No abstract available.

Ninety black C 57 BL mice were divided into control and photochemotherapy groups. Control group was subdivided into a UVA 1rradiation only subgroup and a khellin only administration subgroup, while the phototherapy group was subdivided into one TMP and two khellin administration subgroups with dosages of 1.5mg/kg, 5mg/kg and 20mg/kg, respectivly. UVA was administered three thimes a week in a dose of 4J/cm for 4 weeks. Skin biopsies were taken at 0, l, 2, 3 and 4 weeks and the split DOPA stain was employed to observe pigment production. The number, size and circumference of the melanocytes were assessed. In summary, our results inclicate that khellin, which is slightly less effective than TMP at the same effective dose, is quite effective for pigment production and the degree of the production is dose related.
Animals ; Biopsy ; Dihydroxyphenylalanine ; Khellin* ; Melanocytes* ; Mice ; Photochemotherapy* ; Phototherapy ; Skin ; Thymidine Monophosphate ; Trioxsalen*

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-beta(TGF-beta) has multiple regulatory effects on cells of the immune system, and it has been suggested that differentiation of lymphoid cells is influenced by low concentra tions of this cytokine. OBJECTIVES: The aim or this study was to investigate the role of TGF-beta in regulation of T cell growth and differentiation, and to compare this effect with that of other cell signals known to be important in T cell ontogeny. METHODS: We used the CTLL-2 cell line in the presence of IL-2. Surface phenotype expression was analysed to see whether these cells could be switched to the other subtype of cells. RESULT: Treatment of CTLL-2 cells with TGF-beta resulted in dose dependent growth inhibition and morphological changes. Curing routine passage, less than 5% of cells were CD8alpha positive, whereas 38% of cells expressed CD8alpha when treated with IL-2 plus TGF-beta. However, TPA plus calcium ionophore, IFN-gamma, or TNF-alpha caused no significant changes in the proportion of CD8 cells. CONCLUSION: Our results show that this experiment can be a useful model for investigating CD8 precursor potentials in populations of CD4-CD8-(double negative) cells, and such a model may offer a way to study the molecular regulation of CD8 gene expression.
Calcium ; Cell Line* ; Gene Expression ; Immune System ; Interleukin-2 ; Lymphocytes ; Phenotype ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

To determine the concentration and the physiologic role of metal components in blood plasma and seminal plasma in relation to male infertility, the concentrations of twelve metal components in blood plasma and seminal plasma including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Cd and Pb were measured by atomic absorbance spectrophotometery or ion selective electrode analysis. Semen and blood samples were obtained from a total of 110 men including 70 male infertility patients, 20 vasectomized persons and 20 fertility proven volunteers visited to the Male Infertility Clinic of Pusan National University Hospital. The concentrations of Ca, Zn, Mg, Cr and Cd in control group were higher in seminal plasma than in blood plasma, and additionally Pb were higher in infertility group. The concentrations of all metal components revealed no significant difference according to patients' age, resident, occupation, sperm density, motility and hormone level in blood plasma, but some metal components including Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, Cd and Pb revealed a significant difference according to each these parameters except patient's age in seminal plasma. The concentrations of Mn, Cd and Pb in the vasectomy persons were higher than in the infertility group III including testicular and epididymal factors, but not in blood plasma. We conclude that the quantitative changes of metal components in the seminal plasma may have effects on not only spermatogenesis and sperm function, but also contribute to diagnostic parameter according to organ specificity of the metal in the male reproduction.
Busan ; Electrodes ; Fertility ; Humans ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male ; Male* ; Occupations ; Organ Specificity ; Plasma ; Reproduction ; Semen* ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa ; Vasectomy ; Volunteers

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Estrogens*

No abstract available.
Asthma*

We designed software system to detect intermittent arrhythmia from the patients automatically. To overcome the difficulties on real-time processing, we used four variavles; heart rate, QS width, morpholigy and axis. Templete generation routine was designed to produce patient's individual normal ECG pattern and store in the computer. The most important point of automatic detection is to discriminate the Q and J point. It is done by linear phase differentiation, the point that five point gradient is within a minimum value of 6Hz curve gradient is defined as Q and J points. The morphology calculation is simplified by simple addition and substraction, making real-time processing by modified cross correlation method. We find that both value of morphology and QS width will be used as a parameter of datermining the abnormalities of ECG signal automatically.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate ; Humans

Dendritic cell (DC)s are protessional antigen presenting cells and they have been used for antitumor immunotherapy or cell vaccines. However therapy using DC is restricted because the number of DC available from tissue is very low. Flt3 ligand (FL) has been known as a hematopoietic growth factor that increases proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells, and recently it showed inducibility of dendritic cell (DC)s and signiticant antitumor effects in vivo. Thus FL will be frequently used for DC induction and antitumor immunotherapy in future. Here we constructed FL plasmid and studied its in vivo effect. FL plasmids were made by cloning of partial FL cDNA into pcDNA3 plasmid, and gene expression and protein producibility of FL plasmid were confirmed in Renca cells transfected with FL plasmid. Mice were injected with FL plasmid (100ug/mouse) three times and 20 days later mouse spleens were harvested for staining and RT-PCR. There were lots of blastogenic cells in the spleen of mice treated with FL plasmid. FL plasmid also induced DEC205, IL-12 and GM-CSF gene expression in mouse splenocyte. All these data suggest FL plasmid may be used for induction of DC and antitumor therapy as DNA adjuvant.
Mice ; Animals

We have experienced a case of neurofibromatosis with unusual giant pigmentation, which presents itself as a 28 cm x 40 cm sized, serrated bordered light brownish patch speckled with small dark hyperpigmented macules on his back. Histopathologic examinations of light brown patch and speckles showed only an increase in basal melanin pigmentation.
Melanins ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Pigmentation*