PURPOSE: The transmembrane glycoprotein CD44 exists in a variety of isoforms generated by alternative splicing of the pre-mRNA. We studied the role of CD44-standard (CD44s) and CD44-variant6 (CD44v6) in gastric adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed in 101 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent radical gastrectomy at KGCC, Seoul Paik Hospital. The relationship of CD44s, CD44v6 expressions to the clinicopathologic parameters, p53 and Ki-67 were evaluated. RESULTS: CD44s and CD44-v6 expressions were found in 56.4% and 48.5%, respectively. CD44s expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and Borr mann type. CD44v6 expression was significantly correlated with sex, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and perineural invasion and had a tendency toward p53 expression. In inte stinal type adenocarcinoma, CD44s expression had correlations with lymph node metastasis and CD44v6 had correlations with lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion. However, in diffuse type adenocarcinoma, CD44s and CD44v6 expressions had correlations with only Borrmann type. In multivariate analysis, lymph node metastasis was the most significant risk factor for CD44s and CD44v6 expressions in total cases and intestinal type adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that expression of CD44 v6 may play an important role in the regulation of lymph node metastasis in intestinal type adenocarcinoma of stomach.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Alternative Splicing ; Gastrectomy ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Protein Isoforms ; Risk Factors ; RNA Precursors ; Seoul ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate female sexual function after colpoperineoplasty. METHODS: Women who visited regional clinic for colpoperineoplasty from June. 2004-Aug. 2004. filled in FSFI (The Female Sexual Function Index) questionnarie before and 4 months after surgery. Six weeks after surgery, they start pelvic muscle training with HMT 2000 (Korea, electric stimulator). RESULTS: Frequency of coitus, sexual desire, arousal, lubrication and orgasm was increased after colpoperineoplasty. Percentage of patients who had coitus more than once a week increased from 18% to 63%. In sexual desire, about 18% felt sexual arousal more than or about half the time before surgery, but increased to 45% after surgery. In sexual arousal, percentage of who felt sexually aroused during more than half of sexual activity increased from 34% before surgery to 69% after surgery. In Lubrication, percentage of who became lubricated during more than half of sexual activity increased from 44% before surgery to 82% after surgery. Who reached orgasm more than half of sexual activity increased from 29% before surgery to 70%. CONCLUSION: Colpoperineoplasty increased female sexual activity.
Arousal ; Coitus ; Female* ; Humans ; Lubrication ; Orgasm ; Sexual Behavior

PURPOSE: Recent literature has shown that lymph node ratio is superior to the absolute number of metastatic lymph nodes in predicting the prognosis in several malignances other than colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the lymph node ratio (LNR) in patients with stage III colorectal cancer. METHODS: We included 186 stage III colorectal cancer patients who underwent a curative resection over a 10-year period in one hospital. The cutoff point of LNR was chosen as 0.07 because there was significant survival difference at that LNR. The Kaplan-Meier and the Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the prognostic effect according to LNR. RESULTS: There was statistically significant longer overall survival in the group of LNR > 0.07 than in the group of LNR < or = 7 (P = 0.008). Especially, there was a survival difference for the N1 patients group (LN < 4) according to LNR (5-year survival of N1 patients was lower in the group of LNR > 0.07, P = 0.025), but there was no survival difference for the N2 group (4 > or = LN) according to LNR. The multivariate analysis showed that the LNR is an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: LNR can be considered as a more accurate and potent modality for prognostic stratifications in patients with stage III colorectal cancer.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models

PURPOSE: Emergency physicians are usually more experienced in emergency situations; therefore, a cardiopulmonary resuscitation team with an emergency physician as a leader would be operated effectively. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation that includes an emergency physician. METHODS: A retrospective analysis for in-hospital arrests that occurred in the general ward was conducted based on the in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation registry of a tertiary care university hospital in Korea from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2010. We compared outcomes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed by a team that included an emergency physician with those by a cardiopulmonary resuscitation team that included a non-emergency physician. RESULTS: Survival rates at discharge were 29.6% for the emergency physician team and 17.7% for the non-emergency physician team. The good neurologic outcome rates at discharge were 20.6% and 10.6%, respectively. In multivariate analysis with adjustment for pre-arrest patient condition and arrest variables, survival rate did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the good neurologic outcomes showed an association with the emergency physician team. CONCLUSION: For in-hospital cardiac arrest, outcomes for patients who were rescued by the emergency physician-directing CPR team might be comparable or better, compared with those by the non-emergency physician team.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Emergencies ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Korea ; Multivariate Analysis ; Patients' Rooms ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tertiary Healthcare

OBJECTIVE: To clarify whether hearing sensitivity in postmenopausal women is associated with serum estradiol level or bone mineral density (BMD) MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1999 to December 1999, serum concentration of estradiol, bone mineral densities of the lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck, and hearing sensitivity were measured in 1162 postmenopausal women. Serum concentration of estradiol was measured by radioimmunoassay. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure bone mineral densities of the lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck. Pure tone thresholds were evaluated by screening pure tone audiometry. All data were analyzed with Student's t-test, multiple logistic regression analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1155 patients were analyzed; 155 patients were in the hearing-loss group and 1000 patients were in the control group. On univariate analysis, significant differences were found in mean age, concentration of serum estradiol, and BMD of the femoral neck between the two groups (mean+/-SD, 58.1+/-5.2 vs 56.0+/-4.3, 11.6+/-6.0 vs 13.1+/-12.0, 0.67+/-0.11 vs 0.70+/-0.11; p-value: 0.0001, 0.01, 0.02). On multiple logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis, significant association was found between age and hearing loss and between age and pure tone threshold (p-value: 0.0001, 0.0001, respectively). However, neither seum concentration of estradiol nor BMD was associated with hearing loss or pure tone threshold. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that hearing sensitivity in postmenopausal women is not directly associated with serum estradiol level or BMD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Audiometry ; Bone Density* ; Estradiol* ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Logistic Models ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Mass Screening ; Radioimmunoassay

Background: Previous studies have presented evidence to support the significant association between red meat intake and colon cancer, suggesting that heme iron plays a key role in colon carcinogenesis. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major constituent of green tea, exhibits anti-oxidative and anti-cancer effects. However, the effect of EGCG on red meatassociated colon carcinogenesis is not well understood. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of hemin and EGCG on colon carcinogenesis and the underlying mechanism of action. Methods: Hemin and EGCG were treated in Caco2 cells to perform the water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 assay, lactate dehydrogenase release assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot. We investigated the regulatory effects of hemin and EGCG on an azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon carcinogenesis mouse model. Results: In Caco2 cells, hemin increased cell proliferation and the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins, and ROS levels. EGCG suppressed hemin-induced cell proliferation and cell cycle regulatory protein expression as well as mitochondrial ROS accumulation. Hemin increased nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression, but decreased Keap1 expression. EGCG enhanced hemin-induced Nrf2 and antioxidant gene expression.Nrf2 inhibitor reversed EGCG reduced cell proliferation and cell cycle regulatory protein expression. In AOM/DSS mice, hemin treatment induced hyperplastic changes in colon tissues, inhibited by EGCG supplementation. EGCG reduced the hemin-induced numbers of total aberrant crypts and malondialdehyde concentration in the AOM/DSS model. Conclusions We demonstrated that EGCG reduced hemin-induced proliferation and colon carcinogenesis through Nrf2-inhibited mitochondrial ROS accumulation.