Several observation suggest that the antimelanocyte autoantibodies could play a role in melanocyte destruction. Some experiments indicate that melanocyte antibodies from patients with vitiligo can kill melanocyte in vitro. In these experiments, we demonstrated that vitiligo patient's sera containing antimelanocyte antibodies can lyse cultured human melanocytes by complement activation. Melanocyte cytotoxicity was measured using the ethidium bromide/ acridine orange viability assay. Significant melanocyte cytotoxicity was seen in sera from patients with both active and inactive vitiligo(p<0.01). Melanocyte cytotoxicity measured with complement-mediated cytotoxicity decreased after systemic steroid treatment(p<0.05) ; however melanocyte cytotoxicity showed no significant change with systemic PUVA therapy.
Acridine Orange ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies* ; Complement Activation ; Ethidium ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; PUVA Therapy ; Vitiligo*

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether radial rigidity measured using RigiScan(R) represents the intracorporeal pressure effectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1998 to May 1999, total of 23 patients with erectile dysfunction were evaluated by RigiScan(R) and duplex ultrasonography after the intracorporeal injection of prostaglandin E1. Peak systolic velocity and end diastolic velocity were measured by duplex ultrasonography and then the resistance index was calculated as (peak systolic velocity-end diastolic velocity)/(peak systolic velocity). Radial rigidity of penile tip and base was measured by RigiScanR . The results were analyzed statistically by PC-SPSS version 7.5. RESULTS: There were statistically significant correlations between radial rigidity of penile tip and base and the resistance index by Spearman's correlation analysis, respectively (r=0.680, p<0.001)(r=0.703, p<0.001). When radial rigidity of penile tip and base exceeded 60% of maximum, radial rigidity of penile tip and base again correlated well with the resistance index, respectively (r=0.659, p=0.020)(r=0.759, p=0.011). Based on clinically determined degree of erection, radial rigidity of penile tip and base represented the intracorporeal pressure effectively. CONCLUSIONS: Radial rigidity measured by RigiScan(R) represents the intracorporeal pressure effectively.
Alprostadil* ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Male ; Ultrasonography

We investigated the clinical aspect and immunologic parameters of childhood and adult vitiligo in our clinics and made a comparative study. The childhood vitiligo showed the following results : similar incidence of clinical patterns with adults except for the lower incidence of the acrofacial type than in adults ; less involvement in the extent of lesion of disease than in adults ; higher incidence of family history than with adults ; of the precipitating factors, trauma is the main one whereas emotional stress is for adults ; higher association with halo nevi than adults ; and lower incidence of serum autoantibodies than adults. We have ascertained that childhood vitiligo is a distinct subset of vitiligo, showing the above features which will be studied in more patients in a long term follow-up clinical study.
Adult ; Autoantibodies ; Clinical Study ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Nevus, Halo ; Precipitating Factors ; Stress, Psychological ; Vitiligo

No Abstract Available.
Acanthoma*

PURPOSE: To determine whether the preoperative residual urine fraction(RF) correlates with the change in the maximal flow rate(Qmax) in patients treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 1995 to June 1999, 81 men aged 54 to 82 years (mean: 65.4 +/- 6.7 years) with BPH were examined with Qmax and residual volume using uroflometry and ultrasonography, respectively, before and after transurethral resection of the prostate. The RF was defined as the postvoiding residual/premicturition volume x100. Statistical analysis was performed by simple linear regression using SPSS. RESULTS: The magnitude of improvement in Qmax postoperatively was greatest in patients who had preoperative Qmax < 12mL/sec and RF > 25, followed by Qmax < 12mL/sec and RF < 25, Qmax > 12mL/sec and RF > 25, and Qmax > 12mL/sec and RF < 25. The extent of improvement in Qmax in patients had a value < 12mL/sec was significantly better than that in patients who had a value > 12mL/sec. Among patients who had a Qmax > 12mL/sec preoperatively, the improvement in those who had an RF > 25 was significant better than that in patients who had an RF < 25. CONCLUSION: We suggest that RF and Qmax may have the value as indicator for surgery of benign prostatic hyperplasia preoperatively. The higher RF and Qmax, the poorer postoperative Qmax are anticipates in the patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Residual Volume ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Stroke*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to detect the levels of M30-antigens as a biomarker of apoptosis in cells and their culture media after treatments with anticancer drugs as a preclinical study. METHODS: After HeLa and OVCAR-3 cells were treated respectively with paclitaxel, cisplatin, and camptothecin, the harvested cells were stained sequentially with M30 monoclonal antibodies and propidium iodide (PI). Afterwards, they were analyzed using a FACScan flow cytometer and observed under an immunofluorescence microscope for M30-FITC immunofluorescences. Levels of M30 antigens were also detected in their culture media using M30-Apoptosense ELISA kit. RESULTS: The levels of M30-FITC immunofluorescences were elevated in both cell lines after each drug treatments compared with those of control cells. The levels of M30 antigens detected by ELISA in media culturing each cell line treated with each of drugs were elevated compared with those of control cells. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that M30-antigens representing chemotherapy induced apoptosis may be a useful biomarker for predicting and monitoring the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gynecologic cancers.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Apoptosis ; Camptothecin ; Cell Line ; Cisplatin ; Culture Media ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Paclitaxel ; Propidium

Perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a localized, cutaneous disorder found mostly in obese, multiparous middle-aged women. It is characterized clinically by a slowly enlarging, yellowish, well-defined reticulated plaque usually in the periumbilical area with keratotic papules scattered on its surface, and histologically by transepidermal elimination of altered basophilic calcified elastic fibers, which are short, fragmented, and curled, in the middle portion of the reticular dermis. We present a case of a 36 year-old female who had a skin lesion, which showed chracteristic features consistent with perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum in her neck region but not in the periumbilical area.
Adult ; Basophils ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum* ; Skin

Keratosis follicularis and familial benign pemphigus is an autosomal dominant inherited disease. Keratosis follicularis is characterized by keratotic papules predominantly on the seborrheic areas and familial benign pemphigus, recurrent bullous and vesicular dermatitis on the opposing surfaces. The differential diagnosis of the two diseases with histopathological findings is difficult and still in confusion. We present a case of a 23-year-old woman who had plaques composed of keratotic papules on the anterior shin areas and oozing crusted patches on the buttocks and calves which had some resemblance to the clinical features of familial benign pemphigus. The histological features of the former were consistent with keratosis follicularis, whereas that of the latter was characteristic of familial benign pernphigus.
Buttocks ; Darier Disease* ; Dermatitis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Keratosis* ; Pemphigus* ; Young Adult

No Abstract Available.
Dermatoglyphics* ; Evolution, Molecular* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*