In order to clarify the cause of intracellular ATP dependency on Zn2+ blockade of KATP channels in pancreatic beta cells, we investigated the KATP channel activity during external Zn2+ application using voltage clamp technique. Cultured beta cells were used for patch-clamp experiment. When 3 mM glucose was applied in bath, KATP channel activity was increased transiently by externally applied Zn2+ in the cell-attached mode and was recoverable. The KATP channel activity was, however, consistently increased by Zn2+ application during the 0 mM glucose in bath. Inside-out mode, internally applied Zn2+ elicited no response on the KATP channels. Another divalent cation, Mn2+, didn't have any effect on the KATP channels. Therefore, This effect, so-called external glucose-dependency on Zn2+ blockade of the KATP channels, might be due to intracellular Zn2+ metabolism which induces ATP consumption. This appears to be a mechanism that the Zn2+ blockade of the KATP channels in the pancreatic beta cells depends on the intracellular ATP concentration.
Adenosine Triphosphate* ; Baths ; Glucose ; Insulin-Secreting Cells* ; KATP Channels* ; Metabolism

This study was performed to investigate the distribution and magnitude of stress at supporting tissue of abutment teeth and residual ridge tissue with remaining unilateral posterior teeth. Four types of removable partial dentures that included clasp retained removable partial denture, attachment retained removable partial denture, telescopic removable partial denture, and swing-lock partial denture were designed, and strain gauge was used for stress analysis. Each prosthesis was subjected to simulated vertical and oblique load. The following conclusions were drawn from this study. 1. The clasp retained removable partial denture generally distributed simulated vertical force more evenly to the supporting structure. 2. The stress at buccal side of 1st premolar was the lowest in swing-lock partial denture and that was highest in attchment retained removable partial denture. The stress at lingual side of 1st premolar was the lowest in telescopic partial denture. 3. In clasp retained removable partial denture, stress was lower at load site and ridge crest at midline, but it was higher at lst premolar area on vertical load. 4. In attachment removable partial denture, stresses at buccal side of 1st premolar, lingual side of 1st premolar on vertical load, and ridge crest at midline on oblique load were higher. 5. In telescopic removable partial denture, stress at lingual side of 1st premolar was the least in all removable partial dentures, but the stress at load site was higher. 6. In swing-lock removable partial denture, stress at buccal side of 1st premolar was the lowest, and stresses at load site and distal end of residual ridge crest were higher.
Bicuspid ; Denture Design* ; Denture, Partial ; Denture, Partial, Removable ; Dentures* ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tooth*

No abstract available.
Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Nose* ; Transplants*

We report two cases of linear focal elastosis. They are a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy who had had asymptomatic, several, yellow-red, slightly elevated, palpable, striae-like lesions on their middle and lower back since their early childhood. Light microscopic examinations of skin biopsy specimens demonstrated dermal thickening and focal increases of thin wavy fibers in the upper and mid-dermis but no changes in the epidermis. Verhoeff-van Gieson stains for elastic fiber revealed aggregated, clumped, curled, or fragmented elastic fibers.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Coloring Agents ; Elastic Tissue ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Skin

Trichilemmal carcinoma is a rare tumor that is located predominantly on sun-exposed skin of the elderly. It is thought to be related to the external root sheath of the hair follicle and the malignant counterpart of a trichilemmoma. We report a case of trichilemmal carcinoma in a 88-year-old woman who had a 10 year history of a single, dark brown tumor on the right preauricular region. In her past medical history, it had been excised twice at a private clinic without a histopathological evaluation and recurred 2 years later. Histopathological findings showed atypical clear cells resembling those of the outer root sheath. Tumor cells showed PAS-positive cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry revealed positive high molecular weight cytokeratin expression. To our knowledge, this is the second case of trichilemmal carcinoma in the Korean literature. (Ann Dermatol 100) 175178, 1998).
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Molecular Weight ; Skin

PURPOSE: Septic arthritis of the knee is a relative rare complication of the arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, but inadequate treatment of this complication may lead to a devastating conse- quence of a chronic infection. Moreover, no guidelines have been proposed for the treatment of patients with knee infections after the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. To determine the optimal diagno- sis and treatment recommendation, we performed this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed retrospective study of the knee joint infections after the arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction between August 1993 and August 1998, Of the 420 patients who reviewed arthroscopic ACL reconstruction during this period from one surgeon, we experi- enced 4 cases(0.95%) of postoperative deep infections of the knee. RESULTS: All 4 patients were male, and the average age was 32 years(range from 19 to 43). Two patients had acute(< 2 weeks), two patients had subacute infections(2 weeks to 2 months). The acute cases had more severe symptoms, and positive cultures from knee joint aspirates. All patients underwent immediate open(1 case), or arthroscopic irrigation and debridement. One patient underwent repeat irriga- tion and debridement. The graft was removed from all patients in acute cases. CONCLUSION: The clinical symptoms, and the infected organism were more helpful than the peripheral blood counts in the diagnosis of a deep infection of the knee. Arthroscopic lavage, and debridement com- bined with intravenous antibiotics were effective treatment options. Clinical symptoms were more severe in acute cases, and early graft removal is an adequate method of surgical treatment.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction* ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis, Infectious* ; Debridement ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Knee* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Therapeutic Irrigation ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Humans ; Neutropenia* ; Sepsis*

