We have observed the dark effect of 8-methoxypsoralen(8-M(P) on the viability and DNA synthesis in human lymphocyte cultures after stimulaticn with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in the absence of ultraviolet A radiation. The concentratioiis of 8-MOP was 0.5-32 ug/ml. We have also measured the LDH activity in supernatant. of lymphocyte cultures treated with 8-MOP. The results were as follows: 1. There was no 8-MOP dose-dependent decrease in the viability of lymphocytes up to 8- MOP 32pg/ml. 2. There was a 8-MOP dose-dependent decrease in PHA-induced DNA synthesis of lymphocytes from the concentration of 8-MOP 2 ug/ml. 3. There was a time-dependent decrease in PHA-induced DNA synthesis of lymphocytes at the concentration of 8-MOP 32 ug/ml. 4. There was no LDH release in supernatant of lymphocyte ciltu es after incubation with 8-MOP up to 8-MOP 32ug/ml.
Animals ; DNA ; Ear* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Methoxsalen ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL* ; Photochemotherapy* ; Skin*

The object of this study is to evaluate the effects of repeat,ed PUVA applications on epidermal melanocytes. The changes in the number of melanocyes is compared to the frequency of PUVA applications. 26 adult male C57BL mice were used. About an hour after appliction of 0.1% solution of 8-methoxypsoralen, UVA was delivered two or four times a weels on both ears of mice with blacklight fluorescent tube l,'Waldmann UV-800). Weekly examinations of melanocytes were made for 4 weeks on split epidermal sheets treated with DOPA solution. The results were as follows. 1. Repeated PUVA applications revealed a significant increase in the number of melanocytes. With PUVA, two times a week, the number of me anocytes was increased from 83.2+/-7.2/mm2 (unir radiated ear) to 250.6+/-34.7/mm2 after ore week and 525.5+/-66.7/mm2 after 4 weeks. With PUVA, four times a week, the number of melanocytes was increased from 83.2+/-7.. 2/mm2 (unirradiated ear) to 437.0+/-74.0/mm2 after one week and 686.3+/-27.8/mm2 after 4 weeks. 2. PUVA, four times a wcek, elicited higher melanocyte density than PUVA, two times a week, under the same period of treatment. 3. After two weeks, the same amount of irradiation increased the number of melanocytes more in PUVA, four times a week than in PUVA, t,wo times a week.
Adult ; Animals ; Dihydroxyphenylalanine ; Ear ; Humans ; Male ; Melanocytes* ; Methoxsalen ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL*

BACKGROUND: Family physicians help the patients to be adapted to a new life cycle with anticipatory guidance. But the later life of empty nest stage seems to be the most stressful since during this time is made preparation of his/her own death. Anticipatory guidance in later life for death is not encouraged because after death, the patient no longer exists. METHODS: From August 1, 1995 to August 31,1995, we gathered the data by the means of questionnaire to persons aged over 60 who visited the department of family medicine and geriatric center in Yong-dong Severance Hospital. The questionnaire was consisted of demographic factors, attitude toward death, fear of death, preparation of death in aspect of his/her own and also in his/her family. RESULTS: The total 104 subjects responded to the questionnaire, consisting of 58 males and 46 females. To the question asking the attitude tpward death, 71(67.6%)answered death as a spiritually new life, 39(37.1%)as an end of life and 11(10.5%)as just and event in life. 75(72.1%)persons insisted the need of preparation of death, and the content of the preparation were consideration of the family 35(33.3%), preparation of mind 34(32.4%), devotion to religion 33(31.4%), arrangement of fortune 19(18.1%). The answer about the fear of death was 42(40.0%)and the reasons for fear were pain of death 26(24.8%), separation from the family 19(18.1%), uncertainty of the nature after death 17(16.2%), suffering of the family 10(9.5% ) in rank order. The contents of preparation of death as family were being together with dying person 57(45.7%), evangelizm 32(30.5%), helping arrangement of life 30(28.6%), and the answer about fear of death of family were pain of death 40(37.1%), regret 31(26.5%), lack of preparation of after death 22(21.1%), loneliness after separation 14(13.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians should recognize death as one of the life cycles because the most persons insist of the need of preparation of death. So family physician can help the the patient prone to death by anticipatory guidance with stimulation of performance of developmental tasks.
Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Life Cycle Stages* ; Loneliness ; Male ; Physicians, Family ; Uncertainty ; Surveys and Questionnaires

In study of 360 psoriatic patients between June 1982 and May 1987 in Seoul National University Hospital, psoriasis was classified according to the severity based on the extent of involvement. The guideline of the extent of involvement was as follows, 1) mi1d less than 5% involvement of whole surface area 2) moderate : 5% 30% involvement of whole surface area 3) severe: over 30% involvement of whole surface area This study was done to evaluate the distribution and clinical features of psoriasis according to the extent, of involvement. Among 360 psoriatics, 180(50.0%) patients had mild psoriasis, 140(38.9%) patients had moderate psoriasis and 40(11.1%) patients presented as severe psoriasis. The duration of psoriasis seemed longer in moderate and severe groups than in mild group but the difference was not signifcant. There was also a tendency that patients developing psoriasis before the age of 20 were more prevalent in severe group.
Humans ; Psoriasis* ; Seoul

We report four cases of hyalinosis cutis et mucosae. They developed hosrseness in their infancy and all had past history of frequent skin infections with accompanying varioliform scars. On physical examination, all the patients had beaded papules along their eyelid margins, hoarseness, varioliform scars and various skin and mucous membrane infiltrations. Pathologic examinations performed on skin infiltrations and eyelid papules revealed diastase resistant periodic acid Schiff positive materials deposited mainly in upper dermis. We have given three of four patients 1g/day of dimethyl sulphoxide from 6 to 12 months with no significant side effects nor remarkable clinical improvement.
Amylases ; Cicatrix ; Dermis ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide ; Eyelids ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Lipoid Proteinosis of Urbach and Wiethe* ; Mucous Membrane ; Periodic Acid ; Physical Examination ; Skin

We have observed the dark effect of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) on the viability and DNA synthesis in human lymphocyte cultures after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in the absence of ultraviolet A radiation. The concentrations of 8-MOP was 0.5-3.2 microgram/ml. We have also measured the LDH activity in supernatants of lymphocyte cultures treated with 8-MOP. The results were as follows: 1. There was no 8-MOP dose-dependent decrease in the viability of lymphocytes up to 8MOP 32microgram/ml. 2. There was 8-MOP dose-dependent decrease in PHA-induced DNA synthesis of lymphocytes from the concentration of 8-MOP 2microgram/ml. 3. There was a time-dependent decrease in PHA-induced DNA synthesis of lymphocytes at the conscentration of 8-MOP 32microgram/ml. 4. There was no LDH release in supernatant of lymphocyte cultures after incubation with 8-MOP up to 8-MOP 32microgram/ml.
DNA* ; Humans* ; Lymphocytes* ; Methoxsalen*

We report a 58 year old man who complained that his nails didn't grow for a year and developed yellowish discoloration. On physical examination his nails showed yellow greenish discoloration, increased corvexity, loss of lunulae and cuticles. C]iest X ray revealed atelectasis on right lower lung field and bronchiectasis on left lower lung field. Mild restrictive pattern was observed in pulmoniry function test. We gave him 800IU of Vitamin E claily for 3 months, but rio remarkable changes have been observed as yet..
Bronchiectasis ; Humans ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins ; Yellow Nail Syndrome*

