Intravertebral vacuum cleft in collapsed vertebra was considered as a typical finding of avascular necrosis. However, several authors reported some cases of intravertebral vacuum cleft in primary or secondary neoplasm, or in spondylitis emphasiging the differenhal diagnosis. MRI is known to be a useful diagnostic modality for diferentiation between benign and malignanct conditions causing vertebral collapse. We report MRI findings of two cases with intravertebral vacuum cleft diagnosed as posttraumatic collapse with avascular necrosis on radiological and clinical bases.
Diagnosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Necrosis ; Spine ; Spondylitis ; Vacuum*

BACKGROUND: Plasmapheresis or plasma exchange is the procedure to remove various pathogenic materials from the circulation of patients and retransfuse the formed elements into the doners with type specific fresh frozen plasma or albumin for the replacement of the withdrawn plasma. METHODS: In order to evaluate clinical experience of plasma exchange, we examined a total of 133 plasma exchange procedure on 25 patients of January 1993 - May 1994 in Kyungpook national university hospital. RESULTS: The results are as follows: 1. There were 8 kinds of diseases and the most frequent diseases was Guillian-Barre syndrome(l 2 cases) and the decreasing order was CIDP(6 cases), multiple myeloma(2 cases), acute fulminant hepatitis(1 case), mushroom poisoning(1 case), lupus nephritis(l case), TTP(I case) and myasthenia gravis(l case). 2. The patient's age ranged from 13 to 65 years. 3. There were 14 males and 11 females and the sex ratio was 1.3:1. 4. We had got clinical improvement in 16 of 25 cases, especially most dramatic effect in Guillian-Barre syndrome. CONCLUSION: To achieve more successful outcome of plasma exchange, we should select patients with restrict application, prevent rebound phenomenon with intense practice, choose what kind of replacement fluid to consider patient's clinical condition and check serological parameter with clinical evaluation to monitor effectiveness of treatment.
Agaricales ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Male ; Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma* ; Plasmapheresis ; Sex Ratio

No abstract available.
Animals ; Liver* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Liver* ; Rats*

The nm23 gene was originally identified from murine melanoma cell lines of varying metastatic potential. A strong association has been observed between reduced expression of nm23 gene and acquisition of metastatic behavior in some tumor cells including breast cancer and melanoma, but not in others such as colon cancer, neuroblastoma, and cervical cancer. It was proposed that nm23 may function as a suppressor gene for tumor metastasis. It has recently been found that the sequence of nm23 and NDP-kinase(NDP-K) was identical. Mortality associated with human breast carcinoma is almost entirely due to subsequent metastasis, but the molecular basis of this metastasis is not understood. Elucidation of the genetic control of metastatic propensity of a tumor is important in determining prognosis and choice of therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of nm23 protein expression with axillary lymph node metastasis and other prognostic factors. Using an immunohistochemical technique and employing a polyclonal antibody to nm23 protein, we have determined nm23 expression in a series of 72 infiltrating ductal carcinomas of the breast. Immunostaining for the nm23 gene product have heterogenous cytoplasmic and nuclear staining in 61 patients(84.7%). Sections were scored according to relative abundance(1 = less than 25% of the cells, 2 = 26-75%, 3 = 76-100%). In 61 patients with positive immunostaining, the staining was scored as 1 in 41.6%, 2 in 18.0%, and 3 in 40.2%. The staining of tumor cells was greater than that in normal epithelial cells and stromal cells. No relationship was found between nm23 expression and lymph node metastasis, histologic grade, tumor size, estrogen receptors or progesterone receptors. Therefore, nm23 protein is increased in neoplastic tissues but no correlation with metastatic potential could be demonstrated. The biological mechanism of over-expression of nm23 in malignant cells and its role in tumor progression remain to be determined.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Cell Line ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Genes, Suppressor ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanoma ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroblastoma ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Estrogen ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Stromal Cells ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The nm23 gene was originally identified from murine melanoma cell lines of varying metastatic potential. A strong association has been observed between reduced expression of nm23 gene and acquisition of metastatic behavior in some tumor cells including breast cancer and melanoma, but not in others such as colon cancer, neuroblastoma, and cervical cancer. It was proposed that nm23 may function as a suppressor gene for tumor metastasis. It has recently been found that the sequence of nm23 and NDP-kinase(NDP-K) was identical. Mortality associated with human breast carcinoma is almost entirely due to subsequent metastasis, but the molecular basis of this metastasis is not understood. Elucidation of the genetic control of metastatic propensity of a tumor is important in determining prognosis and choice of therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of nm23 protein expression with axillary lymph node metastasis and other prognostic factors. Using an immunohistochemical technique and employing a polyclonal antibody to nm23 protein, we have determined nm23 expression in a series of 72 infiltrating ductal carcinomas of the breast. Immunostaining for the nm23 gene product have heterogenous cytoplasmic and nuclear staining in 61 patients(84.7%). Sections were scored according to relative abundance(1 = less than 25% of the cells, 2 = 26-75%, 3 = 76-100%). In 61 patients with positive immunostaining, the staining was scored as 1 in 41.6%, 2 in 18.0%, and 3 in 40.2%. The staining of tumor cells was greater than that in normal epithelial cells and stromal cells. No relationship was found between nm23 expression and lymph node metastasis, histologic grade, tumor size, estrogen receptors or progesterone receptors. Therefore, nm23 protein is increased in neoplastic tissues but no correlation with metastatic potential could be demonstrated. The biological mechanism of over-expression of nm23 in malignant cells and its role in tumor progression remain to be determined.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Cell Line ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Genes, Suppressor ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanoma ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroblastoma ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Estrogen ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Stromal Cells ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation* ; Pancreatitis*

