No abstract available.
Immune System* ; NF-kappa B*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mucosal malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is an uncommon tumor with poorer prognosis compared with its cutaneous counterpart. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of mucosal malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Eighteen patients who were diagnosed and treated as mucosal malignant melanoma of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses from 1995 to 2004 were included. Male to female ratio was 10 to 8. Their ages ranged from 43 to 87 years with median of 62 years. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively with respect to presenting symptoms, stage, treatment modalities and outcome. RESULT: The most common symptoms were epistaxis and nasal obstruction. The mean duration of symptom was 4.2 months. Commonly involved sites were middle turbinate, inferior turbinate, maxillary sinus and ethmoid sinus. Eight cases belonged to stage I, nine cases to stage II and only one case to stage III. Among them, seventeen patients underwent surgery with or without radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Of the seventeen patients who underwent surgery, twelve had recurrence and the mean period for recurrence was 8.2 months. During the follow-up periods, five had distant metastases. Five-year survival rate was 27.2% and the survival rates according to age, sex, tumor size and stage were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Mucosal malignant melanomas of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses developed commonly in the 6th to 8th decades. Epistaxis and nasal obstruction were the most common presenting symptoms. Almost all cases belonged to the stage I or II and the mainstay of the treatment was surgery. However, it was associated with frequent recurrences and a poor prognosis.
Epistaxis ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; Medical Records ; Melanoma* ; Nasal Cavity* ; Nasal Obstruction ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paranasal Sinuses* ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Turbinates

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The eosinophils are involved in physiologic and pathologic process, such as asthma, parasitic disease, and nasal diseases. In chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), most of the eosinophils in nasal cavity were activated with extracellular deposition of granule proteins. The nasal epithelial cells are an active participant in airway inflammation. The aim of this study is to know the influence of activated eosinophils on nasal epithelial cells. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Eosinophils were isolated from healthy volunteers and stimulated with three common fungi (Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Bipolaris) to obtain conditioned media (EoCM). Nasal epithelial cells were obtained from CRS patients with polyps and cultured with EoCM for 48 hours. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were measured to determine the activation of epithelial cells. RESULTS: Nasal epithelial cells stimulated with EoCM produced larger amount of IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF than negative controls (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Fungi induced the production of chemical mediators from eosinophils and EoCM enhanced the production of inflammatory cytokines which may influence the pathogenesis of CRS.
Aspergillus ; Asthma ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Cytokines ; Eosinophils* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Fungi* ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Nasal Cavity ; Nose Diseases ; Parasitic Diseases ; Polyps

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Aminoglycosides, a commonly used antibiotic agent, destroys the sensory hair cells in the cochlear and vestibular system leading to irreversible hearing loss and balance problem. Minocycline, a second-generation tetracycline antibiotic, has been known to possess anti-apoptotic properties in addition to its antimicrobial action. We hypothesized that minocycline would attenuate aminoglycosides induced vestibulotoxicity in rat utricles. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Utricular maculae prepared from postnatal day 3-4 rats were treated with neomycin alone or in combination with minocycline. For hair cell count, utricles were stained with phalloidin-FITC. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed using the fluorescent probe, hydrofluorescent diacetate acetyl ester (H2DCFDA). Caspase-3 activity was also examined using the fluorescent caspase-3 substrate. RESULTS: Neomycin induced dose-dependent loss of utricular hair cells. Minocycline reduced ROS production and caspase-3 activation in neomycin treated utricular hair cells. CONCLUSION: Minocycline has protective effect in neomycin induced ototoxicity in rat utricle by inhibiting ROS production and caspase-3 activity.
Aminoglycosides ; Animals ; Caspase 3* ; Cell Count ; Hair ; Hair Cells, Vestibular* ; Hearing Loss ; Minocycline* ; Neomycin ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species* ; Saccule and Utricle ; Tetracycline

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The inflammatory reaction is affected by the genotype or phenotype of genes related with inflammation modulating cytokines and allergen metabolizing enzyme. This study was performed to investigate the relationship between N-acetyl transferase 2 (NAT2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor-beta(TGF-beta) and the allergic rhinitis in Korea. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred forty five allergic rhinitis patients and 167 controls were included. Venous blood samples were collected and the genotypes were analyzed by PCR technique. NAT2 phenotypes were designated as 'high', 'medium' and 'low' by known genotype-phenotype relationship. TNF-alpha genotypes were classified as 'A/A', 'A/G' and 'G/G'. TGF-beta genotype was classified as 'Arg/Arg', 'Arg/Pro' and 'Pro/Pro'. These data were analyzed by SAS for windows ver 8.02. RESULTS: The phenotype of NAT2 and genotype of TGF-beta showed no significant effect on allergic rhinitis. G/G or G/A genotype of TNF-alpha significantly increases the risk of allergic rhinitis. High activity phenotype of NAT2 showed higher level of total serum IgE. CONCLUSION: Genetic factors including TGF-beta are important in the development of allergic rhinitis in Korea. NAT2 phenotype affect allergic reaction.
Cytokines ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation ; Korea* ; Necrosis ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhinitis* ; Transferases ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Surfactant protein A (SP-A) which plays a role in the innate host defense of lung is also expressed in Eustachian tube. However the genes underlying the susceptibility to otitis media with effusion (OME) are known insufficiently. The current study attempts to evaluate the difference in the allele distribution of SP-A1 and SP-A2 between normal subjects and subjects with otitis media with effusion. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: PCR-cRFLP-based methodology was used to detect SP-A genotypes in the 38 children with OME, and in the 55 normal newborns for control. RESULTS: The frequencies of specific genotypes such as 6A(2), 1A(2) were increased in OME group, but the frequency of 6A3 was increased in control group. CONCLUSION: It is presumed that SP-A alleles may be inductive (6A(2), 1A(2)) or protective (6A(3)) factors for OME. Specific genoytypes of SP-A may be an important determinant for the predisposition to OME.
Alleles* ; Child ; Eustachian Tube ; Genotype ; Humans* ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung ; Otitis Media with Effusion* ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis* ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: During the last decade, the surgical use of alloplasts has become more and more widespread among otologists. But extrusion has been the general problem associated in using alloplasts. This study analyzes the change of' surface and microcomponent of the extruded Polycel prosthesis following a long-term middle ear implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine extruded Polycel prosthesis were investigated using scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). RESULTS: They all showed a severe resorption of fibrous encapsulation and partial resorption of the shaft which faced stapes and footplate. The carbon component decreased and nitrogen and oxide increased more than the original Polycel due to microdegradation. CONCLUSION: Consistent microdegradation and resorption may be one of the factors causing extrusion of Polycel.
Carbon ; Nitrogen ; Ossicular Prosthesis* ; Prostheses and Implants ; Stapes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Infrequent sounds (deviant stimuli) occurring in a sequence of repetitive sounds (standard stimuli) elicit an event-related potential response called the mismatch negativity (MMN) even in the absence of attention to these sounds. The purposes of these studies are to record the MMNs elicited by the changes of auditory stimuli in stimulation rate, duration and probability in healthy adults and to record the MMNs in healthy children. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Three studies were performed. The subjects were 15 adults in study 1, 20 adults in study 2, and 22 children in study 3. The standard stimulus was 50 msec, 750 Hz, 80 dB SPL tone burst. In study 1, the deviant stimulus was 750 Hz, 80 dB SPL tone burst, in which duration of the deviant stimulus was varied (25, 75, 100, 125, 150 msec) and stimulation rate was varied (0.9/sec, 2/sec). In study 2, the deviant stimulus was 125 msec, 750 Hz, 80 dB SPL tone burst and the probabilities of the deviant stimulus were varied (40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5%). In study 3, the deviant stimulus was 125 msec, 750 Hz, 80 dB SPL tone burst and the probability of the deviant stimulus was 20%. RESULTS: We obtained stable MMNs in adults and children. The amplitude of MMN was largest when duration of the deviant stimulus, stimulation rate and probability of the deviant stimulus were 125 msec, 0.9/sec and 5% respectively. CONCLUSION: The MMNs can be obtained from healthy adults and cooperative children. The MMN could be used as an objective measure for central auditory processing and individual discrimination ability.
Adult ; Child ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Evoked Potentials ; Humans

No abstract available.
Paranasal Sinuses*

No abstract available.
Anoxia* ; Cochlea* ; Diuretics* ; Guinea*