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

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

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

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*

BACKGROUND: The present study was carried out in association with neutrophilic respiratory burst in the lung in order to clarify the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) following acute severe hemorrhage. Because oxidative stress has been suggested as one of the principal factors causing tissue injury, the role of free radicals from neutrophils was assessed in acute hemorrhage-induced lung injury. METHOD: In Sprague-Dawley rats, hemorrhagic shock was induced by withdrawing blood(20 ml/kg of B.W) for 5 min and the hypotensive state was sustained for 60 min. To determine the mechanism and role of oxidative stress associated with phospholipase A2(PLA2) by neutrophils, the level of lung leakage, pulmonary myeloperoxidase(MPO), and the pulmonary PLA2 were measured. In addition, the production of free radicals was assessed in isolated neutrophils by cytochemical electron microscopy in the lung. RESULTS: In hypotensive shock-induced acute lung injury, the pulmonary MPO, the level of lung leakage and the production of free radicals were higher. The inhibition of PLA2 with mepacrine decreased the pulmonary MPO, level of lung leakage and the production of free radicals from neutrophils. CONCLUSION: A. neutrophilic respiratory burst is responsible for the oxidative stress causing acute lung injury followed by acute, severe hemorrhage. PLA2 activation is the principal cause of this oxidative stress.
Acute Lung Injury* ; Free Radicals ; Hemorrhage ; Lung ; Lung Injury ; Microscopy, Electron ; Neutrophils* ; Oxidative Stress ; Phospholipases A2* ; Phospholipases* ; Quinacrine ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Respiratory Burst* ; Shock, Hemorrhagic

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences between homeless with schizophrenia and non-homeless with schizophrenia, and to identify the correlators of homelessness in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Forty two schizophrenic inpatients were divided into the homeless group (n=19) and non-homeless group (n=23). Psychopathologic measures, neurocognitive tests, hinting task, and the Social and Occupational Function Assessment Scale (SOFAS) were administered in both groups. RESULTS: SOFAS showed high correlation with homelessness in schizophrenic inpatients. Duration of Untreated Psychosis, negative component of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Continuous Performance Test (CPT) correct number, and hinting task were all mediated by SOFAS to explain homelessness in schizophrenic inpatients. In particular, CPT correct number showed direct correlation with homelessness without mediation by SOFAS. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that cognitive rehabilitation and social skill training may be helpful in prevention of homelessness of schizophrenic patients. Social cognition and neurocognitive test including CPT may be useful for evaluating the risk of homelessness in schizophrenic patients.
Cognition ; Homeless Persons* ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Negotiating ; Psychotic Disorders ; Rehabilitation ; Schizophrenia*