PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the effects of solution-focused group counseling on the general stress, stress response and coping in the delinquent juveniles. METHOD: The subjects consisted of a convenience samlple of 60 delinquent juveniles who had been placed under probation in Kwang-ju, and recruited from Oct., 2000 to Dec., 2000. Solution-focused group counseling was conducted for the experimental group once a week for 120 to 180 minutes for 6 week. The control group received no group session. For both groups the level of general stress, stress response and coping were measured before and after the experiment. RESULT: General stress significantly decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group, but showed no significant difference between the two groups. Stress response decreased significantly in the experimental group and increased in the control group, but showed no significant difference between the two groups. The problem-focused coping significantly increased in the experimental group and decreased in the control group, and showed a significant difference between the two groups. The emotion-focused coping significantly decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group, and showed no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that solution-focused group-counselling has a positive effect on variables like the general stress, stress response, emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping. Further study needs to be conducted to verify results.

The prevalence of dermographism in 96 patients of acute or chronic urticaria was studied using dermographic tester. The results were summarized as follows : 1. The prevalence rate of dermographism in acute or chronic urticaria was 26.0% (25/96). 2. Dermographism was more common in acute or chronic urticaria than in the general population(p<0.005). 3. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate of dermographiam between acute and chronic urticaria. 4. The prevalence rate of dermographism was not significantly correlated with the level of serum IgE.
Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Prevalence ; Urticaria*

No Abstract Available.
Bacteroides fragilis* ; Bacteroides* ; Chemokines, CXC* ; Enterotoxins* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans* ; NF-kappa B*

No Abstract Available.
Bacteroides fragilis* ; Bacteroides* ; Chemokines, CXC* ; Enterotoxins* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans* ; NF-kappa B*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although the mechanism of hepatocellular carcinogenesis still remains to be clarified, it has been suggested that persistent hepatic necrosis and resultant irregular regeneration might cause genetic mutations, such as activation of protooncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and modulation of apoptosis-related genes, finally leading to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To elucidate the role of cell proliferative activity and apoptosis, a major mechanism of cell death, in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, we analyzed expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 protein and apoptotic cells in HCC and surrounding nonneoplastic hepatic parenchyma. METHODS: We performed immunohistochemical staining to detect P CAN, p53 protein, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) method for the detection of apoptosis in 52 hepatocellular carcinomas and their adjacent nonneoplastic liver. We scored the expression of PCNA and p53, and apoptotic index by a 5 point scale' 0, 0%,1, 1-25%', 2, 25-50%, 3, 50-75%', 4, >76%, and analyzed the results with other clinicopathologic characteristics. RESULTS: p53 protein was expressed in 42.3% of the HCC, but was not evident in nonneoplstic liver. P53 overexpression was correlated with the histologic grade of HCC (p<0.05). PCNA labelling indices (LI) of HCC were correlated with those of liver cell dysplasia and normal liver (p<0.05). Leading edges of HCCs showed higher proliferative activity than the central part of HCC. Four cases of HCCs with high TUNEL also showed high proliferative activity. There was no difference of the TUNEL between HCC and surrounding nonneoplastic liver. Expression of p53, PCNA LI and TUNEL had no relationship with clinicopathologic parameters including viral markers, aFP elevation, tumor size and underlying cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: p53 overexpression in HCC and absence of p53 mutation in nonneoplastic liver indicates the active participation of p53 in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. Invasiveness and metastatic potential appear to be related with the strong expression of PCNA, but apoptosis in HCC has no direct implication in hepatocellular carinogensis.
Apoptosis* ; Biomarkers ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cell Death ; Fibrosis ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Liver* ; Necrosis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Regeneration

No abstract available.
Bacteroides fragilis* ; Bacteroides* ; Enterotoxins* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression* ; Humans* ; Intestinal Mucosa*

No abstract available.
Candidiasis* ; Chickenpox* ; Skin Manifestations* ; Skin*

The prevalence of dermographism in 249 Korean pregnant and puerperal women was studied using a dermographic tester. The result was summarized as follows: 1. The prevslence rate of dermographism was 8.0%(20/249). 2. The prevalence rate of dermographism was not significantly correlated with the stages of pregnancy(p>0.1). 3 There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate of dermographism between the pregnant and puerperal women(8.0%) and the control group of Korean women in the same ages(9.5%) (p>0.1).
Female ; Humans ; Prevalence*

We report a case of Waardenburgs syndrome in 18-year-old male patient who has total deafness of the right ear, heterochromia irides, hypopigmented patches on the face and trunk, and disseminated lentigines on the entire body surface since birth. His 51-year-old mother also has total deafness, heterochromia irides, white foreloek, and disseminated lentigines on the entire body surface. The patient with this disorder may complain of pigmentary abnormalities, and we believe dermatologists should pay more attention to systemic signs of the congenital pigmentary disorders.
Adolescent ; Deafness ; Ear ; Humans ; Lentigo ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mothers* ; Parturition ; Waardenburg Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: Pathergy, or skin hypersensitivity to needle puncture has been reported as a diagnostic test for Behcets ciisease. But the positivity of pathergy test in recurrent aphthous stomatitis which can be a comporent of Behcets disease is obscure. In recent years it has been noted that the positivity of the test has decreased. It is possible to say that the disposable needles used nowadays are less trauniatic to initiate the reaction than are the nondisposable ones used in the preAIDS ara by some uthors. OBJECTIVE: It is the porpose of this study to clarify the value of pathergy test in differentiating Behcets disease from recurrent aphthous stomatitis and to evaluate the difference of positivity using various kinds of needles, and finally to suggest the most profitable one. METHODS: 34 patients with Behcets disease according to the diagnostic criteria of Shimizu(revisecl) 25 ones in case of applying that of International study group for Behcets disease(ISG) and 21 ones with recurrent aphthous stomatitis, and 25 normal controls were selected. A pathergy test, i.e., intradermal injection of 0.1 ml physiological saline by using 26 gauge & 20 gauge disposable needles and 26 gauge & 20 gauge nondisposable ones were given and the evaluation was made after 24 hours and 48 hours. RESULTS: 1. The positive rates of pathergy test using all kinds of needles in Behcets disease were significantly higher than thoen recurrent aphthous stomatitis and normal controls(p=0.00000-0.03600). The sensitivity were 29.4% 64.7% (Shimizu) and 32.0% 76.0% (ISG), respectively, and the specificity were 91.3%-100.0% for all of them. 2. In Behcets disease, the positive rates of the pathergy test using 26 gauge disposable needles were not significantly different from that of using ZO gauge disposable needles in total and active patients after 24 and 4.3 hours and so were 26 gauge R 20 gauge nondisposable ones(p=0.40134 -0.80603(Shimizu), 0.37551-0.77078(ISG) ). 3. In Behcets disease, the positive rates of pathergy test using 26 gauge nondisposable needles were 59%-68%(Shimiu) and 64% 79% (ISG), which were significantly different, from the test using 20 gauge disposable needles, i.e. 29%-36%(Shimizu), 40%-46%(ISG) in total and active patients(p==0.00753-0.01512) after 24 and 48 hours except for those by the criteria of ISG after 24 hours(p=0.14573-0.15597). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the pathergy test is obviously useful in differentiating Behcets disease from ecurrent aphthous stomatitis and we recommend the intradermal injection of 0.1 ml physiological saline by using 26 gauge nondisposable needle and the evaluation after 48 hours as a standard mithod of pathergy test.
Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Injections, Intradermal ; Needles ; Punctures ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin ; Stomatitis, Aphthous*