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Many arachidonic metabolites have been shown to have marked potent biological effects in animals. The cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products of arachidonate metabolism are known to play a key role in the development of inflammatory symptoms and signs. Reports published during past decades indicate that cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism are present in much higher concentrations in inflamed than in healthy periodontal tissues. Since information about the role of lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism in human periodontal disease is lacking, the objective of this study was to determine the ability of diseased and non-diseased gingival tissue to synthesize lipoxygenase products from the precursor arachidonic acid. Twenty-six samples of diseased tissue and nine samples of non-diseased tissue were included in our data analysis. After incubation of the tissue with 100,000 cpm [3H]-arachidonic acid, lipoxygenase products were separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by comparison with cochromatographed standards. Our results showed that inflamed gingival tissue synthesized significantly larger amounts, of LTB4(p < 0.01), LTC4(p < 0.01), LTD4(p < 0.01), LTE4(p < 0.01), 5-HETE(p < 0.05), 12-HETE(p < 0.01), and 15-HETE(p < 0.01), compared to non-diseased tissue. The lipoxygenases are more active in inflamed gingival tissue than in non-diseased gingival tissue. 12-HETE and 15-HETE were the the major metabolites formed by lipoxygenases in diseased and non-diseased human gingiva. Since we did not functionally determine the fractions separated by HPLC, our present data may only provided indirect evidence for the existence of lipoxygenase products in periodontal tissue. However, our study did establish a research model for the investigation of arachidonic acid metabolism in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.

The purposes of the study were as follows: (1) to evaluate the molar furcation involvement and number of molar correlated with age and sex; and (2) to study the relationship between the means of alveolar bone loss and associated factors of molar furcation involvements (FIs). 1102 molars (703 males and 399 females) were measured in 219 individuals (136 males and 83 females) for the alveolar bone loss and associated factors of molar furcation involvements. Based on the results, we conclude the following: (1) the higher prevalence of FI was in the mandibular first molar (94.6%), whereas the lowest prevalence of FI was in maxillary second molar; (2) except for the mandibular first molar, the prevalence of molar FI markedly increased with an increased age group (16 & 26, r = 0.335, p < 0.01; 17 & 27, r = 0.345, p < 0.01; 37 & 47, r = 0.239, p < 0.01); (3) the prevalence of molar FI was significantly higher in males than in females (p < 0.05); (4) the mean number of molar FI was significant greater in males (mean = 3.45) than in females (mean = 2.69); (5) factors such as age (r = 0.222, p < 0.01), sex, (r = 0.145, p < 0.05), number of remaining teeth (r = -0.330, p < 0.01) and molar FI (r = 0.471, p < 0.01) are strongly associated with the mean alveolar bone loss of molars.

Between 1991 and 1994, serotypes and electropherotypes were determined for clinical specimens of group A human rotavirus (HRV) rotavirus collected from five different locations in the Asia, Saitama, Shizuoka, Taichung, Hong Kong, and Beijing. HRVs were detected through the year in Taichung and Hong Kong. The peaks of each rotavirus season were in January in Hong Kong, in March in Taichung, and in February and March in Saitama and Shizouka. We set one study year as that from July to next June. Serotype G1 was the most prevalent strain in the five different settings. Most of serotype G3 strains were identified in the study year 1991. Serotype G2 was the most predominant in Shizuoka and Taichung in the year 1993. Electropherotypes indicated the possible G types except in six cases of an unusual variant type whereas the serotype was G2 and the electropherotype was the "long" type. Five of the 502 cases and three of the 622 cases were identified as group C HRV by PAGE in Saitama and Shizouka respectively. In 216 samples in Taichung, no group C HRV strain was detected.

To determine the incidence of enteric adenovirus, 447 stool specimens were collected between January 1991 to October 1992 from children with gastroenteritis at a clinic in Fujieda, Japan. Each specimen was tested for adenovirus group antigen and for specific enteric adenovirus types 40 and 41 (Ad40/41) by using monoclonal antibody enzyme immunoassays. Adenovirus was found in 10.7% (48 of 447) cases and 77.1% (37 of 48) of them were Ad40/41. There were two peaks of adenovirus infection May and November 1991. The virus was isolated with 293 cells from 48 of adenovirus positive specimens, and then was typed according to the SmaI cleavage pattern of the viral DNA and by neutralization with specific antisera. Ad41 was predominantly isolated in 64.6% (31 of 48), and Ad40 was in 10.4% (5 of 48). The remaining virus isolates were typed as Ad1, 2, 5, and 6. Ad41 was founded in 89.3% (25 of 28) from October 1991 to March 1992. Though Sma I and Hind III cleavage identified six Ad41 variants in the period, the variants identified from October 1991 to March 1992 were only two. The results indicated two variants of Ad41 strains caused an outbreak during the end of 1991 to early 1992 in Fujieda.

The potential surgical transplantation with autogenous periosteal grafts and Fibrin Adhesive System (FAS) was attempted in a rabbit model. The grafts were taken from the tibia, transplanted and fixed with FAS to artificial full-thickness (0.4 x 0.3 cm) defect on the femoral condyle. Histologic and ultrastructural findings revealed chondrocyte regeneration in the control, grafted, and graft/FAS treated group at week 6; however, chondrogenesis of the reparative tissue was best demonstrated in the graft/FAS group. At week 12, the interface between the reparative tissue and the surrounding tissue was invisible in the FAS/graft group, as compared with the well-defined interface in the grafted group and the control. The results strongly suggest that FAS-treated periosteal transplant is a potential model for the repair of articular cartilage defects. Although the results are preliminary, all seem promising in the clinical aspects.

