Chromophobe cell renal carcinoma is an uncommon variety of renal cell carcinoma first described in humans in 1985 by Thoenes and his colleagues. It is a distinct type of renal cancer presumably derived from the intercalated cells of the collecting duct system and exhibiting a better prognosis than other types of renal cell carcinoma. This type of renal cell carcinoma has not been reported in Korean literature. We experienced three cases of chromophobe cell renal carcinoma from surgical pathology files of Dong-A medical center. The patients were a 65-year-old female, a 54-year-old female, and a 50-year-old male who had 8.2x6 cm, 4x2.5 cm and 4.3x3.2 cm sized, yellowish gray, beige to tan colored masses in the kidneys, respectively. Microscopically, the tumor cells were arranged in sheets or nests with delicate intervening vasculature. The cells were voluminous, uniform in appearance and contained finely reticulated cytoplasms delineated by prominent cell borders. With Hale's iron colloid staining the cytoplasm showed positive reaction; with PAS staining the result was negative. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed positive reaction for cytokeratin but negative for vimentin. Electron microscopy showed numerous small, round to oval cytoplasmic vesicles, 150-300nm in size. All the patients received only radical nephrectomy and survived without evidence of recurrence or metastasis during follow-up intervals ranging from 4 months to 5 years.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Major peripheral arterial graft infection is a potentially devastating complication of vascular surgery, associated with significant mortality and high amputation rates. Autologous saphenous veins are considered optimal arterial conduits for lower extremity revascularization in infected fields, but they are often unavailable or unsuitable in these patients. This study describes two patients with major peripheral graft infection, but without available autologous veins, who underwent graft excision and cryopreserved cadaveric arterial allograft reconstruction. Although long-term graft durability is unclear because of gradual deterioration and degeneration, these findings suggest that cadaveric allografts may be good options for patients with major peripheral graft infection.
Allografts* ; Amputation ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis ; Cadaver* ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Mortality ; Saphenous Vein ; Tissue Preservation ; Transplants* ; Veins

OBJECTIVE: We studied the expression of epidermal growh factor(EGF) and transforming growth factor(TGF)-a and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) in human trophoblast and decidua at the first and third trimester. METHODS: To confirm the expression of EGF, TGF-a and EGFR immunohisochemically in human trophoblast and decidua, we used monoclonal antibodies to EGF, TGF-a and EGFR. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical stainings using anti-EGF, anti-TGF- a and anti-EGFR antibodies showed a specific stainings in human trophoblast and decidua at the first and third trimester. The staining intensity of EGF in the trophoblast was light to moderate at the first trimester and moderate at the third trimester, and that in the decidua was light to moderate at the first trimester and light at the third trimester. The patterns of expression of TGF- a in the trophoblast and decidua were similar to that seen with EGF in the trophoblast and that of EGFR in trophoblast and decidua were similar to that seen with EGF in decidua. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that EGF, TGF-a and EGFR may play an important role in human trophoblast and decidua during gestation.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Decidua* ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Trophoblasts*

Fetal thymus may be the organ for NK cell maturation, but the in vivo evidences are few, Here, by analyzing NK cell receptor, we present that NK cells develop in fetal thymus and fetal liver and that NK cell receptor appears earlier than the expression CD16 or CD56. Moreover, the finding that the repertoire of NK cell receptor is different between fetal thymus and fetal liver lymphocytes suggests that the environmental factors may influence the NK cell receptor repertoire during NK cell maturation.
Killer Cells, Natural* ; Liver* ; Lymphocytes* ; Thymocytes* ; Thymus Gland

