No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Pleura* ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors*

This study was designed to validate the usefulness of the near point of convergence(NPC)test in determination of dominant & non-domnant eyes in intermittent exotropia patients. We performed NPC test in 36 intermittent exotrpic patients, and then, determined the non-dominant eye which deviated outward beyond the NPC. The dominant eyes determined by the NPC were compared to those that were determined by amblyopia, sensory fusion and photophobia. Best corrected visual acuity was used to divide patients into two groups : 26 patients without amblyopia, and 10 with amblyopia. Among the amblyopia group, if the eyes with better visual acuity were taken as dominant eyes, then eight(80%)cases were identical with the NPC test and two(20%)cases were different. Ten patients had sensory anomaly, and among then, nine(90%)cases were identical with the NPC test and one(10%)case was different. Twenty six(64%)patients had photophobia in one eye and all(100%)cases were identical with the NPC test. In intermittent exotropia, determination of dominant eye by the NPC test showed high coincidence with other tests. Therefore, we suggest that the NPC test is an easy and accurate method in determining either the dominant or non-dominant eye for surgery.
Amblyopia ; Dominance, Ocular* ; Exotropia* ; Humans ; Photophobia ; Visual Acuity

An accurate and relatively simple method for estimating the amount of acute blood loss is essential in the hemorrhagic shock patients. Conventional physiologic parameters, blood pressure, pulse rate and CVP, could not serve for evaluation of the adequate oxygen transport in the tissue. Pulmonary artery catheter is a best tool for evaluating the cardiopulmonary function and the oxygen transport system, and mixed venous oxygen saturation(SvO2) monitoring have made a great advances for early detection of cardiovascular dysfunction and the changes in peripheral tissue oxygenation. But pulmonary artery catheterization is complicated procedure in emergency setting. Although the central venous oxygen saturation(ScvO2) cannot completely replace the SvO2 value, it has a close relation with SvO2 change in variable clinical situations. We testify the usefulness of ScvO2 monitoring in 24 patients of the hemorrhagic shock. Initial resuscitation was performed with ATLS standard and continuous ScvO2 was monitored. Systolic blood pressure and pulse rate were recorded for one hour from initial resuscitation in each 15 minutes. Nineteen patient was traumatic hemorrhagic shock and five was non traumatic. Twelve of 19 patients was blunt trauma, and remains were stab in injury mechanism. Mortality rate was 29.2%. Initial ScvO2 of nonsurvivor was 43.6%, and 51.3% in survivor groups(p>0.05). In the group of stab wound and non-traumatic hemorrhage, the ScvO2 was gradually increase by time. But ScvO2 in survivors of blunt trauma was increased first 30 minutes and decrease afterthen. Continuous monitoring of ScvO2 may by partly useful in resuscitation for hemorrhagic shock. It is more valuable in the blunt trauma than in the penetrating injury or non-traumatic hemorrhage.
Blood Pressure ; Catheterization, Swan-Ganz ; Catheters ; Emergencies ; Heart Rate ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality ; Oxygen* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Resuscitation ; Shock, Hemorrhagic* ; Survivors ; Wounds, Stab

Nitric oxide (NO) induces apoptotic cell death in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. To elucidate the roles of SEK1/MKK4, a upstream kinase for both c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) and p38 kinase, on NO-induced apoptosis, we generated clones of RAW 264.7 cells which stably overexpressd kinase inactive SEK1 (RAW/SEK1-Kl) or wild type SEK1 (RAW/SEK1-WT). Treatment of kinase inactive SEK1 transfected RAW 264.7 cells (RAW/SEK1-Kl) with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO generating agent, significantly decreased the cell viability up to 20% of RAW control cells which were treated with the same amount of SNP. However, RAW/SEK1-WT cells were less susceptible to NO induced apoptosis. For a while, caspase-3 like activity in NO treated RAW/SEK1-Kl cells was significantly increased with parallell to apoptotic death rate. However, caspase1 like activity was not affected by NO in any transfectants. The NO induced apoptosis in RAW/SEK1-Kl cells was significantly prevented by the addition of caspase-3 like inhibitor (N-Ac- DEVD-CHO). In addition, the phosphotransferase activity of JNK1 in NO-treated RAW/SEK1-WT is significantly increased, but not in RAW/SEK1-Kl cells. These results suggest that SEK1 may play anti-apoptotic role in RAW cells from NO-induced apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Clone Cells ; Macrophages ; Mortality ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases

Inflammation is closely related to the progression of cancer as well as tumorigenesis. Here, we investigated the effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) on E-cadherin expression in SNU719 gastric cancer cells. E-cadherin expression decreased as the dose or exposure time of PGE2 and IL-1beta increased, whereas Snail expression increased with dose or time of PGE2 and IL-1beta. E-cadherin expression reduced by PGE2 treatment increased after the transfection of Snail siRNA. Neutralization of IL-1beta using anti-IL-1beta antibody blocked the expression pattern of E-cadherin and Snail occurred by IL-1beta treatment. However, there was no synergic effect of IL-1beta and PGE2 on the expression pattern of E-cadherin and Snail. In conclusion, inflammatory mediators reduced E-cadherin expression by enhancing Snail expression in gastric cancer cells. Inflammation-induced transcriptional regulation of E-cadherin in gastric cancer has implications for targeted chemoprevention and therapy.
Antibodies/immunology ; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology ; Cadherins/*metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Dinoprostone/*pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation/*drug effects ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta/immunology/*pharmacology ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism/pathology ; Transcription Factors/antagonists & inhibitors/genetics/*metabolism

No abstract available.

Carcinosarcoma of the female genital tract, also called malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT), is a rare and relatively aggressive tumor with various homologous and heterologous components. There have been various studies to find prognostic factors and to investigate the histogenesis, including tissue culture, electron microscopy, and immunohistochemical studies. We investigated carcinomatous, sarcomatous, and transitional areas of 6 cases of carcinosarcoma of the uterus and ovary by using epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Immunohistochemical profiles of the transitional areas were significantly different from those of carcinomatous and sarcomatous areas. Immunoreactivities for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen (50% and 22.2%) were weaker than those of carcinomatous areas (95.2% and 100%), but stronger than those of sarcomatous areas (11.1% and 5.6%)(p<0.01). In transitional areas, vimentin, smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein were more strongly expressed than in carcinomatous areas, but more weakly expressed than in sarcomatous areas (p<0.01, p<0.01, and p=0.018, respectively). Myoglobin was entirely negative in carcinomatous areas and immunoreactive in minor portions of transitional and sarcomatous areas (22.2% and 16.7%, respectively). These results suggest that the transitional areas are between the carcinomatous and sarcomatous nature in differentiation, further supporting that the carcinosarcomas of the female genital tract may arise, through metaplastic change, from a type of carcinoma.
Actins ; Carcinosarcoma* ; Female* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Metaplasia ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mucin-1 ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myoglobin ; Ovary ; S100 Proteins ; Uterus ; Vimentin

No abstract available.
Immunoglobulins* ; Tetanus Toxoid* ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination*

The antimicrobial agents reduced infectious diseases significantly. However, antibiotic resistance has followed for almost every antimicrobial agent. Especially, Staphylococcus aureus was one of the most notorious for the multidrug resistance. Streptomyces sp. 681 has been selected for antibiotic-producing strain against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from 1,000 strains of Actinomycetales which had been isolated from soil. In antimicrobial susceptibility test, all of the test strains were susceptible to vancomycin. However, most strains of Staphylococcus aureus were found to be resistant to methicillin. Ninety eight (75%) strains out of 129 strains showed multiple resistance pattern to more than 5 antimicrobial agents. The MIC values of the purified antibiotic (K-681) were 1-32 ug/ml against Gram-positive bacteria compared to >128 ug/ml against Grarn-negative bacteria or fungi. The MIC was 8 ug/ml for 90% of the 129 clinical isolates of S. aureus. The antibiotic showed no cytotoxicity against P 388, HeLa, and S180 at the concentration of 500 ug/ml.
Actinomycetales ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Bacteria ; Communicable Diseases ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Fungi ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Methicillin ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Soil ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Streptomyces* ; Vancomycin

PURPOSE: It is important for the physician and a rape counselor to understand epidemiology studies of the incidence, prevalence, spread, prevention, and control of sexual assault in a local community or a specific group of individuals. We did this study in order to find an effective treatment for the sexual assault victims and to establish a data base on them. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated sexually assaulted patients who visited the Medical Supportive Center for Women at the National Police Hospital from Oct. 11, 2001, to Oct. 10, 2002. The data were obtained from the records of the ER (emergency room) and OB & GY (obstetric & gynecologic) clinic; a total of 169 patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age was 20.1 years old. The age distribution of sexual assault victims was divided into four: 14 cases under 7 years of age (8.3%), 26 cases between ages 7 and 13 years (15%), 43 cases between ages 14 and 19 years (26.3%), and 86 cases over 20 years of age (52.6%). Of the patients, 157 (92.9%) were unmarried and 117 (69.2%) were examined within 1 hour after visiting the hospital. The physical injuries were 15 vaginal injuries (26.9%), 34 ruptures of the hymen (16.9%), 1 sexually transmitted disease (0.6%), 57 abnormal sensations of the genital organ (28.3%), and 55 minor injuries including abrasions, contusions, and lacerations (27.3%). The psychological injuries were 105 phobias (21.4%), 92 anxieties (18.8%), 68 angers (13.9), 51 guilts (10.4%), and the like. Eighty-eight patients (52.1%) were acquainted with the assailant. CONCLUSION: Optimal management of sexual assault victims should involve continuous epidemiologic analysis and the estalishment of an assault-victim data base.
Age Distribution ; Anger ; Anxiety ; Contusions ; Counseling ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Genitalia ; Guilt ; Humans ; Hymen ; Incidence ; Lacerations ; Phobic Disorders ; Police ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Rape ; Rupture ; Sensation ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Single Person