BACKGROUND: It is well known that neuronal degeneration can occur after a brief deprivation of energy source. To investigate whether glial astrocyte can induce a phenomenon of delayed cell death after transient energy loss and to see how different are the effects of nifedipine, lidocaine, carnosine and hypothermia on delayed toxicity in astrocyte. METHODS: Human astrocytoma cells (U1242MG) were used in this study. To assess the astrocyte survival during post-ischemic period after transient histotoxic hypoxia, 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl]-2,5, diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was used. Compared to MTT test, tryphan blue test was also used to demonstrate membrane damage of affected cells. Studies on intracellular calcium dynamics during ischemic and post-ischemic period were carried out with fluo-3 and flow cytometry system. RESULTS: The percentage survival of astrocyte during post-ischemic period was decreasing with time. Calcium channel blocker nifedipine, sodium and calcium channel blocker lidocaine and free radical scavenger carnosine could not prevent post-ischemic cell damage. But, hypothermia was only an effective method in ameliorating post-ischemic cell death. Intracellular calcium increase during ischemia and post-ischemia was dependent on extracellular calcium influx. CONCLUSIONS: Only hypothermia was effective in reducing astrocyte death during post-ischemia after transient energy depletion. Intracellular calcium alterations during post-ischemia was from extracellular space.
Anoxia* ; Astrocytes* ; Astrocytoma ; Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Carnosine ; Cell Death ; Extracellular Space ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Hypothermia* ; Ischemia ; Lidocaine ; Membranes ; Neurons ; Nifedipine ; Sodium

54-year-old male patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia was consulted to our department. He had had a few painful erythematous necrotic plaques on the chest, which suggested initslly vasculitis or pyoderma. On histological examination, characterisitic histological findings of non-septated large hyphae were observed in the dermis and subcutaneoustissue, Although organism was not isolated on Sabouraud agar media containing cycloheximide, the diagnosis of cutaneous mucormycosis was made by the characteristic histological nattlre. He died after 2 weeks with amphotericin B intravenous injections so that additional fungus culture was not performed.
Agar ; Amphotericin B ; Cycloheximide ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Fungi ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucormycosis* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Pyoderma ; Thorax ; Vasculitis

Autograft using suction hlistered epidermis is one of the surgical therapeutic mod- alities of vitiligo, and has been successfully used by several authors. The maintenance of grafting pigment is belieued to be more important than repigmentation itself. To examine the maintenance of pigment, 22 vitiligo patients were treated by autograft using suction blistered epidermis and followed for 16.8 months. Repigmentation developed in 20 patients, Two patients were lost to follow up. Out of 20 patients, grafting pigment was maintained in 17 patients(85% ) and disappeared in three patients(15% ). By clinical subtype, the rates of maintenance were 100% in segmental type, 80% in localized type and 66% in generalized type. The best results were observed in a head and neck location and the worst rates and maintenance were in the hand. However, these differences were not statistically significant. likewise, age and sex were not factors in maintenance and repigrnentation. Based on this study, autograft using suction blistered epidermis appears to be a good therapeutic modality for stable vitiligo, particularly segmental vitiligo.
Autografts* ; Blister* ; Epidermis* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hand ; Head ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Neck ; Suction* ; Transplants ; Vitiligo

We reviewed 35 patients who received an operation for the Spondylolisthesis from July 1980 to July 1985. The follow-up period between operation and evaluation was at least 14 months and average 32 months. we obtained the following results. 1. The age distribution was from 23 years of age to 70 years of age and the prevalent decade was at the 5th. 2. Sex difference showed male 9 cases and female 26 cases, that is, female preponderance about 3 times. 3. 24 cases were isthmic type and 11 cases were degenerative type. The ratio between isthmic type and degenerative type was about 2: l. 4. Isthmic type was found at the 4th and 5th decades frequently and degenerative type was at 5th and 6th decade frequently. 5. The displacement between L4 and L5 was 21 cases and the displacement between L5 and sacrum was 14 cases. 6. In isthmic type, the displacement between L4 and L5 was 11 cases and the displacement between L5 and sacrum was 13 cases. In degenerative type, the displacement between L4 and L5 was 10 cases and the displacement between L5 and sacrum was 1 case. So the isthmic defect occurred at 2 levels almost equally and degonerative type occurred at L4-5 predominantly. 7. Overall results are excellent 2 cases(6%), good 29 cases(82%), fair 2 cases(6%), and poor 2 cases (6%).
Age Distribution ; Clinical Study ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Sacrum ; Sex Characteristics ; Spondylolisthesis

Recently, next generation sequencing (NGS) has received attention as the ultimate genotyping method to overcome the limitations of capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based short tandem repeat (STR) analysis, such as the limited number of STR loci that can be measured simultaneously using fluorescent-labeled primers and the maximum size of STR amplicons. In this study, we analyzed 15 autosomal STR markers via the NGS method and evaluated their effectiveness in STR analysis. Using male and female standard DNA as single-sources and their 1:1 mixture, we sequentially generated sample amplicons by the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, constructed DNA libraries by ligation of adapters with a multiplex identifier (MID), and sequenced DNA using the Roche GS Junior Platform. Sequencing data for each sample were analyzed via alignment with pre-built reference sequences. Most STR alleles could be determined by applying a coverage threshold of 20% for the two single-sources and 10% for the 1:1 mixture. The structure of the STR in each allele was accurately determined by examining the sequences of the target STR region. The mixture ratio of the mixed sample was estimated by analyzing the coverage ratios between assigned alleles at each locus and the reference/variant ratios from the observed sequence variations. In conclusion, the experimental method used in this study allowed the successful generation of NGS data. In addition, the NGS data analysis protocol enables accurate STR allele call and repeat structure determination at each locus. Therefore, this approach using the NGS system will be helpful to interpret and analysis the STR profiles from singe-source and even mixed samples in forensic investigation.
Alleles ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; Female ; Gene Library ; Humans ; Ligation ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Statistics as Topic

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of alopecia areata is still unknown, however autoimmune mechanism is strongly suggested. The topical immunotherapy using potent sensitizer has been used as new therapeutic modality. By this method in one half and to one third of the patients, hair growth is observed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the immunological profile between responders and non-responders to dphencyprone (DPCP) topical immunotherapy in alopecia areata patients. METHODS: Aker sensitization, DPCP was applied to the patients' scalp weekly for three months. Before and after treatment the therapeutic effect was evaluated by clinical observation by following items: complete baldness, baldness+vellus, baldness+terminal hair and normal hair. Peripheral T cell and T cell subsets, B cell and delayed hypersensitivity with various antigens were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: The immunologic difference between responders and non-responders was not statistically different. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that no major immunologic difference was observed between responders and non-responders before and after DPCP topical immunotherapy. Local mechanism seems to be related in the response to immunotherapy.
Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; Immunotherapy ; Methods ; Scalp ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of alopecia areata is still unknown, however autoimmune mechanism is strongly suggested. The topical immunotherapy using potent sensitizer has been used as new therapeutic modality. By this method in one half and to one third of the patients, hair growth is observed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the immunological profile between responders and non-responders to dphencyprone (DPCP) topical immunotherapy in alopecia areata patients. METHODS: Aker sensitization, DPCP was applied to the patients' scalp weekly for three months. Before and after treatment the therapeutic effect was evaluated by clinical observation by following items: complete baldness, baldness+vellus, baldness+terminal hair and normal hair. Peripheral T cell and T cell subsets, B cell and delayed hypersensitivity with various antigens were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: The immunologic difference between responders and non-responders was not statistically different. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that no major immunologic difference was observed between responders and non-responders before and after DPCP topical immunotherapy. Local mechanism seems to be related in the response to immunotherapy.
Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; Immunotherapy ; Methods ; Scalp ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Seizures*

A study was made in the congenital anomalies in 137 babies born to 120 mothers with hydramnios, delivered at Ilsin Christian Hospital between Jan. 1st 1981 and Dec. 31th 1990. The results were as follows; 1) The incidence of hydramnios was 1.6/1000 deliveries, 120 cases in total 73, 129 deliveries. 137 infants was born and of these 71 (51.8%) had congenital anomalies. 2) Hydramnios was assiciated with a high incidence of prematurity and low birth weight infant. 3) The incience of multiple anomalies was 54.9% (39 out of 71 infants). The most common system involved with the congenital anomalies was the musculoskeletal system, 28.9% (39 cases out of 135) and the most frequent anomaly was anencephaly, 15 cases. 4) The perinatal mortality rate was 759/1000 total (104 cases) and of these 45 cases, 43.3% were associated with congenital anomalies. 53 of the live birth had congenital anomalies and of these 27 cases (50.9%) died in the neonatal period.
Anencephaly ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Live Birth ; Mothers ; Musculoskeletal System ; Parturition* ; Perinatal Mortality ; Polyhydramnios*

Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors of the ovary are rare, accounting for no more than 0.5% of all ovarian neoplasms. These tumors occur predominantly in women 10 to 30 years of age. Heterologous elements are found in over 20% of the moderately and poorly differentiated Sertoli- Leydig cell tumors. The most common element is gastrointestinal mucin-secreting epithelium, found in approximately 20% of all cases. Approximately 4% of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors contain immature skeletal muscle and/or cartilaginous elements. The origin of these neoplasms is regarded as neometaplasia of the mesodermal neoplastic element. While the degree of differentiation of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors is probably of greater importance in determining prognosis than the presence of heterologous components, recent evidence does point to an unfavorable effect on clinical outcome when heterologous mesenchymal components such as cartilage and striated muscle are present. We experienced two cases of ovarian heterologous Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors with gastrointestinal type epithelium and striated skeletal muscle in 20 and 21 year-old females, respectively. One case involved a patient who had complained of amenorrhea for 3 years while the other case involved a patient who had complained of left lower abdominal tenderness and amenorrhea for one and one half years. It was determined by ultrasonography of the pelvis that the two patients suffered from right and left ovarian masses. Both patients underwent adnexectomy. These tumors were large with partly solid and partly cystic areas. Based on light microscopic examination one case was classified as an intermediate Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with heterologous gastrointestinal type epithelium, while the other case was classified as a poorly differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with heterologous striated skeletal muscle.
Female ; Humans