PURPOSE: The empirical use of a chemotherapy regimen shows different results in individual breast cancer patient treatment. Recent studies showed the effectiveness of the adenosine triphosphate-based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA). However, little is known about the correlation between chemosensitivity and breast cancer molecular subtypes. Therefore, we investigated whether the result of ATP-CRA is associated with a molecular subtype of breast cancer. METHODS: Two hundred eighty-seven patients diagnosed with breast cancer and receiving ATP-CRA at Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Womans University between September 2007 and December 2010 were enrolled in this study. Hormone receptor status, HER2/neu expression, and results of chemosensitivity tests of the patients was analyzed. RESULTS: In all of four subtypes, the combination of two agents showed significant higher mean cell death rate than a single agent. Within the breast cancer cell lines in this study, the range of chemosensitivity response was very wide and varied for each patient. For this reason, the molecular subtype of breast cancer is inconclusive in choosing an effective chemotherapeutic agent and in vitro chemosensitivity test, prior to therapy, could be a useful method for planning chemotherapy for each patient. CONCLUSION: Chemosensitivity response to anticancer agents was found to vary depending on the individual breast cancer patients. The molecular subtype of breast cancer is inconclusive to choose the effective chemotherapeutic agent and the in vitro chemosensitivity test, prior to therapy, could be more useful for planning chemotherapy for each patient.
Adenosine ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Female ; Humans

The location of the sigmoid colon varies within the abdominal cavity, but its mesocolon is fixed to the left side. Right side fixation of the sigmoid colon is a very rare congenital positional anomaly. In addition, it has been reported that hepatocolic fistula is also a very rare disease that may present lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Here, the authors describe a case of a 71-year-old man who underwent surgery for hepato-sigmoidocolic fistula complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma and the right side fixation of the sigmoid colon.
Abdominal Cavity ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Fistula ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mesocolon ; Rare Diseases

Gastrojejunocolic fistula is a rare condition after gastrojejunostomy. It is severe complications of gastrojejunostomy, which results an inadequate resection or incomplete vagotomy during peptic ulcer surgery. The symptoms are diarrhea, upper abdominal pain, bleeding, vomiting and weight loss. A 55-year-old man with chronic diarrhea and weight loss for 6 months visited Dankook University Hospital. The patient had received a truncal vagotomy and gastrojejunostomy for duodenal ulcer obstruction 15 years previously. The patient underwent gastroscopy and upper gastrointestinal series evaluations, which detected the gastrojejunocolic fistula. After improving of malnutrition, an exploratory laparotomy was undertaken, which revealed that the gastrojejunostomy site and the T-colon formed adhesion and fistula. En block resection of the distal stomach and T-colon included the gastrojejunocolic fistula, and Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy was performed. Recovery was uneventful and the patient remained well at the follow-up. We report a gastrojejunocolic fistula, which is a rare case after gastrojejunostomy.
Abdominal Pain ; Diarrhea ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastric Bypass ; Gastroscopy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Malnutrition ; Peptic Ulcer ; Stomach ; Vagotomy ; Vagotomy, Truncal ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: There is controversy concerning the effect of a positive T-lymphocytotoxic crossmatch (TLC) on clinical outcomes in adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TLC on clinical outcomes in LDLT and to determine how long a pretransplant positive TLC continues after liver transplantation (LT). METHODS: Between January 2005 and June 2010, 219 patients underwent adult LDLT at National Cancer Center. The TLC test was routinely performed before LDLT. TLC test results were positive in 8 patients (3.7%). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the result of TLC: positive TLC (n = 8) and negative TLC (n = 211) groups. All patients with a pretransplant positive TLC (n = 6) underwent a TLC test every week until negative conversion of TLC, except 2 patients who refused to receive the TLC test. RESULTS: Acute cellular rejection, surgical complications and patient or graft survival were not significantly different between both groups. All patients with a positive TLC (n = 6) had a posttransplant negative TLC. The median time to negative conversion of TLC was 1.5 weeks (range, 1 to 3 weeks). CONCLUSION: A pretransplant positive TLC does not affect clinical outcomes in adult LDLT. Moreover, T-lymphocytotoxic cross-reactivity disappeared within 3 weeks (range, 1 to 3 weeks) after LT.
Adult ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Rejection (Psychology)

PURPOSE: To evaluate shunt rate and discuss the resultsrelated to selective shunt placement during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) using routine awake test. METHODS: Patients with CEA from 2007 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed from prospectively collected data. The need for shunt placement was determined by the awake test, based on the alteration in the neurologic examination. We collected data by using the clinical records and imaging studies, and investigated factors related to selective shunt such as collateral circulation and contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. RESULTS: There were 45 CEAs under regional anesthesia with the awake test in 44 patients. The mean age was 61.8 +/- 7.1 years old. There were 82.2% (37/45) of males, and 68.9% (31/45) of symptomatic patients. Selective shunt placement had been performed in only two (4.4%) patients. Among them fewer cases (4%) had severe (stenosis >70%) contralateral ICA lesions, and more cases (91%) of complete morphology of the anterior or posterior circulation in the circle of Willis. There was no perioperative stroke, myocardial infarctionor death, and asymptomatic new brain lesions were detected in 4 patients (9%), including 2 cases of selective shunt placement. CONCLUSION: CEA under routine awake test could besafe and feasible method with low shunt placement rate in selected patients.
Anesthesia, Conduction ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Circle of Willis ; Collateral Circulation ; Endarterectomy, Carotid ; Humans ; Male ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Neurologic Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke

PURPOSE: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) are the most frequently used tumor markers in the clinical setting of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study was designed to investigate the correlation between preoperative serum levels of CA 19-9 (pre-CA 19-9) and the clinicopathologic factors of patients with CRC. METHODS: A study was performed on 333 patients with histologically diagnosed colorectal adenocarcinoma between December 2008 and November 2011, based on prospective collected data. The clinical data such as age, sex, location of tumor, size of tumor, differentiation, depth of tumor (T), lymph node metastasis (N), distant metastasis (M), lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, perineural invasion, stage, and preoperative serum levels of CEA (pre-CEA) and pre-CA 19-9 were obtained. These patients were classified into two groups according to pre-CA 19-9 (CA 19-9 high: >39 U/mL, n = 61 [18.3%]; CA 19-9 normal: <39 U/mL, n = 272 [81.7%]). RESULTS: Sixty-one patients among 333 patients (18.3%) with CRC showed a high pre-CA 19-9. The elevation of pre-CA 19-9 was significantly associated with size of tumor (4.8 +/- 0.1 cm vs. 6.1 +/- 0.3 cm, P < 0.001), right colon cancer (P < 0.001), depth of tumor (P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), distant metastasis (P < 0.001), perineural invasion (P = 0.008), peritoneal seeding (P < 0.001), and stage (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, high pre-CA 19-9 was shown to be independently associated with high pre-CEA, lymph node metastasis, right colon cancer, large tumor size, and peritoneal seeding. There were twelve patients confirmed for peritoneal seeding among 333 patients (3.6%). CONCLUSION: High pre-CA 19-9 in advanced colorectal cancer might provide important information to predict the possibility of peritoneal seeding.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prospective Studies ; Seeds

PURPOSE: Defecography is known to be a sensitive and specific measurement of pelvic floor dyssynergia (PFD). However, its standardized parameter for diagnostic analysis is still incomplete. We attempted to determine which defecographic findings are most significant for PFD, and how closely they match other physiologic tests and clinical symptoms of functional pelvic outlet obstruction. METHODS: Ninety-six patients with constipation who completed work-up of their symptoms with defecography, anorectal manometry and electromyography (EMG) were included in the study. Internal consistency of defecographic findings, and agreements between defecographic findings and results of other tests were statistically analyzed (Crohnbach's alpha, Cohen's kappa, respectively). RESULTS: Of the 96 patients evaluated, obstructive symptoms of constipation were obvious in 35 (36.5%) by obstructive symptom score. As known defecographic findings for PFD, poor opening of the anal canal was found in 33 (34.4%), persistent posterior angulation of the rectum in 33 (34.4%), and poor emptying of the rectum in 61 (63.5%). Manometric defecation index, manometric evacuation index, and EMG findings compatible with PFD were in 81 (84.4%), 72 (75%), and 73 (76%), respectively. Internal consistency of three defecographic findings was good (alpha = 0.78). Agreements between each defecographic findings and each result of other tests were all poor. CONCLUSION: Among known defecographic findings for PFD, one specific finding cannot be considered more important than the others for its diagnosis. It is hard to expect consistent results of various diagnostic tests and to predict the presence of defecographic PFD by use of anorectal manometry, EMG, or even by clinical symptoms.
Anal Canal ; Ataxia ; Constipation ; Defecation ; Defecography ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Manometry ; Pelvic Floor ; Rectum

PURPOSE: Few studies have examined whether bioengineering can improve fecal incontinence. This study designed to determine whether injection of porous polycaprolactone beads containing autologous myoblasts improves sphincter function in a dog model of fecal incontinence. METHODS: The anal sphincter of dogs was injured and the dogs were observed without and with (n = 5) the injection of porous polycaprolactone beads containing autologous myoblasts into the site of injury. Autologous myoblasts purified from the gastrocnemius muscles were transferred to the beads. Compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) of the pudendal nerve, anal sphincter pressure, and histopathology were determined 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The amplitudes of the CMAP in the injured sphincter were significantly lower than those measured before injury (1.22 mV vs. 3.00 mV, P = 0.04). The amplitudes were not different between dogs with and without the injection of autologous myoblast beads (P = 0.49). Resting and squeezing pressures were higher in dogs treated with autologous myoblast beads (2.00 mmHg vs. 1.80 mmHg; 6.13 mmHg vs. 4.02 mmHg), although these differences were not significant in analyses of covariance adjusted for baseline values. The injection site was stained for smooth muscle actin, but showed evidence of foreign body inflammatory reactions. CONCLUSION: This was the first study to examine whether bioengineering could improve fecal incontinence. Although the results did not show definite evidence that injection of autologous myoblast beads improves sphincter function, we found that the dog model was suitable and reliable for studying the effects of a potential treatment modality for fecal incontinence.
Actins ; Action Potentials ; Anal Canal ; Animals ; Bioengineering ; Dogs ; Fecal Incontinence ; Foreign Bodies ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscles ; Myoblasts ; Polyesters ; Pudendal Nerve

PURPOSE: Free tumor cells in peritoneal fluid in patients with pancreatic cancer may have prognostic significance but there are few reports on methods for the effective detection of free tumor cells. The aims of this study were to identify free cancer cells in peritoneal fluid with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique and to investigate its prognostic significance. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with resectable pancreatic cancer who underwent surgical resection were included. Peritoneal washing and peritoneal drainage fluid were examined by FISH for p53 deletion. RESULTS: Among the study subjects, the R0 resection rate was 75%. None of the patients had positive cytology with Papanicolaou's method. p53 deletion was detected in 9 peritoneal washings (32.1%) and in 5 peritoneal drainage fluids (17.9%). After a median of 18 months of follow-up, 25 patients (89.3%) experienced recurrence and 14 patients (50.0%) had peritoneal seeding. Patients with p53 deletion detected in the peritoneal drainage fluid had positive radial margin (60.0% vs. 17.4%, P = 0.046) more frequently and a lower peritoneal metastasis free survival (median, 11.1 months vs. 30.3 months; P = 0.030). Curative resection (P < 0.001) and p53 deletion in peritoneal drainage fluid (P = 0.030) were independent risk factors of peritoneal metastasis free survival after multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: FISH technique detects free cancer cells with higher sensitivity compared to Papanicolaou's method. p53 deletion detected in peritoneal drainage fluid is correlated with positive radial resection margin and results in early peritoneal seeding. Patients with p53 deletion in peritoneal drainage fluid need more aggressive adjuvant treatment.
Ascitic Fluid ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Seeds

PURPOSE: Primary mammalian hepatocytes largely retain their liver-specific functions when they are freshly derived from donors. However, long-term cultures of functional hepatocytes are difficult to establish. To increase the longevity and maintain the differentiated functions of hepatocytes in primary culture, cells can be cultured in a sandwich configuration of collagen. In such a configuration, hepatocytes can be cultured for longer periods compared with cultures on single layers of collagen. However, research regarding mouse hepatocytes in sandwich culture is lacking. METHODS: Primary mouse hepatocytes were sandwiched between two layers of collagen to maintain the stability of their liver-specific functions. After gelation, 2 mL of hepatocyte culture medium was applied. RESULTS: After 24 hours, 5, 10 days of culture, the collagen gel sandwich maintained the cellular border and numbers of bile canaliculi more efficiently than a single collagen coating in both high and low density culture dishes. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4A), alphafetoprotein, albumin, tryptophan oxygenase (TO), the tyrosine aminotransferase gene, glucose-6-phosphatase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase for mouse primary hepatocytes cultured on collagen coated dishes and collagen gels showed superior hepatocyte-related gene expression in cells grown using the collagen gel sandwich culture system. AAT, HNF4A, albumin, TO were found to be expressed in mouse hepatocytes cultured on collagen gels for 5 and 10 days. In contrast, mouse hepatocytes grown on collagen-coated dishes did not express these genes after 5 and 10 days of culture. CONCLUSION: The collagen gel sandwich method is suitable for primary culture system of adult mouse hepatocytes.
Adult ; Animals ; Bile Canaliculi ; Collagen ; Gels ; Gene Expression ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase ; Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Longevity ; Mice ; Oxidoreductases ; Tissue Donors ; Tryptophan Oxygenase ; Tyrosine Transaminase