A variety of substitutes and numerous operative procedures have been described to stabilize the anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) deficient knee. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study has been to evaluated the remodelling process of bone-patef- lar tendon-bone(B-PTB) allograft(Tutoplast(r)) for ACL reconstruction by means of light microscopic(LM) and electron microscopic(EM) examinations from the biopsy specimens obtained at the time of second-look arthroscopy. The authors also have been grossly observed the width, vascularity, elasticity and stability of B-PTB allograft. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ACL reconstruction using B-PTB allograft was performed on 22 consecutive patients. Among them, 12 patients were reviewed and the average age at time of operation was 22.5 years ranging from 21 to 40 years. The second look arthroscopy was performed at 6 months, 12 months, 24 months in each of the 4 cases. The gross findings of allograft were observed, and biopsy was done by the method of Millonig. Results; The arthroscopic findings of the reconstructed ACL were partially covered with synovium and narrowed in diameter at 6 months follow up. At 12 months follow up after reconstruction, that grafted ligaments were covered with more synovial membrane, and observed the more thickness with normal strength similar to normal anterior cruciate ligament configuration. At 24 months, grafted ligaments were grossly similar to normal ACL. The LM findings demonstrated many fibroblasts with spindle shape nuclei and and hypercellularity at 6 months. At the 12 months, crimp pattern of collagen bundles and decreased hypercellularity observed. At 24 months, grafted ligament were similar to nomal ACL. The EM findings that fibroblasts were showed abundant cytoplasm which contained marked dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum(r-ER) and aggregates of microfilaments at 6 months. At 12 months, fibroblasts with folded nuclei and abundant cytoplasm were observed. At 24 months, demonstrated the fibroblasts with abundant cytoplasm and densely packed collagen fibrils. Collagen fibrils displayed parallel arrangement and characteristic cross striation with a periodicity. Scanning EM findings showed uniformly small diameter of collagen in the transeverse section. CONCLUSIONS: Gross & LM findings of B-PTB allograft were similar to that of normal ACL at 6 months, and at 12 months, postoperatively. But EM findings of B-PTB allograft were compared with the biopsy samples of normal ACLs, the allograft was still undergoing maturation 24 months postoperati vely.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Allografts* ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Arthroscopy ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Cytoplasm ; Elasticity ; Fibroblasts ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Ligaments ; Patella* ; Patellar Ligament* ; Periodicity ; Prospective Studies* ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Synovial Membrane ; Transplants

E-cadherin (ECD) is a Ca++ -dependent adhesion molecule which plays a major role in the maintenance of intercellular adhesion in epithelial tissues. The expression pattern of ECD in 77 surgically resected gastric adenocarcinomas was examined by immunohistochemistry, using a rat monoclonal antibody raised against murine E-cadherin (DECAM-1). ECD was strongly expressed uniformly at cell to cell borders in normal gastric epithelium without exception. But, various staining patterns were observed in the cancer tissues. The frequency of tumors with preserved ECD expression (Pre-type) and reduced ECD expression (Rd-type) was 44% and 56%, respectively. Using Lauren's classification, the high frequency of the Pre-type expression in adenocarcinoma of the intestinal type was significantly higher than that in adenocarcinoma of the diffuse type (p<0.05). But, no significant correlation between the ECD expression and the gross type, invasion depth, growth pattern or metastasis was observed. These results suggest that ECD might play a key role in the morphogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Animals ; Cadherins* ; Classification ; Epithelium ; Immunohistochemistry ; Morphogenesis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rats

Although there have been many reports about the importance of the spleen's role in hepatic fibrogenesis, the exact mechanism is still uncertain. The author designed this study to evaluate splenic function on hepatic fibrogenesis. The degree of hepatic fibrosis and the population of splenocyte subsets were studied in the experimental animal model with fibrosis produced by injecting normal swine serum intra-peritoneally into Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were divided into three groups; group A was subjected to injection of swine serum only, group B swine serum and complete Freund's adjuvant and group C swine serum and cyclosporin A. The experimental hepatic fibrogenesis by swine serum was augumented by coinjection with the adjuvant and inhibited by cyclosporin A. The study of the splenocyte subset revealed increased percentages of spienic B cell and CD4+ cell and a decreased percentage of CD8+ cell, and these changes of splenocyte subset were also augumented by the adjuvant and inhibited by cyclosporin A. The percent of monocytes was not significantly altered, although a tendancy of early decrease by the adjuvant was noted.
Rats ; Animals

Poland's syndrome is congenital anomaly which was described first by Alfred Poland in 1841. The clinical features are variable but always include congenital aplasia of fingers and syndactyly. We have experienced a case of Poland's syndrome. This case was male children and revealed thoracic anomaly of right side (absence of pectoral muscles and anterior axillary fold), atrophy of forearm muscles, ipsilateral syndactyly with aplasia of thumb and middle phalanges of 2, 3, 4, 5,th fingers, and ipsilateral congenital radio-ulnar synostosis.
Atrophy ; Child ; Fingers ; Forearm ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Poland ; Syndactyly ; Synostosis ; Thumb

The Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a familial disorder of connective tissue, and seven distinct clinical forms are reported. Author experienced two cases of the type 3 Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which present hypermobility of the joints, asymmetry of the thorax, anomalies of the thoracic spine, and flatfoot. So, we report these patients with references.
Connective Tissue ; Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome ; Flatfoot ; Humans ; Joints ; Spine ; Thorax

Local or distant flap surgery has been applied in the soft tissue defect area where bone and tendon are exposed, but there are many pitfalls in these surgeries including limitation of donor site selection, as well as functional and aesthetic dissatisfaction of the donor and recipient site. So these problems have facilitated the development and study of skin substitute (artificial dermis). The history of artificial skin began in the 1980s with the invention of Stage I membrane by Yannas and Burke. Since then it has been developed and applied to chinical cases of extensive burn injury and soft tissue defect. In 1989, and artificial dermis (Terudermis) composed of fibrillar collagen and heat denaturated atelocollagen was developed by Konish. It has the advantage of allowing early-incorporation of cellular and vascular components into its collagen sponge, as well as dehydrothermal cross-linking, which is very weak. This study included 18 consecutive cases which underwent application of artificial dermis on bone and tendon from January 1997 to November 1998. The exposed areas were the result of trauma in 10 cases, postoperative complications in 2 cases, and other causes in 6 cases. The follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 18 months, averaging 11 months. A week after wound debridement and Terudermis application, neovascularization had begun and granulation tissue appeared aften 2-3 weeks. Then the split or full -thickness skin graft was secondarily applied resulting in the production of sufficient skin. In conclusion, Terudermis application to an area of exposed bone and tendon is a very useful method, especially when primary local or distant flap surgery cannot be used. This method is very simple, convenient and reliable.
Burns ; Collagen ; Debridement ; Dermis ; Fibrillar Collagens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granulation Tissue ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Inventions ; Membranes ; Porifera ; Postoperative Complications ; Skin ; Skin, Artificial ; Tendons* ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries

Met protein is a transmembrane 190 kD heterodimer with tyrosine kinase activity, encoded by c-Met oncogene. It serves as a high affinity receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/scatter factor (SF), a cytokine which stimulates cell proliferation, motility, and invasion. In this study, we immunohistochemically evaluated the expression of Met/hepatocyte growth factor receptor in colorectal cancers. Met protein was expressed in 31 of 72 patients (43.1%). The staining pattern was cytoplasmic in nature, present throughout the tumor, and showed variable intensity from case to case. The relationship between the expression rate and intensity, and age and sex of patients, tumor size (p=0.645), tumor site (p=0.902) and tumor differentiation (p=0.844) was not statistically significant. The expression rate and intensity were significantly correlated with lymphovascular invasion (p=0.001), lymph node metastasis (p=0.010), depth of invasion (0.019), and stage (p=0.023). Cytoplasmic accumulation of Met protein was not associated with enhanced PCNA index of tumor cells (p=0.052). These results suggest that Met protein may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells.
Cell Proliferation ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Cytoplasm ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) is a Ca2+ -dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule that connects cells via homotypic interactions. Its function is critical in the induction and maintenance of cell polarity and differentiation, and its loss is associated with an invasive and poorly differentiated phenotype in a wide range of tumors. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 36 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 14 cervical squamous cell carcinomas were investigated for the expression of E-cadherin immunohistochemically. While E-cadherin expression was usually restricted on the cell membrane of basal and parabasal cells in normal cervix, the presence of cytoplasmic E-cadherin was found to be associated with its grade in CIN lesions. Also, marked cytoplasmic staining was commonly revealed in poorly differentiated ones than well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. More intense reactivity of cytoplasmic E-cadherin was frequently seen in the foci of invasion than adjacent carcinoma in situ, and in its periphery than the center of tumor islands. In addition, DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction of squamous cell carcinomas were analyzed and compared with those of CIN lesion. We found that invasive squamous cell carcinomas more frequently disclosed DNA aneuploidy than CIN lesions, and there was correlation between cytoplasmic E-cadherin expression and DNA aneuploidy. Also, cytoplasmic E-cadherin-reactive cervical neoplasms had a higher rate of cell proliferation than that of membranous E-cadherin-reactive cases. These data suggest that the increased cytoplasmic E-cadherin expression may represent one of the abnormalities underlying the loss of polarity and invasiveness of cancer cells, and the abnormal E-cadherin expression combined with/without DNA ploidy or S-phase fraction may serve as a prognostic indicator.
Aneuploidy ; Cadherins* ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Membrane ; Cell Polarity ; Cell Proliferation ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Cervix Uteri* ; Cytoplasm ; DNA* ; Female ; Islands ; Phenotype ; Ploidies* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Bromidrosis is a disorder characterized by rancid body odor which influences a patient's social life and mental health. The therapeutic modalities and the mechanism of bromidrosis have been carefully studied, however, there have been few reports about the genetic inheritance of bromidrosis. We investigated the family history of 42 patients who were operated on for bromidrosis and followed up to the third generation in 10 cases. The results were as follows: Results of investigation which were followed up the second generation. The fathers of five patients and the mothers of 11 patients had bromidrosis in 18 male patients. The fathers of six patients and the mothers of 12 patients had bromidrosis in 24 female patients. Thirty-four patient (81.0%) among a total of 42 have a single parent with bromidrosis. Result of investigation which were followed up to the third generation Bromidrosis was occurred in 17 of 42 patients (40.5%) in the second generation, and 18 of 27 patients (66.7%) in the third generation. In one case, a father transmitted bromidrosis to his three sons, and as a result, X-linked inheritance could be ruled out Bromidrosis was not skipped in every generation of all families. We on conclude that bromidrosis is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder.
Fathers ; Female ; Genes, X-Linked ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Mothers ; Odors ; Single Parent ; Wills*

There is increasing need for network connecting personal computers(PC) together. Thus Local Area Network(LAN) emerged, which was designed to allow multiple computers to access and share multiple files and programs and expensive peripheral devices and to communicate with each user. We built PC-LAN in our department that consisted of 1) hardware-9 sets of personal computers(IBM compatible 80386 DX, 1 set:80286 AT, 8sets) and cables and network interface cards (Ethernet compatible, 16bits) that connected PC and peripheral devices 2) software - network operating system and database management system. We managed this network for 6 months. The benefits of PC-LAN were 1) multiuser (share multiple files and programs, peripheral devices) 2) real time data processing 3) excellent expandibility and flexibility, compatibility, easy connectivity 4) single cable for networking ) rapid data transmission 6) simple and easy installation and management 7) using conventional PC's software running under DOS(Disk Operating System) without transformation 8) low networking cost. In conclusion, PC-LAN provides an easier and more effective way to manage multiuser database system needed at hospital departments instead of more expensive and complex network of minicomputer or mainframe.
Database Management Systems ; Hospital Departments ; Humans ; Microcomputers* ; Minicomputers ; Pliability ; Running