A 77-year old man living in Kyunggi-Do, Korea was surgically treated at Seoul National University Hospital on April 1981, because of acute abdomen. At laparotomy, a 1.77m long adult Taenia saginata was found both in gallbladder and in common bile duct to cause acute gangrenous cholecystitis. The relevant literature were reviewed and possible mechanisms of the disease were discussed.
parasitology-helminth-cestoda ; Taenia saginata-taeniasis ; case report ; gallbladder ; common bile duct ; acute abdomen ; laparatomy

No abstract available.
Skin* ; Tissue Expansion Devices* ; Transplants*

Thirty two cases of nevus sebaceus were studied by immunohistochemical staining employing three anticytokeratin antibodies(34bE, 34bB, CAM 5.2) and anti-involucrin antibody in order to clarify the biochemical characteristics of the covering epidermis of nevus sebaceus. An attempt was made to compare the expression pattern of these proteins in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus with that in normal skin and in epidermal nevus. Serial sections in all cases were also stained with PAS in attempt to correlate these protein expression with the amount of glycogen in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus. The following results are obtained. 1. The expression of cytokeratin and involucrin in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus was changed as the age of the lesions increased, but we could not identify a uniform pattern according to the age of lesions. 2. Several CAM 5.2 positive cells were found in the basal layer of the epidermis of nevus sebaceus lesion obtained from patients over 10 years of age. 3. The expression of cytokeratin and involucrin did not show any correlation with glycogen content. These results suggest that the covering epidermis of the lesion of nevus sebaceus may not be nevoid proliferation of epidermal nevus.
Epidermis* ; Glycogen ; Humans ; Keratins* ; Nevus* ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) phosphorylates the prodrug ganciclovir to a nucleoside analog that inhibits DNA synthesis, causing cell death. Neighbouring nontransfected cells may be affected through a 'bystander effect', thereby amplifying the antiproliferative actions. This study was carried out to determine whether retrovirus-mediated HSVtk gene therapy could reduce intimal hyperplasia and prevent stenosis following balloon injury of the rat carotid artery. METHODS: A replication-defective recombinant retroviral vector containing HSVtk cDNA (LtkSN) was constructed. Cultured primary rat smooth muscle cells (SMCs) infected with this vector (SMC/LtkSN) were transplanted to the balloon injured rat right carotid artery. One week after transplantation, HSVtk gene therapy group was administered a 2-week treatment of ganciclovir (30 mg/kg/d). Three weeks after balloon injury and SMC/LtkSN transplantation, carotid arteriography was performed and carotid arteries were perfusion-fixed for histologic examination. RESULTS: Carotid arteriographic evaluation comparing with the uninjured left carotid artery showed that the mean luminal diameter of HSVtk gene therapy group (n=5, 85+/-3%) was significantly larger than that of balloon injury only group (n=5, 65+/-5%). The neointimal mass of HSVtk gene therapy group was less than that of balloon injury only group. SMC/LtkSN transplantation without ganciclovir treatment group (n=3) showed asymmetric intimal proliferation probably because of gravitational pooling of seeding. There were inflammatory cell infiltrations at the gravity dependent portion of HSVtk gene therapy group. CONCLUSION: Retrovirus-mediated HSVtk gene therapy following balloon injury of the rat carotid artery reduced neointimal expansion and arteriographic stenosis.
Angiography ; Animals ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Artery Injuries* ; Cell Death ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Ganciclovir ; Genetic Therapy* ; Gravitation ; Herpes Simplex* ; Hyperplasia ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Phenobarbital ; Phosphotransferases* ; Rats* ; Simplexvirus* ; Thymidine Kinase ; Zidovudine

