No abstract available.
Muscle, Smooth* ; Smooth Muscle Tumor*

PURPOSE: Evidence exists that dysregulation of Bcl-2 family members is involved in the pathogenesis of cancer development. The aim of this study was to explore whether the somatic mutation of proapoptotic Bcl-2 member genes, one of the mechanisms that prolong the survival of cancer cells, is involved in gastric carcinogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the current study, to detect somatic mutations of the DNA sequences encoding the Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) domain of the human BAD, BIM, BIK, and Bcl-G genes in 60 advanced gastric adenocarcinomas, we used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: The SSCP analysis revealed no mutations in the coding regions of the BH3 domain in the cancers. CONCLUSION: The data presented here indicate that proapoptotic Bcl-2 member genes, BAD, BIM, BIK, and Bcl-G, may not be mutated in human gastric carcinomas and suggest that these genes might be altered by mechanisms other mechanisms somatic mutation.
Adenocarcinoma ; Apoptosis ; Base Sequence ; Carcinogenesis ; Clinical Coding ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Primary care lays the foundation of national healthcare systems, but it has been weak in playing its role correctly because of legal and environmental attributes surrounding the healthcare industry in Korea. This study is conducted to concretize the definition and scope of primary care and to deduce its standard functions to contribute to establishing the healthcare delivery system and appropriate healthcare systems embracing socio-environmental leverage. The term primary healthcare institution was adopted based on literature review to achieve the research goal. The principle diseases appropriate for the primary healthcare institution based on ambulatory care sensitive conditions were analyzed, and the standard functions were deduced by matching these diseases with current procedural terminologies using CrossCoder package. Based on the analysis, the primary healthcare institution-specific diseases were 53 specific diseases under 23 broad disease groups. The standard functions were deduced in three categories of the standard functions of the entire primary healthcare institutions with 100% frequency, common standard functions with 70% frequency, and peculiar standard functions specific to diseases or body systems. These functions included outpatient evaluation and measurement, various factor tests through blood collection, and X-ray. Establishing the standard functions for the primary healthcare institution can promote patient reliability on primary care, alleviate health demand congestion toward large-sized advanced healthcare institutions. Furthermore, it contributes to establishing and reinforcing other healthcare policies related to the healthcare reimbursement system and referral system, and fosters primary care physician education. Most importantly, it reduces the national health expenditures by realizing efficient and effective healthcare delivery.
Ambulatory Care ; Delivery of Health Care ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Health Care Sector ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Primary Health Care ; Referral and Consultation

No abstract available.
Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal*

Plexiform schwannoma is a rare, benign neoplasm arising from the peripheral nerve sheath and usually arises in either the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. This neoplasm occurs most commonly as a slowly growing asymptomatic solitary nodule but may occur as multiple lesions. Multiple plexiform schwannomas could be associated with schwanno matosis as well as neurofibromatosis type 2. We present a 6-year-old boy who had multiple nodules on the occipital area and abdomen with tenderness. On the histopathological examinations, the lesions showed typical features of plexiform schwannoma. After six years, meningiomas were found in his orbital cavity.
Abdomen ; Child ; Dermis ; Humans ; Male ; Meningioma ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurofibromatosis 2 ; Orbit ; Peripheral Nerves ; Subcutaneous Tissue

PURPOSE: Evidence exists that dysregulation of apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of cancer development. Fas- associated death domain (FADD) protein, an adaptor protein of death receptors, is a critical regulatory component of the extrinsic cell- death pathway that exerts its pro-apoptotic effect upon binding with death receptors. Expression of the FADD protein has not been reported in stomach cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the expression status of the FADD protein in stomach cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the current study, we analyzed the expression of the FADD protein in 60 advanced stomach cancer by using immunohistochemistry and a tissue microarray approach. RESULTS: Immunopositivity (defined as > or =30%) was observed for the FADD protein in 23 (38%) of the 60 cancers. Normal gastric mucosal cells showed expression of the FADD protein. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results indicate that decreased expression of the FADD protein is a frequent event in stomach cancers and suggest that to avoid apoptosis, stomach cancer cells in vivo may need loss of FADD expression, which might contribute to tumor development.
Apoptosis ; Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Receptors, Death Domain ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

