Melanogenesis, or synthesis of melanin has been a focus of intense investigation by pigment cell biologists during the past few decades. Melanogenesis provides pigment in skin, thus serving as a unique, if not only, physiological defense against sun-induced injuries, including photocarcinogenesis. Moreover, skin color plays a major role in visual esthetics of an individual. Therefore, unwanted hyper- or hypo-pigmentation, especially on facial skin, could cause significant psychological stress. Epidermal melanocytes, derived from neural crest cells, are mainly responsible for melanin in skin. In human skin, nearly all normal pigmentation is due to melanin and with the exception of hemoglobin, it is one of the only endogenously synthesized pigments in man. Melanin has numerous functions in mammals, including increasing the optical efficiency of the eye, producing color patterns in various organs, including hair or skin, serving as camouflage, heat exchange, sexual recognition and protection from sunlight. The incidences of malignant melanoma have been increasing dramatically in western countries, at least by a factor of 15 over the past 60 years, and this has caused an intense interest in understanding melanogenesis. More than 40,000 new cases of malignant melanoma have been diagnosed in 1997, and it is one of the most common cancers in young adults. The research in the area of melanogenesis has exploded during the last ten years because model systems to study molecular mechanisms regulating melanogenesis have become available. This review examines currently available in vitro and in vivo model systems to study melanogenesis.
Esthetics ; Hair ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mammals ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma ; Neural Crest ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Stress, Psychological ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Doxycycline ; Humans ; Tooth*

Epidermoid Cyst is a very rare benign neoplasm of the testis which represents about 1% of all testicular tumors. Ultrasonography findings of epidermoid cyst are so variable in reported cases that it is not eas y to diagnose preoperatively. The echogenecity of mixed echoic. it may show hyperechoic rim, and rarely shows target apperance. Target appearance may be a specific finding of epidermoid cyst, and it may be helpful to diagnose preoperatively. we describe a case of epidermoid cyst of the testis demonstrating double target sign on ultrasonography.
Epidermal Cyst* ; Testicular Neoplasms ; Testis* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.

Primary breast lesions diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology, confirmed by histologic examination were analyzed by morphometry to evaluate the difference between benign and malignant lesions, and the methods obtaining the sample. Four size factors and 5 form factors were evaluated in 22 fibroadenomas and 20 carcinomas by image analyzer(Zeiss Ibas 2000) using the H-E stained slides. Nuclear size was significantly larger in the carcinoma cells than fibroadenoma cells both in the cytology and biopsy specimens, but the form factors were not significantly different. Both fibroadenoma and carcinoma cells were significantly larger in cytologic smear than histologic section. The cells in the cytology were more regular and round than those in histology, but not statistically significant. Fibroadenomas having cellular proliferation and atypism exhibited larger size and more irregular nuclei than non-proliferative fibroadenoma, but not statistically significant. Therefore nuclear morphometric analysis can be a helpful method to diagnose the questionable breast lesions and is a method appropriate for use as a quality control procedure in the fine needle aspiration cytology.
Biopsy* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Breast* ; Cell Proliferation ; Fibroadenoma* ; Quality Control

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) with acquired metallo β-lactamase (MBL) resistance have been increasingly reported worldwide and associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Here, an outbreak of genetically related strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing the imipenemase (IMP)-1 MBL in a medical intensive care unit (MICU) in Korea is reported. METHODS: Since isolating carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) at the MICU of the hospital on August 10, 2011, surveillance cultures for CRE in 31 hospitalized patients were performed from August to September 2011. Carbapenem resistance was determined based on the disk diffusion method outlined in the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for genes coding for β-lactamase. Associations among isolates were assessed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In addition, a surveillance study of environmental cultures and health-care workers (HCWs) was conducted in the MICU during the same time frame. RESULTS: During the study period, non-duplicated CRKP specimens were discovered in four patients in the MICU, suggestive of an outbreak. On August 10, 2011, CRKP was isolated from the sputum of a 79-year-old male patient who was admitted to the MICU. A surveillance study to detect additional CRE carriers by rectal swab revealed an additional three CRKP isolates. PCR and sequencing of the four isolates identified the presence of the IMP-1 gene. In addition, PFGE showed that the four isolated strains were genetically related. CRE was not identified in specimens taken from the hands of HCWs or other environmental sources during surveillance following the outbreak. Transmission of the carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strain was controlled by isolation of the patients and strict contact precautions. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that rapid and systemic detection of CRE and strict infection controls are important steps in preventing nosocomial transmission.
Aged ; Clinical Coding ; Critical Care* ; Diffusion ; Disease Outbreaks ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Hand ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units* ; Klebsiella pneumoniae* ; Klebsiella* ; Korea ; Male ; Methods ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sputum

