Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) plays an important role in hepatic fibrogenesis. It is thought to inhibit regeneration of the hepatocytes. The aim of this present study was to clarify the correlation of TGF-beta, collagen type III (PIIINP) and the regenerating activity of hepatocytes, and the effect of prostaglandin E2 (PgE2) on them in acute liver injury. Two hundred and sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200g on average, were divided into six experimental groups and two control groups; group I-CCl4 only administration, group II-partial hepatectomy(PH) only, group III-PH following CCl4 administration, group IV-olive oil only administration, group V-sham operation, group VI-CCl4 administration with pretreatment of PgE2, group VII- PH with pretreatment of PgE2, and group VIII- PH following CCl4 administration with pretreatment of PgE2. Five rats were sacrificed at 12, 24, 36, 48, 96 and 168 hours after the administration of CCl4 or PH in each experimental group. The liver was tested with immunohistochemical stain for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and in situ hybridization for TGF-beta. Radioimmunoassay for serum PIIINP was also performed. The results were as follows: TGF-beta was expressed mainly in the perisinusoidal cells and periportal mesenchymal cells. The TGF-beta positive cells were most numerous in the combined group of CCl4 plus PH. TGF-beta expression tended to have an inverse relation, with the PCNA index in all experimental groups. The PCNA index was highest in the CCl4 only group and lowest in the combined group of CCl4 plus PH. The PH only group showed a peak PCNA index at 48 hours. In the CCl4 only group and the combined group of CCl4 plus PH, serum PIIINP appeared to increase at 12 hours or more after the expression of hepatic TGF-beta. Pretreatment of PgE2 revealed that TGF-beta precipitously disappeared at 48-96 hours after insult. PgE2 influenced the vanishing period, not the emerging time of TGF-beta and had a remarkable effect on the amount of TGF-beta especially in the PH following CCl4 administration group, which resulted in significant accentuation of PCNA indices. In conclusion, PH of the prior injured liver induces a marked increase of TGF-beta followed by a significant suppression of regeneration of the remaining liver, and PgE2 overtly suppresses the expression of TGF-beta.
Male ; Humans ; Rats ; Animals

Polypoid prolapse of mucosal folds can occur at various sites and in various conditions predominantly associated with strain during defecation. There are two well known types of mucosal prolapse syndrome(MPS), the inflammatory cloacogenic polyp(ICP) and the mucosal redundant polyp associated with diverticular disease(N4RPD). ICP is a mucosal prolapse of the anorectal junction and MRPD is a proximal analogue involving the sigmoid colon. We experienced two cases of eroded polypoid hyperplasia(EPH) of the rectosigmoid colon which manifested as a huge gyriform mass simulating the gross features of gastrointestinal lymphomas or other malignant tumors. The EPH consisted of confluent polypoid mucosal folds with rolled-up submucosa to form stalk, The polypoid lesion represented hyperplastic epithelium, erosion of the mucosal surface and congestive vascular ectasia of lamina propria and submucosa. To explain the whole morphologic features, the initial phenomenon should be the mucosal prolapse. Vascular stretching with ischemic erosion of the mucosal surface and compensatory epithelial hyperplasia ensue as the result. The ominous endoscopic and gross features of EPH should be kept in mind to avoid erroneous radical surgery.

One of the most common symptoms in gynecologic disorders is an abnormal utirine bleeding, of which dysfuncyional uterine bleeding (DUB) is frequently encountered. DUB is defined as an endocrinologic imbalance of the axis of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary-endometrium without organic diseases such as a neoplasm, and inflammation, a pregnancy, a trauma, Although the correct diagnosis of DUB depends on various assessements such as a menstrual cycle, basal body temperature, endocrine assay, vaginal cytology and endometrial histology, in many circumstances pathologist have only the endometrial histology with trivial clinical information to make a diagnosis. Therefore, the present study was aimed at assessing the pattern of the endometrium as precisely as possible. The histologic pattern was classified according to the Handrickson and kempson classification (1980). The authors also attempted to correlate the non-neoplastic metaplasia with the endometrial histology. The material consisted of 447 cases of endometrial curettage specimens diagnosed clinically as DUB during recent 4 years. The histologic examination was carried out through the routine formalin fixed-paraffin embedding method, followed by hematoxylin-eosin staining in routine and other special staining as required. The following results were obtained; 1) The pattern of the endometrium in DUB was predominently the proliferative type (239 cases, 65.55%). Of these 293 cases, 144 were of the abnormal proliferatrive phase, and particulary most were the disordered proliferative phase. The remaining 154 cases (34.45%) were found to have secretory endometrium, of which 50 cases belonged to the abnormal secretory type. Most of the cases shewing abnormal secretory patterns appeared dyssynchronous or underdeveloped. 2) Of the 361 patients with DUB for whom the clinical records were available, 197 (54.57%) were non-ovulatory and 118 (32.69%) were ovulatory. 3) Non-neoplasic metaplasia was found in 87 cases, of which ciliiated and papillary types were most common. The endometrium was of the proliferative phase in 73.56% of the cases with metaplasia, and the disordered proliferative pattern showed a particular correlation with the metaplasia (44 cases). 4) Among 63 postmenopausal DUB patients, 52 (82.53%) appeared to have the proliferative endometrium, and in particular 23 (36.51%) had the disordered proliferative endometrium.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Osteochondroma*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Retroviridae*

BACKGROUND: Conventional echocardiography provides fundamental information about mitral valve morphology and function but is often subjective and has a relatively low specificity in evaluating valve calcific deposit, which is critical information for the preoperative decision. We hypothesized that mitral valvular calcification could be detected in standard two-dimensional echocardiograms of mitral valve in vivo by evaluating regional gray level(echo amplitude) using computerized image analysis so that we could overcome the subjectivity and low specificity of conventional echocardiography. METHODS: We tested this hypothesis by performing standard 2.5MHz two-dimensional echoes on mitral valve and myocardium in 30 patients with mitral stenosis, scheduled to undergo mitral valve replacement. We compared gray level of each region of interest in mitral valve and myocardium in stop-frame images with the degree of calcifications identified by pathologic and radiographic examinations. RESULTS: Ratio of mean gray level of mitral valve to mean gray level of myocardium was the most reliable value in evaluating degree of calcification. Quantitatively, region of calcification displayed the ratio of significantly higher value than that of no calcification. In case of anterior mitral valve, the ratio of the evident calcified region was greater than 3.11, that of the region without calcification was less than 2.42 and that of microcalcification was betwwn 2.42 and 3.11. For posterior mitral valve, the ratio of the evident calcified region was greater than 3.50, that of the region without calcification was less than 2.19 and that of microcalcification was between 2.19 and 3.50. The sensitivity and specificity of this method for assessment of degree of calcification was 75% and 100% for anterior mitral valve and 9% and 87.5% for posterior mitral valve. CONCLUSION: Mitral valvular calcification could be detected quantitatively in standard two dimensional echocardiograms of mitral valve in vivo by evaluating regional gray level(echo amplitude) using computerized image analysis.
Echocardiography ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Myocardium ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The recent advent of "-omics" technologies have heralded a new era of personalized medicine. Personalized medicine is referred to as the ability to segment heterogeneous subsets of patients whose response to a therapeutic intervention within each subset is homogeneous. This new paradigm in healthcare is beginning to affect both research and clinical practice. The key to success in personalized medicine is to uncover molecular biomarkers that drive individual variability in clinical outcomes or drug responses. In this review, we begin with an overview of personalized medicine in breast cancer and illustrate the most encountered statistical approaches in the recent literature tailored for uncovering gene signatures.
Biomarkers ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Precision Medicine

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a potent inducer of polyclonal B lymphocyte proliferation and a tool for the establishment of human B lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCLs), which have proven useful for several human immunologic applications. B-LCLs serve as efficient antibody-producing cells and antigen-presenting cells. In spite of these advantages, the cloning efficiency of B-LCLs is less than 1%. In order to generate clones of B-LCLs, we cultured B-LCLs with and without canine stromal cell line, DO64, as feeder cell which was immortalized by transduction of retrovirus encoding E6 and E7 of the human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV-16), which was defined to produce various cytokines including stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin- 6 (IL-6). After 3 weeks of B-LCLs cultured with DO64, 8.3% and 37.5% in 1 cell and 3 cells per well were efficiently cloned, respectively. There was no significant effect on growing of 8-LCLs without DO64 cells and on high concentration of FBS. The cloning efficiency of B-LCLs transduced by retrovirus cultured with and without DO64 cells was 4.2% and 0% in 3 cells per well, respectively, while that of stable transfectant 33.3% and 8.3% in 1 cell per well, respectively. Our results suggest that the use of DO64 cells as feeder cells might permit the cloning of B-LCLs. This efficient cloning of B-LCLs could be used for the convenient source of autologous antigen-presenting cells expressing foreign antigen for the study of human immune responses in vitro, and for a variety of additional purposes, such as the production of human monoclonal antibodies.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antibody-Producing Cells ; Antigen-Presenting Cells ; Cell Line* ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; Cytokines ; Feeder Cells* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans* ; Lymphocytes ; Papilloma ; Retroviridae ; Stem Cell Factor ; Stromal Cells*

No abstract available.
Female ; Perinatal Mortality* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Multiple*

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of 166 patients was undertaken to observe radiologically the changes of adjacent segments at follow-up more than three years after lumbar fusion. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to analyse the changes of adjacent segments and to correlate these changes to the length of using level and to the degree of deviation from physiologic lumbar lordosis. The authors also correlate these radiologic changes to the clinical symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In simple x-ray, authors observed traction spur, disc space narrowing, endplate sclerosis and vacuum phenomenon of adjacent segments. Authors used Gelb's criteria in segmental lordosis angle(SLA) and Katz's classification in clinical results. RESULTS: The average age was 49.6 years old and the average follow-up period was 57.2 months(4 years and 9.2 months). We observed radiologically the traction spurs in 35 cases(21.1%), end-plate sclerosis in 32 cases(19.3%), disc space narrowing in 33 cases(19.9%) and the vacuum phenomenon in 10 cases(6.0%). The numbers of fusion segments and the degree of unphysiologic segmental lordosis angle in fusion segments were related with the frequency and degree of changes of adjacent segments(P<0.05). The clinical results showed satisfaction in 142 cases(85.5%), unsatisfaction in 24 cases(14.5%) and low back pain in 24 cases(14.5%), leg pain in 11 cases(6.6%) and extension of fusion level in 4 cases(2.4%). In low back pain patients more than two kinds of radiological changes were frequently observed than the patients without low back pain(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The radiological changes of adjacent segments were more frequently observed in long fusion and in fusion with unphysiologic lumbar lordosis angle. And these changes are frequently associated with low back pain. Thus long fusion and fusion with unphysiologic lumbar lordosis angle should be avoided if possible.
Animals ; Classification ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Leg ; Lordosis ; Low Back Pain ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclerosis ; Spinal Fusion* ; Traction ; Vacuum