BACKGROUND: Eotaxin, a CC chemokine specific for eosinophils, is implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma recruiting eosinophils into the airways. Theophylline has been used for the treatment of asthma and rece was proposed to have an anti-inflammatory action. The aim of this study is to examine whether theophylline may inhibit the eosinophilic airway inflammation by reducing the expression of eotaxin. METHODS: The expression of eotaxin mRNA was assessed by Northern analysis in A549 cells 4 h after stimulation with TNF-α or IL-1β And then, theophylline was added to A549 cells stimulated with 0.1 ng/ml IL-1β. RESULTS: Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL TNF-α as compared with β-action were 7%, 22%, 28%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 ng/ml IL-1β as compared with β-action, were 10%, 42%, 63%, 72%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 µM dexamethasone induced by 10 ng/mL TNF-α, as compared with β-action were 27%, 18%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 mM dexamethasone induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1β, as compared with β -action, were 43%, 47%, 12%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mM theophylline induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1β, as compared with β-action, were 48%, 40%, 33%, 22%, 16%, 14%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that theophylline may reduce eosinophil infiltration of the airway at least in part by reducing the expression of eotaxin under the conditions of these experiments.
Asthma ; Dexamethasone ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells* ; Inflammation ; RNA, Messenger* ; Theophylline*

CT was found to be highly accurate in predicting tumor size and assessing invasion of the surroundingstructures and distant metastasis. Also CT played an important role for determination of operability of esophagealcarcinoma. The CT findings with barium esophagogram in 21 patients with histologically proven esophageal carciomawere reviewed from Feb. 1985 to Feb. 1986 at the department of Radiology, Yonsei University ,College of Medicine.The results were as follows: 1. Number of patients in each stages were: 2 in stage 1, 6 in stage 2, 4 in stage 3,and 9 in stage 4. 2. Peak age distribution was in its 6th decasedes as 9 patiens (42.9%). Overall mean age was 60.8 years. Number of male patients were 19 and 2 of female. 3. Histologic types of esohageal carcinoma were 19cases of epidermoid (90.5%) and 2 cases of adenocarcinoma(9.5%). 4. The tumor location was 1 case in upper, 14cases(66.7%) in middle and 6 cases in lower one-third. 5. Various types of esophageal carcinoma were as follows: 3cases of fungating, 4 cases of infiltrating, 5 cases of ulcerofungating, and 9 cases of ulceroinfiltrating type.6. Average length of involvement in each stages were 4cm in stage 1, 5.5cm in stage 2, 8.8cm in stage 3, and 8.3cmin stage 4. The involved length was longer in advanced cases. In 11 cases(52.4%), the involved length was between4 and 8cm. 7. Angle of periaortic fat plane obliteration of the aortic circumference were as follows: Below 45degrees( 7 cases 33.3%), 45degrees-90degrees (3 cases 14.3%), over 90 degrees(11 cases, 52.4%). 8. Method oftreatment of esophageal carcinoma were as follows: Only radiotherapy in 11 cases(52.4%), radiotherapy withoperation in 5 cases, only operation in 1 cases, and no treatment in 4 cases. 9. Distant metastatic sites were:brain in 1, pericardium in 5, liver in 5, trachea in 2, bronchus in 9, and distant lymph node in 5 cases.
Age Distribution ; Barium ; Bronchi ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Methods ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pericardium ; Radiotherapy ; Trachea

Epiblepharon is frequently encountered n oriental eyelid, especially in children. It is characterized by a horizontal fold of redundant skin and abundant orbicularis muscle near lid margin, which the lashes vertically, or posteriorly towards the eye. Surgical therapy of epiblepharon in correcting the trichiasis includes lid bracing sutures, burried sutures, skin resection, a Hotz procedure or its modification, and a Jones procedure. In our opinion, these procedures are not sufficient, because these procedures will not correct the epicanthal folds. Epicanthal folds have been a one of the characteristics of Asian over 50 percents of population in Japan and South Korea, and it either reduce the aesthetic result of the double-eyelid procedure or make the correction of the entropion and epiblepharon difficult. Although many surgical procedures are available to eliminate epicanthal folds, scarring on the medial canthus is in still and obstacle for surgeons to overcome. From January of 1998 to October of 1998, we used half z-plasty procedures in 5 cases to correct epicanthal folds in epiblepharon. There were few complications in our series. We believe that half z-plasty can get a good result in the correction of epibolepharon and oriental epicanthal folds.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Braces ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Entropion ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Skin ; Sutures ; Trichiasis

