The purpose of the present study was to seek bracket-adhesive combinations which have adequate bond strength with no enamel and bracket fracture. The shear bond strengths were measured, the sites of failure and the enamel damage were investigated and the peripheral sealing and adaptation between enamel surface, bonding adhesive and bracket were evaluated 240 noncarious human premolars were divided into twenty four groups of ten teeth. Shear bond strengths of each group were determined in an universal testing machine after two days passed and the debonded specimens were inspected to determine the predominant bond failure sites. To evaluate peripheral sealing and adaption between enamel surface, adhesive and bracket, each specimen was cut longitudinally into two halves which included the midsection of the bracket, adhesive and enamel and exmined in scanning electron microscope. Six different types of brackets were bonded to the tooth with four different type of adhesives. Six different types of brackets were Image, Plastic, Crystaiine, Fascination, Transcend 2000 and metal bracket and four different adhesives were No-mix, Light-Bond, OrthoLC and Superbond C&B. From this study, it may be concluded that (1) The mean shear bond strength varied from a high of 36.58Kg (410.07 Kg/cm2) with the Fascination-Light Bond combination group to a low of 8.93 Kg (75.51 Kg/cm2) with the Image-OrthoLC combination group. When using OrthoLC as adhesive, the mean shear bond strength was significantly lower than that of other combination groups, (2) Regardless of adhesives, the mean shear bond strength of Fascination brackets was relatively high whereas Plastic and Image brackets had low shear bonding strength The shear bond strength of Crystaline bracket and Transcend 2000 was relatively equal to or lower than that-of metal bracket, (3) There was a correlation between bond strength, enamel damage and bracket fracture. As the shear bond strength was increased, the rate of enamel damage and bracket fracture were increased, (4) The combination groups that use OrthoLC as adhesive were debonded in shear stress without enamel fracture and bracket fracture, whereas the combination groups that use Superbond C&B as adhesive experienced a relative high enamel fracture rate and bracket fracture rate, (5) Peripheral sealing and adaptation between enamel-adhesive-bracket were relatively good when using Light-Bond or No-mix as adhesive. Regardless of adhesives, adaptation between bracket-adhesive were relatively good in Ceramic brackets, (6) The combination groups which had adequate bonding strength with no enamel and bracket fracture were Crystaline No mix, Crystaline-Light Bond, Crystaline-OrthoLC, metal-No mix, metal-Light Bond and metal-OrthoLC combination groups.
Adhesives ; Bicuspid ; Ceramics ; Dental Enamel ; Humans ; Plastics ; Tooth

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the association between 5-HT 2A receptor gene promoter -1438A/G polymorphism and schizophrenia in a Korean population. METHOD: 5-HT 2A receptor gene promoter -1438A/G polymorphism was typed with Polymerase Chain Reaction in 132 patients with schizophrenia and 138 healthy normal controls. RESULT: There was no difference in allelic frequency of -1438A/G polymorphism between patients with schizophrenia and controls(K 2=2.261, df=1, p=0.133). A difference was found in genotype distribution(K 2=6.157, df=2, p=0.046), but this difference was being given by the increased A/A in th controls and A/G in the patients. The genotype frequency, which is the sum of homozygosity and heterozygosity for the -1438 G allele, was significantly higher in the patients(K 2=5.880, df=1, p=0.015). However, there was no difference between the patients with schizophrenia and conrols in the frequency of homozygosity for the -1438 G allele. CONCLULSION: These results suggest that -1438A/G polymorphism of the 5-HT 2A receptor gene promoter is not causally related to the development of schizophrenia in a Korean population.
Alleles ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Schizophrenia* ; Serotonin*

Severe head injury results in the suppression of cellular immunity associated with dysfunctioning of effector lymphocytes, such as helper T cells(CD4) (and cytotoxic T cells(CD8). Despite progress in the management of increased intracranial pressure following head injury, infection remains the most common complication and the primary cause of prolonged hospitalization and death. This study attempts to assess the cellular immune function following head injury according to the degree of severity, and to establish the clinically available parameters of cell mediated immune(CMI) function, which can then be used for coherent prediction of infection risk. Eighteem head injury patients without severe systemic injury, who divided into three subgroups depending on the severity of head injury, were estimated with the use of CMI multitest kit(Merieux Institute, France) to test delayed-type hypersensitivity(DTH) and enumerated the circulating lymphocyte subpopulation(pan T-cell marker CD3, helper T cell marker CD4, cytotoxic T cell marker CD8 and B-cell marker CD19) on the 1st, 7th, and 21th day of injury. Patients were monitored for evidence of infection for this period. Fourteen patients had no reaction to any antigens of the DTH skin test(anergy) and the remaining four patients had also some degree of anergy. Seven patients became infected and all of them were anergic. There were significant decrease of circulating effector T lymphocytes, both CD4-positive and CD8-positive cells, within 24 hours of injury in the mild as well as the moderate and severe head injury group. CD4-positive cells were nearly completely recovered by the 7th day of injury. CD8-positive cells had sustained significant decrease even after 3 weeks of injury. There was no significant change in pan T-cells(CD3-positive cells) and B-cells(CD19-positive cells). The results suggest that DTH skin test and effector T cell enumeration are both relatively simple and highly sensitive parameters for monitoring CMI function. Especially, anergy of DTH skin test can be used for indicator to predict risk of infection. Mild as well as moderate and severe head injuries may result in the suppression of cellular immunity associated with the dysfunctioning of effector T cell.
B-Lymphocytes ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Head* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular* ; Intracranial Pressure ; Lymphocytes ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; T-Lymphocytes

Amyloidosis is the definition for a group of diseases that have, in common, the infiltration of one or more tissues by an abnormal protein material-the amyloid substance, which is detected histologically by their green polarization color after Congo red staining. Despite increased interest on basic nature of amyloidosis by recent immunohistochemical or experimental study, the knowledge about the incidence and neurotoxic effect of cerebral amyloid or concomitant occurrence with brain tumor is still inchoate. We examined the incidence and clinico-pathologic characteristics of the patients with amyloid deposits in supratentorial meningiomas. Particularly about their neurotoxic effect to adjacent brain is considered one of the possible cause of seizure in 33 patients who underwent resection surgery for meningioma at the Keimyung University during the past three years. The pathological review and subgrouping by histologic type were done in all 33 specimens with sufficient size of paraffin block, defined by their morphology and polarization color after Congo red staining for diagnosis of amyloid deposits localized in the tumor. Immunohistochemical studies using monoclonal antibodies for amyloid-A protein(AA) and beta-amyloid(A beta) were evaluated to identify subtypes of amyloidosis. The rate of incidence of amyloid deposit in meningioma was 21%, i.e. seven out of thirty three cases. All laboratory findings and clinical studies did not suggest a systemic form. Seizure occurrence was one out of seven cases(14%), which was of no statistical significance. Immunohistochemical study for AA subtype was all negative, but showed all positive for A beta protein around the vessels. Recent reports has also demonstrated that Amyloid precusor protein(APP) and A beta is related in Alzheimer's disease, hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis-Dutch type(HCHWA-D) and amyloid angiopathy. Our research data indicates that the incidence of amyloid deposit is as high as 21% in supratentorial meningiomas. It seems that it is one of the possible cause of seizure. Nonsystemic microdeposits of amyloid and their subtype and it's relationship to neurotoxic effect in meningiomas remain to be confirmed by immunoelectron microscopic examination or immunohistochemical methods.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid* ; Amyloidosis ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Congo Red ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meningioma* ; Paraffin ; Plaque, Amyloid* ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Classification* ; Female ; Hydatidiform Mole* ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.

To investigate the role of internal elastic lamina in the formation of an aneurysm and the pathological progression of the aneurysmal wall and neck area, in a series of 32 adult rats, a small discrete mechanical lesion was made following an arteriotomy on the common carotid artery. Through the arteriotomy site, the lesion was made in the intima of the opposite side of the arterial wall by microsurgical technique at the proximal site to the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. Surgical sites of vessels were inspected grossly and light microscopically at intervals of 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks(each group : 8 animals). Among the 32 animals, well defined aneurysms were seen in 15. In histological examination of the aneurysms, the internal elastic lamina almost disappeared or fragmented at the level of the aneurysmal neck. The aneurysmal wall was composed of only collagen fibers without evidence of elastic fibers. The aneurysmal wall and neck thickened progressively with collagen deposits. These aneurysms were similar to the human aneurysm histologically. This technique provides an experimental surgical formation of aneurysm and lends support to the important role of internal elastic lamina in the formation of an aneurysm. This experiment also showed progressiv thickening of the aneurysmal wall with collagen deposits.
