PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on the survival, nitric oxide (NO) production, and migration of cultured human trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. METHODS: After exposure to TA, indomethacin, and dexamethasone for 2 days, the survival and nitrite production of the primarily cultured human TM cells were assessed with MTT and Griess assays respectively. The effect of co-exposure to the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, was also assessed. A migration assay was done to evaluate the effect of TA on the activity of TM cells. RESULTS: Cellular survival increased after exposure to TA at low concentration but decreased at high concentration. TA decreased the production of NO significantly (p<0.05). Exposure to indomethacin and dexamethasone revealed similar results. TA reversibly inhibited the migration of TM cells. CONCLUSIONS: TA decreases the production of NO and inhibits the migration of TM cells. TA at high concentration decreases cellular survival accompanied with decreased NO production. These effects of TA on TM cells may result in the elevation of intraocular pressure.
Dexamethasone ; Humans ; Indomethacin ; Intraocular Pressure ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitroprusside ; Tissue Donors ; Trabecular Meshwork* ; Triamcinolone Acetonide* ; Triamcinolone*

PURPOSE: In gastric cancer, metastasis to the paraaortic lymph nodes had been regarded as an incurable factor, but many cases of long term survival have been reported with dissection of metastatic paraaortic nodes. And several reports suggested survival benefit with paraaortic lymph node dissection (D4) in advanced gastric cancer. In patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent paraaortic lymph node dissection we tried to evaluate the factors predisposing metastasis in these nodes and survival data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors analyzed retrospectively pathological features of 95 patients who underwent paraacntic lymph node dissection for advanced gastric cancer at Kangnam General Hospital Public Corporation Bom May 1991 to Feb. 1998. And we also analysed survival results of 72 cases among them. We excluded 18 cases of distant metastasis (3 liver metastasis, 15 peritoneal seeding), 2 operative mortalities, 1 other disease mortality, and 2 unlmown causes of death in survival analysis. RESULTS: The frequencies of paraaortic lymph node metastasis were 0.0% (0 of 32 cases) in T2, 19.2% (10 of 52 cases) in T3, 18.2% (2 of 11 cases) in T4. And those of paraaortic lymph node metastasis were 5.8% (3 of 52 cases) in antrum, 14.3% (3 fo 21 cases) in body, 20.0% (3 of 15 cases) in cardia, and 42.9% (3 of 7 cases) in whole area. The five-year survival rates (5 YSRs) in relation to the paraaortic lymph node (No16) status was 0.096 in No16+, and 57.8Po in Nol6 with D4 of advanced gastric cancer. The 5 YSRs were 78.1%, 40.8% and 0% in T2, T3 and T4, respectively and 93.8%, 64.2%, 24.2% and 0.0% in n0, nl, n2 and n.3, respectively and 88.9%, 80.5%, 57.9% and 0.0% (47.6%) and 0.0% in stage IB, II, IIIA, IIIB and IV, respectively. CONCLUSION: The depth of gastric wall invasion and the location of primary tumor were significant predisposing factors to para-aortic lymph node metastasis in multivariate analysis (p<0.05). Survival of No16 metastasis was very poor. And three factors of T stage, n stage, and Bonmann type were also prognostically significant in terms of five year survival in cases of D4 of advanced gastric cancer in multivariate analysis (p < 0.05).
Cardia ; Causality ; Cause of Death ; Drug Therapy* ; Granisetron* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nausea* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Platinum* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate ; Vomiting*

Background: Bone grafts can provide an optimal environment for permanent tooth to erupt and enhance the stability of the alveolar maxilla. Although autologous bone is an optimal source for osteogenesis, its inevitable donor site morbidity has led to active research on bone substitutes. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of using biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP; Osteon) as a bone substitute in dogs. Methods: Bilateral third and fourth premolars of four 15-week-old mongrel dogs were used. All teeth were extracted except the third premolar of the right mandible, which was used as a control. After extraction of the premolars, each dog was administered BCP (Osteon), demineralized bone matrix (DBM; DBX), and no graft in the hollow sockets of the right fourth premolar, left fourth premolar, and left third premolar, respectively. Radiographs were taken at 2-week intervals to check for tooth eruption. After 8 weeks, each dog was sacrificed, and tooth and bone biopsies were performed to check for the presence of tooth and bone substitute particle remnants. Results: Four weeks after the operation, permanent tooth eruptions had started at all the extraction sites in each dog. Eight weeks after the operation, all teeth had normally erupted, and histological examination revealed BCP particles at the right fourth premolar. Conclusion: In all four dogs, no delay in the eruption of the teeth or shape disfigurement of permanent teeth was observed on gross inspection and radiologic evaluation. On histological examination, most of the BCP and DBM were replaced by new bone. Bone substitutes can be used as graft materials in patients with alveolar clefts.

