The authors regret that there were errors in the article. The errors were in one co-author's affiliation and funding source.

Among the precancerous lesions, dysplasia of the uterine cervix and adenoma of the colon have been widely studied in terms of genetic alterations. However, little has been performed regarding phenotypic alterations of the precancerous lesions. We investigated the relationship among cellular proliferation, clonality, immortality and histopathologic grading of the squamous epithelial lesions of the uterine cervix. Proliferation index (PI) was calculated based on the ratio of the epithelial cells positive for proliferating cell nuclear antigen to the total epithelial cells. Clonality was assayed by X-linked HUMARA polymorphism. For immortality assay, PCR-based TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol) was done and telomerase processivity was calculated by comparison with the positive control. PI increased gradually as the lesions advanced from dysplasia to invasive carcinoma. Among informative case, all of the carcinoma in situ showed monoclonal pattern (7 of 7). Among invasive squamous cell carcinoma, 6 cases showed monoclonal pattern and 2 cases polyclonal pattern. TRAP reaction was positive in 92.6% (25 of 27) of dysplasia (high grade: 14 of 15; low grade: 11 of 12), 95.0% (19 of 20) of carcinoma in situ, 100% (9 of 9) of microinvasive carcinoma, and 92.9% (13 of 14) of invasive carcinoma. It was also positive in 12 of 12 samples of chronic cervicitis or squamous metaplasia near the lesions of dysplasia. There was no difference in TRAP positivity among the dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma, whereas telomerase processivity showed significant correlation. These results suggest that proliferative activity and telomerase processivity may be progressive events in oncogenesis, although telomerase activation may be an early event.
Adenoma ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Proliferation ; Cervix Uteri ; Colon ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Metaplasia ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Telomerase ; Uterine Cervicitis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of CT in the diagnosis of bowel and mesenteric injury we studied the CT findings and its usefulness in patients of abdominal trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of 27 patients who were confirmed to have bowel and/or mesenteric injury due to abdominal trauma were analyzed retrospectively. Of these 27 patients 15 had bowel injury only and 12 had both bowel and mesenteric injury. CT findings analysed were bowel wall thickening, presence or absence of highly attenuated bowel wall, sentinel clot, mesenteric infiltration, peritoneal fluid collection and free intraabdominal air in cases with bowel injury only and with both bowel and mesenteric injury respectively. Ten patients had other accompanying abdominal injuries, such as liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, bladder injuries, intraperitoneal abscess or retroperitoneal hemorrhage. RESULTS: Findings observed were bowel wall thickening in 23 cases(85%), peritoneal fluid collection in 21 (78%), highly attenuated bowel wall in 19(70%), mesenteric infiltration in 17(63%), free intraperitoneal air in 10 (37%) and sentinel clot in 7(26%). Pneumoperioneum were observed in 10 of 24 patients(41.7%) having bowel perforation. Two cases did not show any CT findings suggesting bowel and/or mesenteric injury. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the CT findings between the patient group with bowel injury only and the patient group with both bowel and meseneric injury. CONCLUSION: CT scan is a useful tool in evaluating the degree and extent of bowel and/or mesenteric injury as well as in planning the patient's management.
Abdominal Injuries ; Abscess ; Ascitic Fluid ; Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Pancreas ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Spleen ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of balloon catheter dilatation in the treatment of esophageal achalasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients(three males and four females) with esopha-geal achalasia were treated with balloon catheter dilatation. Balloon catheters of variable sizes were used depending on patient's conditions. The patients were followed up over a period of 12-39months. RESULTS: Balloon catheter dilatation in esophageal achalasia was successful in all patients without esophageal perforation. All patients were relieved from dysphagia. Recurrence was not found in 5 patients on long term follow-up study, but was seen in 2 patients after 18 and 21 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Balloon catheter dilatation was a safe and effective method in the treatment of esophageal achalasia with low recurrence rate of 29% on follow-up study.
Catheters* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dilatation* ; Esophageal Achalasia* ; Esophageal Perforation ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome*

During last three decades, there has been many changes and innovations in the structure and process of medical education. The curriculum of Korea University College of Medicine, however, had sustained traditional curriculum, that is, discipline and lecture-oriented and focused on biomedical knowledges during the same period. Stimulated by educational innovations in other medical schools in Korea as well as in other countries, curricular changes has been occurred since late 1990 and new curriculum started in the year 2000 in Korea University. 12 integrated lectures, 8 elective programs for special areas such as medical informatics etc. introduced into the new curriculum. But, the large portion of new curriculum still includes department-centered lectures and total lecture hours are not much decreased. To cope with the explosion in medical scientific knowledge, longitudinal and horizontal integration between basic and clinical medical science is needed. Also, lectures should be diminished in number to allow for active learning to prepare self-directed lifelong learning doctors. Most of all, we should continuously innovate curriculum and gradually put new programs into preexisting curriculum with faculty's consensus.
Consensus ; Curriculum* ; Education, Medical ; Explosions ; Korea* ; Learning ; Lectures ; Medical Informatics ; Problem-Based Learning ; Schools, Medical

No abstract available.
Masticatory Muscles* ; Trismus*

PURPOSE: Although adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of gastric cancer is a popular practice in Korea, there are still controversies about the effectiveness of the treatment. The fact that the relatively less effective drugs have been used and the rarity of large-scaled controlled studies may be partially responsible for the controversies. FP(5-FU, Cisplatin) combination is one of the most active regimen against advanced gastric cancer, consistently showing a response rate of 50~60%. We tried the FP chemotherapy as an adjuvant treatment for high-risk patients after curative resection of gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1992 and June 1996, 35 patients with completely resected high-risk gastric cancer(postoperative stage III or IV except thase with M1) received six courses of FP chemotherapy. Endpoints were toxicities of treatment, relapse free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 17.1 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year overall survival was 63.3% and relapse free survival estimates was 49%. There were no differences between stage III and IV patients in terms of overall survival or relapse free survival. Hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities were tolerable for most of the patients. CONCLUSION: Postoperative FP combination chemotherapy was tolerable for patients with high-risk(stage III and IV) gastric cancer. It is too early to determine the long term survival rates for this patients, but 2-year overall and relapse free survival were comparable to that of historical non-cisplatin containing regimens. Randomized phase III studies are warranted.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Fluorouracil* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: The in-hospital 'Utstein style' is international recommended guidelines for reporting outcome data from in-hospital resuscitation events. This study was designed to evaluate the current status of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR), and to provide basic data far the unified reporting guideline of resuscitation in Korea. METHODS: The patients who had received CPR in a university hospital were searched during one year period from March 1997. The variables according to the Utstein style were evaluated with review of the medical records. RESULTS: During the period, 428 patients had received CPR. Excluding the patients of out-of-hospital arrest and less than 8 years, 242 were enrolled. Their initial ECG rhythms were 55 of asystole, 148 of pulseless electrical activity, and 39 of ventricular fibrillation, The spontaneous circulation was returned in 118(49%, and 48(20% were maintained more than 24 hours. Twenty-two patients(9%) were discharged with spontaneous respiration. Among the survivors, 17 had the Cerebral Performance Category of 1. CONCLUSION: We recommend the Utstein style to report the outcome of in-hospital CPR.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Arrest* ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Respiration ; Resuscitation ; Survivors ; Ventricular Fibrillation

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor (TGF)- has a large variety of biological functions, including the modulation of inflammation and the immune system, and is presumed to play important roles in repairing wounds and reducing scarring. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of TGF-1 on healing wounds and reducing scarring. We have also analysed the ability of the hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ) liposome mediated antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) to specifically inhibit wound-induced expressions of TGF-1 proteins and mRNA in the rat skin. METHODS: Skin wounds were created on the backs of 80 anesthetized rats. The first group of wounds, as the controls, was unmanipulated. The second group of wounds, as positive controls or an excessive scarring model, was injected with TGF-1 subcutaneously. The third group of wounds was injected with anti-TGF-1 antibody subcutaneously. The fourth group of wounds was injected with HVJ liposome mediated antisense ODNs for TGF-1 subcutaneously. The wounds of all groups were bisected and analysed histologically 5, 10, 15, 30, and 50 days after the wounds were made. RESULTS: All control wounds (TGF-1 or no injection) healed with scarring, whereas the wounds treated with the antibody or antisense ODNs healed with less scar formation compared to the control group. The wounds treated with the antibody or antisense ODNs had fewer macrophages, less collagen and fibronectin contents than the other wounds. Northern blotting and in situ hybridization analysis showed that wound sites treated with HVJ liposome mediated antisense ODNs for TGF-1 exhibited decreased levels of TGF-1 mRNA after injury. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest an important new approach to controlling scarring in normal wound healing, complementing the practice of adding exogenous growth factors to chronic wounds in the attempt to inhibit collagen deposition.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Cicatrix* ; Collagen ; Complement System Proteins ; Fibronectins ; Genetic Therapy* ; Immune System ; In Situ Hybridization ; Inflammation ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Liposomes ; Macrophages ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides ; Oligoribonucleotides ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger ; Sendai virus ; Skin ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries