Although severe hemolytic diseases of the newborn triggered by anti-M are very rare, anti-M alloantibodies have been known to be associated with a cause of multipie intrauterine death. Serological and hematological investigations have been reported on a woman who experienced four multiple intrauterine deaths due to anti-M. The mothers blood type was of group A, NN and the husbands cells were of group B, MN. In the serological examination at 9th week's gestation of the fifth pregnancy, anti-M antibodies were identified in her serum. The antibodies comprised IgM saline agglutinin at a titer of 16 at 4 degrees C and IgG agglutinin reacted in an indirect antiglobulin technique at a titer of 4 at 37 degrees C. She underwent high-dose immunoglobulin infusion therapy on a monthly program from 3rd month gestation and a total of 6 times of intravenous immunoglobulin was given. The anti-M titer did not rise during the pregnancy. She delivered a live girl by cesarean section at the 37th week because of a failure of induction. The childs blood type was of group O, MN. The child was discharged and developed normally.
Antibodies ; Cesarean Section ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins* ; Infant, Newborn ; Isoantibodies ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Spouses

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for recurrent spontaneous abortion. Immunologic causes in either alloimmune or autoimmune type have been suggested for more than 80% of these patients. Various immunotherapy including paternal leukocyte transfusion has been used, but there is controversy on its efficacy and side-effects. The proposed immunomodulatory mechanism of intravenous immunoglobulin includes passive transfer of blocking or anti-idiotype antibody, blockade of Fc receptors, enhancement of supressor T-cell function, down regulation of B cell function. In this study, we used intravenous immunoglobulin for the prevention of spontaneous abortion. Five patients with a history of two or more spontaneous abortions were enrolled in this study. Other etiologic factors such as anatomical, chromosomal, hormonal factors were excluded. Three of them were positive for anti-cardiolipin antibody (ACA). When the pregnancy was diagnosed at about five weeks of gestation, 30 g intravenous immunoglobulin was administered and continued up to 28 weeks with three weeks. Ongoing pregnancy beyond 20 weeks was considered successful. Four among five patients (80%) was successful in maintaining pregnancy now ongoing 20, 31, 33, 39 weeks. One patient with ACA positive had abartion due to anembryonic pregnancy. No adverse reaction was observed during the treatment. From these preliminary data, it is suggested that intravenous immunoglobulin treatment may be effective in maintaining pregnancy in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion, Further studies are needed to clarify the its immunomodulatory mechanism and establish a more simplified protocol limiting the use at certain critical period of time.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Critical Period (Psychology) ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunotherapy ; Leukocyte Transfusion ; Pregnancy ; Receptors, Fc ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: Radiation-induced alteration in the immune function is well known phenomenon in cancer patients. Our purpose is to evaluate the extent of immune suppression immediately after mediastinal or pelvic irradiation, which include significant volume of active bone marrow in adults. METHODS AND MATERIALS: 48 cancer patients with mediastinal(N=29) and pelvic irradiation(N=19) were the basis of this analysis. Age ranged from 36 to 76 and mean and median value was 57 years, respectively. Sex ratio was 1.3(M:F = 27/21). The immunological parameters were the complete blood cell(CBC) with differenial cell(D/C) count, T cel subset(CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19), NK cell test(CD16,CD56), and serum immunoglobulin (lgG,lgA,lgM) level. RESULTS: The mean value of white blood cell(WBC) was reduced from 7017 to 4470 after irradiation (p=0.0000). In the differential count, the number of lymphocyte, neutrophil, and basophil was markedly reduced with statistical significance(p<0.01) and the number of monocyte was not changed and, on the contrary, that of eosinophil was increased by irradiation.In the lymphocyte subpopulation analysis, the number of all subpopulations, CD3(T cell), CD4(helper T cell), CD8(suppressor T cell), CD16(NK cell), CD19(B cell) was reduced with statistical significance. The mean ratio of CD4 to CD8 in all patients was 1.09 initially and reduced to 0.99 after radiotherapy(p = 0.34), but the proportional percentage of all subpopulations was not changed except CD19(B cell) after irradiation.In the immunoglobulin study, initial values of lg G, lg A, and lg M were relatively above the normal range and the only lg M was statistically significantly reduced after radiotherapy(p=0.02) CONCLUSION: Mediastinal and pelvic irradiation resulted in remarkable suppression of lymphocyte count in contrast to the relatively good preservation of other components of white blood cells. But the further study on the functional changes of lymphocyte after radiotherapy may be necessary to conclude the effects of the radiation on the immunity of the cancer patients.
Adult ; Basophils ; Bone Marrow ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Leukocytes ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes* ; Monocytes ; Neutrophils ; Radiotherapy ; Reference Values ; Sex Ratio

The initial presentation of breast malignancy as noninvasive carcinoma in an area of sclerosing adenosis is unusual. Especially, lobular carcinoma in situ in sclerosing adenosis sometimes can be a potential source of confusion with invasive lobular carcinoma. We report a case of lobular carcinoma in situ presenting in adenosis exhibiting patterns akin to invasive lobular carcinoma, thus leading to potential misdiagnosis. Overall architecture of the lesion as seen at lower power and immunohistochemistry can be useful to distinguish between sclerosing adenosis with lobular carcinoma in situ and infiltrating lobular carcinoma.
Breast Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma in Situ/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Lobular/pathology* ; Case Report ; Female ; Fibrocystic Disease of Breast/pathology* ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Middle Age

PURPOSE: Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs) have the same histological features as papillary thyroid cancer, but they are 1.0 cm or less in diameter. They can metastasize to the regional lymph nodes and distant sites, but its ability to cause significant morbidity and mortality has been questioned. Because of this reason, the extent of thyroid tumor resection remains an issue of controversy. This study is aimed at identifying the statistically significant factors that are associated with recurrence and we also wanted to devise an appropriate surgical treatment plan for PTMC patients. METHODS: The retrospective review (350 cases, 1990.1~2004. 11) was obtained from Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH). The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 46.5± 11.0 (yrs) (range: 12~75). The mean overall length of follow- up was 37.70± 36.03 months (range: 1~169). The PTMCs were treated with total and subtotal thyroidectomy or lobectomy. The invasiveness and lymph node metastasis (LNM) from 350 PTMCs were analyzed according to the size, multiplicity, bilaterality of the tumor and the perithyroidal invasion. Fishers exact test and the exact logistic regression test were used for the stratified analysis. RESULTS: 350 of the 2187 papillary carcinoma were PTMCs. There were 296 females (84.6%) and 54 males (15.4%) in the study. Invasion into the perithyroidal tissue was common (128/336, 38.1%). There were 68 patients with LNM among the 312 total patients (21.7%). The group with either perithyroidal invasion or LNM showed a significantly higher recurrence rate than those group having neither one (4.8% vs. 10.9%, 4.5% vs. 19.1%, respectively). Even for tumor smaller than 1 cm, a larger-sized tumor resulted in a poorer prognosis. CONCLUSION: PTMC is an early stage carcinoma with the capability of tissue invasion, lymph node metastasis and multiplicity. Based on this study, total thyroidectomy is recommended for significant portion of the PTMCs. Furthermore, more careful imaging studies (such as neck ultrasonography or neck CT scan) are needed to detect contralateral lesions or neck lymph node metastasis.
Carcinoma, Papillary ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mortality ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Ultrasonography

