Gastric cancer cells express large amounts of galectin-3 on the cell surface. This fact may provide the possibility to use galectin-3 protein as a surface target for delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents. To investigate the possibility of application of galectin-3 protein as a target protein in delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents, we synthesized doxorubicin immunoconjugate by using maleimidocaproic acid and conjugated doxorubicin immunoconjugate to anti-galectin-3 mAb. The anticancer effect of immunotoxin was assayed on NIH3T3, AGS and KATO III cell lines. The anticancer effect of immunotoxin on AGS cell line is highest and that of KATO III is higher than that of NIH3T3. This results relate to that of flow cytometry analysis previously shown and indicate that galectin-3 protein can be used as a target protein on the surface of gastric cancer cell for delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents.
Antineoplastic Agents* ; Cell Line ; Doxorubicin ; Flow Cytometry ; Galectin 3 ; Galectins* ; Immunoconjugates ; Immunotoxins ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; Stomach Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare, locally aggressive tumor and occurs exclusively in the pelvic and perineal regions of women. But this tumor can occur in men, and the ratio of man to woman is about 1:6. We report a case of aggressive angiomyxoma of the scrotum in a 75-year-old man. The resected mass measured 23 21 10 cm and weighed 1,150 g, and was covered with thick but intact scrotal skin. The cut surface of the mass showed pale yellow to grayish white loose and edematous fibrous tissue with focal cystic degeneration. Microscopically, the mass was composed of loosely arranged bland-looking spindle or stellate cells and variable sized blood vessels with thickened and hyalinized wall. The spindle cells were strong positive for vimentin, focal, weak positive for desmin and smooth muscle actin but negative for S-100 protein. The spindle cells were also positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors.
Actins ; Aged ; Blood Vessels ; Desmin ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myxoma* ; Receptors, Progesterone ; S100 Proteins ; Scrotum* ; Skin ; Vimentin

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between pressure-flow parameters and urethral pressure in women with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urodynamic traces of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), mixed urinary incontinence (MUI), and detrusor overactivity (DO) were retrospectively studied. The urodynamic parameters such as detrusor opening pressure (DOP), detrusor pressure at maximum flow rate (PdetQmax), maximum flow rate (Qmax), detrusor closing pressure (DCP), and maximal urethral closing pressure (MUCP) were measured and compared. The relationship between pressure-flow parameters and MUCP were evaluated as well as the differences between each urodynamic group. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one women were investigated between June 2004 and May 2008. One hundred twenty-one (80%) women had good-quality urodynamic studies and were included in the present study. The mean age was 56 years (range, 32-77). Women with DO had higher DOP, PdetQmax, and MUCP than did women with SUI (p<0.05). Qmax was significantly greater in women with SUI than in women who had DO (p<0.05). Women with MUI had DOP, PdetQmax, and Qmax that were intermediate between women with SUI and those with DO. There was a significant positive correlation between DOP, PdetQmax, DCP, and MUCP measurements and a significant negative correlation between Qmax and MUCP measurements (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Pressure-flow parameters are reliable surrogates of urethral pressure. Therefore, an accurate evaluation of the pressure-flow parameters might give important information in the assessment of urethral and detrusor function in women with LUTS. Further study is needed to confirm our results.
Female ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urodynamics ; Urological Manifestations

No abstract available.
Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver*

The fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytologic findings in 16 cases of histologically confirmed thymoma are reported. The aspirates were obtained under fluoroscopic guidance. The cytologic diagnoses were inadequate sample in one case, thymoma in 12 (75%), small cell carcinoma or thymoma in 1, benign mesenchymal tumor in 1, and germ cell tumor in one. The cytologic features were detailed according to the constituent epithelial cell type, and to the ratio of epithelial cells and lymphocytes. Fifteen cases were classified into 4 small epithelial cell type, 6 intermediate epithelial cell type, 1 large epithelial cell type, 1 large pleomorphic epithelial cell type, and 3 spindle-shaped epithelial cell type. Cytologic differential diagnosis was discussed, and the important criteria for the cytologic diagnosis of thymoma were reviewed. This review leads us to think that nonoperative cytologic approaches in the diagnosis of the thymoma are possible, and that correct cytologic diagnosis of thymoma with FNAs can easily be made, if adequate samples are obtained. However, the invasiveness and histologic type could not be predicted by cytological features only. Knowing various cytologic and histologic features of thymoma will be helpful for the diagnosis of thymoma and the differential diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.
Diagnosis, Differential

To investigate the genetic factors in Koreans with leprosy, 157 unrelated leprosy patients have been typed for HLA antigens, and compared with 162 healthy controls. The patient group consisted of 124 with lepromatous leprosy and 33 with tuberculoid leprosy. HLA-A11 was found to be increased in lepromatous leprosy (p=0.0005). HLA-Aw33 was found to be increased in both lepromatous leprosy (p = 0.0002) and tuberculoid leprosy (p = 0.005). HLA-Cw5 was found to be decreased in lepromatous leprosy (p = 0.009). Frequencied of HLA-B antigens did not differ significantly between the leprosy patients and the healthy controls.
HLA Antigens/analysis* ; Human ; Korea ; Leprosy/genetics ; Leprosy/immunology* ; Phenotype

The polymorphic variants of HLA-linked genetic markers GLO, Bf, C2 and C4 were determined in Koreans. The GLO2 allele was found at a similar frequency as compared with other orientals and at higher frequency than in Caucasians. The gene frequencies of BfS and BfF showed different figures from those in other orientals and were similar to Caucasians. The C2C allele was the highest variant as in other populations. The rare variant C2A was not observed in this study. The common variants of C4A alleles are C4A*3 and C4A*4. Among the C4B variants, C4B*1, C4B*2 and C4B* QO are common in that order. Several undefined electrophoretic variants C4A and C4B were observed in this study. These findings suggest that the frequencies of various HLA-linked genetic markers can be used in anthropological studies.
Caucasoid Race ; Comparative Study ; Genetic Markers* ; HLA Antigens/genetics* ; Human ; Korea ; Mongoloid Race* ; Polymorphism (Genetics)

1) Daily dose was 10-20mg Q.D. for 12 weeks. 2) Mean systolic and diastolic pressure were decreased by 49mmHg(25.9%), and 18mmHg(16.8%) respectively. But there was no significant change in heart rate before and after treatment. 3) Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were stably maintained on the whole day. 4) There were no significant side effects except two cases of aggravated congestive heart failure and hypertension. 5) There were no significant changes on hematologic & biochemical parameters before and after treatment.
Blood Pressure ; Heart Failure ; Heart Rate ; Hypertension ; Nitrendipine*