PURPOSE: To determine the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after computed tomography (CT) inpatients with focal hepatic lesion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 100 patients with 103 focal hepaticlesions. The diagnosis of each lesion was made pathologically (n=19), or radiologically and clinically (n=84), andthe findings were as follows: he-mangioma (n=53), hepatocellular carcinoma (n=17), metastasis (n=10), cyst (n=5),regenerative nodule (n=3), and adenomatous hyperplasia (n=3). The patients underwent conventional CT (n=25),two-phase spi-ral CT (n=17) or three-phase spiral CT (n=61). MRI was performed using conventional T1- andT2-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast enhancement. The value of MRI after CT was assigned to one of fourgrades, according to the consensus of three radiologists: grade I (decisive), grade II (helpful), grade III (notadditional), or grade IV (confused). RESULTS: The outcome of MRI of 103 lesions was grade I in 14 cases(14%), IIin 34 (33%), III in 49 (48%), and IV in 6 (6%). MRI was not helpful (grade III or IV) in 40% (10/25), 47% (8/17),and 61%(31/61) of lesions after conventional, two-phase spiral, and three-phase spiral CT, respectively. Grade IIIor IV lesions were present in 45% of hemangiomas (24/53), 59% of hepatocellular carcinomas (10/17), and 80% ofcases in which metastasis had occurred(8/10). CONCLUSION: MRI after CT in patients with focal hepatic lesion washelpful in less than half of all cases. It was particularly valuable for patients who did not undergo three-phasespiral CT and in whom hemangioma was suspected.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Inpatients ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

PURPOSE: Sodium-4-phenylbutyrate (Na-4-PB) is an analogue of phenylacetate, which is a well-known redifferentiating agent. In vitro and in vivo studies on this agent have been done and the clinical relevance of Na-4-PB has been studied in other malignancies, but not in thyroid cancer. We investigated the effect of Na-4-PB on cell proliferation and differentiation in thyroid cancer cell lines. METHODS: We used 5 thyroid cancer cell lines: TPC-1, FTC-133, FTC-236, FTC-238 and XTC-1. MTT assay and flowcytometry were used to measure the agent's antiproliferative effects and the cell cycle change. We evaluated the PPARgamma expression via western blotting and the mRNA expressions of NIS, Tg and CD 97 were determined by performing RT-PCR. Troglitazone, a potent PPARgamma agonist, was used in combined treatment with Na-4-PB. RESULTS: Na-4-PB inhibited cell proliferation in a dose and time dependent manner in all 5 thyroid cancer cell lines. By performing flowcytometry in the FTC-133 and TPC-1 cell lines, we identified that the antiproliferative effect of Na-4-PB was associated with an increased apoptotic cell population. Treatment with Na-4-PB upregulated the PPARgamma expression, but the combined treatment of Na-4-PB with troglitazone did not seem to be synergistic for the antiproliferative effect. Treatment with Na-4-PB downregulated the CD97 mRNA expression and it upregulated the NIS and Tg mRNA expressions in both the FTC-133 and TPC-1 cell lines. CONCLUSION: Na-4-PB inhibited thyroid cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis in a dose dependent manner. Treatment with Na-4-PB increased the expression of PPARgamma and it upregulated such differentiation markers as NIS and Tg, and it downregulated CD97, a dedifferentiation marker. Na-4-PB should be further evaluated as a new potential therapeutic agent for patients with thyroid cancer.
