BACKGROUND: The catalytic subunit of telomerase, hTERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), is one of the most important components of telomerase, and performs a pivotal role in the mechanism underlying the regulation of telomerase activity in cellular immortalization and carcinogenesis. The principal objective of this study was to investigate hTERT expression in patients with non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), and to evaluate its clinical significance and association with the expression of p16 and p53. METHODS: Using tissue microarray, the protein expression profiles of hTERT, p16 and p53 were investigated via immunohistochemistry in 167 samples of NSCLCs. RESULTS: Expression was observed in 54.5% (91/167) of the tumors, which were predominantly squamous cell carcinomas. Patients evidencing hTERT expression in their tumors exhibited significantly poorer survival rates than did patients without hTERT expression in early-stage NSCLCs (p=0.0125). According to the results of our Cox regression analysis, hTERT expression proved to be an independent prognostic factor (p=0.006), particularly for squamous cell carcinomas (p=0.019). hTERT expression was not correlated with p16 expression, but was rather associated with the expression of p53 (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that hTERT may perform a function in the progression of NSCLC, and that its detection may be useful in predicting the prognosis of NSCLC patients in the early stages of the disease, as well as in the development of a targeted therapy in these tumors.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Catalytic Domain ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung* ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Telomerase*

No abstract available.
Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*

No abstract available.
Doxorubicin* ; Membrane Potentials* ; Membranes* ; Papillary Muscles*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*

To evaluate the tissue expression rate and pattenr of HBsAg and HBcAg in tumors and peritumoral livers, an immunohistochemical study was undertaken on 47 surgically resected hepatocellular carcinomas(HCCs). The results are as follows. 1. Patient's sera were positive for HBsAg in 40 cases(85.1%). In the remaining 7 cases, the tumor and peritumoral liver expressed neither HBcAg nor HbSaG, suggesting that they were caused by other etiologies than hepatitis B virus. 2. The peritumoral liver had HBsAg and HBcAg in 95.0% and 27.5% among the 40 cases, respectively. But the tumor expressed HBsAg in 50.0% and HBcAg in none. 3. The expression of HBsAg within the tumor and both HBsAg and HBcAg in the peritumoral liver tended to be more frequent in the pretreated cases before surgery. 4. Edmondson-Steiner grade IV tumors revealed a lower expression rate of HBsAg than the low grade tumors(p<0.05). Incases with cirrhosis at peritumoral tissues, HBcAg was less frequently found than in those without cirrhosis. The majority of tissue HBsAg and HBcAg was represented as groups of positive cells. These results suggest that, during the development and progression of HCCs, the HBcAg containing cells are repeatedly removed and the HBcAg negative cells are selected, because cellular expression of HBcAg is the target of host immune response.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

PURPOSE: To investigate if the use of the infrared warm compression device often used in clinical settings induced heat shock proteins. METHODS: Subjects were heat-treated with an infrared warm compression device for 20 minutes. We examined the temperature of the upper eyelid and cornea before and after heat treatment and images were obtained by Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging System. After 6 hours of heat treatment, conjunctival epithelial cells were obtained by gently pressing nitrocellulose paper on the conjunctival surface for 3 to 5 seconds Immunocytochemical staining analysis was performed on the obtained samples. Tear samples were obtained prior to heat treatment and Western blot was performed to observe the expression patterns of heat shock proteins 27, 47, 70, and 90. RESULTS: By Western blot and immunocytochemical analysis, heat shock proteins 70 and 27 were significantly increased in the heat-treated samples. However, no difference was observed for heat shock proteins 47 and 90 before and after heat treatment, according to the immunocytochemical analysis. On Western blot, heat shock protein 47 was slightly increased by heat treatment but heat shock protein 90 did not show a significant difference after heat treatment. CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that the infrared warm compression device significantly increased the induction of heat shock proteins 27 and 70, and that 47 was also slightly induced. This result suggests that the device developed herein could be used as a new therapeutic modality for the reduction of inflammatory cell injury through the induction of heat shock proteins.
Blotting, Western ; Collodion ; Cornea ; Epithelial Cells ; Eyelids ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins ; HSP47 Heat-Shock Proteins ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins

No abstract available.
Immunoglobulins* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

PURPOSE: Transforming growth factorbeta (TGFbeta) is an extracellular ligand that binds to a heterodimeric receptor, initiating signals that regulate growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Many cancers, including pancreatic cancer, harbor defects in TGFbeta signaling and are resistant to TGFbeta-mediated growth inhibition. Recently, it has been reported that enhanced expression of TGFbeta1 is associated with the progression of a pancreatic ductal cell carcinoma (PCA) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). We investigated the difference in the expressions of TGFbeta1 and the TGFbeta receptor II (TbetaRII) in PCA and CP and the clinical significance of TGFbeta1 and TbetaRII in PCA. METHODS: Surgically resected pancreatic specimen were obtained from 26 patients with a PCA and 12 with CP; 5 normal pancreatic tissue specimens were also obtained. The specimens were immunostained for TGFbeta1 and TbetaRII. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analyses of TGFbeta1 and TbetaRII revealed positive immunostaining in 73.1% and 66.7% of the tumors, respectively. In the ductal epithelial cells of PCA and CP, there were no significant differences in the expressions of TGFbeta1 and TbetaRII. In contrast, their stromal expressions tended to be stronger in PCA than in CP; especially, the expression of TbetaRII was significantly higher in PCA (p=0.008). Also the presence of TGFbeta1 and TbetaRII in the cancer was significantly associated with node metastasis, advanced tumor stage (p<0.01), and short survival time (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: There might be some pathological difference in the stromal reactions of TGFbeta1 or TbetaRII between PCA and CP. The presence of TGFbeta1 or TbetaRII indicates a role in disease progression.
Apoptosis ; Disease Progression ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatic Neoplasms* ; Pancreatitis, Chronic* ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Transforming Growth Factor beta*

No abstract available.
Cardiac Catheterization* ; Cardiac Catheters* ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Child* ; Cineangiography* ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans

No abstract available.
Electrocardiography* ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial* ; Hemodynamics*