BACKGROUND: The Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with human TSH receptor cDNA (hTSHR-CHO), expressing functional human TSH receptors, are known to be more sensitive in detection of thyroid stimulating antibodies than FRTL-5 cells. There has been no report on the usefulness of these cells to measure thyroid stimulation blocking antibody (TSBAb) activity which is frequently found in patients with primary myxedema, METHODS: We established the optimal assay condition of measurement of TSBAb using hTSHR-CHO cells, and simultaneously measured TSBAb activities with FRTL-5 cells and with hTSHR-CHO cells in 49 patients with primary myxedema, compared them with their thyrotropin binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) activities. RESULTS: 1) hTSHR-CHO cells specifically bound bTSH and were stimulated by bTSH in terms of cyclic AMP generation in a dose dependent manner. 2) Myxedema IgG suppressed TSH-stimulated cAMP production of hTSHR-CHO cells in a dose dependent manner reaching plateau at the concentration of I g/L. Normal pooled IgG has no suppressive action at the concentration of less than 1 g/L, but caused significant suppression at the concentration of greater than 1g/L. 3) TSBAb activities measured by hTSHR-CHO cells in 49 patients with primary myxedema were as follows: Four of 25 TBII-negative cases (16%) and 22 of 24 TBII-positive cases (92%) had TSBAb activities. Most of TSBAb positive patients (95%), especially in TBII positive cases, showed very high activities of more than 90%. 4) TSBAb activities measured by hTSHR-CHO cells and those by FRTL-5 cells were both positive in 24 patients (49%), both negative in 18 patients (37%), and were discrepant in 7 patients (14%). The TSBAb activities measured with hTSHR-CHO cells and those measured with FRTL-5 cells were significantly correlated (r=0.71, p< 0.01). 5) Forty five percent of patients with primary myxedema had all of 3 kinds of activities (TBII, hTSHR-CHO cell TSBAb, FRTL-5 cell TSBAb), 37% of them had none of 3 activities and 18% of them had 1 or 2 kinds of activities only. CONCLUSION: The usefulness of hTSHR-CHO cells in measurements of TSBAb activities were confirmed. The TSBAb activities of most patients with primary myxedema measured by hTSHR-CHO cells were concordant with those measured by FRTL-5 cells. However, a small subset of patients (18%) had discrepant results in assays of TSH receptor antibodies according to the differences in TSH receptors (rat, human and porcine) used in assay. Such discrepancy may be explained by heterogeneity in epitopes for blocking TSH receptor antibodies.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus* ; Cyclic AMP ; DNA, Complementary ; Epitopes ; Female ; Humans ; Humans* ; Hypothyroidism* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating ; Myxedema ; Ovary* ; Population Characteristics ; Receptors, Thyrotropin* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyrotropin

To address the possible prognostic value of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), the authors studied 43 cases of NSCLCs diagnosed between the years 1990 to 1995 at Pusan National University Hospital. The patients were treated either by pneumonectomy or lobectomy of the lung. The expression of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins was semiquantitatively analyzed in paraffin sections by immunohistochemical method and correlated with clinicopathologic prognostic parameters of NSCLCs. Overexpression of the p53 protein was found in 31 cases (72.1%) of the 43 NSCLCs. Overexpression of the p53 protein was significantly correlated with the decreasing degree of histologic differentiation, increasing tumor stage, and cigarette smoking. Bcl-2 expression was found in 19 cases (44.2%) of the 43 NSCLCs. Increased expression of the Bcl-2 protein was significantly correlated only with decreasing tumor stage. An inverse relationship was found between p53 and Bcl-2 proteins, but it was not statistically significant. Thus p53 and Bcl-2 proteins, as demonstrated immunohistochemically in routine paraffin sections, could be of value in prediction of the aggressiveness and prognosis of NSCLCs, in agreement with the central role of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins in the evolution of NSCLCs associated with cigarette smoking.
Busan ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung* ; Paraffin ; Pneumonectomy ; Prognosis ; Smoking

The author examined the immunophenotype and expression of Epstem-Barr virus RNA (EBERs) used in the situ hybridization technique in 20 cases of conventional malignant lymphoma and 28 cases of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis occured in the upper aerodigestive tract including the upper digestive tract(palatine tonsil), and upper respiratory tract(nasal cavity, paranasal sinus, nasopharynx). The results obtained were summarized as followings; 1. The favorable site of malignant lymphoma that occured in the upper aerodigestive tract was in the palatine tonsil(11 out of 20 cases, 55%), those of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis were nasal cavity and nasopharynx(19 out of 28 cases, 78%). 2. The immunophentype of malignant lymphoma that occured in the upper aerodigestive tract was mostly B-cell phenotype (15 out of 20 cases, 75%), and that of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis was predominantly T-cell phenotype(22 out of 28 cases, 79%). 3. The EBERs positivity of malignant lymphoma that occured in the upper aerodigestive tract was 25%(5 out of 20 cases), but that of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis was 57%(16 out of 28 cases). 4. The positive cases for EBERs revealed angiocentricity with necrosis(16 out of 21 cases, 76%), predominantly T-cell phenotype(19 out of 21 cases, 90%), and favorably involved the nasal cavity and nasopharynx(16 out of 21 cases, 76%). Based on the above results, it was concluded that polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis that occurred in the upper respiratory tract was an EBV-positive angiocentric T-cell lymphoma favorably involving the nasal cavity and nasopharynx.

Recently attention has been focused on the biology of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). TGF-beta1, a potent regulator of cell proliferation, stimulates the proliferation of many cell types of mesenchymal origin and inhibits the growth of many epithelial cells. But its cellular distribution and temporal expression remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate immunohistochemically the cellular distribution and temporal expression of TGF-beta1 during rat hepatic fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). At an early stage of liver fibrosis, there was evidence of multiple centrilobular hemorrhagic necrosis with parenchymal lobular collapse, and at a late stage, there was septal fibrosis with micronodule formation of the parenchyme. TGF-beta1 peptide was first expressed in centrilobular clusters of macrophage which were surrounded by many TGF-beta1 negative fat-storing cells (FSCs). Along with the progression of fibrosis, the TGF-beta1 peptide was expressed in the alpha-smooth muscle actin positive FSCs and also in some peripherally located hepatocytes of micronodules. Serum IFN-gamma was detected in the serum 2 weeks after an initial administration of DMN had reached the peak level at the 4th week and then markedly decreased at the 5th week. We think that TGF-beta1 peptide is produced by macrophages influenced by soluble IFN-gamma, and is expressed in the -smooth muscle actin positive mesenchymal cells and regenerating hepatocytes, and that this cytokine may have an important role in the synthesis of the extracellular matrix and in the regulation of hepatocytic regeneration.
Actins ; Animals ; Biology ; Cell Proliferation ; Dimethylnitrosamine* ; Epithelial Cells ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibrosis* ; Hepatocytes ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver* ; Macrophages ; Necrosis ; Rats* ; Regeneration ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

Administering of 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) before a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PHx) results in suppression of hepatocyte proliferation and stimulation of oval cell proliferation. The objectives of this study was to examine the oval cell behaviour and associated transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) protein expression by combining 2-AAF with selective hepatic damage caused by PHx. We also studied the temporal relationship between TGF-beta1 expression, and proliferation and apoptosis of oval cells. Oval cells emerged from the portal areas and became more numerous with time fanning out into the periportal and midzonal hepatic parenchyma. Both smooth muscle actin (SMA) and TGF-beta1 immunostain revealed that TGF-beta1-positive cells were SMA-positive hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Coinciding with the proliferation of oval cells, an increase expression of TGF-beta1 produced by SMA-positive HSCs was observed, thereafter apoptosis of oval cells reached its peak. This result implicated that TGF-beta1 produced by HSCs is intimately associated with proliferation and apoptosis of oval cells, and plays a role in the cessation of oval cell activation and remodeling of liver parenchyma in 2-AAF induced liver regeneration.
2-Acetylaminofluorene ; Animal ; Apoptosis/physiology* ; Hepatectomy ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Liver/ultrastructure ; Liver/metabolism* ; Liver/cytology ; Liver Regeneration/physiology* ; Liver Regeneration/drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism*

Gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) is one of the precursors of gastric adenocarcinoma and is clinically important regarding issue for recommendation of further endoscopic evaluation. Herein we review the histologic characteristics, molecular features and pathological diagnosis of IM. Histologically, IM has been classified as 3 types: type I complete IM, type 2 incomplete IM and type 3 incomplete IM. This classification is important to clinicians as well as pathologists. We emphasize that careful follow up should be recommended in patient with extensive IM or incomplete IM.
Adenocarcinoma ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Stomach

Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor or Brenner tumor is a relatively rare ovarian tumor. Other associated elements in the form of epithelial, mesenchymal, and tumor components of each tumor have been reported. The Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with a Brenner tumor element has not been documented in the literature, so we are reporting on a case of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor coexisting with a Brenner tumor. This 62-year-old woman presented with a 4 year history of lower abdominal mass and vaginal bleeding. Exploratory laparotomy was done. The left ovary showed a multiseptated, cystic, yellow-white solid mass, measuring 17.0x13.0x5.0 cm and weighing 985.0 gm. Microscopic examination revealed a tubular or trabecular arrangement of the Sertoli cells and variable numbers of Leydig cells. There were several tumor nests with cystic spaces composed of ovoid cells showing longitudinal nuclear grooving. Sarcomatoid or heterologous elements were not found.
Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of an infection control program on the Clonorchis sinensis (CS) infection ratio, CS-related knowledge and health behavior of people living near the Geum River. METHOD: A one-group pretest-posttest design was used with 102 participants. For 12 months the participants were provided with promotion announcements, health education, counseling, and medication. Outcome variables measured were the CS infection ratio by stool examination, CS-related knowledge and health behavior from self-report questionnaires. The pre intervention data were collected from January to February 2008 and the post intervention data during the same period in 2009. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, generalized estimating equation analysis, and paired t-test with SPSS for Windows version 15.0. RESULTS: In the pre test 21 of the 102 participants showed infection with CS for the first time. In the post test 9 were newly infected with CS, and one was re-infected. The CS-related knowledge was significantly improved after the infection control program (p<0.05). The CS-related health behaviors did not improve. CONCLUSION: These results showed that an infection control program is effective in decreasing CS infection ratio and improving CS-related knowledge of people living near the river.
Clonorchis sinensis ; Counseling ; Geum ; Health Behavior ; Health Education ; Infection Control ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rivers

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and horseback riding using a robotic device on the trunk muscle activity and gross motor function in children with spastic diplegia. METHODS: Children with spastic diplegia were divided into two groups: an experimental group (NMES and horseback riding using a robotic device [n=10]) and a control group (placebo NMES and horseback riding using a robotic device [n=10]). Each group received general physical therapy and occupational therapy. Each intervention involved the administration of NMES for 15 minutes and horseback riding using robotic device therapy for 15 minutes three times a week for 4 weeks. The evaluation included both the rectus abdominis muscles (RA), external oblique muscles (EO), thoracic paraspinal muscles (TP), and lumbar paraspinal muscles (LP) activity and GMFM. RESULTS: The RA, EO, TP, and LP muscle activity, GMFM C, D, and E were increased significantly in the experimental and control groups. A significant increase in both the TP muscle activity and GMFM D was observed in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: This study showed that horseback riding using a robotic device is an effective intervention for trunk muscle activity and GMFM in children with spastic diplegia. However, if NMES is added to the back muscles, it is possible to further increase the thoracic paraspinal muscle activity and standing ability.
Back Muscles ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Child* ; Electric Stimulation ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity* ; Muscles ; Occupational Therapy ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Rectus Abdominis

Atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia are well-known to be reliable indicators of gastric cancer risk. They are clinically important in deciding whether to recommend endoscopic surveillance. Herein I review the histopathologic diagnosis of atrophic gastritis and IM. Gastric atrophy is divided into metaplastic atrophy and non-metaplastic atrophy. IM is categorized as complete (type I) and incomplete (type II, III). Systematic interpretation of gastric atrophy and IM using the updated Sydney system or operative link on gastritis assessment is recommended. Furthermore, I suggest using the consensus definition of gastric atrophy and incomplete IM in the gastric biopsy pathology report to support the surveillance of high-risk gastric cancer group.