Adult ; Aneurysm* ; Animals ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Collagen ; Elastic Tissue ; Humans ; Neck ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Female ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: Papillary thyroid carcinomas frequently occur as two or more separate foci within the thyroid gland (18%-87%). However, those multifocal tumors are easy to be undetected by preoperative radiologic evaluations, which lead to remnant disease after initial surgery. We aimed to study the incidence of multifocal papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs), diagnostic accuracy of preoperative radiologic evaluation, predictive factors, and the chance of bilateral tumors. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-seven patients with PTMC were included in this study. All patients underwent total thyroidectomy as an initial treatment. Medical records, pathologic reports, and radiological reports were reviewed for analysis. RESULTS: Multifocal PTMCs were detected in 100 of 277 patients (36.1%). The mean number of tumors in each patient was 1.6+/-1.1, ranging from 1 to 10. The additional tumor foci were significantly smaller (0.32+/-0.18 cm) than the primary tumors (0.63+/-0.22 cm) (P<0.001). There was no significant relationship between primary tumor size and the presence of contralateral tumors. With more tumors detected in one lobe, there was greater chance of contralateral tumors; 18.8% with single tumor focus, 30.2% with 2 tumor foci, and 46.2% with 3 or more tumor foci in one lobe. Sensitivity of preoperative sonography was 42.7% for multifocal tumors and 49.0% for bilateral tumors. With multivariate analysis, nodular hyperplasia was the only significant factor for multifocal tumors. CONCLUSION: In cases of PTMCs, the incidence of multifocal tumors is high. However, additional tumor foci are too small to be diagnosed preoperatively, especially under the recent guidelines on radiologic screening tests for papillary thyroid carcinoma. Multifocal PTMCs have high risk of bilateral tumors, necessitating more extensive surgery or more thorough follow-up.
Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Preoperative Care ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyroidectomy ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: These days, the main injection laryngoplasty technique is cricothyroid (CT) approach. However, patients who have previously undergone other neck treatments, such as thyroidectomy or neck dissection have distorted anatomical landmark makes this approach more difficult. The aim of this study is to determined the efficiency of transcartilaginous (TC) approah as compared with CT approach for unilateral vocal fold paralysis patients, especially for previously neck treated patients. METHODS: From March 2005 to February 2008, 137 consecutive injection laryngoplasties were performed in patients with unilateral glottic insufficiency. Percutaneous injection was performed under local anesthesia into the vocalis muscle, using disposable 25 G 4 cm long needles through the cricothyroid membrane or directly through the thyroid cartilage. Of the 137 patients, 124 completed acoustic, perceptual, stroboscopic, and subjective evaluations prior to the injection and at 3 months after the injection. RESULTS: In the 124 patients, the CT and TC approaches were used in 94 and 30 patients, respectively. Acoustic and perceptual parameters (GRBAS, MPT, jitter, shimmer), voice handicap index, and grades of mucosal waves and glottic closure were significantly improved after the injection in both the CT and TC groups (P<0.05). Only two patients (6.6%) had penetration difficulties, because of ossification of the thyroid cartilage. The overall success rates of the CT and TC approaches were 86.2%, 93.3%, respectively. However, the success rate of the TC approach in patients who had previously undergone neck treatments was significantly higher than that of the CT approach (100% vs. 65% P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the preliminary results of this trial, injection laryngoplasty using a TC approach was an effective alternative to the CT approach, especially in patients who had previously undergone neck surgeries.
Acoustics ; Anesthesia, Local ; Humans ; Laryngeal Muscles ; Laryngoplasty ; Membranes ; Neck ; Neck Dissection ; Needles ; Paralysis ; Thyroid Cartilage ; Thyroidectomy ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; Vocal Cords ; Voice