The human trachea is normally lined by a pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium where ciliated, goblet, intermediate and basal cells are mainly represented. However the fetal tracheal epithelium was found to be composed of ciliated, non-ciliated and basal cells. The present study was designed to characterize the development of ciliated cells in the fetal trachea at mid (19 weeks) and last (32 weeks) trimester of gestation. At 19 weeks of gestation, the tracheal epithelium, 35 µm in height, was composed of surface, intermediate and basal layers. The surface cells were subdivided into ciliated, immature ciliated, non-ciliated, granule containing and goblet cells. The ciliated cells covered approximately half of the luminal surface area. The immature ciliated cells contained basal bodies, but the apical membrane was not invested with cilia. The granule containing cells contained numerous dense granules, 0.3-0.7 µm in diameter, in the apical cytoplasm. The goblet cells contained less electron dense granules, 1-2 µm in diameter, in the apical cytoplasm. The cells in intermediate layer were relatively undifferentiated and contained poorly developed organelles. Submucosal gland were well differentiated and were composed of the mucous and serous cells. At 32 weeks of gestation, the tracheal epithelium, 50µm in height, was also composed of surface, intermediate and basal layer. The surface cells were composed of ciliated, non-ciliated and goblet cells. The ciliated cells, dominant type of surface cells, were subdivided into mitochondria-rich cells (type I) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum-rich cells (type II). The non-ciliated cell were of three subtypes : mitochondria-rich cells (type A), glycogen and microfilament-containing cells (type B) and cells with bulging apical surface into the lumen (type C). Small granule containing cell appeared in the basal layer. These cells contained clear vesicles, 50 ㎚m in diameter, and dense granules, 100-300 ㎚m in diameter. Submucosal gland were well developed and consisting of mucous, serous and myoepithelial cells. These results indicate that the cell populations of the tracheal epithelium at late stage of pregnancy have essential features similar to those of adult. and show that the different steps of ciliogenesis could be identified.
Adult ; Basal Bodies ; Cilia ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelium* ; Fetus* ; Glycogen ; Goblet Cells ; Humans* ; Membranes ; Organelles ; Phenobarbital ; Pregnancy ; Trachea

Trachea is lined by a pseudostratified epithelium which usually expresses a complex mixture of stratified as well as simple epithelial-type cytokeratins. In the present work, the cytokeratin expressions was studied immunohistochemically in the tracheal epithelium and gland of human fetus at 14, 26 and 32 weeks of gestation. The primary antibodies used were CK7, 8, 10, 14, 18, AE8, 5D3, MNFl16 and AE3. In PAS-hematoxylin stain, the tracheal eithelium was composed of pseudostratified ciliated columnar type and consisted of surface, intermediate and basal layers regardless of gestational ages. The PAS positive cells, however, were decreased in number in proportion to gestational ages. The tracheal gland was not fully differentiated at 14 weeks of gestation, and had well differentiated secretory portions consisting mucous and serous cells at 26 and 32 weeks of gestation. The mucous cells and luminal border of the duct were positive for PAS stain. The tracheal eithelium showed different immunoreactivity between cartilageous and membranous portions. In general, CK7 and 5D3 were expressed in surface cells, AE8 in intermediate cells, and MNFl16 and AE3 in the cells of all layers. At 14 weeks of gestation, the tracheal epithelium immunoreacted for CK7, AE8, 5D3, MNFl16 and AE3. The premordium of tracheal gland was positive for 5D3, MNFl16 and AE3. The tracheal epithelium at 26 and 32 weeks of gestation showed same staining properties to those at 14 weeks of gestation. The duct cells at 26 weeks of gestation were immunoreactive for CK7, 8, 14, 18, AE8, 5D3, MNFl16 and AE3, and those at 32 weeks of gestation were immunoreactive for CK7, 14, 5D3, MNFl16 and AE3. The acinar cells at 26 and 32 weeks of gestation were positively stained for CK7, 8, 18, 5D3, MNFl16 and AE3. These results suggest that CK7 and 5D3 may serve as useful markers for mature cilated cells, AE8 (CKl3) for immature ciliated cells, and CKl4 for duct cells in tracheal epithelium and gland.
Acinar Cells ; Antibodies ; Epithelium* ; Fetus* ; Gestational Age ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins* ; Phenobarbital ; Pregnancy ; Trachea

Between January 1990 and March 1991, intraprostatic spiral was inserted with the use of local or spinal anesthesia via the traditional endoscopic technique in 16 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia who had repeated urinary retention(12 patients, A group) and who had long term indwelling bladder catheter( 4 patient. B group) due to high operative risk. During 3 to 15 months of follow up after insertion, 11 patients(91.6%) of A group and 2 patient of B group showed free voiding without significant postvoid residual urine in all. Especially 7 patient of A group and 1 patient of B group showed satisfactory voiding with mean flow rate of more than 10ml/sec. our result suggest that in case of high operative risk, intraprostatic spiral is a favorable alternative to and indwelling catheter in patients with repeated urinary retention although less satisfactory results were obtained in those with long term indwelling catheter.
Anesthesia, Spinal ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Retention

