Various clinical and pathologic parameters in order to determine the prognosis of gastric carcinoma have been proposed. Among them "carcinoma with lymphoid stroma" has been proven to show good prognosis. But the criteria of lymphoid stroma in this condition remain vague and not clear. A total of 7 cases of gastric carcinoma with heavy lymphoid stromal response out of 947 surgically resected gastric carcinomas was reviwed with histotopographic analysis. They were all advanced carcinoma, Borrmann type I and II. Histologically, the lymphoid stromal response could be divided into three patterns; nodular (3 cases), diffuse (3 cases) and mixed (1 case). The nodular pattern was characterized by massive lymphoid cell infiltration with many follicle formation and little desmoplastic reaction, while the diffuse pattern showed diffuse permeative type of inflammatory cell infiltration with scarce lymphoid follicle formation and mild desmoplasia. Regional lymph node metastasis was found in 2 cases; one in diffused and another one in mixed pattern. The stromal reaction was not directly related with the depth of tumor invasion. We propoose that the term GCLS should be used in the cases of nodular pattern with complete follicle formation of lymphoid stroma.
Neoplasm Metastasis

Hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a circadian pacemaker which controls diurnal behavioral and hormonal rhythms in mammals. The SCN receives environmental light signals through the retinohypothalamic tract, and glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the retinohypothalamic tract. In the present study, we investigated the developmental expression of the mRNAs for N-methyl-D-aspartate type glutamate receptor (NR)1, NR2A, NR2B and NR2C subunits in the rat SCN using in situ hybridization with specific riboprobes. At postnatal day 2 (P2), P8, Pl5 and P45, the high level of NRI transcripts was observed in both ventrolateral and dorsomedial subdivisions of the SCN, and the distinct expression of NR2C mRNA was principally found in the dorsomedial SCN. The weak NR2B mRNA expression was clearly found in both subdivisions of the SCN at P2 and P8, whereas specific NR2B hybridization signals were not found at Pl5 and P45. There was no specific hybridization signal of NR2A in the SCN throughout the postnatal life. These findings implicate that NR may play an important role in the neonatal SCN. In addition, this study suggests that NR1, NR2B and NR2C might be the major NR subunits in the developing SCN, whereas NRI and NR2C could be the subunit components of NR in the adult SCN.
Adult ; Animals ; Glutamic Acid ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Mammals ; N-Methylaspartate* ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Rats* ; Receptors, Glutamate ; RNA, Messenger* ; Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

We studied clinicopathologic features of 44 cases of PM (proper muscle) gastric cancer, correlated the lymph node metastasis and found the result of immunohistochemical staining for tumor angiogenesis using antibodies to Factor VIII-related antigen and nm23-H1, known as meatastasis inhibitory substance. The results were as follows: 1) The average age of these 44 cases of PM gastric cancer was 55.1 years old (range 35-81). The ratio of male to female was 2.2 : 1. The tumor was located at the antrum of stomach in 72.7% of the cases. The average size of the tumor was 4.1 cm (range 0.6-9). The gross features were comprised of Borrmann type I (6.8%), II (29.6%), III (56.8%), IV (6.8%), respectively. The microscopic type was a diffuse type in 70.5% and an intestinal type in 29.5%. There were lymph node metastasis in 25 of the 44 cases (56.8%). 2) The microvessel count was higher in the lymph node positive group (average 69.3) than in the lymph node negative group (average 45.6) (P=0.004). There was a higher microvessel density in diffuse type, over 4 cm of tumor size, proximally located tumor, older than 50 years, Borrmann type II and IV, but there was no statistically significant correlation. 3) The more decreased expression of nm23-H1 was found in the lymph node positive group (56.0%) than in the lymph node negative group (31.6%), but showed no statistical significance (P=0.0142). There was no significant correlation between the expression of nm23-H1 and the other clinicopathologic factors. We suggest that the microvessel count of the tumor angiogenesis may be a prognostic factor for predicting lymph node metastasis and also help to determine the therapeutic modalities of PM gastric cancer.
Antibodies ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Male ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; von Willebrand Factor

The report of aspiration cytologic findings of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma(EMC) in the salivary gland is extremely rare. We present a case of fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) from EMC in the right submandibular gland of a 46 years old male patient. Neck CT scan revealed a confined lesion in the submandibular gland without enlargement of the regional lymph node. FNAC from the tumor showed several three-dimensional cellular clusters with admixed normal acinar cells. They frequently formed branching tubular structures composed of two type of cells; darker cells having eosinophilic scanty cytoplasm with round dense nuclei and clear cells having abudant pale cytoplasm with vesicular nuclei at the periphery of clusters. The tumor cells of both types did not show pleomorphism or mitoses. The resected submandibular gland showed an ill-defined whitish firm tumor, measuring 2 X1.5X2cm. The histology revealed an infiltrative tumor showing characteristic two cell types in a duct-like arrangement surrounded by thin basement menbrane. An inner layer of darker cells and outer layer of clear cells were postive for cytokeratin in the former and S-100 protein in the latter on the immunohistochemical stain.
Acinar Cells ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Keratins ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitosis ; Neck ; S100 Proteins ; Salivary Glands* ; Submandibular Gland ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Background and Objectives: In South Korea, neck ultrasonography (US) has been used widely at 1- or 2-year intervals to detect recurrence after thyroidectomy. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and pattern of recurrence and to establish a proper frequency of follow-up neck US after thyroid lobectomy for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 262 consecutive patients who had undergone thyroid lobectomy for PTMC from January 2005 to October 2009. They were divided into two groups based on the presence of recurrence (240 patients in group 1 and 22 patients in group 2). The comparison between the two groups involved clinical and pathological characteristics. Results: Recurrences were found in 22 (8.4%) of 262 patients with 132.5 months follow-up (range, 120-180 months). There was a significant difference in the mean number of follow-up neck US after 5 years postoperatively, shortened interval, total number of follow-up neck US (p=0.002, p＜0.001, p＜0.001). All recurrences were found between 2-3 to 11-12 years. Recurrences after 5 years were found in 16 (72.7%) of 22 patients. Conclusion Recurrence after thyroid lobectomy for PTMC occurred with various times during follow up. The minimum frequency of follow-up neck US was not enough for detecting tumor recurrence, especially after 5 years postoperatively. Our results suggest that annual neck US may be appropriate between 3 to 12 years after thyroid lobectomy for PTMC.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines of advanced trauma life support recommend open thoracotomy when pericardiocentesis reveals bloody pericardial effusion in patients with blunt chest trauma. However, open thoracotomy may not be always required for treating patients alive until arriving emergency department, because rapid accumulation of the blood into pericardial space results in immediate death at scene. We report our experiences of treating traumatic pericardial effusion, and discuss the therapeutic modality in patients with traumatic pericardial effusion. METHODS: The study consisted of 37 patients(20 males and 17 females with the mean age 42) sustaining traumatic pericardial effusion. The patients were divided according to treatment modality into 3 groups(group I : patients receiving conservative management, group II : patients treated with pericardiocentesis, group III : patients required emergency thoracotomy). We compared clinical presentations, hemodynamic profiles and echocardiographic findings among three groups. RESULTS: Cardiac tamponade was present in 14 of 37 patients. Pericardiocentesis was performed in 13 patients, and open thoracotomy in 4 patients. Pericardiocentesis was curative in 9 patients. Thoracotomy was performed in only 3(24%) of 13 patients required pericardiocentesis. 3(75%) of 4 patients having moderate or severe pericardial effusion from penetrating injury were required open thoracotomy. CONCLUSION: In selected patients who have traumatic pericardial effusion by blunt chest injury, pericardiocentesis may be curative, and thoracotomy may not be inquired as long as bleeding via indwelling pericardial catheter is not sustained after pericardiocentesis.
Advanced Trauma Life Support Care ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Pericardiocentesis ; Thoracic Injuries ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

Conventional methods of selecting gene transfected cells by toxic agents may yield ambiguous results. It is difficult to determine whether cell death is due to selection agents or gene transfection, owing to the substantial overlap of the time-courses for both effects. Therefore, to determine transfection-induced cell toxicity, the mammalian expression vector pEGFP-N1 (CLONTECH Lab., Palo Alto, CA, USA) has been modified to the dual-cassette expression vectors named pEGFP-Ks by the relocation of its EGFP expression cassette. We have precisely monitored the cells transfected with this vector on our custom culture dishes, thereby bypassing the need for selection agent or fluorescent cell sorting. This is a useful method to screen genes encoding potential toxic or useful proteins without performing undesirable selection agent and also can be used to monitor the transfected cells for various purposes, either the inhibition or proliferation of mammalian cells for applications in biotechnology.
Cell Culture/methods ; Cell Death ; Genes, Reporter ; *Genetic Vectors ; Human ; Indicators and Reagents ; Luminescent Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Telomerase/genetics/metabolism ; Transfection/*methods

Pulmonary Embolism, one of the causes of maternal death, is a life threatening disease that needs early and accurate diagnosis. We have exprerienced a case of a fatal pulmonary embolism which was diagnosed by lung perfusion scan on the postoperative 1 day after cesarean delivery and was managed with heparin therapy. We present this case with a brief review of literatures.
Diagnosis ; Heparin ; Lung ; Maternal Death ; Perfusion ; Pulmonary Embolism*

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with dyslexia experience reading difficulties, whereas their other cognitive abilities seem normal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the event-related potential (ERP) patterns of children with dyslexia during a target-detection task. METHODS: Seventeen children with dyslexia and 18 children without this disorder participated in this study. We evaluated their writing and reading ability, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and intelligence quotient. ERPs were recorded while participants performed a target-detection task, and the peak amplitude and latency of P100 and P300 were analyzed. The lateral asymmetry index (LAI) was calculated for each ERP component. RESULTS: The dyslexic group exhibited longer reaction times and larger P100 amplitudes than the non-dyslexic group in the right hemisphere. The P100 latency was also significantly delayed in the right hemisphere of those in the dyslexic group compared with those in the non-dyslexic group. The P300 amplitude was larger in the right hemisphere compared with left hemisphere in the dyslexic group, whereas no interhemispheric differences were observed with respect to the P300 latency. The LAI for P100 showed a significant right hemispheric dominance, whereas the LAI for P100 was significantly correlated with the accuracy of target detection in children with dyslexia. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that right hemispheric dominance acts as an ancillary system that compensates for poor reading in children with dyslexia.
Child* ; Dyslexia* ; Evoked Potentials* ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Reaction Time ; Reading ; Writing

Nucleolar organizer regions(NORs) are argyrophilic and have a loops of DNA that tran scribes to ribosomal RNA by RNA Polymerase I and are involved in formation of nucleolus. They are used in measuring proliferative activity of cells. Mean AgNORs count is increased or large and NORs are irregular in shape in malignant tumors. To examine the relationship of AgNORs to the survival rate of the patients with invasive colorectal adenocarcinoma, we counted mean AgNORs in 200 tumor cells and mean AgNORs#(mean AgNORs in counting AgNORs of the upper 40 nuclei after sorting AgNORs counts of 200 cell nuclei in descending order) after AgNOR staining using 45 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue surgically excised at Kang-Dong Sacred heart hospital. The survival rates were not related to age, sex, locations, differentiation, mAgNORs and mAgNORs# except Dukes'stages. There were only statistical significances in AgNORs# between high and low age group(p=0.0001), and between colon and rectum(p=0.005). But it is known that there could be different results according to staining time, fixation and preservation of tissues, counting methods in measuring AgNORs. There might be clinical usefulness of AgNOR if more cases are examined together with better tissue processing and staining methods.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cell Nucleus ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; DNA ; Heart ; Humans ; Nucleolus Organizer Region ; RNA Polymerase I ; RNA, Ribosomal ; Survival Rate*