A case of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) was presented in 46 year-old male patient. The characteristic skin lesions of TEN were developed after some medictions and tetanus anti-toxin (TAT) injection due to trauma. Probably, the cause of the disease was drugs, TAT injection or trauma inself. On the pathologic findings, lower epidermis and dermo-epidermal cleavage were noticed. He was treated with massive antibiotics and steroid. About 7 days after therapy, much improvement achived. However foul odorous yellowish discharge was noticed since 20 days of hospitalization. Wide debridement of necrotic tissue was carried without improvement. Patient expired on 48th hospital day due to sepsis and impending hepatic coma.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Debridement ; Epidermis ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odors ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome* ; Tetanus

Gene expression of nm23 has been investigated in many kinds of tumors, including breast cancers, colon cancers, hepatocellular carcinomas, papillary carcinomas of the thyroid and malignant melanomas since the nm23 was dislovered by Dr. Steeg as a tumor metastatic suppressor gene. Reduced expression of nm23 gene implicated in high metastatic potential in a variety of malignancies. However, there have been only a few reports on genetic alteration and expression of nm23 in human gastric carcinomas even though gastric carcinoma is a leading malignancy in Korea. In this study, we examined the expression of nm23 protein by immunohistochemistry in advanced and early gastric carcinomas, adenomas, matching normal mucosa to elucidate the role of nm23 in the development, progression and metastasis of human gastric carcinomas. The results are as follows; 1) Nm23 was expressed in 39 cases(69.6%) of 56 advanced gastric carcinomas. Among them, strong positive cases(grade 3) were 26(46.4%) and weak positive cases(grade 2) were 13(23.2%). 2) Nm23 expression was significantly different (P<0.05) depending on the site of the neoplasm. Antral carcinomas showed grade3 positivity in the 22/37 cases(60%), but carcinomas of the body showed negative (grade 1) result in about half(42.1%). 3) Nm23 expression was more intense in the neoplasm than normal mucosa.(67.9%) 4) Nm23 expression was not significantly related to the lymph node metastasis, invasion of lymphatics or veins and depth of invasion. 5) In the well differentiated carcinomas, grade3 were more common(64.0%). But in cases of signet ring cell carcinoma, many cases were negative(50.0%). 6) Nm23 expression rate and intensity was significantly increased from the normal mucosa to the gastric adenomas, early gastric carcinomas and advanced gastric carcinomas.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Breast Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The loss of estrogen and progesterone receptors appeats to be associated with a progression to less differentiated and hormone-independent tumors. The gain of hormone independency over time even in estrogen receptor-positive tumors has become another obstacle to endocrine therapy for breast cancer. We tried to regain the hormone dependency in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells by lipofecting estmgen receptor cDNA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mutant human estrogen receptor cDNA (pSGS-HEO) was lipofected into estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, in an attempt to restore their sensitivity to antiestrogen. Then the effects of 17p-estradiol and tamoxifen were studied by counting viable cell numbers after treating the lipofected cell line with either one or together. RESULTS: Culture medium cantaining phenol red, a weak estrogen, has growth advantages compared with culture medium without it. In both culture conditions, cell growth was most profoundly inhibited in 4 days after lipofection with mutant human estrogen receptor cDNA, which was overcome after that day. Tamoxifen, as an antiestrogen, showed a growth inhibitory effect slightly stronger tban combined conditions of tamoxifen and 17- estradiol compared to estrogen-treated group and to control, and the inhibitory effect was lasted 4 days. CONCLUSION: The temporary induction of estrogen receptor by lipofection with pSGS-HEO on estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 showed negative growth control on these cells by tamoxifen, indicating that liposome-mediated estrogen receptor transfection may be used as a novel therapeutic strategy for hormane independent human breast cancers in the near future.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cell Count ; Cell Line ; DNA, Complementary ; Estradiol ; Estrogen Receptor Modulators ; Estrogens* ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans* ; Phenolsulfonphthalein ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Tamoxifen ; Transfection

We report a case of a 41-year-old female patient who suffered from the acute abdominal pain for several hours after eating raw sea-fishes. After the fibergastroscopy and the abdominal C-T scan, the clinicians found a gastric submucosal mass and performed the explolaparotomy to get an wedge of stomach. Sections revealed a larva surrounded by phlegmonous inflammation with intense eosinophilic infiltration in the widened gastic submucosa. The larva presented the characteristics of the Anisakis: two lateral chords with renette cell, thich smooth cuticle and well developed musculature.
Female ; Humans