It is known that CD28, a positive costimulatory receptor, plays a very important role in inducing the optimal stimulation of T lymphocytes. CTLA-4 (CD152), however, acts as a negative regulator in T lymphocyte activation. The effect of an feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection on the expression of feline CD28 and CTLA-4 was studied with FIV-infected and uninfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using a competitive PCR assay. The nature of CD28 and CTLA-4 expression was also examined with fresh and antigen-stimulated PBMC. FIV infection induced a lower expression of CD28, but a higher expression of CTLA-4 in the infected PBMC than in the uninfected PBMC. Relatively high levels of CD28 expression were demonstrated in both the fresh and the antigen-stimulated PBMC. The expression level of CTLA-4 in the freshly isolated PBMC was rather low, however, FIV antigen stimulation induced a relatively high expression of CTLA-4 in feline PBMC.
Animals ; Antigens, CD ; Antigens, CD28/*biosynthesis ; Antigens, Differentiation/*biosynthesis ; Antigens, Viral/*immunology ; Cats ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Gene Expression ; Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline/immunology/*physiology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology/*virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary

Pathologic fracture occurs in a bone with preexisting stuctual weakness. The author reviewed 30 cases of pathologic fractures in which admission record and X-ray finding was well preserved among 53 cases admitted patients in the department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Seoul National Universty Hospital for 10 years from 1967. The results were as follows: 1.Age & Sex incidence showed even distribution. 2. The most frequent involved site was femur (40%) 3. The underlying etiology was as follows: 2 chronic osteomyelitis 1 homophilia 7 benign tumor 20 malignant tumor 4. metastatic tumor was the most frequent cause in 30 cases. 5. Treatment was as follows: Conservative treatment 4 cases Surgery 21 cases.
Clinical Study ; Femur ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Humans ; Incidence ; Osteomyelitis ; Seoul

The incidence of non-union in the shaft of femur is increasing gradually in spite of considerably improved methods of femoral fracture care. It is necessary that orthopaedic surgeon must draw attention to improve the method of treatment and to prevent the occurance of non-union. This paper presents the follow-up result of 27 cases among 30 established femoral shaft non-union cases, that were treated at the orthopaedic dept. of the National Medical Center from March 1971 to March 1980 by various methods. The study of this series shows the following. l. Amount 27 cases, male was predominant (82%), peak age group was 3rd & 4th decades (52%). 2. The causes of injury were auto-accident (56%), falling down accident (22%), direct blow (11%) & slipping down accident (11%). 3. The most common location was around the mid-shaft of femur (44.4%). 4. The probable causes of non-union were loosening of the implants & metal failure due to improper internal fixation (10 cases), incomplete reduction (7 cases), infection (5 cases) & inadenaute external immobilization (5 cases). 5. Excellent results were obtained by combined method of compression plate, screws & intramedullary nailing with additional autogenous bone graft.
Accidental Falls ; Femoral Fractures ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Incidence ; Male ; Methods ; Transplants

In order to assess the biocompatibility of domestic dynamic compression plates and screws manufactured at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technclogy), hematological, serological, histological, and metallurgical studies were carried out on sixty rabbits through thirty-two weeks. The rabbits were divided into two groups, group I: thirty rabbits for KAIST plates and screws, group II: thirty rabbits for Osteo plates and screws. The plate and screws were fixed on the fixed tibial shaft. All the resulg of hematological, serological, histological, and metallurgical study revealed that there were no meaningful differences between the two groups. This, in fact, enco.urages us to use domestic KAIST plates and screws clinically and to develop more complicated designs including total joint replacement system.
Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Joints ; Rabbits ; Stainless Steel

Recent studies have revealed that IGF- I produced in kidney are of two fractions; GH dependent and GH nondependent IGF-I. The role of GH nondependent IGF-I is interesting in renal hypertrophy and glomerulosclerosis because GH is clearly related with hypertrophy accompanying glomerulosclerosis is not seen in GH deficient animal. The relationship of the high protein diet and the IGF- I production under the deprivation of GH was studied. In hypophysectomized Sprague-Dawley rat, the level of serum IGF-I was measured using radioimmunoassay, and renal IGF- I production evaluated by immunohistochemistry during both normal and high protein diet. Serum IGF-I of rats on high protein diet was significantly higher than that fed normal protein diet. After unilateral nephrectomy, the level of serum IGF-I was significantly increased in both normal and high protein diet groups. Henle's loop, distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct were weakly stained with normal protein diet. With high protein diet, the staining intensities increased at these portion , and distal part of proximal convoluted tubule and straight tubule were weakly stained. After unilateral nephrectomy, distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct were densely stained with normal protein diet. With high protein diet, the staining intensities increased in distal part of proximal convoluted tubule and Henle's loop. Regardless of the types of protein diet, the specific difference between unilateral nephrectomized rats and sham- operated rats was immunoreactivity of the distal convoluted tubule.. In conclusion, it is suggested that GH non-dependent IGF-I is mainly produced in distal convoluted tubule during compensatory renal hypertrophy, and protein diet mainly affect IGF- I production of distal part of proximal convoluted tubule and Henle's loop.
Animals ; Diet ; Growth Hormone* ; Hypertrophy ; Hypophysectomy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Kidney* ; Nephrectomy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: Because cryptorchid testes are known to undergo histopathologic changes affecting development, maturation, and tertility, early surgical correction is usually recommended. However there are differing opinions concerning whether retractile testes are affected by similar changes and also whether there is a need for surgical treatment. We aimed to assess the histopathologic changes in retractile testis by studying the changes in testes artificially placed back in the abdomen after they have descended to scrotum in experimental rat models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups; a control group(controls), prepubertal ascent group (P) in which testis were placed back intraabdominally by bilateral inguinal canal obstruction at 6 weeks, a neonatal group(N) in which intraabdminal testis was induced by bilateral inguinal canal obstruction at birth. The relative weight of the testis, morphology of the seminiferous tubules including Leydig cells, tubular degeneration phase(TDP), spermatogonia per tubules(S/T), and Sertoli cell index (SCI) of these three groups were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The relative weight of testis was significantly decreased in the group of N(0.0016+/-0.001) and P(0.0015+/-0.0002) compared to controls(0.0037+/-0.0002) (p<0.05). The S/T value was also decreased in P(2.05+/-18.2) and N(73.2+/-32.4) when compared to controls (360.2+/-21.3). Similar changes were observed in SCI of both P(64.5+/-6.4) and N (91.2+/-14.2) when compared to controls (227.9+/-31.1). Only minority of N and P showed higher TDP values. However, although statistically insignificant, TDP was increased in both P and N when compared to controls. The Leydig cells in N and P showed cellular distortion and hypertrophy. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrate that prepubertal ascent, similar to that of innate cryptorchid testis, also can induce histopathologic changes such as changes in testicular seminiferous tubule, decrease in the S/T value and decrease in SCI value. Our findings supports that hypothesis that retractile testis may cause histological damage thus surgical correction may also be warranted similar to in case of genuine cryptorchism.
Abdomen* ; Animals ; Cryptorchidism ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Inguinal Canal ; Leydig Cells ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical ; Parturition ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Scrotum ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Spermatogonia ; Testis*

No Abstract Available.
Heparitin Sulfate* ; Orientia tsutsugamushi*

BACKGROUND: Biochemical markers have been proposed as sensitive indicators of high bone turnover and for monitoring response to osteoporosis treatment. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the pattern of biochemical markers of bone metabolism (urinary deoxypryridinoline(D PYD), serum osteocalcin) across menopausal transition in women. METHODS: We measured the urinary excretion of D PYD, serum osteocalcin and BMD in 44 premenopausal and age matched 44 postmenopausal women who visited a tertiary hospital from May 1, 1997 to July 31, 1997. Each values between premenopausal and postmenopausal women were anaysed with paired t-tests. Pearson's correlation coefficients were performed to assess the relationships between the three values. RESULTS: Urinary excretion of D-PYD in postmenopausal women (12.103+/-2.27 nM/mM creatinine) was higher than in premenopausal women (9.322+/-2.53 nM/mM creatinine) (P<0.05). Serum osteocalcin in postmenopausal women (12.8698+/-3.1 ng/ml) was higher than in premenopausal women (9.0949+/-2.7 ng/ml) (P<0.01). BMD in postmenopausal women (0.9979+/-0.1863 g/cm2) was lower than in postmenopausal women (1.1845+/-0.1591 g/cm2) (P<0.01). The serum osteocalcin level was positively correlated with D-PYD (r=0.547, p<0.01). Urine excretion of D-PYD was negatively correlated with BMD (r= 0.36, p<0.01). Serum osteocalcin was negatively correlated with BMD (r= 0.427, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Urinary D-PYD excretion and serum osteocalcin were increased, but BMD was decreased significantly in postmenopausal women. Urinary D-PYD, serum osteocalcin, and BMD were significantly correlated with each other in women.
Biomarkers ; Bone Density ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; Metabolism ; Osteocalcin* ; Osteoporosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers

Melanosis coli is the brownish pigmentation of the colon associted with the ingestion of anthraquinone compounds as iaxatives. The brownish discoloration of the colon mucosa is due to accumulation of macrophage containing lipofuscin pigment in the lamina propria. This is the one of the complications of laxative abuse, but the pigments disappear by withdrawing the anthraquinone. We report a case of malanosis coli histologically confirmed by fibersigmoidoscopic biopsy in a 70-year-old female patient consuming anthraquinone compound for twelve months with a review of the literature.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Lipofuscin ; Macrophages ; Melanosis* ; Mucous Membrane ; Pigmentation

We retrospecively analyzed MRI findings of 14 patients with intracranial tuberculosis according to the disease process before anti-tuberculous medication. We also analyzed the correlativity between these findings and the clinical outcome after anti-tuberculous medication in 8 patients who had taken follow-up MR imaging. MR imaging was performed with either a 0.5T(1 patients) or 1.0T(13 patients) superconducting system with spinecho pulse sequences. Abnormalities on MRI were seen in 87%(12/14) of the patients. MRI findings consisted of meningeal enhancement(n=10), parenchymal tuberculoma(n=6), hydrocephalus(n=5), and infarction(n=5). Most of them were found within 3 months from symptom-onset. Parenchymal tuberculomas were found after 1 month of symptom-onset. All cases of hydrocephalus and infarction were associated with meningeal enhancement. On follow-up MRI after anti-tuberculous medication, changes of MR imaging did not correlate with clinical outocome in 4(50%) of 8 patients. Improvement of MRI findings were observed in patient treated for more than 3 weeks. In conclusion, MRI is a good modality in the diagnosis of intracranial tuberculosis, however, the MRI findings are not always correlated with clinical outcome after, anti-tuberculous medication.
Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Tuberculoma ; Tuberculosis*