A possible therapeutic effect of acetyl-L carnitine (ALCAR) on peripheral nerve injuries and the expression of Jun, the protein products of immediate-early genes(IEGs), in the spinal cord were investigated after sciatic nerve injury in Sprague-Dawley rats. Experimental animals were divided into 3 groups: intact sciatic nerve as a control group, surgical repair alone, and surgical repair with ALCAR treatment. Toe-spreading response, pinprick response, and compound action potential were measured to evaluate the recovery of sciatic nerve injury. Recovery of behavioral function and electrophysiological function both improved in the surgical repair with ALCAR treatment group. Weak basal expression of Jun was shown in the ventral horn the of spinal cord in the control group. In the surgical repair alone group or the surgical repair with ALCAR treatment group, Jun expression persisted until 28 days after injury in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. Moreover, the surgical repair with ALCAR treatment group showed more increased expression of Jun than the surgical repair alone group. These results suggest that ALCAR facilitates the functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury.
Acetylcarnitine ; Action Potentials ; Animals ; Carnitine* ; Horns ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve* ; Spinal Cord

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an uncommon heritable disorder of elastin characterized by cutaneous, ocular and vascular abnormalities. Typical skin lesion shows yellowish papules and redundant skin folds on the neck, axilla and groin due to degeneration and calcification of elastic fibers in deep dermis. As in all heritable disorders of connective tissue, no curative therapy is presently know. Redundant and unsightly skin folds about the neck can be improved by surgery, but irregular papular lesion on skin does not improved by surgery. A-44-year-old female who had a skin lesion and angioid streak was treated as follows: Skin folds on the neck were excised successfully without any significant problem such as intraoperative bleeding, wound dehiscence or hypertrophic scar formation. To evaluate whether we could smooth the irregular skin surface due to multiple papules, laserbrasion with a SLT contack Nd:YAG laser system was performed experimentally on a limited area which was located on the right supracla-vicular area about 2 x 3cm in size. An acceptable aesthetic appearance was achieved with surgical excision 12 months after the operation. Biopsy of the laserbrasion site revealed disappearance of the calcium deposit. This study emphasizes the possibility of using laserbrasion in solving troblesome skin lesion of the PXE.
Angioid Streaks ; Axilla ; Biopsy ; Calcium ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Connective Tissue ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Elastin ; Female ; Groin ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Neck* ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum ; Skin ; Wounds and Injuries

This study was conducted to evaluate the association of various lifestyle with blood pressure. The data were obtained from the individuals who got routine health examination in Department of Occupational Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital from June to September, 1996. Among these people, we selected 130 cases of hypertensives(97 males, 33 females) and 150 normotensives(70 males, 80 females) and study was conducted. The authors collected the information of the risk factors related to hypertension such as age, family history of hypertension, fasting blood sugar, serum total cholesterol, alcohol consumption(g/week), smoking history, relative amount of salt intake(low, moderate, high), the frequency of weekly meat consumption, BMI, daily coffee consumption(cups/day) and the frequency of regular exercise(frequency/week) through questionnaire and laboratory test. By simple analysis, BMI was significantly associated with hypertension in male(p<0.05), and the frequency of weekly meat consumption was significantly associated with hypertension in female(p<0.05). Using logistic regression model, elevated odds ratio was noted for fasting blood sugar, serum total cholesterol, family history of hypertension, alcohol consumption, salt intake and BMI, and reduced odds ratio was noted for coffee consumption and exercise in male but fasting blood sugar(odds ratio=1.022, 95% CI=1.000-1.044), family history in both of parents(odds ratio=3.301, 95% CI=1.864-4.738), salt intake(odds ratio=1.690, 95% CI=1.082-2.298) and BMI(odds ratio=1.204, 95% CI=1.065-1.343) were statistically significant(p<0.05). In female, elevated odds ratio was noted in serum total cholesterol, family history of hypertension, BMI and meat consumption. Of all these variables, the family history of hypertension in either of parents(odds ratio=4.981, 95% CI=3.650-6.312), family history in both of parents(odds ratio=16.864, 95% CI=14.577-19.151), BMI(odds ratio=1.167, 95% CI=1.016-1.318) and meat consumption(odds ratio=2.048, 95% CI=1.133-2.963) showed statistically significant association with hypertension in female(p<0.05).
Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure* ; Cholesterol ; Coffee ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Life Style* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Meat ; Occupational Medicine ; Odds Ratio ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking