No abstract available.
Thromboangiitis Obliterans*

No abstract available.
Autografts*

No abstract available.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVES: Angiogenesis is a critical factor in the growth, progression, and metastatic spread of solid tumors. Angiogenic factors are soluble molecules released by the tumor itself and are able to induce an angiogenic response. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been shown to be an important regulator of tumor angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the value of serum VEGF levels in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer and in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses. And we questioned whether the serum VEGF levels are related to cancer stages and prognosis of patients. METHODS: Serum samples were taken from 85 patients; healthy women(n=15), the patients with benign ovarian cyst(n=36), and the patients with ovarian cancer(n=34). The concentration of VEGF, CA-125, and CA 19-9 were determined in the serum of each patients before and after treatment with an enzyme linked immunoassay(EIA), RESULTS: There are statistical differences among the serum VEGF levels in patients with ovarian cancer(491.5+/-335.6 pg/ml), and benign ovarian cyst (247.7+/-183.6 pg/ml)(p<0.05). The patients undergoing cancer therapy had lower values than those without cancer therapy(p<0.05). The serum VEGF levels were not correlated with the cancer stages and histologic types(p>0.05) CONCLUSION: The serum VEGF level appears to be a helpful tool in the differential diagnosis of ovarian cancer and may help in predicting the therapeutic effects of patients with ovarian cancer.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Ovarian Cysts ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Prognosis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No abstract available.
Alkaline Phosphatase* ; Animals ; Embryonic Development* ; Female ; Oviducts* ; Pregnancy ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to enhanced bone fragility and fracture risk, is a major public health problem. The diagnostic methods for osteoporosis include simple radiography, bone scan, DXA (Dual energy X-ray Absortiometry) and biochemical markers of bone turnover. Optimal treatment and prevention of osteoporosis require modification of risk factors, particularly smoking cessation, adequate physical activity, and attention to diet, in addition to pharmacologic intervention. The estrogens and raloxifene both prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women, and the estrogens probably also decrease the risk of first fracture. There is good evidence that raloxifene prevents further fractures in postmenopausal women who already have had fractures and some evidence that estrogen does as well. Bisphosphonate prevents bone loss and reduces fractures in healthy and osteoporotic postmenopausal women and in osteoporotic men as well. Risedronate is more potent and has fewer side effects than alendronate and reduces the incidence of fractures in osteoporotic women. Calcitonin increases bone mineral density in early postmenopausal women and men with idiopathic osteoporosis, and also reduces the risk of new fractures in osteoporotic women. All of the agents discussed above prevent bone resorption, whereas teriparatide and strontium increase bone formation and are effective in the treatment of osteoporotic women and men. New avenues for targeting osteoporosis will emerge as our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of bone remodeling increases, although issues of tissue specificity may remain to be addressed.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Alendronate ; Biomarkers ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Density ; Bone Remodeling ; Bone Resorption ; Calcitonin ; Diet ; Estrogens ; Etidronic Acid ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Organ Specificity ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Public Health ; Raloxifene Hydrochloride ; Risk Factors ; Smoking Cessation ; Strontium ; Teriparatide ; Risedronate Sodium

BACKGROUND: Epidermal cysts are the most common of all cysts. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to report the clinical and histopathologic features of epidermal cysts. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and histopathologic features of 205 cases that were diagnosed with epidermal cysts at the department of dermatology in Anam Hospital of Korea University for 11 years, from January 1983 to December 1993. RESULTS: 1. Of the 3,400 cases of skin biopsy specimens, 205 cases were epidermal cysts(6%). There were 141 male cases (68.8%) and 64 female cases (32.2%). The ratio of male to female was 1:0.45. 2. Most patients with epidermal cysts belonged to age ranging from 20 to 59 with the highest incidence in the 3rd decade. 3. The site of predilection of the epidermal cysts were face 94(45.9%), trunk 37(18.0%), neck 23(11.2%), leg 21(10.2%), arm 19(9.3%),scalp 7(3.4%), scrotum 2(1.0%), and vagina 2(1.0%). 4. Histopathologically, 61 cases (29.3%) were ruptured. The most common cystic wall change was acanthosis followed by atrophy, hyperplasia, hypergranulosis, parakeratotis, basalioma-like change, squamous eddies, dyskeratosis. The most common cystic content was keratinous material followed by parakeratotic cells, pigment, bacterial colony, RBC, inflammatory cells, hair shaft, calcification, trichilemmal keratinization, pilomatricoma-like change. The most common stromal change was giant cells followed by fibrosis, granulation tissue formation,vessel proliferation, pigment. CONCLUSION: According to our results, which agree with those of Chung, the epidermal cysts occur as a disease particular to young men, especially on the face. Histopathologically, when an epidermal cyst ruptures and the contents of the cyst are released into the dermis, a considerable foreign body reaction with numerous multinucleated giant cells results.
Arm ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Giant Cells ; Granulation Tissue ; Hair ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leg ; Male ; Neck ; Rupture ; Scrotum ; Skin ; Vagina

OBJECTIVES: The TGF-Beta1 (transforming growth factor-Beta1 ), which has been shown to inhibit cellular proliferation in vitro as a growth regulator, has been demonstrated to enhance tumori-genicity in vivo. The proteolytic processes of cancer are thought to be the crucial point in tumor invasion and metastasis, mainly by matrix metalloproteinases.(MMPs) We investigated the serum TGF-Beta1 and MMP-2 levels in patients with cervical cancer in contrast to those of normal, patients with benign myoma, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). And we questioned whether these serum levels are different according to the therapy of cancer or not. METHODS: We measured serum TGF-Beta1, MMP-2 concentrations by ELISA in 34 patients with cervical cancer, as well as 5 normal volunteers, 14 patients with benign myoma and 23 patients with CIN. Especially in 7 patients with cervical cancer, we measured serum TGF-Beta1, MMP-2 levels before and after therapy. RESULTS: The serum TGF-Beta1 levels in patients with cervical lancer(37.8 +/-15.4pg/ml) were significantly lower than those of the patients with CIN(46.2+/-9.2pg/ml)(p<0.05). But there is no differences among the serum MMP-2 levels in the patients with cervical cancers(680.30+/-116.6pg/ml), CIN(715.2+/-150.0pg/ml), and benign myoma(682.4+/-112.5pg/ml)(p>0.05). Patients undergoing cancer therapy did not have different values of serum TCF-Beta1 and MMP-2 levels as those without cancer therapy.(p>0.05) CONCLUSION: So we suggest that serum TGF-Beta1 may be helpful in differential diagnosing cervical cancers from CIN.
Cell Proliferation ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Myoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*