Some of the proteins of mycobacteria are preferentially associated with the cell wall and are powerful immunogens, and humoral antibody responses to these mycobacterial antigens may occur in patients with tuberculosis. In this study, Triton X-100 solubilized protein (TSP) antigen was isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by overnight shaking with 1% Triton X- 100/PMSF and 10-90% ammonium sulfate precipitation. IgG and IgM antibody levels against TSP, crude protein from the unheated cultrue filtrate (CF#) and 30 kDa antigens were determined in the sera of 80 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 99 healthy controls with PPD (+) and (-). High IgG reactivity to TSP and CF antigen was observed in tuberculosis patients. Mean IgG antibody titers against all of three mycobacterial antigens were differed significantly (P<0.01) between patients and controls but IgM showed no difference. By the cut-off value adding 2 standard deviation to the mean absorbance of controls, the sensitivity and specificity of the IgG antibody to TSP antigen were 93.9% and 77.5%. The specificity to TSP antigen was a litttle higher than those obtained by CF and 30 kDa antigen. From the above results, the TSP antigen may be useful for the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
Ammonium Sulfate ; Antibody Formation ; Cell Wall ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Neptune* ; Octoxynol* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Osteoporosis* ; Uterine Prolapse*

Culture of human peripheral T lymphocytes with irnmobilized anti-CD3 rnAb plus IL-2 resulted in a marked proliferation and the enhancing IL-2Ra mRNA expression. The process of the T cell activation involves a series of biochemical events which ultimately lead to the proliferation and IL-2Ra mRNA expression. Although the above results have been observed, the celluar signal mechanisms between the proliferative response and the IL-2Ra mRNA expression through T cell receptor and IL-2 receptor remains unresolved. In the present study, We have used genistein (the selective PTK inhibitor) or chronic PMA treatment (depletion of intracelluar PKC activity), to investigate the role of PTK or PKC both in a synergistic proliferation and in the enhancing IL-2Ra mRNA expression by IL-2/anti-CD3. Genistein (30 ug/ml) completely blocked IL-2 induced T cell proliferation, and inhibited anti-CD3 induced T cell proliferation (93.4%). But genistein downregulated the IL-2Ra mRNA expression by IL-2, anti-CD3 and IL-2/anti-CD3. The chronic PMA treatment failed to inhibit the proliferation and the IL-2R#u mRNA expression by IL-2 alone. But PKC depleted T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb showed the decrease of the proliferation (68.6%) and IL-2Ra mRNA expression. In activated with IL-2/anti- CD3, the proliferative response showed a half of reduction, but the IL-2Ra mRNA expression were not regulated. These results demonstrate that proliferative response to IL-2 appears to be dependent on PTKs activity and independent of PKC involvement, but the IL-2Ra mRNA expression may be required another signals. PTKs and PKC activity may be important in TCR/CD3 signaling. But IL-2/anti-CD3 are coupled up different signal transduction pathways responsible for the synergistic T cell proliferation and the enhancing IL-2Ru mRNA expression.
Cell Proliferation ; Genistein ; Humans ; Interleukin-2* ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; Receptors, Interleukin-2 ; RNA, Messenger* ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes

No abstract available.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sputum*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Lymphokines* ; Monocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium*

Matrix metalloproteinases are believed to play an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. But little is known about the role of them in the gastric adenocarcinoma. We investigated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1,2,3 in eighty paraffin blocks of the primary gastric adenocarcinoma tissues with immunohistochemistry and analysed their correlation with lymph node metastasis and survival. MMP-1,2,3 were expressed most intensely in the fibroblasts around the tumor stroma. In our study the increased immunoreactivity of MMP-2 only showed statistically significant correlation with lymph node metastasis (P=0.0517, Odd's ratio=2.274). But MMP-1,2,3 all were correlated with survival. Type IV collagen was observed in the vascular basement membranes and tumor basement membranes and showed statistically significant correlation with lymph node metastasis (P=0.0002, Odd's ratio=0.194) and prognosis (P=0.0001). The immunoreactivity of MMP-2 and type IV collagen was inversely correlated (Kendall's Tau-b correlation = 0.37482, P=0.0001). Our results suggest that in human gastric adenocarcinoma the increased immunoreactivity of MMP-2 and the decreased immunoreactivity of type IV collagen has an important role in lymph node metastasis and prognosis. MMP-1,3 are not correlated with lymph node metastasis but correlated with survival. The mechanism responsible for the production of MMP by the host fibroblasts remains obscure and requires further investigation.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Basement Membrane ; Collagen Type IV* ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Paraffin ; Prognosis*

