BACKGROUND: Eotaxin, a CC chemokine specific for eosinophils, is implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma recruiting eosinophils into the airways. Theophylline has been used for the treatment of asthma and rece was proposed to have an anti-inflammatory action. The aim of this study is to examine whether theophylline may inhibit the eosinophilic airway inflammation by reducing the expression of eotaxin. METHODS: The expression of eotaxin mRNA was assessed by Northern analysis in A549 cells 4 h after stimulation with TNF-α or IL-1β And then, theophylline was added to A549 cells stimulated with 0.1 ng/ml IL-1β. RESULTS: Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL TNF-α as compared with β-action were 7%, 22%, 28%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 ng/ml IL-1β as compared with β-action, were 10%, 42%, 63%, 72%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 µM dexamethasone induced by 10 ng/mL TNF-α, as compared with β-action were 27%, 18%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 mM dexamethasone induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1β, as compared with β -action, were 43%, 47%, 12%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mM theophylline induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1β, as compared with β-action, were 48%, 40%, 33%, 22%, 16%, 14%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that theophylline may reduce eosinophil infiltration of the airway at least in part by reducing the expression of eotaxin under the conditions of these experiments.
Asthma ; Dexamethasone ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells* ; Inflammation ; RNA, Messenger* ; Theophylline*

Traumatic afflication of the elbow are so common in both adults and children that the frequency of elbow dislocation is in second to that of the shoulder. Its treatment is so standardized and its complications are well recognized. But there are some differences in biomechsnics of elbow structure of children and adult. We had analized clinically 68 cases of acute dislocation of elbow joint who were treated at Orthopedic Department, medical College of Yon Sei University. The results were as follows 1. The most prevalent age were 4–7 years old in children snd 26–35 years old in sdult. 2. The major mode of injury was slip down accident. 3. The most common type was posterior dislocation. 4. Accessory fractures were more common in child and associated injuries were more common in adult. 5. Good results were obtained from closed reduction and long arm cast immobilization. 6. Immobilization period was shorter in child even though in cases combined with accessory fracture. 7. There were few limitation of motion in children which were immobilized within 3 weeks and in adult which were immobilized within 1 week. But the more prolonged immobilization period, the severe limitation of motion was note. 8. There were less complications in child. 9. The most common mode of limitation of motion was extension.
Adult ; Arm ; Child ; Clinical Study ; Dislocations ; Elbow Joint ; Elbow ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Orthopedics ; Shoulder

No abstract available.
Porokeratosis

Epiblepharon is frequently encountered n oriental eyelid, especially in children. It is characterized by a horizontal fold of redundant skin and abundant orbicularis muscle near lid margin, which the lashes vertically, or posteriorly towards the eye. Surgical therapy of epiblepharon in correcting the trichiasis includes lid bracing sutures, burried sutures, skin resection, a Hotz procedure or its modification, and a Jones procedure. In our opinion, these procedures are not sufficient, because these procedures will not correct the epicanthal folds. Epicanthal folds have been a one of the characteristics of Asian over 50 percents of population in Japan and South Korea, and it either reduce the aesthetic result of the double-eyelid procedure or make the correction of the entropion and epiblepharon difficult. Although many surgical procedures are available to eliminate epicanthal folds, scarring on the medial canthus is in still and obstacle for surgeons to overcome. From January of 1998 to October of 1998, we used half z-plasty procedures in 5 cases to correct epicanthal folds in epiblepharon. There were few complications in our series. We believe that half z-plasty can get a good result in the correction of epibolepharon and oriental epicanthal folds.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Braces ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Entropion ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Skin ; Sutures ; Trichiasis

Glassy cell carcinoma is an unusual neoplasm of the uterine cervix with highly aggressive clinical behavior. On cervico-vaginal smear examination, the tumor has well confused of atypical repair cell of the endocervix. Recently, we have experienced two cases of glassy cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, diagnosed on cervico-vaginal smears and confirmed on following histologic sections. The cervico-vaginal smears revealed abundant clusters with well defined boarders. The cell clusters were composed of large tumor cells. The tumor cells had distinct granular cytoplasm and eosinophilic macronucleoli. Characteristic cytologic features of this tumor were discussed in view of differential diagnosis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Cervix Uteri ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Hydronephrosis*

