No abstract available.
Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Ovary*

No abstract available.
Retrospective Studies ; Surgery, Oral ; Tracheostomy

No abstract available.
Anesthesiology* ; Education* ; Publications*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the lung changes in healthy smokers, as seen on inspiratory and expiratoryhigh-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-seven healthy smokers (light smokers,below 20 pack-years, n=16; heavy smokers, above 20 pack-years, n=11) and 25 nonsmokers underwent inspiratory andexpiratory HRCT. All healthy smokers had normal pulmonary function and chest radiography. Parenchymal andsubpleural micronodules, ground-glass attenuation, centrilobular and paraseptal emphysema, bronchial wallthickening, bronchiectasis and septal line were evalvated on inspiratory scan and by air-trapping on expiratoryscan. RESULTS: On inspiratory scan, parenchymal micronodules were observed in one of 25 nonsmokers(4%), two of 16light smokers(13%) and five of 11 heavy smokers(45%); subpleural micronodules in two(8%), four(25%), two(18%);ground-glass attenuation in 0(0%), one(6%), three(27%); centrilobular emphysema in 0(0%), one(6%), three(27%);paraseptal emphysema in three(12%), 0(0%), five(45%); bronchial wall thickening in 0(0%), two(13%), one(9%),bronchiectasis in 0(0%), one(6%) two(18%) and septal line in one(4%), four(25%), two(18%). On expiratory scan,air-trapping was detected in 0 of 15 nonsmokers(0%), two of 17 light smokers(12%), and five of 11 heavysmokers(45%). Statistically significant differences between these three groups were found in parenchymalmicronodules(P=0.006), ground-glass attenuation(P=0.008), centrilobular emphysema(P=0.018), paraseptal emphysema(P=0.005) and air-trapping(P=0.013) between these three groups. CONCLUSION: According to the findings of HRCT,heavy smokers had higher frequency of parenchymal micronodules, ground-glass attenuation, centrilobular andparaseptal emphysema, and air-trapping than nonsmokers and light smokers.
Bronchiectasis ; Bronchiolitis ; Emphysema ; Lung* ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; Radiography ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.
Humans*

Leiomyomas, which are the commonest pelvic tumors in women, are originated from myometrial cells. Although the exact initial pathophysiologic event of the leiomyoma is not known, recent evidences suggested that the effects of sex steroid hormones in the process of tumor growth are mediated by local production of growth factors including epidermal growth factor(EGF), insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor-II(IGF-II). Recently, it was suggested that transforming growth factor-beta(TGF-beta) may play a role for growing of leiomyomas. It was known that TGF-beta increase the formation of extracellular matrix. And we examined TGF-beta1 expression and tried to know the effect of TGF-beta1 on the extracellular matrix, collagen I and III mRNA levels in cultured leiomyoma and myometrial cells. We found that immunoreactive TGF-beta1 was expressed in myometriums and in leiomyomas. There was no difference at the intensity of immunostaining between two tissues. In northern blotting, there was no difference of TGF-beta1 expression at the transcriptional level in both tissues. TGF-beta1 increased the mRNA levels of collagen I in cultured myometrial and leiomyoma cells at the concentration of 1 ng/ml(p<0.05), 10 ng/ml(p<0.001). And TGF-beta1 increased the mRNA levels of collagen III in cultured myometrial and leiomyoma cells at the concentration of 1 ng/ml (p<0.05), 10 ng/ml(p<0.05). Therefore, expressed TGF-beta1 may stimulate the incorporation of collagen I and III into the extracellular matrix in myometriums and leiomyomas.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Collagen* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Leiomyoma* ; Mice ; Myometrium* ; RNA* ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

PURPOSE: This study assessed the environmental lead exposure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the relationship between lead exposure and renal function indices. METHODS: Seventy-one patients with CKD and 40 control subjects without known renal disease were included. Blood lead was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and tibial lead was measured via 109Cd-based K-shell X-ray fluorescence. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, urine creatinine and urine N-acetyl-beta glucosaminidase (NAG) were also measured. Blood lead was corrected with hematocrit (female: 35%, male: 42%) to adjust for differences in anemic status of patients compared with control subjects. RESULTS: The mean level of hematocrit-adjusted blood lead was significantly higher in patients with CKD (4.18+/-1.74 microg/dL) compared with that in control subjects (3.00+/-0.92 microg/dL); the mean tibial lead level tended to be higher in patients with CKD (3.38+/-9.93 microg/g) than that in control subjects (1.28+/-7.92 microg/g), but no statistical significance was observed. In a multivariate regression analysis after adjusting for gender, age, and drinking and smoking status, adjusted blood lead was a significant predictor of increases in BUN and serum creatinine, but not of the level of urine NAG or creatinine. In contrast, no significant association between tibial lead and renal indices was observed in the multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that environmental lead exposure may compromise renal function.
Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; Drinking ; Fluorescence ; Hematocrit ; Hexosaminidases ; Humans ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic

PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in regional density of normal lung, as seen on CT, according to respiration and gravity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 15 healthy volunteers, all non-smokers and without previous pulmonary disease. CT scans were obtained at three selected levels through the apex, middle and basal lung at the aortic arch, carina and just above the diaphragm, respectively at both full inspiration (FVC) and full expiration (RV). Within these regions of interest and at the three scanning levels, lung density was measured in the anterior, lateral, and posterior portions of the peripheral lung field. RESULTS: Attenuation of the anterior portion of the lung was lower than that of the posterior portion(p<0.005); average lung attenuation increase from the anterior to the posterior portion was significantly greater during full expiration than full inspiration (p<0.005), and was significantly greater at the base of the lung than at the apex (p<0.005 on expiration, p=0.006 on inspiration). Lung density during inspiration was lower than during expiration (p<0.005); average lung density increase from full inspiration to full expiration was significantly greater in the posterior portion than in the anterior (p<0.005). In the former, the average increase at the base of the lung was greater than at the apex (p=0.007), but in the latter, the average increase at the apex was greater than at thebase (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: In normal lung, respiration and gravity cause regional density changes, as seen on CT, and result in difference of lung attenuation between dependent and nondependent portions and between the apex, middle and base of the lung, according to inspiration and expiration.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Diaphragm ; Gravitation ; Healthy Volunteers ; Lung Diseases ; Lung* ; Respiration ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To compare the techniques and complications of intra-arterial port implantation for intra-arterialchemotherapy between PIPS and the port system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For intra-arterial port implantation, 27cases in 27 patients were retrospectively evalu-ated using PIPS(PIPS-200, William Cook Europe, Denmark) while for21 cases in 19 patients a pediatric ve-nous port system(Port-A-Cath, 5.8F, SIMS Deltec, U.S.A.) was used. Allintra-arterial port implantation was performed percuteneously in an angiographic ward. Hepatocellular carcinomawas diagnosed in 18 patients and hepatic metastasis in 16. Peripheral cholangiocarcinoma, and pancreatic gastric,ovarian, renal cell and colon carcinoma were included. We compared the techniques and complications between PIPSand the port system. The follow up period ranged from 23 to 494(mean, 163) days in PIPS and from 12 to 431(mean,150) days in the port system. RESULTS: In all cases, intra-arterial port implantations were technicallysuccessful. Port catheter tips were locat-ed in the common hepatic artery(n=8), proper hepatic artery(n=7), righthepatic artery(n=5), gastroduodenal artery(n=2), left hepatic artery(n=1), pancreaticoduodenal artery(n=1),inferior mesenteric artery(n=1), lum-bar artery(n=1), and renal artery(n=1) in PIPS, and in the proper hepaticartery(n=6), gastroduodenal artery(n=6), common hepatic artery(n=3), right hepatic artery(n=4), inferiormesenteric artery(n=1), and in-ternal iliac artery(n=1) in the port system. Port chambers were buried ininfrainguinal subcutaneous tissue. Using PIPS, complications developed in seven cases(25.9%) and of these, four(57.1%) were catheter or cham-ber related. In the port system, catheter or chamber related complications developedin four cases(19.0%). CONCLUSION: Because PIPS and the port system have relative merits and demetrits, successfulintra-arterial port implantation is possible if equipment is properly selected.
Catheters ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Colon ; Drug Therapy* ; Europe ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Vascular Access Devices