No abstract available.
Malformations of Cortical Development* ; Seizures*

No abstract available.
Malformations of Cortical Development* ; Seizures*

Cutaneous metastases from internal carcinornas are relatively rare. The frequency of metastases to the skin varies from 0.5-4.4%. We report a case of cutaneous metastasis suspected to originat from stomach cancer. A 44-year-old female, who had an episode of total gastrectony under diagnosis of stornach cancer three years ago, had multipe painless erythernatous nodules on the case and neck for one year. Histologic findings shows atypical anaplastic cell infiltration at the derr is and subcutaneous tissues. Cells with hyperchrornatic and erally displaced nuclei were recogniz d PAS staining shows positive reactions within the cells of glarid like structure. She died twelve month after the appearance of the cutaneous lesions.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Skin ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach* ; Subcutaneous Tissue

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by high serum glucose levels and by disturbances of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. There are many cutaneous signs of this common endocrinopathy, such as nercobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, diabetic bullosis, shin spot, diabetic pruritus, etc. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated whether extracellular matrix gene expression in cultured skin fibroblast is influenced by insulin and Insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I). METHOD: Total RNA was isolated from insulin or IGF-I treated human skin fibroblasts. The Northern blot and slot-blot hybridization were then conducted. RESULTS: The mRNA levels of pro α1(I) collagen, pro α1(I11) collagen, fibronectin in insulin and IGF-I treated normal skin fibroblasts increased compared with untreated normal skin fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Our results show that insulin and IGF-I stimulate collagen formation in normal skin fibroblast at physiological concentrations. Therefore, these demonstrate that insulin can modulate the expression of extracellular matrix gene.
Blood Glucose ; Blotting, Northern ; Collagen ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Insulin* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Lipid Metabolism ; Methods ; Pruritus ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*

Great strides has been made in the past 20 years in the treatment of scoliosis. Treatment before scoliosis becomes severe eliminates the need for extensive surgery. Early detection of scoliosis by school screening has proven to be valuable for early diagnosis and prevention of severe deformities. Authors screened 5,256 middle and high school students in Seoul, who were chosen arbitrarily, to determine the incidence rates of scoliosis, and following results were obtained. 1. Scoliosis was diagnosed on a combination of at least one positive physical sign and a lateral curvature more than 5 degrees on an antero-posterior standing X-ray. 2. The overall incidence of scoliosis was 4.68% (Male 0.74%, Female 6.43%). 3. Idiopathic scoliosis was found in 238 students, congenital scoliosis in 5, and paralytic scoliosis in 3. 4. The most common pattern of curvature was thoracic curve. 5. In the single curve right to left ratio was 2.1, but 8.4 in the upper curve of double curve. 6. Close observations were required for all the 246 students and treatment was required in 14 students who had more than 20 degrees, 9 students for Milwaukee brace, and 5 students for surgical correction.
Braces ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Scoliosis ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral*

No abstract available.