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome is an X-linked disorder characterized by recurrent infection, thrombocypenia and eczema. Various defects in cell-mediated immunity and deficient antibody reponse to carbohydrate antigens have been described. We experienced a case of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome of 28 months old male patient. He has been suffered from multiple petechiae with bleeding, recurrent pyogenic infections and generalized eczema since 3 months of age. Immunological abnormalities are as follows: 1) Serum IgM was gradually decreased, while IgA and IgE were increased. 2) Antibody response against polysaccharide antigen (PRP) was not observed after 3 times of PRPT immunization. 3) CD4/CD8 ratio was reversed (0.6). 4) Proliferative response of mononuclear cells was significantly reduced, and CMI skin test also showed negative results. A brief review of literature was made.
Antibody Formation ; Child, Preschool ; Eczema ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin M ; Male ; Purpura ; Skin Tests ; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: In the course of the study of keratin expression in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus, several cells in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus were positively stained with CAM 5.2 antibody, which is known to be specific for the lower molecular weight cytokeratin and used as a marker of Merkel cell. OBJECTIVE: This study was intended to verify that CAM 5.2 positive cells found in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus are Merkel cells and to understand the meaning of CAM 5.2 positive j cells in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus. METHODS: The immunohistochemical stainings with CAM 5.2 and antibody to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) performed on specimens of normal skin, epidermal nevus, nevus sebaceus and some appendage tumors. In order to confirm the nature of CAM 5.2 positive cells, the distribution of those were compared to that of Merkel cells and double labeling with CAM 5.2 and neurofilament was performed. RESULTS: CAM 5.2 positive cells were also found in trichilemmoma developed associated with nevus sebaceus and the epidermis of normal paimoplantar skin. CAM 5.2 positive cells were also stained with antibody to EMA on serial sections cut from the same tissue blocks. The association of CAM 5.2 positive cell and nerve fiber was also demonstrated. CONCLUSION: CAM 5.2 positive cells are seemed to be Merkel cells and their presence in the covering epidermis of nevus sebaceus suggests to the epidermis of nevus sebaceus may not be nevoid proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes.
Epidermis* ; Intermediate Filaments ; Keratinocytes ; Keratins ; Merkel Cells ; Molecular Weight ; Mucin-1 ; Nerve Fibers ; Nevus* ; Skin

BACKGROUND: In the course of the study of keratin expression in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus, several cells in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus were positively stained with CAM 5.2 antibody, which is known to be specific for the lower molecular weight cytokeratin and used as a marker of Merkel cell. OBJECTIVE: This study was intended to verify that CAM 5.2 positive cells found in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus are Merkel cells and to understand the meaning of CAM 5.2 positive j cells in the epidermis of nevus sebaceus. METHODS: The immunohistochemical stainings with CAM 5.2 and antibody to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) performed on specimens of normal skin, epidermal nevus, nevus sebaceus and some appendage tumors. In order to confirm the nature of CAM 5.2 positive cells, the distribution of those were compared to that of Merkel cells and double labeling with CAM 5.2 and neurofilament was performed. RESULTS: CAM 5.2 positive cells were also found in trichilemmoma developed associated with nevus sebaceus and the epidermis of normal paimoplantar skin. CAM 5.2 positive cells were also stained with antibody to EMA on serial sections cut from the same tissue blocks. The association of CAM 5.2 positive cell and nerve fiber was also demonstrated. CONCLUSION: CAM 5.2 positive cells are seemed to be Merkel cells and their presence in the covering epidermis of nevus sebaceus suggests to the epidermis of nevus sebaceus may not be nevoid proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes.
Epidermis* ; Intermediate Filaments ; Keratinocytes ; Keratins ; Merkel Cells ; Molecular Weight ; Mucin-1 ; Nerve Fibers ; Nevus* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Transplants*

Orchids live with mycorrhizal fungi in mutualism. This symbiotic relationship plays an essential role in the overall life cycle of orchids from germination, growth, settlement, and reproduction. Among the 1000 species of the orchid, the Korean lady’s slipper, Cypripedium japonicum, is known as an endangered species. Currently, only five natural habitats of the Korean lady’s slipper remain in South Korea, and the population of Korean lady’s slipper in their natural habitat is not increasing. To prevent extinction, this study was designed to understand the fungal community interacting in the rhizosphere of the Korean lady’s slipper living in the native and artificial habitats. In-depth analyses were performed to discover the vital mycorrhizal fungi contributing to habitat expansion and cultivation of the endangered orchid species. Our results suggested that Lycoperdon nigrescens contributed most to the increase in natural habitats and Russula violeipes as a characteristic of successful cultivation. And the fungi that helped L. nigrescens and R. violeipes to fit into the rhizosphere community in Korean lady’s slipper native place were Paraboeremia selaginellae and Metarhizium anisopliae, respectively. The findings will contribute to restoring and maintaining the endangered orchid population in natural habitats.

A woman aged 45 years was presented with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis and hypomagnesemia associated with renal potassium and magnesium wasting. Her 24-hour urinary calcium excretion was strikingly low despite normocalcemia and normal creatinine clearance, which is one of characteristic findings of Gitelman's syndrome (GS). She was evaluated for the responses following Mg supplementation for 10 days, which showed marked increments in serum potassium and magnesium as well as improvements of the degree of renal potassium wasting and hypocalciuria. This amelioration of abnormal biochemical pictures in this patient after Mg supplementation proposes that the hypokalemia with renal potassium wasting and hypocalciuria may be caused by abnormal Mg metabolism.
Bartter's Disease/urine ; Bartter's Disease/therapy* ; Bartter's Disease/blood ; Calcium/urine* ; Case Report ; Female ; Food, Fortified ; Human ; Hypokalemia/therapy* ; Magnesium/blood* ; Middle Age ; Syndrome