The CT digital radiography is a new accurate technique for measuring the long bone length. Authors performed acomparative study on accuracy, time and film consumption and radiation dose between conventional spot scanogramand CT scanogram. We used two femur and two tibia specimen for materials, the Somatom II(Siemens) for CTscanogram, and Rad Check(Voctoreen) for radiation dosimetery. There was no significant difference in accuracybetween direct measurement, conventional scanogram and CT scanogram(lesser than 1% difference). The examinationtime of conventional scanogram was about 35 minutes, CT was 15 minutes, and the film consumption of spot scanogramwas 3 of 14x17'' size, but the CT scanogram need only one 8x10'' film for completion of study. The radiation doseof hip, knee and ankle joint were 220 mRad, 365 mRad, respectively, in spot scanogram, but it was lesser than 5mRad in all joints in CT scanogram. The advantages of the CT scanogram are simple, rapid and reduced radiation.
Ankle Joint ; Femur ; Hip ; Joints ; Knee ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Tibia

Embryonic stem cells can be differentiated into various types of cells, requiring a tight regulation of transcription. Biomarkers related to each lineage of cells are used to guide the differentiation into neural or any other fates. In previous experiments, we reported the guided differentiation (GD)-specific genes by comparing profiles of random differentiation (RD). Interestingly 68% of differentially expressed genes in GD overlap with that of RD, which makes it difficult for us to separate the lineages by examining several markers. In this paper, we design a prediction model to identify the differentiation into neural fates from any other lineage. From the profiles of 11,376 genes, 203 differentially expressed genes between neural and random differentiation were selected by random variance T-test with 95% confidence and 5% false discovery rate. Based on support vector machine algorithm, we could select 79 marker genes from the 203 informative genes to construct the optimal prediction model. Here we propose a prediction model for the prediction of neural fates from random differentiation which is constructed with a perfect accuracy.
Embryonic Stem Cells ; Stem Cells ; Support Vector Machine ; Biomarkers

Intussusception is rare in adult and usually caused by organic lesions, although there is a singnificant numbeof so-called idiopathic cases. The diagnosis of intussusception have been made by pali abdomen, barium enema andsmall bowel series. But recently ultrasound and CT make a contribution to diagnose intussusception. CT is not theprimary means for evaluation a gastrointestinal tract abnormality but also provides yaluable informations inevaluating disorders affecting the hollow viscera of the alimentary tract. CT image of intussusception demonstratea whirl like pattern of bowel loops separated by fatty stripe correlating to the intestinal walls. Abdominal ultrasonogram was used as the initial diagnostic test in 2 cases out of total 4 cases, with abdominal mass ofunknown cause. It revealed a typical pattern, composed of a round or oval mass with central dense echoes andperipheral poor echoes. We report 4 all cases of intussusception in adult who were performed by CT and/orultrasound. All cases were correlated with barium enema examination and/or surgical reports.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Barium ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Enema ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Intussusception ; Ultrasonography ; Viscera

No abstract available.
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Sarcoidosis* ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune

Schwann cell, one of important components of peripheral nervous system, interact with neurons to mutually support the growth and replication of embryonal nerves and to maintain the different functions of adult nerves. The Ara-C, known as an antimitotic agent, have been used to have high effectiveness in eliminating fibroblasts during Schwann cell culture period. This enrichment effect is also known to be cummulative with each successive pulse of Ara-C applied and is due to a progressive loss of fibroblasts. But the cytotoxicity by Ara-C is also cummulative and noticeable over the period. To determine the most effective application time and interval of Ara-C in the Schwann cell culture, we observed the Schwann cell purity and density with the Ara-C treatment in plain and three-dimensional culture from dorsal root ganglion of new born rat. By culturing dispersed dorsal root ganglia, we can repeatedly generate homogenous Schwann cells, and cellular morphology and cell count with mean percentages were evaluated in the plain culture dishes and in the immunostainings of S-100 and GFAP in the three-dimensional culture. The Ara-C treated cultures showed a higher Schwann cell percentage (31.0%+/-8.09% in P4 group to 65.5%+/-24.08% in P2 group), compared with that obtained in the abscence of Ara-C (17.6%+/-6.03%) in the plain culture after 2 weeks. And in the three-dimensional culture, S-100 positive cells increased to 56.22%+/-0.67% and GFAP positive cells to 66.46%+/-1.83% in G2 group (p<0.05), higher yield than other groups with Ara-C application. Therefore, we concluded that the Ara-C treatment is effective for the proliferation of Schwann cells contrast to the fibroblasts in vitro culture, and the first application after 24 hours from cell harvesting and subsequent 2 pulse treatment (P2 group in plain culture and G2 group in three-dimensional culture) was more effective than other application protocols.
Adult ; Animals ; Cell Count ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cytarabine* ; Fibroblasts ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Humans ; Neurons ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Rats* ; Schwann Cells ; Spinal Nerve Roots*

PURPOSE: To compare the treatment outcomes and to analyze prognostic factors between the use of a breast-conserving treatment (BCT) and a mastectomy for early stage breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 1,200 patients with pathological stage T1-2N0 breast cancer who received surgery between September 1994 and December 2002 at Samsung Medical Center. We compared the patient characteristics and treatment outcomes between the two treatment groups. RESULTS: Among the 1,174 eligible patients, 601 (51.2%) patients received a BCT and the remaining 573 (48.8%) patients received a mastectomy. The mastectomy group of patients had significantly more cases with a larger tumor size, multicentricity, extensive intraductal component, and estrogen- and progesterone-receptor negativity. The ten-year overall survival rates (OS) of the BCT and mastectomy groups were 91.96% and 91.01%, respectively (p=0.1274). The ten-year disease-free survival rates (DFS) were 80.48% for the BCT group of patients and 84.95% for the mastectomy group of patients, respectively (p=0.8795). CONCLUSION: Our study shows some differences in patient characteristics between the two treatment groups. However, these differences did not result in significant survival differences.
Breast Neoplasms

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate prognostic factors for survival from first relapse (SFFR) in stage I-III breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 1994 to June 2008, 3,835 patients were treated with surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy for stage I-III breast cancer at Samsung Medical Center. Among them, a total of 224 patients died by June 2009, and 175 deaths were of breast cancer. Retrospective review was performed on medical records of 165 patients who met the inclusion criteria of this study. Univariate and multivariate analysis were done on survivals according to variables, such as age, stage, hormone status of tumor, disease-free interval (DFI), sites of first failure, number of organs involved by recurrent disease (NOR), application of salvage treatments, and existence of brain or liver metastasis (visceral metastasis). RESULTS: Patients' median overall survival time was 38 months (range, 8 to 123 months). Median SFFR was 17 months (range, 5 to 87 months). Ninety percent of deaths occurred within 40 months after first recurrence. The patients with SFFR < or =1 year had tendency of triple-negativity, shorter DFI (< or =2 years), larger NOR (>3), visceral metastasis for first relapse than the patients with SFFR >1 year. In multivariate analysis, longer DFI (>2 vs. < or =2 years), absence of visceral metastasis, and application of salvage treatments were statistically significant prognosticators for longer SFFR. CONCLUSION: The DFI, application of salvage treatments, and visceral metastasis were significant prognostic factors for SFFR in breast cancer patients.
Brain ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Humans ; Liver ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that within 2 weeks following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), exercise-induced ST-segment depression (STD) indicates subendocardial ischemia in the viable myocardium within infarcted or remote area from the infarction. Exercise-induced ST-segment elevation (STE) in leads with abnormal Q wave is associated with left ventricular dysfunction or aneurysm rather than transmural ischemia. We studied whether each pattern of ST-segment shift on exercise ECG during recovery phase following AMI is correlated with the perfusion status of infarcted myocardium evaluated by myocardial contrast echocardiog-raphy (MCE), regardless of findings of coronary angiography (CAG). METHOD: Study population was consisted of 25 patients with AMI (anteior wall: 11 patients, inferior wall: 14 patients, mean age=57.3+/-8.9years). Patients underwent exercise ECG and coronary angiography at 10 days post-AMI. After CAG, sonicated Hexabrix was injected into both coronory arteries alternatively and 2-D echocardiography was taken in parasternal short axis, apical 4, and 2 chamber views. To analyze the echocardiographic image semiquantitively, left ventricle was divided into 20 segments and perfusion status was graded as good, partial, and no opacification. RESULT: All patients with exercise-induced STE (n=8) in Q-leads had patent infarcted-related artery and poor collaterals on CAG, which was associated with poor or no opacification of infarcted myocardium on MCE. Patients with exercise-induced STD (n=9) frequently had closed infarct-related artery (67%), but good opacification of infarcted myocardium was shown by retrograde perfusion via collaterals, which was commonly seen in patients with multivessel disease. CONCLUSION: In early recovery phase of acute myocardial infarction, exercise-induced ST elevation in Q leads was associated with poor perfusional status in infarcted myocardium, even with patent infarct-related artery on CAG, while exercise-induced ST depression was frequently seen in the good perfusional status despite of closed infarted-related artery, which was commonly observed in patients with multivessel disease.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Coronary Angiography ; Depression ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardium* ; Perfusion* ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that within 2 weeks following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), exercise-induced ST-segment depression (STD) indicates subendocardial ischemia in the viable myocardium within infarcted or remote area from the infarction. Exercise-induced ST-segment elevation (STE) in leads with abnormal Q wave is associated with left ventricular dysfunction or aneurysm rather than transmural ischemia. We studied whether each pattern of ST-segment shift on exercise ECG during recovery phase following AMI is correlated with the perfusion status of infarcted myocardium evaluated by myocardial contrast echocardiog-raphy (MCE), regardless of findings of coronary angiography (CAG). METHOD: Study population was consisted of 25 patients with AMI (anteior wall: 11 patients, inferior wall: 14 patients, mean age=57.3+/-8.9years). Patients underwent exercise ECG and coronary angiography at 10 days post-AMI. After CAG, sonicated Hexabrix was injected into both coronory arteries alternatively and 2-D echocardiography was taken in parasternal short axis, apical 4, and 2 chamber views. To analyze the echocardiographic image semiquantitively, left ventricle was divided into 20 segments and perfusion status was graded as good, partial, and no opacification. RESULT: All patients with exercise-induced STE (n=8) in Q-leads had patent infarcted-related artery and poor collaterals on CAG, which was associated with poor or no opacification of infarcted myocardium on MCE. Patients with exercise-induced STD (n=9) frequently had closed infarct-related artery (67%), but good opacification of infarcted myocardium was shown by retrograde perfusion via collaterals, which was commonly seen in patients with multivessel disease. CONCLUSION: In early recovery phase of acute myocardial infarction, exercise-induced ST elevation in Q leads was associated with poor perfusional status in infarcted myocardium, even with patent infarct-related artery on CAG, while exercise-induced ST depression was frequently seen in the good perfusional status despite of closed infarted-related artery, which was commonly observed in patients with multivessel disease.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Coronary Angiography ; Depression ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardium* ; Perfusion* ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

PURPOSE: There have been some reports that DAX-1 (Dosage-sensitive sex reversal, Adrenal hypoplasia critical region, on chromosome X, gene 1) can modify the estrogen receptor-beta and the progesterone and androgen receptors. Therefore, the aims of this work were to evaluate the expression pattern of DAX-1 in human breast cancer and its relationship to the steroid hormone receptors and other prognostic factors. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using the clinical records of 161 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and who underwent surgical treatment and hormonal therapy between 1994 and 2004. We evaluated the presence and distribution of DAX-1 expressions in breast cancers using immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: DAX-1 was expressed in 57 (35.4%) of the 161 cases. Also, the DAX-1 expression showed significant correlations with the size and nodal metastasis. In the androgen receptor positive cases (85 cases), the DAX-1 positive cases were statistically younger than the DAX-1 negative cases. In the progesterone receptor positive cases (81 cases), a statistical significance was noted between the DAX-1 expression and nodal metastasis. CONCLUSION: We conclude that DAX-1 can modulate the steroid hormone receptors including the progesterone and androgen receptors, in breast cancer. It could also be assumed that the influence of DAX-1 on the prognosis of breast cancer is different according to the kind of steroid hormonal receptor expressed.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Progesterone ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Androgen ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Retrospective Studies