PURPOSE: DNA mismatch repair gene is responsible for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. But it is not well known its role in sporadic colorectal cancer patients. We analysed normal hMSH2, hMLH1 protein expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues and corresponding normal tissues to find out the role of mismatch repair gene in sporadic colorectal cancer by Western blotting. METHODS: Normal hMSH2 and hMLH1 protein expression was studied on 25 colorectal cancer and corresponding normal tissue by Western blot with hMSH2 and hMLH1 monoclonal antibody. Normal protein band was expressed on 100 kD in hMSH2 and 87 kD in hMLH1. SW480 and LoVo cell line was used as positive and negative control for hMSH2 and LoVo and SW480 as positive and negative for hMLH1. And we analysed the relation between the hMSH2, hMLH1 protein expression and clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS: It was 2 cases (8%) that both hMSH2 and hMLH1 protein expression was not observed. Three cases (12%) were negative for hMSH2 and 2 cases (8%) for hMLH1. One or both hMSH2, hMLH1 protein expression was not observed in 7 cases (28%) in total. There was no correlation for proximal occurrence (25% vs 35%), young age (37.5% vs 23.5%) and lymph node metastasis (50% vs 47%). But poorly and mucinous differentiation was regarded as having relation with negative expression of hMSH2 and hMLH1 (50% vs 17.6%) but not significant statistically. CONCLUSION: Sporadic colorectal cancer with negative expression of normal hMSH2 and hMLH1 protein showed no relation to younger age, proximal site preference and lymph node metastasis. But it was suggested that mismatch repair gene protein was involved in cancer cell differentiation in sporadic colorectal cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis ; DNA Mismatch Repair ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis

BACKGROUND: The acute effect, of ethanol (EOH) include lowered blood pressure through peripheral vasodilation and decreased circulating blood volume. This study was aimed at examing the effects of EOH on the hemodynamic response to up and down head tilts. METHODS: Ten 21 to 23 year old male adults served as subjects. Each subject participated in both control and EOH experiments. In the EOH experiment, 3 mls of 25% EOH per liter of total body water was administered orally, 35 min were allowed for the blood EOH level to reach maximum before the tilt protocol was initiated. The tilt protocol consisted of 5 stages, each stage was 3-min in duration : supine (0 degrees)-head down tilt (HDT, 15 degrees)-supine (0 degrees)-head up tilt (HUT, 25 degrees)-supine (0 degrees). Hemodynamic parameters were measured with an impedance cardiograph (NCCOM3-R7, BoMed) with two electrodes placed around the neck and two around the thorax. Blood pressure (BP) was measured with an automatic sphygmomanometer (DATEX). Data was collected during every second half-minute throughout the duration of the protocol. RESULTS: In the control, HDT produced an increase in the end-diastolic index (EDI), the stroke index (SI), the cardiac index (CI), and the peak flow index (PFI) ; there were no significant changes in heart rate (HR), the systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), and BP. In contrast, HUT resulted in a decrease in EDI, SI, EF, CI, and PFI and an increase in HR, SVRI, and BP ; the latter changes sugges a sympathetic overactivation. In the EOH experiment, the basal EDI, SI, and systolic BP were lower and HR was higher than in control. HDT and HUT caused similar changes as in control experiments. CONCLUSIONS: There results indicate that EOH cause volume depletion to result in reduced central blood volume and compensatory tachycardia. These EOH-induced changes were not altered by 15 degreeshead-down and 25 degreeshead-up tilts.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Volume ; Body Water ; Cardiography, Impedance ; Eating* ; Electric Impedance ; Electrodes ; Ethanol* ; Gravitation ; Head ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Sphygmomanometers ; Stroke ; Tachycardia ; Thorax ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasodilation ; Young Adult

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A subfamily is estimated to participate in the biotransformation of 50% of the currently prescribed drugs. Four members of the CYP3A subfamily have been identified in humans: CYP3A4, CYP3A5, CYP3A7, and CYP3A43. Initial data suggested that CYP3A5 accounts for only a small proportion of the total hepatic CYP3A in about 20% of samples, but it was later revealed that CYP3A5 represents more than 50% of the total CYP3A amount in some individuals. Several genetic variants have been described for the CYP3A5 gene, of which the CYP3A5*3 allele (gA6986G), the most common form and leading to the loss of CYP3A5 activity, has been extensively investigated in the aspect of pharmacokinetics and disease risk. This review summarized the molecular characteristics of the CYP3A5 gene, and discusses the association of the CYP3A5*3 polymorphism with disease risks such as cancer and hypertension, along with its role in the pharmacokinetics of CYP3A substrates.
Alleles ; Biotransformation ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Pharmacogenetics ; Pharmacokinetics

