No abstract available.
Adult* ; Hernia, Inguinal* ; Humans

No Abstract Available.
Chondrocytes* ; Phenotype*

PURPOSE: Bone and cartilage were manufactured by using tissue engineering of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) which can differentiate into variety of cell types. MATERIAL AND METHOD: MSC was isolated and cultured from the rabbit weighing 500g, and it was seeded into PGA mesh and pre-cultured for 1 week with different TGF- beta 3 treated conditions. It was implanted into nude mice and tissues generated were recovered from 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 ,and 12 weeks respectively. Degree of bone and cartilage formation was analyzed with histology and immunohistochemistry assay. RESULT: Pre-culture condition with TGF- beta 3 treatment showed early start of chondrogenic differentiation, and degree of bone and cartilage formation was promoted as time passed. But both of the cases differentiated into complete bone after 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: The results show that pretreatment of TGF- beta 3 promotes the differentiation process in vivo condition under the in vivo system where MSC differentiate into bone via cartilage formation.
Animals ; Cartilage ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Tissue Engineering

PURPOSE: Features of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in osteosarcoma and in vitro efficacies of EGFR inhibitors against osteosarcoma cells were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty biopsy samples of osteosarcoma patients were retrospectively analyzed for EGFR protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Relationships between EGFR expression and clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment outcomes were evaluated. Four osteosarcoma cell lines were analyzed for EGFR and p-EGFR expression by western blotting. Efficacies of gefitinib and BIBW2992 on osteosarcoma cells were evaluated using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Tyrosine kinase domains in exons 18 to 21 were sequenced and gene expression analyses of EGFR and PTEN were performed in four osteosarcoma cell lines. RESULTS: EGFR protein was expressed in 27 (90%) samples (6 low, 12 intermediate, 9 high) and in three cell lines. Intermediate or high staining for EGFR was related to a tumor volume<150 mL (p<0.001) and histologic subtype other than osteoblastic type (p=0.03). However, EGFR expression was not associated with histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy or survival. Gefitinib and BIBW 2992 did not have any significant inhibitory effect on cell viabilities. DNA sequencing analysis revealed three osteosarcoma cell lines have single base changes at codon 2361 of exon 20 (G to A), without affecting translation results. Furthermore, no mutation was found to be associated with constitutive EGFR activation. CONCLUSION: In the present study, gefitinib and BIBW2992 were not effective against osteosarcoma cells. However, as osteosarcoma cells express EGFR, further studies are necessary to explore the potential of other therapeutic agents targeting EGFR.
Biopsy ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Codon ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Exons ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Osteoblasts ; Osteosarcoma ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Quinazolines ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Retrospective Studies ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Tetrazolium Salts ; Thiazoles

Purpose: To evaluate allergen sensitization in Koreans and assess regional differences in it using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based modeling techniques. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST) results collected from 2,017 clinics and hospitals nationwide between 2018 and 2020. The AdvanSure™ AlloScreen (LG Chem, Seoul, Korea) was used to test for 47 allergens. Then, we created maps to visualize the sensitization prediction rate by using the ordinary kriging method. Results: The total number of participants were 196,419; 104,371 (53.1%) were sensitized to one or more allergens. The most frequent allergen causing sensitization was Dermatophagoides farinae (34.0%), followed by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (32.3%), house dust (26.2%), cat dander (13.6%), Acarus siro (12.5%), rye grass pollen (8.8%), and birch tree pollen (8.2%), respectively. Perennial allergens, such as mites and cat dander, were more common than seasonal allergens. Sensitization rates to grasses were generally higher than those to tree and weed allergens. The sensitization rates to Hymenoptera venoms were 4.8% in honey bee and 2.2% in yellow jacket. The sensitization prediction rate against Dermatophagoides farinae calculated by GIS-based mapping showed geographical differences even within the same administrative district. Conclusion Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were found to be the most prevalent sensitizing allergens throughout Korea. GIS-based spatial pattern analysis using MAST revealed different sensitization patterns between geographic areas and at the subdistrict level. These data could assist in prevention and management of allergic diseases and provide valuable evidence for environmental and public health policymakers.

Background/Aims: Tegoprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, is expected to overcome the limitations of proton pump inhibitors and effectively control nocturnal acid breakthrough. To evaluate the pharmacodynamics of tegoprazan versus dexlansoprazole regarding nocturnal acid breakthrough in healthy subjects. Methods: In a randomized, open-label, single-dose, balanced incomplete block crossover study, 24 healthy male volunteers were enrolled and randomized to receive oral tegoprazan (50, 100, or 200 mg) or dexlansoprazole (60 mg) during each of two administration periods, separated by a 7- to 10-day washout period. Blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetic parameter analysis; gastric monitoring was performed for pharmacodynamic parameter evaluation. Results: All 24 subjects completed the study. Average maximum plasma concentration, area under the plasma concentration–time curve, and mean time with gastric pH >4 and pH >6 for tegoprazan demonstrated dose-dependent incremental increases. All the tegoprazan groups reached mean pH ≥4 within 2 hours, whereas the dexlansoprazole group required 7 hours after drug administration. Based on pharmacodynamic parameters up to 12 hours after evening dosing, 50, 100, and 200 mg of tegoprazan presented a stronger acid-suppressive effect than 60 mg of dexlansoprazole. Moreover, the dexlansoprazole group presented a comparable acid-suppressive effect with the tegoprazan groups 12 hours after dosing. Conclusions All the tegoprazan groups demonstrated a significantly faster onset of gastric pH increase and longer holding times above pH >4 and pH >6 up to 12 hours after evening dosing than the dexlansoprazole group.

PURPOSE: We performed a pilot study to determine the benefit of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (HDCT/autoPBSCT) for patients with Ewing sarcoma family of tumors. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who received HDCT/autoPBSCT at Korea Cancer Center Hospital. Patients with relapsed, metastatic, or centrally located tumors were eligible for the study. RESULTS: A total of 9 patients (3 male, 6 female), with a median age at HDCT/autoPBSCT of 13.4 years (range, 7.1 to 28.2 years), were included in this study. Patients underwent conventional chemotherapy and local control either by surgery or radiation therapy, and had achieved complete response (CR, n=7), partial response (n=1), or stable disease (n=1) prior to HDCT/autoPBSCT. There was no transplant-related mortality. However, the median duration of overall survival and event-free survival after HDCT/autoPBSCT were 13.3 months (range, 5.3 to 44.5 months) and 6.2 months (range, 2.1 to 44.5 months), respectively. At present, 4 patients are alive and 5 patients who experienced adverse events (2 metastasis, 2 local recur, and 1 progressive disease) survived for a median time of 2.8 months (range, 0.1 to 10.7 months). The 2-year survival after HDCT/autoPBSCT was 44.4%+/-16.6% and disease status at the time of HDCT/autoPBSCT tended to influence survival (57.1%+/-18.7% of cases with CR vs. 0% of cases with non-CR, P=0.07). CONCLUSION: Disease status at HDCT/autoPBSCT tended to influence survival. Further studies are necessary to define the role of HDCT/autoPBSCT and to identify subgroup of patients who might benefit from this investigational treatment.
Adolescent ; Child ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Pilot Projects ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma, Ewing ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Therapies, Investigational

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between serum methotrexate (MTX) peak levels and clinical outcome of osteosarcoma, as well as to determine the correlation of these levels with the histologic response and event-free survival (EFS). METHODS: To maintain the homogeneity of the study population, we selected 52 patients with localized extremity osteosarcoma who had received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of high-dose (HD) MTX (12 g/m2), cisplatin (100 mg/m2), and doxorubicin (60 mg/m2). RESULTS: Totally, 204 courses of HD MTX were administered. The serial MTX levels (mean+/-SE) at 4 h (peak), 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h were 1292.14+/-12.83 micrometer, 9.29+/-3.89 micrometer, 1.73+/-1.37 micrometer, and 0.58+/-0.44 micrometer, respectively. The peak MTX serum level was 1292.14+/-12.83 micrometer. Neither the continuous average MTX peak level nor the dichotomized MTX peak level was related to the histologic response. However, the patients with a high 24-h MTX level (3.4 micrometer) had a poor histologic response (P=0.044). An inverse relationship was observed between MTX levels and survival: the EFS was better in the patients with a mean MTX peak level of less than 1,400 micrometer (P=0.002) and mean 24-h MTX level of less than 3.4 micrometer (P=0.011). CONCLUSION: The inverse correlation between the MTX level and the outcome is an unexpected finding. Further study on the pharmacokinetics of MTX is required to substantiate our findings and elucidate the mechanism involved.
Cisplatin ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; Extremities ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; Osteosarcoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between serum methotrexate (MTX) peak levels and clinical outcome of osteosarcoma, as well as to determine the correlation of these levels with the histologic response and event-free survival (EFS). METHODS: To maintain the homogeneity of the study population, we selected 52 patients with localized extremity osteosarcoma who had received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of high-dose (HD) MTX (12 g/m2), cisplatin (100 mg/m2), and doxorubicin (60 mg/m2). RESULTS: Totally, 204 courses of HD MTX were administered. The serial MTX levels (mean+/-SE) at 4 h (peak), 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h were 1292.14+/-12.83 micrometer, 9.29+/-3.89 micrometer, 1.73+/-1.37 micrometer, and 0.58+/-0.44 micrometer, respectively. The peak MTX serum level was 1292.14+/-12.83 micrometer. Neither the continuous average MTX peak level nor the dichotomized MTX peak level was related to the histologic response. However, the patients with a high 24-h MTX level (3.4 micrometer) had a poor histologic response (P=0.044). An inverse relationship was observed between MTX levels and survival: the EFS was better in the patients with a mean MTX peak level of less than 1,400 micrometer (P=0.002) and mean 24-h MTX level of less than 3.4 micrometer (P=0.011). CONCLUSION: The inverse correlation between the MTX level and the outcome is an unexpected finding. Further study on the pharmacokinetics of MTX is required to substantiate our findings and elucidate the mechanism involved.
Cisplatin ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; Extremities ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; Osteosarcoma