DNA isolated from human tumor cells can induce malignant transfarmation of tissue culture cells. The DNA is then called an oncogene. Its protein produets have been detected in animal and human tumors and are considered to play a significant role in carcinogenesis. In order to evaluate whether the oncogenes are involved in development of tumors of epidermis and whether they could be used as tumor markers, immunoperoxidase staining was performed for the ras product in sections of squamous cell carcinoma, Bowen's disease, actinic keratosis, keratoacanthoma and seborrheic keratosis. Three cases of sgamous cell carcinoma showed 10~20 positive cells per high power field(HPF). Three cases of Bowen's disease revealed 1-9 positive cells per HPF, whereas the actinic keratosis 1~9 or no positive cells per 10 HPF in all three cases. The keratoacanthoma and seborrheic keratosis showed 1~9 or no positive cells in all observed cases. The positive staining was observed in the cytoplasm. The increasing positivity in parallel with the increase of malignant potential strongly suggests that the ras oncogene is closely related to development of epidermal malignancy and also point out the possibility of ras as a cancer marker.
Animals ; Bowen's Disease ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; Epidermis* ; Genes, ras* ; Humans ; Keratoacanthoma ; Keratosis, Actinic ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Oncogenes ; Biomarkers, Tumor

Purpose: We wanted to evaluate the clinical and radiologic results of acetabular revision using the acetabular reinforcement ring and also the allograft impaction in the acetabulum having deficient bone stock. Material and Methods: Nineteen hips revision arthroplasty were performed in 18 patients (9 males and 9 females) with using an acetabular reinforcement ring and allograft between July 1993 and December 2003. The patients were followed for an average of 64 months (range: 24-153). The mean age at the time of arthroplasty was 59 years old (range: 34-76). The causes of revision were aseptic loosening of the acetabular component in 16 cases, severe progressive osteolysis around the acetabular component in 2 cases and Girdlestone state after infected total hip arthroplasty in one case. The acetabular deficiency was type II in 5 hips, type III in 13 hips, and type IV in one hip according to the AAOS classification. The clinical results were evaluated using the modified Harris hip score, and the radiologic results were evaluated by assessing the preoperative and serial follow-up radiographs. Results: The mean preoperative Harris hip score of 47 was improved to 86 points at the latest follow-up. Periacetabular osteolysis was found in 2 cases, which did not progress at follow-up. The anatomic hip center was restored after revision arthroplasty (p<0.05). Complications were dislocation in 2 cases, breakage of the hook of the Ganz ring in one case, heterotopic ossification in one case and femoral artery injury in one case. All cases showed stable fixation of the acetabular component and good remodelling of the impacted allograft. There was neither recurrence of dislocation nor progression of the acetabular component loosening on the radiographs. Conclusion: Acetabular revision with acetabular reinforcement ring and allograft impaction showed satisfactory clinical and radiologic results with restoration of the hip center and consolidation of the allograft.
Acetabulum ; Allografts ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Classification ; Dislocations ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Male ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Osteolysis ; Recurrence

Authors performed the immunohistochemical study with avidin biotin-peroxi- dase complex staining on the nail unit of the human fetus for determining the presence of keratin and prekeratin. Seven fetuses, ranging from 12 to 27 weeks in age, were examined. In all cases, the keratin and prekeratin were found in the epidermis of nail units, but not found in stratum corneum and nail plate. Keratin was located predominantly in suprabasal cells whereas prekeratin was located diffusely in the epidermis. Interestingly keratin and prekeratin were found as early as 12 week-old gestational period. There was no significant difference in presence of keratin and prekeratin.
Avidin ; Epidermis ; Fetus ; Humans*

The authors regret that two co-authors were missing in the article.

BACKGROUND: A study was done to determine if there is any difference in the quality of anesthesia and time to reach maximum anesthesia between the induction of lumbar epidural anesthesia in the sitting and supine position in young male patients undergoing appendectomy. METHODS: We randomly divided 30 patients to 2 groups. An epidural catheter was inserted at L2~3 interspace. In group 1, with the patient sitting, 3 ml of 1% lidocaine with 5mcg/ml epinephrine was injected as a test dose via the epidural catheter, and then 3 minutes later, 0.5% bupivacaine 30 ml was given through the same catheter. After maintaining sitting position for 5 minutes, the patient changed to a supine position and the quality of anesthesia was assessed at 3-minute intervals for 30 minutes. In group 2, after the epidural catheter was inserted at the sitting position, the patient changed to a supine position immediately. Remaining procedures were the same. RESULTS: The two groups showed no difference in maximum cephalad spread of anesthesia and motor block. CONCLUSIONS: The position of the patient during induction of epidural anesthesia has no effect on the cephalad sensory and motor block.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Appendectomy ; Bupivacaine ; Catheters ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Male ; Posture* ; Supine Position