PURPOSE: To analyze the MR imaging features of multiple sclerosis (MS) in spinal cord. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine MR (magnetic resonance) images of six patients with suspected MS were retrospectively evaluated in active phase (n=6) and inactive phase (n=3) before and after Gadolinium-DTPA administration. RESULTS: In all patients with clinically active phase, plaques of spinal cord appeared as high signal intensity on T2-weighted image with isointense cord swelling on Tl-weighted images. All lesions were enhanced on Gd-DTPA enhanced Tl-weighted images. The patterns of enhancement were nodular, circumferential rim-like, and segmental. On follow-up images in 3 patients who became clinically stable, all enhancing lesions disappeared. CONCLUSION: MR is a good modality in detection of spinal MS, and Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR is valuable in differentiating active MS from stable MS.
Follow-Up Studies ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multiple Sclerosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord*

No abstract available.
Chlorpromazine* ; Nicotine* ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: Although the main features of psoriasis consist of abnormal epidermal proliferation and T cell infiltration, which of these is the initial abnormality has been a longstanding unresolved question. Recently there has been definite evidence that activated T cells produce the cytokines that induce keratinocyte abnormalities. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the distributions and relative numbers of T lymphocyte subpopulations, that is, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, to verify the more important T cell subtype and its infiltrating site in the formation of psoriatic lesions. METHODS: Paired psoriatic lesional and non-lesional skin tissues were obtained from eight typical psoriatic patients. Immunohistochemical staining was done on the frozen sections using a labelled streptavidin-biotin peroxidase complex method with DAKO LSAB kit. The primary antibodies used in this study were monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies against CD3, CD4, CD8, HLA-DR, and ICAM-1. RESULTS: In lesional psoriatic skin, the epidermis was mainly infiltrated by CD8+ T cells. There were little or no T cells in non-lesional epidermis. In both lesional and non-lesional dermis, CD4+ T cells were the main ones. In lesional skin, anti-ICAM-1 antibody positively stained diffusely in the endothelial cells of papillary and subpapillary plexuses and focally in epidermal keratinocytes, but in non-lesional skin only the endothelial cells in the subpapillary plexus were stained. There were many HLA-DR+T lymphocytes in lesional and non-lesional dermis. In the epidermis, HLA DR was detected only in lesional keratinocytes and T lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: These results suggest (1) participation of activated epidermal CD8+ T lymphocytes in the formation of psoriatic plaques, and (2) a pathogenetic role of ICAM-1 expression on papillary microvessels.
Antibodies ; Cytokines ; Dermis ; Endothelial Cells ; Epidermis ; Frozen Sections ; HLA-DR Antigens ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Keratinocytes ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes* ; Microvessels ; Peroxidase ; Psoriasis ; Skin* ; T-Lymphocytes