BACKGROUND: Standard solution-phase PCR cannot localize the amplified DNA products in cells or tissue sections. Recently, in situ PCR technique which combines PCR with in situ hybridization was developed and applied to detect target DNA or gene expression in the tissue sections. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to detect the presence of HSV type-1 DNA in herpes simplex lesions by using hot start PCR in situ hybridization and hot start in situ PCR and to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the two methods. The sensitivity and specificity of multiple overlapping primers and a single primer pair in hot start in situ PCR were also compared. METHODS: We performed hot start PCR in situ hybridization and in situ PCR with multiple overlapping primers, and hot start in situ PCR with a single primer pair in paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissues. RESULTS: HSV type-1 DNA was detected in 4 (80%) of.5 cases of herpes simplex and negative in all cases of herpes zoster, verruca vulgaris, and normal skins. One negative case of herpes simplex could not be detected by HSV type-1 specific primers because it might be caused by HSV type-2. There was no difference in the sensitivity, specificity, and intensity of signals between the three methods. CONCLUSION: Hot start in situ PCR with a single primer pair is a simpler, easier, and more rapid technique for detecting the HSV type-1 DNA in lesional tissue sections with similar sensitivity and specificity than hot start PCR in situ hybridization and hot start in situ PCR using multiple overlapping primers.
DNA* ; Gene Expression ; Herpes Simplex* ; Herpes Zoster ; In Situ Hybridization ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Simplexvirus* ; Skin ; Warts

OBJECTIVES: We attempted to investigate clinical efficacy of risperidone a new antipsychotic agent with high safety and without life-threatening side effect such as agranulocytosis, in refractory schizophrenia compared with a haloperidol, well-known antipsychotic agent. METHODS: Thirty-four subjects(risperidone group 16, haloperidol group 18), who had been proved to be refractory schizophrenics with prospective antipsychotic treatment with at least 2 antipsychotic agents belonging to different chemical groups from each other, were examined with Clinical Global Impression(CGI) and 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS) at 0, 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 12th week from start of drug administration. Those scales were rated in the single-blind manner. RESULTS: End-point response rate of risperidone was 25%(4 subjects), and that of haloperidol was zero. Difference of the response rates between risperidone and haloperidol was statistically significant. Broader spectrum of symptoms was improved with risperidone treatment than with haloperidol. CONCLUSION: Risperidone is an antipsychotic agent that clinicians can primarily and effectively try in the refractory schizophrenics with high safety.
Agranulocytosis ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Haloperidol* ; Prospective Studies ; Risperidone* ; Schizophrenia* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is widely used for the preoperative staging of breast cancer. In this study, we investigated a role of preoperative breast MRI for detecting the extent of disease and predicting the prognosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). METHODS: From January 2002 to April 2008, preoperative MRI was performed for evaluating the extent of disease in 26 patients with DCIS. The MRI findings, the modified Van Nuys scores and the clinicopathological results were reviewed. The accuracy of breast MRI was analyzed with respect to the detection of tumor multiplicity and disease extending into the nipple, and this was compared with that of mammography. RESULTS: For detecting multiple lesions, the sensitivity and specificity of breast MRI were 25.0% and 86.4%, respectively, and the results of mammography were 0.0% and 86.4%, respectively. The accuracy of breast MRI was 76.9% and that of mammography was 73.1%. For detecting tumor extension into the nipple, the sensitivity and specificity of breast MRI was 100.0% and 80.0%, respectively, and that for mammography was 0.0% and 92.0%. respectively. The accuracy of MRI was 80.8% and that for mammography was 88.5%. The MRI final assessment was not associated with the modified Van Nuys score (p=0.474). CONCLUSION: For detecting the disease extent of DCIS, preoperative breast MRI is not superior to mammography due to the low specificity and accuracy of MRI. MRI did not show a definite ability to predict the prognosis of DCIS in this study.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Mammography ; Nipples ; Prognosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between body mass index (BMI) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), and prostate volume (PV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Height, weight, PSA levels, PV, and IPSS were analyzed in 15,435 patients who underwent a prostate examination between 2001 and 2014. Patients aged <50 years or with a PSA level ≥10 ng/mL were excluded. The relationships between BMI and PSA, IPSS, QoL, and PV were analyzed by a scatter plot, one-way analysis of variance, and the Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The mean age was 71.95±7.63 years, the mean BMI was 23.59±3.08 kg/m2, the mean PSA level was 1.45±1.45 ng/mL, the mean IPSS was 15.53±8.31, the mean QoL score was 3.48±1.25, and the mean PV was 29.72±14.02 mL. PSA, IPSS, and QoL showed a tendency to decrease with increasing BMI, and there were statistically significant differences for each parameter (p≤0.001). PV showed a significant tendency to increase with BMI (p < 0.001). In the correlation analysis, BMI showed a statistically significant correlation (p < 0.001) with PSA, IPSS, and QoL, although the correlations were very weak. In contrast, BMI showed a significant correlation with PV (p < 0.001), with a meaningful Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.124. CONCLUSIONS: Higher BMI was associated with lower PSA levels and higher IPSS and QoL scores. Meanwhile, PV increased with BMI. Although obese individuals had a greater PV, obesity did not aggravate lower urinary tract symptoms.
Body Mass Index* ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Male ; Obesity ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Quality of Life