PURPOSE: We tried to elucidate antitumor effect of interleukin-2 containing miscrospheres (IL-2 MS) against intrahepatic challenge of parental cancer cells, which is clinically relevant tumor model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a model of liver metastasis by intrahepatic challenge of CT-26 murine colon carcinoma cells to syngeneic BALB/c mice, IL-2 MS were given with parental tumor cells, or intratumorally in animals with established tumors. Tumor volume and survivals were determined. RESULTS: Animals receiving IL-2 MS showed significant tumor suppression effect and systemic protection against the hepatic challenge of parental tumor cells after concomitant challenge with parental CT-26. In animals with established hepatic tumors, significant prolongation in survival was noted. CONCLUSION: IL-2 MS was effective for the protection of host agaisnt the metastatic hepatic tumor when administered with tumor cells. Its efficacy against the established tumor was also significant as in protection. Locally administered IL-2 MS can obviate the high- efficiency gene transfer technique and ex vivo culture of autologous tumor cells in gene transduced autologous tumor vaccine. It can also provide support for the specific immuno- therapy for the metastatic liver cancer.
Animals ; Colon ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukins* ; Liver Neoplasms* ; Liver* ; Mice ; Microspheres* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Parents ; Tumor Burden

Congenital mesoblastic nephroma(CMN) is an important differential diagnosis of a renal mass occurring in the newborn or in early childhood. It was first described by Bolande as a separate disease entity distinct form Wilms' tumor. In 1974, Beckwith has predicted that this tumor has a pathologic spectrum with classic congenital mesoblastic nephroma at one extreme, unequivocally mallignant spindle cell sarcomas at the other, and intermediate "gray zone" lesions of indeterminate biologic significanse. In 1986, Joshi has described "atypical mesoblastic nephroma" as a potentially aggressive variant of CMN, which shows atypical gross and microscopic features such as hemorrhage, necrosis, high cellularity, and mitotic index. We report of a case of atypical mesoblastic nephroma presenting in a 38 days-old male infant. Grossly, the tumor involved the upper and midportion of the left kidney. On section, the cut surface was fleshy, grayish-white, and homogeneous. Microscopically, the tumorshowed high degree of cellularity and arrangement of fusiform cells in sheets and vague interlacing bundles. The individual tumor cells showed fusiform to oval nuclei, indistinct scanty pale-eosinophilic cytoplasm and many mitotic figures.
Infant ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential

PURPOSE: Antitumor effect of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)- producing murine colon cancer cells was elucidated against intrahepatic challenge of parental cancer cells, which is clinically relevant tumor model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a model of liver metastasis by intrahepatic challenge of CT-26 murine colon carcinoma cells to syngeneic BALB/c mice, GM-CSF producing cells were given as a intradermal vaccine either 14 days prior to hepatic challenge, or in animals with established tumors. Tumor volume and survival were determined. RESULTS: Animals receiving vaccination showed significant systemic protection against the hepatic challenge of parental tumor cells, and in animals with established hepatic tumors significant response was observed with some prolongation in survival. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that GM-CSF-producing autologous tumor vaccine was effective for the protection of host agaisnt the metastatic hepatic tumor model. Even though its efficacy against the established tumor was not as significant as in protection, GM-CSF producing autologous tumor vaccine can provide support for the specific immunotherapy for the metastatic liver cancer.
Animals ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Granulocytes ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms* ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Mice ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Parents ; Tumor Burden ; Vaccination

The procedure of total mesorectal excision (TME) becomes a gold standard for the treatment of rectal cancer. The reason is the marvelously low incidence of local recurrence after TME even without other adjuvant treatment, which has been reported by several independent groups. Although controversy still exists about the role of TME in upper rectal cancer, it is now widely accepted for cancers of the middle and lower third. There are number of histopathological evidences that cancer cells can spread distally several centimeters from the lower margin of cancer, and cancer bearing lymph nodes are found in the distal portion of the mesorectal tissues far from the cancer. Therefore, the distal clearance of mesorectum should be peformed downwardly to the level of pelvic diaphragm (puborectalis) and the rectum is divided within a few centimeters from the pelvic floor musculature. TME defines an en-bloc procedure, along the plane between parietal and visceral pelvic fasciae. If the dissection plane is breached, the chance of visceral pelvic fascia tearing is raised and mesorectal tissue might reside in the pelvis. There are problems in auditing the procedure. As many surgeons agree, this procedure requires a learning curve. Theoretically, the autonomic nerves run between the visceral and parietal pelvic fasciae since the nerves must be preserved to make visceral fascial envelop. Any patient who become incontinent or impotent after the surgery should have received decorticating surgery other than TME. Thus, the high quality of TME should fulfill two clinical measurements: absence of impotence or incontinence and at least single digit, 5-year, cumulative recurrence rate regardless of adjuvant therapy.
Autonomic Pathways ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Humans ; Rectal Neoplasms/*surgery ; Rectum/*innervation

