It has been reported that overexpression of HER-2/neu occurs in one third of breast and ovarian cancers and that overexpression is associated with poor prognosis. A polyclonal antibedy against HER-2/ neu oncoprotein was used to assess immunohistachemically the level of HER-2/neu expression in normal and malignant endometrial carcinoma. In 8 normal endometrial samples light to moderate(0- +2) staining for HER-2/neu was seen in the giands, and there was no variation in intensity of staining during the menstrual cycle, Among 15 endometrial adenocarcinomas. three(20%) were found to have heavier staiaing (+3) for HER-2/neu than was seen in normal endometrium. High expression of HER-2/neu was found in 50%(1/2) of patients with metastatic disease(stages III or more) compared with 15%(2/13) of patients with disease confined to the uterus(stage I). Survival of the 3 patients with high HER-2/neu expression was significantly worse than that of the 1.2 patients with normal HER-2/neu expression. (Median survival: 49. I vs 28. 7 months (p=0.0348)) Further studies are needed to determine the significance of HER-2/ neu overexpression in endometrial cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Humans ; Menstrual Cycle ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Prognosis

It has been known that immobilization of patient caused by chronic illness, orthopedic or neurological conditions can be one of etiological factorof urinary stone The authors have recently experienced a case of renal sand filling the pelviwalycea1 system simulating renal staghorn calculus which wasspontaneously flushed out following excessive fluid intake and forced mobilization. This patient had stones in the contralateral kidney and ureter.
Calculi* ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Kidney* ; Orthopedics ; Silicon Dioxide* ; Ureter ; Urinary Calculi

Residual pain is the crucial factor that incapacitates the victims of stable fractures of the dorsolumbar vertebral bodies. This paper was designed to investigate the incidence and location of the residual pain and to confirm the mechanism of it. Forty-two patients with old, stable fractures of the dorso-lumbar vertebral bodies have been analysed clinically and rediologically. Results obtained were as follows: 1. Thirty-two (76.2%) out of fourty-two patients complained of residual pain. 2. In fracture group of the dorso-lumbar junction, the residual pains appeared at both site of lumbar area. But in fracture group of the lower lumbar spine, the residual pain predominantly localized at the site of fracture. 3. In fracture group of the dorso-lumbar junction, the lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine and Ferguson angle increased. On the contrary, in the fracture group of the lower lumbar spine they decreased. 4. In group complaining of the residual pain, simple oblique view and flexion-extension view of the lumbar spine revealed facet subluxation of one or more than one facet joint. When the subluxation was at the joint between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebra and the first sacral vertebra, the pars interarticularis was impinged by articular processes of the adjacent vertebrae. In addition, the sclerosis and narrowing of the pars interarticularis were noted. 5. It was suggested as the one of possible mechanism of the residual pain that compensatory hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine and subluxation of the facet joint resulted in so-called “facet syndrome” brought about the residual pain.
Humans ; Incidence ; Joints ; Sclerosis ; Spine ; Zygapophyseal Joint

When the effusion and pain of the joint caused by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and non-specific synovitis is persistent in spite of various conservative measures, the intra-articular injection of radioactive colloidal gold is recommended. Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis and similiar types of inflammatory arthritis is not well known, the basic pathology appears to be in the synovium Colloidal particles of radioactive coiloidal gold injected into an inflamed joint are phagocytosed and dispersed uniformly on the superficial layers of the synovium Radioactive colloidal gold was first introduced in the malignant peritoneal effusions by Muller in 1950, and it was later used by Andrew and Mackay in malignant pleural effusion in 1953 and 1957. The malignant ascite, pleural effusion, and synovial effusion are collections of fluid in closed cavities lined by a thin sensitive endothelial layers; and apart from repeated aspirations, accepted forms of treatment frequently fail to cure or even control the effusions. Because of this resemblance it was decided in 1957 to attempt to treat persistent synovial effusions by intra-articular injection of radioactive colloidal gold. 198Au has a half-life of 2.7 days and emits both beta and gamma rays, Beta rays, which produce 90% of the therapeutic effect, penetrate tissue to an average depth of 1 to 2 mm. The particle of colloidal suspension of 198Au is 20 to 50 mu. The colloidal state of the preparation aids in limiting radiation to the synovial surface, and it has been shown that large colloidal particles are not absorbed into the blood or lymphatic systems after intra-articular injection and penetrate no deeper than the synovial tissues as a result of phagocytic activity. Good results have been reported since the radioactive colloidal gold was introduced in the treatment of persistent effusion of the human knee by Makin in 1963. The knee is chosen as the most suitable joint for this trial because of the ease of performing accurately intra-articular injections and the ease with which knee effusions can be recognized and measured. Furthermore, the knee joint is superficial and distant from vital structures which may be radio-sensitive. In this study, thirty-nine knee and three ankle effusions and pains unresponsive to the usual methods of therapy were treated by intra-articular injection of radioactive colloidal gold from November 1964 to January 1979 with follow up. Thirteen cases had classical rheumatoid arthritis; ten osteoarthritis; fifteen non-specific synovitis; two pigmented villonodular synovitis; one post-synovectomy, and one tuberculous arthritis. The results were as follows; 1. In eleven cases(84.6%) of rheumatoid arthritis, fourteen cases (93.3%) of nonspecific synovitis, and five cases(50.0%) of osteoarthritis, the effusion disappeared. 2. In twelve cases(92.3%) of rheumatoid arthritis thirteen cases(86.7%) of non-specific synovitis, and only two cases(20.0%) of osteoarthritis, the pain disappeared. 3. As a whole, in thirty-three cases(78.6%), the effusion disappeared and in twenty-eight cases (66.7%), the pain disappeared.
Ankle ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Ascitic Fluid ; Aspirations (Psychology) ; Beta Particles ; Colloids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gamma Rays ; Gold Colloid ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Injections, Intra-Articular ; Joints ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Lymphatic System ; Osteoarthritis ; Pathology ; Pleural Effusion ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular

No Abstract Available.
Melatonin* ; Pineal Gland*

To assess the nutritional and health status of the elderly, anthropometric measurements and blood test for analyzing biochemical indices were carried out from August to September in 1996. Data on the incidence of a specific disease and clinical symptoms were also collected by interviews with a questionnaire. Among the total of 169 free-living elderly interviewed(91 men, 78 women), 86 elderly(57 men, 29 women) participated in the anthropometric measurements, and 73 elderly(52 men, 21 women) in blood tests. Average heights and weights were much lower than the standards established in the Korean Recommended Dietary Allowances. While average triceps skinfold thickness of men and women were above the 50 percentile of the reference data, mid-arm muscle circumferences were lower than the 50 percentile. Prevalences of anemia, assessed by hemoglobin using WHO definition, were 38.5% for men and 33.3% for women. Blood levels of total protein and albumin were above the normal limit for all participants. Mean blood cholesterol levels of men and women were 163.9mg/dl and 185.8mg/dl, and triglyceride levels were 138.2mg/dl and 161.9mg/dl, respectively. Women older than 75 years generally had high levels of BMI, total cholesterol and triglyceride. Health status assessed by clinical symptoms generally showed no significant difference by age, and their smoking, and drinking habits. Males and the elderly who exercised regularly had better health status. It was suggested that exercise was a good way to improve health status.
Aged* ; Anemia ; Cholesterol ; Chungcheongbuk-do* ; Drinking ; Female ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Nutritional Status* ; Prevalence ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Skinfold Thickness ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Weights and Measures ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The posterior fossa, containing roughly 6ne fourth of the intracranial contents, is the site of about 30-35% of the intracranial tumors. The incidence of primary tumors in the posterior fossa is quite different from that of the cerebivm. We analysed 124 cases of posterior fossa tumor, over a 10 year period, to understand the status of posterior fossa tumor and its histologic characteristics. Medulloblastoma was most common(37cases, 29.8%), followed by astrocytoma, hemangiobla-stoma, ependymoma, meningioma, metastatic tumor, arteriovenous malformation and choroid plexus papilloma in descending order of frequency. Tumors were found most frequently between the ages of two and ten years(28.2%) and sixty seven(54.0%) cases were diagnosed before the age of fifteen. The ratio of male to female was 60 : 64. Astrocytoma revealed a characteristic juvenile pilocytic type and a microcystic change. Hemangioblastoma showed higher frequency(17.7%) than previous reports and the origin of tumor cells is still equivocal. Other tumors revealed the same histologic features as other intracranial tumors.
Child ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis

The development of immuohistochemistry and the application of electron microscopy have revolutionized our understanding of the pathopysiology of pituitart adenoma. The clinical value of functional characterization of pituitary adenoma has been realized. Immunohistochemical stains using polyclonal antibodies to six pituitary hormones (GH, PRL, ACTH, TSH, FSH & LH) were performed to classify the pituitary adenoma and to investigate the relationship between the results of the immunohistochemical study and pared to the serum hormone level. The results are summarized as follows: The Most common clinical type of pituitary adenoma was prolactinoma and the second was nonfunctioning adenoma. However, the most common immunohistological type of pituitary adenoma was null cell adenoma, the second one, lactotrope adenoma and the third one, mixed sommatotrope & lactotrope adenoma. In the clinically nonfunctioning adenoma cases, null cell adenoma were present in 75%; gonadotrope adenoma and corticotrope adenoma were present in 25%, while the serum prolactin level was increased in ten of the twenty cases(50%) of the null cell adenoma. When the serum prolactin level was increased above the 150ng/ml, the tumor cells gave positive reactions in 95.2% of cases immunohistochemically. But in the cases of GH, FSH & LH, the tumor cells gave positive reactions in 100%, 75%, and 66.7%, respectively. In the case of increased serum prolactin level, more than 50% and 30% proportion of tumor cells showed positive reactions in the micro- and macroadenoma, respectively.
Adenoma

Ependymomas constitute no more than 5 to 7% of all primary CNS neoplasm and their biologic behavior is difficult to predict by microscopic appearances. Recently, many studies have attempted to correlate biologic behavior with tumor proliferation index, tumor suppressor gene and oncogene using immunohistochemical stains. We evaluated 25 cases of surgically resected intracranial ependymomas for the proliferation activity using Ki-67, and expression of p53 and bcl-2 protein with regard to the prognosis. The cases were divided into 17 ependymomas (WHO Grade II), 3 papillary ependymomas (WHO Grade II), and 5 anaplastic ependymomas. Clinically, the patients were divided into two groups, recurrent (18 cases) or non-recurrent (7 cases). The Ki-67 proliferation index was significantly higher in the recurrent group (p<0.05) and in the younger ages (correlation index=0.534). Although Ki-67 proliferation index was higher in anaplastic ependymoma, it was not significant statistically (p>0.05). p53 protein expression tended to increase in the patients who had anaplastic ependymoma and in the recurrent group. bcl-2 expression was not correlated with histologic grade or recurrence of the tumor. We conclude that Ki-67 proliferation index and p53 expression are important markers for predicting biologic behavior of ependymoma.
Coloring Agents ; Ependymoma* ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Oncogenes ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

One of the common cause of the acquired adult flat foot is posterior tibial tendon insufficiency whose etiology and development is different from that of congenital flat foot, and various methods, such as synovectomy, tendon transfer, calcaneal osteotomy and arthrodesis, can be used to treat the symptoms. The sliding calcaneal osteotomy has been recently introduced by Mark Myerson. The basic concept beneath this treatment is that by displacing distal part medially after a calcaneal osteotomy, the valgus strain in hindfoot can be relieved to place the joint back to the normal position. In order to find out the effect of the sliding calcaneal soteotomy on the flat foot, we measured the changes in the strain in the upper medial spring ligament complex underneath the talonavicular joint after the operation. Four right hand four left fresh frozen cadaver foot specimens, which included the distal half of the tibia were utilized. The spring ligament was isolated with its origin at the sustentaculum tali and insertion on the navicular. At the medial calcaneus the soft tissues were periostially dissected and a small incision was made over the lateral calcaneus for the purpose of visualization. For each specimen a calibrated open liquid metal strain gauge was secured at the origin and insertion of the ligament with superglue and the gauge was sutured along the length of the superomedial portion of the spring ligament complex allowing for the gauge to slide freely. A tibial rod was driven into the intramedullary canal and the foot was always placed in the neutral plantigrade position in the test fig such that the rod was vertical at all times. A initial strain measurement was obtained with only the weight of the platform (19.6N) on the tibia. Weights were added in 7 increments to a total 472 Newton and strains were recorded. Three trials were conducted. The specimens were then removed from the rig and an oblique osteotomy were conducted. A repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in strain following the osteotomy. To conclude, the direct measurements support the concept that a calcaneal osteotomy provides an alteration which is favorable to unloading the medial arch.
Adult ; Arthrodesis ; Cadaver ; Calcaneus ; Flatfoot ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Joints ; Ligaments ; Osteotomy ; Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction ; Tendon Transfer ; Tibia ; Weights and Measures