No abstract available.
Pneumocephalus*

Adolescence is the period in which physical, mental and social maturation occurs and it is an important transit stage, changing from childhood to adulthood. This is a period in which important changes occur physically such as rapid growth in height and weight gain but significant differences in growth may occur for the same age. Therfore, the degree of sexual maturation may be an important indicator in evaluating growth in adolescence. Six thousand five hundred and eighty six male and female students from grade 4 to senior high from Seoul, district town and countryside were evaluated for sexual maturity using Tanner staging, weight, height and body mass index and compared for growth. There was a rapid growth in height of 6.7cm in boys between the ages of 11 and 14 years and 6.3 cm in height for girls between the ages of 10 and 12 years, showing earlier growth in height for girls. Growth in height according to sexual maturation showed the greatest growth during stages 2~3 for boys and girls. Boys grew an average of 18.94 cm and girls an average of 18.03 cm in height during the whole sexual maturation period. There was an increase of 5.5 kg in weight for boys during the same age as for growth in height, that is between 11 and 14 years of age. In girls, an average weight gain of 5.1 kg occurred between 11 and 13 years of age, slightly later than that of growth in height. Rapid gain in weight occurred during Tanner stages 2~3 for girls. Total gain of 20.70 kg for boys occurred during the whole sexual maturation period while girls gained total 19.73 kg. Body mass index increased gradually during the whole adolescent period. It was greater in boys during the ages of 9 and 12 years and greater in girls the age of 13 years and again in boys after 17 years of age. During the whole maturation period, boys gained 3.24 and girls, 4.05 of body mass index showing more gain in girls. Height, weight and body mass index showed normal variations during the sexual maturation index showed normal variations during the sexual maturation period and the results may bring an increased understanding that adolescent physical growth was closely related to sexual maturation.
Adolescent* ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Seoul ; Sexual Maturation* ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Humans

Two isotypes of nm23 gene have been reported as multifunctional genes as well as CD44 gene. In tumor, both of genes, one isotype of human nm23, nm23-H1 and splice variants of surface glycoprotein CD44[CD44 v8-10], are correlated with tumor growth and metatastic potential[Keim et al., 1992 ; Dall et al., 1995]. However, the correlation of expression between these genes in tumor was not reported. In this immunohistochemical study on skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma, we intended to clarify the differences of expression on the basis of origins of skin tumors, basal cell, prickle cell, melanin producing cell, and compare the alterations of expressions between two genes in each tumor, respectively. The conclusion of this comparison is that relative parallel alteration in expressions between nm23-H1/NDP kinase and CD44 v8-10 was observed in basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma with inverse relation in differentiation. In squamous carcinoma, the expressions of two genes were much associated with differentiation. On the periphery of tumor, very low level of nm23-H1 protein and high level of CD44 v8-10 protein were detected.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Humans* ; Melanins ; Melanoma ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Phosphotransferases* ; Skin Neoplasms* ; Skin*

Cytosine arabinoside(AraC) inhibits DNA synthesis and beta-DNA polymerase, an enzyme involved in DNA repair. This a potent antimitotic agent, is clinically used as an anticancer drug with side effect of severe neurotoxicity. Earlier reports suggested that inhibition of neuronal survival by AraC in sympathetic neuron may be due to the inhibition of a 2'-deoxycytidine-dependent process that is independent of DNA synthesis or repair and AraC induced a signal that is triggers a cascade of new mRNA and protein synthesis, leading to apoptotic cell death in cultured cerebellar granule cells. The present study would suggest whether caspase family(ICE/CED-3-like protease) involved in AraC-induced apoptosis pathway of PC12 cells. It was observed that treatment of PC12 cells with AraC led to decrease of viability by MTT assay and morphology changes, which did not suggest that AraC induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. The mRNA of caspase-1/caspase-3 were expressed in PC12 cells constitutively, and AraC did not activate caspase family. These results suggest that caspase-1/caspase-3 may not be required for AraC-induced cell death pathway in PC12 cells.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Death ; Cytosine* ; DNA ; DNA Repair ; Humans ; Neurons ; PC12 Cells* ; RNA, Messenger

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase(PKA) is an intracellular enzyme with serine-threonine kinase activity that plays a key role in cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis in eukaryotes. In order to understand the PKA signal transduction pathway regulating cell life cycle and identify its role, we focused on the characterization of up-/down-regulated genes by PKA using the differential display polymerase chain reaction. Seven differentially expressed sequence tags(DEST) have been obtained. Among these DESTs, 2DESTs were homologous to the sequence of genes from BLAST search result. KC1-5 DEST that was up-regulated in A123.7 cells was highly corresponded to mouse apoptosis-related gene(MA-3) or mouse mRNA for topoisomerase inhibitor suppressed(TIS). MA-3 was induced in various types of apoptosis, specially in NGF-deprived apoptotic PC12 cells, TIS was down-regulated in the RVC lymphoma cells incubated with topoisomerase inhibitor that induces DNA strand breakages. PG1-1DEST that was highly expressed in PC12 cells was corresponded to transposon Tn103'-end. Tnansposon Tn10 was up-regulated in differentiated myeloblastic ML-1 cells by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. This study illuminates that MA-3/TIS was down-regulated by PKA activity, and transposon Tn10 was up-regulated by it.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; DNA ; Eukaryota ; Granulocyte Precursor Cells ; Life Cycle Stages ; Lymphoma ; Mass Screening* ; Mice ; PC12 Cells* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; RNA, Messenger ; Signal Transduction

Localized fibrous mesothelioma of the liver is very rare benign tumor. It usually manifest large palpable hepatic mass in right upper quadrant area, and the prognosis is excellent by surgical resection. Contrast enhanced CT scan shows well defined hyperattenuating mass and celiac anglogram shows hypervascular mass. Recently we experienced 1 case of localized fibrous mesothelioma of the liver, and we report CT and anglographic findings of this tumor.
Liver* ; Prognosis ; Solitary Fibrous Tumor, Pleural* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A 39-year-old female patient presenting with epigastric discomfort and jaundice was diagnosed as diffuse hilar cholangiocarcinoma with vascular tumor invasion. After preoperative management with percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and right portal vein embolization, the patient underwent modified hepatoligamentopancreatoduodectomy; this included extended right hepatectomy, caudate lobectomy, portal vein segmental resection, enbloc resection of hepatoduodenal ligament together with proper hepatic artery resection and with leaving a replaced left hepatic artery from the left gastric artery, and paraaortic lymph node dissection. Intraoperative frozen histologic examination revealed multiple paraaortic lymph node metastases, which was generally regarded as definite distant metastasis. There was no postoperative complication except for persistent drainage of ascites that occurred only during the immediate postoperative period. She did not receive postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The patient is now living well 11 years 2months after surgery without recurrence. Although this patient revealed hilar vascular invasion and paraaortic lymph node metastasis, she survived more than 10 years without tumor recurrence. This implicate that aggressive surgical treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma can result in long-term survival even in the presence of paraaortic lymph node metastasis.
Adult ; Arteries ; Ascites ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Disease-Free Survival* ; Drainage ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Ligaments ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Portal Vein ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic role of a three-dimensional MR cholangiopancreatography(MRCP) over endoscopic retrograde cholangio- pancreatography(ERCP) in various extrah-epatic biliary disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRCP and ERCP were performed in 45 consecutive patients with suspected extrahepatic biliary diseases. MRCP was obtained using a reverse fast imaging with a steady-state free precession (reverse FISP : PSIF) sequences, and then images were reconstructed by standard MIP algorithm. The predictability of biliary dilatation and level of obstruction of MRCP was evaluated using ERCP as a gold standard. The accuracy distinguishing malignant from benign lesions, and overall diagnostic accuracy were compared between MRCP and ERCP. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRCP in predicting biliary dilatation were 94.6%, 75.0% and 91.1%, respectively. The level of obstruction was accurate in 87.0% with MRCP. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy MRCP and ERCP in distinguishing malignant from benign lesions were 76.2%, 87.5% and 82.2% and 71.4%, 83.3% and 77.8%, respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 60.0% with MRCP and 55.6% with ERCP. CONCLUSION: 3D MRCP shows a good diagnostic value compared to that of ERCP, and can replace a ERCP.
Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Cholecystectomy*