No abstract available.
Cryotherapy* ; Nevus*

BACKGROUND: Sun exposure and therapeutic irradiation have been shown to induce alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including elastin, glycosaminoglycan and collagens. The integrity of the connective tissue mainly depends on balanced rates of matrix synthesis and degradation of the extracellular matrix. Therefore, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may be involved in ultraviolet irradiation (UVR)-induced alterations in ECM proteins. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of UVA as well as UVB irradiations on ST-1 gene expression in cultured human skin fibroblasts. METHODS: After exposure of different doses of UVA and UVB on cultured human skin fibroblasts, we examined the expression of ST-1 gene by Northern blot analysis, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay with CAT construct containing AP-1 binding site. Additionally, we carried out the gel mobility shift assay to investigate the effects of UVR on the DNA-binding activity of AP-1. RESULTS: After UVR on fibroblasts, the steady-state levels of ST-1 mRNA were in-creased in response to UVA and UVB by 2.5-fold and 4.2-fold, respectively, as compared with controls. Similar results were obtained by CAT assay showing that CAT activity increased as the UVA and UVB doses increased. Furthermore, gel mobility shift assay demonstrated that both UVA and UVB increased AP-1 DNA binding complexes. CONCLUSION: UVB as well as UVA up-regulated ST-1 gene expression at transcriptional levels in vitro. We speculate that modulation of MMPs, including ST-1, gene expression by UVR may contribute to the connective tissue damage related to photoaging and other photocutaneous disorders.
Animals ; Binding Sites ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; DNA ; Elastin ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Solar System ; Transcription Factor AP-1

We report a case of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis on Rt. forehead and perioral area of 57 year old woman with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and Lt. cerebral infarction. She had large ulcers with yellowish purulent exudates on Rt. forehead and perioral area for 2months. A histopathological examination from the lesion showed numerous encapsulated, round spores and the organisms were identified as Cryptococcus neoformans in a series of fun-gal studies. The patient received a 5-week course of IV and oral fluconazole with resolution of her skin lesion. The patient is free of any lesion several months after completing therapy. This experience supports the use of fluconazole as initial and single therapy in primary cutaneous cryptococcosis.
Cerebral Infarction ; Cryptococcosis* ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Fluconazole* ; Forehead ; Humans ; Skin ; Spores ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Motor Endplate*

Fractures of tibia are often trouble-some because of their easy compounding and associated soft tissue injury, especially neurovascular tissue. Initial proper treatments for fractures of tibia with severe compounding are very important for a better prognosis. In the orthopaedic Department of the Seoul Adventist Hospital, open reduction and internal fixation with Sherman plate were performed for 12 cases of tibia with severe compounding from January 1975 to October 1980 and the results were as follows; 1. The age of the patients ranged from 11 years to 50 years, and the majority of the patients were injuryed in traffic accident. 2. All of the patients were suffered from combined injures, so intensive close treatment was needed but 2 patients expired. 3. 7 out of 12 cases were found as vascular rupture and therefore 2 B-K amputations were carried out because of necrosis. 4. Average time for bone union was 6.9 months and infection was controlled without sequela. 5. Outcome of open reduction and internal fixation with Sherman plate for fractures of tibia with severe compounding was rather good, but comparisons are thought to be required after standardization of patients for open reduction without internal fixation. and openreduction with internal fixation.
Accidents, Traffic ; Amputation ; Clinical Study ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Prognosis ; Rupture ; Seoul ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tibia ; Tibial Fractures

