OBJECTIVES: To evaluated the relation of familial history of alcoholism and plasma level of beta-endorphin, ethanol, beta-endorphin, cortisol and blood glucose were compared in 48 male alcoholics and 29 normal controls. METHODS: Subjects are divided into two groups by family history of alcoholism. Blood samples were obtained before and after 0.75mg/kg of ethanol consumption a 7th admission day. RESULTS: 1) The ratio of family history positive to negative of the patient group was 2 to 1. 2) The age at admission of positive family history group was younger than negative groups. 3) There was no significant difference in change of plasma ethanol level among three groups. 4) There was no significant difference in change of plasma beta-endorphin level among three group. 5) There was no significant difference in change of plasma cortisol level among three groups. 6) There was no significant difference in change of fasting blood sugar level between two patients groups.
Alcoholics ; Alcoholism* ; beta-Endorphin* ; Blood Glucose ; Ethanol ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Male ; Plasma

OBJECTIVE: Asymmetries in evoked potential P300 topography of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are still controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in P300 topography between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. METHOD: P300 was recorded from 16 schizophrenic, 15 bipolar manic, and 16 control subjects. All were right-handed. Subjects silently counted target stimuli(2.0kHz) among trains of standard stimuli(1.0 kHz). Averages were constructed from brain responses to target stimuli. RESULTS: 1) Schizophrenics displayed significantly smaller peak amplitude of P300 over Cz, Pz, T3 than controls. 2) Schizophrenics displayed significantly smaller peak amplitude of P300 over T3 than bipolar manics. 3) Schizophrenics displayed significantly smaller peak amplitude of P300 over T3 than their T4. 4) Schizophrenics displayed significantly delayed latency of P300 over T3 than bipolar manics. 5) Schizophrenics displayed significantly delayed latency of P300 over T3 than their T4. CONCLUSION: Left-sided P300 abnormality, especially left superior temporal gyrus, in schizophrenics, relative to bipolar manics and controls suggests that psychophysiological cause of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is different and P300 asymmetry is specific to the psychophysiological cause of schizophrenia.
Bipolar Disorder* ; Brain ; Evoked Potentials ; Schizophrenia*

No abstract available.
Arginine* ; Humans* ; Semen*

No abstract available.
Arginine* ; Humans* ; Semen*

Soft tissue tumor is defined as a tumor occurring in voluntary muscles, fat, fibrous tissue, along with the vessels serving these tissue and peripheral nervous system. It is difficult to make a diagnosis by conventional microscopic observation because of their pleuripotentiality and similar growth characteristics. Although their morphological findings of tumors are similar to one another, their clinical courses, treatment and prognosis are different. So early, correct diagnosis and proper treatment are neccessary. The present study is aimed to evaluate a value of immunoperoxidase staining to make definite diagnosis of soft tissue tumors and its application to surgical pathology. The material consisted of 106 cases of fibrohistiocytic tumors and malignant soft tissue tumors which are morphologically similar to malignant fibrohistiocytic tumors for 5 years period lasting from 1980 to 1984 at the Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine. After the classificationof fibrohistiocytic tumors by the Enzinger (1983), clinical finndings were reviewed and peroxidase antiperoxidase(PAP) method with alpha1-antichymotrypsin was done in 15 cases of all fibrohistiocytic tumors. Other soft tissue tumors which were difficult to differentiate from MFH by light microscopic observation were liposarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma and malignant schwannoma. These 21 cases of tumors including MFH were stained with PAP method for alpha1-antichymotrypsin, S-100 protein and myoglobin. Results obtained were as follows: 1) The cases on study consisted of 19 cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, 2 dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, 45 fibrohistiocytic tumors and 11 other benign fibrohistiocytic tumors. 2) The male to female ratio was 1 : 1.8 in benign and intermediate group of fibrohistiocytic tumor, but 2.2 : 1 in malignant histiocytic tumor. 3) Most cases of benign fibrohistiocytic tumors were occurred in 4th and 5th decade of life. Intermediate and malignant fibrohistiocytic tumors were mostly found in late adult life and their mean age was 43.6 year. 4) The most common sites were trunk and both extrimities in benign fibrohistiocytic tumors(88.9%), but head, neck and lower extremities in MFH (78.9%). Two cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans were occurred in turnk and upper extremity. 5) The PAP stain for alpha1-antichymotrypsin was done in 15 cases of 77 fibrohistiocytic tumors which included MFH, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, xanthoma, xanthofibroma, dermatofibroma showed variable degree of positivity to alpha1-antichymotrypsin. The positivity of alpha1-antichymotrypsin revealed no significant difference according to differentiation of the tumors, such as benign, intermediate and malignant. 6) The PAP stain for alpha1-antichymotrypsin revealed diffuse positivity in all cases of MFH and also in a case of malignant schwannoma, fibrosarcoma, liposarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma, but myoglobin and S-100 protein were negative. In three cases of leiomyosarcoma, two of rhabdomyosarcoma and three of malignant schwannoma, alpha1-antichymotrypsin, S-100 protein and myoglobin were negative, although a few positive tumor cells were present, which may the considered as metatypci differentiation. Another possibility of this discordance was loss of antigenicity by improper procedure of paraffin embedding and poor differentiation of tumor cells. In summary, PAP method for specific tumor marker is important for proper diagnosis of soft tissue tumors, and application to surgical pathology.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Tumor Markers, Biological

The provision of adequate soft tissue cover for a complex hand and forearm wound-dirty, infected and exposed bone can be a challenging problem. Conventionally, a distant flap or free flap have been used, but these have been associated with several problems such as joint stiffness, risk of microsurgical procedures, negligible donor site morbidity, prolonged operation time and economic restriction. As well, fasciocutaneous flap has been the limitation of infection control. In these situations, the ipsilateral muscle flap provides the ideal cover with its rich blood supply and single operative field. Previously described by Lendrum(1980), by Lae et al.(1981), and later by McGeorge(1991), the brachioradilis muscle is the most superficial muscle on the radial side of the forearm. Its flap is based on the radial artery and venae comitantes. From August 1996 to October 1997, we performed branchioradialis muscle flap in seven patients. Despite the sacrifice of the major hand artery, brachioradialis muscle flap has many advantages including the reliability of flap survival, easy dissection, early mobilization and absence of functional and aesthetic problems at the donor site. It is a relatively simple and rapid method for resurfacing soft tissue defect in the hand and forearm. We obtained satisfactory and reliable results.
Arteries ; Early Ambulation ; Forearm* ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Hand* ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Joints ; Radial Artery ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Hemorrhage*

BACKGROUND:To evaluate the efficacy of lamotrigine on bipolar disorder, both manic and depressed episode, the author compared the effects of lamotrigine with lithium and placebo. METHOD: Forty-seven manic patients with bipolar disorder and 43 depressed patients with bipolar disorder were treated with lamotrigine, lithium or placebo during 6 weeks. Their severity of symptoms were rated weekly using Young's Rating Scale for Mania and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. RESULTS: In manic patients the therapeutic efficacy of lamotrigine was lower than that of lithium during baseline to week 2, but after week 3, lamotrigine was as effective as lithium. In depressed patients the therapeutic efficacy of lamotrigine was superior to lithium from week 2 to endpoint. Most patients tolerated well except that one patient developed skin rashes. CONCLUSION: Lamotrigine seems to have antimanic and antidepressant effect as lithium in the treatment for acute bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder* ; Depression ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Lithium*

No abstract available.
Ear* ; Pilomatrixoma*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell* ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Immunosuppression