No abstract available.

This study was carried out to evaluate the immunohistochemical expressions of p53, E-cadherin, and nm23 proteins in 114 cases of metastatic carcinoma of the neck lymph node (MTLNCA) and corresponding primary carcinoma (PRCA). The positive expressions of p53, E-cadherin, and nm23 proteins were 62.3%, 58.8% and 64.0%, respectively in PRCA, and 40.4%, 38.6%, and 43.9%, respectively in MTLNCA with significant down-regulation from PRCA to MTLNCA (p<0.05). The down-regulation was correlated with female gender, moderate and poor differentiation, and adenocarcinoma in p53 protein, female gender, respiratory and gastrointestinal carcinoma in E-cadherin protein, and female gender, respiratory carcinoma, moderate differentiation, and squamous cell carcinoma in nm23 protein (p<0.05). There was no significant relationship among expressions of p53, E-cadherin, and nm23 proteins (p<0.05). In conclusion, these results suggest that the expressions of p53, E-cadherin, and nm23 proteins seem to be down-regulated from PRCA to MTLNCA and this down-regulation may play a role in invasion and metastasis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cadherins* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Neck* ; Neoplasm Metastasis

The differentiation between reactive mesothelial and carcinoma cells in serous effusion cytology can be a diagnostic challenge based on morphology alone. The expression of some cell adhesion molecules may be helpful in the differential diagnosis. This study evaluated the usefulness of E-cadherin immunocytochemistry for discrimination of carcinoma cells from reactive mesothelial cells. Alcohol fixed, paraffin embedded cell blocks taken from 42 reactive and 102 malignant serous effusions with histologically confirmed diagnoses were immunostained with monoclonal antibody to E-cadherin by LSAB method. E-cadherin expression was identified in only 2 benign reactive serous effusions(5%) whereas 91 malignant serous effusions(89%) expressed E-cadherin. The differences in immunostaining for E-cadherin between reactive and malignant serous effusions were statistically significant(p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the E-cadherin immunostaining for carcinoma cells were 89% and 95%, respectively. In conclusion, E-cadherin is a useful diagnostic adjunct for differentiation between reactive mesothelial and carcinoma cells in serous effusions.
Cadherins* ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Immunohistochemistry ; Paraffin ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: Pancretojejunostomy leakage is the most dreaded complication after a pancratoduodenectomy. However, little is known about what causes the leakage and how to prevent it. The aim of this study was to dentify the risk factors for pancreatic leakage. This paper describes our experience of its management. METHODS: Between Aug. 1996 and Aug. 2003, 75 consecutive patients with periampullary cancer or benign disease received a pancreatoduodenectomy. The patients' clinical characterisitcs, pathological features and surgical findings were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were classified into those with major complication and rhose with no complications and the risk factors were analyzed. Pancreatic leakage, intraabdomnial fluid collection and abscess, intraabdomnial bleeding were categorized as major complications related to a pancreatic fistula. RESULTS: The postoperative mortality and morbidity rate was 2.6% and 36%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the pancreatic texture, pathologic diagnoses and comorbidity were significant risk factors for major complications (P= 0.003, 0.045, 0.02). Multivariate analyses revealed that the, pancreatic texture was the only significant risk factor (P=0.003). The preoperative serum albumin level and pancreatic texture were significant risk factors for pancreatic leakage (p=0.03, 0.025) and multivariate analysis showed that the pancreatic texture was also the most significant risk factor. CONCLUSION: Considering that the pancreatic texture is the most significant risk factor for a pancreatic fistula, the technical skill and experience of the surgeon appears to be important for its prevention.
Abscess ; Comorbidity ; Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pancreatic Fistula* ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Serum Albumin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of total prostate-specific antigen(PSA) as a predictor of the prostatic volume in men with symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1999 to 2003, data were collected from 942 patients complaining of lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS). Baseline prostatic volume(PV) and serum PSA were measured using transrectal sonography and ELSA-PSA2 kit. Patients with a history of prostate surgery, prostatic cancer and conditions other than BPH at baseline were excluded. Transrectal prostatic biopsy was performed in 162 of patients with a serum PSA >4.0 ng/ml to exclude prostatic cancer. A log-transformed linear regression model was used to estimate threshold PVs in men with BPH, and to select the optimal serum PSA cut-off values. RESULTS: The analyses included 942 patients with a mean age of 63.8 years, mean baseline PV 29.59 ml, and mean baseline PSA value 2.37 ng/ml. PV as well as serum PSA increased with age. Linear regression analyses showed that PV and serum PSA have an age-dependent log-linear relationship. Optimal serum PSA cut-off values for the overall study population irrespective of age was 1.7 ng/ml (AUC: 0.800+/-0.053) to detect PV >30 ml and 2.2 ng/ml (AUC: 0.805+/-0.027) to detect PV >40 ml. The age-specific criteria for detecting men with prostate glands exceeding 40 ml are PSA >1.9 ng/ml (AUC: 0.800+/-0.053), >2.2 ng/ml (AUC: 0.805+/-0.027), and >3.4 ng/ml (AUC: 0.763+/-0.039) for men with BPH in their 50 s, 60 s, and 70 s, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that PV is strongly related to serum PSA in men with BPH and the relationship depends on age. The age-specific criteria for detecting men with prostate glands exceeding 40 ml are PSA >1.9 ng/ml, >2.2 ng/ml, and >3.4 ng/ml for men with BPH in their 50 s, 60 s, and 70 s, respectively. And in the absence of reliable direct measurement of PV, serum PSA can estimate the degree of prostate enlargement accurately to be useful for therapeutics, especially medical management.
Biopsy ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Urinary Tract

Although several reports were presented recently about bronchial arterial revascularization in clinical lung transplantation, one factor peculiar to the lung transplantation is the ischemia of the donor bronchus. Poor bronchial healing occurs frequently following clinical lung transplantation and this has been major cause of mortality and morbidity. There have been many attempts to solve bronchial anastomotic complications. Telescoping technique, one of those attempts, was advocated by San Antonio Group recently. This experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of telescoping anastomotic technique upon the healing of the tracheo-bronchial anastomosis. We used rabbits(weighing about 800 g) as experimental animal. METHOD: Resection of middle one third of cervical trachea and reanastomosis was performed by simple interrupted anastomotic technique in Group 1(n=15) and by telescoping anastomotic technique in Group 2(n=15). RESULT: Anastomotic sites in the telescoping technique group showed significant increase of fibrosis in the early postoperative days(< 5days) and remarkable band-like fibrous union compared to the simple interrupted group.
Anastomosis, Surgical ; Animals ; Bronchi ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Lung Transplantation ; Mortality ; Tissue Donors ; Trachea

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to obtain basic data about the megakaryocyte colony formation of fetal liver cells by using immunocytochemical staining and ex vivo culture with growth factors. METHODS: The mononuclear cells were isolated from fetal liver and bone marrow with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP) and pancytopenia. These mononuclear cells were cultured in MegaCultTM-C(Stem Cell Tech, Canada) media in the presence of growth factors and CFU-Megakaryocyte(CFU-Mk) colonies were counted on day 12. The expansion of CD34+ and CD41+ cell was analyzed by flow cytometry after 5 days incubation using flask culture. RESULTS: The numbers of CFU-Mk colonies of mononuclear cells obtained from fetal liver in the 11th week gestational age were more than those in the 19th week specimens; growth factors could not enhance the colony expansion in all cases. Total numbers of CFU-Mk colony of fetal liver cells were higher than bone marrow from ITP or pancytopenia groups. The numbers of pure or large CFU-Mk colonies of fetal liver cells were also higher than bone marrow specimens. The rate of CD34+ cell expression of fetal liver was increased after flask culture and the enhancement effect of epression was seen only in cases which added thrombopoietin. The rate of CD41+ cell expression of fetal liver was increased after incubation, but the enhancement effect of growth factors was unclear. CONCLUSION: This study revealed good results about the megakaryocyte colony assay of fetal liver mononuclear cells using MegaCultTM-C media. This study suggests that the fetal liver could be a good source of megakaryocytic progenitor cells for clinical application in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Bone Marrow ; Flow Cytometry ; Gestational Age ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Liver* ; Megakaryocytes* ; Pancytopenia ; Stem Cells ; Thrombopoietin

BACKGROUND: The interstitial cell of Cajal (ICC), the cell of origin for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), expresses CD117 (c-kit) which is a receptor for KIT ligand in cell membranes. It is immunohistochemically positive for CD117, CD34 and vimentin, but not for alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA). METHODS: We performed the immunohistochmical study with anti-CD117, anti-CD34, anti-VMT and anti-alpha-SMA in paraffin-embedded tissue of 28 GISTs and 19 smooth muscle tumors arising in the gastrointestinal tract, mesentery, omentum and retroperitoneum (GISMT) to determine the precise nature of GIST cells. RESULTS: The positive rates of CD117, CD34 and vimentin in extraGISTs were significantly higher than in GISMTs. The positive rate of alpha-SMA in GIST was not significantly different than in GISMTs. CONCLUSIONS: A subset of GISTs may express alpha-SMA as well as CD117 and the cell of their origin may be a ICC precursor cell which is capable of differentiating bidirectionally into ICC and smooth muscle cell. This explains why GISTs may arise out of gut where ICC is not present and that they may represent the tumors arising from ICC precursor cell present around the gastrointestinal tract.
Actins* ; Cell Membrane ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mesentery ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Omentum ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; Smooth Muscle Tumor ; Stem Cell Factor ; Vimentin*

Cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a very rare tumor which has a clinically and histologically benign nature. It occurs predominantly in young to middle-ged women and tends to recur locally. It affects chiefly the pelvic peritoneum-articularly the cul-e-ac, uterus, and rectum. We report a case of cystic mesothelioma of the visceral peritoneum which was located anterior to the ascending colon. A 54-ear-ld female patient visited our hospital with a palpable tender mass in the right flank. A computed tomographic scan of the abdomen showed a multicystic mass with an enhancing wall and septum in front of the ascending colon. The patient underwent a right hemicolectomy, and the mass was completely removed. Grossly, the tumor consisted of a multilocular cyst containing clear, serous, or gelatinous fluid and partially solid areas. Microscopically, the solid areas were composed of fibrous tissue, and the lining cells varied from flattened to cuboidal cells with a strong positive reactivity for cytokeratin and mild positive reactivity for epithelial membrane antigen on immunohistochemical staining. These findings suggest that the tumor was mesothelial in origin.
Abdomen ; Colon* ; Colon, Ascending ; Female ; Gelatin ; Humans ; Keratins ; Mesothelioma, Cystic* ; Mucin-1 ; Peritoneal Neoplasms ; Peritoneum ; Rectum ; Uterus

Primary heterotopic ossification has been previously noted in abdominal laparotomy scars, but the presence of ectopic bone within the peritoneum is extremely rare and chracterized by new bone formation in a tissue which does not normally undergo ossification. Our patient in a 59-year-old man who underwent operation for acute cholecystitis had formation of heterotopic bone involving mesentery of intestine. The features of various types of ectopic calcification are discussed, and several theories concerning the pathogenesis and treatment of heterotopic ossification are examined.
Cholecystitis, Acute ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Intestines* ; Laparotomy ; Mesentery* ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic* ; Osteogenesis ; Peritoneum