Plasma col1 leukemia with motility-related morphological behavior is rarely studied. The plasma cells have variable degrees of cytoplasmic morphologies as dairy Projections, long extensions and pseudopods. These morphological evidences show the papa bility of wide spread and dissemination of disease itself. We present a case of a 38 year old woman who had back pain for 4 months and was diagnosed as a solitary plasmacytoma of the third lumbar vertebra. In spite of resection of the tumor and chemotherapy, the plasmacytoma was disseminated into both breasts and ovaries within less than a year. On her blood examination, we counted 34% of plasma cells in peripheral blood and 91.6% of plasma cells in bone marrow aspiration. Most of them resealed hairy projections and pseudopods of the cytoplasm.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Bone Marrow ; Breast ; Cytoplasm ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Plasma Cell* ; Ovary ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma* ; Plasmacytoma ; Spine

Bronchogenic cyst is an uncommon congenital lesion which is derived from the primitive foregut. Most bronchogenic cyst may develope at the tracheal bifurcation, both main bronchi, the lung parenchymeand the mediastinum. A 40-year old male was evaluated for dyspnea and chest tightness. Computed tomography revealed a well dermarcated, 7.2 x 7.9 cm sized, homogeneous mass compressing the left atrium. 2D-echo showed grade III mitral regurgitation. We completely removed the cystic mass and then confirmed the bronchogenic cyst in the pathological diagnosis. During the follow up period, the patient progressed well without any symptoms and showed grade I mitral regurgitation on the 2D-Echo. Therefore, we report a case of the bronchogenic cyst causing grade III mitral regurgitation.
Adult ; Bronchi ; Bronchogenic Cyst* ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Thorax

Atrial fibrillation is the most common of all cardiac arrhythmias. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and is frequently resistant to medical therapy. On the experimental and clinical study, the presence of macroreentrant circuits and the absence of either microreentrant circuits or evidence of atrial automaticity suggests that atrial fibrillation should be amenable to surgical ablation. The results of the maze III procedure are associated with a higher incidence of postoperative sinus rhythm, improved long-term sinus node function, fewer pacemaker requirements, less arrhythmia recurrence, and improved long-term atrial transport function. We had experienced 4 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation. For the first time, Hioki procedure had been performed in the first patient with ASD and atrial fibrillation, regular sinus rhythm showed on postoperative EKG, but junctional rhythm and bradycardia developed postoperative 3 years. The maze III procedure for the rest with mitral valvular disease and atrial fibrillation had been done, followed by regular sinus rhythm for 2 patients and atrial fibrillation for 1 patient, managed with amiodarone, on immediate postoperative state. Echocardiogram documented good contraction of right atrium and hardly contraction of left atrium for 2 patients with regular sinus rhythm postoperative 3 months.
Amiodarone ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Recurrence ; Sinoatrial Node

