Glutathione S-transferase (28GST) with molecular mass of 28 kDa is an antioxidant enzyme abundant in Clonorchis sinensis. In adult C. sinensis, 28GST was localized in tegumental syncytium, cytons, parenchyma, and sperm tails examined by immunoelectron microscopy. C. sinensis 28GST was earlier found to neutralize bioreactive compounds and to be rich in eggs. Accordingly, it is suggested that 28GST plays important roles in phase II defense system and physiological roles in worm fecundity of C. sinensis.
Animals ; Clonorchis sinensis/*enzymology ; Glutathione Transferase/*metabolism/physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Molecular Weight ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a self-limited infection of the skin caused by Leishmania tropica, a protozoan parasite transmitted by Phlebotomus sandfly. This disease is endemic in tropical and subtropical zone, but recently many cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported in Korean among the peoples who had been worked in the Middle East. We experienced five cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis developed in Korean who had been worked in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Skin lesions of various sized, central ulcerated and marginal elevated, with serosanguinous discharge and some crust were scattered on exposed area, especially both extremities. Histopathologic findings showed hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, dermal infiltration of histiocytes, lymphocytes, plasma cells and neutrophils, and numerous Leishman-Donovan bodies in and around histiocytes. About 1-4 months treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and metronidazole, two cases were healed with hyperpigmented scar and two cases were improved but one case was not responded.
Cicatrix ; Extremities ; Histiocytes ; Hyperplasia ; Jordan ; Leishmania tropica ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous* ; Lymphocytes ; Metronidazole ; Middle East ; Neutrophils ; Parasites ; Phlebotomus ; Plasma Cells ; Psychodidae ; Saudi Arabia ; Skin ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination ; Ulcer

No abstract available.

To examine AZT resistance of HIV-1 isolates from AZT treated or untreated Korean, several biological characteristics such as syncytium formation, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity and the p24 antigen production in MT-2 cells infected with 4 HRT_1 isolates were determined. As controls, we tested HIV-1 HTLV-IIIB and pre-drug isolate as AZT susceptible strains, in addition to HIV-1 RTMC/MT-2 and post-drug isolate as AZT resistant strains. When the inoculum size of HIV-1 was 300 TCID50well and 100 TCID50/well, the AZT susceptibility of AZT untreated HIV-1 isolates 8806 and 9571 were similar to that of HIV-1 HTLV-IIIB and AZT-susceptible HIV-1 strains. When we evaluated AZT resistance of isolates HRs-1 8812 and 9113 treated with AZT for 36 months by observation of syncytium formation, HIV-1 8812 showed resistance simillar to that of HIV-1 RTMC/MT-2 strain forming syncytium up to AZT 1microgram/ml, and HIV-1 9113 showed resistance identical with that of AZT-resistant HIV-1 strain which formed syncytium up to AZT 10 microgram/ml. Especially, when we evaluated AZT resistance by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activty and the p24 antigen production, HIV-1 isolates 8812 and 9113 showed much higher resistance (>10 - 200 fold) compared with HN-1 RTMC/MT-2 and AZT-resistant HIV-1 strain.
Giant Cells ; HIV-1* ; Korea* ; Population Characteristics ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Zidovudine*

BACKGROUND: Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is a fibrotic lung disease resulting from chronic inhalation of coal dust. The precise mechanism of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis is uncertain. However, a relationship between the stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production by mediators released from inflammatory and resident lung cells is thought to be a major factor. The transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β), a multifunctional cytokine and growth factor, plays a key role in the scarring and fibrotic processes due to its ability to induce extracellular matrix proteins and modulate the growth and immune function of many cell types. To determine the involvement of TGF-βin the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis, the TGF-β1 level in plasma was measured in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis. METHODS: Plasma was collected from 40 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (20 with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and 20 with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis) and from 10 normal controls. The ELISA method was used to measure the plasma TGF-β1 concentration. RESULTS: Compared to the control group (0.63±0.18 ng/mL), there was no significant difference in the plasma TGF-β1 level in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis (0.64±0.17 ng/mL) (p>.05). However, in patients with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis the plasma TGF-β1 level (0.79±0.18 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The data suggests that TGF-β1 has some influence in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
Cicatrix ; Coal* ; Collagen ; Dust ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Plasma* ; Pneumoconiosis* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis

No abstract available.
Horner Syndrome* ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Spinal Cord Compression*

The aim of the present study was to investigate the mRNA expression of several cytokines which were not reported previously from interface tissues around loose cemented acetabulum to obtain better understanding of the biological mechanisms connected with aseptic loosening and osteolysis of THA. We investigated mRNA expression for several cytokines (interleukin-1 alpha [IL-l~a], IL-lp, IL-2, IL-2 receptor[2R], IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, IL-10, transforming growth factor-beta [TGF-p], and interferon- gamma [IFN-y]) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and release of metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 from the cement-bone interface tissues around five loose polyethylene acetabular components. We did not include TNF-a and IL-6 because the biologic effect of the former is so similar to that of IL-1, and the latter fails to stimulate prostaglandin E, or collagenase production by fibroblsts or synovial cells. Expression of mRNA for IL-1p was detected in four, IL-2R and IL-8 in three, IL-10 and TGF-p in two of five interface tissues .No expression of mRNA for IL-la, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-p was detected. Zymographic analysis for gelatinase/type IV collagenase revealed gelatinolytic bands corresponding to metalloproteinase(MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in cemenl-bone interface tissues. Activated cells phagocytose particles in cement-bone interface tissues expressed more cytokines mRNA than previously known to be related to periprosthetic bone resorption, and secreted metalloproteinases associated with extracellular matrix degradation and fibrosis.
Acetabulum ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Bone Resorption ; Collagenases ; Cytokines* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibrosis ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Metalloproteases* ; Osteolysis ; Polyethylene ; RNA, Messenger*

OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to estimate the carcinogenic risks from the ingestion of some carcinogenic pesticides (CPs) in vegetables sampled at a local agricultural product market in Seoul. METHODS: After applying a hazard identification step, we selected four pesticides, such as DDT, dieldrin, folpet, and heptachlor epoxide, for this risk assessment. Concentrations of each pesticide were measured from randomly sampled vegetables. In order to estimate the human exposure levels, we combined the concentration of pesticides in the vegetables with consumption rate of those vegetables. Three scenarios were hypothesized for human exposure assessment. Scenario I was the most conservative which supposed the undetected CPs would be the detection limit values. Scenario II was assumed that the undetected CPs would be a half of the detection limit values, and finally scenario III merely considered only values greater than the detection limit values. We finally presented the estimated carcinogenic risks on the basis of the traditional risk assessment procedure suggested by U.S. EPA. RESULTS: Pesticides including DDT, dieldrin, folpet and heptachlor epoxide were detected in 9 samples (6%) in the range of 0.0006~0.09ppm. The daily intake levels of carcinogenic pesticides were estimated in the range of 0.0009~0.0079 microgram/day. As we expected, excess cancer risks based on scenario I was also the highest (1.1x10-8~ 5.5x10-5). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the estimated risks from the pesticides we investigated were not serious. We, however, propose that a continuos monitoring is needed to make sure for the protection of public health.
DDT ; Dieldrin ; Eating ; Heptachlor Epoxide ; Humans ; Korea* ; Limit of Detection ; Pesticides* ; Public Health ; Risk Assessment* ; Seoul ; Vegetables*

Herpes Gestationis is a rare polymorphous, vesiculobullous disease of pregnancy and puerperium. It is characterized by rapidly progressive skin eruption heraled initially by severe generalized pruritus. Erythematous papules and urticaria like plaques rapidly appear followed by grouped, tense, vesiculobullous eruptions. A 23 year-old pregnant woman was admitted to our departrnent of dermatology hecause of erythematous patches with pruritic vesiculobullous and pustular eruption on the whole body since third week of conception, Biopsy specimen of bullous skin lesion showed spongiosis of epidermal cells, mild necrosis of basal cells, subepidermal bulla, edema, of papillary derrnis and perivascular infiltration of inflammatory cells. Ultrastructural findings showed mild necrosis of basal cells, bulla above or below basement membrane zone and partial separation of basal larnina. Direct immunofluorescences of bullous lesion and normal appearing skin demonstrated deposition of IgG in linear pattern along basement rnembra,ne zone. After treatment with systemic corticosteroid and antihistamin, the lesions were cleared, leaving residual hyperpigmentation, and she delivered normal female baby.
Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Blister ; Dermatology ; Edema ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Immunoglobulin G ; Necrosis ; Pemphigoid Gestationis* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Urticaria ; Young Adult

No abstract available.