BACKGROUND: Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) has brought an oppotunity for rapid detection of Mycobacterium leprae in clinical pecimens for the diagnosis of leprosy. Th DNA segment specific to M. leprae was detectable in a matteir of hours and DNA from one orgnisa appeared positive by PCR. However, the PCR tool has not been evaluated using elinical specimeriis from leprosy patients and controls. OBJECTIVE & METHODS: The primers amplifying 372bp segment of rebetitive sequence of M. leprae DNA were used in PCR. Skin biopsy specimens from 102 leprosy patient, and controls were examined for the presence of M. leprae by PCR and the results were aomared with microscopic and histopathologic findings. RESULTS: 1. As a result, of PCR after DNA preparation of M. leprae, six other mycobacteria, ten other bacteria, and skin from leprosy with five other skin biopsy tissues, 372bp DNA fragment was specifically amplified from M. leprae. 2. Dot blot, hybridization of PCR products showed that the 372bp DNA from skin biopsy specimens were derived from M. leprae. 3. As a result of PCR after DNA preparation of 10-fold diluted M. legrae from mouse footpad, PCR gave a positive result as low as one organism. 4. Of 87 specimens in which acid-fast bacilli were found under microcopic examinations 97% had positive PCR results. 5. Of 97 specimens which hadihistopathologic evidences of leprosy 95% had positive PCR results. 6. Of 15 specimens in which acid-fast bacilli were not found under n!icroscopic examinations 73% had positive PCR results. In three of five cases which had neither histopathologic nor microscopic evidences of leprosy had positive PCR results. CONCLUSION: PCR method amplifying 372bp fragment of repetitive seqi,ence was highly sensitive and specific in detecting M. leprae DNA in skin biopsy specimens, thus may be a useful tool as an additive diagnostic method, espcially for cases where microscopic antihystopathologic findings are not definite.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Biopsy* ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Mice ; Mycobacterium leprae* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Borrelia burgdorferi* ; Borrelia* ; Immunoblotting* ; Lyme Disease*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Coxiella burnetii* ; Coxiella* ; Korea* ; Prevalence* ; Q Fever*

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Borrelia burgdorferi* ; Borrelia* ; Lyme Disease*

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

We report a case of doxycycline-induced phototoxicity in a 62-years-old male. The patient, had erythematous macules and patches on sun-exposed areas. A Phototest revealed a marked decreased minimal erythemai. dose (MED) to UVA (MED(UNA)=-10J/cm2). Photopatch tests with 1%, 5% Doxycycline ointment were negative. An oral provocation test was performed, which showed a positive result with a decrease of MED to UVA (MED(UVA)= 20J/cm2). After the cessation of doxycycline, his skin lesioris were improved markedly with complete loss of photosensitivity.
Dermatitis, Phototoxic* ; Doxycycline ; Humans ; Male ; Skin

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the esthetic preference for various Korean silhouette profiles. Methods: The Korean average male and female profiles were modified by changing the lower facial height and anteroposterior lip position to produce nine types of profiles. In order to test intrarater reliability, the average profile was copied once more to be included for evaluation. A questionnaire containing 10 profiles for each sex, each of which had to be rated for preference on a numerical rating scale from 0 to 10, was administered to 30 adult orthodontic patients, 30 dental students, 30 orthodontists, and 30 dentists excluding orthodontists. The data were statistically analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Results: The ICC of overall intrarater reliability was 0.629. For several profiles, significantly higher scores were given to male profiles than to female profiles (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in the scores for all profiles among the four rater groups.Among the short profiles, a significantly higher score was given to the retruded profile, and among the vertically average and long profiles, a significantly higher score was given to the horizontally average profile (p < 0.001). Among all the profiles, significantly lower scores were given to the protruded profile (p < 0.001). Conclusions This study revealed good overall intrarater reliability, with several types of male profiles being esthetically preferred over female profiles. Moreover, while retruded and horizontally average profiles were generally preferred, protruded profiles were not.

Primary lung cancer is unusual in children; the squamous cell variant is extremely rare. Lung cancer is classified by histologic types into small-cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung caner, carcinoid, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and adenoid cystic carcinoma. Furthermore, non-small cell lung cancer is subclassified into adenocarcinoma, large-cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. The incidence of lung cancer is influenced by smoking, especially in squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. The present treatments for these tumors are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical resection depending on their histologic types or stages, but yield very poor survival rates. In this article, we report a case of basaloid squamous cell lung carcinoma in an 11-year-old boy who had symptoms of both leg weakness and back pain radiating to both legs. We confirmed the primary lung carcinoma cells by percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy. The metastatic carcinoma cells were identified at the bone marrow and lumbar spine. We treated with a combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, he expired 4 months after the onset of disease.
Adenocarcinoma ; Back Pain ; Biopsy, Needle ; Bone Marrow ; Carcinoid Tumor ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Child* ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Male* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spine ; Survival Rate

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers targeting the IS6110 repetitive sequence was employed to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 228 samples from patients with tuberculosis or other pulmonary diseases and controls, and the results were compared with culture and clinical findings. None of culture negative samples from 17 healthy controls were PCR positive. Of 109 active tuberculosis patients under chemotherapy, 88 (80.7%) were PCR positive and were significantly higher than 63 (57.8%) positive by culture. Fifty-nine (93.7) of 63 culture positive and 29 (63.0%) of 46 culture negative specimens contained M. tuberculosis detectable by PCR. In 41 specimens from inactive tuberculosis patients who visited to the chest clinic because of chest problems, 16 (39.0%) also gave PCR positive results. In addition, 14 (46.7%) of 30 specimens submitted for M. tuberculosis culture from patients with pulmonary diseases were PCR positive. Presumptive diagnosis of these PCR positive patients was bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, etc. Therefore, this study suggests that PCR is sensitive and specific in detecting M. tuberculosis in clinical specimens. However, the interpretation of the PCR results in specimens from patients with pulmonary diseases should be done cautiously in areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis.
Base Sequence ; DNA, Bacterial/analysis ; Human ; Lung Diseases/*microbiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics/*isolation & purification ; *Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sputum/microbiology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/diagnosis/*microbiology

A Hyalinizing Trabecular Tumor (HTT) is a very rare tumor. We report one case that was confirmed to be HTT after an operation. A 44-year-old female visited our hospital with about a 1.3-cm-sized mass on the left thyroid. Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) indicated papillary thyroid cancer. After a left hemithyroidectomy, a frozen section biopsy reported the possibility of HTT. Therefore, we did not proceed with the surgery. According to the final report, she was diagnosed with HTT. Five lymph nodes were dissected and were found to be benign. Thyroid transcription factor-1 and neuron specific enolase were positive, and in addition calcitonin was negative. Ki-67 was recorded to be less than 5%. She was discharged without any complication. HTT is benign in most cases, but the possibility of malignancy should be considered. Because it is hard to differentiate between it and PTC or MTC, an accurate diagnosis through histologic examination of specimens and surgical resection is necessary.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Calcitonin ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Hyalin* ; Lymph Nodes ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms