OBJECTIVE: Some growth factors may promote tumor growth by affecting tumor angiogenesis. Midkine(MK) are polypeptides that belong to a new family of heparin-binding growth/differentiation factor and has also been reported to be angiogenic. In various tumor tissues, MK was highly expressed between tumor and normal tissues; however, the pattern of MK expression in normal cervix and cervical cancer has not been established. The aim of this study was to determine the MK mRNA expression in cervical cancer. And we questioned whether its expression is related to cancer stages and prognostic factors. METHODS: The cervical and cervical cancer tissues were taken from patients; healthy women(n=15), and the patients with cervical cancer(n=29). The MK mRNA expression was examined by quantative competitive PCR after polymerase chain reaction amplification of reverse transcriptase copies of RNA transcripts(RT-PCR). RESULTS: The cervical cancer expressed higher levels of MK mRNA than normal cervix(p<0.05). The MK mRNA expression was not correlated with the cervical cancer stage and histopathologic type(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that increased MK mRNA expression is associated with the development of cervical cancer.
Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Peptides ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Ectopic thymus results from the aberrant migration of thymic tissue and is mostly present in the mediastinum, the base of the skull, the tracheal bifurcation and the cervical region. We report the first case of intraabdominal heterotopic thymus incidentally detected and attached to the liver without associated anomalies. This fetus was sent to the Department without any clinical information. The fetus was small for gestational age, but had no external abnormalities. Each organ showed normal development except for the liver. The liver weighed 6 gm(normal 17.064+/-4.143 gm). Gray white heterotopic thymus was attached to the superior surface of the liver in the subdiaphragmatic area. It measured 1.1x0.6x0.5 cm. There was no diaphragmatic defect. The cervical thymic tissue near the thyroid was small and measured 0.2 gm(normal 0.927+/-0.485 gm). There was no thymic tissue in the anterior superior mediastinum. The histologic features of the heterotopic thymus were identical to the orthotopic thymus showing features appropriate for the gestational age. The origin of this subdiaphragmatic heterotopic thymus is speculated.

We experienced two cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH), complicated by true precocious puberty with early maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in a boy and a girl. The boy was diagnosed as CAH at 8 years of age, when he showed pseudoprecocity with adrenal rest tumor. The girl was diagnosed at neonate, when she showed ambiguous genitalia and salt-losing symptom. They developed precocious puberty during steroid treatment. Clinically they showed precocity, advanced bone age, and decreased predicted adult height, even though they showed partial gonadotrophin response to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) stimulation test. They were treated with LHRH analogue(leuprolide depot) resulting no further progression of precocity.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital* ; Adrenal Rest Tumor ; Adult ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Disorders of Sex Development ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Puberty, Precocious*

No abstract available.
Antioxidants* ; Oxidative Stress*

The current classification of pituitary adenomas is based on cell type, largely ascertained by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. In an application of immunohistochemistry, pathologists have some problems in judging the results. An immunostaining result does not always correspond with a serum hormone level. It is also difficult to determine the nature of a tumor when a few cells are positive. We performed the immunohistochemical stains on 34 pituitary adenomas using polyclonal antibodies to six pituitary hormones [PRL (prolactin), GH (growth hormone), ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone)] and compared with serum hormone level. The serum hormone level was increased in 14 cases (41.2%) of PRL, 7 cases (20.6%) of PRL & GH, 6 pleurihormonal cases (17.6%), 4 nonfunctioning cases (11.8%), 2 cases (5.9%) of FSH, and 1 case (2.9%) of GH. The most common immunohistochemical type of pituitary adenoma was 10 prolactinoma cases (38.5%), followed by 7 pleurihormonal cases (26.9%), 4 null cell cases (15.4%), 3 cases of mixed PRL & GH (11.5%), 1 case of ACTH (3.8%) and 1 FSH & LH case (3.8%). The corresponding rates of the serum hormone level and immunostaining results were 94.1% in GH, 88.9% in TSH, 85.7% in LH, 82.4% in ACTH, 66.7% FSH, and 61.8% in PRL. In the immunostaining for FSH, 12 cases showed less than 5% positivity and most of them exhibited the normal serum hormone level. In conclusion, the most common elevated serum hormone and immunohistochemical type of pituitary adenoma was prolactinoma. The corresponding rate of the serum hormone level and immunostaining result was the highest in GH cell adenoma and was the lowest in prolactinoma. The cells showing less than 5% positivity seem to be entrapped normal cells.
Adenoma ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Antibodies ; Classification ; Coloring Agents* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Lymphocytes, Null ; Microscopy, Electron ; Pituitary Hormones ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Prolactinoma

PURPOSE: This study aimed at uncovering the disabled adult's way of thinking and behavior due to their changed life style. METHOD: In depth interviews with 11 participants were held and analysed based on the Grounded Theory Methodology by Strauss and Corbin (1990). RESULT: This study showed us that the disabled are getting independent by selfconfidence through developing coping strategies for their physical, emotional, social, sexual problems. And in the process of creating these strategies, support structures, satisfaction for performance effect, financial burdens, and mobility had an effect on the intervening factors. Adults who become disabled go through many changes. First, they have vague hopes of improving. Second, they become discouraged. Third, they accept their disability. Next, they learn coping strategies and finally, they integrate the changes into their new life style. CONCLUSION: This study can be utilized in rehabilitation nursing so that the disabled can adapt to their changed life style quickly and lead independent and self-confident lives.
Adult* ; Hope ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Rehabilitation Nursing ; Thinking

This study examined and identified the relationship between the level of hope and self-care agency in hemodialysis patients. The purpose of the study was to reveal that hope is an essential factor to enhance self-care agency and to prepare the basic materials to help nurse the patients. The subjects for this study consisted of 108 persons who undergoing hemodialysis from 2 hospital. 2 hemodialysis center in Pusan, Korea. The degree of hope was measured by the questionnaire that has been developed by Miller. The self-care agency was measured by the questionnaire that has been developed by Kearney B.Y & Fleisher B.J. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test. one-way ANOVA and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient with SPSS WIN program. Results were obtained as follows: 1) The mean scores of hope were 131.77+/-25.77 (range 67-195). The rate of hope classified said that the lowest hope was 2.8% and low hope was 27.8%. 2) The mean scores of self-care agency were 143.78+/-23.63(range 74-187). The degree of self-care agency classified said that the rate of self-care agency deficiency was 0.9% and low self-care agency was 12.0%. 3)The hope was significantly retated to self-care agency. That is, the higher the hope score was, the higher the level of self-care agency score (r = 0.668, p = 0.001) was. In this result, there were hemodialysis patients who have very low hope score and self-care agency score. In this cases self-care agency can be increased by encouraging the patients to be more hopeful. Conclusively nurses should access the degree of hope and self-care agency of hemodialysis patients individually and apply the hope therapy in order that the patient have higher hope than before.
Busan ; Hope* ; Humans ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Renal Dialysis* ; Self Care*

PURPOSE: to test of the reliability and validity of the Disabled's Motivation for Rehabilitation Scale. which was developed in 2002. METHOD: An experimental version of the scale was distributed to a sample of 441 disabled with ages above 18 and below 80 years. The subjects of the test-retest were 60 disabled. RESULTS: revealed a satisfactory level of test-retest and internal consistency. The overall fit of the factor model to the data was good. Correlation among the subscales revealed a simple pattern that, in general. provides support for the self- determination continuum and the construct validity. In testing concurrent, criterion-validity, there was a positive correlation between the motivation scores for rehabilitation and the Health-Related Hardiness scores and a negative correlation between the motivation scores for rehabilitation and the Learned Helplessness scores. CONCLUSION: The Disabled's Motivation for Rehabilitation Scale revealed a useful instrument with a high degree of reliability and validity. In this sense, this instrument can be effectively utilized in rehabilitative nursing for the disabled.
Helplessness, Learned ; Motivation* ; Nursing ; Rehabilitation* ; Reproducibility of Results*