Conjoined twins occur when there is imcomplete fission of the inner cell mass later at approximately 13 to 15 days after fertilization. The earlist case in the literat.ure appears to be that of the Biddenden Maids who were born in England in 1100. since then over two hundred cases of successful separation were reported on literature. And also successful separation cases were reported by Seung et al.(1991) in Korea. Conjoined twins occur between one in 50,000 to 100,000 births but real incidence is one in 200,000 because two thirds are stillbirth or died immediately after birth. The conjoined twins are not associated with maternal age, race or family history and 70 % of them are females. We experienced a case of conjoined twins with omphalopagus and performed surgical separation. A brief review of related literatures was done.
Animals ; Continental Population Groups ; England ; Female ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Maternal Age ; Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Parturition ; Stillbirth ; Twins, Conjoined*

BACKGROUND: The catalytic subunit of telomerase, hTERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), is one of the most important components of telomerase, and performs a pivotal role in the mechanism underlying the regulation of telomerase activity in cellular immortalization and carcinogenesis. The principal objective of this study was to investigate hTERT expression in patients with non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), and to evaluate its clinical significance and association with the expression of p16 and p53. METHODS: Using tissue microarray, the protein expression profiles of hTERT, p16 and p53 were investigated via immunohistochemistry in 167 samples of NSCLCs. RESULTS: Expression was observed in 54.5% (91/167) of the tumors, which were predominantly squamous cell carcinomas. Patients evidencing hTERT expression in their tumors exhibited significantly poorer survival rates than did patients without hTERT expression in early-stage NSCLCs (p=0.0125). According to the results of our Cox regression analysis, hTERT expression proved to be an independent prognostic factor (p=0.006), particularly for squamous cell carcinomas (p=0.019). hTERT expression was not correlated with p16 expression, but was rather associated with the expression of p53 (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that hTERT may perform a function in the progression of NSCLC, and that its detection may be useful in predicting the prognosis of NSCLC patients in the early stages of the disease, as well as in the development of a targeted therapy in these tumors.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Catalytic Domain ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung* ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Telomerase*

No abstract available.
Drug Eruptions*

Among 666 premature infants or low birthweight infants who were admitted in NICU of St. Francisco General Hospital from January 1990 to Jun 1992, 96 infants were diagnosed as retinopathy of prematurity by indirect ophthalmoscope. The result were follows: 1) Among 666 patients, retinopathy of prematurity developed in 96 patients(14.1%) 2) The high incidence was observed in low birthweight and small gestational age. 3) Mean age of first diagnosing time was 42.0( 12 day of life and mean gestational age was 31.8 2.5 weeks and mean birthweight was 1646.5 (350.7gm. 4) In gestational age, birthweight and duration of oxygen therapy, there was statistically difference between cryotherapy group and spontaneous regression group. Other possible risk factors-hyaline membrane disease, apnea, anemia-were showed higher incidence in cryotherapy group. 5) Among the 20 infants who were treated with cryotherapy, 16 infants (80%) showed regression of neovascularization.
Apnea ; Cryotherapy ; Gestational Age ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Membranes ; Ophthalmoscopes ; Oxygen ; Retinopathy of Prematurity*

No abstract available.
Bowen's Disease*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Nevus*

BACKGROUND: There has been a lot of changes in prehospital medical environment with development of EMSS(emergency medical service systems). Especially in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the patients could survive when they are moved to the hospitals earlier. The purpose of this research is to know the status of EMSS in Korea by analyzing CPR(cardiopulmonary resuscitation) outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients at 3 hospital in the western area of Seoul and Incheon. METHODS: From July 1997 to June 1998, we collected data about out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims at Ewha Womens University Mokdong Hospital, Catholic University Medical College St. Mary Hospital, and Kachon University Chung Ang Gil Hospital. We used same record form based on the 'Utstein Style'. RESULTS: CPR were performed in 265 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients at 3 hospitals. One hundred twelve(42.3%) patients recovered the spontaneous circulation at least once and eight(3.0%) patients discharged alive. One hundred ninety four(73.2%) patients died of medical causes, one hundred two(38.5%) cardiogenic and ninety two(34.7%) non-cardiogenic, and seventy(26.4%) patients died of traumatic causes. Initial EKG showed VT/VF(ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation) in thirty one(11.7%) patients, asystole in one hundred fifty one(57.0%) patients and other rhythms in eighty three(31.3%) patients. Among one hundred two cardiogenic cardiac arrest patients, two(2.0%) patients was discharged alive. CONCLUSION: Overall survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac angst patients was 3% which was poorer than that of the western country. The proportion of the cardiogenic cause was 3% which was only hart of the western country. VT/VF is relatively not common as a initial EKG rhythm. These differences might be due to difference in the prevalence pattern of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as well as prematurity of the EMSS.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Incheon ; Korea ; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest* ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Survival Rate