BACKGROUND: Since the exact pathogenesis of sepsis-induced ARDS has not been elucidated, the mechanisms of enhanced neutrophilic respiratory burst were probed in endotoxin primed neutrophils associated with the roles of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), platelet activating factor (PAF) and apoptosis. METHODS: In isolated fresh human neutrophils, effects of the inhibition of PLA2 and PAF on the apoptosis were examined by the method of Annexin-FITC/dual PI flow cytometry. The roles of PLA2 and PAF on the neutrophilic respiratory burst were also examined by measuring oxidant generation in cytochrome-c reduction assay. Activities of the PLA2 and lysoPAF acetyltransferase (lysoPAF AT) of the neutrophils were determined to understand the effect of endotoxin on these enzymatic activities which may be related to the neutrophilic respiratory burst and apoptosis. In addition, the role roles of PLA2 and PAF in neutrophilic adhesion to bovine endothelial cells were examined in vitro by neutrophil adhesion assay. To investigate the effect of oxidants on pulmonary surfactant, cytochemical ultrastructural microscopy was performed. To inhibit PLA2 and PAF, non-specific PLA2 inhibitor mepacrine (100 nM) and WEB 2086 (100 nM) or ketotifen fumarate (10 kg/ml) were used respectively in all in vitro experimental sets. WEB 2086 is PAF receptor antagonist, and ketotifen fumarate is a lyso PAF AT inhibitor. RESULTS: The mapacrine treatment, provided after the endotoxin (ETX) treatment, resulted in increased apoptosis of neutrophils (p<0.001) while treatments of WEB 2086 and ketotifen did not. The inhibition of PLA2 and PAF decreased (p<0.001) production of oxidants from PMA-stimulated neutrophils. While endotoxin increased the PLA2 activity of neutrophils (p<0.01), mepacrine supressed (p<0.001) the activity, provided after treatment of ETX. The lyso PAF actyltransferase activity (lyso PAF AT) increased(p<0.01) after treatment of ETX. In contrast, mepacrine, WEB 2086 and ketotifen showed a tendency of decreasing the activity after treatment of ETX. The Treatment of ETX increased (p<0.001) neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells, which was reversed by inhibition of PLA2 and PAF (p<0.001). The binding of oxidants to pulmonary surfactant was identified histologically. CONCLUSIONS: The enhanced neutrophilic respiratory burst by ETX plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ARDS in term of oxidayive oxidative stress. Increased production of oxidants form neutrophils is mediated by the activations of PLA2 and lyso PAF AT.
Apoptosis* ; Endothelial Cells ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Ketotifen ; Microscopy ; Neutrophils* ; Oxidants ; Oxidative Stress ; Phospholipases A2 ; Platelet Activating Factor ; Pulmonary Surfactants ; Quinacrine ; Respiratory Burst*

