BACKGROUND: Lipids in the stratum corneum which acts as a barrier prevents transepidermal water loss and percutaneous absorption of a substance differs at different anatomic sites of skin. No study has yet been done on the recovery rate of the skin barrier after its destruction in relation to anatomic sites. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure the recovery rate of the skin barrier after its disruption in relation to anatomic sites and also to examine the lipid composition of skin surface lipids at different anatomic sites of skin. METHODS: The study population consisted of 20 healthy male subjects. We used 3M Scotch tapes to remove the stratum corneum and examined the recovery rate by measuring the TEWL using an evaporimeter after 2.5, 6, 10, 24, 48 and 72 hours at eight different anatomic sites consisting of the post-auricular area, chest, abdomen, back, forearm, thigh and calf. The skin surface lipids were extracted using 99% ethanol at ten different anatomic sites including the face, chest, abdomen, back, upper arm, forearm, palm, thigh, shin and sole. The composition of skin surface lipids was determined by thin layer chromatography. RESULTS: 1. The transepidermal water loss was highest in the post-auricular area and ahdomen, back, thigh, forearm, upper arm, thieh and chest in a decreasing order, although there was no statistical significance(p>0.05). 2. The recovery rate was highest in the post-auricular area after 2.5 hours with a statistical significance compared to other sites except for the abdomen(p<0.05). 3. The recovery rate was also highest in the post-auricular area after 6, 10, 24, 48 and 72hrs compared with other sites with a statistical significance (p<0.01). 4. Lipid analysis of ten anatomic sites demonstrated that the concentration of cholesterol sulfate was highest on the face, that of cholesterol was highest on the back and that of sphingolipid was highest on the abdomen but there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The post-auricular area showed the fastest recovery rate after its barrier disruption which can be applied in the percutaneous absorption of substances. Also the composition of human skin surface lipids, especially epidermal lipids at different anatomic sites was not statistically different.
Abdomen ; Arm ; Cholesterol ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Ethanol ; Forearm ; Humans* ; Male ; Skin Absorption ; Skin* ; Thigh ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Lipids in the stratum corneum which acts as a barrier prevents transepidermal water loss and percutaneous absorption of a substance differs at different anatomic sites of skin. No study has yet been done on the recovery rate of the skin barrier after its destruction in relation to anatomic sites. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure the recovery rate of the skin barrier after its disruption in relation to anatomic sites and also to examine the lipid composition of skin surface lipids at different anatomic sites of skin. METHODS: The study population consisted of 20 healthy male subjects. We used 3M Scotch tapes to remove the stratum corneum and examined the recovery rate by measuring the TEWL using an evaporimeter after 2.5, 6, 10, 24, 48 and 72 hours at eight different anatomic sites consisting of the post-auricular area, chest, abdomen, back, forearm, thigh and calf. The skin surface lipids were extracted using 99% ethanol at ten different anatomic sites including the face, chest, abdomen, back, upper arm, forearm, palm, thigh, shin and sole. The composition of skin surface lipids was determined by thin layer chromatography. RESULTS: 1. The transepidermal water loss was highest in the post-auricular area and ahdomen, back, thigh, forearm, upper arm, thieh and chest in a decreasing order, although there was no statistical significance(p>0.05). 2. The recovery rate was highest in the post-auricular area after 2.5 hours with a statistical significance compared to other sites except for the abdomen(p<0.05). 3. The recovery rate was also highest in the post-auricular area after 6, 10, 24, 48 and 72hrs compared with other sites with a statistical significance (p<0.01). 4. Lipid analysis of ten anatomic sites demonstrated that the concentration of cholesterol sulfate was highest on the face, that of cholesterol was highest on the back and that of sphingolipid was highest on the abdomen but there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The post-auricular area showed the fastest recovery rate after its barrier disruption which can be applied in the percutaneous absorption of substances. Also the composition of human skin surface lipids, especially epidermal lipids at different anatomic sites was not statistically different.
Abdomen ; Arm ; Cholesterol ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Ethanol ; Forearm ; Humans* ; Male ; Skin Absorption ; Skin* ; Thigh ; Thorax

Regarding to preserve the cadaver, formaldehyde has been used as a major preservative. However, the usage of formaldehyde has been considered by its harmful effects such as the disturbing ordor, toxicities and limitations to use. Therefore we studied the effect of decomposition-inhibition which is a natural product, grapefruit seed extract (GSE). Concerning the preservative activity, we sacrificed 8 week old male SD rat and collected liver. Using liver tissues, we treated GSE as a time dependant manner under 37degrees, 80+/-5% humidity conditions. To confirm GSE effects, we applied light and electron microscopic analysis. In results, we observed GSE attenuated the morphological changes and putrefaction of liver tissues more than 3 days. Herein, we introduced the potential substitute of formaldehyde to preserve the cadaver as well as animal tissues.
Animals ; Cadaver ; Citrus paradisi ; Electrons ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Humidity ; Light ; Liver ; Male ; Rats ; Seeds

This study was undertaken to investigate the morphological changes of hair according to weathering after burial and to offer basic data for forensic science. To examine the effect of weathering degree, the 45 hairs buried for 5~50 years were taken from deceased individuals in tombs in Korea. The morphological changes in weathering hair shafts of the scalp were investigated using the scanning electron microscopes. There were little morphological differences of weathering depending on the regions of burial. The weathering changes includes exclusion of cuticle, separation of hair cortex and hollow formation in the medulla according to the burial period. These results could provide basic data to the field of forensic medicine.
Burial ; Electrons ; Forensic Medicine ; Forensic Sciences ; Hair ; Humans ; Korea ; Scalp ; Weather

No abstract available.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Bacterial Proteins/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Brucella melitensis/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Brucellosis/*diagnosis/drug therapy/microbiology ; Doxycycline/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Republic of Korea ; Rifampin/therapeutic use ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spondylitis/diagnostic imaging

Although Q fever is an important zoonotic infection with a worldwide distribution, no human isolates of Coxiella burnetii have been identified in Korea. For the first time, we identified the nucleotide sequence of C. burnetii from a 32-year-old man with an acute febrile illness in Korea. Diagnosis of acute Q fever was confirmed by seroconversion using indirect immunofluorescence antibody assays. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated high sequence similarity (99.6%–100%) with C. burnetii 16S rRNA sequences identified from the reservoir. These results are the first genetic analysis of C. burnetii in a human case of Q fever in Korea.
Adult ; Base Sequence ; Coxiella burnetii* ; Coxiella* ; Diagnosis ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Korea* ; Q Fever ; Seroconversion ; Zoonoses

We report 17 patients with human granulocytic anaplasmosis between January 2015 and September 2018 at two tertiary university hospitals in Korea. Monthly incidence peaked in May and June. Among these patients, we identified three who were co-infected with scrub typhus, and one patient with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Coinfection ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Scrub Typhus

The periodontium is a topographically complex organ consisting of epithelial tissue, soft and mineralized tissues. Structures comprising the periodontium include the gingiva, periodontal ligament (PDL), cementum and the alveolar bone. The molecular mechanism of differentiation in PDL fibroblast cells remain unclear. Amino acid transporters play an important role in supplying nutrition to normal and cancer cells and for cell proliferation. Amino acid transport system L is a major nutrient transport system responsible for the Na+-independent transport of neutral amino acids including several essential amino acids. The system L is divided into two major subgroups, the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) and the L-type amino acid transporter 2 (LAT2). In this study, the expression pattern of amino acid transport system L was, therefore, investigated in the differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells. To determine the expression level of amino acid transport system L participating in intracellular transport of amino acids in the differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells, it was examined by RT-PCR, observation of cell morphology, Alizaline red-S staining and uptake analysis after inducing experimental differentiation in PDL fibroblast cells isolated from mouse molar teeth. The results are as follows. 1. The LAT1 mRNA was expressed in the early stage of PDL fibroblast cell differentiation. This expression level was gradually reduced by differentiation-inducing time and it was not observed after the late stage. 2. The expression level of LAT2 mRNA was increased in time-dependent manner during differentiation induction of PDL fibroblast cells. 3. There was no changes in the expression level of 4F2hc mRNA, the cofactor of LAT1 and LAT2, during differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells. 4. The expression level of ALP mRNA was gradually increased and the expression level of Col I mRNA was decreased during differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells. 5. The L-leucine transport was reduced by time from the early stage to the late stage in PDL fibroblast cell differentiation. As the results, it is considered that among neutral amino acid transport system L in differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells, the LAT1 has a key role in cell proliferation in the early stage of cell differentiation and the LAT2 has an important role in the late stage of cell differentiation for providing cells with neutral amino acids including several essential amino acids.
Amino Acid Transport System L* ; Amino Acid Transport Systems ; Amino Acids ; Amino Acids, Essential ; Amino Acids, Neutral ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Dental Cementum ; Fibroblasts* ; Gingiva ; Leucine ; Mice ; Molar ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Periodontium ; RNA, Messenger ; Tooth

Ventriculo-peritoneal(V-P) shunt operation has been accepted as the most effective and safe procedure for the relief of increased intracranial pressure in hydrocephalic patients of various etiologies. A variety of complications have been reported in association with these relatively easy surgical procedures. Overdrainage induced effusions occur commonly in the subdural and rarely in the epidural spaces. Six cases of epidural hematoma(EDH) have been reported thus far in the literature following shunt operation remote from the catheter implantation. We report another case of this extremely rare complication of such procedures in a 16-year-old girl.
Adolescent ; Catheters ; Epidural Space ; Female ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Intracranial Pressure

BACKGROUND: Documentation is very important; a considerable number of documents exist for use in accreditation inspection. However, most laboratories do not effectively manage the processes of documentation, organization, and storage. The purpose of this study was to facilitate the establishment of a strategically effective and sustainably standardized document management system. METHODS: A document code formatting system was modified by comparing the document list data received from 3 major university hospitals. In addition, a questionnaire regarding document code standardization was created and sent to 268 institutes to establish document classifications and generate a standard coding scheme. A computerized document management system was developed. RESULTS: Only 32% (8 out of 25 institutes) answered that they were able to identify all of the document types and their numbers. In total, 76% of institutes (19 out of 25) answered that a systematic document management system was necessary. Disorganized document files were systemized by classifying them into 8 major groups according to their characteristics: patient test records (T), test quality control (Q), manuals (M), equipment and environment management (E), statistics (S), division administration (A), department administration (R), and others (X). CONCLUSIONS: Our documentation system may serve as a basis for the standardization of documents and the creation of a document management system for all hospital laboratories.
Documentation/*standards ; Hospitals, University ; Laboratories, Hospital/*standards ; Questionnaires ; Tertiary Healthcare ; User-Computer Interface