To evaluate the relationship of genetic polymorphisms of ERCC2 and ERCC4 genes, both involved in nucleotide excision repair (NER), and the risk of breast cancer, a hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Korea. Histologically confirmed breast cancer cases (n=574) and controls (n=502) with no present or previous history of cancer were recruited from three teaching hospitals in Seoul during 1995-2001. Information on selected characteristics was collected by interviewed questionnaire. ERCC2 Asp312Asn (G>A) was genotyped by single-base extension assay and ERCC4 Ser835Ser (T>C) by dynamic allele-specific hybridization system. Although no significant association was observed between the genetic polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer, women with both ERCC2 A allele- and ERCC4 C allele-containing genotypes showed a 2.6-fold risk (95% CI: 1.02-6.48) of breast cancer compared to women concurrently carrying the ERCC2 GG and ERCC4 TT genotypes. The breast cancer risk increased as the number of "at risk" genotypes increased with a borderline significance (P for trend = 0.07). Interactive effect was also observed between ERCC4 genotype and body mass idnex (BMI) for the breast cancer risk; the ERCC4 C allele containing genotypes posed a 1.7-fold (95% CI: 0.96-2.93) breast cancer risk in obese women (BMI>25 kg/m2) with a borderline significance. Our finding suggests that the combined effect of ERCC2 Asp312Asn and ERCC4 Ser835Ser genotypes might be associated with breast cancer risk in Korean women.
Breast Neoplasms/*genetics ; DNA Helicases/*genetics ; DNA-Binding Proteins/*genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/*genetics ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Transcription Factors/*genetics

PURPOSE: This study was performed to find out the prognostic factors affecting local control, survival and disease free survival rate in nasopharyngeal carcinomas treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analysed 47 patients of nasopharyngeal carcinomas, histologically confirmed and treated at Chonnam University Hospital between July 1986 and June 1996, retrospectively. Range of patients' age were from 16 to 80 years (median; 52 years). Thirty three (70%) patients was male. Histological types were composed of 3 (6%) keratinizing, 30 (64%) nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma and 13 (28%) undifferentiated carcinoma. Histological type was not known in 1 patient (2%). We restaged according to the staging system of 1997 American Joint Committee on Cancer. Forty seven patients were recorded as follows: T1; 11 (23%), T2a; 6 (13%), T2b; 9 (19%), T3; 7 (15%), T4; 14 (30%), and N0; 7 (15%), N1; 14 (30%), N2; 21 (45%), N3; 5 (10%). Clinical staging was grouped as follows: Stage I; 2 (4%), IIA; 2 (4%), IIB; 10 (21%), III; 14 (30%), IVA; 14 (30%) and IVB; 5 (11%). Radiation therapy was done using 6 MV and 10 MV X- ray of linear accelerator. Electron beam was used for the lymph nodes of posterior neck after 4500 cGy. The range of total radiation dose delivered to the primary tumor was from 6120 to 7920 cGy (median; 7020 cGy). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was performed with cisplatin+5-fluorouracil (25 patients) or cisplatin+pepleomycin (17 patients) with one to three cycles. Five patients did not received chemotherapy. Local control rate, survival and disease free survival rate were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Generalized Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate the difference of survival rates between groups. Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazard model was done for finding prognostic factors. RESULTS: Local control rate was 81% in 5 year. Five year survival rate was 60% (median survival; 106 months). We included age, sex, cranial nerve deficit, histologic type, stage group, chemotherapy, elapsed days between chemotherapy and radiotherapy, total radiation dose, period of radiotherapy as potential prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. As a result, cranial nerve deficit (P=0.004) had statistical significance in local control rate. Stage group and total radiation dose were significant prognostic factors in survival (P=0.006, P=0.012), and in disease free survival rates (P=0.003, P=0.008), respectively. Common complications were xerostomia, tooth and ear problems. Hypothyroidism was developed in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: In our study, cranial nerve deficit was a significant prognostic factor in local control rate, and stage group and total radiation dose were significant factors in both survival and disease free survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We have concluded that chemotherapy and radiotherapy used in our patients were effective without any serious complication.
Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cranial Nerves ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Ear ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Jeollanam-do ; Joints ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neck ; Particle Accelerators ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tooth ; Xerostomia