Adenosquamous cell carcinoma (Ad-SCC) of the colon is rare. The pathogenesis of Ad-SCC is unclear, however, several hypotheses have been suggested. The clinical presentation and gross findings of Ad-SCC of the colon are similar to those of adenocarcinoma of the colon, but Ad-SCC has a more aggressive clinical course and a poorer prognosis. We report on two cases of Ad-SCC of the colon with obstruction; a collision-type Ad-SCC that has not only obstruction but also numerous hepatic metastases, and a composite-type Ad-SCC treated with left hemicolectomy followed by an adjuvant chemotherapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Even though there have been much improvment in general understanding of the climacteric period and increased knowledge of biological aspects of menopause such as Hormone Replacement Therapy, the psychosocial aspects of climacterium was relatively out of consideration. The purpose of this paper is to help make it easy understanding the psychosocial determinants of climacterium through the investigation of correlation between the life stress and the climacteric symptoms in the middle aged women. METHODS: This study was performed on climacteric women at the age ranging from 40 to 55 who reside in Kyong-Ju city. Self reported questionnaires composed of inquiry about demographic characteristics, climacteric symptom scale, and life stress scale were distributed and 123 cases were analyzed in June. and July 1996. The Climacteric Symptom Scale was developed by JG Greene in 1976. In this scale, climacteric symptoms were classified to 3 categories of psychological, somatic, vasomotor symptoms by factor analysis. For quantitative measurement of stress, we used Office Stress Measurement Scale developed by Bae JM et al in 1992. We studied the correlation between stress scores and each class of climacteric symptoms, and the difference of climacteric symptom scores according to the menopausal status and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient between the climacteric symptom scores and the stress scores was 0.329(P=0.000) but this correlation was significant in only premenopausal group(correlation coefficient=0.479). Among climacteric symptom classes, the correlation with stress scores is most prominent in psychological symptom class, then somatic symptoms, vasomotor symptoms. There was no difference in climacteric symptom scores to the menopausal status and demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Women who had more stress complained more climacteric symptoms, especially psychological symptoms. This correlation was significant in the premenopausal group only. And the severity of climacteric symptoms didnt change by demographic characteristics.
Climacteric* ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Menopause ; Middle Aged ; Self Report ; Stress, Psychological* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Even though there have been much improvment in general understanding of the climacteric period and increased knowledge of biological aspects of menopause such as Hormone Replacement Therapy, the psychosocial aspects of climacterium was relatively out of consideration. The purpose of this paper is to help make it easy understanding the psychosocial determinants of climacterium through the investigation of correlation between the life stress and the climacteric symptoms in the middle aged women. METHODS: This study was performed on climacteric women at the age ranging from 40 to 55 who reside in Kyong-Ju city. Self reported questionnaires composed of inquiry about demographic characteristics, climacteric symptom scale, and life stress scale were distributed and 123 cases were analyzed in June. and July 1996. The Climacteric Symptom Scale was developed by JG Greene in 1976. In this scale, climacteric symptoms were classified to 3 categories of psychological, somatic, vasomotor symptoms by factor analysis. For quantitative measurement of stress, we used Office Stress Measurement Scale developed by Bae JM et al in 1992. We studied the correlation between stress scores and each class of climacteric symptoms, and the difference of climacteric symptom scores according to the menopausal status and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient between the climacteric symptom scores and the stress scores was 0.329(P=0.000) but this correlation was significant in only premenopausal group(correlation coefficient=0.479). Among climacteric symptom classes, the correlation with stress scores is most prominent in psychological symptom class, then somatic symptoms, vasomotor symptoms. There was no difference in climacteric symptom scores to the menopausal status and demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Women who had more stress complained more climacteric symptoms, especially psychological symptoms. This correlation was significant in the premenopausal group only. And the severity of climacteric symptoms didnt change by demographic characteristics.
Climacteric* ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Menopause ; Middle Aged ; Self Report ; Stress, Psychological* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) lymphocytes contain immunologically sensitized to tumor but functionally deficient T cells. The 30 kDa protein antigen, a major secreted protein antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, exhibits strong T cell stimulatory effect. In this study, it examined that the feasibility of using M tuberculosis 30 kDa antigen to stimulate tumor-draining lymph node cells for the generation of specific immune effector cells. Freshly isolated TDLN lymphocytes could directly respond to the 30 kDa antigen alone and their proliferative responses were markedly augmented by stimulation with rIL-2. TDLN cells were stimulated with the 30 kDa antigen for various time intervals and examined for the induction of IFN-r and IL-4 mRNA using RT-PCR. The expression of IFN-r mRNA was greatly augmented after 1 wk, whereas IL-4 mRNA is markedly decreased after 1 wk. Cytotoxic T cell activities induced by the 30 kDa antigen was also evaluated. TDLN cells stimulated with the 30 kDa antigen alone were able to generate remarkable cytotoxic response to K562 or Daudi cell lines after 6 days of culture. And their cytotoxic effects were highly augmented by stirnulation with rIL-2. These results suggest that the 30 kDa antigen of M. tuberculosis may selectively activate Thl cells of TDLN lymhocytes and induce the cytotoxic T cell activities. In conclusion, the 30 kDa antigen can be used as a biologic response modifier in tumor immunology.
Allergy and Immunology ; Cell Line ; Interleukin-4 ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes ; Th1 Cells* ; Tuberculosis