BACKGROUND: Proteins of the Bcl-2 family are intracellular membrane-associated proteins that regulate programmed cell death either positively or negatively by as yet unknown mechanism. Bcl-2 family proteins have an antiapoptotic function, such as the Bcl-2, the long form of Bcl-x and Mcl-l, or a proapoptotic function, like the short form of Bcl-x and Bax. To investigate the potential role of Bcl-2 family proteins in thyroid tumorigenesis, the authors examined the pattern of expression of the Bel-2 family proteins in various thyroid neoplasms. METHODS: Bcl-2 family proteins, including Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Mcl-1 and Bax proteins were immunohistochemically stained in 57 cases of various thyroid neoplasms using formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissues; 18 cases of papillary carcinoma, 6 cases of medullary carcinoma, 4 cases of anaplastic carcinoma, 10 cases of follicular adenoma, 9 cases of adenomatous goiter, and 10 autopsy cases of fetal thyroid galnd. The intensity and frequency of the immunostaining were evaluated with the program of Image-Pro Plus Version 3.0 for image analysis. RESULT: Consistent expression of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bax proteins were present in the surrounding normal thyroid tissue, however the expression of Bcl-x protein was not observed. Compare to the expression patterns of adenomatous goiter, and fetal and surrounding normal thyroid tissues, papillary and anaplastic carcinomas showed the decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bcl-x protein expressions(p (0.05). Medullary carcinoma revealed the increased Bcl-x protein expression only(p 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that combined patterns of decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bcl-x protein expressions may eontribute to the carcinogenesis of thyroid cancers originated from thyroid follicular cells, and an increased expression of Bcl-x protein may be related to the pathogenesis of medullary carcinoma from parafollicular C cells.
Adenoma ; Autopsy ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; bcl-X Protein ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Cell Death ; Goiter ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; Paraffin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: This prospective study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of preoperative radioimmu-noscintigraphy and intraoperative scintimetric examination (radioimmunoguided surgery: RIGS) using (99m)Tc-anti-CEA F(ab')(2), fragment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen patients with rectal cancer underwent preoperative whole body planar scintigraphy at 4 hours after injection of (99m)Tc-anti-CEA F(ab')(2), fragment and SPECT imaging at 18 hours. Surgical operation was performed at 24 hours after injection. During laparotomy, radioactivities from intraabdominal viscera were measured by gamma probe. The radioac-tivities from excised tumor and lymph nodes were also measured and compared with pathology. RESULTS: All nineteen patients were confirmed to have adenocarcinomas in the rectum. Twenty-seven of 97 excised lymph node groups had metastasis and 2 patients had liver metastasis in pathology. Preoperative radioim- munoscintigraphy detected primary tumors in 11 patients (sensitivity 55%) and it couId not detect any lymph nodes or liver metastasis. All patients showed high radioactivity in the kidneys, liver, spleen, and major vessels in intraoperative measurement by gamma probe, and tumor activity was not discriminated from background activity. However, ra4ioactivity from excised tumor was higher than normal rectum (T/B ratio; 3.47+/-2.25). When excised lymph node activity/background activity ratio > 1,5 was considered as positive criteria of metastasis, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 78.6%, 73.9%, 55.0% and 89.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Radioimmunoscintigraphy using (99m)Tc-anti-CEA F(ab')(2). has no additional value for preoperative staging and use of early RIGS using (99m)Tc-anti-CEA F(ab')(2)is inappropriate. For early RIGS using (99m)Tc labeled antibodies in rectal cancer patients, further development of more specific antibodies and methods to reduce background activity are needed.
Adenocarcinoma ; Antibodies ; Humans ; Kidney ; Laparotomy ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pathology ; Pilot Projects* ; Prospective Studies ; Radioactivity ; Radioimmunodetection* ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Rectum ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spleen ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Viscera

No abstract available.
Adenoids* ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic* ; Maxillary Sinus*

Enchondroma is a benign tumor mainly developed in the hand and uncommon in the foot. Even if it is in the foot, most are in the phalanges and distal metatarsals of the foot. Enchondroma in the calcaneus is very rare. A 44-year-old male suffered from left heel pain for several months, authors treated it with curettage and bone graft, it was histologically confirmed as an enchondroma in the calcaneus. The authors presented a rare case presentation of an enchondroma in the calcaneus with pain.
Adult ; Calcaneus ; Chondroma ; Curettage ; Foot ; Hand ; Heel ; Humans ; Male ; Metatarsal Bones ; Transplants

This study was aimed to elucidate the relationship between combinations of treadmill speed-grade and oxygen consumption(Vo2). Twenty athetic and 20 non-athletic male college students aged 19-24yr were employed to exercise on a treadmill using 4 speeds(4.02, 5.47, 6.76 and 8.05km/h) and 5 grades(0, 8, 12, 16 and 20%). A fixed speed was selected for each session with the grade increased every 3 min. The Vo2, heart rate, stride frequency and stride length were measured during the last min of each 3-min stage. Vo2increased linearly with increasing speed and grade showing significant multiple correlations in nonathletes(Vo2=3.64x+0.831y+0.031xy-7.03, R=0.98, P<0.01) and athletes(Vo2=3.48x+0.324y+0.112xy-5.74, R=0.99, P<0.01). Stride frequency and length tended to increase with increasing speed except for the transition from walking to runnig at 8.05Km/h at which the stride frequency ran up much higher with the stride length getting lower than at 6.76Km/h. Heart rate increased linearly with increasing Vo2. The rate of increase was higher during walking than during running. These results indicate that athletes have higher rate of increase in Vo2than nonathletes at near-maximal exercise and may be used as a guideline in predicting maximum oxygen comsumption and in prescribing exercise intensity.
Athletes* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Oxygen Consumption* ; Oxygen* ; Running ; Walking

The 635-nm low-level laser therapy was reported to "liquefy" or release stored fat in adipocytes by causing a transitory pore in the cell membrane to open, which permitted the fat content to go from inside to outside the cell. But some data do not support the belief that low-level laser therapy treatment before lipoplasty procedures disrupts tissue adipocyte structure. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of low-level laser- assisted liposuction. The use of low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty was evaluated in a series of 90 cases. There were 2 treatment groups in the clinical study. Subjects in the test group(39 patients; 31 thighs and 17 abdomen) received only liposuction on one side and laser-assisted liposuction on the other side during early 1liter aspiration time. 51 patients in the operated group received laser-assisted liposuction on both side. After adequate infiltration was obtained in all targeted body areas, a 635-nm electric diode laser was applied to the targeted areas for 12 to 15 minutes to liquefy the fat which was extracted immediately after laser treatment. On the side which received laser-assisted liposuction of the 39 test-group patients, we could gain much fat component(71+/-7.2 vs 63+/-8.6%) and it took short time(26+/-5.7 vs 31+/-7.7 minutes). Postoperative recovery was rapid, and complications were minimal. Low-level laser-assisted lipoplasty can be a valuable adjunctive tool for the performance of lipoplasty.
Adipocytes ; Cell Membrane ; Humans ; Low-Level Light Therapy ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Lipectomy* ; Thigh

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Cycle ; Classification ; Cyclin D1 ; Cyclins ; Genes, p53 ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Molecular Biology ; Mouth Neoplasms ; Neck ; Oncogenes ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: In our previous study, the prevalence of the known causes of thyroid tumorigenesis was relatively rare in Korean population, suggesting genetic and environmental differences exist. Screening of genetic alteration in papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC) and follicular adenoma(FA) in whole genomic scale was needed prior to search on individual genes of possible causes. METHODS: Ten cases of PTC without ret/PTC-I, -2, -3 rearrangement and 5 cases of follicular adenoma were included in the study of microsatellite marker allelotyping. Sixty two microsatellite markers available, were chosen to cover the known sites of loss of heterozygosity(LOH) involved in thyroid tumors, tumor suppressor genes and terminal portion of each chromosomes. PCR was performed on tumor DNA and leukocytes DNA from each patient with MDE gel electrophoresis to detect LOH. Same specitnens as above, 3 case of normal thyroid tissues and NPA, ARO cell lines were included in the study of comparative genomic hybridization(CGH). Tumor and control DNAs were hybridized to metaphase chromosome with differential stainings with fluorescein and rhoda-mine-dUTP. Obtained results were analyzed by multicolor fluorescence computer assisted image analyzer. RESULTS: In allelotyping, LOH were detected in 5 cases of PTC, 2 cases on D10S1435, 1 case each on D2S1780, DSS1099, D11S1986, D16S539, 1 case of PTC revealed LOH on DSS1099, D11S1986. In FA, LOH were detected in 3 cases on D1S534, D1S226, Dl 1S907, D22S683, DXS9807. In CGH, Xp addition was noticed in 1 case of PTC, 12q and 10p addition was noticed in 1 case each, 16q deletion and 17q addition in 1 case of FA. CONCLUSION: No hot spot of LOH was noticed in microsatellite marker allelotyping, neither of common chromosomal change in CGH study suggesting unbalanced translocation or gene amplification more than 5-10 Mb may be involved in the genetic alteration of PTC and FA.
Adenoma* ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Line ; Comparative Genomic Hybridization ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescence ; Gene Amplification ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Mass Screening ; Metaphase ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Down Syndrome* ; Humans ; Psoriasis*

No abstract available.
Hair*