The genes that codify the subunits of the fibril-forming collagen constitute an evolutionarily related group within the collagen multigene family, Deposition of fibrillar molecules in the extrcellular matrix of several tissues influences a number of cellular activities such as adhesion, proliferation, and migration. In the developing and adult organisms, temporal and spatial expression of collasgen genes is modulated by a variety of cytokines and hormones, Likewise, transcription of collagen genes in tissue cultures can be greatly affected by the action of these substances and by chemical or viral transformation as well. Cytokine-mediated increase of collagen deposition on response to environmental stimuli is also the major histopathological feature of clinically distinct that similarly lead to overt firrotic processes. It is my heartily with to elucidate the mechanisms that regulate tissue specific expression of the human collagen genes a prerequisite for understanding the pathophysiology of diseased processes. Involving collagen metabolism, such as scleroderma.
Adult ; Collagen* ; Cytokines ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Multigene Family ; Psoriasis

Basement membrane zone gene expression by fibroblast cultures was examined by molecular hybridizations with human sequence specific cDNAs corresponding to type 1V procollagen and laminin subunit polypeptides. Northern transfer analysis with total RNA revealed the presence of specific mRNA transcripts for al (IV) and a2 (1V) chains of type 1V procollagen as well as Bl and B2 chains of laminin. Laminin A chain mRNAs were not detected using the same RNA preparations. The molecular size of al (1V) and a2 (1V) procollagen mRNA revealed 6.8kb and 6.7kb, respectively. The molecular size of Bl chain of laminin revealed 5.6kb, and B2 chain revealed 8.2 and 5.5kb polymorphic transcripts. In slotblot analysis using densitometer, steady-state levels of type IV procollagen and laminin mRNAs indicated that they were in relatively low abunclance, as compaired with type I procollagen mRNA. Quantitative levels of al (IV) and laminin Bl chaii mRNAs were more abundant than those of a2 (IV) and laminin B2 mRNAs. The mRNA ratio of al (IV)/a2 (lV) and laminin Bl/B2 were 1.9 and 1.5, respectively. These results demonstrate evidence for differential regulation of the expression of different basement membrane zone molecules during the formation of basement membrane.
Basement Membrane ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen Type IV* ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Laminin* ; Peptides ; Procollagen ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-10(IL-10) was initially discovered and isolated on the basis of its ability to suppress cytokine by Thl helper T cell. Recently, the effect of IL-10 has been reported in cultured connective tissue cells. OBJECTIVE: To further investigate the mechanisms of IL-10 on extracellular matrix(ECM) homeostasis, we evaluated the expression of type I collagen and stromelysin-1 at the transcriptional level and also observed their promoters activities. METHODS: We examined that effect of the recombinant human IL-10 on the expression of genes involved in extracelluar matrix(ECM) synthesis and remodelimg in human dermal fibroblast cultures. Quantification of collagen synthesis, Northern blot analysis, transient transfection and a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase(CAT) assay were performed. RESULTS: In studying the dose and time response effect of IL-10 on collagen synthesis, maximal reduction was seen at 1.0 ng/ml concentration and 24 hours incubation. The synthesis of type I collagen mRNA was downregulated, while stromelysin-1 gene expression was enhanced by IL-10. In the transient transfection and CAT assay, the type I collagen promoter/CAT reporter gene construct showed downregulation by IL-10, while the stromelysin-1 gene promoter activities were upregulated. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that IL-10 differently regulates the transcriptional levels of type I collagen and stromelysin-1 gene and denoting IL-10 seems to take part in the homeostasis of ECM at pretranscriptional level.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Chloramphenicol ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I* ; Connective Tissue Cells ; Down-Regulation ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Reporter ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Interleukin-10* ; RNA, Messenger ; Transfection

