Placental mesenchymal dysplasia is a rare condition of pregnancy that present as macroscopic feature of molar change in the placenta and normal karyotype fetus, and has been reported at birth in 15 cases of Beckwith-Wiedmann syndrome and 25 cases of normal fetus in literatures. It may mimic the partial hydatidiform mole, but the mesenchymal dysplasia is different that it may be compatible with a normal fetus. A nulliparous woman was suspected to be a partial mole with a coexistent live fetus in gestational age of 14 weeks because of the partially cystic placenta on ultrasonography examination. She delivered a healthy female vaginally at 36+6 weeks of gestation and the histological examination of placenta established the diagnosis of mesenchymal stem villous dysplasia. We report here an unusual pregnancy.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hydatidiform Mole ; Karyotype ; Molar ; Parturition ; Placenta* ; Pregnancy ; Ultrasonography

This study examined the dosimetric influence of implanted gold markers in proton therapy and the effects of their positions in the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) proton beam. The implanted cylindrical gold markers were 3 mm long and 1.2 mm in diameter. The dosimetric influence of the gold markers was determined with markers at various locations in a proton-beam field. Spatial dose distributions were measured using a three-dimensional moving water phantom and a stereotactic diode detector with an effective diameter of 0.5 mm. Also, a film dosimetry was performed using Gafchromic External Beam Treatment (EBT) film. The GEANT4 simulation toolkit was used for Monte-Carlo simulations to confirm the measurements and to construct the dose-volume histogram with implanting markers. Motion data were obtained from the portal images of 10 patients to investigate the effect of organ motions on the dosimetric influence of markers in the presence of a rectal balloon. The underdosed volume due to a single gold marker, in which the dose was less than 95% of a prescribed amount, was 0.15 cc. The underdosed volume due to the presence of a gold marker is much smaller than the target volume. However, the underdosed volume is inside the gross tumor volume and is not smeared out due to translational prostate motions. The positions of gold markers and the conditions of the proton-beam field give different impacts on the dose distribution of a target with implanted gold markers, and should be considered in all clinical proton-based therapies.
Film Dosimetry ; Humans ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Proton Therapy ; Protons ; Tumor Burden ; Water

PURPOSE: The role of P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in gastric cancer invasion has not yet been determined. In this study, we examined the effects of SB203580, a specific P38 MAPK inhibitor, on the in vitro invasion of gastric cancer and upon the molecules involved in this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human gastric cancer SNU-638 cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% FBS. BIOCOAT matrigel invasion chambers were used to examine in vitro invasiveness, zymography for gelatinase activity, CAT assay for uPA promoter activity and Western and Northern blotting to determine protein and mRNA levels, respectively. RESULTS: Treatment of SNU-638 cells with SB203580, a specific P38 MAPK inhibitor, reduced in vitro invasiveness, dose-dependently. SB203580 treatment was found to decrease both mRNA expression and uPA promoter activity in gastric SNU-638 cells. In vitro invasion of SNU-638 cells was partially abrogated by uPA-neutralizing antibodies. The activities of MMPs were not significantly altered by SB203580. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that P38 MAPK is a potential therapeutic target for inhibiting uPA-dependent gastric tumor invasiveness and metastasis.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Gelatinases ; Humans* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases* ; Protein Kinases ; RNA, Messenger ; Stomach Neoplasms