No abstract available.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans

Foreign body (FB) ingestion of children is a common pediatric emergency requiring medical attention. Pediatric emergency physicians and gastroenterologists often encounter nervous and distressed situations, because of children presenting with this condition in the common clinical practice. When determining the appropriate timing and indications for intervention, physicians should consider multiple patient- and FB-related factors. The utilization of a flexible endoscopy is considered safe and effective to use in these cases, with a high success rate, for the effective extraction of FBs from the gastrointestinal tract of a child. Additionally, a Foley catheter and a magnet-attached Levin tube have been used for decades in the case of FB removal. Although their use has decreased significantly in recent times, these instruments continue to be used for several indications. Using a Foley catheter for this purpose does not require special training and does not necessarily require sedation of the patient or fluoroscopy, which serve as advantages of utilizing this method for foreign object retrieval. An ingested magnet or iron-containing FB can be retrieved using a magnet-attached tube, and can be effective to retrieve an object from any section of the upper gastrointestinal tract that can be reached. Simple and inexpensive devices such as Foley catheters and magnet-attached tubes can be used in emergencies such as with the esophageal impaction of disk batteries if endoscopy cannot be performed immediately (e.g., in rural areas and/or in patients presenting at midnight in a facility, especially in those without access to endoscopes or emergency services, or in any situation that warrants urgent removal of a foreign object).
Catheters ; Child ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Endoscopes ; Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Fluoroscopy ; Foreign Bodies ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Methods ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract ; Urinary Catheterization

In order to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in terminally failing hearts, we screened the explanted hearts of transplantation recipients for the presence of HBV DNA and HCV RNA. DNA and RNA extractions were taken from explanted failing hearts (N=7) and normal hearts (N=). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ PCR of HBV or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ RT-PCR of HCV were performed. The positivity of HBV in failing hearts was 63% (17/27) and it was 50% (3/6) in normal hearts in PCR. There was no significant difference in the positivity of HBV DNA between failing and normal hearts. The positivity of HCV in failing hearts was 18.5% (5/27) and it was 16.7% (1/6) in normal hearts in nested RT-PCR. There was no significant difference in the positivity of HCV RNA between failing and normal hearts. HCV was very rarely observed in explanted terminally failing hearts and HBV was frequently found in both explanted failing hearts and normal hearts. We concluded that these viruses have little direct causal relationship with the development of heart failure.
DNA ; Heart Failure ; Heart* ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans* ; Mass Screening* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; RNA

Dendritic cell (DC)s are protessional antigen presenting cells and they have been used for antitumor immunotherapy or cell vaccines. However therapy using DC is restricted because the number of DC available from tissue is very low. Flt3 ligand (FL) has been known as a hematopoietic growth factor that increases proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells, and recently it showed inducibility of dendritic cell (DC)s and signiticant antitumor effects in vivo. Thus FL will be frequently used for DC induction and antitumor immunotherapy in future. Here we constructed FL plasmid and studied its in vivo effect. FL plasmids were made by cloning of partial FL cDNA into pcDNA3 plasmid, and gene expression and protein producibility of FL plasmid were confirmed in Renca cells transfected with FL plasmid. Mice were injected with FL plasmid (100ug/mouse) three times and 20 days later mouse spleens were harvested for staining and RT-PCR. There were lots of blastogenic cells in the spleen of mice treated with FL plasmid. FL plasmid also induced DEC205, IL-12 and GM-CSF gene expression in mouse splenocyte. All these data suggest FL plasmid may be used for induction of DC and antitumor therapy as DNA adjuvant.
Mice ; Animals

Tamoxifen is a nonsteroidal triphenylethylene delivative that has been widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. tamoxifen is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer in women following total mastectomy or segmental mastectomy, breast irradiation and chemotherapy. tamoxifen has been shown to have significant benificial effect in the treatment of breast cancer patient as hormonal therapy. However ,there is mounting evidence that tamoxifen may affect other hormon sensitive organs, including the uterus and ovaries. An increased risk of endometrial polyps, endometrial hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma has been reported in tamoxifen treated women. We have met cases of endometrial polyp and endocervical polyp which were associated with tamoxifen use, after modified radical mastectomy for infilterating ductal carcinoma of breast . So we report these cases with the brief review of literatures.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Drug Therapy ; Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Female ; Humans ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Mastectomy, Simple ; Ovary ; Polyps* ; Tamoxifen* ; Uterus

Iron overdose is one of the most common, potentially fatal intoxication in children. We rescued a 3-year-old girl who ingested about 20 iron tablets(110 mg/kg of elemental iron) with early endoscopic intervention. The stomach showed diffusc hemorrhagic gastritis with large amount of retained corrosive iron material. Removal of iron tablets was performed successfully by gastroscope with condom attached on its tip and she recovered completely without any sequelae. The severity of the endoscopic findings even in the early stage and the uneventful clinical recovery in our patient strongly support that this approach could be tried before traditional methods. We think that gastroscopy can be both diagnostic and therapeutic tool in acute drug intoxication in children, because of its safety and easy, rapid availability.
Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Condoms ; Female ; Gastritis ; Gastroscopes* ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Iron* ; Stomach ; Tablets*

Alterations in the expression of genes that control the cell cycle may be of critical importance in tumorigenesis and malignant transformation. The major regulatory events leading to cell proliferation occur in Gl phase of cell cycle, and the deregulated expression of Gl cyclins is related to oncogenesis. Cyclins Dl and E play important roles in the progression of cell through Gl phase of the cell cycle. Amplification and/or overexpression of the cyclin Dl gene and aberrant expression of cyclin E has been described in various forms of human cancer. However, the role of cyclins Dl and E in cervical cancer has been poorly defined. In this study, we examined the expression of cyclins Dl and E by Northern blot technique and the status of human papil- lomavirus(HPV) type 16 and 18 by polymerase chain reaction in 25 cases of cervical carcinoma to explore the relationship between cyclins Dl and E and cervical cancer. We found cyclin Dl expression showed down-regulated expression in cervical cancer but cyclin E expression was increased in cancer group. Other clinicopathological prognostic factors were not correlated with cyclins D1 and E expression. Further study based on larger numbers of cases with correlation of cyclins D1 and E status and survival data will be needed to elucidate the use of cyclin expressions as prognostic factor.
Blotting, Northern ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin E ; Cyclins* ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The patients initially underwent epikeratoplasty for keratoconus but a penetrating kerato plasty was required due to the opacity in the cornea. By using of this specimen, which was obtained by trephination the healing process of the host-Ienticule cornea could be examined by electron microscopy and immunofluorescence method. Epithelial ingrowth over the lenticule was well formed by the regeneration of the basement membrane over the Bowman's membrane. However, the poor attachment of the lenticule over the host corneal stroma made the interface easily separated during the sectioning processes. Electron microscopic study revealed the keratocytes in the lenticule stroma vacuolized with large number of degenerated microorganelles. These results suggest that it may take a long time to complete the wound healing of the host-Ienticule interface despite the epithelial ingrowth onto the lenticule was well formed.
Basement Membrane ; Bowman Membrane ; Cornea ; Corneal Stroma ; Epikeratophakia* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Keratoconus ; Microscopy, Electron ; Regeneration ; Trephining ; Wound Healing

Interferon (IFN) alpha has been the first line therapy of chronic hepatitis B in children, but HBeAg seroconversion occurred in 26% of treated children compared to 11% of controls in multinational randomized controlled study. Recently, lamivudine was shown to be a potent inhibitor of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reproduction both in HBeAg positive and in HBeAg negative (the pre-core mutant form) chronic hepatitis in randomized studies worldwide. Lamivudine therapy led to considerable improvement in the seroconversion rate of HBeAg in children with chronic hepatitis B, though long-term therapy resulted in the expansion of lamivudine-resistant mutant viruses. Combination therapy with lamivudine plus alpha-IFN does not seem to improve HBe Ag seroconversion. Above all, the most effective way to prevent hepatitis B is universal HBV vaccination.
Child* ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferons ; Lamivudine ; Reproduction ; Vaccination

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Foreign body (FB) removal is a common indication of therapeutic endoscopy in children. The trend is becoming wider and more rational in application. The spectrum of upper gastrointestinal FB's in children during a recent 2 year period was reviewed in Taegu, Kyungbook Province in order to obtain a the consensus of recent trend of indications and techniques of endoscopic FB removal in children. METHODS: Esophagogastroscopy was performed on 78 children who had been referred to 3 University Hospitals in Taegu for FB ingestion from Oct. 1996 to Sep. 1998. RESULTS: Age between 1~2 year was the peak age group; 22 cases (28%). Male to female ratio was 1.9:1. Thirty four cases (44%) were in the esophagus, 44 cases (56%) in the stomach. The majority (49%) of the FB's were coins, 26 of 34 esophageal FB's and 12 of 44 gastric FB's. Others were 14 sharp/pointed objects, 12 big/long objects, 7 toxic objects, etc. In 67 children (86%) the FB was successfully removed and spontaneous passage through the pylorus was observed in 9 children. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic FB removal can be performed safely and effectively in children with minimal or no complications by an experienced endoscopist. Proper arrangement should be conducted with consideration to the property of FB's, expected complication, and the possibility of an emergency situation.
Child* ; Consensus ; Daegu* ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Female ; Foreign Bodies* ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Numismatics ; Pylorus ; Stomach ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*