A giant cell tumor of bone is a benign bone tumor, but has very high local recurrence rate and, very rarely metastasizes to the lung or a distant area. We report a case of a 29-year-old male patient presenting with a metastatic giant cell tumor of the soft tissue of the chest wall, who underwent a total resection of the radius for recurrence of the giant cell tumor. The tumor was not related to any bony structure of the thorax. We resected the tumor with a wide surgical margin. No evidence of malignancy was seen in the frozen and permanent pathological report.
Adult ; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone ; Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells* ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Radius ; Recurrence ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax

Glomerulonephritis associated with malignancy is deemed to be paraneoplastic glomerulonephritis. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of heterogeneous clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by impaired hematopoietic cell differentiation and cytopenia. The pathophysiology of MDS is thought to be immune-mediated in part. A few reports have documented various forms of glomerulonephritis in patients with MDS and suggested that immune dysregulation is important in the development of paraneoplastic glomerulonephritis. Here, we report a patient with MDS and refractory anemia with excess blast-2 accompanied by minimal change nephrotic syndrome. The patient was treated with prednisolone, and the nephrotic-range proteinuria and pancytopenia improved markedly.
Anemia, Refractory ; Cell Differentiation ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Pancytopenia ; Prednisolone ; Proteinuria ; Steroids

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of the expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and the clinicopathological features in endometrial cancer (EC) and atypical complex endometrial hyperplasia (ACEH). METHODS: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin was performed in tissues of 6 ACEHs, 44 endometrioid ECs. We analyzed the correlation of the expression of IHC staining with the prognostic factors according to tumor stage of ACEH and EC, histopathologic grade, and myometrial invasion. RESULTS: According to tumor stage, reduced E-cadherin expression and abnormal alpha-catenin expression were observed more frequently in advanced stage (reduced E-cadherin: ACEH 0%, stage I-II 47.2%, stage III-IV 62.5%, p=0.050; abnormal alpha-catenin: ACEH 0%, stage I-II 27.8%, stage III-IV 62.5%, p=0.035). All of the IHC staining showed no correlation with the depth of myometrial invasion but showed correlation with presence of myometrial invasion (reduced E-cadherin: invasion(-) 14.3%, invasion(+) 66.7%, p =0.001; abnormal alpha-catenin: invasion(-) 7.1%, invasion (+) 46.0%, p=0.010; abnormal beta-catenin: invasion(-) 7.1%, invasion(+) 63.0%, p=0.000). According to histological differentiation only abnormal beta-catenin expression shows relationship with histopathologic grade (grade 1:23.1%, grade 2:60%, grade 3:62.5%, p=0.039). CONCLUSION: Expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin showed significantly more reduced expression in EC than in ACEH, and more reduced expression in advanced stage, myometrial invasion and high histopathologic grade. And alpha-catenin showed more frequent abnormal expression in advanced stage, myometrial invasion and beta-catenin showed more frequent in myometrial invasion, high histopathologic grade significantly. These results suggests that the expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin, beta-catenin in EC and ACEH could be related to prognosis of the tumor.
alpha Catenin ; beta Catenin ; Cadherins* ; Endometrial Hyperplasia* ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Prognosis

Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1), an oxidative stress-response gene, interacts with calcineurin and represses its phosphatase activity. Recently it was shown that hydrogen peroxide inactivates calcineurin by proteolytic cleavage. Based on these facts, we investigated whether oxidative stress affects DSCR1-mediated inactivation of calcineurin. We determined that overexpression of DSCR1 leads to increased proteolytic cleavage of calcineurin. Convertsely, knockdown of DSCR1 abolished calcineurin cleavage upon treatment with hydrogen peroxide. The PXIIXT motif in the COOH-terminus of DSCR1 is responsible for both binding and cleavage of calcineurin. The knockdown of overexpressed DSCR1 in DS fibroblast cells also abrogated calcineurin proteolysis by hydrogen peroxide. These results suggest that DSCR1 has the ability to inactivate calcineurin by inducing proteolytic cleavage of calcineurin upon oxidative stress.
Adenoviridae/genetics ; Adult ; Animals ; Calcineurin/antagonists & inhibitors/*metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ; Down Syndrome/*metabolism/pathology ; Fibroblasts/metabolism/pathology ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology ; Immunoglobulin G/immunology ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/*physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Muscle Proteins/*physiology ; Neuroblastoma/genetics/metabolism/pathology ; Neurons/cytology/metabolism ; Oxidants/pharmacology ; Oxidative Stress ; Peptide Fragments/immunology ; RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin/pathology ; Young Adult

