Macular atrophy is relatively rare skin disease and is characterized histologically by deficiency of elastic fibers and clinically by circumscribed area of thin, wrinkled bulging out skin. Whether the association with identificable specific dermatosis or not divides the macular atrophy into primary & secondary type. I present a case of widespreaded primary macular atrophy. A 28 year old male has been suffered from symptomless, slowly progressive, numerous, well demarcated, neither coalesced nor grouped, rice sized, round to oval shaped, hypopigmented, protruded, wrinkled surfaced eruptions which began from both flank at first about 3 years ago and then spreaded to abdomen, chest, back and all extremities except hands & feet. General physical & laboratory examinaions did not show distinct abnormality except skin tindings. Histopatholgical study revealed fragmentation, scantiness or disappearance of elastic fibers by means of Verhoeff-VanGieson stain and no increase of Periodic acid-Schiff stain positive material ruled out the possibility of amyloidosis. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical & histochemical findings. Literature was briefly reviwed for the discussion.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Amyloidosis ; Atrophy* ; Diagnosis ; Elastic Tissue ; Extremities ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Thorax

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Calculi* ; Lithotripsy* ; Shock*

As a preliminary step to determine if we can perform methacholine challenge test in young children, We investigated the feasibility of modified technique of methacholine challenge test in which tidal breathing and chest auscultation were used instead of dosimeter and measurement of lung function in older children. The results are as follows: 1) Values of PC20 measured by the tidal breathing method correlated significantly with those of PC20 measured by dosimeter 2) Ratio of values (PC20) obtained wth both methods was not related to age. 3) The minimal concentration of methacholine which caused wheezing on chest ausculation (PCW) correlated closely with PC20, but was 44% greater on average. 4) Expiratory wheezing is associated with greater fall of FEVI from baseline than inspiratory wheezing. Thus wheezing on chest auscultation can be used to detect bronchial obstruction at the end point for bronchial provocation testing in older children during the quiet tidal inhalation of methacholine. This may be applied to measurement of airway reactivity in young children who are unable to perform routine pulmonary function tests.
Auscultation* ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Child ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Methacholine Chloride ; Respiration* ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Sounds ; Thorax*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cystitis* ; Estrogens* ; Rats* ; Urinary Bladder*

No abstract available.
Humans

The bone formation of periarticular connective tissue after head injury and total hip arthroplasty is included in the category of heterotopic ossification. Induction of a new bone formation in the soft tissue is related to various materials such as bone morphogenic protein. The alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase act as important factors in the formation and absorption of the bone. The acid phospatase has the important function of acting as the control with specific activity of phosphatase in vivo. Cholecalciferol induces absorption of the calcium in the alimentary tract and bone resorption and increment of bone calcification, whereas disodium etidronate inhibits the deposition and dissolution of calcium salt and formation of heterotopic bone. This paper reports on the relationship of alkaline phosphatase and various phosphoaminoacid phosphatase which affect the cellular differentiation and remodelling in the heterotopic ossification, with the effect of cholecalciferol and disodium etidronate on the heterotopic bone induction in rats. The following results were obtained: 1. The contents of the calcium in the implanted bone matrix increased markedly from two to five weeks. There was no changes in the calcium content by cholecalciferol or in the administration of small doses of disodium etidronate (5mg/kg). However, in the administration of large dose of disodium etidronate (25mg/kg), calcium mobilization was totally suppressed for the whole period of the experiment. 2. The protein content in the implanted bone matrix did not much change for the whole period of the experiment and the administratinn of cholecalciferol or disodium etidronate also had no effect on the protein content. 3. The activities of alkaline phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix peaked at two weeks in control or cholecalciferol group, whereas disodium etidronate admninstration caused the highest activity in the third week. 4. The activity of acid phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix increased in first and third weeks by cholecalciferol treatment. Disoidum etidronate inhibited the activity of the acid phosphatase in the first, fourth & sixth weeks of implantation. 5. The activity of phosphoserine phosphatase increased due to cholecalciferol treatment, but was significantly inhibited by disodium etidronate (25mg/kg) treatment. 6. The activity of phosphothreonine phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix slightly increased due to cholecalciferol treatment, whereas the activity decreased significantly for the whole period of the experiment by disodium etidronate (25mg/kg) treatment. 7. The activity of phosphotyrosine phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix was not change much for the whole period of the experiment and the administration of cholecalciferol or disodium etidronate had no effect on the activity of phosphotyrosine phosphatase. In conclusion, the disodium etidronate (25mg/kg) almost completely inhibited the molilization of calcium and the activities of acid phosphatase, phosphoserine and phosphothreonine phosphatases. Therefore, it can be suggested that the above phosphatases are closely related to the action mechanism of disodium etidronate.
Absorption ; Acid Phosphatase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Bone Matrix ; Bone Resorption ; Calcium ; Cholecalciferol ; Connective Tissue ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Etidronic Acid ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Osteogenesis ; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases ; Phosphoserine ; Phosphothreonine ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases ; Rats

No abstract available.

Immunosuppressive therapy based on the use of antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) has become standard therapy for patients with splastic anemia who are not eligible for bone marrow transplantation. In this study, T cell subsets before and after ALG therapy, hematologic responses, complications and prognostic factors were analysed. Eleven (42%) out of twenty-six patients treated with ALG showed response, but two patients showed relapse. Most of the response (9 cases) was noticed within 6 months after the initiation of ALG therapy (median: 3 months). The main complications of ALG therapy were fever (91%), thrombocytopenia (86%), neutropenia (63%), and serum sickness (56%). Four patients were died just ALG therapy because of serum sickness (2 cases), intracranial hemorrhage (1 case), and shock (1 case). Short interval from diagnosis to treatment suggested to show good response (P=0.0575), but it was not significant statistically. Lymphocyte subsets were measured in the blood of 23 patients. Helper T/suppressor T cell ratio (T4/T8 ratio) at the initiation of ALG therapy (day 0) was higher significantly in patients who were responded (P=0.0299). The patients who showed above 1.0 of T4/T8 ratio on day 0 might be speculated good response (P=0.032). More difference of T4/T8 ratio between day 14 after ALG therapy and day 0 might show good response (P=0.0673). Then the actuarial probability of survival at 3 years in patients treated with ALG was 77%. Our data suggest that ALG therapy may be used as an alternative treatment to bone marrow transplantation, and T4/T8 ration of peripheral blood at the initiation of therapy may be used as one of the prognostic factors.
Anemia ; Anemia, Aplastic* ; Antilymphocyte Serum* ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Neutropenia ; Recurrence ; Serum Sickness ; Shock ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Thrombocytopenia

No abstract available.
Neuropeptide Y* ; Neuropeptides*