BACKGROUND: Cell-cell adhesion in tissue is mainly regulated by hornotypic interaction of cadherin molecules, which are anchored to the cytoskeleton via cytoplasmic proteins, including a-and / 3-catenin. Loss of E-cadherin and catenin have been attributed a pathogenetic role in tumor invasion. METHODS: We examined the expression of E-cadherin and a-catenin in human thyroid carcinoma by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Normal tissue strongly expressed E-cadherin and a-catenin. However, E-cadherin and a-catenin expression were frequently reduced in thyroid carcinoma (E-cadherin: 62.5%, a-catenin: 81.3%). But the expression of E-cadherin and a-catenin in tumors with metastatic spreading were not different with tumors without metastasis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that reduced E-eadherin and a-catenin expression may be a sensitive marker for disturbance in the adhesive function of the junctional complex, but further evaluation with more cases is needed for confirmation of the result of the same degree of expression in tumors with metastasis.
Adhesives ; Cadherins* ; Cytoplasm ; Cytoskeleton ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is one of the most important morbidities in childhood, but its underlying causes can not be found even though extensive studies have been done. Advances in diagnostic modalities, including neuroimaging such as MRI reveal the apparent underlying causes of epilepsies. Therefore, we evaluated specific causes of symptomatic epilepsy and compared clinical features with idiopathic epilepsy. METHODS: Three hundred nine epileptic children visited the Pediatric Department of Pusan National University Hospital from January, 1991 to June, 1998. Of these, 79 patients were determined as symptomatic epilepsy and the analysis of various clinical features was undertaken retrospectively, according to the presence or absence of underlying causes. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty two patients(75.1%) were idiopathic and 79 patients(24.9%) were symptomatic, the ratios of male to female and the ages at the onset of first seizure were 1.28 : 1, 1.48 1 and 3.24+/-5.65, 2.40+/-2.86 years(p>0.05, p<0.05), respectively. Causes of symptomatic epilepsy in order of frequency were birth asphyxia(29.9%), CNS malformation(27.3%), CNS infection(22.1%) and others(20.7%). The ratios of male to female and onset age of birth asphyxia, CNS malformation, CNS infection were 2.83 : 1, 1.91+/-2.64, 0.75:1, 2.35+/-2.92 and 1.43 : 1, 2.74+/-2.56, respectively. Seizure types in symptomatic group were classified as partial seizure in 22.1%, generalized seizure in 71.4% and unclassified in 6.5%, compared with those of idiopathic group classified as 46.6%, 51.7%, 1.7%, respectively. Intervals between medication start and seizure control in idiopathic and symptomatic groups were 146.5+/-148.7 days and 246.1+/-247.6 days, repectively(p<0.05). According to their etiology of birth asphyxia, CNS malformation and CNS infection were 364.5+/-315.0 days, 175.4+/-181.6 days, 199.9+/-215.3 days, respectively(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: CNS malformation, birth asphyxia, CNS infection were main causes of symptomatic epilepsy in childhood. In symptomatic epilepsy, generalized seizures was more common and occurred at a younger age. It takes more time to control seizure of symptomatic epilepsy.
Age of Onset ; Asphyxia ; Busan ; Child ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Generalized ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neuroimaging ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

No abstract available in English.
Dislocations ; Ulnar Nerve ; Ulnar Neuropathies

Although the incidence of tuberculosis of the bone and joints is being decreased with good nutrition, hygine and the development of preventive medicine, it is still a common disease in our clinic. One hundred and ninty-eight cases of tuberculosis of the bone and joints were studied in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital for 10 years from January, 1966 to December. 1975. The results were as follows: 1. Total cases of tuberculosis of the bone and joints were 588 Among them, peripheral bone and joints excluding the spine occupied 198 cases (34%). 2. Sex ratio was 1.7 : 1 (male : female). Age distribution showed the group below 10 years was 78 cases (39%). On the other hand, 7 cases were over 51 years old. 3. More than 50% of patients visited hospital after one year from the onset. 4. One-third of all cases had been given some management before admission and the most common treatment was anti-tuberculous chemotherapy (25%). 5. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was definitly increased in 41%. 6. Associated tuberculous lesionsoe of extraskeletal system were confirmed in 66 cases (33%). Among them, active pulmonary tuberculosis were 51 cases (77%) 7. Various treatments (conservative, curettage, synovectomy, arthrodesis, etc.) had been carried out. However, surgical managements for saving the range of motion must be considered always before arthrodesis.
Age Distribution ; Arthrodesis ; Blood Sedimentation ; Clinical Study ; Curettage ; Drug Therapy ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Joints ; Orthopedics ; Preventive Medicine ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Seoul ; Sex Ratio ; Spine ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

The concept of surface replacement arthroplasty of the hip is to replace the diseased joint surface with artificial plastic and metal cup in the acetabular and femoral head respectively, and to restore the normal anatomy and gain biomechanical function. Ten cases of Wagner type's surface replacement arthroplasty performed in Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital since July 1979 are reviewed, and their minimum follow up is two months. In terms of the Pain control and improvement of range of motion in the hip, surface replacement arthroplasty showed about the same result compared with conventional total hip. In our cases there was no one complicatian, even though it is too short to evaluate the result of this operation. Wagner recommends surface replacement arthroplasty to perform through anterior approach, but 2 cases of our ten patients that have relatively good range of motion of the hip could be operated on this surgery by anterolateral approach (oblique skin incision) without trochanteric osteotomy, because of high incedence of myositis ossification with anterior approach. It is our conclusion that surface replacement arthroplasty of the hip may be used as an interim procedure to gain time in young patient who needs conventional total hip replacement which reveals increasing complication with the lapse of time.
Acetabulum ; Arthroplasty, Replacement ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints ; Myositis ; Orthopedics ; Osteotomy ; Plastics ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Seoul ; Skin

Twelve neglected congenital dislocations of the hip in ten patients over the age of eight years were treated by open reduction and chiari osteotomy. Reduction was aided by preoperative traction only in two hips, by femoral shortening with preoperative traction in three and by femoral shortening only in seven. The average follow up period in our series is 3 years, ranging from 1 year and 2 moths to 4 years and 5 months. The overall results were good but one case of avascular necrcsis and one case of redislocation were seen. By our experience it is thought that all old and congenitally dislocated hip in the growing age can be reduced by femoral shortening with soft tissue release, and preoperative traction for its reduction is not undispensable. The most problem in the treatment of the old congenital dislocation of the hip is the postoperative partial ankylosis in the affected hip and this problem would be overcome by delicate operative technique and meticulous hemostasis.
Ankylosis ; Dislocations ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemostasis ; Hip ; Humans ; Moths ; Osteotomy ; Traction

No abstract available.
Methotrexate* ; Pityriasis Lichenoides* ; Pityriasis* ; Prednisolone*

Low back pain is probable the second most common disease entity to upper respiratory infection in developedconuntry. We were missing at least 50% of the pathologic conditions by using conventional diagnostic modalities inlow back pain. They did tell us nothing or little about facet abnormalities, lateral recesses, vertebral canal andsoft tissues surrounding lumbar spines. High resolutional CT has been the biggest turning point in the diagnosisand management of low back pain. CT make a contribution to reducing the morbidity and probable the cost ofevaluating patiens with low baack pain, and to increasing diagnostic accuracy. We observed 100 cases of lumbar CTusing TCT 80A scanner for the evaluation of low back pain during the period from Apr. 1985 to Sept. 1985 atChung-Ang University Hospital. Lumbar CT scan reveals high-positive findings(98%) in low back pain patients.Common low back disorders in CT are disc bulging(53%), herniated nucleus pulposus(32%), degenerative arthritis inposterior facet joints (27%), spinal stensosis(20%) and postoperative spines(15%). Uncommon low back disorders inCT are compression fracture of verebral bodies, spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis, tropism, transitionalvertebra, Scheuerman's disease, limbic fracture, transverse process or articular process fracture, sacroiliacjoint subluxation, conjoined nerve root and meningocele.
Back Pain ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Meningocele ; Osteoarthritis ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis ; Spondylolysis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tropism ; Zygapophyseal Joint

PURPOSE: In mammals, alphaand beta-defensins are antimicrobial peptides that are expressed in various epithelial and phagocytic cells. Human beta-defensin-1 and -2 (hBD-1, hBD-2) have recently been shown to be expressed in various epithelial cells. Vaginal mucosa can be a target of vaginitis and the site of uropathogens' colonization that precedes urinary tract infections. Therefore, innate host defense mediators like antimicrobial peptides in the vaginal mucosa are important. Estrogen and progesterone receptors have been shown to be expressed in the vaginal squamous epithelium. Sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone may cause vaginal atrophy or susceptibility to uropathogens. So, we performed this study to investigate the expression patterns of hBD-1 and -2 mRNA in vaginal squamous epithelium (VSE) with using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 17beta-estradiol and progesterone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Normal VSE cells that were retrieved from vaginal tissue during vaginoplasty were primarily cultured in keratinocyte growth medium and they we allowed to undergo their 3rd passage. Modulation of the expressions of hBD-1 and -2 mRNA by various stimuli (LPS 0.5microgram/ml, E2 2nM, P 1micrometer) was measured by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: HBD-1 and -2 were constitutively expressed in the normal VSE cell lines, but the hBD-2 expression was not significant. A marked increase of the constitutive expression of hBD-2 mRNA was observed upon stimulation with LPS, but not upon stimulation with E2. A moderate decrease of the constitutive expression of hBD-2 mRNA upon stimulation with LPS was observed with administering progesterone. CONCLUSIONS: These expressions of hBD-2 mRNA may have important roles in the innate host defense of the urogenital area. Artificial intake of progesterone may lead to susceptibility via a decrease of defensins.
Atrophy ; beta-Defensins ; Cell Line ; Colon ; Defensins ; Epithelial Cells* ; Epithelium ; Estrogens ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Mammals ; Mucous Membrane ; Peptides ; Phagocytes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Progesterone* ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vagina ; Vaginitis

BACKGROUND: The human homologue of the SC2 gene from a human dermal papilla cell cDNA library has been isolated and designated hSC2. HSC2 protein also shares similarity with 5 -reductase, a protein important in testosterone metabolism. OBJECTIVE: Prior to knowing the functions of hSC2 in dermal papilla, we cloned it and analyzed its relative expression levels in adult tissues and cancer cell lines. METHODS: hSC2 was isolated from low abundant clones in dermal papilla cDNA library using cDNA array hibridization method. Full-length clone was sequenced and we studied its expression in different tissues by Northern blot hybridization. RESULTS: Sequence data reveals a single open reading frame, encoding a putative hydrophobic protein with a calculated molecular weight of 36 kDa. Its deduced amino acid sequences are almost 97.4% identical to t4ose of rat protein. Northern blot hybridization shows that hSC2 cDNA recognizes a 1.35 kb transcript that was expressed in various epithelial and mesenchymal tissues including testis and liver. CONCLUSION: We have cloned and analysed tissue distributions of hSC2. It was interesting that it had homology with 5α-reductase isozymes. Further studies will be needed to understand the involvement of hSC2 in androgen hormone signaling.
Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Molecular* ; DNA, Complementary ; Gene Library ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Open Reading Frames ; Rats ; Testis ; Testosterone ; Tissue Distribution