Photodynamic therapy(PDT) is a treatment modality by highly reactive oxygen intermediates generated through the interaction of light with a photosensiziter. It has been shown to be an effective treatment for various cutaneous and noncutaneous malignancies. It is efficient for the curative and palliative treatment of epithelial skin tumor in situ or early invasive lesions. In effect, it is a useful alternative treatment for the lesions located on anatomically difficult areas or the large-sized lesions. We treated a case of Bowen's disease arising on the plantar area and 3rd and 4th toewebs of left forefoot in a 61-year-old man with PDT using the hematoporphyrin derivative, porfirmer sodium(Photofrin, Russia) as a photosensitizer and gold vapor laser as a visible light source. The outcome showed partial clinical improvement after about 2 months' follow-up.
Bowen's Disease* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoporphyrin Derivative ; Humans ; Lasers, Gas ; Light ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Palliative Care ; Photochemotherapy* ; Skin

Ranunculus tachiorei is a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) which contains unsaturated lactone and protoanemonine. Protoanemonine is formed by the breakdown of the glycoside Ranunculin after injury to the plant and causes severe vesiculation and linear streaks after contact with field buttercups(Ranunculus spp.) The amount of protoanemonine in buttercups varies widely with the species of plant and its stage of growth, the highest content being at the time of flowering. We report a case of primary irritant dermatitis due to contact with Ranunculus Tachiorei which was applied for the folk treatment of Bell palsy.
Bell Palsy ; Dermatitis, Irritant* ; Flowers ; Humans ; Plants ; Ranunculus*

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiology and the clinical characteristics of herpes zoster and chicken pox. 703 patients with herpes zoster and 237 patients with chicken pox who were seen at the Department of Dermatology, St. Marys Hospital during 8 years were taken for this retrospective study. Both groups of the patients were evaluated in regard to annual, seasonal and monthly incidence, age incidence and sex ratio. Patients with herpes zoster were further assessed concerning associated conditions, dermatomic distributions and complications. The results were as follows, 1. The annual rate for chicken pox ranged from 0.03% to 0.18% (mean 0.13%) and revealed no epidemics, however, its incidence was higher in early summer and winter. There was no sexual difference. Chicken pox was seen most. frequently in the 0-9 year age group (91.1%). 2. The annual rate for herpes zoster ranged from 0.23% to 0.52% (mean 0.38%). There were no significant annual, seasonal and monthly variations, and there was a. equal sex ratio. Herpes zoster was seen most frequently in the 50-59 year age group (19.1%) 3. The frequencies of the associated conditions in herpes zoster, in descending order, were infectious disease (2. 7%), diabetes mellitus (2.3%), malignant neoplasm(1. 4%), immunosuppressive drug (l. 4%), autoimmune disease (0.6%), and radiation therapy (0.4%). 4. The dermatomic involvement of herpes zoster was most frequent on thoracic dermatome (53.5%) and others were cervical (16.5%), lumber (10.1%), ophthalmic branch of trigeminal nerve (8.8%), sacral (1.6%), maxillary branch of trigemenal nerve (1.3%), mandibular branch of trigemical nerve (0.6%) and facial nerve dermatome (0.1%). The incidence of involving two different dermatomes was 2.9% and was most common on cervicothoracic dermatome (1.8%). However, one case of cervico thoracic dermatome showed bilateral involvement. 5. The most common complication of herpes zoster was postherpetic neuralgia (6.5%) and others were secondary bacterial infection (2.6%), keratoconjunctivitis (0.6%), keloid formation (0.3%), generalized varicelliform eruption (0.1%), Ramsay-Hunt syndrome (0.1%) and recurrent herpes zoster (0.1%). The mean age of incidence for postherpetic neuralgia was 58.4 years and its incidence was the highest over 70 years (39.5%). Postherpetic neuralgia was most frequently seen in the involvement of ophtalmic branch of trigeminal nerve.
Incidence

BACKGROUND: IL - 5 has been recognized as a potent proeosinophilic cytokine and IL-10 has been reported as an important anti - inflammatory cytokine in allergic inflammation. But the clinical roles of these cytokines in allergic asthma are still unclear. Objectives : We studied the clinical implications of IL - 5 and IL - 10 secretions from stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC ) in Dermatophagoides farinae ( DF ) atopic asthmatics ( BA ). METHODS: Thirty - six DF sensitized BA and 9 non - atopic BA were enrolled for this study. Twenty - seven out of 36 subjects were challenged by inhalation of DF crude allergen. The isolated PBMCs were cultured for 6 days with DF antigen and the stimulatory index ( SI ) and secretions of IL - 5, IFN - y and IL - 10 from PBMC were measured. We analyzed these parameters with clinical parameters. RESULTS: SI (4.2 +/- 1.0 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.3, p<0.05) and secretions of IL - 5 ( 19.9 vs. 1.7 g/L, p< 0.001 ) and IL-10 ( 185.5 vs. 34.3 g/L, p(0.05 ) from the atopic BA were significantly higher than those of non-atopic BA, but the secretion of IFN - r was not different between the two groups ( 56.6 vs. 47.3 ug/L ). No significant difference in secretions of IL - 5, IL - 10, IFN - r and SI of PBMC was found between responder and non - responder of DF inhalation challenge test. Among responders to antigen challenge test ( n = 17 ), the production of IL - 5 correlated with the productions of IL - 10 (r = 0.773, p< 0.01 ) and methacholine PC20 ( r = 0.503, p< 0.05 ). Production of IL - 5 from the PBMC of atopic mild intermittent BA ( n = 10 ) was higher than that of atopic per'sistent BA ( n = 27 ) ( p< 0.01 ), but no difference in IL - 10, IFN - r and SI was found between the two groups. Conclusions : Allergen specific productions of IL - 5 and IL - 10 from the PBMC may be specific for atopic subjects and secretion of IL - 5 from the stimulated PBMC may contribute to the pathogenesis of atopic BA. The severity of BA may be more influenced by other factors.
Asthma ; Cytokines ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Inflammation ; Inhalation ; Interleukin-10 ; Methacholine Chloride

Antibiotics were reported to be able to alter bacterial surface properties in subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs). The effects of sub-MICs of certain antibiotics on a bacterial surface property such as hemagglutination, as well as on the cell morphology were studied using Streptococcus gordonii and Staphylococcus aureus. The effect of sub-M1Cs of antibiotics on the binding of these bacteria to immobilized fibrinogen were also investigated. The MICs of antibiotics were determined by culturing S. gordonii and S. aureus in media supplemented with serially diluted drug solutions, and one-half the MIC was used as the sub-MIC of the drugs, unless stated otherwise. Sub-MICs of antibiotics did not affect bacterial agglutination of erythrocytes. Microscopic observation of S. gordonii grown at sub-MIC concentration of 0.02 ug/ml of amoxicillin revealed cell enlargement of 1.6 times those grown without the drug. When grown in the sub-MIC amount of 0.08 ug/ml of cefazolin, most S. gordonii cells were enlarged and elongated into rod-shape, resulting in 3 times the size of the cells grown without the antibiotic. The data from the fibrinogen-binding experiments showed that the binding of S. gordonii to immobilized fibrinogen was increased with all the B-lactam drugs tested; the binding of S. aureus to immobilized fibrinogen, on the other hand, was decreased with the same drugs. The results show that low concentrations of certain B-lactam antibiotics are able to cause alterations in cellular morphology of S. gordonii and affect the binding of S. gordonii and S. aureus to immobilized fibrinogen.
Agglutination ; Amoxicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Bacteria ; Cefazolin ; Cell Enlargement ; Erythrocytes ; Fibrinogen ; Hand ; Hemagglutination ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Streptococcus gordonii* ; Streptococcus* ; Surface Properties*

BACKGROUND: Circadian rhythms have been described for acute myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and ventricular arrhythmia. Most of studies reported that the frequency of ventricular permature contractions(VPC's) shows a peak in day time. We tried to see that the circadian rhythm of VPC's in hypertension and ischemic heart disease(IHD) patients. And we will also studied the relationship between heart rate and frequencey of VPC's. METHOD: Twenty four hour holter monitoring was performed in hypertensive patients (N=23), ischemic heart disease patients(N=25), and normal control group(N=30). We tested the circadian pattern of VPC's and heart rates and the relationships of the frequency of VPC's and heart rates. RESULT: In hypertension group, a peak incidence of heart rate is between 5 and 8 P.M., in ischemic heart disease group, between 3 and 6 P.M.. In control group, the heart rate shows a peak beteen 1 and 3 P.M.. The frequency of VPC's in hypertension group shows the first peak between 4 and 10 P.M., and the second peak beteen 7 and 10 A.M.. In ischemic heart disease group, they show a peak between 2 and 8 P.M..In control group, there was no circadian variation for the frequency of VPC;s. Both in hypertension and IHD patients group, there was significant correlation between the frequency of VPC's and the heart rates. CONCLUSION: It seemed that VPC' were more frequently occurred in relation to the increase of heart rate in the afternoon, in hypertensive and ischemic heart disease patients.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Circadian Rhythm ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Incidence ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Ventricular Premature Complexes*

The authors retrospectively evaluated 75 diabetic patients (92 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery between January 1995 and December 1997. The minimum follow up period was one year. We analysed retrospectively the final visual cuity, the incidence and risk factors of progression of diabetic retinopathy after cataract surgery. The improvement of visual acuity more than 2 lines was achieved in 81 eyes (88.0%). Seventy two eyes (78.3%) achieved the final visual acuity of more than 0.5. In moderate or severe nonproli- ferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)groups, visual acuity improvement was less than in no or mild NPDR group (p=0.001). Progression of retinopathy occurred in 21 out of 82 eyes (25.6%)one year following surgery and was associated with presence of diabetic nephropathy (p=0.018). The rates of retinopathy progression were higher in patients with longer duration of diabetes or insulin treatment than shorter duration of diabetes, or dietary or oral hypoglycemic treatment, but differences did not reach a significant level.
Cataract* ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insulin ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Visual Acuity