An immunohistochemical stain for p53 tumor suppressor gene product was performed in 59 primary lung cancers to study the relation between its expression and type of the tumor, degree of tumor differentiation,clinical stage and smoking. The results were as follows: 1. The expression of mutant p53 protein was noted in 28 of 59 cases(47.5%) of primary lung cancers. The p53 protein was expressed in 21 of 35(60%) squamous cell carcinomas, in 6 of 21(28.6%) adenocarcinomas, and 1 of 1(100%) small cell carcinoma. There was a significant difference in expression of p53 among the different histologic types of lung cancer(p<0.05). 2. The incidence of p53 protein expression did not correlate with the degree of tumor cell differentiation or the clinical stage of lung carcinoma(p>0.05). 3. The incidence of p53 protein expression was higher in smokers(current: 75%, former: 46.2%) than in non-smokers(5.6%) and was increased in direct proportion to the pack years. There was a statistically significant correlation between p53 expression and smoking(p<0.05). The mutation of p53 gene may often be an early event in the development of lung cancer and it is suggested that the smoking known as a risk factor for the development of the lung cancer may be associated with the transformation of p53 tumor suppressor gene into mutant p53 gene or oncogene.
Incidence ; Risk Factors ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Lung Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Busan* ; Cytogenetics*

Angiogenesis is a critical factor in the progression of solid tumors, including cervical cancers. The mechanisms responsible for angiogenesis in uterine cervical neoplasia are not well defined. To determine the relationship between angiogenesis and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the cervical neoplasia, the author studied 63 cases of the cervical neoplasia diagnosed between the years 1993 to 1997 at Pusan National University Hospital. The expression of VEGF was semiquantitatively analyzed in paraffin sections by immunohistochemical method. Histologic sections immunostained for factor VIII-related antigen were evaluated for microvessel density. Increased expression of VEGF and microvessel counts was significantly correlated with depth of invasion. Increased microvessel counts were also significantly associated with increased VEGF expression. These results suggest that VEGF is an important angiogenic factor and associated with progression of the cervical neoplasia.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Busan ; Microvessels ; Paraffin ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A* ; von Willebrand Factor

No abstract available.
Creatinine*

No abstract available.
Anxiety* ; Arachnoid*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Blood Platelets* ; Butylated Hydroxytoluene* ; Rats* ; Streptococcus* ; Thrombin*