BACKGROUND: Proteins of the Bcl-2 family are intracellular membrane-associated proteins that regulate programmed cell death either positively or negatively by as yet unknown mechanism. Bcl-2 family proteins have an antiapoptotic function, such as the Bcl-2, the long form of Bcl-x and Mcl-l, or a proapoptotic function, like the short form of Bcl-x and Bax. To investigate the potential role of Bcl-2 family proteins in thyroid tumorigenesis, the authors examined the pattern of expression of the Bel-2 family proteins in various thyroid neoplasms. METHODS: Bcl-2 family proteins, including Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Mcl-1 and Bax proteins were immunohistochemically stained in 57 cases of various thyroid neoplasms using formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissues; 18 cases of papillary carcinoma, 6 cases of medullary carcinoma, 4 cases of anaplastic carcinoma, 10 cases of follicular adenoma, 9 cases of adenomatous goiter, and 10 autopsy cases of fetal thyroid galnd. The intensity and frequency of the immunostaining were evaluated with the program of Image-Pro Plus Version 3.0 for image analysis. RESULT: Consistent expression of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bax proteins were present in the surrounding normal thyroid tissue, however the expression of Bcl-x protein was not observed. Compare to the expression patterns of adenomatous goiter, and fetal and surrounding normal thyroid tissues, papillary and anaplastic carcinomas showed the decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bcl-x protein expressions(p (0.05). Medullary carcinoma revealed the increased Bcl-x protein expression only(p 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that combined patterns of decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bcl-x protein expressions may eontribute to the carcinogenesis of thyroid cancers originated from thyroid follicular cells, and an increased expression of Bcl-x protein may be related to the pathogenesis of medullary carcinoma from parafollicular C cells.
Adenoma ; Autopsy ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; bcl-X Protein ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Cell Death ; Goiter ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; Paraffin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver is a rare benign tumor with microscopic finding of fibrous stroma and chronic inflammatory cell infiltration. Predominance of plasma cells, histiocytes, lymphocytes, some eosinophils and whorled pattern of fibrosis is often characteristic. Due to similar radiologic appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma, inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver was often misdiagnosed and hepatic resection is often performed before preoperative tissue diagnosis. We report a case of inflammatory pseudotumor, which was a 47-year-old woman with fever, upper aMominal pain and weight loss, diagnosed by sonoguided liver biopsy and treated with antibiotic therapy only without surgery. After two weeks of treatment, the radiologic image of the mass was almost disappeared with improvement of previous symptoms. This opportunity and the possible effectiveness of antibiotic treatment should keep in mind in the differential diagnosis of the hepatic mass with similar radiologic appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Fever ; Fibrosis ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Liver* ; Lymphocytes ; Middle Aged ; Plasma Cells ; Weight Loss

The 635-nm low-level laser therapy was reported to "liquefy" or release stored fat in adipocytes by causing a transitory pore in the cell membrane to open, which permitted the fat content to go from inside to outside the cell. But some data do not support the belief that low-level laser therapy treatment before lipoplasty procedures disrupts tissue adipocyte structure. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of low-level laser- assisted liposuction. The use of low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty was evaluated in a series of 90 cases. There were 2 treatment groups in the clinical study. Subjects in the test group(39 patients; 31 thighs and 17 abdomen) received only liposuction on one side and laser-assisted liposuction on the other side during early 1liter aspiration time. 51 patients in the operated group received laser-assisted liposuction on both side. After adequate infiltration was obtained in all targeted body areas, a 635-nm electric diode laser was applied to the targeted areas for 12 to 15 minutes to liquefy the fat which was extracted immediately after laser treatment. On the side which received laser-assisted liposuction of the 39 test-group patients, we could gain much fat component(71+/-7.2 vs 63+/-8.6%) and it took short time(26+/-5.7 vs 31+/-7.7 minutes). Postoperative recovery was rapid, and complications were minimal. Low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty can be a valuable adjunctive tool for the performance of lipoplasty.
Adipocytes ; Cell Membrane ; Humans ; Low-Level Light Therapy ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Lipectomy* ; Thigh

No abstract available.
Down Syndrome* ; Humans ; Psoriasis*

No abstract available.
Hair*

Hairy cell leukemia is an uncommon lymphoreticular disorder which primarily involves bone marrow, spleen, and peripheral blood. Patients, mostly men, present with splenomegaly and pancytopenia usually. A 62-year-old man was admitted with an abdominnal mass which had grown slowly for 20 years. On physical examination, an enlarged spleen was palpated without tenderness. An abdominal CT scan showed a diffusely enlarged spleen, which measured 20 cm in greatest dimension. In the peripheral blood, many atypical lymphocytes with abundant, delicate, surface projections were noted. They had tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP) activity. Thrombocytopenia (60,000/mm3) was observed in the complete blood counts, Other laboratory data were within normal limits. He underwent splenectomy. The submitted spleen measured 26x15x5 cm and weighed 2150 gm. It was well encapsulated and the outer surface was smooth. Cut surfaces were diffusely dark-red. White and red pulps were indistinct. There was no mass-like lesion. Microscopically, the spleen consisted of monotonous mononulcear cells which involved red pulp. The white pulp was diminished, and could be barely recognized. Cells had small round nuclei and abundant cytoplasm. Ultrastructurally, cells with numerous slender surface projections were noted. In Korea, hairy cell leukemia is exceedingly rare. We report a case of hairy cell leukemia with characteristic pathologic features of spleen as well as those of peripheral blood.
Male ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer(HNC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) accounts for 85-90% of all HNC. However, its biologic behavior has little been known yet. OBJECTIVES: In the present investigation, Eight of nine cell lines, which were developed and characterized in Asan Medical Center of University of Ulsan, were tested for tumor formation and histology in nude mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Explant cultures of fresh tumor tissue were used to develop new permanent tumor cell lines. Five-to ten million-cells were injected subcutaneously into 3-to 6-week-old male nude mice and the formation of tumors was evaluated after 3 to 8 weeks. RESULTS: Eight cell lines(AMC-HN-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7 and -9) produced progressively growing tumor, and were noticed remarkable similarity of the histologic feature to original tumor. Well formed keratin pearls were present both in the original tumor and the tumor produced by the AMC-HN-3 and -7 cell lines. AMC-HN-2 and -6 grew in well formed infiltrating cords with a prominent stromal network exactly like that in the original tumor. The undifferentiated carcinoma from AMC-HN-9 has the same histologic and immunohistochemical pattern. CONCLUSION: The histologic similarity between original tumors and AMC-HN cell lines are representative that cell lines are promised to be good in vitro models for study of HNC biology.
Animals ; Biology ; Carcinoma ; Cell Line* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Head ; Heterografts* ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude* ; Neck ; Ulsan

Malignant melanoma is a rare disease in Asians but potentially the most aggressive form of skin cancer worldwide. It can occur in any melanocyte-containing anatomic site. Four main cutaneous melanoma subtypes are recognized: lentigo maligna melanoma, superficial spreading melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), and nodular melanoma. Generally, excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation increases the risk of melanoma. The exception is ALM, which is the most common melanoma subtype in Asians and is not associated with UV radiation. ALM presents as dark brownish to black, irregular maculopatches, nodules, or ulcers on the palms, soles, and nails. The lesions may be misdiagnosed as more benign lesions, such as warts, ulcers, hematomas, foreign bodies, or fungal infections, especially in amelanotic acral melanomas where black pigments are absent. The aim of this brief review is to improve understanding and the rate of early detection thereby reducing mortality, especially regarding cutaneous melanoma in Asians.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Foreign Bodies ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle ; Melanoma ; Mortality ; Rare Diseases ; Skin Neoplasms ; Ulcer ; Warts

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether three-dimensional (3D)-printed flexible denture resin has suitable mechanical properties for use as a thermoplastic denture base resin material. Materials and Methods: A total of 96 specimens were prepared using the 3D printed flexible denture resin (Flexible Denture). Specimens were designed in CAD software (Tinkercad) and printed through a digital light-processing 3D printer (Asiga MAX UV). Post-polymerization process was conducted according to air exposure or glycerin immersion at 35°C or 60°C and for 30 or 60 minutes. The maximum flexural strength, elastic modulus, 0.2% offset yield strength, and Vickers hardness of 3D-printed flexible denture resin were assessed.Result: The maximum flexural strength ranged from 64.46±2.03 to 84.25±4.32 MPa, the 0.2% offset yield strength ranged from 35.28±1.05 to 46.13±2.33 MPa, the elastic modulus ranged from 1,764.70±64.66 to 2,179.16±140.01 MPa, and the Vickers hardness ranged from 7.01±0.40 to 11.45±0.69 kg/mm2 . Conclusion Within the limits of the present study, the maximum flexural strength, 0.2% offset yield strength, elastic modulus, and Vickers hardness are sufficient for clinical use under the post-polymerization conditions of 60°C at 60 minutes with or without glycerin precipitation.