Tacrolimus is a macrolide antibiotic that was isolated from soil microorganism. Its mechanism of action is based on calcineurin inhibition, which results in suppression of antigen-specific T-cell activation and inhibition of inflammatory cytokine release. Four patients with atopic dermatitis participated in this study of the efficacy of topical tacrolimus. Our cases showed significant improvement in the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis within a week of starting topical tacrolimus. We report 4 cases of atopic dermatitis treated with 0. 1% tacrolimus ointment.
Calcineurin ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Soil ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tacrolimus*

Fordyce's disease is a condition known as ectopically located sebaceous glands on the vermilion borders of the lips and oral mucosa. Clinically, it is groups of minute, yellowish, globoid macules and papules. Histologically, it is characterized by sebaceous glands not associated with hair follicles. We report on a 40-year-old man with Fordyce's disease showing particularly wide distribution on the buccal mucosa and upper lip.
Adult ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Lip ; Mouth Mucosa ; Sebaceous Glands

The purpose of this study is to investigate the morphologic changes of the sinusoidal endothelial cells and the associated structures of the cirrhotic rat liver induced by repeat intraperitoneal injections of N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (100 mg/kg/week). One day to 6 weeks later, rat livers were observed under the light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and immunostained with laminin antibody. Two weeks after DEN treatment, the fibrillar material in Disse's space was noted, and then a basement membrane-like structure was found at 4 weeks after treatment. Laminin was detected in perisinusoidal areas after 4 weeks. Laminin was strongly positive on the fibrous septum and in the sinusoidal wall of cirrhotic nodules after 6 weeks of treatment. The diameters and numbers of sinusoidal endothelial fenestrations did not change significantly until 2 weeks. They decreased within 4 weeks, and then the sinusoidal endothelium was poorly fenestrated at 6 weeks after DEN treatment. These results suggest that as fibrosis develops in cirrhosis, the deposit of extracellular matrix such as laminin within Disse's space is a major contributing factor in the structural alteration of sinusoidal endothelial cells, and the capillarization of the sinusoidal endothelial cells may be a contributor to impairment of the hepatic function in cirrhosis.
Rats ; Animals

Although a variety of agents have been introduced for the treatment of hypertension, the ideal drug has not yet been discovered. However, among the agents available, prazosin hydrochloride (Minipress(R)) appears to be accepted by the majority of physicians as it lowers blood pressure effectively with relatively low incidence of side effects. It has been considered that the hypotensive effect of prazosin is a result of peripheral vasodilation due to direct relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and blockade of alpha-adrenergic receptors in the arteriolar smooth muscle. Following the development of prazosin. many trials have been designed to potentiate its hypotensive effect by the combination with other agent, especially thiazide or beta blocker. Minizide(R), a preparation that thiazide is added to prazosin, is an example. The antihypertensive effect of Minizide(R) was evaluated in 30 hypertensive subjecs. The results were as follows; 1. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were effectively lowered in both supine and standing position with the overall response rate of 86.7% as judged to be responsive in one that lost systolic pressure more than 15 mmHg and distolic pressure 10 mmhg. Among 30 cases 18 cases could be maintained with their diastolic pressure below 90 mmHg and 24 cases with their diastolic pressure below 100 mmHg by the end of 8th week of treatment with the daily dose of minizide(R) from a half tablet to two tablets. 2. During the period of 8 weeks, troublesome postural hypotension was not observed in any case. The pulse rate was not accelerated significantly by Minizide(R) treatment. 3. Minimal side effects were recorded in 5 cases; two of mild nausea, one of slight dizziness, one of minimal gastrointestinal irritation symptom and one of mild glucosuria. neither of them hindered the authors from finding the study.
Blood Pressure ; Dizziness ; Heart Rate ; Hypertension ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Incidence ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nausea ; Prazosin ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha ; Relaxation ; Tablets ; Vasodilation

