Bipotent progenitors for T and natural killer (NK) lymphocytes are thought to exist among early precursor thymocytes or liver lymphocytes. The identification of such a progenitor population or mature NK cells in such organs remains undefined. Here we report the identification of a novel receptor of NK cells, p58 (HLA class I-specific inhibitory receptors), in fetal thymocytes and fetal liver lymphocytes. Our finding suggests the NK cells mature in the developmental stage during feta1 ontogeny. Flow cytometric analysis revealed p58 positive cells in thymocytes or in fetal liver lymphocytes and reverse transcription PCR also showed amplification of p58 RNA. The result of single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) showed it discriminates one or two base pair differences of the p58 gene. Although the question still remains as to whether the expression of p58 is due to the NK cells or natural T cells, it is clear the p58 is expressed in fetal thymocytes or liver lymphocytes. And SSCP analysis using appropriate sets of primers used in this study, is helpful to study the diversity of p58.
Base Pairing ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Liver* ; Lymphocytes* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thymocytes*

OBJECTIVES: Significant progress has been made in understanding psychosocial, psychological, and environmental factors associated with suicide. However it is only recently that attention has been paid to the understanding of the neurobiology of suicide. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between platelet serotonin level and suicidal behavior and psychological features of the suicidal attempters. METHODS: After a suicidal attempt platelet serotonin level was measured from 21 patients and compared it with those from depression patients and normal controls. Also MMPI, HAM-D, Barratt impulsiveness scale(BIS) were done to evaluate their psychological features. RESULTS: 1) There was no significant difference in sex ratio of the suicidal attempters. 2) There was no significant difference in platelet serotonin levels among three groups. 3) The analysis of MMPI revealed that the scores of D, Hs, Pt in clinical scales were significantly higher in suicide patients and scores of D, Pa, Si were in depression patients. 4)The HAM-D score was significantly higher in depression and suicide patients, especially in depression patients. 5) The analysis of Barratt impulsiveness scale revealed that the scores of nonplanning, motor and cognitive impulsiveness scale were significantly higher in suicide patients. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in platelet serotonin levels among three groups. However the analysis of psychological features revealed significant differences. Therefore we concluded that psychological examinations are benefit to evaluate the suicidal tendency.
Blood Platelets* ; Depression ; Humans ; MMPI ; Neurobiology ; Serotonin* ; Sex Ratio ; Suicide ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: The overexpression of cyclin D1 and galectin-3 and the loss of p27 in thyroid cancers have recently been reported by many studies. The S-phase kinase associated protein 2 (skp2) plays an important role in the degradation of p27. We compared the correlation of the expressions of galectin-3, p27, cyclin D1 and skp2 in thyroid lesions. METHODS: Sixty five cases were included in this study and immunohistochemical staining for galectin-3, skp2, p27 and cyclin D1 was performed. RESULTS: The expression of galectin-3 increased in the order of nodular hyperplasia, follicular adenoma, follicular carcinoma and papillary carcinoma (p<0.01). The expression rate of skp2 was 0% for nodular hyperplasia, 16.7% for follicular adenoma, 33.3% for follicular carcinoma and 16.7% for papillary carcinoma. The loss of the expression of p27 was more frequently detected in papillary carcinoma as compared with nodular hyperplasia (p<0.01). The increased expression of cyclin D1 was noted in follicular adenoma and carcinoma as compared with nodular hyperplasia (p=0.043). The expression of galectin-3 was related with the loss of a p27 expression (p<0.01), and the expression of skp2 was related with the expression of the cyclin D1 (p=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Galectin-3 appears to be the most useful marker for making the diagnosis of thyroid lesions. The loss of a p27 expression can help differentiate nodular hyperplasia and papillary carcinoma, and the determining the expression of cyclin D1 may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of nodular hyperplasia and follicular neoplasm.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Adenoma ; Thyroid Neoplasms

