Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the 5-year survival rate, socioeconomic status, and SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) stage of stomach, colorectal, breast and cervical cancer patients. Methods: A total of 11,770 cases of four target cancers, which were diagnosed during 2005-2007, were extracted from the database of Gwangju-Jeonnam Regional Cancer Registry. The subjects of the study were 11,770 including stomach (n=5,479), colorectal (n=3,565), breast (n=1,516) and cervical cancers (n=710). Cox’s proportional hazards model was used to obtain the hazards ratio (HR) according to the SEER stage and socioeconomic status. Results: Stomach cancer had a significantly higher HR in the medical aid recipients (HR=1.39), and the group below 20% (HR=1.20) compared to the group with the highest income level. Colorectal cancer had a significantly higher HR in the medical aid recipients (HR=1.26) than in the group with the highest income level. In addition, stomach, colorectal, breast and cervical cancers had a significantly higher HR according to the SEER stage in regional direct (stomach=4.10, colorectal=1.76, breast=12.90, cervical=3.10), regional lymph only(stomach=2.58, colorectal=2.33, breast=4.32, cervical= 4.43), regional both (stomach=6.74 colorectal=3.04, breast=15.57 cervical=6.50), and regional NOS (Not Otherwise Specified)/distant (stomach=17.53, colorectal=11.53, breast=25.34, cervical=26.51) than in situ and localized only. Conclusion In order to increase the cancer survival rate, a support system for early detection and early treatment of cancer should be established for groups with low individual income levels, and regular health checkups and management measures should be actively implemented through the National Cancer Screening Program.

No abstract available.
Female ; Lymphoma* ; Ovary*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether elderly and young adults differ in their recognition of facial expressions of emotion. METHODS: A total of 120 (elderly group 53, young group 67) subjects participated in this study. Korean facial expressions of emotion including happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise and neutral were used as stimuli for facial affect recognition test. Computerized facial affect recognition test that consists of facial affect discrimination test and facial affect intensity test was performed. RESULTS: For facial affect discrimination test, there was a significant difference between two groups (F=3.986, p<.01) after controlling the effect of education. Elderly participants showed significantly less correct recognition rate with sadness, anger and disgust (p<.05). For facial affect intensity test, there was no significant difference between the groups in recognition of emotional intensity. Chi-square test or t-test was done according to the clinical variables. Multivariate analysis of covariance was done to test group differences of correct recognition rate and emotional intensity. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of differential decrease of facial affect recognition in elderly using Korean facial expressions. This study suggests that the decrement of facial affect recognition maye be a part of normal aging process.
Aged* ; Aging ; Anger ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Education ; Facial Expression ; Happiness ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common etiologic factor of cervical cancer. It was reported that the incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical carcinoma was increased when normal women was infected with HPV. To date, for detection and classification of HPV, it were used by hybridization method using the DNA probe specific for HPV and in situ hybridization method for fixed paraffinized tissue, but reported that these methods were inadequate for detection of HPV DNA because of low sensitivity and complex procedure. Compared with these methods, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was reported as a highly sensitive molecular biologic technique which could detect the HPV DNA in the cervical epithelial cell of women. Thus we used PCR for the investigation of detection rate of HPV 16 and 18, and its relationship with Pap smear class in normal women. METHODS: In 86 normal women, we had extracted the HPV DNA from cervical swab samples and then detected the presence of HPV DNA by nested PCR. RESULTS: In the cases of 86 normal women, the detection rate for HPV DNA was about 7.0%. In the cases of 26 women with Pap smear class I, the HPV DNA was not detected. And in the cases of 60 women with Pap smear class II, the detection rate for HPV DNA was about 10.0%; HPV subtype 16 about 6.7%; HPV subtype 18 about 1.7%; and the coinfection rate of HPV subtype 16 and 18 about 1.7%. CONCLUSIONS: We think that women who was previously infected with high-risk HPV should be examined for Pap smear test in regular time interval, and if the result of Pap smear was abnormal, then should be examined for the presence of the HPV DNA.
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Classification ; Coinfection ; DNA ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Humans* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Incidence ; Papillomavirus Infections* ; Paraffin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of pregnancy in kidney transplanted women, and correlate this with the time of transplantation to conception. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed the outcome of 31 pregnancies from 21 allograft recipients at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Medical Center from January 1990 through December 2000. For each reported pregnancy we reviewed obstetrical, medical and pediatric records. For children follow-up and for those whose obstetric procedures were taken in other hospitals, we did a questionarie and telephone interviews. RESULTS: Of the 31 pregnancies followed by us, there were 23 live-born offspring delivered by 21 mothers and 8 stillborn/abortuses, including five artificial abortuses. The mean gestational age at delivery was 36.18+/-0.6 weeks and the mean birth weight of the offspring was 2,525+/-137gm. Only 43.4% was delivered after 37weeks of gestation. Preterm delivery rate (delivered before 37weeks of gestation) was 56.5%. Common obstetric complications were intrauterine growth restriction (39.1%) preterm labor (35%), premature rupture of membrane (30%), preeclampsia (30%), and maternal complications were deterioration of renal function (5%) and rejection of allograft (18%) after delivery. Mean interval from transplantation to pregnancy was 4.7 years. Twelve pregnancies occurred within the first 2 years of transplantation, while 19 pregnancies occurred after that period. No difference was noted in neonatal body weight between 2 groups (p=0.824). There was no difference in mean interval from transplantation to pregnancy in the delivery group (5.21+/-0.9 years) vs. the abortion group (4.57+/-1.1 years) (p=0.207). All women continued with her medication during pregnancy, based on cyclosporine and/or azathioprine and steroids. No congenital anomaly was noted in the newborn. When follow up lately, one boy with neurofibromatosis and a girl with recurrent hematuria were noted. CONCLUSION: Although pregnancy in renal allograft patient is hazardous, good outcome can be expected if function of the allograft is good before conception.
Allografts ; Azathioprine ; Birth Weight ; Body Weight ; Child ; Cyclosporine ; Female ; Fertilization ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interviews as Topic ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Male ; Membranes ; Mothers ; Neurofibromatoses ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Rupture ; Steroids