BACKGROUND: Modern physicians' role as a model is very important in advocating health promoting behaviors for their patients. In this study, we compared health promoting behaviors and corresponding health perceptions between law students and medical students with evaluation of the association between health promoting behaviors and corresponding health perceptions. METHODS: The data of this survey, conducted among law students and medical students attending a university in a metropolitan city in June, 2004, were collected by self-administered questionnaire based on FANTASTIC lifestyle checklist adjusted to reflect Korean circumstances. RESULTS: Qestionnaires from 74 law students and 136 medical students were analysed. The medical students showed better health behaviors in terms of fastening seatbelt, leisure time, sleep, and salt intake reduction. The medical students showed better health perceptions in terms of exercise, activity, body weight, animal fat and salt intake reduction, smoking cessation. The law students showed better perceptions in being impatient. Significant association between health behavior and health perception was observed in relationship with family and friends, exercise, activity, breakfast, reduced intake animal fat, smoking cessation, reduced drug and drinking habits, sleep, fastening seatbelt, regular physical exam, positive thought, and school satisfaction in the law students. In the medical students, significant association was observed in relationship with family and friends, exercise, breakfast, reduced drinking, sleep, fastening seatbelt, coping skills for stress, regular physical exam, and positive thought. CONCLUSION: Even though the medical students were more concerned about and engaged in some health promoting behaviors, other factors affecting medical students' health promoting behaviors than health perception should be addressed further.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Breakfast ; Checklist ; Drinking ; Friends ; Health Behavior* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Jurisprudence* ; Leisure Activities ; Life Style ; Physician's Role ; Smoking Cessation ; Students, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: T lymphocytes that bear CD3 but lack CD4 and CD8 (Double negative T cells, DN T cells) are normally present early in ontogeny in the fetal thymus, but constitute only a small proportion of adult thymocytes and peripheral blood. Since DN T TCR alpha beta+ cells have been found to accumulate in the lymphoid organs of lpr and gld mice and to be expanded in patients with autoimmune diseases, their functional properties are now of considerable interest. METHOD: Sixty four rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 24 healthy volunteers were studied from Jan 1997 to Feb 1998. The whole blood from the patients and controls were analyzed by flow cytometry (Elite ESP, Coulter, USA) and XL-II software after the cells were stained with trifluorochrome monoclonal antibodies (anti-CD4-FITC/anti-CD8-PE/anti-CD3-PE-Cy5, anti-CD3-FITC/anti-CD19-PE/anti-CD45-PE-Cy5, anti-CD3-FITC/ CD16+56-PE) (Immunotech, Coulter, USA). We reviewed patient records to find out the inflammatory parameters and Ritchie index. RESULTS: We confirmed the presence of DN T cells in peripheral blood of healthy volunteers and RA patients. DN T cells were lower in RA patients (mean+/-SD; 6.44%+/-4.46), when compared to healthy volunteers (mean+/-SD; 9.97%+/-4.50) (p=0.001). There was no clinical correlations between DN T cells and inflammatory parameters. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the DN T cells in normal control were about 10% of CD3 positive T cells and the cells were significantly lower in RA patients. Although we did not identify whether these cells have either TCR alpha beta or TCR gamma delta, we could conclude that these cells are not expanded in RA patients. We would like to continue this study further 1) to identify TCR the DN T cells have and 2) to monitor the changes after treatment.
Adult ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Flow Cytometry ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Mice ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Thymocytes ; Thymus Gland

A casts of Barrett's esophagus complicated with stricture is reported. A 82 years old male was undergone distal esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy on suspicion of malignancy. The microscopic examination of specimen taken from the lesion revealed the "tall columnar cells" which were indicative of Barrett's esophagus, hence the diagnosis. Barrett's esophagus is a rare disease in Korea. Because of the malignant potential of the disease, surgery involving esophagectomy is often required.
Aged, 80 and over ; Barrett Esophagus* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Esophageal Stenosis* ; Esophagectomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of contrast-enhanced and T2-weighted magnetic resonance urography (MRU) for the depiction of obstruction and evaluation of the causes of obstructive uropathy with that of antegrade pyelography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with obstructive uropathy who underwent percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) and antegrade pyelography (AGP) were included in the study. We performed MR urography, comprising half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) T2-weighted imaging and 3-D fast imaging with steady state precession (3-D FISP) T1-weighted imaging after gadolinium enhancement and compared the quality of the images of both the HASTE and 3-D FISP MRU techniques in terms of their depiction of the dilated pelvocalyceal system, and the level, type, and causes of obstruction. RESULTS: In terms of anatomical depiction of the pelvocalyceal system (p=0.002) and the causes of obstruction (p=0.003), T1-weighted MRU using 3D-FISP was significantly better than T2-weighted MRU using the HASTE sequence. Regarding level of obstruction, T2-weighted MRU using the HASTE sequence and contrastenhanced T1-weighted MRU using 3D-FISP showed an accuracy of 76% (19/25) and 84% (21/25), respectively. In terms of type of obstruction, the accuracy of T2-weighted MRU and T1-weighted CEMRU was 72%(18/25) and 88% (22/25), respectively. CONCLUSION: T2-weighted MRU and T1-weighted CEMRU provided both anatomical information and that relating to impaired renal function. The two modelities played a complementary role and their use could decrease the unnecessary use of invasive diagnostic examination for the evaluation of obstructive uropathy.
Gadolinium ; Humans ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous ; Urography*

OBJECTIVE: Multipotent bone marrow stromal cells have the ability to differentiate toward a variety of connective tissue lineages including cartilage. The future use of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for human therapies depends on the establishment of preclinical studies. Therefore, in this preclinical study we demonstrated the expression of MSC surface markers CD29, CD105, and CD44 on human bone marrow derived stromal cells during chondrogenic differentiation. METHODS: Adult human bone marrow was collected from the iliac crest of 7 donors following informed consent. Mononuclear cells were isolated, incubated in monolayers, and embedded in alginate beads for three-dimensional cultures. Cellualr viability was assessed by MTT assay. Flow cytometry of alginate bead cultures was performed on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 using monoclonal antibody against surface molecules, CD105, CD29, CD44, CD34 and CD45. Total contents of collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) of the alginate beads was measured. SPSS 11.0 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: After 7 days of culture, 89% of the cells expressed the human integrin beta 1 antibody, CD29. The CD29-positive cells remained elevated at 83% on days 28. However, while only 18% expressed the type II TGF-beta receptor endoglin, CD105 on day 7, the CD105-positive cells increased abruptly 65% on day 14 remaining elevated up to day 28. The expression of CD44 was maximal in the first passage cell (63%). High concentration of TGF-beta 3 (10 ng/mL) was more favorable for sustaining cell viability than a low concentration (0.5 ng/mL)(n=4, p= 0.002, day 21). The total contents of collagen and GAG in the MSC-alginate beads increased during the three-dimensional culture (n=4, p=0.02, p=0.006) suggesting its differentiation into a chondrogenic lineage. CONCLUSION: CD29 was expressed earlier than CD105 during chondrogenic differentiation of human bone marrow MSC. CD44 expression was highest in the first passage cells and gradually decreased afterwards.
Adult ; Bone Marrow* ; Cartilage ; Cell Survival ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans* ; Informed Consent ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Statistics as Topic ; Stromal Cells* ; Tissue Donors ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

OBJECTIVE: A number of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have been shown to be more effective than placebo in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, most course of DMARDs, except methotrexate, are discontinued after 2 or 3 years, because of toxicity, lack of efficacy or escape from control. The multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a phenomenon in which cells develop cross-resistance to many agents such as anthracyclin, vinca alkaloids and colchicine. In our hypothesis, MDR phenomenon could be implicated in acquired resistance to DMARDs in RA. We have established a mdr1 cell line and tested whether DMARDs are substrate for P-glycoprotein (P-gp). METHODS: The mdr1-cDNA was cloned into retroviral vector, and the recombinant retroviral vector was transfected into PA317 cells. The target cells, NIH3T3, were infected with recombinant retroviruses. A colony most resistant to vinblastin was selected for the following experiments; expression of mdr1 gene in NIH3T3 cells was confirmed by RT-PCR, and biological function of mdr1 gene product, P-gp, was tested using Rhodamine-123 (Rh123) efflux assay. Resistance of the target cells expression P-gp which can survive against hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and methotrxate (MTX) were measured by MTT assay. RESULTS: RT-PCR for mdr1 gene showed successful transfer of the gene into the NIH3T3 cells. Rh123 assay revealed expression of P-gp on the selected cells as follows; Rh123 efflux activity of uninfected NIH3T3 cells was 6%, that of PLXSN was 0.2%, and that of selected cells was 44%. The 50% proliferation inhibitory capacity of the selected cells were twice for HCQ but there was no difference of that for MTX. CONCLUSION: We established a mdr1 cell line and using the cell line, HCQ was a substrate of MDR, but MTX was not related to MDR.
Antirheumatic Agents* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Colchicine ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Hydroxychloroquine ; Methotrexate ; P-Glycoprotein ; Retroviridae ; United Nations ; Vinca Alkaloids ; Zidovudine