No abstract available.
Head* ; Ossification, Heterotopic*

No abstract available.
Femur* ; Osteoporosis*

No abstract available.
Bowen's Disease* ; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell*

Backgrounds: Thyroid hormones play a fundamental role in the initiation and maintenance of somatic growth in mammalian species, and the insulin-like growth factors(IGFs) occupy a position of central importance in the growth of all tissues. To evaluate the changes in serum insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients, sera was obtained from 19 hyperthyroid patients, 9 hypothyroid patients, and 10 healthy volunteers. Methods: IGF-I concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay, and changes in IGFBPs were assesed by Western Ligand Blotting. To evaluate the binding pattern of IGF-I & IGFBPs, autoradiographs were obtained. Results & Conclusion: IGF-I levels were increased significantly in hyperthyroid patients(mean ±SE, 267.88±9.80 ng/ml, p<0.05) and decreased significantly in hypothyroid patients(154.81±1.43 ng/ml, p<0.01) compaired to healthy control group(209.45±.60 ng/ml). Autoradiograph of serum IGFBPs from patients with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism did not show any change in the intensity of IGFBP-3 bands(40-45 KD) and IGFBP-1 bands, but in hyperthyroid patients, it showed increased intensity of IGFBP-2 band compared to healthy control group and hypothyroid patients.
Equidae ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypothyroidism ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thyroid Hormones

Understanding of the adhesion molecules involved in the interaction of gastric cancer cells with peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMC) might provide a useful strategy for interfering with cancer cell implantation to the peritoneum. Since CD44H is a major cell surface receptor for hyaluronate (HA), it may play an important role in mediating cancer cell adhesion to PMC through recognition of mesothelium associated HA. The purpose of the present study was to define the functional significance of CD44H in peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer cells by using quantitative assays for measuring the adhesion ability to PMC in vitro. CD44 expression in gastric cancer cell lines SNU-1, -5, and -16 were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. CD44H was expressed in SNU-5 and -16 whereas no significant level of CD44H was expressed in SNU-1. SNU-16 expressed additional high-molecular-weight CD44 isoforms. In the adhesion assay with HA coated microtiter wells, SNU-5 and -16 demonstrated high affinity for HA, with values of 64.6+/-10.5% and 91.1+/-8.8%, respectively. SNU-1 demonstrated no significant binding affinity for HA (p<0.05). For the in vitro binding assay, we used a confluent monolayer of PMC. 2.5x10(4) and 5x10(4) gastric cancer cells labelled with 51 Cr were inoculated into microtiter wells and allowed to adhere for 2 hr. After washing of the unattached cancer cells, adherent cells were lysed with 0.1 N NaOH and the radioactivity was measured in the lysates. SNU-5 and -16 bound to PMC, to the extent of 10.0+/-1.0%, 14.6+/-1.8% and 22.9+/-2.0%, 23.7+/-3.6%, respectively. In contrast, SNU-1 demonstrated lower binding ability(6.4+/- 0.5%, 6.7+/-1.3%, respectively) to PMC. In conclusion, CD44H is at least partly involved in gastric cancer cell binding to PMC, which mediates an important first step of peritoneal implantation.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Line ; Epithelium* ; Negotiating ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Peritoneum ; Protein Isoforms ; Radioactivity ; Stomach Neoplasms*

No abstract available.

Intrathecal administration of methotrexate(IT-MTX) has constituted the standard approach to prophylaxis and treatment of central nevous system(CNS) leukemia. We experienced a quadriplegia and motor aphasia in a 14-year-old boy following repeated IT-MTX for the prophylaxis of meningeal leukemia. He was diagnosed as ALL without CNS involvement and treated by CCG- 1882 protocol. IT-MTX was administered for CNS prophylaxis. The patient began complaining of urinary incontinence, motor aphasia and weakness in his right leg from 12 days after the 5th dose of the IT-MTX therapy. Even though the IT-MTX was discontinued, loss of muscle power progressed upward resulting in quadriplegia. The patient showed slow and partial recovery on right extremities over 3 months. We report this case with brief review of literature.
Adolescent ; Aphasia, Broca* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Leg ; Leukemia ; Male ; Methotrexate* ; Quadriplegia* ; Urinary Incontinence

BACKGROUND: Portable devices for measuring peak expiratory flow(PEF) are now of proved value in the diagnosis and management of asthma and many lightweight PEF meters have become available. However, it is necessary to determine whether peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR) measurements measured with peak flowmeters is accurate and reproducible for clinical application. The aim of the present study is to define accuracy, agreement, and precision of mini-Wright peak flow meter(MPFM) against standard pneumotachygraph. METHODS: The lung function tests by standard pneumotachygraph and PEFR measurement by MPFM were performed in a random order for 2 hours in 22 normal and 17 asthmatic subjects and also were performed for 3 successive days in 22 normals. RESULTS: The PEFR measured with MPFM was significantly related to the PEFR and FEV1 measured with standard pneumotachygraph in normal and asthmatics(for PEFR, r=0.92 p<0.001; for FEV1, r=0.78 ; p<0.001). The accuracy of MPFM was within 10%(limits of accuracy recommeded by NAEP) in all the subjects or 22 normal, mean difference from standard pneumotachygraph being I 6.5L/min(percentage of difference being 2.90%) or 1 0.6L/min(percentage of difference being 1.75%), respectively. According to the method proposed by Bland and Altman, the 95% limits of the distribution of differences between MPFM and standard pneumotachygraph after correction of PEFR using our regression equation were +38.2 and -71.5L/min in all the subjects or -20.49~ + 9.49L/min in 22 normal and was similar to the intraindividual agreements for 3 successive days in normal. There was no statistically significant difference of PEFR measured with MPFM and standard pneumotachygraph among three days(p>0.05) and the coefficient of variation(2.4 1.2%) of PEFR measured with MPFM was significantly lower than that( 5.2 3.5%) with standard pneurnotachygraph in normal (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This results suggest that the MPFM was as accurate and reproducible as standard pneumotachygraph for monitoring of PEFR in the asthmatic subjects.
Asthma ; Diagnosis ; Flowmeters ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Respiratory Function Tests

No abstract available.
Teratoma*

To evaluate the additive efficacy of postoperative low dose 5-FU subconjunctival injection, we analyzed 43 patients[43 eyes]who had undergone trabeculectomy or triple surgery with intraoperative MMC for 2.5~3min.18eyes[case group =MMC 5-FU group]of 43 eyes had postoperative low dose 5-FU injection additionally and 25 eyes[control group =MMC group]of which had only undergone intraoperative MMC. The mean[+/-SD]follow-up periods were 13.6 +/-5.3 months in MMC 5-FU group and 12.1 +/-3.6 months in MMC group.There was no statistically significant difference in preoperative IOP between the two groups[p>0.05].Mean postoperative intraocular pressures were 12.9 +/-4.2 mms of mercury in MMC 5-FU group and 13.3 +/-4.4 mms of mercury in MMC group at 12 months postoperatively[p>0.05]. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative success rates at 1.5 year were 82.6%and 87.2%in the case and control groups, respectively[p>0.05].Of the postoperative complications, corneal epithelial defect was more frequent in MMC 5-FU group[p<0.05]. In conclusion, postoperative injection of low dose 5-FU additionally did not have an additive effect on the IOP control in patients undergone MMC applied filtering surgery. We may need additional postoperative injection of higher dose of 5-FU.Or, we may need to individualize the duration of application or the concentration of intraoperative MMC to begin with.
Filtering Surgery* ; Fluorouracil ; Glaucoma* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Mitomycin* ; Postoperative Complications ; Trabeculectomy