BACKGROUND: Laminin, which is present in all basement membrane, is a multifunctional glycoprotein with diverse biological activities. Like fibronectin, it can influence cell adhesion, growth, morphology, differentiation, and migration as well as the assembly of the extracellular matrix. Laminin primarily affects cells of epithelial origin, and response varies depending on the cells. OBJECTIVE: Studies about the relationship of laminin and the pathogenesis or metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma(SCC). MEHTODS: In this study, we have examined the laminin B1 mRNA expression and localizing pattern of laminin in SCC, using Northern and slot-blot hybridization, in situ hybridization and immunoperoxidase stain. RESULTS: In Northern blot hybridization, 5.6Kb mRNA transcript was detected in control and SCC specimens. Slot-blot hybridization indicated theat amounts of laminin B1 mRNA expression in SCC was 677.0+/-268.5 densitometer absorbance unit, in control was 228.0+/-16.37 unit respectively. There is a 3-fold increase in SCC compared to control. In in situ hybridization, 35S-labeled laminin B1 cDNA-mRNA hybrid granules were detected along the basement membrane and adjacent cells of SCC. In immunoperoxidase stain, laminin has stained strongly and continuously along the basement membrane of the tumor nest in well differentiated SCC, and weakly and interrupted in poorly differentiated SCC. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that laminin might be related to the pathogenesisand metastasis of squamous cell carcinomas.
Basement Membrane ; Blotting, Northern ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Adhesion ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibronectins ; Glycoproteins ; In Situ Hybridization ; Laminin* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA, Messenger* ; Skin*

PURPOSE: Cholestatic liver disease is a frequent complication of prolonged parenteral nutrition, especially in premature infants. The purpose of present study is to evaluate the clinical and biochemical efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in premature infants with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) cholestasis. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 31 prematures with TPN cholestasis in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Chonnam University Hospital from January 1995 and December 2002 was done. Prematures were divided into two groups based on UDCA treatment: the study group (n=22, with UDCA treatment) and the control group (n=9, without UDCA treatment). Treatment efficacy of UDCA was evaluated by monitoring the changes of serum direct bilirubin level for more than one to two months. RESULTS: In study group, cholestasis appeared at a mean age of 23+/-18.8 days after a mean of 21+/-19.7 days of TPN. UDCA was initiated (ranged 15-30 mg/kg/day) at a mean age of 54+/-22.3 days for a mean of 32+/-19.0 days. There was no significant difference in decrease of direct bilirubin level between the study and control group. However, the day of initial enteral feeding and full enteral feeding were earlier in control group compared with study group. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that UDCA treatment is not effective in the treatment of TPN cholestasis among premature infants unlike that of results reported in children and adults. To reduce the incidence of TPN cholestasis in premature infants, early introduction of enteral feeding as soon as possible is most important.
Adult ; Bilirubin ; Child ; Cholestasis* ; Enteral Nutrition ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Jeollanam-do ; Liver Diseases ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the perinatal prognosis of fetuses with a single umbilical artery. METHODS: From 1992 to 1998, nineteen cases with single umbilical artery(SUA) was observed in 8,704 deliveries at Chonnam University Hospital. RESULTS: Out of nineteen fetuses, thirteen fetuses with single umbilical artery were detected by antenatal ultrasonographic examination and six fetuses were detected after birth. The male to female ratio was 0.9: 1. Congenital malformations were observed in 8 babies(42.1%) and included leg deformity, esophageal atresia, imperforated anus, ventriculomegaly, meningocele, hydronephrosis, ventricular septal defect, joint contracture, cleft lip and palate, toe anomaly, imperforated anus, kyphosis, no urethra and testis, clubfoot, patent ductus arteriosus and rnild mitral regurgitation. Among 10 cases of karyotyping analysis three cases were diagnosed as trisomy 18. Fourteen fetuses(77.8%) showed growth restriction at delivery. Antenatal obstetric complications were hydramnios(n = 3), oligohydramnios(n =2), and severe preeclampsia(n = 3). CONCLUSION: Careful ultrasonographic evaluation for the identification of a SUA is necessary because of its frequent association with congenital anomaly, growth restriction and cytogenetic abnormality.
Anal Canal ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cleft Lip ; Clubfoot ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Esophageal Atresia ; Female ; Fetus ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Jeollanam-do ; Joints ; Karyotyping ; Kyphosis ; Leg ; Male ; Meningocele ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Palate ; Parturition ; Prognosis* ; Single Umbilical Artery* ; Testis ; Toes ; Trisomy ; Urethra

