No abstract available.
Antioxidants* ; Oxidative Stress*

No abstract available.
Intra-Abdominal Fat*

No abstract available.
Glaucoma* ; Manometry* ; Mass Screening*

Granuloma is a chronic inflammatory process associated with non-infectious agents or infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. It is well known that AFB staining, which has been used to determine the etiology of the granulomatous inflammation, lacks both sensitivity and specificity. Due to the slow growth rate of most pathogenic mycobacteria, culturing of organisms can take up to eight weeks. It is not uncommon for specific therapy to be delayed, or for an inappropriate treatment be given to patients without mycobacterial infections or with infections caused by atypical mycobacteria. Determination of the causative agent in Papanicolaou stained cytology specimens gives pathologists even more difficulties when only necrotic material has been aspirated from the center of the granuloma. In recent years, the use of a polymerase chain reaction for the amplification of DNA has appeared promising in terms of speed, efficiency, sensitivity, and specificity. Since a polymerase chain reaction permits the sensitive genetic analysis of small amounts of tissue, it is ideally suited to the genetic analysis of cytologic specimens. A polymerase chain reaction is easily performed on unfixed and unstained cells, however, an analysis of ethanol fixed and Papanicolaou-stained archival smears has also been described. We have recently established a method to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis organism by a nested polymerase chain reaction with primers in the insertion sequence IS 6110, using cellular digests of ethanol-fixed and Papanicolaou-stained archival specimens aspirated from the lymph nodes, lungs, thyroid, etc. Inhibitors present in Papanicolaou stained material was removed by destaining the slides with 0.5% HCl solution for 10-30 minutes. Eight out of ten cases which have shown the epithelioid granulomas revealed a positive reaction and four out of ten cases which have shown lymphohistiocytic cells in a necrotic background without any evidence of granuloma revealed a positive reaction. This study showed that it was possible to employ a polymerase chain reaction to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Papanicolaou stained archival cytology specimens.
Communicable Diseases ; DNA* ; Ethanol ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroid Gland ; Tuberculosis

Fibro-osseous pseudotumor of the digits is a heterotopic ossification closely related to myositis ossificans and occurs in the subcutaneous tissue of the digits. This lesion is considered a reactive fibroblastic proliferation with metaplastic bone formation. We report a case of fibro-osseous pseudotumor of left index finger in a 28-year-old woman. She had had an ovoid smooth subcutaneous mass with tenderness on the left index finger for one month. In gross, the specimen consisted of a relatively circumscribed, rubbery soft mass with grayish white cut surface measuring 2.0 1.7 1.5 cm. Upon microscopic examination the lesion showed irregular multinodular growth with considerably variable cellularity. Because of the focal hypercellularity, cellular atypia, and increased mitotic activity this lesion may be confused with extraskeletal osteosarcoma or parosteal osteosarcoma. This rare lesion is curable by complete local excision.
Adult ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fingers ; Humans ; Myositis Ossificans ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Osteogenesis ; Osteosarcoma ; Subcutaneous Tissue

BACKGROUD: Body weight is a well known factor of bone density. However, studies for correlation between body fat, lean body mass and bone density are inconsistent in premenopausal women. We reviewed the relations of body weight, body mass index (BMI) , body fat, body fat percent, fat free mass and spinal bone density. METHODS: We collected data of healthy young women of 20-39 years old who visited a health promotion center of a general hospital from March to August, 2000, and examined the correlation of body weight, BMI, body fat, body fat percent, fat free mass and spinal bone density. RESULTS: The total number of observation was 309, the average age was 34+/-4 year old, the average body weight was 55.4+/- 7.7kg, the height was 158+/-5 cm, the BMI was 22.05+/-2.80 kg/m2, the body fat percent was 25.5+/-5.3%, and the spinal bone density was 1.007+/-0.1106g/cm2,. The incidence of normal bone density, osteopenia, osteoporosis of spine was 45.5%, 54.5%, 0%,respectively,in the low body weight group,72.6%,26.8%,0.5%, respectively, in the normal weight group, and 90.9%,9.1%,0%, respectively, in the obese group. In linear regression analysis, the spinal bone density correlated with age, height,weight, BMI, body fat, and fat free mass. In stepwise multiful regression analysis, the fat free mass was a significant factor (R2 =0.065(P<0.001) ) of the spinal bone density. CONCLUSIONS: The spinal bone density was correlated with age, height, body weight, BMI, fat mass, and fat free mass. The multiple regression analysis suggested that only fat free mass was significantly correlated with spinal bone density.
Adipose Tissue ; Body Composition* ; Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Bone Density* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Linear Models ; Osteoporosis ; Spine

BACKGROUND: HBsAg carriers are 6-12% of population in Korea. The patients knowledge on hepatitis B and regular follow-up tests are important, because HBsAg carriers have infectivity and the disease may progress without symptoms. We surveyed their knowledge on the hepatitis B and the frequency of follow-up blood test and sonogram. METHODS: From March 1993 through September 1994, 630 patients who were diagnosed as HBsAg positive and Anti-HBs negative in a health promotion center of college hospital were surveyed by mailing questionnaire. The questionnaire included the result of HBV viral marker test, transmission routes, complications, and prevention methods of Hepatitis B, frequency of follow-up test, and doctors recommendation. RESULTS: Of the 490 questionnaires excluded the 140 questionaires returned due to wrong address, 100 were answered, making the reply rate 20.4%. As for the result of HBV marker test, 64% answered their HBV marker as HBsAg positve, 10% answered HBsAg negative, and 26% answered I dont know. 65% answered that they are HBV carrier. As for the mode of transmission, 59% answered that HBV is transmitted by blood, 57% from carrier mother at birth, 29 % by sexual intercourse. 76% of responders know that vaccination is needed for preventing vertical transmission. When making score on their knowledge, significant differences were showed according to education, income and doctors recommendation about regular follow-up test. The number of persons who took regular blood test every 6 to 12 months were 56(56%), and the number of persons who took regular abdominal ultrasonogram were 39(39%). The number of patients who were recommended regular follow-up by doctor was 76%. In this group, 51 persons(67.0%) took regular blood test and 35 persons(35%) took regular sonogram so this frequency is significantly higher than the other group(each 20.8%, 16.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge on hepatitis B in HBsAg positive patients is relatively low and the frequency of regular follow-up test is significantly higher in the group who took doctors recommendation. So it is very important that HBsAg carriers must be educated about the infectivity, preventive methods, and regular follow-up for early detection of complication like hepatocellular cancer.
Biomarkers ; Coitus ; Education ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Health Promotion ; Hematologic Tests ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Postal Service ; Ultrasonography ; Vaccination ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Actinomycosis causes a chronic suppurative infection most commonly involving the cervico-facial region, thorax, and the abdomen. Thoracic infection results from an aspiration of contaminated material from mouth or oropharynx. Actinomyces was known to have a predilection for the periphery of the lung and the endobronchial lesion is extremely rare. We report two cases of actinomycosis presenting as an endobronchial mass which arose in 53-year-old and 44-year-old women. The first case presented with cough, sputum, weight loss and had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis 24 years ago. Chest CT revealed a right lobe collapse simulating mass and suggested carcinoma. The second case presented with hemoptysis for 2 years. Chest CT revealed cystic bronchiectasis of both lungs and intracystic soft tissue mass in the anterior segment of the right upper lobe which suggested aspergilloma. The gross features of them were similar to those of aspergilloma. Characteristic sulphur granules consisting of a granular basophilic center surrounded by a radiating zone of eosinophilic, hyaline, club-shaped projection were histologically confirmed in both cases. Granulomas containing P. westermani eggs were present in the second case. Staphylococcus, true fungal organism, nocardia, and streptomyces shoud be distinguished by analysing their morphologic characteristics in the appropriate stains. Actinomycosis should be included in the differential diagnoses of an endobronchial mass.
Abdomen ; Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Adult ; Basophils ; Bronchiectasis ; Coloring Agents ; Cough ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eggs ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Granuloma ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; Nocardia ; Oropharynx ; Ovum ; Sputum ; Staphylococcus ; Streptomyces ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Weight Loss

The activation of the insulin-like growth factor-I-receptor system (IGF-IR) has recently emerged as critical events in transformation and tumorigenicity of several human tumors. In this study we investigated the expression of IGF-IR in 33 colorectal adenomas, 88 primary colorectal carcinomas, and 30 normal colonic mucosa adjacent to the carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) for IGF-IR was performed on paraffin embedded sections using an anti-IGF-IR rabbit polyclonal antibody. IHC stains for IGF-IR were scored using a semiquantitative scoring system. The relationship of IGF-IR staining to clinicopathologic variables and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining was also analysed. The mean IHC scores for IGF-IR of normal glands, adenoma, intramucosal carcinoma, node-negative carcinoma, and node-positive carcinoma were 0.41 0.96, 0.76 1.23, 2.0 1.48, 2.83 2.0 and 5.93 1.58, respectively. These scores for each category were statistically significant except between normal glands and adenoma and between intramucosal carcinoma and node-negative carcinomas. The mean PCNA indexes of normal glands, adenoma, intramucosal carcinoma, node-negative carcinoma, and node-positive carcinoma were 2.48 2.60, 6.94 11.03, 27.21 11.42, 43.36 9.9 and 57.60 10.01, respectively. The PCNA index for each category was statistically significant except between normal and adenoma. IGF-IR scores and PCNA indexes were higher with tumor progression and also correlated each other (sr=0.65, p=0.0001). Higher IGF-IR scores and PCNA indexes were seen in tumors with advanced stage, infiltrative growth pattern, poor differentiation, nerve invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and moderate fibrosis. Our results suggest that IGF-IR plays an important role in tumorigenicity and tumor progression.
Adenoma* ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Coloring Agents ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mucous Membrane ; Paraffin ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

Maspin is a recently described gene with tumor suppressor activity. The gene product is a 42 kD protein with homology to the serpin family of protease inhibitors and may play a role as an inhibitor of tumor cell invasion. The prior observation that invasive breast cancers and their metastases showed decreased maspin protein expression by immunostaining supports this speculation. However, the role of maspin in breast cancer progression has not been studied in detail. We, therefore, studied maspin protein expression in a series of hyperplasia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, intraductal carcinoma and invasive carcinomas. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) for maspin was performed on paraffin sections of 136 breast specimens using a commercially available monoclonal antibody. Among the 106 cases studied were 36 moderate/florid ductal hyperplasia, 11 atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), 29 intraductal carcinoma (IDC) (4 low grade, 13 intermediate grade, 12 high grade) and 30 invasive ductal carcinomas. Thirty cases of normal breast were also studied as control group. IHC stains were scored using a semiquantitative scoring system. The mean IHC scores for maspin for normal, moderate/florid hyperplasia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, intraductal carcinoma, and invasive carcinoma were 5.51 1.30, 7.36 0.72, 3.82 1.60, 4.48 2.69, 3.97 3.30, respectively. These scores for each category were statistically significant (p<0.05), except between ADH and IDC. Maspin protein expression was increased in most cases of moderate/florid hyperplasia, while maspin expression was more heterogeneous in ADH and IDC. In high grade IDC, maspin protein expression was stronger than low and intermediate grade IDC, and this suggests the possibility of a compensatory cellular response against the forces driving further tumor progression. Two thirds of invasive ductal carcinomas expressed maspin protein weakly and focally. All metastatic carcinomas of lymph nodes were negative for maspin. It is possible that high grade IDC with strong maspin expression may represent a subset less likely to progress to invasive cancer. This speculation merits investigation in clinical outcome studies.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating* ; Coloring Agents ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Paraffin ; Protease Inhibitors