False aneurysm has been recognized for many years. Incomplete severance of an artery as the result of trauma is thought to be the precipitating factors in the formation of false aneurysm. False aneurysm of the peripheral artery is presented with pulsating mass and may show extrinsic indentations of the adjacent bone with or without neurovascular symptoms, mimicking a malignant tumor. But careful history taking can reveal a proceeding deep penetrating injury variable period prior to development of symptoms. We are reporting two cases of false aneurysm of the superior gluteal artery and superficial femoral artery in each after trauma.
Aneurysm, False ; Arteries ; Femoral Artery ; Precipitating Factors

A patient with extraskeletal cervical epidural Ewing's sarcoma who presented with cervical radiculopathy is reported. A 58-year-old woman presented with right posterolateral neck pain and upper extremity radiculopathy. The computed tomography myelography showed epidural and paravertebral masses on right side, with widening of the ipsilateral neural foramina at the C2-C3 level. On magnetic resonance images, the mass was isointense to soft tissue on T1-weighted images, hyperintense on T2-weighted images, and showed diffuse enhancement on GdTA enhanced T1-weighted images. The staged, combined posterior and anterior approach were done and the tumor mass was subtotally removed. During postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with Cytoxane, Adriamycin, Vincristine, Prednisolone regimen, the patient died of severe compression of upper cervical cord by recurrent, extended tumor mass in the spinal canal.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cyclophosphamide ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myelography ; Neck Pain ; Prednisolone ; Radiculopathy ; Sarcoma, Ewing* ; Spinal Canal ; Upper Extremity ; Vincristine

Solar urticaria is a rare disorder in which immediate erythema and wheals are induced by ultraviolet or visible irradiation. This condition usually occurs in the third and fifth decades of life and is very rare in childhood. A 3-year-old girl presented with a history of an erythematous rash which had occurred on the face and neck, immediately after exposure to sunlight for one month. A diagnosis of solar urtiacria was made on the clinical reviews and phototest. Other photosensitive disorders could be excluded by the clinical and laboratory findings. She was treated with ketotifen and sun protection showing good early results.
Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis ; Erythema ; Exanthema ; Female ; Humans ; Ketotifen ; Neck ; Solar System ; Sunlight ; Urticaria*

A 71-year-old woman was presented with 5-year history of recurrent, multiple, painful or tender, erythematous plaques on her lower limbs accompanied by fever and arthralgia. Histopathological findings showed a dense infiltration of mature neutrophils in the upper and mid dermis without leukocytoclastic vasculitis. These clinical and histopathological findings were consistent with Sweet's syndrome. The laboratory investigations demonstrated elevated ESR and IgA gammopathy, but no leukocytosis or neutrophilia. Her eruption revealed good responses to systemic steroid therapy. We herein describe a patient with Sweet's syndrome without leukocytosis, probably associated with a benign IgA gammopathy.
Aged ; Arthralgia ; Dermis ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Leukocytosis ; Lower Extremity ; Neutrophils ; Sweet Syndrome* ; Vasculitis

PURPOSE: Algorithms to get cross-sectional bone density pattern(transverse histogram) to predict the loosening of hip prosthesis using DXA(Dual X-ray Absorptiometry) have been developed. We performed this study to analyze the correlation between radiologic findings and densitometric pattern of the THRA(Total Hip Replacement Arthroplasty) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six hips of 32 THRA patients were evaluated. The duration between THRA and DXA was from 1 year 7 months to 15 years. On transverse histogram, the periprosthetic bone density patterns were classified as 3 types;type I, rigid fixation in 17, type II, definite loosening in 8, and type III, partial loosening in 11 cases. Surgical findings, plain X-ray findnings and transverse histogram using DXA were correlated. RESULTS: Among 14 cases performing revision for acetabular prosthesis loosening, 5 cases revealed loosening of fernoral stems while 9 cases revealed rigid fixation of femoral stems. Sensitivity was 100% for either plain X-ray or DXA. Specificity was 88%, 77% for plain X-ray and DXA respectively. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study reveals that periprosthetic bone density pattern on transverse histogram on DXA may be useful in the evaluation of the loosening. However, further study will be needed for clinical application.
Acetabulum ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Bone Density ; Hip ; Hip Prosthesis ; Humans ; Prosthesis Failure ; Sensitivity and Specificity