BACKGROUND: Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is an enzyme catalyzing the reversible phosphorolysis of thymidine to thymine and 2-deoxyribose-1-phosphate. TP plays a role in angiogenesis. Evidences suggest that infiltrating inflammatory cells adjacent cancer cells may affect tumor cell behavior. To evaluate each of these significances of TP expression in cancer cell and cancer-infiltrating inflammatory cells, we investigated TP expression patterns in cancer cells and infiltrating inflammatory cells adjacent cancer cells separately and the relationship between TP expression and angiogenesis or survival. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry assays were performed with anti-TP monoclonal antibody (Roche Japan) and anti-factor VIII polyclonal antibody (Dako) on 92 paraffin-embedded tissue samples from stomach cancer patients. A single pathologist scored the slides for percent positivity of tumor cells, intensity, localization and distribution of expression. TP reactivity in tumor cells (cancer) and infiltrating mononuclear cells adjacent cancer cells (matrix) was separately accessed. According to the pattern of TP expression, subjects were divided into 4 groups for further analysis: cancer(C;+)/matrix(M;+), cancer(+)/matrix(-), cancer(-)/matrix(+) and cancer(-)/matrix(-). With these 4 subsets of TP expression patterns, we evaluated cancer cell differentiation, intratumoral microvessel density, extent of tumor invasion, LN stage, and patient survival to find any differences among the subsets. RESULTS: Of 92 stomach cancer tissue, C/M(+/+), C/M(+/-), C/M(-/+), and C/M(-/-) were observed in 33patients, 19, 30, and 10, respectively. Microvessel density scores were higher in cancer(+)/matrix(-) group compared in cancer(-)/matrix(-) group (p=0.02). Of 4 TP expression subsets, other clinical factors such as histology, extent of tumor invasion, and LN metastasis were not associated with TP expression. CONCLUSION: This study suggested the TP in cancer-infiltrating inflammatory cell as well as cancer cells themselves may play an important role in angiogenesis as co-active factors in stomach cancer.
Cell Differentiation ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; Thymidine Phosphorylase ; Thymidine* ; Thymine

PURPOSE: Wear particle induced osteolysis is a serious complication in total joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to compare the preventive and mitigative effects of alendronate on particle induced osteolysis among particles using mouse calvarial model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two mice were randomized into sham group, Ti6Al4V group, CoCr- Mo group and Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) group according to the particles treated to the calvarial tissues. Each group was divided into control subgroup which received no alendronate, preventive subgroup which received alendronate for 4 weeks after particle distribution and therapeutic subgroup which received alendronate for 3 weeks after 1 week delay from particle distribution. We evaluated the effects quantitatively using histomorphometry. Number of osteoclast, fibrous thickness, eroded bone surface area, bone thickness and bone volume were measured and compared. RESULTS: Alendronate showed significant preventive and mitigative effects on osteolysis induced by Ti6Al4V particles and showed significant preventive and somewhat less mitigative effect on osteolysis by CoCrMo particles. On UHMWPE particles, alendronate showed no preventive and mitigative effects. CONCLUSION: Alendronate may be useful in preventing osteolysis induced by metal particles but had no effect on ostelysis induced by UHMWPE particles.
Alendronate* ; Animals ; Arthroplasty ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Joints ; Mice* ; Molecular Weight ; Osteoclasts ; Osteolysis* ; Polyethylene

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Menetrier's disease is a poorly defined condition that is of unknown origin, characterized by giant folds in the stomach. The histologic features are foveolar hyperplasia and cystic dilatation of the gland. We presented the characteristic findings of Menetirer's disease in Korea with a review of literatures to understand the Menetirer's disease more precisely. METHODS: The sixteen cases of Menetrier's disease was reported in Korea. We analyzed their age, sex, symptoms, signs, laboratory findings and treatments, retrospectively. RESULTS: The average age was 46 years. There were 11 men and 4 women. The most common symptom was epigastric pain (94%). The most common sign were epigastric tenderness (69%) and pretibial pitting edema (63%). Patients were often associated with the hypoalbuminemia (73%). All patients showed hypertrophic folds on either gastrofiberscopy or upper gastrointestinal series. All patients showed foveolar hyperplasia histologically. Three patients were operated to control a massive upper gastrointesinal bleeding. Two patients were operated to control the intractable edema. Two patients were operated to exclude gastric malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Menetrier's disease showed broad clinical features such as epigastric pain, hypoalbuminemia, massive hematemesis and mimicking gastric malignancy. The giant gastric folds and foveolar hyperplasia were the most commom and important findings in the Menetrier's disease.
Dilatation ; Edema ; Female ; Gastritis, Hypertrophic* ; Hematemesis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Korea* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach