To understand the expression of hoth TGF-beta l and II ligands and the receptors, artificial fracture was made on rat femur. Fracture callus and epiphyseul plate were stained immunohistochemically on 3rd. 7th, 14th, 21st, 42nd and 56th day after trauma. Polyclonal antibody was used to stain TGF-beta I and II ligands and receptors. At epiphyseal plate, both ligand and receptor were expressed from each cell in proliferating and maturing zone. But there was no difference between type I and II except expression time. TGF-beta II ligand and receptor were expressed earlier: they were expressed mostly by the cells at the zone of proliferating cartilage but TGF-beta1 ligand and receptor were expressed mostly hy the cells at zone of maturing cartilage. At fracture site, TGF-beta expression was observed from 3rd day after trauma and it reached its maximum intensity at 2 weeks. It decreased thereafter and disappeared at 6 weeks after trauma. In enchondral ossification area, TGF-beta expressing cells were scattered throughout the enchondral mass. In intramembranous ossification area, the ligands and receptors were expressed from the osteohlasts just heneath the periosteum. ln summary, TGF-beta ligands and receptors were expressed at epiphyseal plate and fracture callus. There was no difference between TGF-beta 1 and 2 expres.ion except the appearance time at epiphyseal plate. We could not draw any conclusion about ligand and rcceptor mechanism with this immunohistochemical staining.
Animals ; Bony Callus* ; Cartilage ; Femur ; Growth Plate* ; Ligands* ; Periosteum ; Rats ; Receptors, Artificial ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been suspected as a possible gene therapy candidate for orthopedic diseases. We demonstrated that the TGF-beta gene therapy can be applicable to orthopedic patients. After transfection of TGF-beta cDNA sequence to myoblasts [C2 (280)] and fibroblasts (NIH 3T3), stable cell lines with TGF-beta mRNA expression were selected by Northern analysis. To evaluate the possibility of clinical application of these cells to orthopedic diseases, the cells were injected into rabbit achilles tendon. Intratendinous injection was done to evaluate the viability of the cells and to determine the optimal concentration for in vivo expression. At 6 weeks after injection, the injected tendon was thickened with newly formed collagen. The results from this experiment indicates that these cells survived and stimulated matrix formation in rabbit achilles tendon. We concluded that TGF-beta cDNA transfected cells can be useful in the evaluation of TGF-beta biology in vivo.
Achilles Tendon* ; Biology ; Cell Line* ; Collagen ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibroblasts* ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Myoblasts* ; Orthopedics ; RNA, Messenger ; Tendons ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta*

TGF-p receptor mutation is now considered as one of the carcinogenic process of many tumors. To evaluate whether there is an abnormality in TGF-p type II receptor in osteosarcoma cell lines, we performed Northern analysis, cross-linking assay, luciferase activity and TGF-p growth inhibition assay in four osteosarcoma cell lines: G292, U202, HOS and SaOS. We also transfected the tumor cells with normal TGF-p type II receptor sequence to find if there is a possibility of gene therapy in osteosarcoma. In Northern analysis, Type II receptor expressions were decreased at SaOS, U202 and HOS cell lines. In cross-linking assay, all four cell lines didnt show type II receptor at their cell surface. The growth of these tumor cells were not suppressed by TGF-p. From these findings, we concluded that the normal production of TGF-p type II receptor was impaired in osteosarcoma. The transfection of these tumor cells with normal type II receptor sequence restored growth inhibition by TGF-p. This means even though TGF-p type II receptor is abnormal in osteosarcoma, we can restore its function by transfection of normal sequence. We think that the TGF-p type Il receptor gene therapy can be one of the treatment method for osteosarcoma in the future.
Cell Line* ; Genetic Therapy ; Luciferases ; Osteosarcoma* ; Transfection

PURPOSE: It has been stressed that age itself as well as multiple organ failure are important prognostic factors in acute renal failure (ARF) in children. This study was performed to find out the significance of age factor and underlying disease of ARF in children. METHODS: We tried to review 58 pediatric ARF cases, retrospectively, in the pediatric intensive care unit (excluding the neonatal and surgical intensive care unit cases) of the Samsung Seoul Hospital of Sung Kyun Kwan University from Sept., 1994. to Dec., 1996. RESULTS: We classified the enrolled 58 cases into 5 age groups and more than half were younger than 1 year old. As underlying causes, heart and gastrointestinal disease were predominant in less than 1 month of age group. After 1 year of age, intrinsic renal disease was the most common cause (43-50%). Among the renal disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (10-15 year group), hemolytic uremic syndrome (1-10 year group), and obstructive uropathy (less than 1 year age group) were common etiologies. The mortality was the highest (46.7%) in less than 1 year group and lowest (21.4%) in 10-15 year age group. CONCLUSION: The underlying disorders of ARF in children were different among the age group. Among intrinsic renal diseases, hemolytic uremic syndrome was the most common cause. The difference in the mortality was dependent on age and underlying disease.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Age Factors ; Child* ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Heart ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mortality ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the effect of high glucose and spent peritoneal dialysate on the TGF-beta1 synthesis of cultured human peritoneal MC(HPMC); to examine the effect of costimulation with high glucose or dialysate and cytokines, interleukin-1beta(IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha), on transforming growth factor(TGF-beta1) synthesis of HPMC. DISIGN: HPMCs were exposed to different concentrations of glucose(30, 60 & 90 mM/L) or spent peritoneal dialysate for 48 hours in the absence or presence of IL-1beta(1ng/ml) and TNF-alpha(1ng/ml). TGF-beta1 mRNA expression was assessed by Northern blot analysis and TGF-beta1 protein synthesis and release by Western blot analysis with immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: Exposure of MC to high glucose condition(30mM, 60mM & 90mM of D- glucose) induced 2.3-, 3.6- and 4.0-fold increases in TGF-beta1 mRNA expression of MC with enhanced TGF-beta1 protein synthesis and secretion into the media. Incubation with spent dialysate also significantly increased TGF-beta1 mRNA expression & protein secretion compared to control media(P<0.05) Stimulation with IL-1beta(1ng/ml) or TNF-alpha(1ng/ml) significantly increased TGF-beta1 mRNA expression after 48 hours above the control level by 2.7-fold and 2.1-fold, respectively. However, TNF-alpha-induced increase in TGF-beta1 mRNA expression was not translated into TGF-beta1 protein secretion whereas IL-1beta stimulation induced a significant increase in TGF-beta1 protein secretion as well as TGF-beta1 mRNA expression. Combined stimulation of high glucose or spent dialysate together with IL-1beta or TNF-alpha showed a greater increase in TGF-beta1 mRNA expression and protein secretion compared to stimulation with high glucose or spent dialysate alone. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly show that high glucose concentration of peritoneal dialysate and spent dialysate themselves might be sufficient to stimulate the production of TGF-beta1 by peritoneal mesothelial cell. This state of chronic induction of TGF-beta1 is further exaggerated in the presence of peritonitis because of stimulatory effect of proinflammatory cytokines, resulting in the augmented TGF-beta1 synthesis, thus promoting peritoneal fibrosis.
Blotting, Northern ; Blotting, Western ; Cytokines ; Glucose ; Humans* ; Immunoprecipitation ; Necrosis ; Peritoneal Fibrosis ; Peritonitis ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Limb-body wall complex, also known as the short umbilical cord syndrome or the body stalk anomaly, is a poorly defined, sporadic group of congenital anomaly characterized by a collection of protean fetal malformation, deformation and disruption. Accurate diagnosis is often difficult because of its variable presentation pattern and the absence of exactly same case. Ultrasonographic detection of abdominoschisis, scoliosis, abnormalities of the lower extremities, a single umbilical artery and a short umbilical cord is important for the prenatal diagnosis. This complex should be distinguished from other body wall defects including omphalocele and gastroschisis since the prognosis for limb-body wall complex is uniformly poor. We experienced a case of limb-body wall complex in a fetus of intrauterine pregnancy at 15 weeks who was terminated because of ultrasonographic demonstration of a large abdominal defect with eventration of abdominal organs, short umbilical cord and kyphoscoliosis. Thus, we report a case with brief review of the literatures.
Diagnosis ; Fetus ; Gastroschisis ; Hernia, Umbilical ; Lower Extremity ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Prognosis ; Scoliosis ; Single Umbilical Artery ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal* ; Umbilical Cord

A study was performed to develop as a screening tool the Simple Evaluation Questionnaire for Screening the Overweight-type Dietary Pattern in 30 to 49 Year Old Adults. We used the data from the 30 to 49 year old subjects who participated in the three surveys - the health behavior survey, the dietary habit survey and the food intake survey - as the National Health and Nutrition Survey 1998. The 3,598 adults were classified into to two body fatness groups of normal (including underweight) and overweight (including obese) on the basis of their relative body weight (RBW). When comparing variables between the two groups, significant differences were found in gender, education, job, employment status, perceived health status, sadness / depression state, stress level, age, number of diseases, age when overweigh-tedness started, maximum body weight, sleep length, drinking pattern (yes / no), amount of alcoholic drinks, frequency of intoxication or drunkeness, amount of alcoholic drinks when drunk, intensity of exercise, frequency of exercise, exercise duration, skipped meals, small meals and drug supplements. In terms of food intake, there were significant differences in the daily food intake in terms of breakfast, dinner, daily kimchi and dairy products. In terms of mealtimes, we found differences in the amount of cooked rice at breakfast, kimchi at lunch, soup / kuk at dinner, fresh vegetables for snacks, fried foods for snacks between breakfast and lunch, and fruits / juices for snacks between lunch and dinner. After developing questions with indicators and analyzing the indicators by logistic regression analysis three times, we chose 10 questions for a simple evaluation of dietary patterns for the overweight-type category in order to give one point each. Among them we selected two questions to add one additional point and one question to add two additional points. The average scores of the overweight and normal groups, as shown by the developed questionnaire, were 5.97 +/-2.36 and 7.36 +/-2.21, respectively. A score of seven points was selected as the cut-off point. We examined the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the questionnaire to the results of 67%, 59% and 62%, respectively.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult* ; Alcoholics ; Body Weight ; Breakfast ; Dairy Products ; Depression ; Drinking ; Eating ; Education ; Employment ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lunch ; Mass Screening* ; Meals ; Middle Aged* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Overweight ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Snacks ; Vegetables ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between inhalation anesthetics and hearing in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As inhalation anesthetics, isoflurane was used. Auditory brainstem response and distortion product otoacoustic emission were used as measurement of hearing. Mice were divided into 2 groups. 'Isoflurane group' consisted of mice that were anesthetized with an inspired concentration of 2.0 vol% isoflurane with 2 L/min of oxygen (n=10). 'Control group' consisted of mice that were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine (n=10). RESULTS: Auditory brainstem response thresholds in mice anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine was not different from those in mice anesthetized with isoflurane. Threshold of DPOAE was higher in mice with isolurane than with ketamine and xylazine. Changes of efferent control may be induced by isoflurane and consequently change the threshold of DPOAE in mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results infer that, there was a change of central nervous system induced by inhalation anesthetics, this change also can be applied to the strategies for prevention of hearing loss.
Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Animals ; Central Nervous System ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Isoflurane ; Ketamine ; Mice ; Oxygen ; Xylazine

This report describes the case of a 57-year-old man with an anterior mediastinal tumor. Four years previously, he underwent laparoscopic anterior resection for sigmoid colon cancer. Thirty months after that procedure, bilateral pulmonary metastasectomy was performed. Twelve months later, follow-up computed tomography revealed a 1-cm pulmonary nodule on the upper lobe of the right lung and a solid mass on the anterior mediastinum, and the patient was also observed to have an elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. Repeated pulmonary nodule resection and total thymectomy were performed. Immunohistochemical staining of the anterior mediastinal tumor revealed adenocarcinoma, and his serum CEA level returned to normal after the operation. These findings strongly suggested metastatic thymic adenocarcinoma from a colorectal cancer.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Metastasectomy ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Sigmoid Neoplasms ; Thymectomy ; Thymoma ; Thymus Gland

PURPOSE: This study was to identify behaviors preventing the recurrence of breast cancer and the level of quality of life. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted using a structured questionnaire from November 1, 2006 to December 25, 2006 . One hundred and twenty two women breast cancer survivors were recruited by convenience sampling. RESULTS: The most frequent behavior for preventing recurrence of the breast cancer was dietary treatment (90.9%) and exercise (86.8%) was the second behavior. In addition, most of them perceived these behaviors as 'very effective' (82.8%). The degree of the quality of life of a breast cancer survivor was 5.34 point indicating a 'medium level'. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer survivors pursued various behaviors for preventing recurrence of breast cancer. Therefore, the nursing interventions should be focused on a systematic educational approach considering healthy behaviors to prevent breast cancer recurrence for breast cancer survivors.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/prevention & control/*psychology/therapy ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Demography ; Dietary Supplements ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; *Health Behavior ; Humans ; Life Style ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/*prevention & control ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Recurrence ; Survivors/*psychology