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Fistula*

No abstract available.
Craniopharyngioma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

Turner's syndrome results from complete or partial monosomy of the X chromosome and is characterized by hypogonadism or related other congenital anomalies in phenotypic females. In these patients, there are failure to develop normal secondary sex characteristics, amenorrhea, or short stature at puberty and the ovaries are reduced to atrophic fibrous strands devoid of ova and follicles(streak gonads). Individuals with this condition are particularly prone to the development of gonadoblastoma. For this reason, the gonads should be early removed and supplemental estrogen therapy given. We experienced a case of Turner's syndrome, 45, XO/46, XY karyotype in a 20-year-old phenotypic female complained an amenorrhea. On the exploratory laparotomy, the right gonadal mass is sevearly adhered to the adjacent organs and measures 8 x 5 x 5 cm in dimension and 75gm in weight and shows multiple foci of hemorrhage with necrosis. The left streak gonad measures 3.5 x 2 x 1.5 cm in dimension and shows multiple foci of calcification. Microscopically, the right gonadal mass reveals malignant mixed germ cell tumor, composed of endodermal sinus tumor, composed of endodermal sinus tumor with dysgerminoma and gonadoblastoma. The left streak gonad consists of mainly dense fibrous connective tissue and shows some foci of calcification associated with gonadoblastoma. On immunohistochemical and special stainings, the cytoplasm and hyalin droplets of the endodermal sinus tumor component reveal strong positivity to the a-fetoprotein and PAS. After removal of both gonads, the serum level of the a-fetoprotein is markedly down from 1742ng/ml to 2.6 ng/ml.
Female ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Methods to detect and quanitify Mycobacterium leprae(M. leprae)are needed for studies involving the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and chemotherapy of leprosy. Serological assays and skin tests lack the sensitivity and specificity to serve as diagnostic tool for M. leprae infection. The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) based on the selective amplification of an 530-bp frangment of the gene encoding the proline-rich antigen of M. leprae was performed with sections of fixed or frozen biopsy samples from leprosy patients. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to investigate the applicability of PCR for the detection of low numbers of M. leprae in tissues and peripheral blood. METHODS: The PCR was used to amplify a 530-base-pair M. leprae DNA with the thermoxtable Taq DNA polymerase. RESULTS: The In frozen skin tissues and peripheral blood of leprosy patients. relatively high detection rates of PCR products was achieved by using direct gel analysis as well as Southern blot hybridization. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PCR amplification for the detection of M. leprae may be useful for the epidemiologic study of large papulations as well as coinical astudies on the individual patients.
Biopsy ; Blotting, Southern ; DNA ; Drug Therapy ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Leprosy ; Mycobacterium leprae* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Taq Polymerase

No abstract available.
Carcinogenesis* ; Humans* ; Oncogenes*

The efficacy of the fine needle aspiration biopsy and cytological examination (FNABC) under ultrasonographic (US) guides for the diagnosis of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis was assessed. In one hundred and one patients with a neck mass or masses, tuberculous lymphadenitis has been proved by FNABC. US disclosed the physical characteristics of the masses: All the cases that involved two or more lymph nodes were multiple lesions. Eighty lesions (79.1%) were multiregional, and in 19 cases (18.8%), bilateral neck was involved. The posterior triangle of the neck was the most prevalent site (N = 69, 68.3%). Ninety two cases (90.9%) were hypoechoic lesions and 9 (9.1%) showed mixed echo patterns. There was no hyperechoic lesion (p< 0.001). The sensitivity of FNABC was 77.2% and the specificity was 99.0%. The diagnostic accuracy was 85.0%. There was no complication during the procedure. FNABC for the diagnosis of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis is a safe, convenient procedure and has a relatively high specificity. The limitation of FNABC, the low sensitivity, seemed to be compensated by US examinations.
Biopsy, Needle/*methods ; Human ; Neck ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node/*pathology/*ultrasonography