BACKGROUND: The Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) system plays an important role in apoptosis by involvement in various immunologic functions, especially the removal of autoreactive and activated T-cells. sFas is a variant of the Fas receptor molecule, which lacks the transmembrane domain by alternative splicing of Fas mRNA and has an inhibitory effect in apoptosis by inhibition of the Fas/FasL pathway. sFasL is a coverted form of FasL by metalloproteinase and is increased in various malignant and autoimmune diseases. In this study, we investigated the expression of sFas and sFasL in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and evaluated their usefulness as markers of disease activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The concentration of sFas and sFasL in sera from 43 patients with SLE, 17 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 15 normal healthy persons were measured using sFas (S) ELISA Kit and sFas Ligand ELISA Kit (MBL Co., LTD., Nagoya, Japan), respectively. Twenty of 43 SLE sera were paired samples of 10 patients obtained on admission and discharge. RESULTS: The concentration of sFas in SLE (3.12 +/- 2.28 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in RA (2.23 +/- 0.37 ng/mL) and in the normal control (2.12 +/- 0.33 ng/mL). In particular, the concentration of sFas in sera on admission (4.35 +/- 3.68 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in the sera on discharge (2.89 +/- 0.66 ng/mL), but, the concentration of sFasL among the 3 groups was not statistically different. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of SLE and sFas might be a useful marker as a predictor of disease activity. Further study on the correlation between sFas and other disease activity markers, such as CRP, CH50, CD4 cell count and autoantibody titer is needed. Also, the evalution of sFas as a predictor of disease progression on follow-up studies of these patients is needed.
Alternative Splicing ; Antigens, CD95 ; Apoptosis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Disease Progression ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fas Ligand Protein* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes

This experiment was performed to evaluate the morphological responses of the gastric chief cells of the mouse, inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma cells in the inguinal area, following administration of 5-fluorouracil or mitomycin C. Healthy adult ICR mice weighing 25 gm each were divided into normal and experimental groups (experimental control group, 5-fluorouracil-treated group and mitomycin C-treated group). In the experimental group, 1x107 Ehrlich carcinoma cells were inoculated subcutaneously in the inguinal area. From next day after inoculations, 0.2mL of saline (experimental control group), 5-fluorouracil (30 mg/kg, 5-fluorouracil-treated group), or mitomycin C (400 microg/kg, mitomycin C-treated group) were injected subcutaneously to the animals every other day, respectively. The day following the 7th injection, animals were sacrificed. Pieces of the tissue were taken from the gastric mucosa, prefixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde solution, followed by post-fixation with 1% osmium tetroxide solution. The ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. The size of zymogen granule and the size of the mitochondrion in the gastric chief cells were observed and compared. In the 5-fluorouracil treated group, most chief cells did not show any difference in ultrastructure, except myelin figures were more frequently observed, in comparison with those of normal control group. But in the mitomycin Ctreated group, necrotic cells were more frequently observed than in normal control and 5-fluorouracil-treated group. The size of zymogen granule in the gastric chief cells of normal control, experimental control, 5-fluorouracil-treated and mitomycin C-treated groups were 0.98 (+/-0.108)microm, 1.05 (+/-0.092)microm, 0.94 (/-0.123)microm and 0.93 (+/-0.156)microm, respectively. And the size of mitochondrion in the gastric chief cells of normal control, experimental control, 5-fluorouracil-treated and mitomycin C-treated groups were 0.80 (+/-0.130)microm, 0.83 (+/-0.143)microm, 0.87 (+/-0.165)microm and 0.81 (+/-0.083)microm, respectively. From the above results, in the treatment of low therapeutic doses of anticancer drugs into the animals inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma cells, 5-fluorouracil may not suppress function of the gastric chief cells, but mitomycin C may exert a vicious influence on the function of the gastric chief cells.
Adult ; Animals ; Chief Cells, Gastric* ; Citric Acid ; Fluorouracil* ; Gastric Mucosa ; Humans ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mitochondria ; Mitomycin* ; Myelin Sheath ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Secretory Vesicles

