No abstract available.
Humans

The cathepsin D is a lysosomal protease secreted in excess by breast cancer cells. The function of this enzyme is degradation of the extracellular matrix and proteoglycan. It is induced by estrogens in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cell lines. On the basis of this, cathepsin D expression in breast cancer cells seems to be correlated with the prognosis. But there is debates in its prognostic significance. Relationship between cathepsin D expression and other prognostic factors of breast cancer was studied. We investigated 51 cases of invasive ductal cell carcinoma of breast removed by open biopsy or mastectomy. All cases were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. We used 46-KD intermediate form of the enzyme for cathepsin D expression on immunohistochemical stain. We observed no significant correlation with age, stage, histologic grade, lymphatic invasion, and estrogen receptor status. Cathepsin D may be an independent factor which is not related with other prognostic factors, especially estrogen receptor status.
Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms

Eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schuller-Christian and Abt-Letterer-Siewe syndrome are known to be the same disease entity involving the reticulohistiocytic system of the body, although their clinical manifestations are different. So they were included under the term of Histiocytosis X and this concept has been generally accepted. The authors have experienced one case of Hand-Schuller-Christian disease and that of eosinophilic granuloma. The former was a 23 years old man with complaints of exophthalmos, polyuria and a tender palpable mass on the right parietal area and in the latter a soft pulastile mase located on the left parietal area in a 3 year old boy. There was no neurological deficits on their admission. We managed them with radiation and steroid therapy following surgical curettage.
Child, Preschool ; Curettage ; Eosinophilic Granuloma ; Exophthalmos ; Histiocytosis* ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell* ; Humans ; Male ; Polyuria ; Rabeprazole ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Thyroid disease is the most common form of endocrinologic disease. Despite recent advances in diagnosis, controversy still remains concerning the surgical management of thyroid disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical distribution and the inclination of surgical treatment for thyroid disease. METHODS: The medical records from 1,743 patients who had undergone thyroid resections for thyroid diseases between January 1989 and December 1998 at Kwangju Christian Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the 1,743 patients with thyroid diseases, 1,285 had benign diseases and 458 had carcinomas, resulting in a 26.3% prevalence of malignancy. Female patients were predominate, being 6.89 times the number of males. The peak incidence of age was the 4th decade for patients with benign diseases (29.4%) and the 5th decade for those with malignant diseases (26.0%). Both benign (39.4%) and malignant diseases (42.1%) were more prevalent on the right lobe. The incidence of carcinomas was 28.9% in solitary nodules and 29.3% in multinodular goiters. In the histopathologic study, the most common type was a papillary carcinoma (84.5%) in malignancies and an adenomatous goiter (48.8%) in benign diseases. The most commonly performed surgical procedures were a total thyroidectomy (75.4%) for malignancies and a lobectomy for benign diseases (63.3%). Postoperative complications were 3.1% in patients with benign diseases and 29.7% in those with malignancies. Regional recurrence or distant metastases appeared in 5.5% of the patients during the 10 years following treatment. CONCLUSION: The treatments of choice were a thyroid lobectomy for patients with benign diseases and a total thyroidectomy for those with malignant diseases. However, the decision to perform a surgical resection should be based on the age and the general condition of patient.
Carcinoma, Papillary ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Goiter ; Gwangju ; Hospital Distribution Systems ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Postoperative Complications ; Prevalence ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Diseases* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroidectomy

No abstract available.
Humans ; Microcomputers* ; Survival Analysis*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*

