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

No abstract available.
Cryotherapy* ; Nevus*

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*

PURPOSE: Since the discovery of estrogen receptor-beta(ER-beta, five C-terminal variants of ER-beta were identified. We designed this study to investigate the pattern and clinical implications of ER-betaand its splicing variants expression in normal and malignant mammary tissues. METHODS: Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we examined the expression levels of ER-alpha and ER-betaand its five splicing variants (beta1, beta2, beta3, beta4, beta5) in 50 paired normal and cancer tissues. We measured the densities of RT-PCR products using Tina version 2.10 (Raytest, Germany). Firstly, the incidence and intensity of ER-alpha and ER-beta and its five splicing variants were compared. Then the expression of ER-betamRNA splicing variants was also analyzed with regard to the ER-alphaprotein expression measured by immuno-histochemical staining and the menopausal status of the patients. Chi-square test and paired samples t-test were used for statistical analysis. Differences were considered to be significant with a p-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: The expression of ER-betamRNA variants in normal breast and cancer tissues were as follows: ER-beta2 (100%/100%), ER-beta4 (76%/74%), ER-beta5 (32%/58%), and ER-beta1 (14%/16%). ER-beta3 was not detected at all. In terms of intensity, we observed a significant decrease of ER-beta2 (P<0.001) and an increase of ER-beta5 (P=0.004) in the mRNA expression levels among breast cancers compared to the corresponding normal breast tissues. Compared to the corresponding normal tissues, a significant decrease of ER-beta2 in cancer tissues was observed in patients with ER-alpha-positive (P<0.001), with age over 50 (P=0.01), and under 50 (P=0.04) as well, but not in patients with ER-alpha-negative (P=0.48). ER-beta4 also significantly decreased in patients with ER-alpha-positive (P=0.004) and with age over 50 (P=0.07). ER-beta5 showed a significant increment only in patient aged over 50 (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: ER-alpha mRNA expression significantly increases but ER-beta mRNA expression decreases in the cancer tissues compared to the corresponding normal tissues. Among ER-beta variant forms, ER-beta2 is predominant in both normal and malignant mammary tissues and ER-beta4, ER-beta5, and ER-beta1 in descending order but ER-beta3 does not express in mammary tissues. The decrease of ER-beta2 and ER-beta4 expression is prominent in cancer tissue especially in ER-alpha-positive cancers, which suggests that ER-beta2 and ER-beta4 may possess a regulatory function in mammary carcinogenesis. Further investigations to verify the roles of ER-beta variants are mandatory.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinogenesis ; Estrogens* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Estrogen ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. All patients with ulcers who are infected with H. pylori receive antimicrobial therapy. Therefore diagnosis of H. pylori infection is imperative for the treatment gastritis or ulcer patients. We evaluated the four diagnostic methods and three culture media for the isolation of H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rapid urease test(CLO test), modified Gram stain, culture, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed with 108 gastroscopic biopsy specimens from patients with peptic ulcer or chronic gastritis. Among them 40 specimens were inoculated onto each of 5% sheep blood agar, e99 Yolk emulsion (EYE) agar, and 7% horse blood agar containing antibiotics. RESULTS: The positive rates were the highest by the PCR(72%), 67% by modified Gram stain, 64% by CLO test, and 57% by culture. Among the three media the horse blood agar (selective medial) gave the highest isolation rate (48%), followed by sheep blood agar (45%), and EYE agar (38%). CONCLUSION: Though PCR was the most sensitive method for the detection H. pylori modified Gram stain was sensitive enough, simple, rapid, and economical as the routine diagnostic method of H. pylori. For the culture of H. pylori combination of sheep blood agar as nonselective media and horse blood agar as selective media would show the highest isolation rate.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy* ; Culture Media* ; Diagnosis ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Horses ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sheep ; Ulcer ; Urease