PURPOSE: Evidence exists that dysregulation of apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of cancer development. The Bcl-XL/Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD), a member of the Bcl-2 family, is a critical regulatory component of the intrinsic cell-death pathway that exerts its pro-apoptotic effect upon heterodimerization with anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. Expression of the BAD protein has been reported in several cancer types, but not in stomach cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the expression status of the BAD protein in gastric carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the current study, we analyzed the expression of the BAD protein in 60 advanced gastric adenocarcinomas by using immunohistochemistry and a tissue microarray approach. RESULTS: Immunopositivity (defined as > or =30%) was observed for the BAD protein in 57 (95%) of the 60 cancers. Normal gastric mucosal cells showed weaker expressions of the BAD protein than gastric carcinomas. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that stomach cancer cells in vivo may need BAD protein expression for apoptosis. Also, the higher expression of the BAD protein in stomach cancer cells than in normal gastric mucosal cells suggests that apoptosis might be easily triggered in susceptible stomach cancer cells, thereby producing selective pressure to make more apoptosis-resistant cells during tumor development.
Adenocarcinoma ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; bcl-Associated Death Protein* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Stomach Neoplasms

Mast cells are immune-mediators producing cells and involved in neovascularization of some tumors. Such roast cell is divided into two cell types: mucosal mast cell and connective tissue mast cell. There are controversies about the roles of mast cells in suppression and metastasis of some tumors (including bladder tumor). We performed bladder mucosal biopsies in 28 patients (from September 1994 to July 1996) and observed bladder mucosal mast cell responses in bladder tumor (TCC) under toluidine blue stain (x 400). Patients were divided into 2 groups: group A was consisted of bladder tumor patients (21 cases), whereas group B was the control group (7 cases). Mast cell responses, average mucosal mast cell counts in high power field, in group A and B were 1.75+/-0.25 cells/HPF, 0.29+/-0.20 cel1/HPF respectively. We observed more mast cell responses in bladder tumor patients group. But fundamental researches will be needed to elucidate the causes of mast cell activation in bladder tumor.
Biopsy ; Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Mast Cells* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Tolonium Chloride ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

We report a case of carcinosarcoma involving the ureter, bladder and kidney in a 63-year-old woman. The diagnosis of carcinosarcoma was confirmed by immunohistochemical stain.
Carcinosarcoma* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney* ; Middle Aged ; Ureter* ; Urinary Bladder*

We developed the 166Ho-chitosan, the new radiation synovectomy agent. Holmium is the more practical isotope based on its longer half-life. And chitosan, is ideal and suitable particles based on its soluble and biodegradable characteristics. We investigated the biocompatibility of the 166Ho-chitosan complex to evaluate the suitability as a radiation synovectomy agent. In vitro stability test, the 166Ho-chitosan complex suspension in saline was stored at room temperture and 37degrees C for 25 days and decay rate was of determined by ITLC(Instant Thin Layer Chromatography). In vivo stability test, the 166Ho-chitosan complex was injected into rabbit joints and followed by gamma camera imaging to quantify extra-articular leakage. Biodistribution study, the 166Ho-chitosan complex was injected into rabbit joints. After 48 hours heart, liver, urinary bladder, spleen, lung, brain, kidney, blood were extracted and radioactivities were measured. In vitro stability test, there was no significant change of radioactivity and no leakage problem indicating the prepared 166Ho-chitosan complex is sufficiently stable. In vivo stability tests revealed that more than 98% of the 166Ho-chitosan remained in joint over a 2 days period. The mean retention percentage of 166Ho-chitosan in knee were 99.9%, 99.9%, 99.8%, 99.7% at 2 h, 6 h, 1 day and 2 days, respectively. A biodistribution study of the rabbits revealed that leakage to heart, liver, urinary bladder, spleen, lung, brain, kidney, blood is 0.71, 1.5, 0.50, 1.5, 0.25, 0.26, 0.81, 0.065(% Injected Dose x 10-3/gram), respectively. The 166Ho-chitosan complex shows less leakge than any other radiation synovectomy agents. Our results indicate that 166Ho-chitosan have the biocompatibility and the suitability as a radiation synovectomy agent.
Brain ; Chitosan* ; Half-Life ; Heart ; Holmium ; Joints ; Kidney ; Knee ; Liver ; Lung ; Rabbits* ; Radioactivity ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Spleen ; Urinary Bladder