Astrocytes are the most numerous cellular elements in the cerebrum, and they normally have a very slow turnover rate. But during regeneration after injury, they proliferate markedly resulting in astrogliosis. The extracellular matrix in the central nervous system is present in the vessel walls and in the external glia limitans as a basal lamina. The presence of an intact extracellular matrix framework is important in regeneration after injury. Understanding the properties of astrocytic proliferation will be helpful to find out new treatment for functional recovery in the central nervous system. In this study, after cryogenic injury was performed on the cerebral cortex in rats, changes in astrocytes and the extracellular matrix were observed using light microscopy, immunohistochemical stain for glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP), proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), fibronectin, laminin, and type IV collagen, autoradiography and electron microscopy. The results were as follows; 1) The coagulative necrosis, which followed cryogenic injury on the cerebral cortex was healed, forming a new pia mater above the lesion. 2) Some of the PCNA positive cells were astrocytes and some of the GFAP positive cells showed a positive reaction to PCNA. 3) Proliferating astrocytes labelled by autoradiography or immunohistochemical stain for PCNA reached maximal numbers 3days after the injury and they were no longer found 2 weeks after injury. 4) In autoradiography with immunohistochemical stain for GFAP, about 1% of GFAP positive astrocytes were labelled by autoradiography and in double immunohistochemical stain for PCNA and GFAP, about 8-16% of GFAP positive astrocytes were also stained by PCNA. 5) In immunohistochemical stain for fibronectin, laminin and type IV collagen, laminin and type IV collagen were present in the newly formed blood vessel walls and fibronectin showed a diffuse positive reaction within the lesion. The new pia mater was formed within 2 weeks after the injury. 6) On electron microscopic examination, basal lamina material was found in the vessel wall 1 week after the injury and at 2 weeks, a nearly complete and continuous basal lamina was formed although the thickness was uneven. According to these findings, astrocytes in the cerebral cortex of adult rats proliferate very early in the regenerative period after cryogenic injury. At 2 weeks after the injury, this regeneration ceases and the damaged basal lamina of pia mater and vessel wall were reconstituted.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Rats ; Animals

PURPOSE: It has been shown that the sensitization to inhalant allergens on the development of asthma or rhinitis in childhood is related to hereditary disposition and environmental factors. This study was conducted to compare the degree of sensitization to major inhalant allergens in bronchial asthma and rhinitis and to find factors which have an effect on it. METHODS: Skin prick tests were done on the 410 atopic bronchial asthma and rhinitis patients who visited the pediatric allergy clinic from January 1987 through December 1996. We divided the patients into 3 groups: an indoor allergen group sensitive to D.p., D.f., cat fur, dog hair and cockroach; an outdoor allergen group to tree pollen, ragweed pollen, and grass pollen; and a group to both indoor and oudoor allegens. RESULTS: 1) Based on their ages, the prevalence of sensitization was relatively high in 5-6 years old, to indoor allergen and in 11-12 years old to the outdoor allergen. 2) Among the subjects sensitized only to indoor allergens, 34.2% had asthma. 6.7% had rhinitis, and 59.1% both diagnoses. For those sensitized only to outdoor allergens, these values were respectively 29.0%, 48.4% and 22.6%, respectively. 3) The prevalence of indoor allergen sensitization was significantly high in children, living in house, in urban areas, and having carpet/sofa/bed at home(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The younger age group showed more sensitization to indoor allergens than to outdoor allergens. The indoor allergens were strongly related to asthma and the outdoor ones to rhinitis. As a result, it seems that it is very helpful for a prevention of asthma in childhood to take an early environmental control for inhalant allergens.
Allergens* ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Asthma ; Cats ; Child* ; Cockroaches ; Diagnosis ; Dogs ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Poaceae ; Pollen ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Skin

BACKGROUND: One of the most, probable pathogenesis of vitiliga is autoimmune. Systemic cor tico st,eroids suppress immunity and may arrest the progression of vitiligo and lead to repigmentation. OBJECTIVE: We have assessed the clinical effect of a oral small oral dose of corticosteroid to minimize side effects in vitiligo patients. METHODS: Thirty four patients(9;male, 25;female) with vitiligo were evaluated in this study. The patients took 7.5mg-20mg prednisolone initially for 2 months and then the dosage was tapered to half of the initial dosiat the 3rd month and half of dose of 3rd month for the last 4th month. We compared the effcct of treatment of vitiligo before and aft.er the study by photographs. and side efferts were issessed at. 1, 2, 3 and 4 month. RESULTS: The arrest of the progression of vitiligo was noticed in 79% of patients and repigmentation was noticed in 59% of patients which is statistically significant. The effect, of treatment according to extent, duiation, type, and site of vitiligo were not statistically significant. The side effects of treatment were minimal and did not affect the course of treatment. CONCLUSION: Small doses of iral corticosteroids are effective without any significant side effects in preventing progression and loiiduce repigmentation of active spreading vitiligo and generalized type of vitiligo that is difficult to treat with topical corticosteroids.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones* ; Humans ; Prednisolone ; Vitiligo*

No abstract available.
Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain*

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence rate of low back pain (LBP) in the high school students and to analyze the differences and correlations with the spinal-pelvic structural variations and disability index with LBP. The subjects are 499 high school students (236 males, 263 females: mean age, 16.38 years). They were assessed for LBP with the numerical rating scale (NRS) and for disability with the Korean version Oswestry disability index (KODI). All subjects were to take the plain radiographic examination for spinal-pelvic structural variations including thoracic, lumbar, thoracolumbar Cobb's angle, lumbar lordotic curve, sacral slope, pelvic tilt and pelvic incidence. All subjects were divided into two groups by NRS scores (0, 1=no/minimum pain group [NMP group], 2-10=low back pain group [LBP group]). The prevalence rate of LBP of all subjects was 56.7% (n=283). NRS and total KODI scores were higher in the LBP group (3.38 cm/11.83%) than NMP group (0.07 cm/2.74%) (p<0.001). In the spinal-pelvic structural variations analysis, the thoracic Cobb's angle was significantly high in LBP group (p<0.05), but others were shown no differences between the both groups (p>0.05). NRS had significantly positive correlation with KODI (p<0.001). NRS and KODI did not demonstrate any correlations with spinal-pelvic structural variations (p>0.05). In conclusion, this study showed high prevalence rate of LBP in the high school students, but did not show significant correlations with the spinal-pelvic structural variations and disability index.
Back Pain ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Low Back Pain* ; Male ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
Glioma*

PURPOSE: Asthma features not only infiltration of various inflammatory cells including eosinophils into bronchus but increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness which comes from bronchial epithelial cells damaged by toxic granular protein like MBP and ECP released from the activated eosinophils. Recently, several authors have reported that nasal mucosa histologic findings are similar to an inflammatory change of lower airway in respiratory allergic diseases. Based on the latter, we performed this study to compare serum ECP with nasal wash fluid ECP by their ages and to find out contribution of eosinophils in infants and children with wheezing. METHODS: The 62 patients in age from 6 months to 14 years who were admitted due to acute asthma from June 1995 to May 1996 were divided into 3 groups by their ages as follows : group A for less than 2 years old, group B for 2-4 years old and group C for 5-14 years old. The 32 children with no previous history of wheezing or no respiratory symptoms on admission were enrolled as control subject. Serum ECP & nasal wash fluid ECP from each age group with asthma were measured and compared with control, and the relationship between serum ECP and atopic findings were studied. RESULTS: 1) The geometric mean level of serum ECP were significantly higher in wheezing children than in control in all three age group as follows : 16.5+/-7.1micorgram/l for group A, 28.9+/-18.7micorgram/l for group B, 45.9+/-34.8micorgram/l for group C. 2) The geometric mean level of nasal wash fluid ECP were significantly higher in wheezing children than in control in all age group as follows : 11.3+/-7.1micorgram/l for group A, 21.3+/-15.2micorgram/l for group B, and 30.2+/-18.2micorgram/l for group C. 3) Serum ECP had correlation with nasal wash fluid ECP & blood eosinophils in group B and C, except group A. CONCLUSION: On acute asthma attack, the mean ECP level of serum & nasal wash fluid from all children including infancy were significantly higher than control and this suggests that the role of eosinophils to airway inflammation in many wheezing infants may be the same as that in older children with asthma.
Asthma ; Bronchi ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Infant ; Inflammation ; Nasal Mucosa ; Respiratory Sounds

OBJECTIVE: Uterine sarcomas are rare and characterized by rapid clinical progression and poor prognosis. The manegement of uterine sarcoma has been challenged. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic findings and outcome of patients with uterine sarcoma METHODS: From Sep. 1990 to July. 1999, 8 patients with histologically proven uterine sarcoma at department of obstetrics and gynecology of Chonbuk University Hospital were evaluated for their clinical profiles and survival retrospectively RESULTS: The age of patients with uterine sarcoma ranged 31 to 60, and the mean age was 46 years. The most common pathologic type of uterine sarcoma was leiomyosarcoma. The common presenting symptom were irregular uterine bleeding, hypermenorrhea and lower abdominal palpable mass. The patients with uterine sarcoma were treated by surgery, post-operative radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. The mean follow up duration was 34.1 months. The 2 year survival rate was 50%. Distant metastasis were reveled at two patients, and the sites are lung and brain. CONCLUSIONS: Uterine sarcomas are aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis. The Major treatment is surgery and the effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy were undetermined.
Brain ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Lung ; Menorrhagia ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Obstetrics ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma* ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Hemorrhage

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a commonly presenting problem at the emergency department. Three types have been recognized based on the pathogenesis of BPPV. The first is posterior-canal canalolithiasis, the second is horizontal-canal canalolithiasis, and the last is horizontal-canal cupulolithiasis. With the first two types of BPPV, an otolith-repositioning manuever can be performed quickly at the bedside with rapid results, often providing much satisfaction to both patient and physician. However, in the case of horizontal-canal cupulolithiasis, no established repositioning maneuver existed until recently. In 2000, Jo et al. developed a new repositioning maneuver and reported excellent results. We report a case of BPPV horizontal-canal cupulolithiasis that immediately responded to the maneuver of Jo et al. and strongly recommend use of this repositioning maneuver at the emergency department.
Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Semicircular Canals* ; Vertigo

No abstract available.
Animals ; Coculture Techniques* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Mice*