PURPOSE: It is known that single umbilical artery is frequently associated with gastrointestinal or urogenital anomaly, however, routine renal sonography has been debated in healthy neonate with isolated single umbilical artery. This study is designed to determine the usefulness of routine renal sonography in apparently healthy infants with an isolated single umbilical artery. METHODS: Thirty healthy neonates with a single umbilical artery without a major anomaly from January 1995 to July 2002 were enrolled. The authors investigated the clinical background of babies and their mothers after renal sonography after 72 hours of age. When the abnormalities were found at the first renal sonography, the severity of hydronephrosis and degree of obstruction and renal function were analyzed by follow up renal sonography, voiding cystourethrography(VCUG) and technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid(DMSA) scan or technetium-99m-mercaptoacetyl-triglycerine (MAG3) scan. RESULTS: Among the 30 healthy patients with isolated single umbilical artery, five patients(16.7%) showed abnormalities on first renal sonography with one major(3.3%) and four(13.4%) minor renal anomaly(minimal or mild hydroneohrosis). One major renal anomaly(severe hydronephrosis) showed severe decreased renal function on MAG3 scan without reflux, and the other four minor regressed spontaneously on follow up study. CONCLUSION: The value of routine early renal sonograpy for detecting renal anomaly in healthy infants with an isolated single umbilical artery remained unclear because most of the anomalies would regress spontaneously in the follow up study.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening* ; Mothers ; Single Umbilical Artery*

Various anatomical defects have been described in the surviving co-twin who had stillborn, macerated monozygotic co-twin with disseminated intravascular coagulation. The suggested mechanism was the transfer of emboli or thromboplastic materials of dead fetus to co-twin through placental vascular anastomoses. Multicystic encephalomalacia is the condition defined anatomically by the presence of multiple cavities in the great part of both cerebral hemispheres. The most common pathogenesis is circulatory disturbance caused by neonatal asphyxia during the perinatal period. We experienced two cases of monozygotic twin with deceased co-twin at 26 weeks, 33 weeks of gestation and confirmed the diffuse multicystic encephalomalacia by cranial ultrasonography and MRI in a surviving co-twin. Only one patient has been followed who showed spastic cerebral palsy and severe mental retardation. We report two cases of multicystic encephalomalacia in a surviring co-twin with a intrauterine fetal death and its related literatures.
Asphyxia ; Cerebral Palsy ; Cerebrum ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Encephalomalacia* ; Fetal Death* ; Fetus ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Twins, Monozygotic ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Although rubella is a mild exanthematous viral infection and its incidence has been greatly decreased after effective vaccination, epidemics of rubella has been noted at 5- to 7-year intervals. But there has been few report about the clinical and histopathologic study of rubella in Korean literatures. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to review the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of rubella of 1996 outbreak. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical features and histopathologic findings in 50 patients diagnosed as rubella in Department of Dermatology, Presbyterian Medical Center from January 1996 through to May 1996. RESULTS: 1. The male-female ratio was 1: .17. The age distribution was 13-32 years and 72% of patients were aged 16-25 years. 2. Erythematous maculopapular rash on whole body was developed in all patients. Eighty two percent of the patients had fever and lymphadenopathy, and 36% of the patients had petechiae of soft palate. The main prodromal symptoms were sore throat(50%), headache(34%), and upper respiratory symptoms(22%), as order of frequency. 3. Positive serologic test for rubella IgM antibody was 79.5%. 4. The most common abnormal laboratory finding was leukopenia(58%), and followed by positive ASO(34%), the presence of atypical lymphocytes(21%), and thrombocytopenia(8%). 5. Histologically, epidermal changes were mild to moderate vacuolopathy(92.3%), the presence of dyskeratotic cells(30.8%), spongiosis(23.1%), and exocytosis(15.4%). Dermal findings were mild superficial perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltration(100%), upper dermal edema(53.8%), perivascular edema(38.4%), pigmentary incontinence(30.8%), and the presence of extravasated RBC(23.1%). Eosinophil infiltration(15.4%) and the presence of large nucleated lymphocytes(92.3%) were also observed. Conclusions: According to the results of our study about rubella outbreak in 1996, clinical signs and symptoms were similar to those of previously described. Histologically, superficial perivascular dermatitis with mild to mederate vacuolar interface change was a main feature and large nucleated lymphocytes were frequently noted.
Age Distribution ; Dermatitis ; Dermatology ; Eosinophils ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphocytes ; Palate, Soft ; Prodromal Symptoms ; Protestantism ; Purpura ; Rubella* ; Serologic Tests ; Vaccination

We herein report a case of occupational contact urticaria syndrome induced by cefotiam di-hydrochloride in a nurse. She had generalized pruritic wheals accompanied by palpitations and tachypnea during the preparation of cefotiam solution. A scratch patch test with cefotiam di-hydrochloride, a major component of cefotiam ingredient showed multiple erythema and wheals within 5 minutes, accompanied by palpitations and tachypnea. No delayed type reaction was observed. Based on her clinical history and scratch test result, we diagnosed her condition as contact urticaria syndrome caused by cefotiam.
Cefotiam* ; Erythema ; Patch Tests ; Tachypnea ; Urticaria*

We herein report a case of transient acrodermatitis enteropathica in a 3-month-old, breast-fed, full-term infant. The patient was presented with a 2-month history of diarrhea and crusted erythema- tous patches on the periorificial area. Similar lesions were seen in his siblings. His serum zinc level and the zinc level in his mother's breast milk were markedly reduced. Diarrhea and skin lesions disappeared promptly with oral zinc supplementation and did not recur when zinc was discontinued after three weeks. Our case indicates that even full-term infants, who feed excl-usively on mothers milk, run a risk of developing zinc deficiency, if the concentration of zinc in the breast milk is very low.
Acrodermatitis* ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Infant* ; Milk ; Milk, Human ; Mothers ; Siblings ; Skin ; Zinc

No abstract available.