This study was carried out to investigate the morphologic characteristics and localization of antigenic molecules of Pneumocystis carinii in experimentally induced P. carinii pneumonia in rats. After six weeks of administration of low protein diet and dexamethasone, Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed to submit lungs or bronchoalveolar lavage for the study. Monoclonal (092, 900, 902, and 904) and polyclonal (SP-D) antibodies were used for immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy (ITEM and ISEM). Immunohistochemically P. carinii organisms were well identified as clusters or separated forms in the alveolar spaces being frequently attached to the alveolar walls. Immunoelectron microscopically the adherences of gold particles were observed on the surface of all stages of the P. carinii. Occasionally positive immunogold labeling was observed in the cytoplasm of the trophozoites and on the pellicle of the intracystic bodies within the cysts. The monoclonal antibodies 092, 900, 902, and 904 reacted mainly with pellicles of P. carinii, whereas SP-D labeled on the pellicles, intracystic bodies, cytoplasms of the alveolar macrophages, and free floated surfactant material in the alveolar spaces. The immunogold particles were observed more diffusely and intensely in the cysts than in the trophozoites. These results indicate that antigen is mainly localized on the pellicles, and accumulated during development from the trophozoite to the cyst stages.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Cytoplasm ; Dexamethasone ; Diet, Protein-Restricted ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Pneumocystis carinii* ; Pneumocystis* ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Trophozoites

Tinea pedis is frequently found in those people with poor hygine and in hot and humid environments. The authors investigated the clinical, epidemiologicol a id mycological characteristics of tinea pedis in 138 sewerage workers attending a sewerage plant in Seoul. Tinea pedis was found in 82, with a prevalence of 59.4%. The prevalence of tinea pedis increased with age and the period working at sewerage plant, however, there was no statistical significance. Also there was no difference in the prevalence of tinea pedis between the clerical workers and the field workers. Positive rate for KOH smear was 73.2%, and culture positive rates were 42.7%, producing 35 strains of dermatophytes. Twertyeight strains of Trichophyton Rubrum and 7 strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes were isolated. Twentyseven yeast-form colonies were isolated, and Trichosporon beigelii was foungl in 19 samples. Most of the yeast forms were found mixed with dermatophytes and moulcis, However, 6 were isolated from direct smear positive cases and yieIded pure colonies of yeast. These included 4 cases of T. beigelii, 1 case of Candida parapsilosis, and 1 case of Candida hormicola. In view of the recent report of these fungi as pathogenic organism, these isolates, rspecially T. beigelii, were considered as a causative agent of tinea pedis in certain groups like sewerage workers.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Fungi ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Plants ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Tinea Pedis* ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton ; Trichosporon ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Herpes Simplex* ; Immunocompromised Host* ; Immunosuppression ; Simplexvirus*

This study was carried out to investigate the mechanisms of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis of rats after the intratracheal administration of bleomycin. Both lungs after bleomycin injection were examined by light and electron microscopy. The results are as follows: Light microscopically, 1 or 2 weeks after bleomycin injection acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrates and edema in the interstitium and alveolar spaces were observed. Proliferation of alveolar type II pneumocytes was also found at 4 to 6 weeks after bleomycin injection, chronic inflammatory infiltrates with interstitial fibrous thickening were noted. Electron microscopically, the number of type II pneumocytes and irregular lamellar bodies were increased and blunted microvilli were noted at 2 weeks. 4 to 8 weeks, proliferation of fibroblasts with deposition of abundant collagen fibrils in the thickened interstitium revealing irregular or collapsed alveolar spaces were observed. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that bleomycin-induced interstitial pulmonary fibrosis is considered to pass from an early acute inflammation of the interstitium and alveolar spaces to an interstitial fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition to the length of the period after injection.
Rats ; Animals

No abstract available.
Porokeratosis*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Facial Dermatoses* ; Keratosis, Actinic ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: Though surgery plays an important role in the management of patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, there is little information regarding the timing of resection. We tried to f ind out the ideal timing of operation. METHOD: A retrospective review was performed in 69 patients underwent pulmonary resection for pulmonary tuberculosis between January 1993 and December 1997. They were categorized into various groups according to the length of preoperative specific drug therapy. The rates of treatment failure, realpse and complication in each group were compared statistically by x2-test. RESULTS: Eighty one point two percent were men and 18.8% women with a median age of 33 years(range, 16 to 63 years). The mean number of resistant drugs was 3.1(range, 0 to 9). Patients were treated properatively with multidrug regimens, which mean number of preoperative specific drugs was 4.6, in an effort to reduce the mycobacterial burden with the mean length of preoperative drug therapy, 5.0 months. Postoperative treatment was conducted for a mean period of 13.0 months with a mean number of postoperative specific drugs, 4.4. Postoperative treatment failures were confirmed in 8 among 69 patients(11.6%). 2 of these 8 patients were showed up in the preoperative 3 to 4 months medication group and each of the rest was occurred in the preoperative 2 to 3, 5 to 6, 6 to 7, 12 to 13, 17 to 18 months, less than one month medication group, respectively. 59 of 69 patients were available for evaluation of the relapse rate with the mean duration of the postoperative follow-up, 19.8 months. In 4 patients bacterial relapse was confirmed(6.8%). Each of these 4 was in the preoperative 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, 5 to 6 months medication group, Categorized into various groups according to the length of preoperative specific therapy, there were no statistical significances of the treatment failure rate, relapse rate and complication rate in the groups. There were seven treatment failures of 28 who were AFB culture positive until the time of operation(25%, p<0.01). Categorized the preoperative AFB culture positive group into various groups according to the length of preoperative drug therapy, there were no statistical significances, either. CONCLUSION: We believe that operation plays an important ancillary role in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Our results indicate that the timing of resection according to the length of preoperative drug therapy may not cause trouble.
Drug Therapy* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Failure ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

OBJECTIVE: To know whether leiomyomas come from increased proliferation or from decreased apoptosis of uterine muscular cells, and compare the results with the menstrual cycles and expression of ER/PR. METHODS: Between Mar. 2003 to Jun. 2003, the authors got 15 leiomyomatous and normal myometrial tissues from the patients who had undergone hysterectomy transabdominally or laparoscopically. As soon as they were excised, these tissues had been sent to the pathologic department to be stained by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) to determine apoptotic index (A.I.), and immunohistochemistry of Ki-67 to do Ki-67 immunoreactivity index (K.I), and ER/PR. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference of A.I. between leiomyoma and normal myometrial tissues But there was a significantly higher Ki-67 immunoreactivity index in leiomyoma rather than normal myometrial tissue. The increase of K.I. in leiomyomas has the reverse correlation with age, but was not statistically correlated with the menstrual cycles. There was no significant different pattern of expressions of ER/PR between in leiomyoma and in normal uterus. CONCLUSION: The main reason the leiomyomas come from may be increased proliferation instead of decreased apoptosis of leiomyoma cells. Although leiomyomas were known to be influenced by sex hormone, there was no solid evidence of increase of K. I. correlated with menstrual cycle or expression status of ER/PR in leiomyomas. Maybe there are another factors such as age that control the pathogenesis of leiomyoma rather than hormones or their receptors.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Proliferation* ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Leiomyoma* ; Menstrual Cycle* ; Uterus

Trichuris trichiura (T. trichiura) is soil-transmitted parasite and widely spreads all over the world. High infection rates occur especially in the poor hygiene area. T. trichiura is transmitted by the water and food contaminated with T. trichiura eggs. Most of mildly infected individuals could be asymptomatic, whereas heavily infected patients manifest with anemia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Serious manifestations such as intestinal obstruction and perforation were reported to be caused by Trichuriasis. Diagnostic methods are stool examination of T. trichiura eggs and eosinophil count in blood. Sometimes, colonoscopy can be useful diagnostic tool and treatment. We observed that the North Korean refugee with chronic abdominal pain and the patient with abdominal pain and loose stool have been diagnosed as T. trichiura infection confirmed by colonoscopy. After treatment, the patient's symptom has improved. Therefore we report two cases of trichuriasis with literature review.
Abdominal Pain ; Anemia ; Colonoscopy ; Diarrhea ; Eggs ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Nausea ; Ovum ; Parasites ; Refugees ; Trichuriasis ; Trichuris ; Vomiting ; Water ; Weight Loss

Hand assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN) has recently emerged as a very attractive modality in standard donor nephrectomy because of its many advantages. However, it also has disadvantages, which include gas emboli, subcutaneous emphysema, hypercarbia, pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. This case involves a male patient who had suffered from temporary hypercarbia due to increased carbon dioxide absorption due to massive subcutaneous emphysema about 1 hour after pneumoperitoneum during HALDN. Following multiple skin punctures with an 18 G disposable needle, chest compliance and blood gas findings improved. Three hours later the operation ended successfully and he was transferred to the recovery room, and show no further problems. We report upon this clinical experience and include a brief review of the literature.
Absorption ; Carbon Dioxide ; Compliance ; Hand* ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Needles ; Nephrectomy* ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Pneumothorax ; Punctures ; Recovery Room ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Emphysema* ; Thorax ; Tissue Donors*