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to construct and test a structural equation model to investigate the risk factors of metabolic syndrome in rural women. METHODS: The raw data in this study was collected from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study supervised by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2005 to 2010. The data included physical examinations and surveys of 1,125 women, who resided in three rural areas of South Korea. The structural model in this study was composed of five latent variables: depression, stress, social support, health behavior, and metabolic syndrome. The structural equation model was used to assess the relationships among the variables. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that depression and stress had direct effects on metabolic syndrome. Social support had a direct effect on health behavior and metabolic syndrome. Also, health behavior had a direct effect on metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: This study may serve as a guideline for interventions and strategies used to reduce metabolic syndrome in rural women.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Depression ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Genome ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Models, Structural ; Physical Examination ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: A management protocol for hepatitis C virus (HCV) after liver transplantation (LT) has not been established in Korea. We therefore investigated HCV transplant protocols and post-transplant results from liver transplant centers in Korea. METHODS: The HCV protocol and medical data of individual cases from eight major liver transplant centers were compiled and analyzed. RESULTS: A post-transplant protocol biopsy was performed in only three centers. In these centers, HCV treatment was considered when pathological abnormalities were confirmed on the protocol biopsy (irrespective of liver function). In the other five centers, biopsies were performed when biochemical parameters were aggravated. Only two out of the eight centers performed preemptive or prophylactic therapy. A total of 5,663 adult LTs were performed between 2000 and 2010. HCV-related liver disease was responsible for 277 LTs (4.9%). Pre-transplant data were not available in many patients, including HCV genotype and serum HCV RNA level. Tacrolimus was more frequently used for initial maintenance immunosuppression than cyclosporine A (61.7% vs. 36.8%). Post-transplant HCV treatment was performed in 135 patients (48.7%). Sixty-seven recipients (24.2%) died during follow-up after LT and 11 HCV-related graft loss (4.0%) developed. The cumulative patient survival rate was 74.7% at 5 years and 67.9% at 10 years after LT. CONCLUSIONS: The HCV management protocol after LT varied markedly between the eight Korean transplant centers and a standard protocol did not exist. A nationwide multicenter study is required to investigate the most effective treatment for HCV after LT, with the goal of establishing the most effective standard protocol.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Cyclosporine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis C ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation ; RNA ; Survival Rate ; Tacrolimus ; Transplants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The incidence of frontal sinus fractures has increased as traffic and industrial accidents have increased. However, they are still uncommon compared to other facial traumas because of the arch configuration and the thickness of the anterior wall of the frontal sinus. Accurate evaluation is highly recommended in cases of frontal sinus fractures because they are likely to result in serious complications, including frontal sinusitis, meningitis, and mucocele. In this paper, we reviewed 14 cases of frontal sinus fractures and investigated the clinical characteristics and treatment results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 14 patients with frontal sinus fractures who had been treated in our department from June, 1995 to August, 1997. RESULTS: Eleven patients were treated with surgery, including osteoplastic frontal sinus surgery with fat obliteration (5 patients), open reduction and internal fixation of the anterior wall (4 patients), and cranialization (2 patients). Three patients were treated with conservative methods. There were no complications such as infection, meningitis, and mucocele formation in the patients who underwent surgery for an average follow-up period of 19 months. CONCLUSION: Our results show that an aggressive approach is justified for treatment of frontal sinus fractures.
Accidents, Occupational ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Sinus* ; Frontal Sinusitis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meningitis ; Mucocele ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) are established sources of cardioembolism. We investigated differences in stroke outcome and patterns between PFO and AF. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of the medical records and brain MR images of patients with AF or PFO from the prospective acute stroke and transient ischemic attack registry. Infarct pattern and volume on diffusion-weighted imaging, and the national institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) on admission were compared between patients with AF and PFO. RESULTS: From June 2005 to July 2008, a total of 289 subjects were enrolled (AF group, n=156; PFO group, n=133). Infarct pattern analyzed with MR images revealed that multiple vascular territorial infarction was more prevalent in AF group than in PFO group (26.9% vs. 8.3%, P<0.01). A probable cardiac embolism, radiologically defined as territorial infarction without symptomatic steno-occlusion of the corresponding artery, was more frequently documented in AF group than in PFO group (71.8% vs. 41.4%, P<0.01) The infarct volume of PFO was smaller than that of AF. Compared to AF, PFO was associated with the mild neurologic deficit (NIHSS< or =3) after adjusting age, sex and previous stroke history. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that AF and PFO had different characteristics such as infarct patterns and initial clinical severity although both are classified as cardioembolism.
Arteries ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Brain ; Embolism ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Medical Records ; National Institutes of Health (U.S.) ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has gained increasing acceptance and success. We report here on a case of EVAR in a patient with renal allograft. EVAR was performed using an aorto-biiliac endovascular graft system in a 65-year-old man who underwent kidney transplantation in the right iliac fossa. The donor renal artery was anastomosed to the recipient' s internal iliac artery. The preoperative renal function was normal. The size of the aneurysm was 5.5 cm in transverse diameter and the length of the distal neck was 2 cm to the right internal iliac artery. After the procedure, the completion angiogram demonstrated the good position of the endograft; however, we found a type II endoleak from the IMA. The postoperative renal function was not changed and the patient was discharged home after an uneventful hospital course. At the 6 month follow-up, the type II endoleak was noted to have decreased on the CT angiogram and the patient has remained well with a stable allograft renal function.
Aged ; Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; Endoleak ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Kidney Transplantation ; Neck ; Renal Artery ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants

PURPOSE: The diameter of the abdominal aorta is an important criterion for making the diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm. But the diagnostic criteria for the aortic diameters and the aneurysms are based on western people' s data, and there is scant data on this for Koreans. In this study, we measured a normal range of the abdominal aortic diameter of Korean adults and we classified the diameters according to age, gender and the body mass index (BMI). METHODS: The data is based on 496 patients (male: 281, female: 215) who had no evidence of vascular disease on abdominal multi detector computed tomography exams that were been done between October through December of year 2007 at our hospital. The abdominal aorta was measured at the smallest outer diameter of the infrarenal aorta and the upper bifurcation level. The age of the patients was from 20 to 70 years-old and the patients were divided into 6 groups by age. The patients were also divided into three groups according to their BMI (the low weight, normal weight and over weight groups). We computed the average and standard deviation of the aortic dimensions from each group. RESULTS: The average diameter at the infrarenal aorta was 18.32 mm and that at the upper bifurcation level was 17.25 mm. The males' average aortic diameter at the infrarenal aorta and at the upper bifurcation level was 19.23 mm and 18.10 mm, respectively, and those values for the females were 17.09 mm and 16.20 mm, respectively. In both the males and females, the diameter increased with increasing patient age (P<01). For the BMI, the diameter was larger for the higher BMI group. CONCLUSION: For the normal Korean population, the diameter of the abdominal aorta increases with aging and with an increased BMI, but the changes were relatively smaller as compared with the western normal range. More studies are needed to determine Koreans' normal range of the diameter of the abdominal aorta and this data can be applied to the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Adult ; Aging ; Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reference Values ; Vascular Diseases