Psoriasis is common cutaneous disorder involving 0.1~3% Of the general population and is characterized by its marked chronicity and recurrence. A variety of factors, rarging from heredity, environment to abnormal cytodynamics and biochemical perturbation have been implicated but never proved as causative. In recent years, many studies on psoriasis have been reported, showing the presence of certain immunologic abnormalities in patients with psoriasis, and some authors postulated that these immunologic abnormalities, particularly in cell mediated immunity, may play a key role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. This study was undertaken to evaluate cell mediated immune status of patients with paoriasis using several immunologic parameters. A total of 70 patients (35 were male and 35 were female) between the ages of l:l and 70 years entered this study at the Department of Dermatology of Seoul National University Hospital from January 1980 through September 1980. Peripheral blood T lymphocytes(early and total) were enumerated by E-rosette technique in 55 patients. Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction was measured in 3O patients using intradermal candidin, trichophytinand PPD. Active sensitization with DNCB was performed in 30 patients.
Dermatology ; Dinitrochlorobenzene ; Heredity ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunity, Cellular ; Male ; Psoriasis* ; Recurrence ; Seoul

Although platelet have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the thrombotic disease, the platelet aggregability was not well studied in Korea. Author measured platelet aggregability in 103 clinical cases including 30 healthy volunteers to evaluate the platelet function and the effect of Aspirin and Dipyridamole on aggregability in Korean. 24 patients with cerebral thrombosis, 24 patients with ischemic heart disease and 25 patients with hypercholesterolemia were included for this study. Aggregation tests were performed at three final concentrations of epinephrine(10microM/L) and ADP(4 microM/L, 10 microM/L) with platelet aggregometer which was made by Chrono-Log Corp. in all cases. Platelet aggregations were measured in patients who were treated with Aspirin, Dipyridamole and combined treatment of Aspirin and Dipyridamole respectively. The following results were obtained. 1) The mean maximal platelet aggregability in the normal subjects induced by 10 microM/L epinephrine was 59.3+/-24.26%, 66.6+/-14.00% in Bm and 62.5+/-19.30% in B5 in induction by 4 microM/L ADP, and 77.2+/-8.99% in Bm and 76.6+/-9.83% in B5 in induction by 10microM/L ADP. 2) The mean maximal platelet aggregability in patients with cerebral thrombosis induced by 10 microM/L epinephrine was 89.2+/-7.33%, 78.8+/-9.41% in Bm and 78.5+/-9.93% in B5 in induction by 4 microM/L ADP, and 86.4+/-7.69% in Bm and B5 in induction by 10 microM/L ADP. The results showed significantly elevated platelet aggergability than that of normal subjects(p<0.01). 3) The mean maximal platelet aggregability in patients with ischemic heart disease induced by 10 microM/L epinephrine was 88.1+/-11.99%, 78.2+/-12.50% in Bm and B5 in induction by 10 microM/L ADP. The results showed significantly elevated platelet aggregability than that of normal subjects(P<0.01). 4) The mean maximal platelet aggregability in patients with hypercholesterolemia induced by 10 microM/L epinephrine was 86.8+/-15.99%, 82.7+/-11.19% in Bm and 82.0+/-12.87% in B5 in induction by 4 microM/L ADP, and 88.5+/-11.47% in Bm and B5 in induction by 10 microM/L ADP. The results showed signifcantly elevated platelet aggregability than that of normal subjects(P<0.01). 5) The mean maximal platelet aggregability in patients with thrombotic disease was studied by Dipyridamole administration. The platelet aggregability induced by epinephrine before administration was 90.9+/- 8.52% and after administration it was 78.9+/-15.68%, and the results showed that Dipyidamole lowered aggregability significantly. The platelet aggregability induced by 4 microM/L ADP before administration was 84.0+/-11.90% in Bm and B5 and after administration it was 78.0+/-11.44% in Bm and B5, and the results showed that Dipyridamole lowered aggregability but not significant. The platelet aggregability induced by 10 microM/L ADP before administration was 89.2+/-10.39% in Bm and B5 and after administration it was 80.5+/-8.44% in Bm and B5, and the results showed that Dipyridamole lowered aggregability significantly. 6) The mean maximal platelet aggregability in patients with thrombotic disease was studied by Aspirin administration. The platelet aggregability induced by epinephrine before administration was 91.0+/-4.79% and after administration it was 47.6+/-17.72%. The platelet aggregability induced by 4 microM/L ADP before administration was 84.6+/-10.37% in Bm and B5 and after administration it was 72.6+/-11.85% in Bm and 65.3+/-15.97% in B5. The platelet aggregability induced by 10 microM/L ADP before administration was 84.9+/-6.30% in Bm and B5 and after adminstration it was 77.7+/-8.60% in Bm and 75.0+/-8.89%. The results showed that Aspirin lowered aggregability markedly. 7) The mean maximal platelet aggregability in patients with thrombotic disease was studied by combined administration of Aspirin and Dipyridamole. The platelet aggregability induced by epinephrine before administration was 86.7+/-13.77% and after administration it was 36.7+/-14.01%. The platelet aggregability induced by 4 microM/L ADP before administration was 81.5+/-12.93% in Bm and 80.6+/-14.15% in B5 amd after administration it was 54.7+/-17.27% in Bm and 44.6+/-21.17% in B5. The platelet aggregability induced by 10 microM/L ADP before administration was 87.8+/-10.11% in Bm and B5 and after administration it was 65.7+/-13.59% in Bm and 62.0+/-16.42% in B5. The results showed that combined administration of Aspirin and Dipyridamole lowered aggregability significantly and the results were lower than that of normal subjects. 8) The effects of combined treatment of Aspirin and Dipyridamole showed marked reduction of platelet aggregability than that of single treatment of Aspirin or Dipyridamole in thrombotic disease.
Adenosine Diphosphate ; Aspirin* ; Blood Platelets* ; Dipyridamole* ; Epinephrine ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Intracranial Thrombosis ; Korea ; Myocardial Ischemia