Although a variety of agents have been introduced for the treatment of hypertension, the ideal drug has not yet been discovered. However, among the agents available, prazosin hydrochloride (Minipress(R)) appears to be accepted by the majority of physicians as it lowers blood pressure effectively with relatively low incidence of side effects. It has been considered that the hypotensive effect of prazosin is a result of peripheral vasodilation due to direct relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and blockade of alpha-adrenergic receptors in the arteriolar smooth muscle. Following the development of prazosin. many trials have been designed to potentiate its hypotensive effect by the combination with other agent, especially thiazide or beta blocker. Minizide(R), a preparation that thiazide is added to prazosin, is an example. The antihypertensive effect of Minizide(R) was evaluated in 30 hypertensive subjecs. The results were as follows; 1. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were effectively lowered in both supine and standing position with the overall response rate of 86.7% as judged to be responsive in one that lost systolic pressure more than 15 mmHg and distolic pressure 10 mmhg. Among 30 cases 18 cases could be maintained with their diastolic pressure below 90 mmHg and 24 cases with their diastolic pressure below 100 mmHg by the end of 8th week of treatment with the daily dose of minizide(R) from a half tablet to two tablets. 2. During the period of 8 weeks, troublesome postural hypotension was not observed in any case. The pulse rate was not accelerated significantly by Minizide(R) treatment. 3. Minimal side effects were recorded in 5 cases; two of mild nausea, one of slight dizziness, one of minimal gastrointestinal irritation symptom and one of mild glucosuria. neither of them hindered the authors from finding the study.
Blood Pressure ; Dizziness ; Heart Rate ; Hypertension ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Incidence ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nausea ; Prazosin ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha ; Relaxation ; Tablets ; Vasodilation

We report a case of alopecia areata in a 32-year-old man that developed during the course of cyclosporine therapy following kidney transplantation. Cyclosporine has been reported to be of value in the treatment of alopecia areata. It would therefore appear unlikely that alopecia areata would develop in our patient while he was undergoing cyclosporine therapy. To our knowledge, this is a rare case report of alopecia areata in a patient taking cyclosporine in Korean dermatologic literature.
Adult ; Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Cyclosporine* ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the important factors affecting survival and pregnancy rate in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. METHODS: we performed reprospective analysis in 738 cycles of frozen-thawed embryo transfers, in relation to the insemination methods, the freezing stage of embryo, patient's age, infertility factors and the origin of injected sperm in ICSI cycles. After conventional IVF or ICSI, the supernumerary PN stage zygotes or multicellular embryos were cryopreserved by slow freezing protocol with 1,2-propandiol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant. RESULTS: The survival rates of thawed embryos were 69.3% (1585/2287) in conventional IVF group and 71.7&% (1645/2295) in ICSI group. After frozen-thawed embryo transfers, 27.0% (92/341) and 32.0% (109/341) of pregnancy rates were achieved in conventional IVF and ICSI group, respectively. There were no significant difference in the survival and pregnancy rates according to the insemination methods, the freezing stage and patient's age. However, the pregnancy rate (36.2%) of male factor infertility (22.9%). In ICSI group, the origin of injected sperm did not affect the outcome of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that acceptable clinical outcomes can be achieved after the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos regardless of the stage of embryos for freezing, the patient's age and the origin of injected sperm.
Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Freezing ; Humans ; Infertility ; Insemination ; Male ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa ; Survival Rate ; Zygote

The most common symptom of buckwheat allergy was asthmatic attack and less common were nasal symptoms, eye symptoms, urticaria, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The pathomechanism of this allergy is type I, IgE-mediated immediate type reaction. Three cases showed respiratory discomforts after exposure to buckwheat and revealed positive reactions to buckwheat in the skin prick test. We report typical three cases of buckwheat allergy.
Fagopyrum* ; Hypersensitivity* ; Skin ; Urticaria

No abstract available.
Herpesvirus 1, Suid* ; Pseudorabies*

A 46-year-old man had noticed an asymptomatic, small, yellowish, papular eruption on the scalp about one year ago. Since then, the lesions had slowly increased in size and number. There was no family history of similar lesions. An incision made into the cysts discharged oily yellow material. Biopsy of a lesion disclosed that the cysts had typical features of steatocystoma multiplex histologically. This case was a unique eruptive variety of steatocystoma multiplex on the scalp.
Biopsy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Scalp* ; Steatocystoma Multiplex*