Alterations in the expression of genes that control the cell cycle may be of critical importance in tumorigenesis and malignant transformation. The major regulatory events leading to cell proliferation occur in Gl phase of cell cycle, and the deregulated expression of Gl cyclins is related to oncogenesis. Cyclins Dl and E play important roles in the progression of cell through Gl phase of the cell cycle. Amplification and/or overexpression of the cyclin Dl gene and aberrant expression of cyclin E has been described in various forms of human cancer. However, the role of cyclins Dl and E in cervical cancer has been poorly defined. In this study, we examined the expression of cyclins Dl and E by Northern blot technique and the status of human papil- lomavirus(HPV) type 16 and 18 by polymerase chain reaction in 25 cases of cervical carcinoma to explore the relationship between cyclins Dl and E and cervical cancer. We found cyclin Dl expression showed down-regulated expression in cervical cancer but cyclin E expression was increased in cancer group. Other clinicopathological prognostic factors were not correlated with cyclins D1 and E expression. Further study based on larger numbers of cases with correlation of cyclins D1 and E status and survival data will be needed to elucidate the use of cyclin expressions as prognostic factor.
Blotting, Northern ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin E ; Cyclins* ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

We experienced a case of 16-year-old female with verruciform xanthoma transformed from lesions of epidermal nevus syndrome. The biopsy specimen of yellowish brown to red verrucous papule on the right buttock showed 1) uniform and verrucous acanthosis without cytological atypia, 2) parakeratosis and hyperkeratosis,3) variable foci of superficial necrosis with crusting and microabscess in the granular layer, 4) rete ridge elongation and papillomatosis, 5) characteristic foam cells located within the papillary dermis, but not below the rete ridges. Our case was diagnosed verruciform xanthoma by histopathologic finding which occured as a secondary development in lesions of epidermal nevus syndrome.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Buttocks ; Dermis ; Female ; Foam Cells ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Nevus ; Papilloma ; Parakeratosis ; Xanthomatosis*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of Ox-LDL (oxidized low density lipoprotein) and Ox-VLDL (oxidized very low density lipoprotein) with or without probucol treatment on the proliferation of human vascular endothelial cells (EC) which were three dimensionally constructed vascular wall model. METHOD: The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content of LDL and VLDL oxidized by incubation with copper irons was consistently greater than 10 nM malondialdehyde (MDA)/mg protein compared with less than 3 nM MDA/mg for unmodified lipoprotein immediately after isolation. On agarose gel electrophoresis, Ox-LDL and Ox-VLDL were shown to have greater cationic charge than unmodified lipoprotein. RESULT: In Ox-LDL stimulated ECs, the cellular enzymatic activity was markedly decreased in 50 mug/ml concentration of Ox-LDL and was protected by 10 nM probucol. And in Ox-VLDL stimulated ECs, the cellular enzymatic activity was markedly decreased in 25 and 50 mug/ml concentration of ox-VLDL and was not protected by 10 nM probucol. On scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), endothelial layers of control, unmodified LDL and unmodified VLDL groups showed similar appearance. But in Ox-LDL and Ox-VLDL groups, cellular edema, loosened cell-to-cell contact and loss of microvilli were shown on SEM, and marked cellular edema, distortion of cell membrane, loss of intracellular organelles and destruction of nulcleus were shown on TEM. And the protective effect of probucol was definite in Ox-LDL group but in 25 and 50 mug/ml concentration of Ox-VLDL group, there were no protective effects of probucol. CONCLLUSION: As a conclusion, three dimensionally constructed vascular wall model is to be a good experimental model for vascular research. And Ox-LDL and Ox-VLDL have toxic effects on vascular endothelial cell layer and its toxic effects are partially prevented by probucol.
Cell Membrane ; Copper ; Edema ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Iron ; Lipoproteins* ; Malondialdehyde ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microvilli ; Models, Theoretical ; Organelles ; Probucol

