BACKGROUND: The information on nasal transport and the metabolism of peptides have been obtained from pharmacokinetic investigations in experimental animals. However, there are no transport and metabolic studies of human nasal epithelial cells. In this study, the permeability characteristics and the metabolic properties of in vitro human nasal cell monolayers were investigated. Material and METHODS: Normal human inferior nasal conchal tissue samples were obtained from patients undergoing endoscopic nasal cavitary surgery. The specimens were cultured in a transwell using an air-liquid interface (ALI) culture, and the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value of the blank filter and confluent cell monolayers were measured. To determine the % leakage of mannitol, 4µmol 14C-labelled mannitol was added and the % leakage was measured every 10 minute for 1 hour. RESULT: Human nasal epithelial cells in the primary culture grew to a confluent monolayer within 7 days and expressed microvilli. The tight junction between the cells was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The TEER value of the blank filter, fifth day and seventh day reached 108.5 ohm.cm2, 141 ohm.cm2 and 177.5 ohm.cm2, respectively. Transcellular % leakage of the 14C-mannitol at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes was 35.67±5.43, 34.42±5.60, 32.75±5.71, 31.76±4.22, 30.96±3.49 and 29.60±3.68 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: The human nasal epithelial monolayer using ALI using techniques is suitable for a transcellular permeability study. The data suggests that human nasal epithelial cells in as ALI culture technique shows some promise for a nasal transport and metabolism study.
Animals ; Culture Techniques* ; Electric Impedance ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans* ; Mannitol ; Metabolism ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microvilli ; Peptides ; Permeability ; Tight Junctions

Candida species inhabit the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals with low virulence, and osteomyelitis due to candida is very rare. However, the incidence of invasive candidal infection caused by intravenous drug use, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and indwelling central venous catheter is increasing. A 73-year old man visited the outpatient clinic complaining of right shoulder pain that radiated to the right acromioclavicular joint. He had undergone multiple injection procedures followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy for several weeks. The ultrasonographic findings showed a heterogeneous mass around the right acromioclavicular joint, while the right shoulder MRI and the overall findings of the body bone scan were suggestive of osteomyelitis. Pathologic findings of ultrasonographically guided joint aspiration fluid showed acute and chronic nonspecific inflammation, while the tissue culture and staining revealed Candida parapsilosis.
Acromioclavicular Joint ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Candida ; Central Venous Catheters ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Joints ; Mucous Membrane ; Osteomyelitis ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder Pain ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Examining the biological susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to pyrazinamide (PZA) in vitro is very difficult as PZA is inactive under normal culture conditions. The susceptibility test, an enzyme assay for Pzase activity, and a genetic test for pncA gene mutations, were performed in order to predict PZA resistance. METHODS: 28 cultured clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were tested. The biological susceptibility was performed by the absolute concentration method using Lowenstein-Jensen media. The PZase activity was tested by means of Wayne's method. A 710-bp region includes the entire open reading frame of pncA was amplified and sequenced. RESULTS: All six strains with positive PZase activity exhibited no pncA mutations with one strain showing a false resistance in the biological susceptibility test. Among the 22 strains with no PZase activity, 21 exhibited showed pncA mutations. In the biological suscaptibility test, 20 strains were resistant, and one was susceptible, and the other failed to test. The mutation types varied with ten missense, one silent and one nonsense mutation 1 slipped-strand mispairing, and 6 frameshift mutations. Three strains had an adenine to guanine mutation at position - 11 upstream of the start codon. CONCLUSION: The mutation at the pncA promotor region is frequent at -11 upstream position. Automatic sequencing of pncA is a useful tool for rapid and accurate detection of PZA resistant M.tuberculosis, and for demonstrating the epidemiological relatedness of the PZA-resistant M.tubersulosis strains.
Adenine ; Codon, Initiator ; Codon, Nonsense ; Enzyme Assays ; Frameshift Mutation ; Guanine ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Open Reading Frames ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Pyrazinamide*

BACKGROUND: Acid-fast stain and cultures for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis are primary and essential method, but have their limitation:low sensitivity and time consuming. The objective of this s tudy is comparison of amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis direct test(MTD) by the conventional AFB smears and cultures in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory specimens. METHODS: During the period between November, 1997 and May, 1998 a total of 267 respiratory specimens (sputum 173, bronchial washing 94) from 187 patients suspected pulmonary tuberculosis were subjected to AFB smears, cultures and MTD test. MTD is based on nucleic acid amplification. We compared the MTD with 3% Ogawa culture method. In positive AFB smear and negative MTD specimen, positive culture identification between nontuberculous mycobacterium and M.tuberculosis was assesed by using Accuprobe M.tuberculosis complex probe. In negative AFB smear and negative AFB culture, MTD results are assessed by clinical follow-up. RESULTS: 1) Compared with culture in sputum and bronchial fluid specimens, sensitivity and specificity of MTD in positive AFB smear is 79.7% and 20.0%, sensitivity and specificity of MTD in negative AFB smear specimens is 75.0% and 79.7%. 2) Discrepant analysis is assessed by clinical follow-up and other specimen results beyond study. Culture negative but MTD positive specimens were proved to be true positive and gave MTD sensitivity 79.2%, specificity of 84.4%, positive predictive value 80.5% and negative predictive value 83.2%. 3) 14 out of 31 specimens in negative AFB smear, negative AFB culture and positive MTD showed pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed on clinical follow-up and sensitivity is 45.2%. 4) 2 out of 13 specimens in positive AFB smear, positive AFB culture and negative MTD diagnosed as nontuberculous mycobacterium by Accuprobe culture. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that MTD in respiratory specimens is simple and rapid diagnostic method, but considered adjuvant method rather than replace the conventional AFB smear and culture.
Diagnosis* ; Equidae ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

BACKGROUND: Telomerase enzyme activity is not detected in most normal cells, a phonomenon believed to be associated with limitations on cellular proliferation. Since this activity is detected in nearly all human tumor, including lung cancers, it has been suggested that telomerase activation may be coupled to acquisition of malignant phenotype. In this study, we determined whether telomerase activity was associated with tumor pathologic stage. METHODS: Primary tumor specimens obtained by bronchoscopic biopsies from 33 patients were analyzed. Telomerase activity was measured by means of a modified Telomeric Repeat Amplication Protocol(TRAP) assay. RESULTS: Telomerase activity was detected in 23 of the 27 non small cell lung cancer and 5 of 6 small cell lung cancer. A few primary tumors did not appear to have detectable telomerase activity. Positive associations were found between the telomerase-positive rate and tumor stage(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: High telomerase activity is detected frequently in primary lung cancers that exhibit high tumor cell proliferation rates and advanced pathologic stage.
Biopsy ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Phenotype ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; Telomerase* ; Telomere