CD44 is a family of transmembrane glycoproteins involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Expression of CD44 isofonns (splice variants) has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis in several human cancers. We evaluated the expression patterns of the CD44 isofortn (CD 44 splice variant v6) in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast by immunohistochemical and RT-PCR method. Paraffin embedded blocks from seventy-five cases of mastectomized samples were analyzed immunohistochemically using monoclonoal antibody against CD44v6. CD44v6 was detected in fifty-seven cases (76%) of the tumor samples. Adjacent normal myoepithelial cells and ductal epithelial cells revealed focal positive reaction to CD44v6. Thirtytwo cases (80.0%) with lymph nodal metastasis revealed overexpression of CD44v6 monoclonal antibody, but twenty-five cases (71.4%) without nodal metastasis also showed positive reaction to CD44v6 monoclonal antibody, and there is no statistically significant value. Other prognostic factors of infiltrating ductal carcinoma, such as tumor size, histologic grade and hormonal receptors did not show any significant correlation with CD44v6 expression. The RT-PCR studies for 9 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma showed the same band patterns both in the normal and tumor tissues. From the above results, it is concluded that the expression of CD44v6 is not a valuable prognostic marker of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of breast.
Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Epithelial Cells ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraffin ; Prognosis

No abstract available.
Actinomycosis*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of intravaginal misoprostol versus oral dinoprostone for labor induction at term. METHODS: One hundred of patients at term were randomized to receive either 50microgram of misoprostol vaginally every 4 hours or dinoprostone 0.5mg orally every 1 hour for the maximum of six doses. Intravenous infusion of oxytocin was administered under such circumferences as the patient did not go into active labor after maximum dose, SROM was developed without an adequate contraction pattern, or the patient had arrest of dilatation(no change in cervical dilatation for 2 hours). We compared the frequency of oxytocin augmentation, administration to delivery interval, vaginal delivery rate within 12 hours and 24 hours, intrapartum complications, induction failure, mode of delivery, neonatal outcomes, and maternal complications between two groups. RESULTS: The average interval from administration to delivery was shorter in the misoprostol group(739.4+/-372.4min vs 1087.7+/-765.1min, p<0.05), but the interval from administration to vaginal delivery of each group was similar(724.3+/-375.4min vs 800.3+/-697.0min). Regarding the frequency of vaginal delivery within 24 hours, however, misoprostol group was higher than dinoprostone group(88% vs 56%, p<0.001). And oxytocin augmentation of labor occurred less commonly in misoprostol group than in dinoprostone group(20% vs 76%, p<0.05). Any statistically significant difference in intrapartum complications, mode of delivery, and neonatal or maternal adverse outcome was not appeared between these two group. CONCLUSION: Vaginal misoprostol is as effective and safe as oral dinoprostone for cervical ripening and induction of labor at term. In addition, vaginal misoprostol contributes the curtailment of labor induction expenditure due to its moderate price; misoprostol costs 100 won per 50microgram.
Cervical Ripening ; Dinoprostone* ; Female ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Labor Stage, First ; Misoprostol* ; Oxytocin ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Frailty refers to the loss of physiologic complexity and the associated decline in ability to withstand stressors as one gets older. It is defined as unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. According to several western studies, frailty is associated with cognitive impairment, but there have been few studies about the relationship between frailty and cognitive impairment in Korea. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between cognition and factors related to frailty such as grip strength, walking speed, physical activity, and depression, among female patients older than 65 in Korea. METHODS: A total of 121 subjects among the outpatients of the department of family medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital who did not meet the exclusion criteria were included in this study. We divided the participants into 2 groups, according to the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score: 1 group with subjects that had normal cognition and the other group with patients that had impaired cognition. A comparison was made between the 2 groups in regards to the factors related to frailty, and we completed equation that predicting cognition from the frailty related factors. RESULTS: Compared with the impaired cognition group, the subjects in the normal cognition group had higher hand strength, and walked faster (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in physical activity between the 2 groups (P=0.19). When multiple linear regression analysis was performed using age, grip strength, and walking speed as the predictor variables and MoCA score as the dependent variable, the regression coefficients were calculated to be: -0.2015, 0.2294, 1.2372, and -0.1436, respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In Korean female patients who are older than 65 years of age, cognition tends to decline as grip strength decreases, walking speed gets slower, depression becomes more severe, and as age increases.
Aged* ; Cognition Disorders ; Cognition* ; Depression ; Female ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Methylenebis(chloroaniline) ; Motor Activity ; Outpatients ; Walking ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Animals ; Autoradiography ; Carcinogenesis* ; Diethylnitrosamine ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase* ; Liver* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Autoradiography ; Carcinogenesis* ; Diethylnitrosamine ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase* ; Liver* ; Rats*

Temperature changes during general anesthesia were studied in relation to age, the duration and type of operative procedure(gastrectomy versus tympanoplasty) and the type of anesthetic(halothane versus conflurane) in 41 patients undergoing surgery in our centrally air-conditioned operating room. Body temperatures were recorded every 15 minutes after intubation by measuring the esophageal temperature in adults and the nasopharyngeal temperature in children. A comparison of temperature changes between adults and children showed a significant temperature decreases in adults during general anesthesia(-0.6 degrees C, p<0.001), while the temperatures of children remained stable. Comparisons of gastrectomy versus tympanoplasty groups indicated the operative site had little effect on the patient's body temperature. Patients who underwent a gastrectomy showed an average fall in esophageal temperature of 0.8 degrees C, where as there was an average temperature decline of 0.5 degrees C in tympanoplasty. Body temperature decrease was dependent on the duration of the operative procedure. The longer the procedure, the greater change in temperature. There was no significant difference between the effects of the volatile anesthetic agents on patient's body temperatures.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General* ; Anesthetics ; Body Temperature ; Child ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Intubation ; Operating Rooms ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tympanoplasty

BACKGROUND: Etomidate as a sedative hypnotic agent is not a respiratory depressant, has an excellent pharmacodynamics, thereby making it an excellent agent for induction in rapid sequence intubation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the success rate, the safety, and the adverse effects using etomidate as the single agent for conscious sedation during a reduction of various dislocations. METHODS: Any patient with a dislocation, which needed a reduction, from July 1, 1999 to May 21, 2000.was enrolled in this prospective study. Thus far, we have enrolled 20 patients. After an accurate diagnosis, we recorded the pre- and the post-administration transcutaneous oxygen saturation, heart rate, success rate, the sedation time, and we looked for any adverse effects. We used 0.3 mg/kg(20 mg) of etominate for conscious sedation and if needed more; the rescue dose was 0.15 mg/kg(10 mg). RESULTS: The time of sedation ranged from 4 to 10 minutes with the average time being 7.15 minutes. There was no difference in the pre- and the post-administration heart rate. The oxygen saturation on pulse oximetry, for all patients range from 99~100% with average 99.5%, and while sedation the oxygen saturation dropped to average of 98.2%. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that etomidate, as a single agent for conscious sedation, is effective and safe for reduction of the commonly dislocated joints seen in emergency department.
Conscious Sedation* ; Diagnosis ; Dislocations* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Etomidate* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Intubation ; Joints ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Prospective Studies

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) is a rare tumor derived from fetal neuroectodermal cells. These tumors occur in the central nervous system and peripheral locations, but the occurrence of primitive neuroectodermal tumors located in the uterus is extremely rare. We present a 53-year-old woman with primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. We have experienced one case of PNET of the uterus and wish to report with brief review of concerned literature.
Central Nervous System ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neural Plate ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive* ; Uterus*

BACKGROUND: An endothelium derived vasoconstrictor peptide, endothelin, has been shown to be a potent coronary vascular constrictor. In the clinical settings of angina or myocardial ischemia, the endothelial injury of coronary artery can stimulate the endothelin production. In this study, the authors assessed the response to endothelin of the coronary artery in isolated rat heart and compared the relative effects of three vasodilators (nifedipine, adenosine, nitroprusside) on coronary vasospasm which was induced by endothelin. METHODS: The isolated rat heart preparations (Langendorff model) were obtained from fourty male Sprague-Dawley rats (350-400 gm). Preparations were perfusated with Krebs-Hanseleit solution of (mM): NaCl 115, NaHCO3 25, KCl 4.7, CaCl2 2H2O 2.5, MgCl2 6H2O 1.2, KH2PO4 1.2, glucose 10. The perfusate was maintained at 37oC and aerated with carbogen (oxygen 95% and carbon dioxide 5%). The coronary perfusion was maintained at 80 cmH20 pressure and Latex balloon was positioned in left ventricle. After the preparations were stabilized, endothelin (10(-9) M) was added to perfusate for 5 minutes and followed the perfusion without vasodilators (control, n = 10) or with vasodilators (nifedipine, adenosine and nitroprusside 10(-7) M to 10(-6) M, n = 10 each) for 45 minutes. The left ventricular developed pressure (LDP) and heart rate (HR) was recorded and the coronary effluent (VOL) was collected to measure the unit volume and the CPK isoenzyme (CK-MB). Effects of the interventions were assessed using analysis of variance. All values are presented as means +/- SE. RESULTS: VOL, HR and VDP were significantly reduced after infusion of 10(-9) M endothelin in 3 and 5 minutes. VOL was recovered efficiently after infusion of three vasodilators. Adenosine and nitroprusside groups showed superior recovery in the changes of rate pressure product (RPP) than in nifedipine group, which was significant reduced in VDP. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that in the situation of endothelin induced severe coronary vasospasm, adenosine and nitroprusside effectively reversed the coronary vasospasm without severe myocardial depression.
Adenosine ; Animals ; Carbon Dioxide ; Coronary Vasospasm* ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression ; Endothelins* ; Endothelium ; Glucose ; Heart Rate ; Heart Ventricles ; Heart* ; Humans ; Latex ; Magnesium Chloride ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Nifedipine ; Nitroprusside ; Perfusion ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasodilator Agents*