PURPOSE: The primary metabolic characteristic of malignant cells is an increased uptake of glucose and its anaerobic glycolysis. Recent studies have demonstrated that facilitative glucose transport across the plasma membrane is mediated by a family of proteins, i.e., glucose transporters. PURPOSE: In order to evaluate the clinicopathologic correlations of glucose transporter genes expressed in colorectal cancer, the author studied the expression of glucose transporter genes in human colorectal cancer and analyzed their expression in normal and malignant colorectal tissues. METHODS: A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied to quantitatively determine the levels of the glucose transporter genes, GLUT1 and GLUT3, from Crohnes diseases (N=2), adenomatous polyps (N=4), and colorectal cancers (N=40) and their normal counterparts. RESULTS: The expresssion of the GLUT1 gene was detected in 50% of the inflammatory colonic mucosae and adenomatous polyp tissues, but the levels of expression were not significantly different from their normal counterparts. Among the 40 colorectal cancer patients, 23 patients (57.5%) showed GLUT1 gene expression and the levels of expression were increaed by 1.8 as compared to their normal counterparts (p<0.05). The expression of the GLUT3 gene was detected in almost all tissues examined, and the levels of expression were not significantly different from their normal counterparts. In colorectal cancers, there was correlation between GLUT1 expression, the extent of lymph node involvement and the stage of colorectal cancers (p<0.05). But, the correlation between the expressions of the GLUT3 gene and the clinicopathologic prognostic factors of colorectal cancers could not be determined because almost all tissues showed a GLUT3 gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the GLUT1 glucose transporter expression in colorectal cancer was associated with high possibilities of lymph node metastases and poorer prognosis, and the assessment of GLUT1 expression in colorectal cancer would be useful in identifying high risk patients.
Adenomatous Polyps ; Cell Membrane ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Gene Expression ; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative* ; Glucose* ; Glycolysis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: The combination of cisplatin, epirubicin, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (PELF) administration, as adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection for gastirc cancer, was compared with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) administration alone. This paper reports the results of a prospective randomized comparison of the two regimens, PELF and 5-FU. METHODS: From August 1996 to July 1999, 54 patients were selected subsequent to being diagnosed with stage III cancer after a curative resection for gastric cancer. The patients were stratified according to stage IIIA/IIIB and subtotal/total gastrectomy, and then they were randomized into each treatment group, i.e. the PELF or 5-FU alone groups. RESULTS: 54 assessable patients were enrolled in this study: 28 received PELF and 26 received 5-FU alone. 12 patients relapsed in each group and the median follow-up duration was 42 months (range: 10~77 months). The overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate (DFS) were not significantly different between two groups, (5-year survival of PELF vs. 5-FU: 57% vs. 64%, 5-year DFS: 54% vs. 51%). The PELF combination was more toxic in terms of anemia, anorexia, nausea and diarrhea than the 5-FU. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the PELF combination, as an adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer after a curative resection, was a less effective treatment, and it had more toxic effects than the 5-FU.
Anemia ; Anorexia ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant* ; Cisplatin* ; Diarrhea ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epirubicin* ; Fluorouracil* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Leucovorin* ; Nausea ; Prospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

This article presents the results of the Implementation Study of the Seoul Cancer Registry, which started in July, 1991 as a population based cancer registry in Seoul, Korea. The completeness and validity of the registered data were evaluated using Mortality/Incidence ratio (M/I ratio), Histologically Verified Cases (HV%), Primary Site Uncertain (PSU%), and Age Unknown (Age UNK%). Owing to the additional active surveillance, the completeness of the data turned out to be fairly acceptable, except for the aged over 75(Mortality/Incidence ratio was over 100%). Eventhough the Seoul cancer registry(SCR) has further way to go in the completeness especially among elderly persons, the validity of SCR data was also acceptable in terms of HV%, PSU%, and Age UNK%. However, PSU% and Age UNK% might need to be further reduced to be comparable with other well established cancer registries. The age standardized incidence rates(ASR) of all cancers between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 1992 were 232.4/100,000 in males and 147.9/100,000 in females. The top five major sites of cancers in Seoul were the stomach, liver, lung, colo-rectum, and bladder in order in males, and the uterine cervix, stomach, breast, colo-rectum, and liver in females. Those 5 cancer sites comprised 68.9% and 64.7% of the total cancer incidence in males and females, respectively.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Incidence ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Age ; Neoplasms/*epidemiology/pathology ; *Registries ; Sex Factors ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't