The effects of treatment with mercury chloride on the nitrite and nitrate syntheses were observed in peritoneal macrophages from Balb/c mice and EMT-6 cells in vitro. The cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium(DMEM) with cytokines. Amounts of nitrite and nitrate in the culture media after 24 and 36 hours of culture were about 2-fold, and 3-fold of those measured after 12 hours respectively. There were very close associations between the amounts of nitrite and nitrate measured in the culture media according to culture time. The survival rate of peritoneal macrophages was significantly decreased by mercury chloride added into the media in dose-dependent manner, however the survivals of EMT-6 cells were not influenced by mercury chloride concentration in media. Nitrite and nitrate syntheses were dose-dependently decreased by mercury chloride added in culture media. ATP synthesis also decreased in EMT-6 cells by mercury chloride. These results reported here suggest that the disorder of cell mediated immunity by mercurials could be related to the inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis which seems to be caused by the inhibition of ATP synthesis.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Culture Media ; Cytokines ; Immunity, Cellular ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Mice* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: Neurofibroma, the hallmark of neurofibromatosis, is a cutaneous or subcutaneous lesion, with a variable clinical presentation. Histologically, neurofibroma consists of proliferation of nerve derived cellular elements, together with an abundant, collagenous extracellular matrix. Specifically, neurofibroma has been shown to contain 30-50% collagen in its matrix. Objective 5. METHODS: We examined the expression of extracellular matrix genes (collagen, fibronectin, laminin), TGF-b mRNA and Ha-ras oncogene mRNA by using Northern and slot-blot hybridization and immunoperoxidase stains. Result: In Northern blot analysis, Ha-ras and TGF-b genes revealed respectively, 8.8kb and 2. 5kb sized mRNA transcripts in neurofibroma. These parameters were normal in the control. The expression of these genes were 1.9, 2.0 fold increased in neurofibroma. In slot-blot analysis, expression of type I collagen showed fibronectin genes to be 2,401+210, 540+43, respectively, in neurofibroma. So there were 3.7 fold, 2.1 fold, differences respectively, compared to the normal control. However, there were no significant changes of type IV collagen and laminin Bl mRNA levels between neurofibroma and normal skin tissues. Irnmunoperoxidase staining by rnonoclonal anti type IV collagen antibody in neurofibroma showed type IV collagen to be diffusely and weakly stained in tissue. On staining by monoclonal anti-laminin antibody, laminin was stained in a matrix and around vessels. CONCLUSION: The increased expression of extracellular matrix genes may suggest that there is a subpopulation of fibroic cells in neurofibroma which are stimulated by TGF-b. Ha-ras genes which might have accumulated with the differentiation of neural tissue may be related to the pathogenesis of neurofibroma tissue formation. Further studies are needed to determine whether the other factors are related to the pathogenesis of neurofibroma.
Blotting, Northern ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen Type IV ; Coloring Agents ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibronectins ; Genes, ras* ; Laminin ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin

This experiment was aimed to investigate the contractile responses of the fermoral artery to the electrical stimulation and the inhibitory effects of verapamil and papaverine on the electrical stimulation of the fermoral artery in the control (n=46) and the diabetic rabbits(n=40). Diabetic rabbits were made by and administration of alloxan (100 mg/kg) intravenously and sacrified 8 weeks later. Femoral arterial rings 3 mm in length were taken and mounted on the force-displacement transducer for the measurements of isometric tension. All experiments were done in the aerated (95% O2 with 5% CO2)biological chamber filled with Kreb's solution and the initial tension of 1.5g was applied to the rings. After 1 hour of equilibrium of the rings, the contractile responses of the electrical stimulation on the femoral arterial rings were taken without vasoactive drugs and then, under verapamil and papaverine solution. And we compared the morphologic findings of the vessels in the two groups in relation to the functional changes by transmission electron miroscopy. The results are as follows: 1. The contractile responses in the presence of verapamil or papaverine solutions to the electrical stimulation were lowed significantly in the fermoral arterial rings of the diabetic rabbits compared with that of the control rabbits (verapamil; 10M~10M: p<0.01, papaverine; 10M & 10M: p<0.01). 2. Transmission electron microphotographs showed many morphological differences of the femoral arteries between the control and the diabetic rabbits. These were irregularities of the internal elastic lamina and the hypertrophy of the cytoplasms of the smooth muscle cells. And also, there were many vacuoles in the cytoplasm of the endothelial cells, lateral to the internal elastic laminaes, and between the smooth muscle cells in the diabetic rabbit femoral artery. By this study, we found that the contractile responses of the femoral arterial rings to the electrical stimulation were decreased in the diabetic rabbits, and the vasodiatory effects of verapamil and papaverine on the electrically stimulated femoral arterial rings were also lowered in the diabetic rabbits compared with the control rabbits. These changes of the vasular responses of the diabetic vessel may be associated with morphological changes manifested by transmission electron microscopy or any other functional derangement of the vessels.
Alloxan ; Arteries ; Cytoplasm ; Electric Stimulation* ; Endothelial Cells ; Femoral Artery ; Hypertrophy ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Papaverine ; Rabbits ; Transducers ; Vacuoles ; Vasodilator Agents* ; Verapamil