CD44 is a hyaluronic acid receptor that exists as a standard 90-kd form (CD44H) as well as several CD44 variants isoforms are produced through alternative splicing. Alternatively spliced variants of the CD44 molecule have been found to be associated with invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells and poor prognosis in several types of carcinoma. The purpose of the present study is to define the expression of CD44H and CD44v6 in ovarian tumors and to investigate whether the expression of these molecules is associated with adverse prognosis. We evaluated the expression of CD44 isoforms in 58 ovarian tumors by means of immunohistochemistry, and correlated between CD44 expression and the histologic types, tumor grade, peritoneal implants, pseudomyxoma peritonei and FIGO stage. While the CD44H was commonly expressed in ovarian tumors, the CD44v6 was expressed in a minor proportion of serous tumors in comparison with frequent expression of v6 isoform in mucinous tumors. The CD44H expression was significantly higher in stage I/II than in stage III. However, there was no correlation between the expression of CD44 and the presence of peritoneal implants or pseudomyxoma peritonei. These results suggest that CD44H could play an important role in the adhesive function in the lower stage of the ovarian tumor and reduced expression in the higher stage might be related to the metastasis and widespread invasion of ovarian carcinoma cells.
Adhesives ; Alternative Splicing ; Female ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovary ; Prognosis ; Protein Isoforms ; Pseudomyxoma Peritonei

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Ischemia*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore ways to define the concept of health inequality. METHODS: The concept analysis process by Walker and Avant was used to clarify the meaning of health inequality. RESULTS: Defining attributes of health inequality included differences in health status between individuals or groups, infringement of fundamental rights to health, unfair use of medical services, and social discrimination. The antecedents of health inequality included differences in demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, occupation, residential location), limitations in accessibility to health care, and social exclusion. Consequences of health inequality were increased costs for medical care, decreased health-related quality of life, and lack of ability to cope with health problems resulting in crisis situations, increases in morbidity and mortality, and shortening of life span. The concept was clarified through presentation of model, borderline, related, and contrary cases. CONCLUSION: Results of this study can be used to guide the direction of future studies through concept analysis in which conceptual attributes in the context of health inequality are examined. Also, based on the result of this study, development of standardized tools to measure health inequality is recommended as well as development of educational programs to reduce health inequalities.
Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Human Rights ; Mortality ; Occupations ; Quality of Life ; Social Discrimination ; Socioeconomic Factors*

PURPOSE: This study was intended to evaluate the positional relationship between the hyoid bone and the mandible in patients with mandibular protrusion after mandibular set-back surgery by means of 3D-CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preoperative(3 weeks before) and postoperative (6 weeks after) 3D-CT and cephalogram were taken on 32 patients(12 male, 20 female, mean age of 23.2) treated by bilateral sagittal split osteotomy with rigid fixation. The angular measurement on 3D-CT basilar view were deviation of Me and H, long axis angle of left and right cornu majus. The lineal measurement on 3D-CT basilar view were composed of intercondylar line and coordinates(x,y) of Me and H. The angular and lineal measurement of lateral cephalogram were composed of mandibular plane angle, SNA, SNB, ANB, FH-NA and FH-NB, and coordinates(x,y) of B, Pog, Me and H, PAS, Lpw, MPH and IAS. On the frontal cephalogram, deviation of Me were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean mandibular set-back was 8.0mm horizontally and mandibular plane angle was slightly increased. The hyoid bone was displaced postero-inferiorly, the distance between MP(mandibular plane) and H(hyoid bone) was increased and the posterior airway space values (PAS, Lpw, IAS) were decreased. The coordinates Me(x,y), H(x,y) and deviation angle Me' and H'were revealed the strong positive correlation. CONCLUSION: The results revealed that the horizontal, vertical and transverse relationship of the mandibular and the hyoid bone movements were significantly correlated in patients performed mandibular set-back surgery.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Female ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone* ; Male ; Mandible* ; Orthognathic Surgery* ; Osteotomy

PURPOSE: Having been disappointed with standard anticoagulation therapy for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in lower extremity, we started catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy. And the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on venous function of catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy by noninvasive venous tests such as Air plethysmography (APG) and duplex ultrasonography. METHOD: 36 patients with DVT of less than 3 weeks after development into two groups according to treatment modality:Group 1; catheter-directed thrombolysis with Urokinase followed by low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and coumadin therapy (n=19, men; 11, women; 8, mean age 47.6 years), Group 2; conventional anticoagulation with LMWH followed by coumadin therapy (n=17; men; 12, women; 5, mean age 47.1 years). The results of lytic therapy were examined by complete phlebography on time of removal of catheter. The location and extent of thrombotic changes were followed-up with duplex scan and venous function was examined with APG. RESULT: Complete clot resolution by lytic therapy was obtained in 12 cases out of 19 cases (63.2%) in Group 1. The residual thrombi at follow-up around 1 year were detected in 4 cases in Group 1, in 11 cases in Group 2. APG parameters that were significantly different (P<0.05) between the two groups were the venous filling index:(Group 1; 1.63+/-1.36 ml/sec, Group 2; 2.66+/-1.58 ml/sec), residual volume fraction (Group 1; 27.54+/-17.40%, Group 2; 49.19+/-20.45%) and outflow fraction (Group 1; 37.79+/-7.05%, Group 2; 32.36+/-6.31 %). The parameters of APG and ultrasonography in Group 1 revealed lesser degree of reflux and smaller amount of residual thrombi. CONCLUSION: Catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy shows better results in complete resolution rate of the acute DVT, reducing remnant thrombi, and preserving venous function such as venous filling index, residual volume fraction and outflow fraction. APG and duplex scanning seem to be useful methods for a complete follow-up evaluation of limbs with DVT.
Catheters ; Extremities ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heparin ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Male ; Phlebography ; Plethysmography ; Residual Volume ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Ultrasonography ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; Venous Thrombosis* ; Warfarin

PURPOSE: Studies concerning the relationship between gene polymorphisms and potentially implicated cardiovascular disease have produced conflicting findings, in part due to differences in ethnic background between populations. These led us to evaluate the impact of polymorphisms in the ACE and E-selectin genes on peripheral artery atherosclerosis in a Korean population. METHODS: We studied 92 male patients (median age: 65.9, range: 48~82) with severe peripheral atherosclerosis documented by angiography and ABI (ankle brachial index). The control group comprised 290 healthy persons (male 216, female 64, median age 61.3, range 20~90) without symptoms for peripheral vascular disease. The blood samples were stored at -20oC until DNA was ready to be extracted. The inorganic procedure for DNA extraction was based on the method described by Miller et al. The ACE and E-selectin polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. RESULTS: The distribution of ACE genotypes of the patient group was as follows: II, 34 (37.0%); ID, 46 (50.0%); and DD, 12 (13.0%). It was not significantly different from that of the control subjects: II, 104 (37.1%); ID, 133 (47.6%); and DD, 43 (15.3%) (P=0.80). The allele frequencies of the patient group were as follows: I, 114 (62.0%); and D, 70 (38.0%). It was not significantly different from that of the control subjects: I, 341 (60.9%); and D, 219 (39.1%) (P= 0.80). The frequencies of E-selectin genotypes in the patient group were as follows: Ser/Ser 85 (93.4%); Ser/Arg, 6 (6.6); and Arg/Arg, 0 (0%). It was not significantly different from that of the control subjects: Ser/Ser, 262 (93.6%); Ser/Arg, 18 (6.4%); and Arg/Arg, 0 (0%) (P=0.95). In addition, the allele frequencies of the patient group were as follows: Ser, 176 (96.7%); and Arg, 6 (3.3%). It was not significantly different from that of the control subjects: Ser, 542 (96.8%); and Arg 18 (3.2%) (P=0.95). CONCLUSION: The I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene and E-selectin S128R polymorphism were not significantly different between the atherosclerotic patient group and the normal control group in Koreans.
Angiography ; Angiotensins* ; Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; DNA ; E-Selectin* ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A* ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic

OBJECTIVES: To determine how extended high frequency is affected by noise exposure and other factors that maybe have adverse effects. METHODS: Pure tone audiometry for usual frequencies (250-8000 Hz) and extended high frequencies (1000-16000 Hz) was conducted for 331 workers at a manufacturing company from 2004 to 2005. History of noise exposure, military service, tinnitus, alcohol drinking, smoking, ear diseases, and noisy hobbies were taken by interview. T-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression was conducted according to the frequency to evaluate the factors that could affect extended high frequency hearing. RESULTS: The noise-exposed group had significantly poorer hearing than the noise-unexposed in the frequency range 2000-16000 Hz. The hearing deteriorated with increasing age through all the frequencies. High frequency hearing of 14000 Hz was significantly worse in the noise-exposed group in their 30s. Noise exposure during military service had a bad effect on hearing, especially for the noise-unexposed group. Tinnitus was associated with poorer hearing in both noise-exposed and noise-unexposed groups. Workers with noisy hobbies exhibited better hearing in the noise-unexposed group, contrary to our expectation. Extended high-frequency hearing was affected by aging, ear protection, and noisy hobbies. In extended high frequency, 14000 Hz was especially related with noise exposure history. CONCLUSIONS: Extended high frequency, especially 14000 Hz, could be used as an indicator of noiseinduced hearing loss and should be considered as a screening test for workers in noisy environments.
Aging ; Alcohol Drinking ; Audiometry ; Ear ; Ear Diseases ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hobbies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Military Personnel ; Noise ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tinnitus

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a continuation of the internal iliac artery into the popliteal-tibial vessels and this structure provides the major blood supply to the lower limb bud during early embyrologic development, Its remnants participate in the formation of the inferior gluteal, deep femoral, popliteal, peroneal and pedal vessels. When the femoral artery develops, the PSA then involutes. In rare circumstances it persists and so provides the only major blood supply to the lower limb. The PSA was first reported by Green in 1832 and until now, only about 100 cases have been reported in the world literatures. This rare vascular anomaly is associated with aneurysmal formation in 15% to 46% of cases and it has a bilateral location in 22% of PSA cases. In more than 40% of cases, PSA is asymptomatic. When present, such non-specific symptoms as gluteal pain and painful buttock mass are presented. However, the most frequent clinical finding is lower limb ischemia because in 25% of such cases, the presented symptoms are limb threatening. We describe here the case of a 54 year-old female affected with PSA occlusion, and she was treated with a combination of thrombolysis and thromboembolectomy.
Aneurysm ; Arteries* ; Buttocks ; Extremities ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Ischemia ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged

No abstract available.
Methotrexate*

No abstract available.
Blast Crisis* ; Leukemia*