Antigens, Differentiation ; Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Chromans ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; Humans ; Phenylacetates ; PPAR gamma ; RNA, Messenger ; Thiazolidinediones ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Child* ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: The biomechanical stabilities between the anterior plate fixation after anterior discectomy and fusion (ACDFP) and the posterior transpedicular fixation after ACDF(ACDFTP) have not been compared using human cadaver in bilateral cervical facet dislocation. The purpose of this study is to compare the stability of ACDFP, a posterior wiring procedure after ACDFP(ACDFPW), and ACDFTP for treatment of bilateral cervical facet dislocation. METHODS: Ten human spines(C3-T1) were tested in the following sequence: the intact state, after ACDFP(Group 1), ACDFPW(Group 2), and ACDFTP(Group 3). Intervertebral motions were measured by a video-based motion capture system. The range of motion(ROM) and neutral zone(NZ) were compared for each loading mode to a maximum of 2.0Nm. RESULTS: ROMs for Group 1 were below that of the intact spine in all loading modes, with statistical significance in flexion and extension, but NZs were decreased in flexion and extension and slightly increased in bending and axial rotation without significances. Group 2 produced additional stability in axial rotation of ROM and in flexion of NZ than Group 1 with significance. Group 3 provided better stability than Group 1 in bending and axial rotation, and better stability than Group 2 in bending of both ROM and NZ. There was no significant difference in extension modes for the three Groups. CONCLUSION: ACDFTP(Group 3) demonstrates the most effective stabilization followed by ACDFPW(Group 2), and ACDFP(Group 1). ACDFP provides sufficient strength in most loading modes, ACDFP can provide an effective stabilization for bilateral cervical facet dislocation with a brace.
Braces ; Cadaver ; Diskectomy ; Dislocations* ; Humans ; Spine

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of tooth movement and histologic changes with different corticotomy designs and micro-osteoperforation in rabbits. METHODS: The sample consisted of 24 rabbits divided into three experimental groups (triangular corticotomy [TC] and indentation corticotomy [IC] with flap, and flapless micro-osteoperforations [MP]) and a control. A traction force of 100 cN was applied by connecting the first premolars to the incisors. The amount of tooth movement was measured. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess differences in tooth movement between the groups. Micro-computed tomography, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and tartrate-resistant acidic phosphatase (TRAP) analysis were performed. Analysis of variance was applied to assess differences in TRAP-positive osteoclast count between the groups. RESULTS: The amount of tooth movement increased by 46.5% and 32.0% in the IC and MP groups, respectively, while the bone fraction analysis showed 69.7% and 8.5% less mineralization compared to the control. There were no significant intergroup differences in the number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts. CONCLUSIONS The micro-osteoperforation group showed no significant differences in the amount of tooth movement compared to the corticotomy groups, nor in the TRAP-positive osteoclast count compared to both corticotomy groups and control.

PURPOSE: The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is important in embryonic development including cell differentiation and proliferation. Recently, activation of this pathway has been implicated in several forms of solid cancers. We investigated sonic hedgehog (Shh) protein expression and its relation to differentiation and clinicopathologic characteristics in thyroid cancer cell lines and tissues. METHODS: FTC-236, FTC-238, and XTC-1. We made tissue microarray slides using 80 thyroid surgical specimen: 40 benign and 40 malignant lesions. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using anti-Shh antibody. mRNA expression of NIS, thyroglobulin, and CD97 were evaluated by RT-PCR. Cyclopamine was used as a Shh signal inhibitor. RESULTS: Shh expression was more prominent in TPC-1, FTC-133, and XTC-1 cell lines than the others. Cyclopamine downregulated CD97 and upregulated thyroglobulin mRNA expression, but did not induce mRNA expression of NIS. Thyroid tissues showed varied expression of Shh in both benign and malignant diseases. Shh expression was detected in 38 of 50 (76%) normal, in 18 of 25 (72%) non-neoplastic benign, in nine of 15 (60%) benign tumors, and in 31 of 40 (77%) malignant tumors. Shh over-expression was significantly less frequent in papillary thyroid carcinomas than in normal or benign thyroid tissues. In addition, Shh protein expression did not relate to clinicopathologic characteristics in papillary thyroid carcinomas. CONCLUSION: Thyroid tissues and cell lines vary in expression of Shh. Cyclopamine can induce redifferentiation in thyroid cancer cell lines. Shh protein expression, however, is unrelated to clinicopathologic characteristics in papillary thyroid carcinomas.
Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Hedgehog Proteins* ; Hedgehogs ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is important in development. Recently,ectopic activation of this pathway has been implicated in several forms of solid cancer including basal cell carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. There are three HH proteins involved in the pathway: Sonic HH, Indiana HH, and Desert HH. Cyclopamine disrupts Sonic HH signaling by inhibition of the seven-transmembrane receptor Smoothened (SMO). Whereas cyclopamine is cytotoxic to several human cancer cells, its effect on thyroid cancer cellsis unknown. We therefore investigated the effect of cyclopamine on cell proliferation in human thyroid cancer cell lines. METHODS: We used fivethyroid cancer cell lines: TPC-1 (papillary), FTC-133, FTC-236, FTC-238 (follicular), and XTC-1 (Hurthle cell). The MTT assay and cell cycle analysis were used to evaluate anti-proliferative effects. Tomatidine, a structural analogue of cyclopamine, was used as a control agent. Statistical significance was tested by ANOVA. RESULTS: After 4 days of treatment, the percent inhibition of growth with a concentration of 5, 10, and 20 M cyclopamine in the cell lines were 23.6±4.9%, 66.4±4.7% and 69.3±1.3% in TPC-1 7.5±2.8%, 10.7±3.2% and 49.6±6.4% in FTC-133, 19.2±9.5%, 50.4±4.8% and 60.4±2.0% in FTC- 236 22.8±4.2%, 53.4±5.5% and 63.7±4.8% in FTC- 238 7.6±5.8%, 16.6±2.2%, 24.0±4.3% in XTC-1. Treatment with tomatidine at the same concentrations did not significantly affect cell growth. Exposure to cyclopamine, however, did not affect the cell cycle significantly CONCLUSION: Cyclopamine inhibits cancer cell proliferation in a dose dependent manner in thyroid cancer cell lines. The Hh signaling pathway might be a useful therapeutic target for thyroid cancer.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line* ; Cell Proliferation* ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Hedgehogs ; Humans ; Indiana ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To determine the viability of human chondrocytes within refrigerated articular cartilage stored under conditions currently used clinically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteochondral sections of human ankle taluses were stored at 4 degrees C in DMEM media for 1 to 42 days. Articular cartilage was harvested and evaluated for histologic changes and proteoglycan synthesis. RESULTS: By day 7, markedly decreased proteoglycan synthesis was observed. After 21 days, synthetic activity was virtually undetectable. Histologic specimens demonstrated chondrocyte death of a half of the cells from the superficial layer at day 7. Within 21 days, significant chondrocyte death was seen. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that proteoglycan synthetic activity and chondrocyte viability are markedly decreased in articular cartilage after cold storage for longer than 7 days.
Ankle ; Cartilage, Articular* ; Chondrocytes ; Humans* ; Proteoglycans ; Refrigeration ; Talus

The legends of Fig. 1 were marked incorrectly.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of chest comput-ed radiography for thedetection of bronchiectasis diagnosed by high-resolution CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 100consecutive patients with bronchiec-tasis and 20 normal subjects, all seen on high-resolution CT. Two independentobservers analyzed chest computed radiographs and recorded the presence and type of bronchiectasis, and the invo lved lobe. RESULTS: On high-resolution CT, bronchiectasis was seen in one lobe in 29 patients, two lobes in 29,three lobes in 16, four lobes in 14, five lobes in 10, and six lobes in t wo. The bronchiectasis was tubular in 55patients, mixed tubular and cystic in 29, and cystic in 16. For observer 1, the sensitivity, specificity, andaccuracy of chest com-puted radiography was 95%, 85%, and 93%, respective l y, while for observer 2, thecorresponding figures were 93%, 85%, and 92%. Sensitivity and specificity for observ-er 1 were 33% and 96% for theright upper lobe (46% and 95% for observer 2), 68% and 86% for the right middle lobe (76% and 86%), 70% and 78%for the right lower lobe (48% and 83%), 50% and 100% for the left upper lobe (50% and 97%), 63% and 90% for thelingular segment (49% and 93%), and 87% and 75% for the left lower lobe (75% and 90%), respective l y. Tubularbronchiectasis involving a single lobe was the most common source of false negative readings based on the findingsof chest com-puted radiography. CONCLUSION: Because chest computed radiography is not inferior to high-resolutionCT for the detection of bronchiectasis, the routine use of chest computed radiography in screening forbronchiectasis is feasible. Howeve r, due to its low sensitivity in detect-ing bronchiectasis in a specific lobe,preoperative high-resolution CT examination may be needed.
Bronchiectasis* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Radiography* ; Reading ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thorax*