BACKGROUND: The generation of the invasiveness in transfromed cells represents an essential step of tumor progression. The primary cause of the scattering of the cells in invasive carcinoma is a loss of the integrity of the intercellular adherens junction often involving loss of a functional cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. Therefore, the perturbation of E-cadherin function causes diaggregation of tumor cells and may promote the invasion and metastases. OBJECTIVE: The reduction in E-cadherin activity seems to correlate with the infiltrative ability of tumor cells. The purpose of this study was to compare the E-cadherin expression among different cell lines which were normal to undifferentiated and to check the virtual relationaship between E-cadherin and invasiveness. METHODS: We used 5 cell lines, HaCaT, A431, C3, SiHa and HeLa cell. To check the expression patterns and amounts of E-cadherin in each cell line, immunofluorescence staining, Western blot anlysis and Northern blot analysis were done. An in vitro invasion assay using the collagen gel and MRC-5 fibroblast under the influence of HECD-1 antibody which block the E-cadherin function was done to measure the invasiveness of tumor cells. Collagenase activity in culture supernatants of each cell were analyzed by zymography. RESULTS: Immunofluorescence staining revealed a homogenously well preserved pattern in HaCat, A431, C3 cells. SiHa cells showed patch distribution but HeLa cells did not express the E-cadherin. Western blot analysis and Northern blot results largely corresponded with the immunofluorescence results. The in vitro invasion assay revealed invasion into the collagen matrix of the HeLa cells. When HECD-1 antibody was added to the medium, other cells showed partially disrupted stratification. The collagenolytic activity at 72 kDa sixe was detected in the HeLa cell line only. CONCLUSION: There is an inverse relationship between E-cadherin expression and tumor invasion. Therefore, through their regulation of cell adhesion and motility, cadherin plays a crucial role in the suppression of tumor invasion and metastasis.
Adherens Junctions ; Blotting, Northern ; Blotting, Western ; Cadherins* ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Line* ; Collagen ; Collagenases ; Fibroblasts ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Neoplasm Metastasis

The bone formation of periarticular connective tissue after head injury and total hip arthroplasty is included in the category of heterotopic ossification. Induction of a new bone formation in the soft tissue is related to various materials such as bone morphogenic protein. The alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase act as important factors in the formation and absorption of the bone. The acid phospatase has the important function of acting as the control with specific activity of phosphatase in vivo. Cholecalciferol induces absorption of the calcium in the alimentary tract and bone resorption and increment of bone calcification, whereas disodium etidronate inhibits the deposition and dissolution of calcium salt and formation of heterotopic bone. This paper reports on the relationship of alkaline phosphatase and various phosphoaminoacid phosphatase which affect the cellular differentiation and remodelling in the heterotopic ossification, with the effect of cholecalciferol and disodium etidronate on the heterotopic bone induction in rats. The following results were obtained: 1. The contents of the calcium in the implanted bone matrix increased markedly from two to five weeks. There was no changes in the calcium content by cholecalciferol or in the administration of small doses of disodium etidronate (5mg/kg). However, in the administration of large dose of disodium etidronate (25mg/kg), calcium mobilization was totally suppressed for the whole period of the experiment. 2. The protein content in the implanted bone matrix did not much change for the whole period of the experiment and the administratinn of cholecalciferol or disodium etidronate also had no effect on the protein content. 3. The activities of alkaline phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix peaked at two weeks in control or cholecalciferol group, whereas disodium etidronate admninstration caused the highest activity in the third week. 4. The activity of acid phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix increased in first and third weeks by cholecalciferol treatment. Disoidum etidronate inhibited the activity of the acid phosphatase in the first, fourth & sixth weeks of implantation. 5. The activity of phosphoserine phosphatase increased due to cholecalciferol treatment, but was significantly inhibited by disodium etidronate (25mg/kg) treatment. 6. The activity of phosphothreonine phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix slightly increased due to cholecalciferol treatment, whereas the activity decreased significantly for the whole period of the experiment by disodium etidronate (25mg/kg) treatment. 7. The activity of phosphotyrosine phosphatase in the implanted bone matrix was not change much for the whole period of the experiment and the administration of cholecalciferol or disodium etidronate had no effect on the activity of phosphotyrosine phosphatase. In conclusion, the disodium etidronate (25mg/kg) almost completely inhibited the molilization of calcium and the activities of acid phosphatase, phosphoserine and phosphothreonine phosphatases. Therefore, it can be suggested that the above phosphatases are closely related to the action mechanism of disodium etidronate.
Absorption ; Acid Phosphatase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Bone Matrix ; Bone Resorption ; Calcium ; Cholecalciferol ; Connective Tissue ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Etidronic Acid ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Osteogenesis ; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases ; Phosphoserine ; Phosphothreonine ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases ; Rats

Authors review the clinical and histopathologic findings of 41 EIenoch-Schonlein purpur.a patients and attempt, to clarify the association between abnorma] urinary findings and anti-streptolysin 0(ASLO) titer and performed the direct immunofluorescence(',E)II) study on skin lesion to investigate the pathogenetic mechanim of renal involvement. The results were summarized as follows : 1. Ag(, distribution was form 3 month to 63 years and mean age was 18.9 years. male to female ratio was 1.2:1(22 males '. 19 females). 2. In he past history, there were preceding upper respora.tory infections in 25(61:o)patients and drug history in 10(24.3%)patients. 3. (linical manifestations in the order of frequency were as follows : arthralgia (60.9%), hematuria or albuminuria(43.8%), abdominal pain(21.9%), and positive occult: blood test(7.3%)in stool examination. 4. In the laboratory fiindings, leukocytosis was cleveloped in 14.6%, anemia in 2.4%, increased eryttrocyte sec1imentation zate in 12.3% increased ASLG titer in 43.9% of patients, and serum IgG was increased in 4 of 20(20.6)patierits, IgA in 4 of 21(19%)patients, IgM in 1fo 19(5.3o)patients. 5. Because correlation between increased A.LO titer ancl ahnoormal urinary findings wa.s high(x-test, p< 0.0,5), increased ASI,O titer may be inclicator of renal involvement. 6. DIF stuc].y was per formed in 34 patients. All showed positive reactiviy. IgG(17%), IgA(29.4% ), Clq(14.6%), C3(12.2% ), fibrinog.n(82.4%) were deposited around the vessel wall in a granular pattern. 7. There was statistically significant increase in mean serum IgG value in patients with abnormal urinary findings( t test, p < 0.05 ).
Anemia ; Arthralgia ; Female ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Purpura* ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; Skin

The multiple lentigines syndrome or LEOPARD syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder with a variety of abnormalities and a familial occurrence. This syndrome is characterized by the presence of numerous dark brown macules on the skin but not the mucous surface, and by a marked increase in the number of lentigines from birth to puberty. The eponym LEOPARD stands for lentigines, EKG abnormalities, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonary stenosis, abnormalities of the genitalia, retardation of growth and deafness. We report a case of multiple lentigines syndrome in 7-year-old boy. He had numerous pinhead to pea sized, dark brownish macules scattered on the entire body and also had pulmonary stenosis, EKG abnormality, ocular hypertelorism and right exotropia. Interestingly, he also had a labial melanotic macule on the lower lip, which is usually spared in the multiple lentigines syndrome. Histologically, the biopsy specimen taken from the macule revealed an elongation of rete ridges, an increase of melanin pigments in the basal layer and mild inflammatory infiltrates intermingled with the melanophages in the upper dermis.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Child ; Deafness ; Dermis ; Electrocardiography ; Eponyms ; Exotropia ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Lentigo ; LEOPARD Syndrome* ; Lip ; Male ; Melanins ; Panthera ; Parturition ; Peas ; Puberty ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Skin

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the standard modality of acute and chronic gallbladder disease. This study was performed to evaluate a change in the indication for laparoscopic cholecystectomy according to period by analyzing our experiences. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 2,096 cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy that were treated at the Department of Surgery, Dong-A University. They were divided into 3 groups from October 1992 to December 1996 (Group 1), from January 1997 to December 2001 (Group 2) and from January 2002 to March 2007 (Group 3). RESULTS: The mean age was 50.14+/-13.89 years and the male-to-female ratio was 1 : 1.23. Previous abdominal surgery was noted in 12.24% from Group 1, 14.96% from Group 2 and 21.48% from Group 3. Chronic cholecystitis was the most common pathologic diagnosis in all cases. However, while the incidence of acute cholecystitis and gallbladder empyema in Group 1 was 3.36% and 0%, that of Group 2 was 12.52% and 3.88% and that of Group 3 was 31.79% and 7.59%, which was increased. The mean operation time of each group was 101.00+/-51.00, 69.86+/-40.55, 78.01+/-45.55 minutes (P<0.05). The conversion rate of each group was nine cases (6.04%), 21 cases (3.02%), and 51 cases (4.07%). The surgical complication rate was 7.38%, 3.88% and 4.71%, respectively. The length of hospital stay was 6.08+/-3.65, 3.16+/-2.99 and 2.91+/-3.34 days, which was significantly decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: As surgical experience increased and laparoscopic surgical skills developed, the indication for laparoscopic cholecystectomy changed. The results of this study showed that laparoscopic cholecystectomy was feasible for the treatment of complicated gallbladder lesion.
Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cholecystitis ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Gallbladder ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Retrospective Studies

The dysplasitc melanocytic nevus(DMN) of the skin is an atypical-appearing melanocytic tumor characterized by intraepidermal atypical melanocytic preliferation. Clinically, DMN has a diameter greater than 5mm, ill-defined irregular borders, irregularly distributed pigmentation surrounded by erythems,. Histopat- hologically, there are numerous discrete nests of atypical melanocytes situated at the dermoepidermal junction of elongated rete ridges. In the dermis, concentric lamellar fibroplasia, lymphocytic infiltrates and neovascularization are noted. We report herein a case of DMN developed on the trunk of 31-year-old Korean male.
Adult ; Dermis ; Humans ; Male ; Melanocytes ; Nevus, Pigmented* ; Pigmentation ; Skin

Juvenile xanthogranuloma(JXG) is a a benign histiocytic proliferative disorder most frequently seen in infants. The usual course is self-limited, but it may be a manifestation of juvenile chronic myeloid leukemia(JCML). In addition to JXG, some patient with JCML may have multiple cafe-au-lait spots and a family history of neurofibromatosis(NF). The association of JXG and cafe-au-lait spots in patients with JCML is of interest in light of description of otherwise healthy children with JXG who also had cafe-au-lait spots. We report herein a case of JXG in 18-month-old boy who also had multiple cafe-au-alit spots, which predated the JCML.
Cafe-au-Lait Spots ; Child ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Male ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Xanthogranuloma, Juvenile*

No abstract available.
Blister ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Rhabdomyolysis

To evaluate croneal haze related to amount of correction, age and sex following excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy(PRK) in myopic eyes, 39months follow-up study on 358 eyes was performed prospectively. The preoperative spherical equivalent refraction ranged from -1.0D to 11.25D(mean -6.18D). The subjective corneal haze grading showed a maximum with mean grading of 0.92 at 2 months and a gradual decrease to 0.14 at 24 months after PRK. The degree of haze was statistically greater with higher amount of correction(p<0.05). No difference was found related to age and sex(p>0.05). Clinically significant corneal haze and scarring was frequent in higher myopia group(p<0.05). Individual variation in corneal haze after PRK was found. However, high myopia is a risk factor of the corneal haze following PRK, and further study to decrease the corneal haze after PRK is necessary.
Cicatrix ; Follow-Up Studies ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Myopia* ; Photorefractive Keratectomy* ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to compare health value cognition and health promotion behavior compliance between healthy group and not being healthy group, and to evaluate the difference of health promotion behaviors compliance between high group and low group in health value cognition. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 565 workers, 233 healthy workers, 172 observation cases and 160 disease cases, selected from 4,919 transit coporations workers. RESULTS: In health promoting behavior compliance, not being healthy group showed lower level than healthy group in exercise and showed higher level than healthy group in interpersonal support significantly. A worker who replied on health as the most value in life was consisted in 37.3% of healthy group and 36. 1% of not being healthy group, Health value cognition according to general characteristics showed no significant difference except only variable of age in healthy group. Health promoting behavior compliance according to cognition of health value showed in healthy group that a high level group of health value cognition was more significant difference than a low level group in self actualization and health responsibility of health promoting behavior and didn't show difference significantly in not being healthy group. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the relationship between health value cognition, health promotion behavior compliance and periodic health examination results showed weakly. Therefore, in order to develop and apply spontaneous health promotion program, it was considered that should emphasize compliance than cognition.
Cognition* ; Compliance ; Health Promotion*