Various kinds of bone cements mixed with antibiotics have been widely used for treatment and prevention of infections, especially combined with bone defects. But bone cements have some disadvantages in that they are rather expensive and capable of incurring some complications such ss fibrosis of surrounding soft tissue or local erosion of bone, and furthermore, they must be removed after infection is controlled for bone graft to fill up the defects because they do not have properties of osteoconduction or osteoinduction. So we have come to the idea of using theoretically advantageous plaster of paris to take place of bone cements, and performed in-vitro experiment upon the effectiveness of plaster of paris pellets containing antibiotics, then obtained good results comparable to those from many experimental studies using bone cements. By this, we think that it would be possible in the future to treat and prevent infections supervening bone defects with plaster of paris mixed up with antibiotics. The results are as follows : 1. Sustained release of large amount of antibiotics from plaster of paris enough to exert inhibitory activity on abcterial growth, and there was a direct relationship between concentrations of eluted antibiotics and diameters of inhibitory zones. 2. Tobramycin was capable of inhibiting the growth of S. aureus, E. coli, and Ps. aeruginosa for 7 days at maximum. 3. Cephradine inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E. coli but did not affect that of Ps. aeruginosa. 4. The maximum antibacterial activity wss reached within first 24 hours from the start of elution of antibiotics from plaster of paris.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bone Cements ; Bone Regeneration ; Calcium Sulfate ; Cephradine ; Fibrosis ; Tobramycin ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Microalbuminuraia is a strong prognostic factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in type I and II diabetics. Recent data suggest that microalbuminuria predicted cardiovascular disease independent of hypertension in one of two large-scale studies performed in non-diabetics. Additional possibilities could be a previously documented association with other major and interconnected cardiovascular risk factors, such as insulin resistance, and elevated cardiac mass, abnormal circulation lipid levels, and overweight. The object of this study os to investigat the incidence of microalbuminuria, and to define the pathophysiologic mechanism of microalbuminuria to contribute coronary heart disease in non-diabetic patients with angiographiclly documented coronary artery disease(CAD). METHODS: The study group comprised 31 patients(M;21, mean age 60+/-30 year) with angiographically documented CAD and 15 normal control(m;9, mean age 62+/-7 year). Urinary albumin excretion, blood pressure, echocardiographic left ventricular mass indes, plasma abdominal/hip circumference ratio, fasting glucose, insulin, and c-peptide were studied. The microalbuminuria was defined urinary albumin more than 20ug/min. RESULTS: 1) Six of 31 patients with CAD(19.4%) and none of 15 normal control had microalbuminuria. Hypertension were documented 13 of 31 patients with CAD, and none of 15 normal control(p<0.01). Five of 6 patients with CAD and microalbuminuria and 8 of 25 patients with non-microalbuminuric aptients had hypertension (p<0.05). 2) In the microalbuminuric subjects with CAD, body mass index(29.0+/-3.2vs 24.8+/-3.5), systolic blood pressure(138+/-31 vs 118+/-15mmHG), lipoprotein(a) (69+/-31vs 32+/-32mg/dl), fastion C-peptide(5.5+/-2.2 vs 2.7+/-1.6ng/ml), and microalbumin(221+/25 vs 9.6+/-7.9mg/day)were significantly greater than in normal control(p<0.05). But no difference in left ventricular mass, lipid profile, and abdominal/hip circumference ratio existed between the microalbminuric patients with CAD and normal control. 3) Between the microalbuminuric patients with CAD and without CAD, no signficant difference were noted excepr lipoprotein(a) lever(69+/-31 vs 29+/-29mg/dl), fasting C-peptide(5.5+/-2.4 vs 2.5+/-1.2ng/ml), and microalbumin(221+/-247 vs 8.6+/-6.7mg/day). CONCLUSION: Microalbuminuria was associated with history of hypertension or concurrent antihypertension therapy and insulin resistance in non-diabetics with CAD. But left ventricular cardiac mass, central obesity inedw, and lipid profile were not related with microalbuminuria. The underlying presence of a major risk factor such as hypertension and insulin resistance might be explain the previously reported predictive value of microalbuminuria for cardiac events.
Blood Pressure ; C-Peptide ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Mortality ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Overweight ; Plasma ; Risk Factors

In the present study, we investigated the differences in the levels of expression of virulence factors between blood isolates of Candida albicans and commensal strain isolated from the oral cavities of health volunteers, and correlations between virulence factors. Blood isolates of 33 and commenal isolates of 71 were characterized by putative virulence factors such as proteinase production (PROT), an ability to adhere to epithelial cells (ADH), cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), phospholipase production (PLASE), and hyphal transition (GERM). In PROT, ADH, CSH, and PLASE, the means of expression of blood isolates were higher compared with those of commensal isolates, however statistical significance was only shown in CSH (p=0.036). On the contrary, mean expression of GERM of blood isolates was lower than that of commensal isolates. Of relationships between virulence factors, although a negative correlation of PROT with CSH was obtained, the correlation was relatively low (r=-0.316, p=0.001). These results suggest that higher expression of CSH is a more distinguishing character in virulent blood isolates of C. albicans and that the expression of virulence factors are independent.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Epithelial Cells ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Phospholipases ; Virulence Factors ; Virulence* ; Volunteers