No abstract available.
Interleukin-6* ; Lymphocytes*

Three-dimensional (3D) structure of the bronchopulmonary segments should be understood for accurate diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases. Two-dimensional (2D) tools (e.g. anatomy books) or traditional 3D tools (e.g. plastic models) are not sufficient for understanding 3D structure of the bronchopulmonary segments. The lung of a cadaver may not always be available for dissection, when it is needed. To overcome this problem, virtual dissection programs of the lung have been made. However, most programs include either 2D images that do not permit free dissection or radiographs that do not reveal true color and have limited resolution, and cannot represent 3D structure of the bronchopulmonary segments. Moreover, it is necessary to make a virtual dissection program of each race and ethnic group. Thus, we attempted to make a 3D image and virtual dissection program of the lung using a Korean cadaver in order to help medical students and doctors better understand 3D structure of the bronchopulmonary segments. One pair of lungs was extracted from a Korean male cadaver. Dye with specific color was injected into each segmental bronchus to distinguish bronchopulmonary segments. The lungs were embedded with gelatin solution, and serially-sectioned with 1 mm- thickness using a meat slicer. Sectioned specimens from each lung were inputted into the computer using a scanner (300 X 400 resolution, true color). 2D images of the lungs were aligned on the alignment program which was composed using IDL language. In 2D images, the bronchopulmonary segments were manually segmented by help of dye. 3D images of the bronchopulmonary segments were reconstructed through the volume-based rendering of 2D images. With 3D images as the main features, the virtual dissection program of the bronchopulmonary segments was composed using IDL language. Various virtual dissection functions, such as sectioning a lung at free angles to show its plane, identifying the bronchopulmonary segments represented in the sectioned plane, and rotating the selected bronchopulmonary segments at free angles, were established. This virtual dissection program of the bronchopulmonary segments is helpful in better understanding 3D location and shape of the bronchopulmonary segments; it is expected to be used through CD-title or Internet as an educational tool for medical students and doctors.
Bronchi ; Cadaver* ; Continental Population Groups ; Diagnosis ; Ethnic Groups ; Gelatin ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional* ; Internet ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Meat ; Plastics ; Students, Medical

BACKGROUND: The importance of the determination of cell viability has prompted the development of several assays of viability that utilize the exclusion of certain dyes by viable cell membranes. Recently, flow cytometry has been adapted to estimate cell viability by using fluorescent dye which is excluded by living cells on the basis of altered dead cell properties. OBJECTIVE: We have developed a flow Cytometric method for measuring cell viability after staining with propidium iodide (PI) and have compared it with the classical colorimetric method, MTT assay, which is currently widely used in cytotoxicity assays in the research field. METHODS: We performed flow cytometry and MTT assay for the comparison of the sensitivity of the assessment of cell viability. RESULTS: Decrease of cell viability was measured by flow cytometry with the addition of as little as 0.002% Triton-X 100 in comparison to MTT assay which could only reveal a similar decrease of cell viability with the new method to 0.008% Triton-X 100. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate this new method to be more sensitive and simple for the assessment of cell viability.
Cell Membrane ; Cell Survival* ; Coloring Agents ; Flow Cytometry ; Methods* ; Propidium*

Since the first report by Tansini in 1896, the latissimus dorsi muscle free flap has been widely used for various types of soft tissue defect due to reliable anatomy with a sufficient diameter of neurovascular pedicle and a sizable muscle. However, for relatively small soft tissue defect, latissimus dorsi free flap offers several distinct disadvantages of donor site including loss of the posterior axillary fold and flattening of the posterolateral chest wall, weakness of upper arm strength in extension, adduction and internal rotation. We treated three patients having various types of soft tissue defect using segmental latissimus dorsi muscular free flap depending on its descending branch of thoracodorsal neurovascular pedicles. There were no serious complications during 18 months of mean follow-up. We concluded that this method has some advantages such as no weakness of strength of the upper arm including walking on crutches, preserving the posterior axillary fold, preventing winging of the scapula and increased chance of using a flow-through technique. Here we present our cases of reconstruction of soft tissue defect using segmental latissimus dorsi free flap with a review of the literature.
Arm ; Crutches ; Follow-Up Studies ; Free Tissue Flaps* ; Humans ; Scapula ; Superficial Back Muscles* ; Thoracic Wall ; Tissue Donors ; Walking

No abstract available.
Ultrasonography