To investigate the effect of tumor removal and administration of OK432 on the splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats, NK cell activity assay using a 4-hour 51Cr release assay and flow cytometric analysis for NK cell population were performed. The results were as follows: 1. Splenic NK cell activity and population in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats decreased along with the growth of the tumor. 2. The rats with subcutaneous tumor removal showed decrease of splenic NK cell activity, but splenic NK cell population was not decreased. 3. In the rats with subcutaneous tumor removal and OK432 administration, splenic NK cell activity was significantly increased 1 week after administration of OK432 and then gradually returned to normal, whereas increase of NK cell population was not significant. In the present study, splenic NK cell activity was significantly decreased despite removal of subcutaneous tumor. But with the administration of OK432, splenic NK cell activity returned to normal. Considering the role of NK cells on the first line of defense against the metastatic implantation of circulating tumor emboli, we suggest that perioperative administration of immunopotentiator such as OK432 may improve the patient's outcome after surgery of human neoplasm.
Animals ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Picibanil* ; Rats* ; Spleen

No abstract available.
Nasal Bone*

No abstract available.
Borrelia burgdorferi* ; Borrelia* ; Humans ; Korea*

BACKGROUND: Flecainide is an antiarrhythmic agent that is used primarily in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Some evidences also suggest that flecainide can participate in alveolar fluid clearance and inflammatory responses. This experiment was aimed to evaluate the effects of flecainide on sepsis induced acute lung injury in a rat model. METHODS: Rats were treated with subcutaneous infusion of saline or flecainide (0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg/hr) by a mini-osmotic pump. Subcutaneous infusion was started 3 hours before and continued until 8 hours after intraperitoneal injection of saline or endotoxin. Animals were sacrificed for analyses of severity of acute lung injury with wet to dry (W/D) ratio and lung injury score (LIS) in lung and inflammatory responses with level of leukocyte, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and inteleukin-8 (IL-8) in bronchoalveolar lavages fluid (BALF). RESULTS: Flecainide markedly improved dose dependently sepsis induced acute lung injury as analysed by W/D ratio (from 2.24 ± 0.11 to 1.76 ± 0.09, p < 0.05) and LIS (from 3 to 1, p < 0.05), and inflammatory response as determined by leukocyte (from 443 ± 127 to 229 ± 95, p < 0.05), PMNs (from 41.43 ± 17.63 to 2.43 ± 2.61, p < 0.05) and IL-8 (from 95.00 ± 15.28 to 40.00 ± 10.21, p < 0.05) in BALF. CONCLUSIONS: Flecanide improve sepsis induced acute lung injury in rats by controlling inflammatory responses.
Acute Lung Injury* ; Animals ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Flecainide* ; Infusions, Subcutaneous ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Interleukin-8 ; Leukocytes ; Lung ; Lung Injury ; Models, Animal ; Neutrophils ; Rats ; Sepsis*

PURPOSE: To investigate postoperative outcomes of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) using lacrimal sac flap and silastic sheet in patients with acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. METHODS: From November 2009 until December 2010, endonasal DCR with lacrimal sac flap was performed in 26 eyes (group 1) and conventional DCR without flap in 28 eyes (group 2). The anatomic and functional success rates and complications were analyzed and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The anatomical success rate was 96.2% in group 1 and 85.7% in group 2. The functional success rate was 100% in group 1 and 92.9% in group 2. The success rate was higher in group 1 than in group 2, although not being statistically significant. Granuloma was found in 15.4% of patients in group 1 and 32.1% of patients in group 2. Synechia or membranous obstruction was not found in group 1, whereas synechia developed in 14.3% of patients in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Endonasal DCR with lacrimal sac flap showed a greater success rate and lower formation of granuloma than conventional endonasal DCR without flap because of reduced inflammation and granulation tissue formation around retained bony spicles.
Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Dimethylpolysiloxanes ; Eye ; Granulation Tissue ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Nasolacrimal Duct

BACKGROUND: Paederus derriattis is a peculiar linear lesion caused by an insect belonging to genus Paederus, family Staptylinidae, order Coleoptera. The deliberate or accidental contact of crushed coelomic fluid of th insect, on the skin causes acute lesions due to a t.oxin(pederin) being released. OBJECTIVE: The study was nade in order to investigate an epidemic status of the peculiar der matitis and its causative agent of factor prevailing in the midwest area of Kyungpuk province. METHODS: We performed field approaches on 633 cases(M: 303, F: 330) including cases enrolled in a local clinic, teamiring up with a local skin clinician over the 3-month period of August November in 1994. RESULTS: 1. The captive insect causing the present dermatits, was identified as Paederus fuscipes(PF). The epidemic might be attributeid to the climatic conditions with higher temperature than usual during the period of July-eary September in the past year by 3-4degrees C as well as a lower relative humidity. The active temperature zone for PF was presumed to be about 15.5+1.2degrees C to 28.9+1.0degrees C 2. There was the highest p;evalence of 412 cases(65.1%) in early September, followed by mid September, late August, early October and mid August in a small number of cases in decreasing order. The cases were not found after mid October. 3. All age groups were evealy represented. The sex ratio was 1: 1.1 with little difference. The majority of cases lived in Kiriich on city(80.3%), with a lesser outbreak in the neighboring coun ties and Kumi city. 4. The preferred site was the mainly exposed area such as face, neck and extremities. The number of lesion was single(60%) and multiple(40%). The lesion showed a common linear con figuration and acute irritant contact dermatitis consistent with the histologic finding. CONCLUSION: The unusual wiather conditions and poor environmental hygiene help to develop an ecosystem breakdown, which, in turn, sometimes influences the innocuous insects life to be harm ful being on humans, as like outbreak of PF dermatitis.
Beetles ; Dermatitis* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Ecosystem ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Extremities ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Humidity ; Hygiene ; Insects ; Neck ; Sex Ratio ; Skin

To investigate results of treatment with essential blepharospasm, patients were evaluated by results of treatment with botulinum toxin A and myectomy operation. Seventy patients of the essential blepharospasm who received local injection of botulinum toxin or orbicularis muscle extirpative surgery were evaluated according to results and complications of the treatment modality over a 7-year period. Fifty-six patients[80%] were primarily treated with botulinum toxin and 14 patients[20%] underwent myectomy operation as the primary treatment. Of the 56 patients, 8[14.3%] were treated later with myectomy operation. In botulinum toxin treatment, the mean subjective improvement was found in 89.2% of the patients, and the mean effective durations of essential blepharospasm were 12.7 weeks. Severity and frequency grades in eyelid spasm were significantly lower after injection[P=.000]. Tearing, dry eye, and headche were the most frequent complications and ptosis was observed in 2 cases[2.0%]. In the orbicularis myectomy operation, 13 patients[59.1%] were carried out through a brow incisions, 1[4.5%] through a blepharoplasty incisions, and 8[36.4%] through both. Fourteen patients[63.6%] had acceptable control of blepharospasm throughout follow-up after the upper lid orbicularis stripping procedure alone. We believe that botulinum toxin is the treatment of first choice because of its higher acceptance rate. Surgery is reserved for botulinum toxin failure. In otherwise fit patients, myectomy is the treatment of first choice.
Blepharoplasty ; Blepharospasm* ; Botulinum Toxins* ; Eyelids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Spasm

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst ; Pilomatrixoma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the Korean version of Fall Efficacy scale(FES) and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale(ABC) to Korean older adult through an examination of instrument`s internal consistency and validity METHOD: A sample of 90 Korean older adults who lived in a community completed a survey instrument which included Korean version of FES and ABC. Because of comparable data derived from each scale, fear of falling and quality of life, activity daily living were included. Concurrent validity, criterion validity and correlational validity were tested. Reliability was tested by internal consistency, test-retest method. RESULTS: Cronbach`s alpha was 0.9043 in FES, and 0.99623 in ABC. Test-retest correlations in all scales were higher than 7.0. Statistically significant association was found between fear of falling and both scales. Correlation coefficient between Quality of life(SF-8) and ABC was -0.142(p=0.049). Both FES and ABC are correlated significantly each other. CONCLUSION: The Korean version of FES and ABC appears to be a reliable and valid method for meas- uring fear of falling. These instruments may be useful in assessing the independent contribution of fear of falling. ABC scale may be more useful to detect loss of balance confidence in more highly functioning seniors.
Adult ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Weights and Measures

Spindle cell hemangioendothelioma was first described in 1986 by Weiss and Enzinger as a low grade angiosarcoma resr mbling a cavernous hemangioma and kaposis sarcoma. Recently, it is suggested to be non neoplastic lesion or reactive process arising from pre-existing vascular mal- formation. We report a case of spindle cell hemangioendothelioma in a 9-month-old boy. He had multiple, variable sized, colorful, cutaneous or subcutaneous nodules on the forearm and hand. The tumor first appeared on the forearm as erythematous patches at birth and grew rapidly with- in 3 months. Histopatholgical findings showed that the lesion was composed of thin walled cavernous spaces mixed with spindle cells and occasional epithelioid endothelial cells containing intracytoplasmic vacuole. Most af the endothelial cells lining the cavernous spaces and intracytoplasmic lumina, were positive for factor VIII associated antigen. But the spindle cells were negative. Atypical vascular structures resembling arteriovenous shunts were noted around the tumor suggesting a reactive proliferation due to disturbance of local blood flow. Several turnors were excised. No recurrence has been recognized in the one year- follow-up period.
Endothelial Cells ; Factor VIII ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forearm ; Hand ; Hemangioendothelioma* ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Hemangiosarcoma ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Parturition ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma, Kaposi ; Vacuoles