongynecologic tumors. Several recent studies have suggested the possible role of IGFs in human leiomyoma growth. The IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) are believed to modulate actions of IGF and to have IGF-independent actions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the type of IGF and IGFBP which may be involved in leiomyoma growth and to investigate a possible IGF related mechanism of action of GnRHa. METHOD: The IGFs and IGFBPs were measured by double antibody radioimmunoassay, western ligand blot and immunoprecipitation in the tissue cytosols of normal uterine myometria (n=15), nontumorous myometria adjacent to a leiomyoma and leiomyoma from patients nontreated (n=15) and treated (n=10) with GnRHa. RESULTS: The mean IGF-I and IGF-II level were significantly higher in leiomyoma from untreated patients than in the adjacent myometrium and normal myometrium but no significant differences in these IGF levels between normal myometrium and adjacent myometrium were noted. The IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3 and 26kDa IGFBP were detected variably but IGFBP-4 was consistently present in all tissues. There were no significant differences in the relative intensity for IGFBP-4 and the frequency of IGFBPs between leiomyoma, adjacent myometrium and normal myometrium from untreated patients. The IGF-I, IGF-II levels and the relative intensity of IGFBP-4 in leiomyoma from GnRHa-treated patients were significantly lower than those in untreated patients, but these levels in the adjacent myometrium were comparable. The frequency of each IGFBP in leiomyoma and the adjacent myornetrium from GnRHa-treated patients did not significantly differ from untreated patients. CONCLUSION: Both IGF-I and IGF-II are involved in the growth of leiomyoma and GnRHa may in part act to decrease size of leiomyoma by regulating the local levels of IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-4.
Animals ; Cytosol ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Immunoprecipitation ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Leiomyoma* ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Radioimmunoassay ; Somatomedins*

We investigated the distribution of S-100 protein positive dendritic cells in the skin lesions with tuberculoid sturcture. For this study, we selected the paraffin blocks of biopsied specimens with the characteristic histopathology of lupus vulgaris (5cases), tubereulosis verrucosa cutis (1 case), lupus milaris disseminatus faciei (4 cases), and erythema induratum (7 cases). The cells were identified by immunohistochemical demonstration in paraffin sections. The results were as follows: 1. S-100 protein positive dendritic cells were regularly visualized in all lesions examined. 2. S-100 protein positive dendritic cells appeared usually between the lymphohistiocytic infiltrates around the tuberculoid granulomas in contrast to the cells of monocyte-macrophage system which were within the granulomas. And they appeared occasionally (e.g. in a case of lupus vulgaris) between epitheloid cells in the granulomas. 3. S-100 protein positive dendritic cells were more numerous in the granulomatous lesions which showed the well-formed tuberculoid sturcture. From these results, we suggested the S-100 protein positive dendritic cells act as accessory cells in the pathogenesis of the granulomatous lesions by the delayed type hypersensitivity.
Dendritic Cells* ; Erythema Induratum ; Granuloma ; Hypersensitivity ; Lupus Vulgaris ; Paraffin ; S100 Proteins ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Blood Donors* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Blood Donors* ; Humans

We report a case of MALT lymphoma in a 49-year-old woman. Her disease occurred simultaneously in the mucosa of her right upper eyelid conjunctiva and in her left nostril as ulcerating tumors associated with itchy ichthyosiform skin lesions on the trunk, hyperkeratotic palms and soles, and dystrophic nails. Histopathological examinations revealed consistent findings of MALT lymphoma with dissemination; i.e., diffuse infiltrates of lymphoplasmacytoid cells with a few Russel body-like structures, eosinophils, some shoddy granulomas under the irregularly hyperplastic epidermis, and diffuse infiltrates of CCL ( centrocyte-like ) cells and small lymphocytes inside and outside many lymphoid follicle-like structures in the subcutaneous tissue forming florid lymphoepithelial lesions. She died after 27 months duration of her disease with worsening of ichthyosiform skin lesions and dystrophic nails in spite of total excision of the tumors. We discuss the clinical and histopathologic features of MALT lymphoma with dissemination and the various similar diseases to differentiate.
Conjunctiva ; Eosinophils ; Epidermis ; Eyelids* ; Female ; Glycogen Storage Disease Type VI ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone* ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Lower Extremity*