Colonic angiodysplasia is important because of the likelihood of lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding, either massively or chronically. A 66-year-old male patient visited our hospital because of hematochezia and lower abdominal discomfort. He underwent colonoscopy, which revealed 0.5 cm sized, cherry red colored, branching, ozzing vessel with fern-like margin on cecum. Although he received endoscopic injection therapy with hypertonic saline and oral estrogen-progesterone therapy, subsequent ileocecal resection was performed due to recurrent bleeding. Histology of the resected specimen showed irregularly dilated, distorted, thin-walled vessels in submucosa.
Aged ; Angiodysplasia* ; Cecum ; Colon* ; Colonoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Lower Gastrointestinal Tract ; Male ; Prunus

Granulocytic sarcoma is an uncommon extramedullary localized tumor composed of granulocytic precursor cells. The majority of cases have been reported in association with acute myeloid leukemia(AML) especially in children, but infrequently may occur in patients with myeloproliferative disorders or myelodysplastic syndromes. Most common sites of involvement were bone, soft tissue, lymph nodes and skin, but gastrointestinal tract, testis, central nervous system are also involved rarely. We present an unusual case of granulocytic sarcoma of the intracranium and the retro-orbital soft tissue occurring in a patient with concurrent myelodysplastic syndrome, diagnosed by brain magnetic resonance images and ultrasound guided needle biopsy.
Biopsy, Needle ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Child ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Granulocyte Precursor Cells ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Myeloproliferative Disorders ; Sarcoma, Myeloid* ; Skin ; Testis ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is the most prevalent T-cell-mediated inflammatory skin disease in humans. Numerous cytokines and adhesion molecules are expressed in the skin lesion of psoriasis such as TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. All of them contain at least one binding site for the transcription factor NF-κB. TNF-α activates NF-κB and many other transcription factors. Thus, transcription and expression of many genes involved in the inflammatory process may be influenced by TNF-α. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study the effect of synthetic double-stranded DNA with high affinity for the NF-κB binding site on the TNF-α induced proinflammatory cytokines and ICAM-1 gene expression in the HaCaT cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined whether inhibition of NF-κB activity by oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) decoy for NF-κB blocks TNF-α induced cytokines such as IL-la, IL-1 a, IL-6 and ICAM-1 expression with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: In EMSA, TNF-α treatment (10 ng/ml) induced the activation of NF-κB. The NF-κB binding activity in the TNF-α treated HaCaT cells increased 5.0-fold compared to non-treated group. Next, we examined the effect of liposome mediated NF-κB decoy oligonucleotides (ODN) transfection. After transfection of the NF-κB decoy ODN, TNF-α increased NF-κB binding activity to 1.9-fold of non-treated group. Accordingly the transfection of NF-κB decoy ODN inhibited the TNF-α induced NF-κB binding activity up to 63%. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the transfection of NF-κB decoy ODN inhibited TNF-α induced cytokines and ICAM-1 mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest the potential utility of NF-κB decoy technique for biologic therapy of psoriasis.
Binding Sites ; Biological Therapy ; Cytokines ; DNA ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1* ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Liposomes ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides ; Oligonucleotides ; Psoriasis ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Transcription Factors* ; Transfection ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

BACKGROUND: It has become generally accepted that cigarette smoking contributes to accelerated coronary and peripheral vascular disease, pulmonary fibrosis and periodontal disease. Moreover, it has been postulated that cigarette smoking causes skin-aging. Many of cutaneous manifestations of nicotine which is a major component of the particulate phase of tobacco smoke are related to its vasoconstrictive and thrombotic effects on the peripheral vascular system. How-ever, direct effect of nicotine on extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins including collagens is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of nicotine on type I collagen gene expression in cultured human skin fibroblasts. METHODS: After exposure to different doses of nicotine on cultured human skin fibroblasts, we examined the expressions of α1(I) procollagen gene and fibronectin gene by Northern blot analysis and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay with CAT construct containing the 3.5 kb COL1A2 promoter. RESULTS: In Northern blot hybridization, steady-state levels of α1(I) procollagen mRNA were decreased 0.8-fold at 1 µg/mL of nicotine, 0.5-fold at 10 µg/mL and 0.2-fold at 100 µg/mL, compared to untreated control. Those of fibronectin mRNA were decreased 0.9-fold, 0.7-fold, and 0.3-fold, respectively. In CAT assay, the relative COL1A2 CAT activity was 1.0 in the untreated control, 0.7 at a concentration of 1 µg/mL of nicotine, 0.5 at 10 µg/mL, and 0.3 at 100 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that nicotine is a down-regulator of collagen gene expression at transcriptional level in vitro. We speculate that nicotine may contribute to the skin-aging by modulation of extracellular matrix gene expression including collagen as well as by its vasoconstrictive and thrombotic effects.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Nicotine* ; Periodontal Diseases ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Procollagen ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of industrial noise on blood pressure and heart rate. METHODS: Resting blood pressure, hearing loss, and general characteristics of the 102 subjects who were engaged in a factory in Pusan were measured from March to June for two years, in 1998 and 1999. With noise dosimeter, noise exposure level was measured from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were also measured every 30 minutes from 8 A.M. to 10 P. M. RESULTS: Controlling for age, smoking, and Quetelet's index, in subjects of under 40 years old exposed to higher than 85dBA, noise exposure and systolic blood pressure had a statistically significant correlation, and the same result was obtained in all subjects. The daily variability of ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were observed in older than 40 years old group, but only heart rate in under 40 years old. CONCLUSIONS: The blood pressure and heart rate would be elevated when the workers exposed to noise. And in under 40 years old, the systolic blood pressure was elevated to the workers exposed to higher than 85dBA.
Adult ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Mass Index ; Busan ; Hearing Loss ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Noise* ; Smoke ; Smoking

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Maxillary Sinusitis*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of transdermal estrogen on arterial tone. METHODS: In 30 postmenopausal women, doppler ultrasound was used to assess blood flow characteristics in internal carotid arteries. As the pulsatility index(PI) represents impedance to blood flow distal to the point of sampling, pulsatility index of internal carotid artery was measured from the flow velocity waveform. Patients were studied pretreatment and at weeks 8, 12, and 24 of treatment with transdermal estradiol 50microgram/day. RESULTS: Blood pressure was not changed during transdermal estrogen replacement therapy. Serum estradiol was increased from 13.4+/-13.7pg/ml to 55.8+/-32.8pg/ml with week 8 of treatment and it was maintained until week 24. The mean pulsatility index was fallen to 0.1+/-0.1 during week 8 of therapy and a significant reduction in PI was maintained until week 24(p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: We believe that transdermal estrogen replacement therapy affects on the arterial tone and prevents cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Artery, Internal* ; Electric Impedance ; Estradiol ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans ; Ultrasonography

Postpartum hemorrhage is an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. Especially uterine atony is the most common cause of postpartum hemorrhage. Conventional method to control postpartum uterine atonic bleeding is based on the use of oxytocin and ergot preparations. Prostaglandin F2alpha analogue such as carboprost can be used to promote contraction when these agents fail to produce uterine contraction. Prostaglandin E1 analogue, misoprostol has uterotonic effect by oral or vaginal administration. They are used to induce labor and first or mid trimester abortion. In postpartum uterine atonic bleeding, misoprostols cannot be used via oral or vaginal route. Recently we have experienced that postpartum uterine atonic bleedings unresponsive to conventional methods were controlled by rectal misoprostols. So we report these cases with a brief review of literatures.
Administration, Intravaginal ; Alprostadil ; Carboprost ; Dinoprost ; Hemorrhage* ; Maternal Mortality ; Misoprostol* ; Oxytocin ; Postpartum Hemorrhage ; Postpartum Period* ; Uterine Contraction ; Uterine Inertia

Familial hemiplegic migraine(FHM) is an autosomal dominant subtype of migraine with aura, characterized by the occurrence of hemiplegia during the aura. Two subforms of FHM families exist; pure FHM in 80% and FHM families with cerebellar symptoms in 20%. Half of the known FHM families show genetic linkage to chromosome 19p13, and in these families FHM is caused by missense mutations in a neuronal P/Q type calcium channel alpha-1 subunit gene(CACNA1A gene). Linkages to 1q31 and 1q21-23 have also been established. Other families are linked neither to chromosome 19 nor 1. Clinical variabilities are partially associated with the various types of CACNA1A gene mutations. FHM is distinguished from more frequent migraine types by a clear, dominant inheritance pattern and the relative absense of other headache types. Further investigation of FHM will help to clarify the genetics of more common migraine. We describe a male patient with FHM with a brief review of the literature.
Calcium Channels ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19 ; Epilepsy ; Genetic Linkage ; Genetics ; Headache ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Inheritance Patterns ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; Migraine with Aura* ; Migraine without Aura ; Mutation, Missense ; Neurons

PURPOSE: We report an example of successful operation of rare convergent strabismus fixus, which had previously been mistaken for orbital tumor in private clinics because of severe adduction with unseen cornea. METHODS: A 57-year-old woman had convergent strabismus fixus with inward deviation of the left eye that had gradually progressed since she was around 40. Her cornea was buried in the intraorbital rim. An eye movement examination revealed that the eyeball was fixed to the internal part and that eyeball movement was impossible in all directions. When the forced duction test was performed, strong resistance was shown in all directions when abducted. During surgery, the medial rectus muscle was disinserted after resection of 3.0 mm for the left eye, and lateral rectus muscle tucking of 11.0 mm for the left eye was conducted. Since there was resistance in the inferior oblique muscle by the forced duction test during the operation, inferior oblique muscle myectomy of 4.0 mm was simultaneously performed. RESULTS: In the forced duction test implemented immediately after the operation, resistance subsided considerably and eye movement was shown in all directions, with cosmetically satisfactory results. Optic atrophy was found in the fundus examination after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: Convergent strabismus fixus, which recurs frequently and causes severe limitation of eye movement, was changed from the primary position to orthophoria by medial rectus muscle resection with disinsertion and lateral rectus muscle tucking. The eye movement disorder was improved and a satisfactory result was obtained.
Cornea* ; Esotropia* ; Eye Movements ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Ocular Motility Disorders ; Optic Atrophy ; Orbit