BACKGROUND: Acne, one af the commonest dermatological disorders, is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit, and the primarily involved site is the face, where this structure exists in maximal density. Among the many etiologieal factors of acne, changes in the kinetics of sebum secretion in acne patients have been described, but there is no report to compare follicular density and the sebum excretion rate in different facial regions between normal and acne patients. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the sebum output and follicular density in different regions of the face in women with and without acne and to evaluate the differences between the two groups. METHODS: We studied 10 normal and 14 acneic women aged 19-27. Follicular density was determined by light microscopy counting pilosebaceous units on cyanoacrylate follicular biopsy specimens. The sebum excretion rate was calculated by an image analyzer with a sebum print on Sebutape. RESULTS: 1. Follicular density was not significantly different between the normal and acne group. The number of follicles decreased from the central to the lateral aspect of the face with the highest value being on the nose tip and the lowest on the lateral forehead. 2. The total sebum excretion rate and the number of actively secreting follicles showed different patterns in the two groups. There was a decreased value in the acne group in some central regions of face. In addition, central to lateral declining pattems, shown in the normd group, were not apparent in the acne group. 3. The follicular sebum excretion rate showed large variations in both groups, without apparent central to lateral declining patterns. The confluence of adjacent follicles seemed to produce falsely low or high values compared with previous studies. CONCLUSION: Sebum production is influenced both by the number of active follicles and their individual capacity to excrete sebum, and the total sebum excretion rate was lower than normal in low grade acne in this study. Obstruction of the outflow of sebum and regression of sebaceous glands due to comnlones may account for it.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Biopsy ; Cyanoacrylates ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Microscopy ; Nose ; Sebaceous Glands ; Sebum*

The authors studied ED50 of bethanechol on the contractilities of the smooth muscles isolated from various organs of rat under the presence of atropine (a classical competitive blocker of cholinergic muscarinic receptor) or minaprine (a newly developed antidepressant drug) to investigate the peripheral anticholinergic effect of minaprine. The results were as follow: 1) There was no significant difference between ED50 of bethanechol in the control group and that under the presence of minaprine 10⁻⁸M and 10⁻⁷M in the smooth muscles isolated from the duodenum. 2) There was no significant difference between ED50 of bethanechol in the control group and that under the presence of minaprine 10⁻⁸M and 10⁻⁷M in the smooth muscles isolated from the ascending colon. 3) There was significant difference between ED50 of bethanechol in the control group and that under the presence of minaprine 10⁻⁸M and 10⁻⁷M in the smooth muscles isolated from the urinary bladder (P<0.01) 4) There was significant difference between ED50 of the atropine 10⁻⁸ and minaprine (10⁻⁸M) in the smooth muscles isolated from the urinary bladder (P<0.05).
Animals ; Atropine ; Bethanechol ; Colon, Ascending ; Duodenum ; Muscle, Smooth ; Rats ; Urinary Bladder

Trichilemmal carcinoma is a rare tumor that is located predominantly on sun-exposed skin of the elderly. It is thought to be related to the external root sheath of the hair follicle and the malignant counterpart of a trichilemmoma. We report a case of trichilemmal carcinoma in a 88-year-old woman who had a 10 year history of a single, dark brown tumor on the right preauricular region. In her past medical history, it had been excised twice at a private clinic without a histopathological evaluation and recurred 2 years later. Histopathological findings showed atypical clear cells resembling those of the outer root sheath. Tumor cells showed PAS-positive cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry revealed positive high molecular weight cytokeratin expression. To our knowledge, this is the second case of trichilemmal carcinoma in the Korean literature. (Ann Dermatol 100) 175178, 1998).
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Molecular Weight ; Skin

The authors studied depression, using Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) in the subjects of 3,499 male and 1,335 female college freshmen of Yeungnam University. The authors collected the reports of SDS during the periods from January to February, 1986, and applied ANOVA and t-test on depression scores in order to compare them between various psychosocial factors, and sexes. The results are as follows: There was significant difference in the mean averages of total depression scores between male and female students: male students scored 35.68+7.46, female students scored 38.93+7.26 (P<0.01). The depression scores relating to the items of indecisiveness, psychomotor retardation, decreased libido, and diurnal variation were relatively higher in both groups. One hundred and sixty-one male students (4.6%) showed seriously high degree depression scores of 50 or higher, while one-hundred and seventeen female students (8.8%) showed the same scores. Female students attending in liberal arts showed higher level of depression scores (P<0.01). There was a strong tendency toward higher depression scores in the students who were dissatisfies with their home atmosphere, college, department and familiarity of parents and those who had pessimistic views of self in the past, present or future in both groups (P<0.001).
Atmosphere ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Libido ; Male ; Parents ; Psychology ; Recognition (Psychology)

No abstract available.
Animals ; Haloperidol* ; Mice*

We report two cases of linear focal elastosis. They are a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy who had had asymptomatic, several, yellow-red, slightly elevated, palpable, striae-like lesions on their middle and lower back since their early childhood. Light microscopic examinations of skin biopsy specimens demonstrated dermal thickening and focal increases of thin wavy fibers in the upper and mid-dermis but no changes in the epidermis. Verhoeff-van Gieson stains for elastic fiber revealed aggregated, clumped, curled, or fragmented elastic fibers.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Coloring Agents ; Elastic Tissue ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Skin

Apodemus agrarius has been using for experimental purpose to identifying the route of infection and pathogenesis of korean hemorrhagic fever. However, despite the increasing amount of information being published at present about the physiologic and ecologic characteristics of Apodemus, few data are availalle about the morphologic findings in the brain. The NADPH-diaphorase[NADPH-d] positive neurons, uniquely resistant to toxic insults and neurodegenerative diseases, have been colocalized with neurons in the brain and peripheral tissue containing nitric oxide synthase, which generates nitric oxide, a recently identified neuronal messenger molecule. In this study we used NADPH-d histochemistry to evaluate the distribution of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive[NPY-IR] cells within neurons which contain nitric oxide synthase. In the cerebral cortex of Apodemus agrarius, NADPH-d positive and NPY-IR neurons were observed in all cortical layers, but they were concentrated in two bands layer II/III and V/VI extending into the subcortical white matter. Double labeling for NADPH-d and NPY showed colocalization of NPY with NADPH-d in numerous neurons of the cerebral cortex. The data obtained showed that about 74-79% of NPY-IR neurons contained NADPH-d in the neocortex and that 77-89% in the allocortex. The number of NPY-IR/NADPH-d positive neurons was about 10-13 per unit area [2,500,000 micrometer] in the neocortex and about 11-25 in the allocortex except retrosplenial cortex. In the retrosplenial cortex, the number of double labeled neurons was about 5 per unit area. NPY-IR and NADPH-d positive neurons were predominantly medium-sized with extended, multipolar or bipolar dendritic branches which belong to fusiform or stellate cell types. A moderately dense network of fine, varicose NADPH-d positive fibers was present throughout all cortical layers.
Animals ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Murinae* ; Neocortex ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptide Y* ; Neuropeptides* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the long-term outcomes of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) to treat refractory rheumatic diseases. METHODS: Patients who underwent PBSCT for refractory rheumatic diseases at our institution between 2002 and 2005 were assessed for outcomes including treatment response, adverse events, damage accrual, and survival at 6 months and last follow-up. RESULTS: Eleven patients, including six with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), four with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and one with Still's disease were treated with PBSCT. In SLE patients, two showed complete response, two partial response, and two expired. One patient who expired responded completely two months after transplantation but discontinued treatment by choice and expired at six months due to an SLE flare. Long-term, two patients went into remission without organ damage, one patient went into remission with organ damage, and one had low disease activity with organ damage. Of the four patients with SSc, two showed a complete response, one a partial response, and there was one transplantation-related death at six months. At the last record notation, two remained in remission without relapse and one was lost to follow-up. The Still's disease patient partially responded at six months and was in remission at the last record notation. CONCLUSION: The ten-year survival rate was 70% with a 40% recurrence rate and 20% treatment-related mortality rate.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mortality ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Recurrence ; Rheumatic Diseases* ; Scleroderma, Systemic ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: To describe our initial experience of laparoscopic pyeloplasty, with retrograde stenting, using flexible cystoscopes, in 9 cases of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September, 2004 and January, 2006, 9 cases of UPJO were treated by laparoscopic pyeloplasty. All of the medical records were reviewed retrospectively. The cases comprised of 5 males and 4 females, with a mean age of 37 years (13-58). All patients showed a preoperative grade 4 hydronephrosis. RESULTS: Two laparoscopic pyeloplasty approaches were performed; a transperitoneal approach in 5 cases and a retroperitoneal approach in the other 4. All cases were treated with dismembered Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty. The mean operating time was 249 minutes (170-324), including a mean of 7.1 minutes (6.5-8) for ureteral stenting. The patients were found to have aberrant vessels and renal stones in 1 and 3 cases, respectively. There were no intra-operative complications or open conversion. Of the 9 cases, 8 (89%) showed a decrease in their hydronephrosis grade on the excretory urographs taken 12 weeks postoperatively. The remaining case showed a marked improvement in the hydronephrosis, despite having no change in the hydronephrosis grade. No case experienced postoperative flank pain or recurrence of acute pyelonephritis. Therefore, symptomatic improvements were observed in all our cases (100%). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic pyeloplasty, with retrograde stenting, using flexible cystoscopes, can be considered an effective and convenient method for the treatment of UPJO.
Cystoscopes* ; Cystoscopy ; Female ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Medical Records ; Pyelonephritis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stents* ; Ureter ; Ureteral Obstruction

PURPOSE: To access the effect of phacoemulsification, using Neosonix(R) (Alcon Laboratories, TX, USA), on the cornea and lens opacity. METHODS: This study involved 42 eyes of 37 patients who underwent phacoemulsification using the Neosonix from December 2005 through March 2006. We measured the density and the thickness of lenses using a Scheimpflug camera and evaluated the correlation between the density and the phaco time. To evaluate the effects of Neosonix(R) on the corneal endothelium, we measured various corneal endothelial cell parameters, including corneal endothelial cell density, corneal thickness, and morphologic changes up to two months postoperatively. RESULTS: The preoperative mean values of lens density for the anterior cortex, nucleus, and posterior cortex were 105.86+/-34.99 CCT, 82.17+/-35.14 CCT, and 77.88+/-52.98 CCT, respectively. The mean phacoemulsification time was 48.67+/-29.79 seconds and increased significantly, according to the increase of the densities of the lens nucleus and cortex (p<0.01). Postoperative mean corneal endothelial cell density was 2741+/-474 cell/mm2 at one day, 2757+/-447 cell/mm2 at one month, and 2765+/-422 cell/mm2 at two months. Corneal endothelial cell loss was 4.39%, 3.83%, and 3.56% at one day, one month, and two months postoperatively, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative values of corneal endothelial cell density (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The phacoemulsification time using oscillation device significantly increased as the density of the lens cortex and nucleus increased, and there was no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative values of corneal endothelial cell density.
Cataract ; Cornea* ; Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Humans ; Phacoemulsification*