No abstract available.
Carcinogenesis* ; Oenothera biennis*

PURPOSE: In the diagnosis of pediatric urinary tract infection(UTI), the use of invasive methods, such as voiding cystourethrography(VCUG), is controversial. A retrospective study was carried out to evaluate the necessity for VCUG in assessing pediatric UTI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2000 and March 2002, 70 children (60 boys, 10 girls) with symptomatic UTI were evaluated. All patients were evaluated with renal ultrasonography(RUS), 99mTc-DMSA renal scintigraphy(DMSA renal scan) and VCUG. The results of the VCUG were compared with RUS and similar comparisons made between the results of the VCUG and DMSA renal scans. Patients with both normal a RUS and DMSA renal scan were then evaluated for the frequency and grade of vesicoureteral reflux(VUR) on the VCUG. RESULTS: The mean age at the initial evaluation was 7.95 months, ranging from 1 to 52 months. RUS and DMSA scan abnormalities were found in 38(54.3%) and 26(37.1%) children, respectively. Of the 22 patients with VUR confirmed by VCUG, 11(50.0%) had an abnormal RUS, and 12 (54.5%) patients had abnormal DMSA renal scans. Of the 19 patients with both a normal RUS and DMSA scan, 4(21.2%, 6 kidney-ureter unit) were found to have VUR on VCUG. CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrated that a considerable number of patients may have significant VUR, despite normal renal ultrasonography and DMSA scans. Therefore, VCUG remains important in assessing pediatric UTI.
Child* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Succimer ; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

No abstract available.
Humans ; Parents* ; Siblings*

Kirschner-wires and pins are used for the intenal fixation of the acromioclavicular joint. Many surgeons are aware of the tendency of these appliances to migrate, however, few reports of this complication have appeared in literature. This report concerns two instances of migration K-wires from the acromioclavicular joint into the neck, The potential for K-wires to migrate must be recogniged, and more frequent postoperative radiographic studies performed after the insertion of such pins to permit earlier detection of bony resorption and migration. Thereby permitting earlier removal. In cases of young adult, the wires must be removed as soon as the desired theurapeutic results have been obtained.
Acromioclavicular Joint ; Humans ; Neck ; Surgeons ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Calcium* ; Fetal Blood* ; Phosphorus*

The ultimate goal of periodontal therapy is to promote the regeneration of lost periodontal tissue, there have been many attempts to develop a method to achieve this goal, but none of them was completely successful. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of Bio-Oss(R) on alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) activity in human fetal osteoblasts (hFOB1). The results of this study were as follows, in ALP Activity, 100 microgram/ml Bio-Oss(R) treated group showed significantly increased value than negative control group, but positive group(10(-7) M dexamethasone treated group) showed the highest ALP activity at 3 day. In mineralization assay, numerous mineralized nodules were identified as darkly stained spots in 100 microgram/ml Bio-Oss(R) treated group than two control groups, whereas a small number of mineralized nodules were showed in the positive control. ALP may relate to the initial phase of bone nodule formation. On the basis of these results, this study showed Bio-Oss(R) is capable of accelerating new bone formation through hFOB1 differentiation in vitro.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Calcification, Physiologic* ; Dexamethasone ; Humans* ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteogenesis ; Regeneration

Follicular bronchiolitis (FB) is an uncommon pulmonary lymphoproliferative disorder that is characterized by the presence of peribronchiolar hyperplastic lymphoid follicles with reactive germinal centers. FB could be associated with systemic illnesses including immunodeficiency, infection, and autoimmune diseases. In Korea, a single case of FB with rheumatoid arthritis was recently described but there has been no report on FB associated with other rheumatic diseases. Herein, we describe the first case of FB presenting nodular ground-glass opacities (GGO), which mimicked lung cancer, in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). The differential diagnosis of nodular GGO lesions should include FB although it is a rare manifestation in SS patients.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Bronchiolitis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Germinal Center ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung Diseases ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Rheumatic Diseases

Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction plays a important role in cell growth and differentiation. This interaction is already well known to have an importance during the organ development as well as cell growth and differentiation. However, in vitro experimental model is not well developed to reproduce in vivo cellular microenvironment which provide a epithelial-mesenchymal interaction. Because conventional monolayer culture lacks epithelial-mensenchymal interaction, cultivated cells have an morphologic, biochemical, and functional characteristics differ from in vivo tissue. Moreover, it's condition is not able to induce cellular differention due to submerged culture condition. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop and evaualte the in vitro experimental model that maintains epithelial-mesenchymal interaction by organotypic raft culture, and to characterize biologic properties of three-dimensionally reconstituted oral keratinocytes by histological and immunohistochemical analysis. The results were as follow; 1. Gingival keratinocytes reconstituted by three-dimensional organotypic culture revealed similar morphologic characteristics to biopsied patient specimen showing stratification, hyperkeratinosis, matutation of epithelial architecture. 2. Connective tissue structure was matured, and there is no difference during stratification period of epithelial 3-dimensional culture. 3. The longer of air-exposure culture on three-dimensionally reconstituted cells, the more epithelial maturation, increased epithelial thickness and surface keratinization 4. In reconstitued mucosa, the whole epidermis was positively stained by anti-involucrin antibody, and there is no difference according to air-exposured culture period. 5. The Hsp was expressed in the epithelial layer of three-dimensionally cultured cells, especially basal layer of epidermis. The change of Hsp expression was not significant by culture stratification. 6. Connexin 43, marker of cell-cell communication was revealed mild immunodeposition in reconstitued epithelium, and there is no significant expression change during stratification. These results suggest that three-dimensional oragnotypic co-culture of normal gingival keratinocytes with dermal equivalent consisting type I collagen and gingival fibroblasts results in similar morphologic and immunohistochemical characteristics to in vivo patient specimens. And this culture system seems to provide adequate micro-environment for in vitro tissue reconstitution. Therefore, further study will be focused to study of in vitro gingivitis model, development of novel perioodntal disease therapeutics and epithelial-mensenchymal interaction.
Cells, Cultured ; Cellular Microenvironment ; Coculture Techniques ; Collagen Type I ; Connective Tissue ; Connexin 43 ; Epidermis ; Epithelium ; Fibroblasts* ; Gingivitis ; Humans ; Keratinocytes* ; Models, Theoretical ; Mucous Membrane

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We investigated in patients with coronary vasospastic angina whether the exercise ECG test results are influenced by the different modes of exercise load and compared the clinical characteristics including coronary risk factors between patients with positive and negative exercise tests. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study comprised 34 patients with documented coronary artery spasm without significant stenosis (coronary artery luminal diameter narrowing <70%) and treadmill exercise test. Treadmill exercise ECG test was performed based on Bruce's protocol (graded exercise test, GET) and sudden rapid exercise protocol (non-graded exercise test, NGET) in the morning of the same day. RESULTS: 1) Of 29 patients who underwent both GET and NGET, 19 patients manifested positive result by NGET, whereas only 11 patients did by GET (66 vs. 38%, P=0.04). All patients with positive GET had positive NGET and 8 of 18 patients with negative GET had positive NGET. 2) Of 34 patients who underwent GET, there was no significant difference in frequency of hypertension, diabetes, current smoking, presence of effort chest pain by history, mixed disease (fixed stenosis >50%, <70% of luminal diameter) or total cholesterol level between patients with positive and negative results. In 18 typical variant angina patients by clinical history, 8 of 10 patients with high disease activity (5 times or more attack per week) manifested positive result by GET or NGET, whereas 4 of 8 patients with low disease activity (80 vs. 50%, P=NS). CONCLUSION: In patients with coronary vasospastic angina, sudden rapid exercise could induce more frequently coronary artery spasm than multistage exercise. The result of an exercise test may not be correlated with coronary risk factors, coronary anatomy, effort chest pain, and the disease activity.
Arteries ; Chest Pain ; Cholesterol ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Vessels ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Phenobarbital ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spasm

PURPOSE: Chronic urticaria is characterized by recurrent, itchy, and evanescent wheals over a period of six weeks. The mechanisms of chronic urticaria in children have not been fully elucidated. However, urticaria lesions represent a dynamic inflammatory process involving a complex interplay of various inflammatory mediators, chemokines, adhesion molecules and cellular interaction. The aim of this investigation was to elucidate the possible role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the promotion of eosinophil trafficking and the interaction of soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) with eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in chronic urticaria. METHODS: Twenty-three children with chronic urticaria and five healthy children were recruited into the study. Total IgE, sICAM-1 and ECP concentrations were measured in all the serum samples from the study subjects, and both skin prick tests and dermographisms were performed after counting peripheral blood eosinophil in each subject. RESULTS: Mean concentration of serum sICAM-1 was higher in the urticaria patient group than in the control (P<0.05), however, serum ECP levels were variable. In the urticaria group, there were statistically significant correlations between the levels of serum ICAM-1 and ECP (r=0.24, P<0.001), and between the levels of serum ICAM-1 and the grade of dermographism (r=0.313, P<0.001). On the other hand, serum ICAM-1 level was not significantly related to the number of peripheral blood eosinophil. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that ICAM-1 and ECP might play a certain important role in the cellular interactions of inflammation involved in chronic urticaria, and the role should be verified by further studies.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans