BACKGROUND: The epidermal permeability barrier necessary for terrestrial life resides in the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum and is composed of lipids. OBJECTIVE: Since strrtum corneum lipid may be important for the permeability barrier, we studied the differences and effects of experimentally altered barrier function using acetone and tape-stripping technique. METHODS: The permeability barrier of hairless mouse was disrupted by tape-stripping and acetone treatment and the recovery rate was assessed by histochemical staining, electron microscopic examination and lipid analysis. RESULTS: Although the transepidermal water loss recovered completely by 48 hours in both of the acute models, acetone treated samples seem to have on over-all better recovery rate than tape-stripped samples. The return of barrier function to normal in both tape-stripped and acetone-treated skin was accompanied by a comparable return of normal nile red and ruthenium tetroxide staining. The amount of lipid in stratum corneum paralleled both the return of barrier function towards normal and the extent of prior damage to the barrier in acetone treated skin, yet, the lipid synthesis in tape-stripped skin showed a slower return of lipid content. CONCLUSION: The difference in the recovery rate of the two acute models may be due to the fact that acetone mainly extracts intercellular lipids, whereas, tape-stripping has a prolonged effect by removal of comeocyte in addition to the intercellular lipids. This shows the importance of comeocytes as well as the intercellular lipid bilayer in the recovery of normal barrier function.
Acetone* ; Animals ; Extracellular Space ; Lipid Bilayers ; Mice ; Mice, Hairless ; Permeability ; Ruthenium ; Skin ; Water

No abstract available.
Bone Diseases* ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Spine* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

A 52-year-old man with multiple myeloma developed cutaneous nodules while being treated with melphalan and prednisolone. A biopsy specimen showed dermal infiltration by well differentiated plasma cells similar to those found on bone marrow biopsy. The use of peroxidase anti-peroxidase to demonstrate the monoclonality or polyclonality of the cytomplasmic immunoglohulins in the tumor cells revealed a positivity for IgG and 1 chain (ie, monotypic staining). Ultrastructurally, each plasmacytoma cell contained varyting amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi-apparatus. The cutnneous nodules completely disappeared after radiotherapy
Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Melphalan ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Peroxidase ; Plasma Cells ; Plasmacytoma* ; Prednisolone ; Radiotherapy

Stratum corneum lipids, which are enriched in sphingolipids, free fatty acids, and cholesterol, are required for epidermal barrier function. When the epidermal permeability barrier is perturbed, the transepidermal water loss returns to normal by 24-48 hours in parallel with the reappearance of stratum corneum lipids, derived from secreted lamellar bodis and accelerated lipid synthesis. Recent evidence shows that topical application of individual lipids interferes with barrier recovery while complete mixtures of cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides facilitate recovery after barrier disrupton. Metabolic imbalances and perturbed barrier function can be either the cause or the consequences of the pathobiology of scaling disease. Many skin diseases relating cornification and dryness are indeed related to abnormality of one or several combinations of lipids. Recently the cytokines which have changed during barrier recovery seem to be important in understanding of epidermal lipid homeostasis as well as barrier recovery.
Ceramides ; Cholesterol ; Cytokines ; Fatty Acids ; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified ; Homeostasis* ; Permeability ; Skin Diseases ; Sphingolipids ; Water

No abstract available.
Diuretics*

BACKGROUND: Nasal polyps were developed from eosinophil infiltrations and activation by chronic inflammatory reactions. Eotaxin and RANTES have been postulated to be involved in the recruitment and activation of eosinophils to the inflamed tissues. The aim of this study is to estimate the mRNA expression of eotaxin and RNATES in the nasal polyps and it's effect on tissue eosinophils. METHODS: At first, we evaluated the linearity and precision of GeneAmp 5700R(PE Applied Biosystems, Foster, U.S.A) with M. tuberculosis DNA. We collected 17 allergic, 30 non-allergic nasal polyps and 15 normal inferior turbinates from the patients visiting Catholic University Hospital of Taegu Hyosung. We performed the quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for the eotaxin and RNATES, and the tissue immunohistochemical stain for the major basic protein. RESULTS: GeneAmp 5700R disclosed good linearity and precision. Compared with the normal inferior turbinates, eotaxin mRNA levels were increased in the allergic and non-allergic polyps, and showed significant correlation with eosinophils infiltration and activation. But the RANTES didn't revealed any significant differences among these groups, and no correlation with tissue eosinophils. The patients with allergic polyps showed increased eosinophils infiltration and activation in the tissue, while those with non allergic polyps disclosed increased eosinophils activation. CONCLUSIONS: Since eotaxin expression were increased in the tissue of the patients with nasal polyps and showed good correlation with eosinophils infiltration and activation in the tissue, it had been considered that eotaxin played an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic polyps and tissue eosinophilia.
Chemokine CCL5* ; Daegu ; DNA ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Nasal Polyps* ; Polyps ; RNA, Messenger* ; Tuberculosis ; Turbinates

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Sarcoma, Myeloid*

No abstract available.
Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Vertebroplasty*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic*

No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Renal Dialysis*