Inactivation or loss of suppressor genes on a specific chromosome plays an important role in the development and progression of cancer. Recent studies have shown that p53 gene acts as a tumor suppressor gene and that its mutation appears to be related to the aggressiveness of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. To investigate the significance of p53 gene mutations in transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis (renal pelvis tumor), 28 tumors with various stages and grades were examined for p53 gene mutations in exon regions 5 to 8 using polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Seven (25%) of 28 pelvis tumors were found to have p53 gene mutations. Three of 12 superficial tumors including pTis, pTa, and pT1 were found to have p53 gene mutations. And only four of 16 invasive tumors with pT2, pT3, and pT4 were found to have p53 mutations. In the respect of tumor grade, p53 gene mutation was found in four of the 14 tumors with grade I and II, while three of 14 tumors with grade III, and IV were found to have p53 gene mutations. These observations suggest that, in contrast to bladder cancer, the incidence of p53 gene mutations does not related to the tumor stages and grades in transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis. These results further indicate that p53 gene mutation may not represent a genetic marker of malignant potentials in transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Exons ; Genes, p53* ; Genes, Suppressor ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Genetic Markers ; Incidence ; Kidney Pelvis* ; Pelvis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

Pemphigus erythematosus (PE) is a superficial type of pemphigus, which can be aggravated by sunlight (espicially UV light). Because of the known side effects of corticosteroids, we evaluated the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a corticosteroid-sparing agent and/or the effect of a single-drug regimen in two patients with PE with photosensitivity. We obtained a good therapeutic response with hydroxychloroquine in these two patients with PE. This drug could be used in selected patients with pemphigus who are prednisolone/ immunosuppressive-resistant or who have certain degrees of photosensitivity.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Humans ; Hydroxychloroquine* ; Pemphigus* ; Sunlight

Recent studies suggest that alterations of the immune-inflammatory system contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Neuroinflammatory response initiated by innate immune mechanism that self-attack on neurons, known as "autotoxicity" could be an initial key mechanism of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous experimental and pathological evidences showing upregulated inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and the activation of complement cascade and accumulation of activated microglia in damaged regions support the important role of immune-inflammatory mechanism in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Epidemiological studies on the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), coupled with results from animal model of AD, PD and ALS, have prompted the studies to determine if immune-inflammatory modifying agents or molecules could be a new therapeutic paradigm of neurodegenerative diseases. Molecules inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines released from microglia, agents that inhibit activation of microglia, COX2 and complement system are now considered as a good candidate of immune-inflammatory modulating treatment. By better understanding inflammatory and immunoregulatory processes, it should be possible to develop anti-inflammatory approach that may not completely cure AD, PD, and ALS but will likely help slow the progression or delay the onset of these devastating diseases.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; Chemokines ; Complement System Proteins ; Cytokines ; Microglia ; Models, Animal ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons ; Parkinson Disease

We compared the visual outcome after phacoemulsification through the scleral pocket incision between non-diabetic patients and diabetic patients, and studied the factors influencing the visual outcome and postoperative complications in diabetic patients. retrospectively. The subjects operated by one of the authors were composed of 277 non-diabetic patients (277 eyes) and 90 diabetic patients (113 eyes). An average of the best corrected visual acuities at postoperative 8 weeks was lower in diabetic patients than that in non-diabetic patients, but there was no statistically significant difference between diabetic patients who had no or background diabetic retinopathy and non-diabetic patients. In diabetic patients the visual outcome was significantly related with severity of diabetic retinopathy, duration of the diabetes, and insulin dependency, but not related with the rupture of posterior capsule during surgery. Among the complications there were posterior capsule rupture (10.6%), hyphema (7.8%), posterior capsular opacity (4.9%), and posterior synechiae (4.9%).
Diabetic Retinopathy ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Insulin ; Phacoemulsification* ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To investigate the morphological characteristics of keratocytes and the interconnection of keratocytes with adjacent keratocytes using the flat preparation method and scanning electron microscopy with a frontal section of the human corneal stroma. METHODS: The thin, corneal collagen lamellae were carefully dissected from the cornea (n=7), which had been stained by the flat preparation method. The remaining tissue was fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde and observed by transmission electron microscopy following the frontal section. RESULTS: The flat preparation revealed the corneal fibroblasts between the lamellae of the collagen fibers and showed that the ramifying cellular processes of the keratocytes were in contact with the cytoplasmic processes or cell bodies of neighboring fibroblasts. Two types of discrete subpopulations of keratocytes were identified: a smaller, cellular type of keratocyte with spindle-shaped nucleus with heterochromatin, and a larger, cellular type with a large indented nucleus with relatively scanty cytoplasm. Collagen fibers ran parallel to each other toward the fenestration of the cytoplasmic wall of the keratocyte. CONCLUSIONS: These flat preparation method results showed that the keratocytes within the corneal stroma are interconnected with the adjacent keratocytes, which indicates the presence of a functional communicating network through the keratocyte circuits within the stroma. A smaller, cellular type of keratocyte with spindle-shaped nucleus was morphologically differentiated from a larger, cellular type with a large, indented nucleus by flat preparation and transmission electron microscopy.
Middle Aged ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Intercellular Junctions/*ultrastructure ; Infant ; Humans ; Corneal Stroma/*cytology/pathology ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Cell Size ; Aged ; Adult ; Adolescent

Endometrial papillary serous carcinoma (EPSC) is a distinct variant of endometrial adenocarcinoma that histologically resembles ovarian serous papillary adenocarcinoma and has an aggressive clinical course. Usually, the tumor is diagnosed at the advanced stage. The tumor has well confused with metastatic ovarian tumor of identical histology. Diagnosis of EPSC should be considered when the cervico-vaginal smear reveals numerous papillary clusters of tumor cells with macronucleoli and psammoma bodies. Recently, we have experienced two cases of EPSC diagnosed on cervico-vaginal smears, which revealed characteristic cytologic features including numerous papillary clusters of tumor cells with macronucleoli. The cytologic diagnoses were confirmed on histologic sections.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Papillary ; Diagnosis

The fluoroscopy-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy has been gaining widespread acceptance as a rapid and effective method to make a pre-operative diagnosis of mediastinal tumors including thymoma, malignant lymphoma, and metastatic carcinoma. Although thymoma is a most common tumor of the superior mediastinum, most cytopathologists are not experted in cytologic diagnosis of this tumor because of limited experience. In order to define the diagnostic cytologic features of thymoma, we have retrospectively reviewed imprinting smears and corresponding tissue sections from four cases of this tumor. All cases revealed an apparent biphasic pattern of epithelial cell clusters and lymphocytes with occasional branching capillary fronds extending from three dimensional epithelial cell clusters. Epithelial cell clusters predominated in one case and lymphocytes in two cases. Mixed epithelial cell and lymphocyte type represented in one of four cases. In the lymphocyte predominant type, the presence of epithelial cell clusters and small mature lymphocytes are helpful features to differentiate from a malignent lymphoma.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Capillaries ; Diagnosis ; Epithelial Cells ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma ; Mediastinum ; Retrospective Studies ; Thymoma*

Fish oil and shortening have been suggested to have opposite effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigated the effect of shortening and fish oil on CVD risk factors and aorta histopathology, and the association between risk factors and aorta histopathology. Male Wister rats (n=30) were fed an AIN-93G diet containing 20% fat in the form of fish oil, shortening, or soybean oil for 4 weeks. Total cholesterol (TC), triacylglyceride (TG), and C-reactive protein levels were significantly (P<0.001) lower in the fish oil than in soybean oil and shortening groups. HDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly different (P<0.001) between groups. In addition, LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly (P<0.001) lower in the fish oil and shortening groups than in the soybean oil group. Insulin and glucose concentrations did not differ among groups. Effect of dietary fat on tissue fatty acid composition significantly differed in abdominal fat and brain compared with RBC, heart, kidney and liver. The aortic wall was significantly (P=0.02) thinner in the fish oil group than in the soybean oil and shortening groups. The aortic wall thickness was positively correlated with TG and TC, but negatively with EPA + DHA levels of all tissues. These results suggested that fish oil had protective effects on aorta histopathology by hypolipidemic action in this rat model.
Abdominal Fat ; Animals ; Aorta ; Brain ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Dietary Fats ; Glucose ; Heart ; Humans ; Insulin ; Kidney ; Liver ; Male ; Rats ; Risk Factors ; Soybean Oil

The development and progression of oral cancer is associated with an accumulation of multiple genetic alterations through the multistep processes. Comparative genomic hybridization(CGH), newly developed cytogenetic and molecular biologic technique, has been widely accepted as a useful method to allow the detection of genetic imbalance in solid tumors and the screening for chromosome sites frequently affected by gains or losses in DNA copy number. The authors examined 19 primary oral squamous cell carcinomas using CGH to identify altered chromosome regions that might contain novel oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Interrelationship between these genetic aberrations detected and major oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes previously recognized in carcinogenesis of oral cancers was studied. 1. Changes in DNA copy number were detected in 14 of 19 oral cancers (78.9%, mean: 5.58, range: 3~13). High level amplification was present in 4 cases at 9p23, 12p21.1~q13.1, 3q and 8q24~24.3. Fourteen cases(78.9%, mean: 3.00, range: 1~8) showed gains of DNA copy number and 12 cases(70.5%, mean: 2.58, range: 1~9) revealed losses of DNA copy number. 2. The most common gains were detected on 3q(52.6%), 5p(21.0%), 8q(21.0%), 9p(21.0%), and 11q(21.0%). The losses of DNA copy number were frequently occurred at 9p(36.8%), 17q(36.8%), 13q(26.3%), 4p(21.0%) and 9p(21.0%). 3. The minimal common regions of gains were repeatedly observed at 3q24~26.7, 3q27~29, 1q22~31, 5p12~13.3, 8q23~24, and 11q13.1-13.3. The minimal common regions of losses were detected at 9q11~21.3, 17p31, 13q22~34, and 14p16. 4. In comparison of CGH results with tumor stages, the lower stage group showed more frequent gain at 3q, 5q, 9p, and 14q, whereas gains at 1q(1q22~31) and 11q(11q13.1~13.3) were mainly detected in higher stage group. The loss at 13q22~34 was exclusively detected in higher stage. The results indicate that the most frequent genetic alterations in the development of oral cancers were gains at 3q24~26.3, 1q22~31, and 5p12~13.3 and losses at 9q11~21.3, 17p31, and 13q. It is suggested that genetic alterations manifested as gains at 3q24~26.3, 3q27~29, 5p12~13.3 and 5p are associated with the early progression of oral cancer. Gains at 1q22~31 and 11q13.1~13.3 and loss at 13q22-34 could be involved in the late progression of oral cancers.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Comparative Genomic Hybridization* ; Cytogenetics ; DNA ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans* ; Mass Screening ; Mouth Neoplasms* ; Oncogenes