No abstract available.
Pancreatic Polypeptide*

No abstract available.
Nitric Oxide*

No abstract available.
Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Education* ; Health Behavior*

Lidex(Fluacinonide) 0.05% in FAPG base is a new fluorinated topical corticosteroid. 30 patients with different steroid responsive dermatoaes were treated with 0. 05% Lidex. The diagnosis included atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, neurodermatitis, seborheic dermatitis, nummular eczema, psoriasis vulgaris, chronic eczema and pustulosis pahmaris et plantaris. In the majority of cases Lidex cream produced excellent to good result(70%) after unoccluded application 3 times daily for 10 days. Two patients complained burning or itching sensation after the initial application of Lidex. 0.05% Lidex was compared with 0. 25% Desoxymethasone cream and 0. 25% Fluocortolone cream and was found slightly more effective in Lidex.
Burns ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Desoximetasone ; Diagnosis ; Eczema ; Fluocinonide* ; Fluocortolone ; Humans ; Neurodermatitis ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis ; Sensation

Multiple basal cell epithelioma on the face is a rare disease and the lesions are hard to indistinguish from multiple trichoepithelioma. The 15-year-old school girl has been suffered from multiple small pea-sized, slightly waxy appearing skin lesions on the face for 4 years. She has no history of arsenic ingestion; irradia tion and previous dermatoses. Physical examination and X-ray films (chest, mandibule and skull) showed no pathological findings. Biopsy findings revealed basal cell epithelioma cells.
Adolescent ; Arsenic ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Rare Diseases ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; X-Ray Film

We report a case of atrophie blanche which was accompanied by cryoglobulinemia. The patient, 17-year-old female, have had recurrent painful ulcerations and ivory-white atrophic scars with telangiectases surrounded by hyperpigmentation. On histological examination, vessel wall thickening and hyalinization of the intima, partial vascular occlusion, vascular proliferation and mild perivascular chronic inflammatory cells infiltration and hemorrhage in the upper dermis were noted. The patient had been treated with dipyridarnol(Persantin) and acetylsalicylic acid hut the lesions had been waxed and waned.
Adolescent ; Aspirin ; Cicatrix ; Cryoglobulinemia* ; Dermis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Hyperpigmentation ; Telangiectasis ; Ulcer

The present study was undertaken to inveatigate whether contaet sensitivity was decreased or not in patients with atopic dermatitis, and to investigate phagocytic function of neutrophils in patients with atopic dermatitis. 1. Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), a compound which uniformly induce hypersensitivity in normal individuals, had been used in the preaent study to investigate cutaneous anergy in 16 patients with atopic dermatitis. Sensitizing does of DNCB (2,000 microgram) was applied and examined at 7th and 14th day for a spontaneous flare. In the absence of spontaneous flare, challenge dose (50microgram) was reapplied and examined. Seven of the 16 cases (43.8%.) had positive reaction to DNCB. These result showed decreased contact sensitivity in patients with atopic dermatitis, which suggested some defect in the cell-mediated immunity in patients with atopic dermatitis. 2. There were some evidence that susceptibility to certain infection was increased in patients with atopic dermatitis. For investigating killing function in phagoeytosis of neutrophils in patients with atopic dermatitis, nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction (NBT) and stimalated NBT test had performed in 35 cases of atopic dermatitis and 20 cases of healthy control. 1) There was no significant difference in the mean percentage and absolute number of NBT positive neutrophils between whole group of atopic dermatitis (8. 4+4. 9%, 301.2+225.6) and control group (6. 9+2. 9%, 246.2+143. 8). 2) The mean percentage and absolute number of stmulated NBT poeitive neutrophils in whole group of atopic dermatitis (19.6+7.3%, 702. 1+377. 2) did not differ significantly from control group (22.7+5.3%, 812.2+382.2). 3) There was no significant difference in the mean value of NBT aad stimulated NBT test in comparing the mild groud, moderate group and severe group with control group. These resuIts suggested that killing function in phagocytosis of neutrophils in patients with atopic dermatitis was not impaired.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dinitrochlorobenzene* ; Homicide ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunity, Cellular ; Neutrophils ; Nitroblue Tetrazolium ; Phagocytosis

This study was designed to investigate the effect of substitution of strontium for calcium on mechanical activity in isolated perfused spontaneously beating rat hearts. The mechanical activity of the hearts of Langendorff's preparation in conditions of low calcium and strontium-substitution for calcium was compared. The effect of norepinephrine and verapamil were also observed in those conditions. The results were as follows: 1. In low calcium, the mechanical activity of the heart preparation was significantly reduced, but when the equimolar strontium was substituted for the reduced calcium, the activity was kept at similar level to the normal condition. 2. When equimolar strontium was substituted for the total calcium in perfusate, the heart preparation stopped its beating, and it was not restored in spite of reperfusion with normal calcium perfusate. 3. Norepinephrine-induced positive inotropic effect was inhibited in low-calcium condition especially with low concentration of norepinephrine, but not in strontium-substitution for calcium. 4. Verapamil reduced the activity of the heart both in low-calcium and strontium-substitution as well as in normal calcium conditions. From above results, it was concluded that strontium served as a substitute of calcium in maintaining mechanical activity and in responsiveness to norepinephrine, and the influx of strontium through cell membrane is inhibited by verapamil as the influx of calcium.
Animals ; Calcium ; Cell Membrane ; Heart* ; Norepinephrine* ; Rats* ; Reperfusion ; Strontium* ; Verapamil

BACKGROUNDS : Infections due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been reported with increasing frequency in many parts of the world. However, VRE infection is still very rare in Korea. To assess the potential risk of VRE infection in a hospital where such infection is rarely reported, we screened hospitalized patients for fecal colonization with VRE and performed a clinical and epidemiological investigation of VRE colonization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We screened 405 stool specimens from in- and outpatients for the presence of enterococci using EnterococcoselTM agar (BBLR, USA). Dark-brown or black colonies were tested for enterococci and speciated, followed by confirmation for vancomycin resistance using brain-heart infusion agar containing vancomycin (6microgram/mL). Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by agar dilution, disk diffusion, and Vitek GPS-IZ. We also performed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after SmaI digestion of DNA and polymerase chain reaction for detection of vanA, B and C. To define risk factors for colonization, we reviewed the medical records of patients colonized with VRE or vancomycin- susceptible enterococci (VSE). RESULTS: Twelve (4.1%) of 295 hospitalized patients were colonized with VRE. Six were identified as Enterococcus(E) faecium, 2 each as E. faecalis and E. gallinarum, and 1 each as E. casseliflavus and E. avium. In contrast, only one(0.9%) VRB (E. casseliflavus) was isolated from outpatients. Patients in the intensive careunit (5.4%) and patients whose stool specimens were submitted for Clostridium difficile toxin assay (6.8%) were colonized at higher rate than other inpatients (2.5%), but not at a statistically significant level. Three strains had high-level resistance to van comycin(minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC>256microgram/mL), and the others had low-level resistance (MIC8-16microgram/mL) by agar dilution. But disk diffusion method and Vitek system had problems in detecting some strains with low-level resistance. PFGE patterns of VRE were diverse, suggesting that VRE have been introduced from multiple sources. The vans gene was detected in 3 isolates and vanC gene was found in 9 isolates. Compared with the patients with VSE colonization, patients with VRE had a significantly longer hospital stay, had more frequent invasive procedures or therapeutic interventions such as ventilator, total parenteral nutrition and hemodialysis, showed renal insufficiency more frequently, and were more likely to have received ciprofloxacin or clindamycin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of VRE infection remains low in Korea, the findings from this study indicate that VRE are not uncommon intestinal colonizers among hospitalized patients. Strict infection control measures including screening for VRE, especially those from patients at risk, close surveillance, judicious use of antibiotics and patient isolation must be implemented to prevent infection and transmission of VRE.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Clostridium difficile ; Colon* ; Diffusion ; Digestion ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Outpatients ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Patient Isolation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUNDS : Infections due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been reported with increasing frequency in many parts of the world. However, VRE infection is still very rare in Korea. To assess the potential risk of VRE infection in a hospital where such infection is rarely reported, we screened hospitalized patients for fecal colonization with VRE and performed a clinical and epidemiological investigation of VRE colonization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We screened 405 stool specimens from in- and outpatients for the presence of enterococci using EnterococcoselTM agar (BBLR, USA). Dark-brown or black colonies were tested for enterococci and speciated, followed by confirmation for vancomycin resistance using brain-heart infusion agar containing vancomycin (6microgram/mL). Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by agar dilution, disk diffusion, and Vitek GPS-IZ. We also performed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after SmaI digestion of DNA and polymerase chain reaction for detection of vanA, B and C. To define risk factors for colonization, we reviewed the medical records of patients colonized with VRE or vancomycin- susceptible enterococci (VSE). RESULTS: Twelve (4.1%) of 295 hospitalized patients were colonized with VRE. Six were identified as Enterococcus(E) faecium, 2 each as E. faecalis and E. gallinarum, and 1 each as E. casseliflavus and E. avium. In contrast, only one(0.9%) VRB (E. casseliflavus) was isolated from outpatients. Patients in the intensive careunit (5.4%) and patients whose stool specimens were submitted for Clostridium difficile toxin assay (6.8%) were colonized at higher rate than other inpatients (2.5%), but not at a statistically significant level. Three strains had high-level resistance to van comycin(minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC>256microgram/mL), and the others had low-level resistance (MIC8-16microgram/mL) by agar dilution. But disk diffusion method and Vitek system had problems in detecting some strains with low-level resistance. PFGE patterns of VRE were diverse, suggesting that VRE have been introduced from multiple sources. The vans gene was detected in 3 isolates and vanC gene was found in 9 isolates. Compared with the patients with VSE colonization, patients with VRE had a significantly longer hospital stay, had more frequent invasive procedures or therapeutic interventions such as ventilator, total parenteral nutrition and hemodialysis, showed renal insufficiency more frequently, and were more likely to have received ciprofloxacin or clindamycin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of VRE infection remains low in Korea, the findings from this study indicate that VRE are not uncommon intestinal colonizers among hospitalized patients. Strict infection control measures including screening for VRE, especially those from patients at risk, close surveillance, judicious use of antibiotics and patient isolation must be implemented to prevent infection and transmission of VRE.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Clostridium difficile ; Colon* ; Diffusion ; Digestion ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Outpatients ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Patient Isolation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance ; Ventilators, Mechanical