In the present study, culture conditions to secrete proteinases from C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis were examined. All three Candida species were found to secrete proteinases from acceleration phase to stationary phase, although the proteinase activities in culture filtrate were maximal during late exponential or early stationary phase. The proteinase activity in the culture filtrate of C. albicans cells grown at 30'C, was much higher than those grown at either 20 or 37'C. In culture of C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, the highest activity was found in culture filtrate grown at 37C. C. albicans secreted proteinases well in medium at initial pH 4.0-7.0. The optimal initial pH of medium for proteinase secretion was 7.0 for C. tropicalis and 5.0-6.0 for C. parapsilosis. All three Candida species secreted proteinases to greater amount in aerobic state. The most effective carbon source for proteinase secretion was xylose, glucose, maltose and sucrose for C. albicans, xylose for C. tropicalis and trehalose for C. parapsilosis. The effects of proteins, hydrolyzed proteins, ammonium sulfate as a sole nitrogen source on proteinase secretion were examined. Bovine serum albumin was the most effective nitrogen source of those tested and a little proteinase activity was detected in the culture filtrates when yeast cells were incubated in the medium containing ammonium sulfate. C. parapsilosis secreted proteinases to greater amount than the other Candida species in all nitrogen sources under study, indicating that C. parapsilosis proteinase would not be a inducible but a constitutive enzyme.
Acceleration ; Ammonium Sulfate ; Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Carbon ; Glucose ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Maltose ; Nitrogen ; Peptide Hydrolases* ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; Sucrose ; Trehalose ; Xylose ; Yeasts

Diffuse interstitial lung disease(DILD) is a large group of heterogeneous diseases that diffusely involve the pulmonary connective tissues, principally subpleural, interlobular and alveolar wall portions. Terminology and classification of these diseases are not uniform, and the cause and the pathogenesis are unknown in many entities. It is generally accepted that the response to therapy is related to the relative degree of cellularity and fibrosis present, therefore a histologic evaluation of the relative extent and severity of these changes is required. We reviewed 52 cases of DILD from January 1990 to May 1995 diagnosed by open lung biopsy to reappraise classification and quantitative assessment of the histopathologic features. Differential histopathologic features between usual interstitial pneumonia(UIP) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia(NIP) were examined with a correlation of HRCT findings and clinical findings. Among 52 cases of DILD, 18 cases(34.6%) were UIP, 6 cases(11.5%) were hypersensitivity pneumonia was NIP was 5 cases(9.6%), interstitial lung diseases associated with the connective tissue diseases were 5 cases(9.6%), inorganic dusts were 4 cases(7.7%), infections were 4 cases(7.7%), durgs were 2 cases(3.8%), acute interstitial pneumonia was 1 case(1.9%), sarcoidosis was 1 case(1.9%) in order of frequency plus 6 other cases(11.5%). UIP was the most frequent DILD in this study which seemed to be a criteria bias of patient selection on open lung biopsy. Quantitative assessment of histopathologic features was useful in the differential diagnosis of DILD and differentiation of UIP from NIP was possible based on histopathologic features and supported by HRCT. UIP disclosed a significantly high score of fibrotic changes, especially in the interstitial fibrosis, smooth muscle proliferation and honeycombing, otherwise NIP appeared relatively high score in inflammatory changes. Correlation between histopathologic scores and the clinical outcome after steroid therapy or no therapy in UIP was not evident.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Biopsy

BACKGROUND: The erythemal response and delayed tanning of the skin to UV radiations which are used as diagnostic phototest and guideline of phototherapy are different according to the races and light sources. OBJECTIVE: The MED and MMD induced by UVB radiation were measured in 130 normal young adult Koreans. METHODS: In this study, a high pressure mercury are lamp(Burdick UV-800) and a sunlight fluorescent lamp(Waldmann UV 800) were used as UVB light sources. Multiple sites of the lower baek or buttock skin were irradiated with an increasing dose by a constant, anount. The minimal doses of erythema response and delayed tanning of the skin were assessed visaually at 24 hours and 7 days after irradiation, respectively. RESULTS: MED and MMD of Burdick UV-800 are 18.0+/-9.8mJ/cm2 (mean+/-S.D.), 29.7+/-12.5mJ/cm2, respectively. MED and MMD of Waldmann UV 800 are 70.8+/-28.5mJ/cm2 and 91.2+/-33.1mJ/cm2, respecively. The most frequent MED by Burdick UV-800 is 10mJ/cm2 and those by Waldmann UV 800 are 50m J/cm2 and 60m J/cm2. CONCLUSION: In this study MED and MMD of young adult Koreans by two kinds of UVB light sources were assessed. The RESULTS: how that MED is less than MMD and the levels of MED under which the photosensitivity is suggested are 5.6mJ/cm2 by Burdick UV-800 anr 32.4mJ/cm2 by Waldmann UV 800.
Buttocks ; Continental Population Groups ; Erythema* ; Humans ; Phototherapy ; Skin ; Sunlight ; Tanning ; Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl ; Young Adult*

No abstract available.
Female ; Ovulation* ; Pregnancy*

Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (Gougerot and Carteaud) is a rare but clinically distinct dermatosis of which the etiology is unknown. We report 2 cases. One case is a 16-year-old boy who had a hyperpigmented reticulated eruption on the trunk and both arms and the other case is a 33-year-old man who had a similar eruption on the chest and back. The former, with previous treatment with oral and topical antifungal agent in another clinic didn't show any improvement and the latter case, with initial treatment of itraconazole did not improve his skin lesion. The rashes of two patients virtually disappeared with administration of minocycline. These observations indicate that the role of microorganisms sensitive to minocycline or anti- proliferative effect of minocycline could be presumed.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Arm ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Male ; Minocycline* ; Papilloma* ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Ganglion Cysts* ; Knee Joint* ; Knee*

No abstract available.
Congenital Hypothyroidism*