The p53 gene is believed to play an important role through the mutation and overexpression in the progression of various human malignant tumors. The type IV collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase: MMP-2) initiates the degradation of the extracellular matrix, and consequently may play a role in the tumor invasion and metastasis. To investigate the correlation between clinicopathologic features of the colorectal adenocarcinomas and benign tumors and expression of p53 and MMP-2 proteins, we performed an immunohistochemical study on 40 colorectal adenocarcinomas, 20 adenomas and 20 hyperplastic polyps by using the antibodies to p53 and MMP-2 proteins. The positive expression rate of the p53 protein in adenocarcinomas was 62.5% and significantly higher than in benign tumors. The positive expression rate of the MMP-2 protein was 47.5% in adenocarcinomas, but there was no expression of MMP-2 protein in benign tumors. The difference in p53 and MMP-2 expression rates between malignant and non-malignant tumors was statistically significant. The positive expression rate of p53 protein in the non-metastatic and metastatic adenocarcinomas was 59.1 and 66.7%, respectively. The positive expression rate of MMP-2 protein in the non-metastatic and metastatic adencarcinomas was 45.5 and 50.0%, respectively. The correlation between several clinicopathologic features and expression of p53 and MMP-2 protein was not statistically significant, but the rate of positive MMP-2 immunoreactivity showed a statistically significant difference between Astler-Coller stage B1 C1 group and B2 C2 group of adenocarcinoma (p=0.0431). We concluded that the expression of p53 and MMP-2 protein contributes to the cancer development and MMP-2 may play a certain role in the invasiveness of the colorectal tumor. p53 and MMP-2 protein expression is not correlated with lymph node metastasis.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenoma ; Antibodies ; Collagenases ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Extracellular Matrix ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polyps

Recently, next generation sequencing (NGS) has received attention as the ultimate genotyping method to overcome the limitations of capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based short tandem repeat (STR) analysis, such as the limited number of STR loci that can be measured simultaneously using fluorescent-labeled primers and the maximum size of STR amplicons. In this study, we analyzed 15 autosomal STR markers via the NGS method and evaluated their effectiveness in STR analysis. Using male and female standard DNA as single-sources and their 1:1 mixture, we sequentially generated sample amplicons by the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, constructed DNA libraries by ligation of adapters with a multiplex identifier (MID), and sequenced DNA using the Roche GS Junior Platform. Sequencing data for each sample were analyzed via alignment with pre-built reference sequences. Most STR alleles could be determined by applying a coverage threshold of 20% for the two single-sources and 10% for the 1:1 mixture. The structure of the STR in each allele was accurately determined by examining the sequences of the target STR region. The mixture ratio of the mixed sample was estimated by analyzing the coverage ratios between assigned alleles at each locus and the reference/variant ratios from the observed sequence variations. In conclusion, the experimental method used in this study allowed the successful generation of NGS data. In addition, the NGS data analysis protocol enables accurate STR allele call and repeat structure determination at each locus. Therefore, this approach using the NGS system will be helpful to interpret and analysis the STR profiles from singe-source and even mixed samples in forensic investigation.
Alleles ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; Female ; Gene Library ; Humans ; Ligation ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Statistics as Topic

No abstract available.
Candidiasis* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature*

No abstract available.
Leukemia*

Asthma is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease of lung. The initiation and progression of asthma is dependent on the cytokines interleukin (IL) -4 and IL-13 acting through related receptor complexes. Disease pathogenesis is effected by intracellular signaling pathways that couple primarily to specific motifs within the intracellular domain of the IL-4 receptor alpha chain (IL-4R alpha), a subunit that is common to the IL-4 and IL-13 receptor complexes. Neutralizing anti-cytokine strategies have proven to be highly successful on dissecting relevant effector pathways in experimental allergic disease, and are now entering clinical trials in human allergic disorders. Although there have been only a few clinical studies on the effects of cytokine modulators in asthma, this line of research and development appears promising.
Asthma* ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Interleukin-13 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukins ; Lung ; Receptors, Interleukin-13 ; Receptors, Interleukin-4

Pulmonary histiocytosis X is a rare granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology that alters the interstitium of the lung. When confined to the lung, it is known as primary pulmonary histiocytosis X or eosinophilic granuloma of the lung. The chest radiograph shows characteristic nodular, reticular, and cystic abnormalities, which are most apparent in the upper and middle lung zones, but spare the costophrenic angles, The CT demonstrates innumerable small cysts with thin walls, and fine nodules. Recently we experienced pathologically proven primary pulmonary histiocystosis X in 35 years old male patients who had recurrent pneumothorax.
Eosinophilic Granuloma ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell* ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Pneumothorax ; Radiography, Thoracic

Malignant tumor is found in 1-2% of ovarian benign cystic teratomas. Among these malignant neoplasms, squamous cell carcinoma is by far the most common malignancy, whereas the incidence of struma ovarii is less than 5% in mature teratoma. As far as concerned the struma ovarii, a very small percentage is associated with carcinoid, mucinous or serous cystadenoma, or Brenner tumor. However, any reports of struma ovarii associated with squamous cell carcinoma in the same ovary could not be found in English literature. Recently we have experienced a case of squamous cell carcinoma and struma ovarii arising in an ovarian benign cystic teratoma in 72 year old female patient.
Female ; Humans ; Incidence

Pleural involvement in paragonimiasis is relatively common, either unilateral or bilateral, and may occur without pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates. Common radiologic findings of pleural paragonimiasis are pleural effusion, pneumothorax, hydropneumothorax, empyema and pleural thickening. However, pleural calcification as a manifestation of paragonimiasis is a rare condition. We report two cases of paragonimiasis manifested only as pleural calcifications which were confirmed pathologically.
Empyema ; Hydropneumothorax ; Paragonimiasis* ; Pleural Effusion ; Pneumothorax

Eating ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible ; Mandibular Fractures ; Respiration ; Tooth ; Violence

It has been suggested that depressed thyroid function in infants with RDS is secondary to their respiratory problem. This study was conducted to assess the patterns of change in thyroid hormones in premature infants with and without RDS, and to clarify the role of prematurity versus the effect of illness on these changes. METHOD: Serum TSH, T4, FT4 and T3 concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in 18 healthy premature infants and 13 premature infants with RDS. Blood samples were collected at birth and at 12-24hrs, 5days and 15days after delivery. RESULTS: 1) Both mean gestational age and birth weight values for premature infants with RDS were not significantly different from those for healthy premature infants. 2) At birth, there were no significant differences in serum TSH, T4, FT4 and T3 concentrations between healthy premature infants and premature infants with RDS(p>0.05). 3) At 12-24hrs of age, premature infants with RDS had significantly premature infants. 4) At 5 and 15days of age, there were no significant differences in serum levles of TSH, T4, FT4, and T3 between healthy premature infants and premature infants with RDS(p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of decreasing thyroid function in premature infants with RDS resembles the pattern of change in ill adult patients, which suggests that these variations are due to illness.
Adult ; Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Parturition ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Hormones