OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the expressions, microvessel counts and angiogenic pathway of VEGF and PD-ECGF and proliferative activity of Ki-67 according to clinicopathologic feature of cervical tumor. METHODS: Two hundred three cervical specimens were evaluated; among these 20 were designated normal epithelium, 36 mild dysplasia, 28 moderate dysplasia, 36 severe dysplasia, 28 carcinoma in situ, 17 microinvasive carcinoma and 38 invasive cervical carcinoma (21 squamous cell carcinoma and 17 adenocarcinoma). Microvessel count was determined by immunohistochemical staining using anti-factor VIII-related monoclonal antibody. The expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and PD-ECGF (platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor) were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining with anti-human VEGF monoclonal antibody and anti-dThdPase monoclonal antibody. The proliferative activity was examined using a Ki-67 equivalent monoclonal antibody (MIBl). RESULT: There was no statistical significance on microvessel count except invasive cancer comparing with mild dysplasia including normal tissue, but there was a little increase in microvessel counts according to severity of tumor. The intensity of VEGF and PD-ECGF expression was significantly correlated with severity of cervical tumor. And the microvessel density was significantly higher in the positive expression of VEGF and PD-ECGF than in the negative expression. The intensity of PD-ECGF expression in invasive adenocarcinoma was significantly lower in comparison with VEGF expression. The intensity of Ki-67 expression had no correlation with severity of cervical tumor and was significantly higher in moderate and severe dysplasia than in microinvasive and invasive carcinoma. Ki-67 expression had no statistical correlation with VEGF and PD-ECGF. CONCLUSION: The VEGF and PD-ECGF are important angiogenic factors and associated with progression of cervical tumor. The VEGF may be involved in the progressions of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, but the PD-ECGF may not be involved or be minimally involved in the progression of adenocareinoma. There seems to be a different angiogenic pathway pertaining to the histologic difference of cervical cancer. There was no difference of Ki-67 expression according to severity of cervical tumor.
Adenocarcinoma ; Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Microvessels ; Thymidine Phosphorylase* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

Ota's nevus is a mongolian spot-like macular blue-black or gray-brown patchy pigmentation that most commonly occurs unilaterally in areas innervated by the first and second division of the trigeminal nerve. We report a case of Ota's nevus treated by combination therapy with cryosurgery and a Q-switched Alexandrite laser. A 48-year-old female had had a type III Ota's nevus from birth. Cryosurgery was tried at first using hard chalk dry ice on the lesion of the forehead and cheek. After that, The Q-switched Alexandrite laser was used three times at twelve week intervals at the site of the eyelid. Good therapeutic effects were gained and our patient was very satisfied. There were no complications or scarring. A Biopsy of the area treated revealed a similar histological pattern with significantly less melanin indicating melanin removal. Combination therapy with cryosurgery and an Alexandrite laser on the Ota's nevus may be cheaper, more effective and a safer method. It may also reduce the limitation of the two methods when used individually.
Biopsy ; Calcium Carbonate ; Cheek ; Cicatrix ; Cryosurgery* ; Dry Ice ; Eyelids ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Melanins ; Middle Aged ; Nevus of Ota* ; Parturition ; Pigmentation ; Trigeminal Nerve

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

To examine the electrophysiological properties of luteal cells and the relationship between membrane potential and luteal steroidogenic capacity, the membrane potential of luteal cells and the luteal steroidogenesis were measured under different ionic conditions following treatment with various drugs and gonadotropins. The membrane potential of luteal cells did not vary throughout the estrous cycle and was -55 +/- 1 mV. The membrane potential was highly dependent upon the external K+ concentration and was depolarized by the deprivation of external Ca2+, however) there seemed to be a lower K+ permeability in luteal membranes as the presence of 10-9 M valinomycin, a K+ ionophore Caused hyperpolarization from -55 to -91 mV. Luteal progestin production was increased in a high K+ solution but not m a Ca2+-free solution indicating that Ca2+ may be essential for steroid synthesis and/or secretion by luteal cells. Gonadotropins and ouabain induced a depolarization of the membrane potential and stimulated luteal steroidogenesis; however; prostaglandin F2alpha stimulated only steroidogenesis without any changes in membrane potential. These results suggest that the relationship between steroidogenesis and the changes in membrane potential by drugs and gonadotropins is still obscure and remains to be eluridated. The relationship between membrane potential and steroidogenesis in the luteal cell may be dependent upon the availability of intracelluar Ca2+.
Animal ; Corpus Luteum/*metabolism ; Estrus/metabolism ; Female ; Ions ; Luteal Cells/*metabolism ; Membrane Potentials ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Strains ; Steroids/*biosynthesis ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: We studied peritoneal fluid and serum LDH levels to identify patients with ovarian carcinoma and differentiate them from patients with benign ovarian tumor or other gynecological tumors. METHODS: From July 1998 to May 1999, peritoneal fluid and serum LDH, serum CA-125 levels were measured in 95 patients: 11 with ovarian carcinoma, 2 with borderline ovarian tumor, 45 with benign ovarian tumor, 2 with endometrial carcinoma, 21 with CIS, 7 with cervical cancer and 7 with uterine myoma. RESULTS: Peritoneal fluid LDH and serum LDH and CA-125 levels in ovarian cancer patients were significantly higher than those in patients with benign ovarian tumor and other gynecological tumors(p<0.05). Peritoneal fluid LDH demonstrated higher sensitivity(100%) and greater diagnostic efficiency(86%) than serum LDH(73% and 84%, respectively) or serum CA-125.(82% and 83%, respectively) CONCLUSION: Peritoneal fluid LDH, compared to serum LDH and serum CA-125, presented the greatest diagnostic efficiency in discriminating ovarian cancer from benign ovarian tumor and, therefore, it may be efficient as a biochemical marker in diagnosis of ovarian cancer, even in early stages of the disease.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Biomarkers ; Diagnosis ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Lactic Acid* ; Leiomyoma ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Vesiculobullous eruptions are a rare cutaneous manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). They are related to intense inflammation within the cutaneous lesions and subsequent blister formation. We report a case of vesiculobullous eruption of SLE in a 23-year-old male. The bullous eruptions were present ori the lip, forehead, both feet and hands. He met ARA(American Rheumatism Association) is criteria for a diagnosis of SLE and the eruptions developed during a systemic attack of the disease. Routine histology of the lesion showed subepidermal blisters with intact epidermis and dense neutrophilic infiltration in the upper dermis. Direct immunofluorescence of lesional skin showed a linear-granular pattern of immune deposits at the dermoepidermal junction. Electronmicroscopy of the lesional skin showing subepidermal bullae are located beneath the lamina densa. Combination therapy of prednisolone and hydrochloroquine showed complete clearing of the lesions within several weeks. We observed a good response without evidence of recurrence.
Blister ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Epidermis ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Foot ; Forehead ; Hand ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lip ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Male ; Neutrophils ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Skin ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to complete delivery during daytime through rapid and safe management with oral prostaglandin plus oxytocin, and to reduce the duration of induced labor, hospital stay and dispersion of human power. METHODS: Ninety pregnancies requiring induction of labor between December 1998 and July 1999 were analyzed prospectively. Patients were assigned to receive either oral PGE2 or oral PGE1. In one group, labor induction was performed with 0.5 mg of oral PGE2 (group 1, n=46), was orally taken every one hour since 06:00 AM to 09:00 AM and intravenous oxytocin infusion (The beginning dose was 2 mU/min, the dose increased by 2 mU/30 min) beginning at 09:00 AM, and in the other group (group 2, n=44), 100 microgram of PGE1 was orally taken at 11:00 PM the day before oxytocin infusion was commenced at 07:00 AM. If there was uterine contraction of more than 200 Montevideo units, intravenous oxytocin would not be given. RESULTS: The mean time (+/-standard deviation) to active phase labor (cervical dilatation more than 3 cm and uterine contraction more than 200 Montevideo units) with PGE2 group was 335.16+/-157.89 minutes versus 534.16+/-211.79 minutes with PGE1 group (P<0.001). The mean time from active phase to birth was 182.8+/-93 minutes in group 1 versus 236.4+/-88.8 minutes (P<0.001). These significances were due to the difference of time interval from taking prostaglandins to infusion of oxytocin between the two groups. The time zone of expected delivery was 13:28 PM to 15:48 PM and 10:22 AM to 13:18 PM (Confidence Interval 95%). The induction failure rates were 10.87% versus 9.09%. The induction failure rate was significantly different according to Bishop score (if <4, 15.3% versus if >or= 4, 0%) and the cesarean section rate was also (if < 4, 40.7% versus if >or= 4, 19.4%) in the two groups (P<0.05). There were no clinical or statistical differences in demographic data, clinical characteristics, maternal outcomes and complications, and neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: Both may be proper methods of inducing delivery during daytime and begun at outpatient office base.
Alprostadil ; Cesarean Section ; Dilatation ; Dinoprostone* ; Female ; Humans ; Labor, Induced ; Length of Stay ; Outpatients ; Oxytocin* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Prospective Studies ; Prostaglandins ; Uterine Contraction

Retinal dysplasia is an important disease in the study of retinal development. The differential diagnosis of retinal dysplasia from retinoblastoma is very difficult to make clinically, but histologically the diagnosis is made by the structure of rosettes. The authors experimentally gave trauma to retina of rats and produced retinal dysplasia; we observed under electron microscope the incomplete rosette of retinal dysplasia and the complete rosette appearing in retinoblastoma. We concluded that both rosettes are formed in developing retina with environmental or hereditary defects and did a comparative study of their characteristic fine structures.
Animals ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Rats* ; Retina ; Retinal Dysplasia* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retinoblastoma*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinicopathologic features and clinical outcomes of adnexal tumors in pregnancy. METHODS: After review of charts of 51 patients managed at Kyungpook National University Hospital from January 1996 to June 2002, data including clinical findings, treatments and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of pregnant women with adnexal tumors was 28.5 years old and the adnexal tumors were more common in nulliparous pregnant women (74.5%) than parous those. There were asymptomatic or no signs in 40 cases (78.4%), lower abdominal pain in 9 cases (17.6%), vaginal bleeding in 1 case (2.0%) and palpable mass by patient herself in 1 case (2.0%). The surgical treatments were performed at first trimester in 9 cases (19.1%), second trimester in 31 cases (66.0%) and third trimester in 7 cases (14.9%). Postoperative histopathologic diagnoses of adnexal tumors were 22 cases (43.1%) of benign cystic teratoma, 7 cases (13.8%) of functional cyst, 6 cases (11.8%) of serous cystadenoma, 4 cases (7.8%) of mucinous cystadenoma, 4 cases (7.8%) of endometrioma, 3 cases (5.9%) of parovarian cyst and 4 cases (7.8%) of malignancy including 2 cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and 2 cases of mucinous tumor, borderline. The complication resulting from adnexal tumors was torsion of 6 cases (11.8%). The outcome of pregnancy was available in 30 cases, term delivery in 25 cases (83.3%), preterm delivery in 3 cases (10%) and spontaneous abortion in 2 cases (6.7%). CONCLUSION: Although the incidence of adnexal tumors with pregnancy is variable according to the reports, the detection rate is more and more increasing due to a widespread application of ultrasound. Thus, obstetricians must always consider adnexal tumors combined with pregnancy and try to minimize the complications of surgery during pregnancy to prevent adverse fetal outcome and maternal morbidity.
Abdominal Pain ; Abortion, Spontaneous ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Cystadenoma, Mucinous ; Cystadenoma, Serous ; Diagnosis ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucins ; Parovarian Cyst ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Teratoma ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage