The retinoblastoma (Rb)/cyclin D1/p16 pathway is an important constituent of cell cycle regulation. Perturbations in this pathway due to a variety of genetic aberrations have been reported in many human cancers including breast cancer. We examined the significance of immunoexpression of p16 protein, cyclin D1 protein, Rb protein (pRb), and p53 protein in 128 cases of invasive breast carcinoma. The results were correlated with survival rate and clinicopathological variables, including age, histologic grade, lymph node status, tumor size, estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) content. Abnormal expressions of p16 and pRb which were defined as negative staining were seen in 21% and 43% of tumors, respectively. There was a significant inverse relationship between p16 and pRb expression. There was no correlation between p16 staining and any other parameters, including survival rate, cyclin D1, p53, and clinicopathologic variables. Surprisingly, there was a trend for tumors which were positive for pRb to be grade III ductal carcinomas. Cyclin D1 positivity was noted in 46% of cases. The expression of cyclin D1 protein was significantly higher in lower histologic grade, higher ER and PR expression. The expression of p53 protein showed a significant correlation with high tumor grade. In a Cox multivariate analysis, neither p16, pRb, cyclin D1 nor p53 was an independent predictor, but tumor size and lymph node status were independent predictors of patient outcome.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Cell Cycle ; Cyclin D1* ; Cyclins* ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Negative Staining ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Retinoblastoma ; Retinoblastoma Protein ; Survival Rate

In this study of 64 cases of breast cancer with a clinical follow-up period of more than 5 years, several prognostic factors were evaluated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether any one parameter or group of parameters serves as adequate predictors of tumor behavior and patient's prognosis. Several prognostic factors included clinicopathological variables (patient's age, histologic grade, status of lymph node (LN) metastasis, and tumor size), expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), p53, bcl-2 and CD44 by immunohistochemistry, and DNA ploidy pattern. The results showed that the expression of ER and PR had a significant inverse correlation with the histologic grade (ER, p=0.05; PR, p<0.05). The expression of p53 protein showed a significant relationship with high histologic grade of tumor (p<0.05). The expression of bcl-2 protein was preferably seen in low histologic grade of tumor (p<0.05) and significantly associated with ER positive or PR positive tumors (ER, p<0.05; PR, p<0.05). This results suggest that bcl-2 protein might play significant roles in ER and PR. The CD44 expression showed a significant relationship with tumor size (p<0.05). The large size and aneuploidy pattern of tumor had a tendency to be associated with shorter patient survival. Cox's multivariate analysis showed that overall survival was affected by LN metastasis because of the shorter survival in patients with LN metastasis. In conclusion, tumor size, DNA ploidy pattern, and LN metastasis were themselves significant predictors of breast cancer survival rate.
Aneuploidy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; DNA* ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ploidies* ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: To describe the appearance and average thickness of the internal anal sphincter with anal endosonography in healthy Korean adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 184 subjects(male: 96, female: 88) with no history of anorectal disease or surgery were studied with anal endosonography. The average thickness of internal sphincter was meas ured at the mid-anal canal. For the internal sphincter, which is often asymmetric, the thickness of each 4 part(12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock direction) were measured in left lateral decubitus position. RESULTS: The anal wall was well visualized in 5 layers(mucosa, submucosa, internal anal sphincter, intersphincteric plane, external anal sphincter) with anal endosonography. The anal endosonogram showed the internal anal sphincter as a homogenous, well-defined, hypoechoic, circular band, and slightly asymmetric. The average thickness of the internal anal sphincter in the area of mid-anal portion was 2.0 0.3 mm(range: 1~3 mm). There was no sexual difference; however, a significant positive correlation with age was found in average thickness of the internal anal sphincter. The correlation with lean body mass was not found. CONCLUSION: The internal anal sphincter is well-visualized, best defined structure by anal endosonography. Average thickeness of the sphincter in Korean appeared to be the same as in the Western.
Adult* ; Anal Canal* ; Endosonography ; Female ; Humans

C-erbB-2 oncoprotein has been known to act as growth factor receptor responsible for the regulation of cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation and has been demonstrated in a number of cancers by immunohistochemical as well as matrix blotting techniques. Breast and ovarian cancer patients, whose tumor cells have amplification or overexpression of this oncoprotein, have been suggested to have worse prognosis. Yet, there are only a few studies on c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression in transitional cell carcinoma(TCC) of the bladder. The aim of this study was to examine c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression in bladder cancer to assess its potential as a useful prognostic marker in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Deparaffinized tumor specimens from 42 patients with TCC of the bladder and 3 normal bladder tissue specimens were utilized. C-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression was detected by immunohistochemical analysis and then correlated with conventional prognostic variables such as histologic tumor grade, stage and DNA ploidy. In addition, we related the expression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein to indicators of cellular proliferative activities such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), mean number of silver nucleolar organizer regions(AgNORs) per nucleus, flow cytometric S-phase fraction(CPF) and proliferation index(PI). The incidence of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression in Ash grade IV TCC of bladder was higher than that in Ash grade II and III (Chi-square test, p<0.05). The incidence of positive immunoreaction was higher in cases with muscle invasion and metastasis than in superficial tumors with statistical significance(p<0.05). In addition, statistical significant correlation was noted between c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression and PCNA expression rate. But there were no significant differences in c-erbB-2 oncoprotein expression to DNA ploidy, PI nor SPF by flow cytometry and mean number of AgNORs per nucleus. The results of this study suggests that the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein together with other predictive parameters may serve to provide a phenotypic profile which permits more accurate forecasting of bladder cancer behavior and may prove to be useful in the future as an important guide to specific anti-tumor therapy.
Breast ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; DNA* ; Flow Cytometry ; Forecasting ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nucleolus Organizer Region* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ploidies* ; Prognosis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Silver ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder*

During the rehabilitation period, traumatic fracture of the lower extremity in chronic spinal cord injured patients may be occur frequently. In the past, conservative treatment with pillow or plaster splinting was advocated by many clinician, but its treatment is still controversial. This paper presents our experience with fracture of 20 patients(5.7%) of total 350 patients who had spinal cord injuries from Jan. 1980 to Mar. 1987 at Korea Veterans Hospital. The results were as follow. 1. The incidence of fracture was not related to age, sex, type and duration of spinal cord injury. 2. The most common cause of fracture was insignificant trauma(94%). 3. The distribution of fracture was in the following order of frequency;supracondyle of femur (20%), shaft of femur (20%), shaft of tibis (16%). 4. The methods of treatment-Twenty cases were treated by conservative treatment and eleven cases were treated by operative treatment in following order; paster splint with well padded; 9 cases (20%), pillow splint; 4 eases (13%), plate and screw; 3 cases (10%). 5. Total 11 cases of complications were 8 cases in conservative treatment and 3 cases in operative treatment. 6. The duration of bone union was average 10 weeks in nonoperative treatment and average 10.2 weeks in operative treatment. Treatment should strive to achieve fracture healing with minimal danger to the patient and should cause little or no interfrence with patient's daily routine.
Femur ; Fracture Healing ; Fractures, Bone ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Rehabilitation ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord ; Splints

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Diagnosis* ; Urinary Bladder*