BACKGROUND: It is well known that when macrophages are stimulated with endotoxin, they produce a wide variety of cytokine mediators, including TNF-α and IL-1β. However, there is an alterationnin the macrophages responsiveness when they are challenged with repeated bouts of endotoxin, termed 'endotoxin tolerance' which is regarded as a self-protective phenomenon from continuous stimulation. In this study, endotoxin tolerance in the peripheral blood monocytes of sepsis patients was evaluated. METHODS: Fourteen patients with organism-documented sepsis were included. The severity of illness was evaluated by APACHE IIscore. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from the patients and diluted to 1×105/well. After stimulation with endotoxin(LPS of E. coli O114:B4, 100 ng/ml), they were incubated at 37℃ in 5% CO2 incubator for 24 hours. Supernatant was collected for the measurement of TNF-αand IL-1β with ELISA method. Peripheral blood monocytes of seven healthy volunteers were used as control. RESULTS: The APACHE IIscore(mean±SD) of the patients at the time of blood sampling was 12.2±5.7. The primary infection foci were urinary tract infection, pneumonia, subacute bacterial endocarditis, and catheter related infection, etc. The causative organisms were gram negative rods(10 cases), gram positive cocci(6 cases) with two cases of mixed infection. Serum TNF-α could be measured in 4 cases with 29.9±27.7 pg/ml. Serum IL-1β was measureable in only one patient. The TNF-α level of supernatant of cultured peripheral blood monocytes was 2,703±2,066 pg/ml in patients and 2,102±1,914 pg/ml in controls. The IL-1β level of supernatant was 884±1,050 pg/ml in patients and 575±558 pg/ml in controls. There was no difference of TNF-α and IL-1β level between patients and controls. CONCLUSION: We cannot prove the phenomenon of endotoxin tolerance in this study. Future study needs to be focused on the more severe sepsis patients who were taken for sampling earlier. Addition of serum to the culture medium could be an another valuable option for the success of this study.
APACHE ; Catheters ; Coinfection ; Endocarditis, Subacute Bacterial ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Incubators ; Macrophages ; Monocytes ; Pneumonia ; Sepsis* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* ; Urinary Tract Infections

No abstract available.
Bone Density* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Airway Management* ; Humans ; Neck*

A 64-year-old male was admitted due to weight loss of 5kg during a month. Chest X-ray showed two large, lobulated masses on both lower lobe. Chest CT showed ill-defined, multilobulated mass on left lower lobe and r-regular, relatively homogenous mass with air-bronchogram on right lower lobe. Left lower lobectomy and right lower lobectomy was performed sequentially with three months intervaL Microscopic findings showed squamous cell carcinoma of both mass. It was thought that this patient had synchronous double primary lung cancer.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to determine the adequate cutoff value of the neonatal screening test to decrease recall and false-positive rates. METHODS: During the period of January 1999 through December in Asan Medical Center, newborn screening tests for phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and galactosemia were performed in 3,775, 3,707, 3,783, and 3,806 newborns respectively using commercial ELISA kits. We reviewed and analyzed the recall rate at currently used cutoff values. RESULTS: 1)In neonatal screening test for congenital hypothyroidism, using a current cutoff value, 17 microIU/mL, the recall rate was 0.9% and using a 99.7% cutoff value, 21.3 microIU/mL, the predictive recall rate was 0.4%. There were no significant differences in the other reports that suggest adequate recall rate. 2)In neonatal screening test for phenylketonuria, using a current cutoff value, 3.6 mg/dL, the recall rate was 1.5% which was no significant difference compared with expected presumptive positive rate, 1.44%. 3)In neonatal screening test for congenital adrenal hyperplasia and galactosemia, the recall rate was high when using current cutoff value. But all results were within normal limits in reevaluation. CONCLUSION: The cutoff values of screening test which are currently recommended by manufacturers of commercial kits for congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and galactosemia, are needed to be reset to decrease the recall rate by false-positive results on the basis of data from an individual newborn screening laboratory.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Congenital Hypothyroidism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Galactosemias ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening* ; Phenylketonurias

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*

No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*