Congenital anomaly of the vas deferens is often easily diagnosed by careful examination of the scrotum as well as by present popularity of vasectomy. By the fact that both systems originate from a common urogenital ridge of mesoderm, anomaly of the kidney has long been recognized to coexist with anomaly of the vas deferens. So, inability to palpate the vas deferens in routine examination or absence of vas deferens in vasectomy should alert the physician to study the patient for associated renal anomaly. We report one case of vas anomaly associated with ipsilateral renal hypoplasia with the brief review of literatures.
Humans ; Kidney ; Mesoderm ; Scrotum ; Vas Deferens ; Vasectomy

To identify the developmental characteristics of intermediate filaments, the expressions of various cytokeratines (CK), desmin and vimentin in fetal (14032 weeks of gestations) and adult epidermis were studied immunohistochemically. The primary antibodies used were CK7, 8, 10, 14, 18, AE8, 5D3, and MNFl16 for cytokeratins, D33 for desmin, and V9 for vimentin. At 14 weeks of gestation, the epidermis consisted of basal cells and periderm. The periderm exhibited positive staining for CK8 and AE8, and weak staining for MNF116 and D33. The basal cells showed positive staining for MNF116 and D33. The epidermis did not reacted for CK7, 10, 14, 18, 5D3, and V9 at this period. At 16-20 weeks of gestation, the epidermis was composed of basal, intermediate, and periderm layers. The periderm was positive for CK8, 18, AE8, MNF116, and D33. The intermediate cells were positive for CK10 and the basal cells CK14, MNF116, and D33. Few cells were stained positively with V9 among the basal cells. At 24-32 weeks of gestation, the epidermis exhibited no longer positive reactions for CK8, 18, AE8 and D33. The intermediate cells were positive for CK10. Immunoreactivity for MNF116 was noted in intermediate layer just above the basal layer. CKl4, MNFl16, D33, and often V9 were expressed in basal cells. The expressions of CK7 and 5D3 were not observed at any period of gestation. In adult epidermis, basal cells exhibited positive staining for CKl4, MNFl16, and D33. The intermediate cells were strongly positive for CK10, and weakly positive for CK7, 8, and MNFl16. The cells positive for V9 were often present among the basal cells. These results indicate that CK8 and 18 may serve as useful markers for periderm, CK10 for intermediate cells, CKl4 for basal cell, and suggest that the vimentin immunoreactive cells in basal cell layer are Langerhans cells.
Adult ; Antibodies ; Desmin ; Epidermis* ; Fetus* ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intermediate Filaments ; Keratins* ; Langerhans Cells ; Pregnancy ; Vimentin

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence rate of hepatitis B in the military service and to examine the effect of the asymptomatic HBsAg carriers on the incidence of hepatitis B. The subject were 223,270 men who were conscripted to the Korean Army from 1991 to 1994 year. According to the conscripted year, four conscription cohort were constructed. At the screening examination for military service no test for hepatitis B were performed in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, a screening test for hepatitis B were performed and those who were confirmed as HBsAg positive or > or = SGPT 100IU were excluded from conscription. In 1994, the criteria for conscription was changed and those who were HBsAg positive were not excluded from conscription. Only those who were > or =SGPT 100IU were excluded. The main results were as follows ; 1. The positive rate of HBsAg is 5.5% in the conscripted men. 2. The incidence rates of the hepatitis B in 1991 and 1992 conscription cohort were 9.96 and 8.10 per ten thousand per son - year, respectively. The incidence rate of the hepatitis B was 1.34 per ten thousand per son - year in 1993 conscription cohort which was confirmed as HBsAg negative at the screening test, and 7.41 per ten thousand per son - year in 1994 conscription cohort which included the HBsAg positive. 3. The incidence rate of hepatitis B was 99.98 per ten thousand per son- year in HBsAg positive group and 2.25 per ten thousand per son - year in HBsAg negative group. The incidence rate of the group with high SGPT and HBsAg positive was 255 times higher than that of normal population. 4. The incidence of hepatitis B in HBsAg negative group did not increase even though the probability of personal contact with HBsAg positive had been increased. From the above result s, the men who have high SGPT with HBsAg positive should be excluded from military service, and it can not be said that asymptomatic HBsAg carrier s influence on the hepatitis B incidence among the HBsAg negative through personal contact.
Alanine Transaminase ; Cohort Studies ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Military Personnel*

Evoked potentials(EP) are kinds of electrophysiological study to gauge the senosry system, which usually carmot be measured on clinical examination, objectively and quantitaively. The limitations of the electrophysiological study on clinical applicat!on include variations of results depending on not only technical and environmental factors but also various physiological factors such as sex, age and height. The effects of technical and environmental factors can be standardized in each laboratory, but not for physiological factors. The importance of physiological factors is emphasized on the posterior tibial nerve evoked potential study, because of long travelling course including both peripheral and central nervous system. There are several reports on this problem, but with a lot of controversies probably due to different point of view and statistical analysis. Furthermore, contrary to many authors, I think the effect of various physiological factors cannot be measured by simple regression analysis because of close correlations between each others. To analyse the complex effect of various physiological factors on posterior tibial nerve evoked potential study, 123 cases(male;55, female;68)of the age more than 20 years old and without definite neurological deficits are studied and analysed.
Central Nervous System ; Evoked Potentials ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory* ; Humans ; Tibial Nerve* ; Young Adult

