PURPOSE: To evaluate leptin values in placental cord blood of newborns with normal intruterine growth after 30 weeks of gestation and to study the relationship of leptin with gestational age, birth size, ponderal index, BMI, placental weight, gender difference, Insulin-like Growth Factor-I(IGF-I) and Insulin-like Growth Factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3). METHODS: Ninety healthy newborns(49 males and 41 females) with normal intrauterine growth were studied. They were classified into 4 groups according to the gestational age(GA):group I(30-33 weeks GA, n=17), group II(34-36 weeks GA, n= 24), group III(37-39 weeks GA, n=32) and group IV(40-42 weeks GA, n=17). At the time of delivery, newborn infant' weight, length, head circumference and placental weight were measured and BMI, ponderal index were calculated. A venous cord blood sample was collected at the time of delivery and serum leptin(RIA), IGF-I (IRMA) and IGFBP-3(IRMA) were measured. RESULTS: Cord blood leptin correlated positively with gestational age(r=0.730, P>0.01), body weight(r=0.686, P<0.01), length(r=0.419, P<0.01), head circumference(r= 0.498, P<0.01), BMI(r=0.750, P<0.01), ponderal index(r=0.704, P<0.01), placental weight(r=0.536, P<0.01), IGF-I(r=307, P<0.01) and IGFBP-3(r=0.736, P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed BMI, IGFBP-3 and sex(female) were independent predictors of leptin values. Leptin values increased progressively throughout gestation. Mean leptin values of group II(3.90+/-.28ng/mL) were significantly higher (P<0.01) than those of group I(1.92+/-.09ng/mL) and also values of group III(5.37+/-.52ng/mL) were higher than those of group II(P<0.05). But there was no significant difference between group III and group IV(6.45+/-.36ng/mL). Mean leptin values in females(5.07+/-.54ng/mL, n=41) were significantly higher than in males(4.07+/-.76 ng/mL, n=49) but there was no inter-gender difference in body weight, BMI, ponderal index, IGF-I, IGFBP-3. In addition, mean leptin values in females(7.45+/-.07 ng/mL) were significantly higher than in males(5.02+/-.09ng/mL) after 40 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION: BMI, IGFBP-3 and sex(female) were independent predictors of leptin values. Leptin values increased significantly after 34 weeks of gestation and females had higher leptin values than males, especially in fullterm newborns. Leptin values in newborns had higher correlations with IGFBP-3 than with IGF-I as gestational age increased.
Body Weight ; Female ; Fetal Blood* ; Gestational Age ; Head ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Leptin* ; Linear Models ; Male ; Parturition ; Pregnancy*

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma(BCC) is the most common tumor of light-skinned people. Most of them are relatively innocuous, but some may cause extensive tissue destruction, and result in death by local infiltration of vital structure or metastatic disease. The bcl-2 is a protooncogene involved in tumorigenesis by blocking apoptosis or programmed cell death. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there was a difference in bcl-2 expression in different histopathological types of BCC. Method: We performed immunohistochemical staining by using a monoclonal mouse anti-human bcl-2 oncoprotein in 28 BCC(nodular: 7 cases, micronodular; 3 cases, adenoid; 1 case, infiltrative; 9 cases, and mixed; 8 cases). Result: All 28 BCC expressed bcl-2, and the degree of staining was different according to histopathological types; poor prognostic micronodular(100%) and infiltrative(73.3%) types were relatively strong, and nodular(66.7% ) and adenoid(75.0%) types were moderate. Conclusion . These results suggest that the degree of bcl-2 expression in BCC seems to be dependent to the histopathological types together with clinical behavior.
Adenoids ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Cell Death ; Mice

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Pneumonia*

A case of a 58-year-old man with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the right ventricle is reported light and electron microscopically. This is the first case of MFH of the heart in the Korean literature. A tendency for malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the heart to occur in the left atrium of young women is suggested; this sarcoma's usual location is in the soft tissue of elderly men. The tumor consisted of spindle cells arranged in a focal storiform patterns, clusters or sheets of histocyte-like cells, benign and malignant giant cells, inflammatory cells, scattered mitotic figures and anaplasia of stromal cells. In ultrastructure the constituent of cells of the tumor are primitive mesenchymal cells, histiocytoid cells and fibroblast like cells including giant cells.
Female ; Male ; Humans

Topical immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone(DPCP) has been used for the treatment of alopecia areata. Due to the therapeutic principle of producing a contact eczema, itching, erythema and scaling are inevitable or even desired side effects. However, erythema multiforme-like reactions following topical DPCP treatment have been rarely reported with an estimated incidence of 1.2%. We present herein a case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, the severe form of erythema multiforme as a side effect of topical DPCP. A 57-year old male patient visited us for the treatment of alopecia totalis. After sensitization with 0.2% DPCP in acetone, we applied DPCP on the scalp once a week for three weeks. Following the 3rd challenge of DPCP, iris-shaped lesions, erosions, vesicles, and bullae developed with fever. Also, he had vesicles and erosions in the oral cavity. The patient was treated with systemic antibiotics, steroids, and antihistamines. The cutaneous lesions were cleared with hyperpigmentation, and pronounced hair regrowth was observed.
Acetone ; Alopecia ; Alopecia Areata ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Erythema ; Erythema Multiforme ; Fever ; Hair ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Immunotherapy* ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; Pruritus ; Scalp ; Steroids ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome*

No Abstract Available.
Cell Line* ; Humans* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No Abstract Available.
Cell Line* ; Humans* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No abstract available.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*

No abstract available.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*