We studied the effect of combined chemotherapy with anthracycline, cisplatin (CDDP), and peplomycin (PEP) for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinomas in 40 patients with no previous history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy. All patients received one course of combined chemotherapy. The patients received an intravenous infusion of doxorubicin (ADM)(20-40mg/body) or pirarubicin (THP-ADM)(20-40mg/body) on day 1, an intravenous infusion of CDDP (50-60mg/m²) on day 2, and continuous subcutaneous infusion or intramuscular injection of PEP (5 mg/body/day) on days 3-7. Ten of the 40 patients were given a combination of ADM, CDDP, and PEP (APP therapy), and the rest were given THP-ADM, CDDP, and PEP (TPP therapy). The overall response rate of the 40 patients was 27.5%, (40.0% in the APP therapy group and 23.3% in the TPP therapy group). In addition, the rate of a histopathological response of Grade II b or better according to the criteria of Oboshi and Shimosato was 20.0% in the APP therapy group, 30.0% in the TPP therapy group, and 27.5% in all patients. Moreover, the actuarial survival rates at 5 years in the APP therapy group, 4 years in the TPP therapy group, and 5 years in all patients were 87.5 %, 83.1%, and 83.7% respectively. The main side effects after APP or TPP therapy including anorexia (65.0%), nausea and vomiting (60.0%), a decrease in creatinine clearance (45.0%), alopecia (37.5%), and leukopenia (35.0%). However, these side effects were mild or moderate, and reversible in all patients, and nausea and vomiting were successfully inhibited with the use of granisetron hydrochloride, as compared with patients who did not receive granisetron hydrochloride. Statistical analyses of clinical and histopathological efficacy, survival rate, and side effects demonstrated no significant difference between the APP therapy group and the TPP therapy group.

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We studied the possible role of transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1) in tumor invasiveness by analyzing the production and activation of TGF-β 1 in eight human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.
The rate of secretion of TGF-β 1 was measured with a [¹²⁵I]-TGF-β 1 radioreceptor assay. All human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells secreted TGF-β 1 into the culture media. Three cell lines secreted very high levels of activated TGF-19.1. When the invasion of a monolayer of lung endothelial cells was assayed in vitro, highly invasive cell lines were found to secrete activated TGF-β 1 at higher rates than weakly invasive cell lines. These findings suggested that the different invasiveness of these cell lines was associated with the rate of activated TGF-β 1 production. Highly invasive potential squamous cell carcinoma cells, such as SAS, Ca 9 -22, and OSC-20, were inhibited by treatment with neutralizing anti TGF-β 1-antibody. Furthermore, the invasiveness of weakly (T. T and HSC-2) and highly (SAS) invasive cells was enhanced by SAS culture media. Affinity labeling of [¹²⁵I]-TGFβ 1 to cell surface receptors revealed the two major affinity crosslinked bands (type I and II I). These experiments indicate that TGF-β may modulate the invasive potential of human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by autocrine action.

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Although the primary target sites have been identified for many anticancer agents, little is known about the mechanisms by which anticancer agents cause the selective death of cancer cells. Squamous cell carcinoma, a major cancer in the head and neck region, is often resistant to anticancer agents. To investigate the mechanisms by which anticancer agents act cytotoxically on squamous cell carcinomas arising in the head and neck region, the effects of carboplatin (CBDCA), 5 -fluorouracil (5 -FU), or both on NA cells, a cancer cell line established from a patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, were examined. Although both anticancer agents, either alone or in combination, exerted cytotoxic effects against NA cells, no additive or synergistic effect was observed. The cytotoxic effects of these agents were mediated by apoptotic DNA damage of NA cells. Evidence for this was provided by the specific pattern of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, as detected by electrophoresis, specific ELISA, and H33258 DNA specific fluorochrome dye. These results indicate that the cytotoxic effect of CBDCA or 5 -FU might be mediated by the process known as apoptosis. Furthermore, Northern blot analysis revealed that c-myc mRNA expression was down-regulated by both anticancer agents.

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Given the difficulty in distinguishing between lymphatic vessels and blood vessels by conventional methods, the distribution and structure of lymphatic vessels in tumor stromata, which have an important role in the microcirculation of solid tumors, are poorly defined. We therefore examined the distribution of lymphatic vessels in tumor stromata with the use of a 5'-nucleotidase-alkaline phosphatase (5'-Nase-ALPase) double staining method.
Biopsy specimens taken from 6 patients with a suspected diagnosis of oral cancer were stained with 5'-Nase-ALPase according to our department's guidelines for specimen preparation. When compared with lymphatic capillaries surrounding non-malignant tumor tissues, they had an irregular distribution and various tortuous shapes were demonstrated in 5'-Nase positive lymphatic vessels of stromal tissue. In addition, the lymphatic vessel density was positively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation, with the density in highly differentiated tumors differing from that in moderately differentiated tumors.

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Two new cultured cell lines, designated as HNOS and SAT, were established from oral squamous cell carcinomas that were maintained in athymic nude mice. HNOS cells formed metastatic colonies in the lung after injection into a tail vein of the nude mouse and showed high invasive potential in an invasion assay. In contrast, SAT cells did not form lung colonies after injection into a tail vein of the nude mouse and did not show invasive potential in an invasion assay. The expression of mRNA for MMPs and TIMPs was examined on HNOS and SAT cells. The most important difference in the expression of MMPs and TIMPs was a difference in TIMP-1 expression between HNOS and SAT cells. These cell lines are considered useful models for the development of new treatments and for studies of invasion and metastasis by oral squamous cell carcinoma.

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Immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity was investigated with respect to the relationship between preserved- or reducedtype E-cadherin and clinicopathological findings.
Reduced-type E-cadherin expression was significantly more prominent at areas with deep invasion than at areas with superficial to middle invasion in tissue specimens (p=0.002). Ecadherin expression at areas of deep invasion was correlated with the clinical tumor stage (p=0.042). Furthermore, loss of E-cadherin expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, as compared with patients without lymph node metastasis (p=0.027).
These findings suggest that investigation of E-cadherin expression might be useful in predicting the probability of cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

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To assess the effect of preoperative chemotherapy on metastatic lymph nodes, 10MHz high-resolution ultrasonography was performed for 33 metastatic lymph nodes associated with 15 oral carcinomas. The changes in nodal size were correlated with histological response according to the grading system by Ohboshi and Shimozato.
The following findings were obtained.
1) There was no correlation between changes in nodal size after chemotherapy and histological response. This was presumably because factors such as lymphatic, necrotic, and granulation tissues also affect lymph node size.
2) Metastatic lymph nodes with central necrosis on initial CT examination tend to decrease in size regardless of the histological response.
In this study, we failed to demonstrate that the effect of preoperative chemotherapy can be assessed on the basis of changes in nodal size alone. Internal echoes should be included in the characteristics for evaluating response.

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The present study deals with 114 cases of oral leukoplakia and clinicopathological findings evaluated with respect to epithelial differentiation and keratinization using keratin antibodies, expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-r), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Oral leukoplakias were most often found in men (57%) and women (43%) aged 40-60 years. The commonest sites were the gingiva (32.4%), tongue (25.4%), and cheek (23.7%). Hyperorthokeratinization of the epithelium was most commonly seen in the masticatory mucosa (gingiva and hard palate) and hyperparakeratinization in non- or lesskeratinized mucosa (buccal mucosa and floor of the mouth). Epithelial dysplasia was observed in 19 cases (tongue 9, buccal mucosa 5, gingiva 3, palate 2). Cytokeratins (CK) detected by polyclonal TK were present in all epithelial layers except the keratinized layer; CK detected by monoclonal KL 1 in the spinous and granular cell layer; K8.12 in the spinous layer; and PKK 1 in the basal layer. Involucrin was present in the upper-spinous and granular cell layer and filaggrin in the granular cell and hyperkeratinized layer. EGF-r was detected in the basal and spinous cell, and dysplastic cells were unreactive. PCNA immunoreactivity was distributed in the basal and suprabasal cells. Leukoplakia on the lateral border of the tongue was characterized by a lesser degree of hyperkeratinization but with an increased frequency of epithelial dysplasia. Leukoplakia on the gingiva and hard palate, on the other hand, had more advanced hyperorthokeratinization, but epithelial dysplasia was rarely observed. The hyperkeratinization in oral leukoplakia is influenced primarily by sitewise variations in keratinization of the normal oral mucosa and less frequently by the extent of epithelial dysplasia.