BACKGROUND: Administration of hepatitis B vaccine has played a major part in the management of public health in this country. There were many researches to assess the immunogenecity, safety, long term effectiveness, dose, and route of administration of hepatitis B vaccine. But there was lack of validation of the recommendation that hepatit.is B vaccine should be administered in adults with negative HBsAg and AntiHBs, in an endemic area with high prevalence of HBsAg. Authors tried to establish a proper candidate for hepatitis B vaccination evaluating viral markers of hepatitis B in adults vaccinated. METHODS: 172 hepatitis B vaccinated subjects(35.0%) were drawn from 491 adults who have visited at health care center, Asan Kangnung Hospital from April 1st to May 31th, 1997. They were asked designed questions about the beginning year, frequency of vaccination, and the presence of family members with HBsAg in a direct line. RESULTS: Of the subjects(172), 2.3% were HBsAg(+), 63.4% AntiHBs(+), 68.6% AntiHBc(+). Among the HBsAg(-) adults(149) who had been vaccinated more than three times, 70.4%(105) were AntiHBs(+), of whom 66.6%(70) were AntiHBc(+) and 29.6%(44) were AntiHBs(-), of whom 56.8%(25) were AntiHBc(+). In the subjects(20) with family history of HBsAg, 80% were AntiHBc(+), which is higher than 61.2% in the group(129) without family history. Among the HBsAg(-) and AntiHBc(-) adults(54) who had been vaccinated more than three times, AntiHBs(+) group was not significantly differnt from AntiHBs(-) group in comparison of age and years after initial vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: The two thirds(68.9%) of vaccinated subjects showed AntiHBc(+), which means reflection of previous exposure to Hepatitis B virus. Accordingly, vaccination is not thought to be required for these. Consequently, all individuals are thought to have to be pretested for the presence of AntiHBc as well as HBsAg and AntiHBs in Korea.
Adult* ; Biomarkers ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Delivery of Health Care ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Vaccination

BACKGROUND: The perfect preanesthetic medication and its ideal route of administration are still debated. Transmucosal administration of midazolam has been of interest because of the rapid, reliable onset of action, predictable effects and avoidance of injections. Because many medications are well absorbed from the mucosa, we conducted a randomized, prospective, blinded study to compare acceptance and efficacy of intranasal and sublingual administration of midazolam as a preanesthetic medication in children. METHODS: One hundred twenty eight patients aged 0.5-12year were stratified by age: 38 infants and toddlers, 0.5-3yr; 48 preschoolers, 3.1-7yr; and 42 school age, 7.1-12yr. They were randomized to received 0.2 mg/kg of midazolam in the nose or under the tongue. Hemoglobin oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry and sedation score were recorded before drug administration, at 2.5min intervals for 15min, at separation from parents and during induction with enflurane in O2. Retention time of sublingual drug and duration of crying were recorded. RESULTS: The incidence of crying at the time of administration of midazolam was greater following intranasal compared with sublingual administration(60% vs 17%, p<0.05). Within age groups, only infants and toddlers showed a significant difference in the incidence of crying between treatment groups. Significant changes in sedation occured in both groups from 2.5min after administration. CONCLUSIONS: Sublingual midazolam is better accepted than intranasal midazolam as a preanesthetic sedative in children.
Administration, Mucosal ; Administration, Sublingual ; Child ; Crying ; Enflurane ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Incidence ; Infant ; Midazolam* ; Mucous Membrane ; Nose ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Parents ; Preanesthetic Medication* ; Premedication ; Prospective Studies ; Tongue

Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) is an inflammatory, nonatherosclerotic, occlusive disease of small- and medium-sized arteries and veins that involves distal vessels of the extremities. Patients show symptoms related to ischemia of distal lower extremities and upper extremities (claudication, gangrene, rest pain, distal cyanosis). We report a case of progressive ascending motor weakness of the lower extremities in a Buerger's disease patient due to a metastatic bone tumor on the T3 level after lumbar epidural block and continuous cervical epidural block.
Arteries ; Extremities ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Lower Extremity ; Spinal Cord Compression* ; Spinal Cord* ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans* ; Upper Extremity ; Veins

Rupture of the corpus cavernosum, commonly referred to as penile fracture, is an unusual urologic emergency. Nine patients were treated surgically among ten patients with fracture of the penis between January 1987 and February 1991. Follow up was obtained in nine. During follow up they were achieving normal, painless erections or normal marital relations. One patient developed a slight penile curvature but this did not affect his sexual activity. In view of these good results, including a short hospital stay, low morbidity and early return to full sexual activity, early surgical treatment is strongly recommended in patients with fracture of the penis.
Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Penis* ; Rupture ; Sexual Behavior