In this study, cerebral functional laterality patterns of medical students in the year 2005 were compared with those in the year 1995. Questionnaires on the behavior patterns were asked, and the laterality patterns were classified as right hemispheric (R)-balanced hemispheric (B)-left hemispheric (L). 385 students were studied (210 male and 175 female). Of the 3 categories, male students showed the patterns of R (42.8%), B (31.9%) and L (25.3%). Female students showed R (45.2%), B (30.9%) and L (23.9%). As the above result shows, laterality patterns of male and female were similar. The above data were compared with the another data in the article reported in 1995. Previous report showed that R (63.5%), B (24.9%) and L (11.6%) in the male students, and R (49.0%), B (22.4%) and L (28.6%) in female students, respectively. From the above results, It was suggested that cerebral laterality patterns of medical students in the year 2005 shifted toward left, but it still remained 42~45% in right hemispheric as contrast to 24~25% in left hemispheric. Hemispheric shift was interpreted as that, it may be the result of student's adaptative or competitive activities in the fast changing social environment.
Cerebrum ; Female ; Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Social Environment ; Students, Medical*

OBJECTIVE: Absence of dysplasia in the excised specimen following loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3 is an occasional finding of uncertain clinical significance. We evaluated several factors including age, liquid-based Pap (LBP) test, human papillomavirus (HPV) load before treatment, and HPV typing as predictors for absence of dysplasia. Absence of dysplasia in LEEP specimens was analyzed in terms of factors for recurrent disease after LEEP conization METHODS: In total, 192 women (mean age, 39.3+/-8.4 years; range, 24 to 70 years) with biopsy-proven CIN 2/3 were treated by LEEP conization. Age, LBP test, histological grade, HPV load, and HPV DNA typing were evaluated as possible predictors of the absence of residual dysplasia or recurrent disease. RESULTS: Of the LEEP specimens, 34 (17.7%) showed no dysplasia in preoperative biopsies from patients with proven CIN 2/3. Low HPV load (<100 relative light units [RLU]) was significantly related to the absence of dysplasia in LEEP specimens, using logistic regression. Margin involvement and high HPV load (> or =400 RLU) were significant factors for recurrence. CONCLUSION: Absence of dysplasia in LEEP specimens occurred in 17.7% of our specimens. Prediction of the absence of dysplasia in LEEP specimens was associated with low HPV load. Residual/recurrent disease after LEEP was associated with a positive resection margin and high viral load, and was not associated with absence of dysplasia in LEEP specimens. Even if there is no dysplasia in conization specimens, close follow-up for residual/recurrent disease is needed.
Biopsy ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Cervix Uteri ; Conization ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Light ; Logistic Models ; Recurrence ; Viral Load

This experiment was performed to evaluate the morphological responses of 5-fluorouracil or mitomycin C on the gastric parietal cells of mouse. 5 -fluorouracil (30 mg/kg) or mitomycin C (400 micro gram/kg) were injected subcutaneously every other day, and the animals were sacrificed at 4th day and 7th day following the first injection. Pieces of the tissue were taken from the stomach, prefixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde -1.5% paraformaldehyde, followed by post-fixation with 1% osmium tetroxide. The ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. In both of the 5-fluorouracil or the mitomycin C treated groups, most parietal cells showed severely reduced luminal spaces of the intracellular canaliculi, since microvilli of intracellular canaliculi were very irregular shaped and nearly contacted with each other, and the cytoplasmic tubulovesicular membranes were disintegrated and indistinct. The changes in the 5-fluorouracil treated group were more indistinct than in those of the mitomycin C treated group. In the 5-fluorouracil treated group, balooning of the cytoplasm, focal cytolysis, myelin figures, lysosomes and multivesicular bodies in the parietal cells were observed more frequently than in those of the mitomycin C treated group. Above results suggest that the 5-fluorouracil or mitomycin C treated animals might suffer from reduced acid secretion of the parietal cell, since the collapsed lumen of the intracellular canaliculi, the disintegration of the tubulovesicular membranes, and the reduction of cell organelles in the parietal cells are occurred within a few days following injections. 5-fluorouracil was proved more harmful on the parietal cell than mitomycin C does.
Animals ; Citric Acid ; Cytoplasm ; Fluorouracil* ; Gastric Mucosa ; Glutaral ; Lysosomes ; Membranes ; Mice* ; Microvilli ; Mitomycin* ; Multivesicular Bodies ; Myelin Sheath ; Organelles ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Parietal Cells, Gastric* ; Phenobarbital ; Rabeprazole ; Stomach