The aim of this study was to determine the normal value of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) according to age group, gender, and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in healthy Koreans, and to investigate the association between PWV and risk factors such as prehypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and obesity. We measured an arterial stiffness in 110 normal subjects who were 20 to 69 yr-old with no evidence of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular accident or diabetes mellitus. The mean values of baPWV and cfPWV were 12.6 (+/-2.27) m/sec (13.1+/-1.85 in men, 12.1+/-2.51 in women; P=0.019) and 8.70 (+/-1.99) m/sec (9.34+/-2.13 in men, 8.15+/-1.69 in women; P=0.001), respectively. The distribution of baPWV (P<0.001) and cfPWV (P=0.006) by age group and gender showed an increase in the mean value with age. Men had higher baPWV and cfPWV than women (P<0.001). There was a difference in baPWV and cfPWV by age group on prehypertension, dyslipidemia, current smoking, or obesity (P<0.001). In multiple linear regression, age and prehypertension were highly associated with baPWV and cfPWV after adjustment for confounding factors (P<0.001). The present study showed that baPWV and cfPWV are associated with age, gender, and prehypertension in healthy Koreans.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; *Ankle Brachial Index ; Blood Pressure ; Brachial Artery/*physiology ; Cardiovascular Diseases/diagnosis/etiology/physiopathology ; Carotid Arteries/*physiology ; Female ; Femoral Artery/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/physiopathology ; Prehypertension/physiopathology ; Pulsatile Flow ; *Pulse Wave Analysis ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Smoking ; Vascular Stiffness/physiology

OBJECTIVE: There is much research on risk factors of suicide, but studies about what can play a protective role on suicide are limited. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of depression and emotional intelligence on suicidal ideation of patients with depression. We focused more on the role of emotional intelligence as a protective factor. METHODS: The participants (n=100) underwent a psychiatric interview which included the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Columbia University Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) was also completed. For measuring emotional intelligence, both a self-report questionnaire (the Adult Emotional Quotient Test, AEQT) and an objective measurement based on ability model (Emotional Literacy) were conducted. RESULTS: In linear regression analysis, depressive symptom score was significantly associated with suicidal ideation. It was also shown that 'emotional expression' of AEQT and 'emotion perception' of Emotional Literacy are significantly associated with suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Against our expectation that emotional intelligence would be a protective factor on suicidal ideation, emotional expression and emotion perception might rather be a risk factor for suicidal ideation. The limitations of this study and suggestions for further research are also discussed.
Adult ; Depression* ; Depressive Disorder, Major* ; Emotional Intelligence* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Suicidal Ideation* ; Suicide

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is an acquired disease that causes depigmented patches of various sizes. The most widely used method of classification is by the distribution, which is categorized into four types: localized, segmental, universal, and generalized vitiligo. In addition, vitiligo can be divided into segmental and non-segmental, according to its relation to dermatomes. However, few studies have compared the clinical features and prognosis with the symmetry of the vitiligo lesions. OBJECTIVE: We examined 690 vitiligo patients to investigate the clinical significance of symmetry in the distribution of vitiligo lesions. METHODS: The clinical characteristics, distribution, and lesion sizes were investigated in 690 patients who were diagnosed with vitilgo at the Dermatology Department of Chungnam National University Hospital from January 1991 to August 2006. RESULTS: Of the 690 vitiligo patients, 369 (53.3%) had symmetric vitiligo lesions and 321 (46.5%) had asymmetric lesions. Patients with symmetric lesions had an older age of onset, longer duration of disease, wider distribution area, and greater tendency of the lesions to enlarge with time. CONCLUSION: Our clinical classification method, based on the the symmetry of the vitiligo lesions, may help physicians to predict the course and prognosis of the disease. Therefore, the dissemination of new vitiligo lesions in symmetric vitiligo patients should be observed closely.
Age of Onset ; Collodion ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Vitiligo

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: For the development of an arteriogenic gene therapy in peripheral artery occlusive disease, we developed a novel angiogenesis assay, with electroporation-mediated naked DNA delivery to the skeletal muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The levels of the expression CAT were compared between pJDK and pcDNA3.1, in HeLa and C2C12 cell lines, and skeletal muscle. The well known angiogenic gene, pJDK-hVEGF165, was injected, intramuscularly, into the tibialis anterior muscle of Balb/C mice, which was followed by electroporation. Two days later, the anterior tibialis muscles were divided into halves, embedded, and cultured in growth factor-reduced Matrigel. The capillary network area formed by the newly sprouting tube-like structures was calculated. For validation of this ex vivo assay, the connective tissue growth factor gene (pJDK-CTGF) was tested both by this new assay, and by the mice-hind limb ischemia model, with Laser Doppler imaging. RESULTS: The pJDK showed a significantly higher level of CAT expression than the pcDNA3.1. From the pJDK-hVEGF165 injected explants, endothelial cell migration and tube-like formation occurred on day 2, and the capillary network formation peaked on day 7. The capillary network formation in the pJDK-hVEGF165 group was markedly increased to that in the pJDK group. From the skeletal muscle assay, the pJDK-CTGF showed no angiogenic activity or attenuated VEGF-induced capillary network formation. The LDI flux ratio, on day 10 in the mice-hind limb ischemia model, for the mice treated with the pJDK-CTGF and pJDK-hVEGF165 was significantly lower than that of the mice treated with the pJDK-hVEGF165 alone. CONCLUSION: The skeletal muscle ex vivo assay, using an electroporation-mediated naked DNA delivery, is a simple, quantitative and reproducible method for assessing angiogenic genes. CTGF could be an anti-angiogenic factor due to its inhibition of VEGF.
Animals ; Arteries ; Capillaries ; Cats ; Cell Line ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; DNA* ; Electroporation ; Endothelial Cells ; Extremities ; Genetic Therapy ; Ischemia ; Mice ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Muscles ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to analyze and compare risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample included 7936 Korean patients aged > or =20 years who were hospitalized from 1994 to 2004. Of the 7936 subjects, PAD (n=415), CAD (n=3686), and normal controls (Control) (n=3835) were examined at the Health Promotion Center, Samsung Medical Center. RESULTS: The mean age (years) of PAD subjects was 64.4 (+/-9.3), while CAD subjects was 61.2 (+/-9.9), and Control subjects was 59.9 (+/-9.1) (p<0.01). The proportion of males was 90.6% for PAD, 71.4% for CAD, and 75.5% for Control subjects (p<0.01). The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease were significantly higher in subjects with PAD or CAD compared to those in Control. However, the ORs for high density lipoprotein, being overweight, and being obese were significantly lower in PAD subjects compared to those in Control. CONCLUSION: We found that cardiovascular risk factors were in fact risk factors for both PAD and CAD.
Aged ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Electrolytes ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Peripheral Arterial Disease ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

5 alpha-reductase deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the SRD5A2-gene, resulting in absent or diminished dihydrotestosterone (DHT) formation and, hence, in an underdevelopment of the external genitalia in patients with 46,XY karyotype. Recently we experienced a 17 years old patient with chief complaint of primary amenorrhea, who showed 46,XY karyotype, enlarged clitoris, virilization, undeveloped breast and palpable bilateral inguinal mass. We diagnosed it as 5 alpha?reductase deficiency and removed the bilateral gonads, so we report it with brief review of literature.
46, XY Disorders of Sex Development ; Adolescent ; Amenorrhea ; Breast ; Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase* ; Clitoris ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Female ; Genitalia ; Gonads ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Virilism