We had treated 115 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice, including 69 pancreatic head carcinoma and 46 periampullary carcinoma during the period between 1982 and 1991. In the 115 jaundiced patients 33 had undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy, 50 had bypass operation and the remaining 32 patients undergone percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) only. No operative mortality happened for the 33 pancreaticoduodenectomies. Postoperative complications occurred in 12 patients. Leakage from the choledochojejunostomy was the most often occurred complications, it was found in 7 patients (21.2%). Intraabdominal abscesses happened in six patients (18.2%) which recovered by treating with ultrasound-guided catheteral drainage. Leakage from pancreaticojejunostomy was also found in five patients (15.2%), the complication recovered uneventfully after administration of total parenteral nutrition and good abdominal drainage. Twenty-two out 33 patients with pancreaticoduodenectomy received preoperative biliary drainage. However, despite preoperative biliary drainage, 10 of 22 patients (45.5%) still suffered postoperative complications. It implied that hyperbilirubinemia would trend to carry a high postoperative morbility. The prognosis for our patients with pancreatic head carcinoma was extremely poor. The mean survival period for all of them was not exceeding 12 months. Those who had PTBD as the sole treatment had the shortest survival period, which was 3.4 +/- 3.1 months only. On the other hand, the mean survival period for those who had periampullary cancer and had pancreaticoduodenectomy was 35.5 +/- 27.2 months, while it was 13.3 +/- 10.1 and 11.8 +/- 10.0 months for those having bypass operation and PTBD respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Epidermal cysts are common, benign skin tumors that are found mainly on the face, neck, and trunk. This case was a 53-year-old male bus driver who had suffered from multiple papules on his scrotum for 7 years. This affliction had caused intractable itching and responded poorly to medical treatment. The patient received an excision of these papules (total 32) 3 years ago. According to the pathological reports, these papules were epidermal cysts; unfortunately, these papules recurred within 3 months after the operation and then resulted in itching more severe than before. The patient was again admitted to the hospital ward and received an operation in Oct. 1990. The diseased tissue (14cm x 8cm) was then excised and the defective scrotal skin was covered with a meshed, split-thickness skin graft. The cosmetic result was enhanced by the rugate appearance of the healed meshed graft. The patient was satisfied with both the functional and cosmetic results. The itching sensation on the scrotum improved and there was no recurrence of epidermal cysts within the graft area during the 9 month follow-up period. With this simple and safe operation, the result gave a satisfying improvement in both symptoms and appearance; so this case is offered for reference.

In order to study the relationship between growth hormone (GH) secretion and the sleep-wakefulness cycle in the rat, 29- to 31-day-old male and female rats were bled serially through an intracardiac cannula at 10-min intervals from 1200 to 1800 h. EEGs recorded continuously during the blood sampling period were scored into wakefulness and sleep, and the amount of sleep for every 10 min was plotted against the GH values as assessed by RIA. The power spectrum analysis and the least squares method applied to the time series of GH concentrations in the control rat revealed that the mean (+/- SE) periodicity was 3.03 +/- 0.17 (n = 11) h for the male and 2.90 +/- 0.13 (n = 11) h for the female. The cross-correlation analysis performed between the time series of the amount of sleep and the GH value revealed a significant positive correlation between GH level and the amount of sleep during the preceding 10 min. Further, the time series of sleep amount had periodicities of 3.22 +/- 0.20 h for the male and 2.96 +/- 0.12 h for the female. Forced-wakefulness imposed on 8 male rats between 1300 and 1500 h was effective in preventing GH secretory bursts, which otherwise should appear during this time of the day. Corticosterone measurement by protein-binding assay revealed that the procedure of forced-wakefulness did not act as the "stress" which has been known to inhibit GH secretion in rats. These findings indicate that GH secretion in the rat is sleep-related as has been proved in humans.

The temporal patterns of the sleep-wakefulness cycle and growth hormone secretion throughout a day in the male and female rat were studied in male and rats at 27 approximately 31 days of age. EEGs were recorded continuously from 27 to 31 days of age, and a time series of the amount of sleep for every 10 min was obtained. Serial blood sampling through an intracardiac cannula at 10-min intervals was performed for each of the 6-h periods beginning at 12:00, 18:00, 00:00 and 06:00 h. By analysis of the power spectrum and the least squares method, the time series was found to have approximately a 3.0-h periodicity in any of the 6-h periods and in either sex. The peak time which was estimated for the time series of GH concentrations was found to occur consistently around 02:00 approximately 03:00, 05:00 approximately 06:00, 08:00 approximately 09:00, 11:00 approximately 12:00, 14:00 approximately 15:00, 17:00 approximately 18:00, 20:00 approximately 21:00 and 23:00 approximately 24:00 h in either the male or the female rat. The time series of the amount of sleep over a 24-h period at 29 days of age revealed an ultradian rhythm with approximately a 3.0-h periodicity, and the peak time was estimated to be the same as that for the GH time series Taking the findings that the GH secretion is related to sleep in the prepubertal rat as described in the accompanying paper (Tsai, 1983), it could be speculated that the rat GH secretory rhythm develops by 30 days of age as a 3.0-h period ultradian rhythm that entrains to the time of day, relating to the rhythm of the sleep-wakefulness cycle.