The purposes of this study were to test the negative association between schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis(RA) and to clarify the role of prolactin and estrogen as protective factors in this association. The author compared the prevalence rate of RA between 561 patients with schizophrenia and 222 patients with mood disorder. For investigating the role of estrogen and prolactin, the author checked the plasma prolactin and estradiol level in 80 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 77 patients with RA. The results were as follows. 1) Epidemiological data The prevalence rate of RA in the schizophrenic group was 0/561 and that of RA in the mood disorder group was 2/222. To compare these results between two groups, the author applied the Binomial test using the average prevalence rate of RA(0.8%) in the general population as a reference rate. The prevalence rate of RA in the schizophrenic group was significantly lower than that of RA in the general population. However, the prevalence rate of RA in the mood disorder group was not significantly different to that of RA in the general population. 2) Comparison of plasma prolactin and estradiol level between two groups. The plasma level of prolactin in the schizophrenic group was significantly higher than that of prolactin in th RA group(p=0.000). However, the plasma level of estradiol in the schizophrenic group was significantly lower than that of estradiol in the RA group(p=0.017). These results were not consistent across gender. To contrast with the results in the female group, which were consistent with the results in the total subjects, for the male group, the plasma levels of prolactin and estradiol in the schizophrenic group were significantly higher than those of prolactin and estradiol in th RA group. These results support the results of previous studies which confirm the negative association between schizophrenia and RA. These results also suggest that the elevation of plasma prolactin level in the patient with schizophrenia has a antirheumatic effect while the elevation of plasma estradiol level in the patients with RA has a anti-schizophrenic effect, and that these effects act as a possible mechanism in the negative association between two disorders. However, these results suggest that this association is specific to female patients.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Epidemiology* ; Estradiol ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mood Disorders ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Prolactin* ; Schizophrenia* ; Schizophrenia, Paranoid

Partial knee ankylosis is a recognized complication following open operative procedure, trauma and disease processes about the knee. It can result from the formation of intraarticular adhesion and contracture of the capsule as well as the shortening or adhesion of the quadriceps mechanism. Physical therspy and occasionally manipulation under the anesthesia may improve the results, but performed late, these methods will be useless. This is a review of 30 patients who had severe limitation of motion in the knee joint following open operative procedures or trauma about the knee and who were treated by the percutaneous release of adhesions under the arthroscopic control. The following results were obtained; There were 17 males and 13 females, and the age of release ranged from 23 to 69 years old (av. 42.8years old). The interval between arthroscopic adhesiolysis and the last follow-up evaluation ranged from 6 months to 5 years and 7 months(av. 23 months). The interval between the last open operative procedure or trauma and arthroscopic adhesiolysis ranged from 3 months to 4 years(av. 15 months). The average preoperative knee ROM was 38.8°the postoperative ROM was 121.1°and the average final knee ROM at follow-up was 102.6°So the average loss of ROM was 18.5°The arthroscopic adhesiolysis seems to be applied to the various conditions of the partial knee ankylosis and the results are better than the other surgical procedures when it was performed early enough.
Anesthesia ; Ankylosis ; Contracture ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Male ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

To understand better the complex natural course of HBV infection, the expression patterns of HBcAg and HBsAg in the liver of 51 inactive serum HBsAg carriers (24 CPH and 27 NPD) were studied by immunohistochemical methods. The inactive serum HBsAg carriers were devided into 3 groups by the following expression patterns of serum HBeAg/anti-HBe status and tissue HBcAg and HBsAg. Pattern A (18 cases) : HBeAg+, cHBcAg+ (94.4%), mHBsAg+ (61.1%), pATTERN B (14 cases) : anti-HBe+, nHBcAg+, cHBsAg+, Pattern C (19 cases) : anti-HBe+, HBcAg-, cHBsAg+ (89.5%). There were no significant differences between CPH and NPD, lthough the core free pattern was more common in the latter. The cHBcAg was expressed in 17 of 18 (94.4%) HBeAg seropositive cases but only one of 33 cases with serum anti-HBe, suggesting that the cHBcAg is intimately related to HBeAg. Since the inactive HBsAg carriers also expressed cHBcAg and/or mHBsAg, the necro-inflammatory activity of HBV infected liver is assumed to depend on the host immune response rather than their presence alone