This study was undertaken to investigate the ultrastructure of the neurons, neuroglial cells and capillaries in the area postrema[AP] of the Oriental discolured bat, Vespertilio superans. The AP of the bat was a single midline structure at the most caudal portion of the fourth ventricle. Most neurons in the AP were small cells, but their ultrastructure were similar to the typical neurons located elsewhere in the central nervous system. Astroglial cells and oligodendrocytes were also observed and showed their typical ultrastructure. Ultrastructural features of neurons, astroglial cells and oligodendrocytes were not changed during hibernating cycles. However, microglial cells were only found in the hibernating AP ; these cells were located in the parenchyma and near the blood vessels of the AP. Since the microglial cytoplasm was filled with phagocytotic inclusions, the nuclei of the these cells were eccentrically located. Phagocytotic cytoplasmic inclusions were shown to be composed of a dense irregular peripheral region and the pale round central region. A Large vacant space was often found in the electron lucent central region. Continuous and fenestrated capillaries surrounded by pericytes were found in the bat`s AP. Especially, Phagocytotic inclusions were found in the pericyte cytoplasm of the hibernating AP, and this result supports suggestion that pericytes might be phagocytotic cells. On the basis of the distributions of phagocytotic tells[pericytes and microglial cell], ultrastructure of these cells, morphology of their cytoplasmic inclusions, and the appearance of phagocytotic activity of the pericytes during the hibernating stage when microglial cells were observed, it can be concluded that pericytes may also participates in the formation of rrlicroglial cells. Tanycytes were also found in the bat AP.
Area Postrema* ; Blood Vessels ; Capillaries ; Central Nervous System ; Cytoplasm ; Ependymoglial Cells ; Fourth Ventricle ; Inclusion Bodies ; Microglia ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Oligodendroglia ; Pericytes

Changes in the number, the immunoreactivities and the ultrastructures of sero- tonin immunoreactive mucosal mast cells[MMCs] in rat gastrointestinal tracts after vagus nerve stimulation were investigated by using light and electron microscopic immunocytochemical methods. The vagus nerves were electrically stimulated with a square wave pulse generator for a duration of 5 minutes each, a total of 8 times at 2 minute intervals. Serotonin immunoreactive cells of the connective tissues of the gastrointestinal tract were mainly located in the lamina propria, and a small number of the cells were also scattered in the submucosa. By using electron microscopic immunocytochemistry and Wright stain, the serotonin immunoreactive cells of the lamina propria and the submucosa were identified to be MMCs. A few large-sized serotonin immunoreactive connective tissue mast cells [CTMCs], showing strong metachromasia with the Wright stain, were located together with the MMCs in the submucosa of the stomach. In most of the gut regions of the control group, the majority of the MMCs did not show any serotonin immunoreactivities and only a few MMCs showed weak serotonin immunoreactivities. After stimulation of the vagus nerves, the number and the immnu- noreactivities of the serotonin immunoreactive MMCs dramatically increased in all gut regions observed, especially in the small intestines. In the samples treated with the electron microscopic immnunocytochemical methods, hardly any serotonin immunoreactivities were detected in the MMCs of the control group. However, the serotonin imrnunoreactivities of the MMCs were significantly increased after vagus nerve stimulation. The serotonin immnunoreactive products were localized, following vagal stimulation, both in the peripheral matrix of the granules and in the cytoplasm. Also, it was confirmed ultrastructurally that the Golgi complexes were expanded in the MMCs of the vagal stimulation group. The above results suggest that vagus nerve stimulation may activate serotonin biosynthesis in MMCs.
Animals ; Connective Tissue ; Cytoplasm ; Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Golgi Apparatus ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intestine, Small ; Mast Cells* ; Mucous Membrane ; Rats* ; Serotonin* ; Stomach ; Vagus Nerve Stimulation* ; Vagus Nerve*

Authors performed the immunohistochemical study with avidin biotin-peroxi- dase complex staining on the nail unit of the human fetus for determining the presence of keratin and prekeratin. Seven fetuses, ranging from 12 to 27 weeks in age, were examined. In all cases, the keratin and prekeratin were found in the epidermis of nail units, but not found in stratum corneum and nail plate. Keratin was located predominantly in suprabasal cells whereas prekeratin was located diffusely in the epidermis. Interestingly keratin and prekeratin were found as early as 12 week-old gestational period. There was no significant difference in presence of keratin and prekeratin.
Avidin ; Epidermis ; Fetus ; Humans*

A rare case in the pattern of the origin of the celiac artery was observed in the cadaver of a 64 year old Korean male and the results are summarized as follows. The superior mesenteric artery originated from the abdominal aorta at the level of the intervertebral dusk between first and second lumbar vertebra. At a point 4cm from the origin of the superior mesenteric arterr, a common trunk appeared and ran 1cm and then divided into the common hepatic artery and the splenic artery. The common hepatic artery divided into the right gastric artery and the proper hepatic artery at a point 4.5cm after the bifurcation. A common trunk formed by the left inferior phrenic artery and the lefts gastric artery arose from the abdominal aorta about 0.8cm about the origin of the celiacomesenteric trunk.
Aorta, Abdominal ; Arteries ; Cadaver ; Celiac Artery* ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Spine ; Splenic Artery

The steering committee of the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences Guideline for Physical Impairment was fully aware of the social processes of disability evaluation from the beginning and thus, developed a series of strategies to examine and incorporate social property of the evaluation into the evaluation guide. Although those strategies could not be implemented to full extent because of lack of budget and time, we believe it worthwhile to share those in this paper as an example of general framework for developing disability evaluation. A series of strategies will be introduced and discussed that views the evaluation process as social per se, and propose a scheme that is designed to obtain growing legitimacy starting from core experts to expanded experts to general public. Also preliminary analyses on surveys of public attitude and experts' opinion with regard to the relative importance of each possible disability revealed the following three facts: 1) Public had difficulty weighing relative importance of many impairments. 2) Regarding some impairments including complex regional pain syndrome many doctors had varied opinions. 3) Public attitude did not always consistent with doctor's opinion. All these findings strongly suggest the need for developing strategies to draw consensus for legitimate and effective evaluation.
Academies and Institutes ; *Consensus ; *Disability Evaluation ; Expert Testimony ; Humans ; Korea ; *Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Public Opinion ; Public Policy ; Social Support