BACKGROUND: Hemorrhage itself has been shown to produce abnormalities in immunity, particularly depression of the lymphocyte function. In order to better examine the amount of hemorrhage required to suppress the lymphocyte function, we determined the effect of graded fixed-volume hemorrhage on splenocyte proliferation and the lymphocyte subpopulation. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats(weight, 350~400g) were anesthetized, subjected to hemorrhages of 7.5ml/kg, 15ml/kg, and 22.5ml/kg by percutaneous cardiac puncture with 26G needles. After 1, 2, 4, and 7 days, animals were killed to obtain the blood and spleen. The splenocyte proliferative capacity was measured by using the tritiated thymidine incorporation technique, and the peripheral lymphocyte subpopulation was determined using flow cytometry with the following monoclonal antibodies: T cell(CD3+), T helper cell(CD4+), T cytotoxic cell(CD8+), and B cell(CD45RA+). RESULTS: Hemorrhage of 7.5ml/kg did not induce depression of splenocyte proliferation. However, for hemorrhage greater than 15ml/kg, the splenocyte proliferative capacity was significantly depressed at 2 days after hemorrhage and recovered at 4 days. Hemorrhage induced no changes in the relative percentage of lymphocyte subpopulations and in the number of each cell in peripheral blood. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that cellular immunity is depressed at 48 hrs after a hemorrhage greater than 15ml/kg without any change in the peripheral lymphocyte subpopulation.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Depression ; Flow Cytometry ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Lymphocytes* ; Male ; Needles ; Punctures ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spleen ; Thymidine

No abstract available.
Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Lasers, Gas*

We report a case of free flap deterioration which may have been induced by pressure gradient resulting from cranial defect overlying a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP shunt). The patient, male and aged 78, had a VP shunt operation for progressive hydrocephalus. Afterwards, the scalp skin flap surrounding the VP shunt collapsed and showed signs of necrosis, exposing part of the shunt catheter. After covering the defect with a radial forearm free flap, the free flap site showed signs of gradual sinking while the vascularity of the flap remained unimpaired. An agreement was reached to remove the shunt device and observe the patient for any neurological symptoms, and after the shunt was removed and the previous cranial opening filled with fibrin glue by Neurosurgery, we debrided the deteriorated flap and provided coverage with 2 large opposing rotational flaps. During 2 months' outpatient follow-up no neurological symptoms appeared, and the new scalp flap displayed slight depression but remained intact. The patient has declined from any further follow-up since.
Catheters ; Decompressive Craniectomy ; Depression ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forearm ; Free Tissue Flaps* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Male ; Necrosis ; Neurosurgery ; Outpatients ; Scalp ; Skin ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt*

PURPOSE: Composite neuroendocrine-exocrine carcinomas are malignancies that have two distinct components residing within the same tumor: an adenocarcinomatous portion and a neuroendocrine portion. This is rare in gastric cancers; however, poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas can sometimes reveal evidence of neuroendocrine features (NEF) or be 'mixed endocrine and exocrine carcinomas'. This study aimed to review NEF in gastric adenocarcinoma and to evaluate its prognostic significance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 29 patients who were diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma with NEF and received gastrectomies at the Department of Surgery, Ajou University Hospital between January 2001 and December 2009. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer with NEF and the prognosis associated with such tumors. RESULTS: The pathologic result with respect to TNM staging of the gastric cancers with NEF were as follows: 5 cases of T1, 5 cases of T2, 10 cases of T3, and 9 cases of T4. There were 7 cases of N0, 7 cases of N1, 8 cases of N2 and 7 cases of N3. The staging of patients with NEF was higher than that of patients without NEF. Especially tumor lymphovascular invasion rate was 82.8%. The overall survival of patients with gastric cancer characterized by NEF was 73.8 months. CONCLUSIONS: Positive NEF status might be correlated with clinicopathologic parameters such as a high stage and high frequency of regional lymph node metastasis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The prognosis of a ductal adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas is poor because it is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and is rarely resectable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes after a surgical resection of an adenocarcinoma of the distal pancreas. METHODS: A total of 311 patients with an adenocarcinoma of the distal pancreas were admitted between 1985 and 2001, and of these, 54 patients were surgically treated; 29 patients underwent a distal pancreatectomy (extended resection in 12 cases), 9 underwent a palliative bypass, and 16 underwent a open biopsy. The clinical outcome of the 29 patients who underwent a surgical resection for the adenocarcinoma of the distal pancreas was retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The resectability rate was 9.3% (29/311). In the resected cases, the cumulative 3-year survival rate was 14.9%, whereas it was 0% (p=0.013) in the non-resected cases. Moreover, a significant survival difference was found between the curatively resected cases (n=16, 28.1%) and the palliatively resected cases (n=13, 0%)(p=0.003). After the curative resection, 11 patients (68.8%) developed a recurrence. Three patients survived more than 3 years (46, 74, 56 months), of whom only one had no recurrent disease. The size of the tumor and the residual tumor were identified as independent significant prognostic factors by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Only a curative resection can offer long-term survival as well as a survival benefit in patients with a ductal adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas. Therefore, a surgical resection should be preferably performed and efforts for a curative resection should be made. However, adjuvant therapy, local and systemic, needs to be further developed because most patients develop a recurrence after the resection.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatectomy ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties and cytocompatibility of microporous, spherical biphasic calcium phosphate(BCP) ceramics with a 60/40 hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate weight ratio for application as a bone graft substitute. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Microporous, spherical BCP granules(MGSB) were prepared and their basic characteristics were compared with commercially available BCP(MBCP; Biomatlante, France) and deproteinized bovine bone mineral(Bio-Oss; Geistlich-Pharma, Switzerland, BBP; Oscotec, Korea). Their physicochemical properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. Cell viability and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells on different graft materials were evaluated. RESULTS: MGSB granules showed a chemical composition and crystallinity similar with those in MBCP, they showed surface structure characteristic of three dimensionally, well-interconnected micropores. The results of MTT assay showed increases in cell viablity with increasing incubation times. At 4d of incubation, MGSB, MBCP and BBP showed similar values in optical density, but Bio-Oss exhibited significantly lower optical density compared to other bone substitutes(p < 0.05). MGSB showed significantly greater cell number compared to other bone substitutes at 3, 5, and 7d of incubation(p < 0.05), which were similar with those in polystyrene culture plates. CONCLUSION: These results indicated the suitable physicochemical properties of MGSB granules for application as an effective bone graft substitute, which provided compatible environment for osteoblast cell growth. However, further detailed studies are needed to confirm its biological effects on bone formation in vivo.
Bone Substitutes ; Calcium* ; Cell Count ; Cell Survival ; Ceramics* ; Crystallins ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Plasma ; Polystyrenes ; Spectrum Analysis ; Switzerland ; Transplants*

The results of surgery on Klatskin tumors have improved during the era of the combined liver resection. However, some surgeons still have a negative point of view on liver resection because of the locally infiltrative characteristics of cancer and the high mortality and morbidity. We treated 98 patients with a Klatskin tumor between 1990 and 1996. The mean age was 57 year, and the sex ratio (M : F) was 2.2 : 1. Among them, 27 patients (27.6%) received a combined liver resection, 11 patients (11.2%) received a segmental resection of the extrahepatic bile duct, and the other 60 patients (61.2%) had non resective procedures (a bypass operation, an intubational operation, or a percutaneous drainage procedure). The mean survival of the combined liver resection group was 30.0 months-higher than those of the other groups (17.1 months for the segmental-resection group, 14.0 months for the non resective procedures group)(p<0.05). The cumulative 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates in patients undergoing a combined liver resection were 95.5%, 83.9%, and 55.9% respectively (significantly higher than the 72.7%, 11.4%, and 0% in the patients undergoing a resection and the 41.1%, 11.4%, and 5.7% in the patients undergoing a non resective procedures). There was no difference in the survival rates between the segmental-resection and non resective-procedure group. In the segmental-resection group, 5 patients had a negative resection margin, and 6 patients had a positive resection margin. The mean survivals were 18.4 and 16.0 months, respectively (p>0.05). The morbidity rate for the combined liver resection was 74%--higher than that for the segmental resection (45%) and for the non resective-procedure group (30%)(p<0.05). There was one operative mortality (1.0%), the patient died due to postoperative sepsis after a U-tube intubational operation. Based on a univariate analysis, significant prognostic factors after liver resection were lymph node involvement, and bilirubin (>5 mg/dl) at admission. A multivariate analysis showed no prognostic significance for either lymph node involvement or bilirubin at admission. These results indicate that segmental resection is not a curable treatment modality and that only aggressive radical surgery, including a hepatectomy, gives any chance of a cure for a Klatskin tumor. We conclude that combined radical liver resection is the treatment of choice for a Klatskin tumor and that accurate preoperative diagnosis and cautious perioperative care decrease the mortality and morbidity of a hepatectomy.
Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Bilirubin ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Klatskin's Tumor* ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Perioperative Care ; Sepsis ; Sex Ratio ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pericardial Effusion*

PURPOSE: There are several reports that intraoperative transfusion may be a prognostic factor in periampullary cancer, but it is not conclusive. The purpose of this study is to clarify the prognostic significance of a transfusion following a pancreatoduodenectomy for periampullary cancers. METHODS: We analyzed 357 periampullary cancers from 1985 to 1997 (ampullary cancer: 130 cases; distal bile duct cancer: 141 cases; and pancreatic head cancer: 86 cases). Analytic variables for possible prognostic factors were various clinicopathologic factors combined with the presence of the perioperative transfusion. RESULTS: Of the overall 357 patients, 215 (60%) have received an intraoperative transfusion. The 5-year survival rate of the 130 ampullary cancer patients was 59%, and 76 cases (58%) underwent an intra operative transfusion. The 5-year survival rate of patients without intraoperative transfusion was 79% whereas that of patients with a transfusion was 47% (p=0.029). Following multivariate analysis, an intraoperative transfusion was an independent prognostic factor in ampullary cancer (relative risk: 2.174). In common bile duct cancer, the overall 5-year survival rate was 33%, and the 5-year survival rates of patients with (N=87) or without (N=54) a transfusion were 25% and 38% respectively, which showed a marginal statistical significance (p=0.0717). In pancreatic head cancer, the overall 5-year survival rate was 16% and there was no survival difference between transfused (N=52) and untransfused (N=34) patients. CONCLUSION: In the present study, intraoperative transfusion was an independent significant prognostic factor in ampullary cancer. Careful dissection to minimize intraoperative bleeding is mandatory in pancreatoduodenectomy for ampullary cancer.
Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Common Bile Duct ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy* ; Survival Rate

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: In order to increase preload with reducing the friction coefficient, abutment screws coated with pure gold and Teflon as dry lubricant coatings have been introduced. But the reported data indicate that if screw repeated tightening and loosening cycle, an efficiency of increasing preload was decreased by screw surface wearing off. PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the influence of tungsten carbide/carbon coating, which has superior hardness and frictional wear resistance, on the preload of abutment screws and the stability of coating surface after repeated closures. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The rotational values of abutment screws and the compressive forces between abutment and fixture were measured in implant systems with three different joint connections, one external butt joint and two internal cones. Moreover, the stability and the alteration of coating surface were examined by comparison of the compressive force and the removable torque values during 10 consecutive trials, observation with scanning electron microscope and analyzed the elemental composition with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 1. Application of coating resulted in significant increase of compressive force in all implant systems(P<.05). The increasing rate of compressive force by coating in external butt joint was greater than those in internal cones(P<.05). 2. Coated screw showed the significant additional rotation compared to non-coated screw in all implant systems(P<.05). There were no significant differences in the increasing rate of rotation among implant systems(P>.05). 3. Removable torque values were greater with non-coated screw than that with coated screw (P<.05). 4. Coated screw showed insignificant variations in the compressive forces during 10 consecutive trials(P>.05). 5. After repeated trials, the surface layer of coated screw was maintained relatively well. However, surface wearing and irregular titanium fragments were found in non-coated screw.
Friction ; Hardness ; Joints ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission ; Titanium ; Torque ; Tungsten*