BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: House dust mites have been known as the most important allergens in respiratory allergic disease. Since environmental factors may have influences on the pathogenesis of allergic disease, the study using Korean house dust mites for immune and biologic reactions in house dust mite-sensitive allergic disease is considered as significant. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We made two in-house allergenic extracts of Korean house dust mites (D. farinae and D. pteronpsssinus) and performed this study for the allergen standardization by in vivo methods and for the evaluation of the reliabilities for clinical applications. RESULT: As a results of biologic standardization using skin prick test teachnique, the activity of 1: 1,500w/v of D. farinae extract was estimated 1,000 biology unit(BU), concentration that elicits a wheal of the same size as that of histamine dihydrochloride 1mg/ml. The activity of 1: 1,000w/v of D. pteronyssinus was condiered as 1,000BU. The activity of 1:100w/v of both D. farinae and D. pteronpssiuns extracts were considered as 100,000 Allergy Unit(AU), based on intradermal skin testing of 30 subjects with strong sensitive reaction. The concordant rates between results of skin prick test done with 5,000BU/ml concentration of in-house allergenic extracts and thoae with the commercially available allergen(Bencard Co., UK) were 84.6% and 81.0% for D. farinae and D. pteronpssinus, respectively. The wheal erythema size and A/H ratios induced by in-house extracts were significantly correlated with those induced by Bencard allergen. CONCLUSION: This results suggest that in-house extracts of the whole bodies of two house dust mites have good allergenic activities in vivo. It is considered to be clinically useful and reliable allergenic extracts.
Allergens ; Biology ; Dust* ; Erythema ; Histamine ; Hypersensitivity ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Skin ; Skin Tests

In this study, clinical effectiveness of Pharmacia CAP system for determination of allergen specific IgE was evaluated depending on the results of Bencard skin prick tests in 100 atopic and 18 nonatopic asthmatics. The Pharmacia CAP specific IgE positive rates were higher as the SPT grades were increased : negative (n=623) (17.8%); + (n=81) (34.6%); 2+ (n=223) (56.5%); 3+ (n=106) (70.8%); and 4+/-< (n=127)3+ (92.1%), respectively. The overall concordant rate between Bencard SPT and Pharmacia CAP system was 81.7% with range of 70.7~92.1%. The Overall sensitivity of Pharmacia CAP system was 80.7%. The sensitivities for 10 allergens, which ranged from 57.5% to 100 %, were as followed; D.pteronyssinus (96.1%), D.farinae (96.7%), cat dander (61.5%), cockroach (65.2%), Aspergillus fumigatus (57.1%), ragweed (62.5%), mugwort (75.0%), Meadow fescue (100%), birch (62.4%), and oak (80.0%), respectively. Overall specificity of Pharmacia CAP system was 82.2%. The specificity of CAP system in nonatopic subjects (n=18, 160 test) was 94.4% which was quite different with the 77.6% of atopic subjects (n=100, 463 test). SPT A/H ratios were significantly correlated with Pharmacia CAP specific IgE concentration (KU/L) in D.pteronyssinus (r=0.520, p<0.001), D.farinae (r=0.490, p<0.001), A.fumigatus (r=0.315, p<0.01), mugwort (r=0.210, p<0.05), ragweed (r=0.213, p<0.05), birch (r=0.232, p<0.05), M.fescue (r=0.410, p<0.001). But, in cockroach (r=0.192, p<0.1), cat dander and oak pollen, SPT A/H ratios were not correlated with the concentration of specific IgE. These results suggest that Pharmacia CAP system is useful for etiologic evaluation of immediate hypersensitivity and quantitative evaluation of specific IgE in atopic asthma.
Allergens ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Asthma* ; Betula ; Cats ; Cockroaches ; Dander ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Pollen ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical implications of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil counts as indices of airway inflammation during the follow-up of asthmatics (BA). METHODS: We repeatedly measured the serum ECP, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and peak expiratory low rate (PFR) during the follow up of 24 symptomatic BA. RESULTS: Mean serum ECP level of BA at uncontrolled status of airflow limitation was significantly higher than that of controlled state (24.5i3.7 ng/ml rs. 16.2+1.9 ng/ml, p<0.05) and the ECP levels of controlled and uncontrolled status were significantly higher than that of health control subjects (n=10, 10.1+/-2.0 ng/ml, p<0.01 respectively). Pe ripheral blood eosinophils were also significantly increased in uncontrolled status than in controlled status of BA (535.7+/-81.0/1tL vs. 300.4+33.4/micro liter, p < 0.05). In controlled status, 8 BA had higher circulating ECP levels than in uncontrolled status, but with peripheral blood eosinophil counts, only 3 BA had higher levels in controlled status than in uncontrolled status. Variations of PFR correlated with the variations of serum ECP level (r=-0.5370, p<0.01) and variations of peripheral blood eosinophil count (r=-0.6215, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil count would be useful tools for monitoring the disease activity of asthma, but we could not obtain any more informations from the measureinert of serum ECP levels than from the peripheral blood eosinophil counts.
Asthma* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of late adult life, but it is rare in the pleura. We recently experienced a case of cytology of malignant fibrous histiocytoma in pleural fluid. The smear revealed histiocytic malignant cells, spindle malignant cells and inflammatory cells. The histiocytic cells showed abundant, pale cytoplasm and ovoid, irregular, eccentrically-placed nuclei. The spindle cells showed elongated nuclei. Intercellular collagen was also present.
Adult ; Child* ; Collagen ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnostic Errors ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; Humans ; Hypercalciuria* ; Pilomatrixoma ; Pleura ; Sarcoma

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland*

Prurigo pigmentosa is a chror ic pruritic inflammatory dermatosis characterized by erythematous papules in a reticulated pattern that resolve leaving a reticulated, mottled hyperpigmentation and rapidly response to dapsone therapy. Most cases that have been reported are from Japan. We report two cases of prurigo pigmentosa in a 21 year-old female and a 23-year-old female. Histopathologic findings of erythematous papules showed exocytosis, spongiosis, liquefaction degeneration of basal cell layer and perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltration on the upper dermis. We treated them with dapsone, 100mg daily, which resulted in a remarkable regression of the ery thematous papules and improvenien of pruritus.
Dapsone ; Dermis ; Exocytosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Japan ; Prurigo* ; Pruritus ; Skin Diseases ; Young Adult

Cirsoid aneurysm of the calp is a congenital arteriovenous malformation which is the result of abnormal connections betwe:.n the external carotid artery and scalp veins with a subsequent dilatation of vascular channels nd formation of aneurysm. We report a case of cirsoid aneurysm of the scalp on the left parieto-occipital area of 14-year-old female who had had 8 x 5 x 0.8 cm sized pulsating soft mass for 2 years. 4 vessel angiog raphy revealed a arteriovenous malformation that emerge mainly from a superficial temporal artery and occipital artery of the left external carotid artery and partially from the right superficial temporal artery and drined into the left scalp vein. The mass was removed by excision with ligation of the feeding arter es and followed up for 2 years without recurrence.
Adolescent ; Aneurysm* ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Carotid Artery, External ; Dilatation ; Female ; Humans ; Ligation ; Recurrence ; Scalp* ; Temporal Arteries ; Veins

Photodynamic therapy(PDT) is a treatment modality by highly reactive oxygen intermediates generated through the interaction of light with a photosensiziter. It has been shown to be an effective treatment for various cutaneous and noncutaneous malignancies. It is efficient for the curative and palliative treatment of epithelial skin tumor in situ or early invasive lesions. In effect, it is a useful alternative treatment for the lesions located on anatomically difficult areas or the large-sized lesions. We treated a case of Bowen's disease arising on the plantar area and 3rd and 4th toewebs of left forefoot in a 61-year-old man with PDT using the hematoporphyrin derivative, porfirmer sodium(Photofrin, Russia) as a photosensitizer and gold vapor laser as a visible light source. The outcome showed partial clinical improvement after about 2 months' follow-up.
Bowen's Disease* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoporphyrin Derivative ; Humans ; Lasers, Gas ; Light ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Palliative Care ; Photochemotherapy* ; Skin

Giant cell tumor (GCT) occurs very unusually in the rib (less than 1% of GCT). We present the cytologic features of GCT of the rib. It showed multiple cellular clusters composed of characteristic, benign looking osteoclast-like multinucleated giant cells and fibroblast-like mononuclear cells. The multinucleated giant cells contained numerous nuclei (average, 30 to 40 per cell, which were closely packed. The nuclei in giant cells were remarkably uniform and round to oval. The mononuclear, neoplastic stromal cells were elongated and spindle-shaped, There was no cytologically malignant portion in the tumor.
Child* ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Ribs ; Stromal Cells ; Urinary Tract*