BACKGROUND: The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) assay is rapid, sensitive analytical technique but has problem of high false-positive rate. We applied dUTP-UDG PCR (dU-PCR) method to prevent carryover contamination major source of high false positive in PCR assays, for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. METHODS: The PCRs for detection of M. tuberculosis were performed with P1 and P2 primers based on IS6110 repeated sequence. FTC-2000 was used for capillary PCR and Uno-Thermoblock was used for heating block PCR. In order to evaluate the effect of dU-PCR controlling carryover contamination, PCRs were performed in the presence of UDG and the absence of UDG. To compare the sensitivity of usual dT-PCR with dU-PCR, chromosomal DNA of M. tuberculosis ranging 500pg to 0.5fg were amplified by dT-PCR and dU-PCR method using two different thermocycler, capillary and heating block type, respectively. RESULT: The dU-PCR using UDG prevented carryover contamination by amplicon DNA up to 500pg. By capillay PCR method, the lower limits of detectability of dT-PCR and dU-PCR were 0.5fg and 500fg, respectively, which indicates the sensitivity of dU-PCR was lower than dT-PCR. But by heating block method, the lower limits of detectability of both method of dU and dT-PCR were 0.5fg. So the sensitivity of dU-PCR was same as dT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The dU-PCR by heating-block method was sensitive test for detection of M. tuberculosis that effectively prevent carryover contamination by amplicon.
Capillaries ; DNA ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: To explore the dose-response relationship between amount of cigarette smoking and blood lipids and sugar METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we gathered the smoking history by self-administered questionnaire between 1994 and 1998 among 2888 men who visited the Health Promotion Center at St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul. RESULTS: Adjusted for age, body mass index, the odds ratio of hypercholesterolemia (> or =240 mg/dl) were 2.06 (95% Confident Interval, 1.44-2.94), 2.03(95% CI 1.31-3.11), higher LDL-cholesterol(> or =160 mg/dl) were 2.06(95% CI 1.43-2.98), 2.25(95% CI 1.45-3.45) among group of men who smoked 21-30, over 30 cigarettes per day respectively compared with nonsmokers group. And adjusted for age, body mass index, the odds ratio of lower HDL-cholesterol(<35 mg/dl) were 1.76(95% CI 1.34-2.33), 1.98(95% CI 1.39-2.81), 2.35(95% CI 1.54-3.54), hypertriglyceridemia(> or =200 mg/dl) were 1.93(95% CI 1.47-2.55), 2.57(95% CI 1.82-3.62), 2.80(95% CI 1.86-4.21) among group of men who smoked 11-20, 21-30, over 30 cigarettes per day respectively compared with nonsmokers group. The adjusted odds ratio of diabetes(FBS> or =126 mg/dl) was 1.86(95% CI 1.10-3.06) only among who smoked more than 30 cigarettes compared with nonsmokers. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there were dose-response relationships betwen amount of cigarette smoking and total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and sugar. It suggested that health promotion program including quitting and decrease of cigarette smoking would be necessary to prevent cardiovascular disease in Korean men.
Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dyslipidemias ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products* ; Triglycerides ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A monoclonal antibody to PCNA, which can be used on routinely processed tissue, was applied to 25 cases of gastric adenomas and 64 cases of gastric adenocarcinomas in order to diffentiate adenoma and adenocarcinoma and also to evaluate the prognostic value in adenocarcinoma. The results were summerized as follows: The PCNA labelling index was 29.14+/-12.77% in control, 44.09+/-17.11% in adenoma and 80.15+/-10. 69 in adenocarcinoma, resulting in significant increase in adenocarcinoma compared to adenoma. In adenocarcinoma, no significant correlation was observed between PCNA labelling index and histologic grade, and there -was increased tendency of PCNA labelling index in proportion to depth of invasion without statistical significance. The PCNA index was significantly increased in advanced adenocarcinoma compared to early gastric carcinoma, and also in positive nodal metastasis group than in negative group. From above results, the PCNA stain will be able to provide a helpful method for the differential diagnosis between gastric adenoma and adenocarcinoma, and could be a useful prognostic factor in adenocarcinoma if other factors are considered together.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenoma* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Stomach

Hepatic fibrosis was induced in Sprague-Dawley rate to evaluate the ultrastructural changes of fat-storing cells (Ito cells). For experimental induction of liver fibrosis, the rats were administered intraperitoneally with 0.5 ml of 50% Ccl4 solution per Kg body weight, twice weekly for 12 weeks. The rats were sacrificed every week. The liver tissues were examined under light and electron microscopes. And the immunohistochemical study of desmin was also performed. The results were summarized as follows: Light microscopic findings: The cellular infiltrations was inflammatory cells and Kupffer cells developed from 1 week after Ccl4 injection, and were the most severe in 4 weeks. The strong immunoreactivity for desmin was also evident in 4 weeks. The centrilobular necrosis and fibrosis developed from 2 weeks after injection, and the necrosis persisted until 8 weeks. The progress of fibrosis was accompanied by decreases in cellular infiltration and reactivity for desmin, and increased gradual nodular formation was also observed. The cirrhosis was developed after 10 weeks. Electron microscopic findings: An increase in number of fat-storing cells was observed from 1 week after injection. Transitional cells characterized by a depletion of lipid droplets and a hypertrophy of the rER appeared after 2 weeks. The number of transitional cells with abundant collagen fibers in the extracellular spaces increased in 4 weeks. With progression of fibrosis the number of fat-strong cells decreased and proliferating fibroblasts with dilated rER were observed. According to these results it was revealed that there was an apparent transition from fatstrong cells to transitional cells and to fibroblasts. These cells had a few similar characteristics and may belong to the same cell population. Thus it was suggested that fatstrong cells might play an important role in hepatic fibrosis.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Collagen ; Desmin ; Extracellular Space ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis* ; Hypertrophy ; Kupffer Cells ; Lipid Droplets ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Necrosis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley