BACKGROUND: Laminin, which is present in all basement membrane, is a multifunctional glycoprotein with diverse biological activities. Like fibronectin, it can influence cell adhesion, growth, morphology, differentiation, and migration as well as the assembly of the extracellular matrix. Laminin primarily affects cells of epithelial origin, and response varies depending on the cells. OBJECTIVE: Studies about the relationship of laminin and the pathogenesis or metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma(SCC). MEHTODS: In this study, we have examined the laminin B1 mRNA expression and localizing pattern of laminin in SCC, using Northern and slot-blot hybridization, in situ hybridization and immunoperoxidase stain. RESULTS: In Northern blot hybridization, 5.6Kb mRNA transcript was detected in control and SCC specimens. Slot-blot hybridization indicated theat amounts of laminin B1 mRNA expression in SCC was 677.0+/-268.5 densitometer absorbance unit, in control was 228.0+/-16.37 unit respectively. There is a 3-fold increase in SCC compared to control. In in situ hybridization, 35S-labeled laminin B1 cDNA-mRNA hybrid granules were detected along the basement membrane and adjacent cells of SCC. In immunoperoxidase stain, laminin has stained strongly and continuously along the basement membrane of the tumor nest in well differentiated SCC, and weakly and interrupted in poorly differentiated SCC. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that laminin might be related to the pathogenesisand metastasis of squamous cell carcinomas.
Basement Membrane ; Blotting, Northern ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Adhesion ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibronectins ; Glycoproteins ; In Situ Hybridization ; Laminin* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Torticollis*

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the cardiovascular changes followed by laryngoscopy with the McCoy laryngoscope blade with those followed by laryngoscopy with the Macintosh laryngoscope blade. METHODS: Forty eight patients were randomly divided into two groups. Following induction with fentanyl 2 mcg/kg and thiopental 5 mg/kg, and muscle relaxation with vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg, the vocal cords were visualized with either the McCoy or the Macintosh laryngoscope blade, then tracheal intubation was performed. Heart rate and arterial blood pressure were measured just before and after laryngoscopy, and 1, 3 and 5 min later. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in both heart rate and arterial blood pressure after tracheal intubation using the Macintosh laryngoscope. Also, use of the McCoy blade resulted in a significant increase in both heart rate and arterial blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference on arterial pressure and heart rate to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation with either the McCoy blade or the Macintosh.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure* ; Fentanyl ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Intubation* ; Laryngoscopes* ; Laryngoscopy ; Muscle Relaxation ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide ; Vocal Cords

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to present updated information on the basic pelvic parameters associated with lumbar degenerative disease. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Sagittal imbalance has been known to be related to a poor prognosis in almost all adult spine problems, including lumbar degenerative disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of the relevant literature. RESULTS: Pelvic incidence is a morphologic parameter of the pelvis. It influences lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis, and determines the limitations of pelvic retroversion in sagittal imbalance. Pelvic tilt is a positional parameter of the pelvis, indicating the degree of compensation for sagittal imbalance. A C7-sagittal vertical axis >5 cm, pelvic tilt >20°, and pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch are known to be independent factors predictive of poor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The C7-sagittal vertical axis, pelvic tilt, and pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch should be considered when surgery is planned for a patient with degenerative lumbar disease.
Adult ; Animals ; Compensation and Redress ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Pelvis ; Prognosis ; Spine

Heterotopic brain tissue is a developmental anomaly of neurogenic origin with no malignant potential, and is usually present around the nose of children and infants. So it has been called nasal glioma. But, even more rarely, heterotopic glial tissue may be found in various sites other than nasal cavity, such as the ethmoidal sinus, palate, tonsillar area, pharynx, ear, subcutaneous tissue, lung, and female genital tract. We experienced a more unusual case of a polypoid heterotopic brain tissue in the soft palate in a 3-year-old boy. The mass was microscopically reminiscent of "gliosis" of the central nervous system and interestingly contained choroid plexus focally. The glial nature of the lesion was confirmed by glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostain.
Brain* ; Central Nervous System ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Choroid Plexus ; Ear ; Female ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Glioma ; Humans ; Infant ; Lung ; Male ; Nasal Cavity ; Nose ; Palate ; Palate, Soft* ; Pharynx ; Subcutaneous Tissue

PURPOSE: We investigated the factors influencing the time to reach full enteral feeding in very low birth weight infants. We compared the days of life to start tube or oral feeding, to regain birth weight, and to establish full enteral feeding in very low birth weight infants and determined the risk factors delaying full enteral feeding. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 214 newborn infants less than 1,500 g at birth, who were delivered at Chonnam National University Hospital from January 1, 1997 to May 31, 2000. These infants were divided into three groups by birth weight (less than 1,000 g, 1,000-1,249 g, and 1,250-1,499 g). Gestational age, birth weight, the days of life to start first tube or oral feeding, to regain bith weight and to reach full enteral feeding, and the possible risk factors delaying the progress of enteral feeding were analyzed. RESULTS: The gestational age was 29.69+/-2.33 weeks and the birth weight was 1,212+/-194.3 g. The time to start tube or oral feeding, to regain birth weight, and to establish full enteral feeding were significantly later and longer in the lower birth weight group. The time to reach full enteral feeding was related to the duration of mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy, and was significantly longer in the infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), chronic lung disease (CLD), apnea, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), cystic periventricular leukomalacia, sepsis/disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, ricketts, and total parenteral nutrition. CONCLUSION: The time to reach full enteral feeding was inversely related to the birth weight, and the risk factors for delayed full enteral feeding were the presence and/or the severity of diseases related to the prematurity such as the duration of mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy, RDS, CLD, apnea, IVH, and sepsis.
Apnea ; Birth Weight ; Enteral Nutrition* ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Jeollanam-do ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular ; Lung Diseases ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Parturition ; Respiration, Artificial ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis

No abstract available.
Humans

PURPOSE: Measles is one of the most highly communicable infectious disease, but has become a rare disease with the widespread use of vaccine. Recently, however, resurgence of the disease in school aged or adolescents who had received the vaccine before or at the 15 month warrants reappraisal of the efficacy of the vaccination. The purpose of this study was to investigate positive prevalence of antibody and its quantitative titers in different age groups in order to determine necessity and appropriate time of booster vaccine. METHODS: We measured measles antibody in the sera of 192 children from different age groups(61 cases from 4-6 years of age, 40 cases from 8-9 years of age, 47 cases from 12-13 years of age, 44 cases from 15-16 years of age). Eight to ten children from each group were selected and quantitative antibody titers were measured by EIA(measles Ig G EIA SEIKEN) method. RESULTS: 1) The positive prevalence of measles antibody in four to six year age group(72%) was significantly lower than the expected positive prevalence of measles antibody(95%) (p<0.001). 2) Median antibody titer in twelve to thirteen year age group tended to be relatively lower than the other age groups. 3) There was no significant differences in the positive prevalence of measles antibody and median titers between sex. CONCLUSIONS: This data supported that the booster vaccination be needed at four to six years of age.
Adolescent ; Child ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Measles* ; Prevalence ; Rare Diseases ; Vaccination*

PURPOSE: To report the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in a patient with unilateral macular coloboma. METHODS: A 12-year-old male was presented with macular coloboma in the left eye. The optical coherence tomography was performed with fluorescein angiography (FA). RESULTS: The OCT revealed the crater-like depression in the macula, demonstrating atrophic neurosensory retina, and an absence of retinal pigment epithelium and choroid in the lesion. FA showed hypofluorescence corresponding to the size of the lesion in both early and late frames without leakage of dye at any stage. CONCLUSIONS: The OCT can be beneficial to confirm the diagnosis of macular coloboma.
Child ; Coloboma/*diagnosis ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Macula Lutea/*abnormalities ; Male ; *Tomography, Optical Coherence/standards

PURPOSE: The determination of HER-2/neu gene amplification has become necessary for the selection of breast cancer patients to undergo anti-HER-2/neu therapy, using a humanized monoclonal antibody. Chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) detection of the HER-2/neu gene, a newly developed method, utilizes a robust and unique-sequence DNA probe labeled with digoxygenin, which is sequentially incubated with antidigoxygenin fluorescein, antifluorescein peroxidase and diaminobenzidine. The aim of this study was to establish a CISH assay for the detection of HER-2/neu amplification. The results were compared with those of the immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods, most frequently used for detecting HER-2/neu alteration. METHODS: CISH was performed in 4 groups of infiltrating breast carcinomas. Each group was comprised of 20 cases in which the HER-2/neu stati had previously been scored on a four value scale: 0, 1+, 2+ and 3+ by IHC. The results of CISH and IHC were compared for each tumor group. The HER-2/neu gene amplification detected by CISH was thpically visualized as large DAB-stained clusters or by many dots in the nucleus. RESULTS: The concordance between the CISH and IHC was 95% (kappa=0.901). Three IHC-positive cases (score 2+) showed no gene amplification and one IHC-negative case (score 1+) showed gene amplification by CISH. CONCLUSION: The current study showed excellent agreement between the CISH and IHC methods. CISH is an accurate, practical and economical approach for determining the HER-2/neu stati in breast carcinomas. It is also a useful methodology for confirming the IHC results in paraffin- embedded tumor samples, so offers a promising alternative to IHC in a routine diagnostic setting.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; DNA ; Fluorescein ; Gene Amplification ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Peroxidase