Seven patients with aortic valve vegetation were examined by M-mode and two dimensional echocardiography. Underlying cardiac abnormalities were found in 6 patients, four had rheumatic heart disease, one had congenital bicuspid aortic valve, one had coexistence of asymmetrical septal hypertrophy and aortic regurgitation. Aortic regurgitation were found in all patients. One of seven patients had cerebral embolization and all patients had overt congestive heart failure. Of 5 patients medically treated, three became moribund, one died and one improved clinically. One patient underwent cardiac surgery, the aortic cusps were congenital bicuspid with vegetation, aortic valve replacement was successful. Echocardiogram of 7 patients with aortic valve vegetation showed characteristic shaggy, irregular mass of echoes produced by vegetation in the aortic valve during systole and diastole. Two of seven patients had abnormal mass of echoes in the left ventricular outflow tract. During systole, two had vegetation on the right coronary cusp and one had vegetation on the noncoronary cusp by M-mode echocardiography. In other patients we could not localize invoving aortic cusps by M-mode echocardiogram. All patients had left ventricular volume overload. For of seven patients had fluttering of anterior mitral valve. Two had fluttering of interventricular seputm. Five had premature mitral valve closure before QRS complex.
Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Aortic Valve* ; Bicuspid ; Diastole ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Mitral Valve ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; Systole ; Thoracic Surgery

BACKGROUND: The expression of adhesion molecules contribute to development of systemic diseases. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-l(VCAM-1) is an endothelial cell membrane glycoprotein that has been implicated in leukocyte/endothelial cell interactions in inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize the surface expression and regulation of VCAM-1 on two different endothelial cells. METHOD: We examined the effects of the expression of VCAM-1 in two different endothelial cells, isolated from human umbilical cords and human glomerulus. Expression of VCAM-1 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and flow cytometry. RESULTS: In human umbilical cord endothelial cells(HUVECs), both interleukin-l B(IL-lB) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) increased VCAM-1 expression. VCAM-1 expression increased by TNF-a was higher than that increased by IL-lB. In human glomerular endothelial cells(HGECs), IL-lB and TNF-a markedly increased VCAM-1 expression. Conclusion. The regulation of VCAM-1 appears to be somewhat different in HGECs compared with HUVECs. These differences between the responsiveness of the two cells may possibly indicate inherent differences in endothelial cell derived from different vascular beds.
Cell Adhesion ; Cell Communication ; Cytokines* ; Endothelial Cells* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Necrosis ; Umbilical Cord ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1*

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of the transanal one-stage pull-through procedure (TOP) in Hirschsprung's disease. Eight patients aged 3 weeks to 8 months with Hirschsprung's disease underwent this procedure. A rectal mucosectomy was performed from just proximal to dentate line to the level of peritoneal reflexion, where muscle layer was incised circumferentially. Rectosigmoid was mobilized out through the anus, and full-thickness frozen biopsy was taken for confirmation of ganglionic cells. After the rectal muscular cuff was divided longitudinally in the posterior aspect, aganglionic bowel was removed and ganglionic colon was anastomozed to the anus. The mean operating time was 161 minutes, and the mean hospital stay after operation was 3.8 days. Five patients had three to four bowel movement per day without other therapy at mean postoperative 39.2 days. Although long-term follow-up will be required, the TOP might be the new alternative surgical procedure for Hirschsprung's disease.
Anal Canal ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglion Cysts ; Hirschsprung Disease* ; Humans ; Length of Stay

PURPOSE: When cells are subjected to stressful stimuli such as, heat shock, toxic metal, nutrient deprivation, and metabolic disruption, they increase production of specific stress proteins that buffer them from harm. We reported that the expression of a navel 90 kDa cellular protein was increased by the infection of a fish rhabdovirus and heat shock in a fish cell. This new 90 kDa protein is not expressed in normal animal tissues but is highly induced in progressively transforming tissues or cells. That gives us some ideas tl at it is possible for this stress protein to be expressed in specific human cancer tissues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Commercialized checkerboard multi-tumor block (DAKO Co. Carpinteria, CA) was used for immunohistochemical analysis. The samples of human gastric cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer tissues were evaluated by Western blot and Northern blot for overexpression of the novel 90 kDa stress protein. Sera of those patients were analyzed by ELISA for the presence of antibody against the novel 90 kDa stress protein. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining of human tumor tissue blocks showed significant immunostaining of novel 90 kDa stress protein in carcinomas such as colon cancer, breast cancer and stomach cancer but no apparent immunostaining in sarcomas. Coinciding with the immunohistochemical result, Western blotting and Northern blotting analyses indicate that the expression of the novel 90 kDa stress protein was increased in carcinomas. In addition, the antibody titer against the novel 90 kDa stress protein was found to be elevated in the sera of cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: The novel 90 kDa stress protein gene expression was elevated in carcinomas such as gastric cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. These findings suggest that this new stress protein can be used as a tumor marker and may function as a chaperone in tumor growth.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Blotting, Western ; Breast Neoplasms ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Hot Temperature ; Humans* ; Rhabdoviridae ; Sarcoma ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Stomach Neoplasms