BACKGROUND: Bullous eruption of diabetes(BD) is a rare cutaneous sign of diabetes mellitus(DM). The mechanism for the development of these lesions is unknown, although speculation has ranged from trauma to vascular insufficiency. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose is to evaluate the difference of basement membrane gene expression in cultured skin fibroblasts between patients with diabetes and normal controls. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from cultured skin fibroblasts of DM and normal, and then Northern blot and slot-blot hybridizations were done. RESULTS: The mRNA levels of a(I) procollagen, a(IV) procollagen, fibronectin, and laminin B1 were not altered significantly in the DM. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that BD has no relevance to the alteration of basement membrane components. Further studies are needed to clarify the underlying pathogenic mechanism of BD.
Basement Membrane* ; Blotting, Northern ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Laminin ; Procollagen ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*

In spite of the progress in techniques and materials of the prosthodontic rehabilitation of patients with complete edentulous arches, prosthodontists still face patients' complaints about dissatisfaction and discomfort from their dentures. In the past several decades, prosthodontists tried to find the factors that influence the patient's satisfaction with dentures. However the results are contraversial especially with the psychological factor. In this study using patient denture satisfaction questionnaire' and Hopkins Symptom Checklist, we tried to find the correlation between the patient's denture satisfaction and the patient's psychological aspects. 23 complete edentulous patients who have visited the Department of Prosthodontics, Yonsei University Dental Hospital from September 1998 to June 1999 for complete denture treatment were asked to complete the questionnaires 4 to 6 weeks after the upper and lower complete delivery. After the measurement of validity of the questionnaires, correlations between the patient's general satisfaction with their new upper and lower complete dentures and the other satisfaction questions including the satisfactions with esthetics, retention, mastication, speech, comfort and other peoples's opinion and between the patient's general satisfaction with their new upper and lower complete dentures and the 5 symptoms of Hopkins Symptoms Checklist including somatic, obsessivecompulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression and anxiety were analyzed. Among the several satisfaction questionnaire items, comfort with the lower denture showed highest relation to the patient's general satisfaction with dentures. However, only the anxiety scale of Hopkins Symptom Checklist among the other symptom scales was related to the patient's general satisfaction with dentures. The two questionaires used in this study turned out to be valid means of analyzing patient's denture satisfaction and psychological status before and after the complete denture treatment.
Anxiety ; Checklist ; Denture, Complete* ; Dentures ; Depression ; Esthetics ; Humans ; Mastication ; Patient Satisfaction* ; Prosthodontics ; Psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Weights and Measures

The expression of the c-fos and c-myc oncogenes was investigated by dot blot analysis of total RNA extracted from biopsies of normal skin and psoriatic lesions. Densitometric analysis revealed 6.3 fold and 8.6 fold evevation respectively of c-fos and c-myc oncogenes mRNA levels in severe psoriasis compared to normal skin, and 1.5 fold and 1.6 fold elevation respectively of c-fos and c-myc oncogenes mRNA levels in mild psoriasis compared to normal skin. The ratio of c-fos/c-myc transcripts in normal skin and mild psoriasis was constant compared to that in severe psoriasis. The maintenance of a constant ratio of c-fos/c-myc is believed to be closely related to ordered cell growth and the ratio of c-fos/c-myc transcripts in severe psoriasis suggests a disordered pattern of cellular differentiation. We be1ieve that overexpression of these oncogenes is related to the pathogenesis of psoriatic epidermal hyperplasia.
Biopsy ; Hyperplasia ; Oncogenes* ; Psoriasis ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin

Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita is a very rare congenital vascular anomaly, characterized by vascular mottling of the skin, telangiectasia, hemangioma and skin atropy at birth. The mottling may be generalized or localized in distribution and tends to fade spontaneously with age. A case of CMCT occuring in a 5 months old girl shows localized, reticuhted mottling of the skin and telangiectasia from the left buttock to the leg and s!in atrophy on the left knee. There was no other anomaly except the finger-tip sized capillary hemangioma on the letf scapular area and no change in the course for 8 months.
Atrophy ; Buttocks ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Humans ; Infant ; Knee ; Leg ; Parturition ; Skin ; Telangiectasis

Transforming growth factor beta(TGF-p), initially identified in vlatelet extracts by virtue of its ability to confer anchorage of independent growth and a necplastic phenotype on mesenchymal cells, has subsequently been identified as a potent inh bit or of proliferation in most cells of epithelial origin. The family of TGF-p peptides is currenly onsisted of four subtypes (TGF-pl, p2, p3, p4). Tkiey are initially translated very larged are urssors of approximately 390 amino acids and produced by a wide variety of cell type. iricluding normal cells and tumor cells. TGF-ps promote deposition of extracellular matrix compcineits, facilitate remodeling events during embryonic development, and suppress immune ce 1 fimetion during the inflammatory process. Several nutaneous diseases are characterized typxcessive and progressive fibrosis of the dermis anil subcutaneous tissues. Prominent amon these disorders are progressive systemic sclerosi(PSS) and generalized morphea(GM), is well as the recently described syndrome of diffuse fasciitis eosinophilia(DF), also known; Shulmans syndrome. The hallmark of the pathologic alteration in these disorders is the excessive deposition of collagen and other connenctive iissues. Macromoleculse in the aerriis and/or the subcutaneous and fascial strutures often accompanied by variable degress of hronic inflammatory cell infiltrates. Now we have examined the expression of TGF-b1 mRNA using of northern blot hybridization with specific sequenced cDNA probe in the normal curltured fibroblasts, placental tissues, and fibrosarcorna derived tumor cell line(HT1080). We found that the size of TGF-b mRNA of each specimen was 2.5kb and theres no alteration of its quality.
Amino Acids ; Blotting, Northern ; Collagen ; Dermis ; DNA, Complementary ; Embryonic Development ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fasciitis ; Female ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Peptides ; Phenotype ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger* ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Transforming Growth Factor beta* ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Virtues