Allergy is conditions when a hypersensitivity reaction happens with a certain element, called as an allergen, which is commonly not reactive to ordinary individuals. Allergic diseases involve various organs or systems in the body. The purpose of allergy tests is to make a diagnosis of allergic diseases and to identify the affecting allergens. In vivo tests, more relevant in clinical situation, include skin test, patch test and provocation test. In in vitro tests, there are specific IgE test, histamine releasing assay, and lymphocyte activation test, safer and more objective than in vivo tests. In the view point of clinical practice, skin test, provocation test, total IgE test and specific IgE test were reviewed in depth.

Previous studies have suggested that Citrus fruits might suppress the proliferation of various cancer cells. However, little is known about any specific ingredients in the extract of Citrus fruits to exert its anti-proliferative activity in cancer cells. The present study aimed to identify the active ingredients in Citrus fruits to suppress the proliferation of rat hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Among tested compounds, two polymethoxylated flavones (nobiletin and tangeritin) showed significant anti-proliferative activity whereas other compounds (synephrine, rutin, hesperidin) did not. Interestingly, nobiletin as well as tangeritin also decreased the protein amount of gluconeogenic enzymes, PEPCK and G6Pase. The possible involvement of gluconeogenic activity in the proliferation of hepatocellulacarcinoma cells are further to be investigated.

Digastric and stylohyoid muscles are located in the suprahyoid region. There have been few studies about the general morphology of stylohyoid muscle and its relationship with digastric muscle. During routine educational dissection, unusual insertion of bilateral stylohyoid muscle was found in the cadaver of a 92-year-old Korean male, whose cause of death was 'aspiration pneumonia'. Stylohyoid muscle arose from the styloid process, and inserted onto the intermediate tendon of digastric muscle and the hyoid bone on both sides. Each digastric muscle normally consists of an anterior belly, intermediate tendon and a posterior belly. In this cadaver, there were two anterior bellies on right side while one anterior belly was found on left side. Stylohyoid muscle ran medial to the intermediate tendon of digastric muscle on both sides. The anatomical relationship between stylohyoid and digastric muscles was reviewed based on morphological and embryological point of view.

Anterior interosseous nerve palsy is known to occur uncommonly because of its compression by the accessory head of flexor pollicis longus(AHFPL) in the forearm. During routine educational dissection, we found 7 AHFPLs in 12 upper limbs of 6 adults Korean Jeju islander cadavers, which inserted onto flexor pollicis longus. Three AHFPLs of them arose from coronoid process of the ulna, and the others arose independently from the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS). Using the topographical relationship of the anterior interosseous nerve to the AHFPL, all anterior interosseous nerve was crossed the tendinous part of the AHFPL. This study has shown that there are discrepancies in the origin of AHFPL and the location of the anterior interosseous nerve in Koreans, which is supposed to be related to unique genetic pool in Jeju Island.

Castleman's disease is a benign lympho-proliferative disorder that commonly occurs in mediastinum. It is known that the disease rarely occurs in mesentery. Most localized abdominal Castleman's diseases are histologically hyaline vascular type. The contrast-enhanced CT in patient with hyaline vascular type Castleman's disease shows a well-defined mass with homogenously intense enhancement. On the other hand, the patient with plasma cell variant has systemic symptoms, but not specific imaging features. We report a unicentric plasma cell variant Castleman's disease in mesentery nearby superior mesenteric artery as presenting a single mass, not accompanied by systemic symptoms with similar characteristics to hyaline vascular type.

The most common surgical repair method for fingertip injuries are replantation, flap coverage, and skin graft. In fingertip injury cases, acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is generally used in a two-stage operation. In the present case, only ADM was used in a 67-year-old male patient with a right fifth fingertip injury. The patient was undergoing chemotherapy after surgery for colon cancer, preventing prolonged hospitalization. In addition, wound healing was likely to be problematic. As a typical surgical method might have been difficult to apply in such a patient, we performed a one-stage operation, using only ADM on the injured area. Postoperative followup for 3 months showed good wound healing. Accordingly, we report a successful treatment outcome using ADM alone for a fingertip injury.

Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor composed of osteoid and atypical bone. The most commonly known sites of following tumor are long tubular bones, especially femur and tibia. Yet, development of osteoid osteoma in the foot is unusual, and there aren't much reported literatures of metatarsal osteoid osteoma. In this article, we report a case of the osteoid osteoma in the 3rd metatarsal bone of a 14-year-old male patient.

'The Journal of Medicine and Life Science' renewed editorial board and guidelines for authors, and opened online submission system (http://www.jops.co.kr/ojms/JMLS). Herein I, editor-in-chief of 'The Journal of Medicine and Life Science', did self-assessment on the history and current status of the journal and suggested perspectives on the journal.