BACKGROUND: A Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a sympathetic nerve block method which has been used most frequently in pain clinics due to its wide range of indications. However, SGB leads to regional sympathetic denervation of the heart and to changes in the hemodynamics. The aim of this study was to compare hemodynamic effects as well as echocardiographic changes after a left SGB (LSGB). METHODS: Fourteen healthy male volunteers were studied. The LSGB was performed with 1% mepicacaine 6 ml. Arterial blood pressure, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic variables were measured before the LSGB, 15 and 30 minutes after the LSGB. RESULTS: Arterial blood pressure, ejection fraction and transmitral inflow velocity variables showed no significant changes compared to pre-LSGB values. P-P interval increased significantly 15 minutes after the LSGB, and the Q-T interval increased significantly 30 minutes after the LSGB. The diastolic pulmonary venous flow velocity decreased significantly 15 minutes after the LSGB. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that a LSGB decreased the heart rate without detrimental changes of left ventricular relaxation in healthy male volunteers.
Arterial Pressure ; Autonomic Nerve Block ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Pain Clinics ; Relaxation ; Stellate Ganglion* ; Sympathectomy ; Ventricular Function, Left* ; Volunteers

Granular corneal dystrophy, type II (CGD2; Avellino corneal dystrophy) is the most common corneal dystrophy among Koreans, but its pathophysiology is still poorly understood. Many reports showed that even though the causative mutation is the same TGFBI R124H mutation, there are severe and mild phenotypes of the corneal dystrophy. We also observed the phenotype differences in our samples. For this reason, we focused our effort on the identification of unknown genetic factor related to phenotype variation. A total 551 individuals from 59 families were genotyped with SNP chip and used in genome-wide linkage analysis. From single-point linkage analyses, we confirmed the known 5q31 region for TGFBI gene, and selected novel nine candidate loci for CGD2. In simulation analysis, the only 3q26.3 region including neuroligin 1 gene (NLGN1) was supported by empirical statistic significance. To investigate the effect of genetic heterogeneity in linkage analysis, we classified CGD2 families into two subgroups. Although we could not find a significant evidence for correlation between the 3q26.3 region and CGD2 phenotypes, this first genome-wide analysis with CGD2 families in Korea has a very important value for offering insights in genetics of CGD2. In addition, the co-segregating loci with CGD2 including 3q26.3 would be a good target for further study to understand the pathophysiology of CGD2.
Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal/genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3/*genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5/*genetics ; Computer Simulation ; Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary/*genetics ; Female ; Genetic Linkage ; *Genetic Loci ; *Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/genetics

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Uterus*

Gaucher's disease (GD) is the most common inherited lysosomal storage disease, manifested by generalized accumulation of glucocerebroside in macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system due to a deficient lysosomal beta-glucocerebrosidase (GC). It is inherited by an autosomal recessive pattern in which three clinical phenotypes have been described based on the presence and severity of neurologic involvement. GD is treated possible by GC enzyme replacement therapy, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), and gene therapy. We here report the exprience of successful allogeneic BMT in a 16-year-old female patient with GD type III which was demostrated markedly increased Gaucher cells in bone marrow and absence of GC activity in peripheral blood monocytes by FACS using 5'- pentafluorobenzoylaminofluorescein-di-beta-D-glucoside (PFBFDGlu) as substrate. Donor marrow engraftment was confirmed by chromosome analysis using microsatellite and by bone marrow examination. Assay of GC activity using FACS revealed normal level of enzyme activity. She remains alive and well after 12 months of BMT.
Adolescent ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Bone Marrow Transplantation* ; Bone Marrow* ; Enzyme Replacement Therapy ; Female ; Gaucher Disease* ; Genetic Therapy ; Glucosylceramidase ; Humans ; Lysosomal Storage Diseases ; Macrophages ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Monocytes ; Mononuclear Phagocyte System ; Phenotype ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: Most malignant peritoneal or pleural effusions caused by advanced malignancy are unresponsive to systemic chemotherapy except for chemotherapy sensitive tumors, and they are equally ineffective to regional therapy or radiotherapy. Thus, for the purpose of palliating the symptoms related to malignant effusion and to reduce fluid reaccumulations, we evaluated the therapeutic feasibility and efficacy of intracavitary ' Ho-CHICO (chito- san complex) instillation for intractable malignant effusions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty one patients with cytologically or pathologically proven malignant effusions underwent intracavitary 166Ho-CHICO therapy from May 1996 to March 1998 at Ajou University Hospital. The subjective and objective responses were evaluated 4 weeks after the treatment, including the changes of symptoms, weight, abdominal girth, doses of diuretics, frequencies and amounts of repeat aspirations for fluid reaccumulations, and imaging studies of chest radiograph and ultrasounds. RESULTS: The response rates treated with Ho-CHICO were 50% in patients with peritoneal effusion and 46% in patients with pleural effusion (overall 49%). The response rates between 166Ho-CHICO doses of 50-80 mCi and 90-100 mCi were similar (50% vs 47%). Response rate of 70% was noted in patients with even distribution of radioisotope on the post-therapy scan, but, the response rate was lower in cases with focal (44%) and uneven (29%) distribution pattern. There was no difference in response by the effusion sites. All patients tolerated intracavitary 166Ho-CHICO instillation well, although the majority of patients experienced Grade I/II side effects such as pain, fever, weakness and dyspnea. But, no serious complications of Grade lII or IV degree were observed with 166Ho-CHICO therapy. CONCLUSION: Intracavitary 166Ho-CHICO instillation was clinically efficacious in controlling malignant effusions without a significant toxicity seen with conventional sclerotic therapy. The therapeutic modality appeared to offer similar benefits obtained with the conventional intracavitary therapy.
Ascitic Fluid ; Aspirations (Psychology) ; Chitosan* ; Diuretics ; Drug Therapy ; Dyspnea ; Fever ; Holmium* ; Humans ; Pleural Effusion* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Radiotherapy ; Ultrasonography