No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Pleura* ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors*

Nitric oxide (NO) induces apoptotic cell death in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. To elucidate the roles of SEK1/MKK4, a upstream kinase for both c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) and p38 kinase, on NO-induced apoptosis, we generated clones of RAW 264.7 cells which stably overexpressd kinase inactive SEK1 (RAW/SEK1-Kl) or wild type SEK1 (RAW/SEK1-WT). Treatment of kinase inactive SEK1 transfected RAW 264.7 cells (RAW/SEK1-Kl) with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO generating agent, significantly decreased the cell viability up to 20% of RAW control cells which were treated with the same amount of SNP. However, RAW/SEK1-WT cells were less susceptible to NO induced apoptosis. For a while, caspase-3 like activity in NO treated RAW/SEK1-Kl cells was significantly increased with parallell to apoptotic death rate. However, caspase1 like activity was not affected by NO in any transfectants. The NO induced apoptosis in RAW/SEK1-Kl cells was significantly prevented by the addition of caspase-3 like inhibitor (N-Ac- DEVD-CHO). In addition, the phosphotransferase activity of JNK1 in NO-treated RAW/SEK1-WT is significantly increased, but not in RAW/SEK1-Kl cells. These results suggest that SEK1 may play anti-apoptotic role in RAW cells from NO-induced apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Clone Cells ; Macrophages ; Mortality ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases

No abstract available.
Bacteria, Anaerobic*

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is a well differentiated neoplasm and usually has a good prognosis. However, a subset of morphologically distinct papillary carcinoma has bad prognoses. The tall cell variant of papillary carcinoma (TCPC), characterized by tall columnar cells with a height at least twice the width, is the one of these. In order to differentiate TCPC from usual papillary carcinoma (UPC) in terms of prognosis, we performed immunohistochemical studies for the expression of p53, bcl-2 and Leu-M1 proteins in 25 cases of TCPC, 26 cases of UPC and 14 cases of poorly differentiated, solid type papillary carcinoma (SPC) with an analysis of clinical parameters. The nuclear expression of p53 was noted in one case each of UPC and TCPC. The cytoplasmic p53 expression of TCPC, UPC, and SPC was observed in 17/25 cases (68%), 14/26 cases (54%), 3/14 cases (21%), respectively. bcl-2 expression was 19/25 cases (76%), 18/26 cases (69%), 5/14 cases (36%), and that of Leu-M1 was 21/25 cases (84%), 18/26 cases (69%), 4/14 cases(29%), respectively. There were no statistical significance in the expression of those immunoproteins among these three groups (p>0.05). The p53 protein was consistently expressed in the cytoplasm rather than nucleus in this study and was very well correlated to bcl-2 positivity (p<0.01). There were no statistical significance in any clinical parameters examined among these three groups (p>0.05). In conclusion, TCPC can not be separated from UPC as a distinct entity in this study and the cytoplasmic expression of p53 protein provides another mechanism of p53 inactivation in tumorigenesis of the thyroid papillary carcinoma, possibly by bcl-2 related mechanism.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Cytoplasm ; Immunoproteins ; Prognosis ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To assess the MR findings of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome and to evaluat differential point of cavernous sinus lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven cases of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome were evaluated by MRI with specific regard to the shape of cavernous sinus, signal intensity, and pattern of enhancement. Other associated findings were also anlaysed. RESULTS: Two patients had normal MR features of the cavernous sinus. When compared with the contralateral normal cavernous sinus, the involved cavernous sinus was enlarged in six of the nine patients. The outer dural margin was convex and bulged laterally in 6 cases, flat in 2 cases, and concave in 1 case. Of the nine patients, five had iso-signal intensity and four had low signal intensity relative to gray matter on short TR/short TE. Three had isosignal intensity and 6 were not detectale on long TR/short and long TE pulse sequence. Contrast enhancement was seen in 8 cases ;7 cases showed homogeneous enhancement, 1 case heterogeneous enhancement. CONCLUSION: In the appropriate clinical setting of painful ophthalmoplegia, MR findings of cavernous sinus abnormality that consist of iso to low signal intensity on short TR/short TE images and isointense or undetectale mass on long TR/short TE or long TR/Iong TE images may suggest the dignosis of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome.
Cavernous Sinus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Blood Donors* ; Chemistry* ; Chlamydia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Prevalence*

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and survivin in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) that has different clinicopathologic characteristics, and we also wanted to determine if a relation exists between the COX-2 and survivin expressions. METHODS: The expressions of COX-2 and survivin were investigated in 80 bladder TCCs by performing immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The normal bladder mucosa did not express COX-2 and survivin. COX-2 immunopositivity and cytoplasmic survivin immunopositivity were seen in 48% and 30% of bladder tumors, respectively. The expressions of COX-2 and survivin were closely related to the differentiation, depth and recurrence of bladder TCC, and there was a significant correlation in topographic distribution of COX-2 and survivin immunopositivity. In addition, COX-2 and survivin were predominantly expressed at the invasive front of tumors. CONCLUSIONS: This data suggest that COX-2 and survivin may be involved in the progression of bladder TCC, and there is a close correlation between the expressions of COX-2 and survivin.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Cytoplasm ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mucous Membrane ; Recurrence ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Immunoglobulins* ; Tetanus Toxoid* ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination*

Carcinosarcoma of the female genital tract, also called malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT), is a rare and relatively aggressive tumor with various homologous and heterologous components. There have been various studies to find prognostic factors and to investigate the histogenesis, including tissue culture, electron microscopy, and immunohistochemical studies. We investigated carcinomatous, sarcomatous, and transitional areas of 6 cases of carcinosarcoma of the uterus and ovary by using epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Immunohistochemical profiles of the transitional areas were significantly different from those of carcinomatous and sarcomatous areas. Immunoreactivities for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen (50% and 22.2%) were weaker than those of carcinomatous areas (95.2% and 100%), but stronger than those of sarcomatous areas (11.1% and 5.6%)(p<0.01). In transitional areas, vimentin, smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein were more strongly expressed than in carcinomatous areas, but more weakly expressed than in sarcomatous areas (p<0.01, p<0.01, and p=0.018, respectively). Myoglobin was entirely negative in carcinomatous areas and immunoreactive in minor portions of transitional and sarcomatous areas (22.2% and 16.7%, respectively). These results suggest that the transitional areas are between the carcinomatous and sarcomatous nature in differentiation, further supporting that the carcinosarcomas of the female genital tract may arise, through metaplastic change, from a type of carcinoma.
Actins ; Carcinosarcoma* ; Female* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Metaplasia ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mucin-1 ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myoglobin ; Ovary ; S100 Proteins ; Uterus ; Vimentin

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*