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether an elevated homocysteine (Hcy) level is associated with a worse prognosis in Korean patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 5839 patients (60.4% male, mean age 61.3±11.2 years) with CAD were enrolled from 2000 to 2010 at Gangnam Severance Hospital. CAD was diagnosed by invasive coronary angiography. Laboratory values including Hcy level were obtained on the day of coronary angiography and analyses were performed shortly after sampling. Patients were divided into two groups according to their Hcy levels. Baseline risk factors, coronary angiographic findings, length of follow-up, and composite endpoints including cardiac death (CD) and non-fatal myocardial infarction (NFMI) were recorded. 1:1 propensity score matched analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up period of 4.4±2.5 years, there were 132 composite endpoints (75 CD and 57 NFMI) with an event rate of 2.3%. Mean Hcy level was 9.9±4.3 µmol/L (normal Hcy 7.9±1.5 µmol/L and elevated Hcy 13.9±5.1 µmol/L). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed an association of elevated Hcy level with worse prognosis (p<0.0001). In addition, a multivariate Cox regression analysis showed an association of elevated Hcy level with worse prognosis for both the entire cohort (hazard ratio [HR] 2.077, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.467-2.941, p<0.0001) and the propensity score matched cohort (HR 1.982, 95% CI 1.305-3.009, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Elevated Hcy level is associated with worse outcomes in Korean patients with CAD.
Cohort Studies ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Death ; Follow-Up Studies ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prognosis ; Propensity Score* ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pathological findings of Non-Q wave myocardial infarction(NQMI) on ECG did not always correspond to subendocardial infarction(SEMI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic validity of ECG for SEMI by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in the patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population was 84 patients who underwent MCE under the diagnosis of AMI. MCE was performed by intracoronary injection of sonicated Hexabrix into the infarct related artery and SEMI was diagnosed by inspecting endocardial defect with epicardial enhancement on MCE. RESULTS: (1) Among 19 NQMI cases, 7 cases showed SEMI with MCE score 0.5, 11 cases with score 1, and 1 case with score 0. Among 65 Q-wave MI(QMI) cases, only 5 cases showed SEMI. (2) 7 cases who had NQMI with SEMI showed LV wall motion recovery at follow-up echocardiography except 1 case. Whereas, of 5 QMI cases who had SEMI, only 1 case improve LV wall motion. CONCLUSION: NQMI on ECG does not always imply SEMI on MCE, but the absence of pathologic Q wave in the patients with SEMI is thought to be a predictive factor of the recovery of LV wall motion.
Arteries ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Ioxaglic Acid

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pathological findings of Non-Q wave myocardial infarction(NQMI) on ECG did not always correspond to subendocardial infarction(SEMI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic validity of ECG for SEMI by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in the patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population was 84 patients who underwent MCE under the diagnosis of AMI. MCE was performed by intracoronary injection of sonicated Hexabrix into the infarct related artery and SEMI was diagnosed by inspecting endocardial defect with epicardial enhancement on MCE. RESULTS: (1) Among 19 NQMI cases, 7 cases showed SEMI with MCE score 0.5, 11 cases with score 1, and 1 case with score 0. Among 65 Q-wave MI(QMI) cases, only 5 cases showed SEMI. (2) 7 cases who had NQMI with SEMI showed LV wall motion recovery at follow-up echocardiography except 1 case. Whereas, of 5 QMI cases who had SEMI, only 1 case improve LV wall motion. CONCLUSION: NQMI on ECG does not always imply SEMI on MCE, but the absence of pathologic Q wave in the patients with SEMI is thought to be a predictive factor of the recovery of LV wall motion.
Arteries ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Ioxaglic Acid

A 49 years old male patient suffering from liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus was admitted with complaints of chest pain and hematemesis. Three years ago, the patient received a transfusion of unknown blood components, presumed platelet concentrates. During the pretransfusion testing, we found irregular antibodies with the antibody-screening test and identified the antibody as anti-Xga. An antiglobulin test was done as a part of a cross-match and all compatible units of packed red cells were transfused. No transfusion reaction was observed.
Antibodies ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Platelets ; Chest Pain ; Coombs Test ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hematemesis ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Male ; Middle Aged

According to Moertel's classification, synchronous multiple gastric cancer is eonsidered to be a sort of multiple primary cancer, The clinical signifieance of multiplicity in gastric cancer was its location relative to the resection line. Compared with patients with single gastric cancer, multiple gastric cancer were more frequently found among the older men, and they were more commonly found in early gastric cancer. The frequency of multifocality in gastric cancer is 2.2-9% in the world literature reports and is increasing recently, with advance in the diagnostic method of gastric cancer. However, synchronous multiple gastric cancer which has more than four foci is rare. In Korea, there has been only one case reported about quadruple gaatric cancer. Recently, we experienced a case of a 58-year-old male patient with synchronously developed-quadruple gastric cancer on the body of stomach, for whom radical total gastrectomy and esophagojejunostomy was done. All of them were moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The mapping about four lesions showed that Borrmanin type III AGC extending to the serosa was placed on the posterior wall of higher body; EGC IIc invading the submucosa, the anterior wall of mid body, EGC III confined to the mucosa, the lesser curvature side of mid to lower body; EGC III localizing to the mucosa, the posterior wall of lower body. So we reported this case with a review of literatures.
Adenocarcinoma ; Classification ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Serous Membrane ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Hematoma* ; Liver* ; Snake Bites* ; Snakes*