A 5 year old girl was visited with the chief complaint of abnormal genitalia from birth. Physical examination revealed enlarged clitoris, urogenital sinus formation, increased urinary 17-ketosteroid, Jailer's test positive and sex chromatin positive. Diagnosis was made congenital adrenogenital syndrome.
Adrenogenital Syndrome* ; Child, Preschool ; Clitoris ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Parturition ; Physical Examination ; Sex Chromatin

Columnar epithelium-lined esophagus or intestinal metaplasia of the stomach are acquired disorder associated with some pathologic conditions such as reflux esophagitis and gastric carcinoma. The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics of the metaplastic epithelium in 12 resected specimens of esophago-gastric junction (EGJ) from the patients of gastric carcinoma by histochemistry, immunohistoche-mistry, and electron microscopy. By hematoxylin-eosin staining, metaplasia was found in all 12 cases examined, among them 10 specimens were intestinal metaplasia of the gastric epithelium, 2 cases columnar epithelium-lined esophagus. Intestinal metaplasia was villiform and consisted of columnar cells and mucous (goblet) cells, and showed variations in the pattern of arrangement: metaplasia occurred in EGJ region, occurred in the gastric epithelium apart some distance from EGJ, intermingled with gastric epithelium. The mucous cells of the intestinal metaplasia were stained with both PAS and alcian blue. The gastric epithelium, however, was only stained with PAS. The columnar epithelium-lined esophagus was stained with PAS but not stained with alcian blue. This simple epithelium was positive for 5D3. Interestingly in 2 cases, stratified squamous epithelium was interposed between gastric epithelium. This epithelium was positive for AE8 and was distinguished from gastric epithelium which were positive for 5D3. The columnar cells of the intestinal metaplasia showed regular microvilli, many apical mitochondria, and well developed supranuclear Golgi complex which were characteristic features of typical absorptive cells. The mucous cells were oval in shape and contained numerous mucous droplets in the apical cytoplasm. Intestinal gland consisted of undifferentiated cells and mucous cells, and did not have Paneth cell. Gastric gland consisted of mucous cells of similar fine structural features to those of gastric epithelial cell. Chief cell and parietal cell were not present in the glandular epithelium. These results indicate that most of the metaplasia occurs in the gastic cardiac portion rather than esophageal portion in EGJ, and suggest that the histologic type of metaplsia of gastric epithelium is complete, and that of esophageal epithelium is junctional.
Adult* ; Alcian Blue ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium* ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Esophagus ; Gastric Mucosa ; Golgi Apparatus ; Humans* ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Metaplasia* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microvilli ; Mitochondria ; Rabeprazole ; Stomach

The tunica muscularis of the esophagus of rodents is entirely striated and changes to smooth muscle near the esophago-gastric junction (EGJ). The changing pattern of two types of muscles, however, have not been defined. And the existence of an anatomical sphincter at the EGJ is still a matter of uncertainty. The present study was undertaken to describe the changing pattern of skeleto-smooth muscles and to verify whether anatomical sphincter exists at EGJ in the rat and mongolian gerbil. By light microscopy, with H-E and PTAH stains, the muscle fibers consisting muscularis externa of the esophagus were entirely striated both in rat and mongolian gerbil, and abruptly changes to smooth muscle in the EGJ. A demarcation line between two types is relatively clear, but small fibers were intermingled with each other. The increase in thickness of the circular muscle layer near the EGJ was not found. Immunocytochemistry revealed that desmin was strongly positive in striated muscle fiber and positive different intensities from fiber to fiber in smooth muscle. Vimentin immuno-reactivity, however, was negative both in striated and smooth muscle. There was no racial differences in desmin and vimentin immunohisto-chemistries. By electron microscopy, there were several patterns in skeleto-smooth muscle transition: most of skeletal muscle was clearly demarcated with smooth muscle by interstitial cell and connective tissue; the skeletal and smooth muscle fibers were arranged parallel. The skeletal muscle fiber was separated from the smooth muscle fiber by long slender process of intersitial cell; the skeletal muscle fiber was interposed into wedge shaped branching smooth muscle fiber, or reverse. The typical neuro-muscular junction was found in the skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle fiber contacted with nerve varicosities and the process of interstitial cell. The smooth muscle fibers below the EGJ contracted and appeared irregular in outline. These results show the changing pattern of skeleto-smooth muscle fibers in muscularis externa of the esophagus of rodents, and suggest that the anatomical sphincter may be present at the EGJ.
Animals ; Coloring Agents ; Connective Tissue ; Desmin ; Esophagus ; Gerbillinae ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Striated ; Muscles ; Rats ; Rodentia* ; Uncertainty ; Vimentin