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We performed high molecular weight hyaluronate (HA: Artz^®) injection therapy in patients with TMJ arthrosis and evaluated its effects.
[Subjects] The subjects were 21 patients (22 joints) with TMJ arthrosis accompanied by pain who underwent HA injection therapy at our department between April 1993 and August 1994. The effects of HA injection therapy were evaluated after 1 month. The type of TMJ arthrosis classified according to the Japanese Society of TMJ was II in 2 patients (2 joints), IQ in 16 (17), and IV in 3 (3). In addition, type III was subclassified into anterior disc displacement with reduction and that without reduction.
[Injection method] Pumping was performed with 1 % lidocaine in the superior articular cavity, and the infusion volume at which resistance occurred was considered to be the volume of the superior articular cavity.
The local anesthetic was aspirated as much as possible. HA was injected in a volume equivalent to 1/2 of the cavity volume in the patients with anterior disc displacement without reduction and in a volume equivalent to 1/3 of the cavity volume in the other patients.[Results] A response of “improvement” or better was obtained in terms of pain in 18 (81.8%) of the 22 joints. “Improvement” was obtained in click sounds or resistance during clicking in 4 (80.0%) of 5 joints. Crepitation showed “improvement” in all patients. The degree of mouth opening increased in all patients.

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The articular disc and cartilage were studied immunohistochemically after experimentally induced disc perforation. Eighteen Japanese white rabbits were used in the present study. A round full-thickness perforation, measuring precisely 1.6 mm in diameter, was made in the left articular disc. Another joint, the right TMJ, was used as surgical control (sham operation); the superior joint space was entered but closed immediately, without perforation. Three rabbits served as non-surgical control. Assessments were performed 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks after the operation. Histopathological examination was performed after staining the specimens with H-E stain and toluidine blue stain. In addition, PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) immunohistochemical staining method was performed to count active cartilage cells.
Two weeks after the operation, the proliferation of condylar cartilage was noted. After the 8 th week, the eminence and condyle were flat, with a decreased number of cartilage cells. At the 24th week, regeneration of the fibro-cartilage was seen. No healing of the disc perforation was seen during the observation period. The PCNA positive-cell rate was the highest at the 4 th week, when it was 14.3%. Subsequently, the positive-cell rate was 0.9%, which was slightly lower than the normal rate (2.0%). These results indicate that disc perforation induced degenerative changes in the articular cartilage, which showed no signs of normal healing. It was suggested that even a very small perforation in the articular disc may induce osteoarthritic changes in the osseous TMJ component in rabbits.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between disc mobility andcondylar translation and to assess the morphological changes in the temporomandibular joint by MRI (1.5 Tesla) before and after treatment for stuck disc. A total of 17 joints (15 patients) that were successfully treated were studied. Treatment was performed in a step-wise fashion as follows: 1) mandibular manipulation, 2) anterior splint assisted manipulation or pumping manipulation, 3) arthrocentesis, 4) stabilization splint therapy, and 5) arthroscopic surgery. Each joint was evaluated on the basis of pre- and post-treatment MRI findings, including disc mobility and condylar translation, disc reduction, disc shape, degree of disc displacement, and bone changes of the condyle. Post-treatment MRI showed that 16 joints had mobile discs and only one joint still had a stuck disc. The ranges of condylar translation increased in 16 joints and were normal in 14 joints. Four joints with mobile discs with recapture or reduction had normal disc shape and no bone changes of the condyle. In comparison, disc deformity progressed in 7 of 12 joints with mobile discs without reduction. Therefore, we agreed with Rao et al.'s speculation that a stuck disc limits condylar translation. Moreover, the post-treatment morphologic changes in the disc suggested passive changes accompanied by improved disc mobility in the superior joint space without reduction.

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The purpose of this study was to develop a 3 -D model for the evaluation of patients with jaw deformity by combining the maxillofacial skeleton and soft tissue. A laserbased apparatus waa used to acquire a 3 -D image of the facial appearance. This image was then combined with a 3-D skeletal image created from conventional cephalometric radiographs to produce a computer-generated model.
This system includes three processes:
1) Aquisition of a 3 -D image of facial appearance
2) Reconstruction of the 3 -D facial skeleton image from cephalometric radiographs
3) Composition of the 3 -D images of soft and hard tissue This 3 -D compound model can assist surgeons in planning surgery and provide graphic information to the patient.

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The present study was designed to investigate the process of bone formation induced by implantation of a mixture of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA)(OCP/HA) in the alveolar ridge of the rat mandible. Synthetic OCP and HA (weight ratio 1: 1) were mixed and implanted into the subperiosteal pocket of the rat mandible. Bone formation at the alveolar ridge was examined radiographically and histologically between 1 and 8 weeks after implantation. Granular radiopacity of the OCP/HA implant was obvious at week 1. Osteogenesis was initiated from the bone surface near the implantation site of the mandible at week 1 and some implanted OCP and HA were directly enclosed by newly formed bone at week 4. The present study suggests that the OCP/HA mixture could be used to augment the atrophic alveolar ridge.

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We studied and discussed nutritional management with respect to shortening the administration time by using transintestinal nutrition (Clinimeal^®) in patients undergoing oral surgery.
Two groups of patients, receiving treatment by different administration methods, were studied. Forty patients received transintestinal nutrition with a short administration time, and 14 patients received such treatment with a standard administration time as control.
The infusion rate in the former group was about 600-800ml per hour, while that in the control group was 100-300ml per hour.
There was no significant difference (at P<0.05) in the incidence of side effects between the two groups.
Serum chemistry variables, such as total protein, albumin, and total cholesterol, improved in both groups, with significantly better improvement being obtained in the former group.
The results indicated that it is possible to shorten the administration time for transintestinal nutrition with Clinimeal^® and that this may be beneficial in patients undergoing oral surgery.

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The antibacterial activity, tissue concentration, and pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin (LVFX) were investigated in patients with infections in the fields of dentistry and oral-maxillofacial surgery. The patients included 20 with subperiosteal abscesses, 12 with intraoral buccal abscesses, 12 with postoperative maxillary cysts, 4 with radicular cysts, 8 with maxillary siunsitis, 6 with maxillary or mandibular cysts, 4 with osteomyelitis, 5 with facial abscesses, and 3 with neck abscesses. The drug was administered at a dose of 100mg orally before maxillofacial surgery to 16 patients, and the concentrations in the blood (n=16), oral mucosa (n=16), and maxilla or mandible (n=13) were measured by bioassay 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 hours after administration. A pharmacokinetic study was also performed using a one-compartment model.
(1) Of the 74 patients, bacteria were isolated from 69 (93.2%). A total of 184 isolates were obtained, including 86 (46.7%) aerobes and 98 (53.3%) anaerobes. The bacteria isolated most frequently were Streptococcus and Peptostreptococcus. Streptococcus showed an MIC range of 0.2 to 0.78μg/ml, and Peptostreptococcus showed a range of 0.1 to 0.78μg/ml. The mean 90% minimum inhibitory concentration was 0.78μg/ml, and the MIC₅₀ was 0.39μg/ml. LVFX showed good antibacterial activity against these organisms.
(2) The blood concentration (n=16) was 0.95±0.1μg/ml (0.5h), 1.29±0.1μg/ml (1h), 0.88±0.1μg/ml (2h), and 0.63±0.1μg/ml (3h). The pharmacokinetic parameters determined by the one-compartment model were as follows: maximum blood concentration Cmax, 1.18μg/ml; half life, 1.37h; area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), above 0.78: 0.53μg·h/ml; and effective time above MIC₉₀: 2.09h.
(3) When the drug was administered preoperatively at a dose of 100mg to 13 maxillofacial patients, the oral mucosal concentration was 0.79±0.1μg/g, and the maxillary or mandibular concentration was 0.35±0.1μg/g. Therefore, LVFX produced similar levels in the oral mucosa and serum, but yielded bone concentrations below the MIC.
We conclude that LVFX is well absorbed and attains a serum concentration sufficient for a favorable therapeutic effect.

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We report a case of lower gingival carcinoma with severe granulocytosis apparently caused by G-CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) derived from tumor cells.
A 54-year-old man had marked leukocytosis with up to 51, 600WBC/μ1. The serum concentration of G-CSF was also high (330μg/ml).
The tumor was diagnosed pathologically as a moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemically, the presence of G-CSF in the tumor cells was demonstrated by avidin-biotin-peroxidase staining anti-G-CSF antibody. These findings demonstrated that these tumor cells produced and secreted G-CSF.

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Ten patients with adenomatoid odontogenic tumors (AOT) treated at the 2nd.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Osaka Dental University Hospital during the twenty years between 1975 and 1994 were analyzed clinically.
1. AOT accounted for about 5.0% of all odontogenic tumors treated at our clinic.
2. The age at the initial visit ranged from 10 to 44 years old, with seven cases in the second decade. The ratio of male to females was two to three.
3. Two tumors occurred in the maxilla and eight in the mandible. Eight tumors were located in the anterior region or anterior to premolar region.
4. Radiographically, all tumors showed an ovoid unilocular radiolucency with a sclerotic margin, involving many small foci of calcification in 9 cases and an unerupted tooth in 8 cases. A considerable portion of the unerupted teeth was involved in the lesion. Bone expansion and divergency of the roots on the affected site were found, but prominent root resorption was not seen.
5. Nine tumors were enucleated, and there was no case of recurrence.

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Hemangiopericytoma is a relatively uncommon vascular tumor. Since it is difficult to determine if the disease is malignant or benign on clinical or histological examination long-term follow-up is required. In this report, a case of hemangiopericytoma occurring in the right buccal mucosa is presented with a review of the literature.
The patient was a 23-year-old woman who was examined at our department due to a mass in the right buccal region. Since clinical and ultrasound findings suggested a benign buccal tumor, the tumor was extirpated under sedation and local anesthesia. Intraoperatively, the tumor appeared dark red, was clearly demarcated, and had a well-developed vasculature on its surface. The tumor showed no adhesion to surrounding tissues, and could be readily detached and removed en bloc. Histopathological examination indicated hemangiopericytoma. No recurrence has been noted as of 30 months after the operation, but continued careful observation is needed.
A review of the literature indicated that this is the fourth case of buccal hemangiopericytoma reported in Japan.

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A rare case of an odontogenic keratocyst extending from the deciduous anterior tooth region to the deciduous molar region of the left mandible in a one-year-and-eightmonth-old boy is reported. Extirpation of the cyst was performed under general anesthesia.
Histological examination showed that the lining epithelium of cyst wall was stratified squamous epithelium with parakeratosis, and the connective tissue contained islands of epithelium.
The final diagnosis was an odontogenic keratocyst.
The patient's postoperative course was satisfactory.

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We isolated and identified microbes obtained by needle aspiration of closed abscesses in 72 patients with oral infections treated at this department of oral surgery. One hundred seventy-one strains were isolated, of which 92 strains (53.8%) were Gram-positive aerobes, 40 strains (23.4%) Gram-negative anaerobes, 31 strains (18.1%) Gram-positive anaerobes, and 8 strains (4.7%) Gram negative aerobes. The most common type of infection involved a combination of Gram-positive aerobes and anaerobes, with 63.9% of all infections involving anaerobes. Furthermore, when the minimum inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics commonly used in this department, including ampicillin (ABPC), cefaclor (CCL), and cefzinir (CFDN), were tested against the isolated organisms, all three drugs showed satisfactory results, although CCL was less active against aerophobic organisms. Very few highly resistant strains were found.

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Of 78 patients examined at the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nagoya Daini Red Cross Hospital for pre-BMT (bone marrow transplantation) dental evaluation between October 1987 and December 1993, 28 who underwent tooth extraction were studied with regard to complications. There were 16 men and 12 women. The mean age of patients was 39.6 years (range, 9 to 50 years). The mean period from dental screening to BMT was 34.1 days, and that from the latest tooth extraction to BMT was 29.4 days. A total of 82 teeth were extracted.
Postoperative complications included dry socket (7 /82 teeth), postoperative bleeding (8/82 teeth), and postoperative fever (4 /28 patients). Fever was present in one patient during BMT because of an extraction-socket infection. Tooth extraction did not influence the outcome of any BMT recipient.
In conclusion, adequate treatment and follow-up periods are considered nessesary in patients scheduled to undergo bone marrow transplantation who require tooth extraction.

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We report a case of cervical lymphoadenopathy associated with an initial Epstein-Barr virus infection in a 19-year-old man. The patient presented with fever, general malaise, sore throat, and swelling of five submandibular lymph nodes. Hematological examination revealed lymhocytosis (68% lymphocytes) with no atypical form, and hepatic function was impaired. In serological examinations, the and-VCA IgG titer was 610, the anti-EA-DR IgG titer was 40, and the anti-EBNA titer was 10. These findings led to the suspicion of an initial infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. Antibiotics, acyclovir, and glutathione were administered to the patient. His symptoms resolved after several days. However, two soft submandibular lymph nodes were noted 113 days after treatment. Patients with pharyngitis and cervical lymphadenopathy of unknown origin should be examinied for Epstein-Barr virus infection when attempting to differentially diagnose the underlying condition.

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Cat scratch disease is a relatively rare, benign infectious disease that occurs almost exclusively in young persons. Recently, pleomorphic gram-negative bacilli have been isolated and cultured from infected lymph nodes.
We report a case of cat scratch disease involving the submandibular lymph nodes. A 12-year-old woman presented with swelling of the left submandibular region with fever and malaise. A computed tomographic scan showed two swollen lymph nodes. Aspiration biopsy revealed a few small, Warthin-Starry stain-positive bacilli; tumor cells were negative. After treatment with minocycline hydrochloride, the swollen nodes gradually became smaller. A fi nal diagnosis of cat scratch disease was obtained by a skin test with cat scratch antigen performed 3 months after her first visit.

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The prevalence of peculiar gingival hyperplasia was studied periodontically in 169 patients treated with antihypertensive agents. A total of 129 patients were receiving calcium antagonists and the other 40 were receiving other types of antihypertensive agents.
Gingival hyperplasia was observed in 19 % of the patients in the calcium antagonist group. There was no clear relationship between oral hygiene indexes and the occurrence of gingival hyperplasia. Among patients in the calcium antagonist group, there was no significant difference in the duration of treatment between those with gingival hyperplasia and those with no gingival hyperplasia.
The results suggest that the peculiar gingival hyperplasia associated with calcium antagonists is not related only to the dose of these drugs.

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Loss of mandibular continuity due to segmental mandibulectomy leads to esthetic and functional problems. Restoration of mandibular continuity after segmental mandibulectomy is one of the chalenges of reconstructive surgery.
In this paper, a simple technique is described which utilizes acrylic bone cement for a template of the mandible.
Before mandibular resection, mandibular continuity is restored with soft acrylic bone cement contained in a flexible tube. The tube is attached to residual sites with small monocortical screws. The tube is held until the cement solidifies. When the bone cement has hardened, the tube can be removed.
After mandibular resection, the tube is replaced to realign the mandibular segment and correctly restore the patient's occlusion and facial esthetics.

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Surgical gloves are useful for preventing the transmission of infection between patients and medical staff during operations. There are many reports of pinhole in surgical gloves during operation, although the frequency varies considerably. We therefore studied surgical gloves used in different departments because the degree of damage most likely differs according to the type of operation.
We investigated the incidence of pinholes in three different types of surgical gloves used in 22 operations in oral surgery with an electrical resistance method.
The results were as follows:
1) Of the 208 gloves tested at the end of operations, pinholes were found in 108 gloves (51.9%).
2) The ratio of pinholes in the right and left hands was 44: 64. The most common site was the tip of the index finger (45.7%).
3) There was no significant difference in incidence of pinholes in surgical gloves obtained from surgeons and those obtained from assistants and scrubbing nurses.
4) Three different types of surgical gloves in which we made a pinhole with a needle each showed different electrical resistance values. The results suggested that we need to select the type of gloves used for operations with a high incidence of glove pinholes and to wear two pairs of gloves for operations involving infectious diseases.

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