This experiment was performed to evaluate the morphological responses of the appendicular mucosa of the mouse, inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma cells in the inguinal area, following administration of BCG or CP-2 (Coptis chinensis-Croton tiglium extracts). Healthy adult ICR mice weighing 25 gm each were divided into normal and experimental groups (experimental control, BCG or CP-2 treated group). Each experimental group mouse was inoculated with 1 x 10(7) Ehrlich carcinoma cells subcutaneously in the inguinal area. From the next day after inoculations, 0.2 mL of saline, BCG (0.5 mL/25 g B.W.: 0.03 x 10(8) ~ 0.32 x 10(8) CFU) or CP-2 (30 mg/kg) were injected subcutaneously to the animals every other day, respectively. The day following the 7 th injection of BCG or CP-2, each mouse was injected with a single dose of 0.7 microCi/gm of methyl-3H-thymidine (25 Ci/mmol, Amersham Lab., England) through tail vein. Seventy minutes after the tritiated thymidine injection, animals were sacrificed. The number of the labeled epithelial cells of the appendicular mucosae were observed and evaluated. On histological studies of the experimental control, BCG or CP-2 treated mice, general morphologies of the appendicular mucosae were similar. On autoradiographic study, number of the labeled cells of normal control, experimental control, BCG treated or CP-2 treated groups were 362.2+/-56.12, 350.7+/-42.65, 265.8+/-27.08 and 241.3+/-53.29, respectively. Above results show that BCG and CP-2 suppress the DNA synthetic activity of the epithelial cells of the appendix, but did not show any remarkable morphological alterations on the mucosae. These results suggest that BCG and CP-2 are ones of effective anticancer drugs for the cytostatic therapy.
Adult ; Animals ; Appendix* ; DNA* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mucous Membrane ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Robenidine ; Thymidine ; Veins

This experiment was performed to study the morphological responses of the splenic white pulp, the lymphatic tissue of the spleen, of Ehrlich carcinoma cell-implanted mice to three different anticancer drugs (5-fluorouracil, mitomycin C and AG60). Healthy adult ICR mice weighing 20 g each were divided into normal and experimental groups. In the experimental groups, each of mice was inoculated with 1X10(7) Ehrlich carcinoma cells subcutaneously in the inguinal area. From next day, 0.2 ml of saline solution, 5-fluorouracil (30 mg/kg), mitomycin C (400 microgram/kg) or AG60 (30 mg/kg, Taerim Pharm. Co., Seoul, Korea) were injected subcutaneously every other day, and animals were sacrificed at 14th day following the f irst injection. Pieces of the tissues were taken from the spleen, and prefixed with phosphate buffered 2.5% paraformaldehyde-1.5% glutaraldehyde solution (pH 7.3) followed by post-fixation with phosphate buffered 1% osmium tetroxide solution (pH 7.3). Fixed tissue blocks were dehydrated, and embedded in araldite mixture. Ultrathin sections stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate were observed with a JEM 100CX-II electron microscope. In the experimental control group (carcinoma cell-inoculated mouse), splenic white pulp did not show pronounced morphological alterations, but myelin figures were frequently observed in the cytoplasm of some lymphocytes and reticular cells than those of normal control mice. In the AG60 treated group, splenic white pulp did not show specific morphological defect, but nuclear bodies and severe invaginations of the nuclear envelope of the lymphocytes and reticular cells were observed occasionally. In the mitomycin C treated group, myelin figures, severe invaginations of the nuclear envelope, nuclear protrusions, nuclear bodies and interchromatin granules were frequently observed in the lymphocytes and reticular cells of the white pulp. In the 5-f luorouracil treated group, myelin f igures, severe invaginations of the nuclear envelope, nuclear protrusions, nuclear bodies and interchromatin granules were observed more frequently in the lymphocytes and reticular cells of the white pulp, as compared with those of mitomycin C treated mice. From the above results, 5-f luorouracil or mitomycin C may suppress the splenic immune function of cancerinoculated mice, since they suppress the process of differentiation and maturation of splenic lymphocyte and reticular cells, and 5-fluorouracil was more harmful on the spleen than mitomycin C. Whereas AG60 does not affect remarkably the process of differentiation and maturation of lymphocytes and reticular cells in the splenic white pulp.
Adult ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents* ; Citric Acid ; Cytoplasm ; Fluorouracil ; Glutaral ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mitomycin ; Myelin Sheath ; Nuclear Envelope ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Seoul ; Sodium Chloride ; Spleen

This experiment was performed to study the morphological responses of the spleen of mouse inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma cells, following administration of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Healthy adult ICR mice weighing 25 g each were divided into normal and experimental groups (experimental control group and BCG treated group). In the experimental groups, each mouse was inoculated with 1X10(7) Ehrlich carcinoma cells subcutaneously in the inguinal area. From next day, 0.2 ml of saline or BCG (0.03X10(8)-0.32X10(8) CFU) were injected subcutaneously to the animals every other day. The day following the 7th injection, each mouse was injected with a single dose of 0.7 microCi/gm of methyl-3H-thymidine (25 Ci/mmol, Amersham Lab., England) through tail vein. Seventy minutes after the 3H-thymidine injection, animals were sacrificed. Pieces of the splenic tissue, fixed in 10% neutral formalin for light microscopy. The sections were coated with autoradiographic emulsion EM-1 (Amersham Lab., England) and the coated sections were exposured for 5 weeks in the dark room. For electron microscopy, tissues were prefixed with phosphate buffered 2,5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde (pH 7.3), and post-fixed with phosphate buffered 1% osmium tetroxide solution (pH 7.3). Ultrathin sections of the white pulp area stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate were observed with a JEM 100CX-II electron microscope. On histological study in the splenic white pulp, BCG treated mice showed more macrophages containing pyknotic nuclei than normal or experimental control mice showed. On autoradiographic study, a large number of the 3Hthymidine labeled cells were seen near the marginal zone, whereas only a small number of labeled cells were seen in the red pulp or the white pulp of the spleen. The number of the labeled cells in experimental control group was similar to that in the normal control mice, whereas that in BCG-treated mice was significantly increased as compared with that of normal control one. On electron microscopic study, in the white pulp of BCG treated mouse, mitotic cells were observed more frequently than in those of the normal or experimental control mice. In the BCG treated mice, macrophages and plasma cells in the white pulp were observed more frequently than in those of the normal or experimental control mice, whereas a few eosinopile leucocytes were observed, and perichromatin granules within the nuclei of the lymphocytes and the reticular cells were observed frequently. From the above results, it was concluded that DNA syntheses were more active in the cells of the marginal zone than in the cells of the white pulp or the red pulp. And repeated treatment with BCG could activate the DNA syntheses of splenic cells and increase the number of the macrophages and the plasma cells in the white pulp.
Adult ; Animals ; Autoradiography ; Bacillus* ; Citric Acid ; DNA ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Plasma Cells ; Spleen* ; Veins