BACKGROUND: Pemphigus are chronic autoimmune blistering disorcers characterized by acantholysis. In addition to pemphigus vulgaris(PV), the major clinical variarts are pemphigus foliaceus(PF), paraneoplastic pemphigus(PNP) and drug-induced pemphigus(DP). Detection of pemphigus antigen is important for differential diagnosis as well as research work. Most investigators have identified pemphigus antigens by means of immunoprecipitation using metabolically radiolabeled cultured keratinocytes. However, immunorepitation is generally more expensive, hazardous and time-consuming than immunoblotting. Therefore, establishment of the immunoblotting as a standard technique for the detection of the pemphig us antigens is desirable. OBJECTIVE: To characterized pemphigus antigens by an immunobloting analysis of human epidermal extract and by indirect itnmunofluroscence study using human of cultured keratinocytes as a substraie. METHOD: We performed imrnunoblotting analysis af sera from patieiits with PV, PF, PNP and DP with human epidermal extract as a source of antigen. Indirect immunof uorescence study was also performed using human keratinocytes cultured in high or low calcium media for detection of pemphigus antigens. RESULTS: In an immunoblotting analysis, all(9/9) PV sera showed secific reactivities with a 130-KD protein and all(5/5) FF sera showed reactivities with a 150-KK protein, which is most likely desmoglein 1. Furthermore, one of nine PV serum also reacted with a 150-KD protein, which seems to be the identical antigen detected in PF. All PNP(3/3) sera showed reactivities with two protein bands, 210KD and 190KD. In our indirect imrnunofluorescence study using culltured human keratinocytes as a substrate, when keratinocytes were grown in low calcium media, no pimphigus antigens could be detected. However, when grown in high calciurn media, pemphigus vulga ris and paraneoplastic pernphigus antigens were present t the cell-cell contact areas with a puncta;e pattern, whereas pemphigus foliaceus antigen was not, presint in keratinocytes even when cultured in high calcium media. CONCLUSION: Our results suggests (1) immunoblotting analysis is a reliable technique for defining pemphigus antigen and could be a valuable tool for the differentiation of PV, PF and PNP and(2) PF antigen rnay not be expresseden cultured keratinocytes.
Acantholysis ; Blister ; Calcium ; Desmoglein 1 ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoprecipitation ; Keratinocytes* ; Pemphigus* ; Research Personnel

No abstract available.
Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells* ; Tendons*

No abstract available.
Glomerulonephritis*

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Statistics as Topic*

Amyloidosis is a disease complex associated with deposition of inscluble fibrillar protein in vnrious tissues of the body. Since the term, amyloidosis was first introduced by Virchow in 1853, there have been many reports in English literature, but only a few cases of iriinary systemic amyloidosis have been reported in Korea. A 56-year-old male was seven for facial purpuras, macroglossia, myilgia and arthralgia for 5 years. Histologically, the skin biopsy specimen showed amorphous, faintly eosinophilic and fissured masses of amyloid in the upper dermis that demonstrated characteristic green brefringence on Congo red staining when viewed under polarized light. Electron microscopic exanintion showed that nonbranching and nonanastomosing straigh. fibrils are irregularly arranged arouned tlie collagen fibers. Therefore, he was diagncsed with primary systemic amyloidsis by the characteristic clinical, histopathologic and ultrastructural findings.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis* ; Arthralgia ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Congo Red ; Dermis ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Korea ; Macroglossia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Purpura ; Skin

No abstract available.

Subungual exostosis is a bony outgrowth occuring on the distal phalanx beneath the nail. This report concerns a case of subungual exostosis, accompanied with overlying myrmecia which developed in a 18-years-old man. Confirmatory X-ray showed a bony exostosis arising from the dorso-medial aspect of the distal end of the distal phalanx of the right great toe. The purpose of this artiicle is to direct attention to subungual existosis, the diagnosis of which may often be unsuspected in dermatology
Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; Exostoses* ; Toes

Subungual exostosis is a bony outgrowth occuring on the distal phalanx beneath the nail. This report concerns a case of subungual exostosis, accompanied with overlying myrmecia which developed in a 18-years-old man. Confirmatory X-ray showed a bony exostosis arising from the dorso-medial aspect of the distal end of the distal phalanx of the right great toe. The purpose of this artiicle is to direct attention to subungual existosis, the diagnosis of which may often be unsuspected in dermatology
Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; Exostoses* ; Toes

BACKGROUND: Preservation of antigen determinants while retaining morphological detail is prerequisite for high quality immunohistochemistry. Conventional formalin fixation and paraffin embedding procedures are useful in preserving tissue architecture and cytologic detail. However, they destroy the antigenicity of many proteins is tissue samples. On the other hand, fresh frozen section preserve the antigenicity of most proteins, but vield poor morphological preservation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the AMeX method as to the ability to preserve both antigenicity and morphologic details of the skin basement membrane zone so that precise localization of antigens can be attained in immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Tissues were fixed in acetone at -20degrees C over night, then cleared in methyl benzoate and xylene, consecutively, and embedded in ordinary paraffin at 58-60degrees C. Sections made from this paraffinembedded tissue were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for a morphologic study and immunolabelled with antibodies against major basement membrane antigens to evaluate antigenic preservation. The staining intensity and preservation of the morphology by the AMeX method were compared with conventional formalin processed tissues and frozen tissues. RESULTS: Morphological preservation of the AMeX method-processed sections was good throughout the epidermis, basement membrane, and dermis, and as good as that of routinely formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections. Frozen sections usually revealed revealed various degrees of damage by ice crystal formation throughout the epidermis to the dermis. The AMeX method-processed sections showed better or same antigenic preservation comparing the frozen sections when the sections were immunolabelled with specific monoclonal antibodies. But, when the sections were immunolabelled with patient's sera, the AMex method showed less antigenic preservation than the frozed sections. The anti-type IV collagen monoclonal antibody exhibited immunoreactivity only conventional formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded skin sections, but the intensity of the staining was weaker than the AMeX processed sections and the frozen sections. CONCLUSION: The AMeX method can be utilized for the demonstration of skin basement membrane antigens and is superior to the fresh-frozen method in that the histologic figures are more distinct and antigencity can be preserved for a long time.
Acetone* ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Basement Membrane* ; Benzoates* ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Epidermis ; Formaldehyde ; Frozen Sections ; Hand ; Hematoxylin ; Ice ; Immunohistochemistry ; Paraffin ; Paraffin Embedding ; Skin* ; Xylenes*

We reviewed the clinical epidermiologic features and skin biopaies of 23 patients who were diagonosed with sparganosis. Clinically, the parasites were obtained from the lesions and confirmed histopathologically. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the elinical, epidemiological, and histopathological charaeteristics of sparganosis. The results are summurized as follows : 1. There were no difference between male (48%) and female (52%) patients. 2. Age distribution, at first visit, were variable, ranging from 7 to 75, with the mean age of 40 years-old. 3. Duration of symptoms were variable, ranging from 10 years to 15 years, with a mean duration of 3 years. 4. Frequency of clinical features were as follows; movable or fixed subcutaneous nodule (16 cases), subcutaneous nodule with pain & focal warmth t.o touch (6 cases), seizure (I case). 5. Number of parasites per lesion were single lesion with single, parasite (21 cases), single lesion with two parasites (2 cases) and three parasites (3 case). 6. Frequency of location of lesion were abdominal wall (8 cases), thigh (4 cases), breast (3 cases), scrotum (3 cases), arm (3 cases), buttoek (1 cases), ciiest wall (1 case), brain (1 case). 7. The histological change of the affected tissue were characterized as follows ; 1) necrotizing and granulomatous tissue with or without parasif os in the lesions. 2) some cases were associated with marked fibrosis or formation of lymphoid follicles. 3) There were many lympho-histocytes, eosinophils, giant cel1s and some plasma cells near the lesions.
Abdominal Wall ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Arm ; Brain ; Breast ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Male ; Parasites ; Plasma Cells ; Scrotum ; Seizures ; Skin ; Sparganosis* ; Thigh