PURPOSE: Anti-p185HER2/neu monoclonal antibody (mAb) that can induce phenotypic reversion and monoclonal antibodies specific for the p185HER2/neu growth factor receptor that are able to diminish its kinase-signaling properties represent a specific advance in the therapy for p185HER2/neu-expressing human cancers. With mAb treatment, down-regulation of p185HER2/neu surface receptors and attenuation of the kinase-signaling properties have been observed and regarded as a basic phenomenon; however, the mechanisms for mAb-induced phenotypic reversion are not clear. METHODS: We used human tumor-cell lines of SK-BR-3, T6-17, and U373MG. With immunoprecipitation and Western blotting, we investigated the changes in p185HER2/neu receptor phosphorylation and the expression of signal-regulatory proteins (SIRPs) after mAb treatment. To identify the proteins interacting with Tat-binding protein-1 (TBP1), we used the Clonotech Gal4 matchmaker two-hybrid system. RESULTS: Minimal to moderate reduction in phosphotyrosine (pTyr) content was observed in SK-BR-3 and T6-17 cells with short-term (10-30 minutes) incubation after mAb treatment, but that did not alter total p185HER2/neu receptor density. SIRPs phosphorylation after peptide treatment was increased. With mAb treatment, three proteins were shown to interact with TBP1, and all of the interacting proteins are subunits of proteasome 26S. Collectively, anti- p185HER2/neu mAb or peptide down-regulates the surface receptors and attenuates the kinase signaling, which then both induces higher proteasome activity through increased TBP1 and increases SIRPs expres sion. CONCLUSION: Increased proteasomal activity may degrade abnormal proteins and increased SIRPs may regulate signal transduction toward the norm. Therefore, activation of a protein-degradation pathway and induction of signal-regulatory proteins may be possible mechanisms for the ultimate anti-tumor effects of the anti-p185HER2/neu mAb or peptide.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Blotting, Western ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Immunoprecipitation ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Phosphotyrosine ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; Signal Transduction

PURPOSE: To our knowledge, there had been no evidence for the efficacy of psychosocial intervention among Korean breast cancer patients. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a psychosocial group intervention in reducing psychologic distress and enhancing coping in this population. METHODS: The patient selection criteria were age younger than 70 years, undergoing any postoperative adjuvant therapy, and surgery undergone within the previous 3~6 months as of the start of the study. There were 30 patients that met this criteria. There was no wait-list control group because none of the eligible patients desired to stay in the wait-list control group. Therefore a one group pretest-posttest design was used. We conducted an 8-week, structured, psychosocial group intervention that used psychoeducational strategies combining education and psychological support. Subjects were assessed for psychological distress and coping by administering the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Ways of Coping Checklist-Revised (WCCL-R) at the baseline and at 8 weeks. RESULTS: Thirty patients participated and the results of 20 of these patients were used for the analysis as appropriate. The posttest results showed significantly lower scores than the pretest results for depression on the BDI (p<0.001), and for avoidance (p<0.001) and wishful thinking (p<0.001) on the WCCL-R. Additionally, the total score for coping on the WCCL-R showed a significant difference after the intervention (p=0.051). CONCLUSION: Despite some limitations, the results of this study suggest that short-term pshchosocial group intervention produces a significant improvement in the quality of life of patients with primary breast carcinoma in terms of managing depression and coping.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Patient Selection ; Quality of Life ; Thinking

PURPOSE: To our knowledge, there had been no evidence for the efficacy of psychosocial intervention among Korean breast cancer patients. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a psychosocial group intervention in reducing psychologic distress and enhancing coping in this population. METHODS: The patient selection criteria were age younger than 70 years, undergoing any postoperative adjuvant therapy, and surgery undergone within the previous 3~6 months as of the start of the study. There were 30 patients that met this criteria. There was no wait-list control group because none of the eligible patients desired to stay in the wait-list control group. Therefore a one group pretest-posttest design was used. We conducted an 8-week, structured, psychosocial group intervention that used psychoeducational strategies combining education and psychological support. Subjects were assessed for psychological distress and coping by administering the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Ways of Coping Checklist-Revised (WCCL-R) at the baseline and at 8 weeks. RESULTS: Thirty patients participated and the results of 20 of these patients were used for the analysis as appropriate. The posttest results showed significantly lower scores than the pretest results for depression on the BDI (p<0.001), and for avoidance (p<0.001) and wishful thinking (p<0.001) on the WCCL-R. Additionally, the total score for coping on the WCCL-R showed a significant difference after the intervention (p=0.051). CONCLUSION: Despite some limitations, the results of this study suggest that short-term pshchosocial group intervention produces a significant improvement in the quality of life of patients with primary breast carcinoma in terms of managing depression and coping.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Patient Selection ; Quality of Life ; Thinking