Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most prevalent and fatal cancers worldwide.National cancer screening programs in countries with high incidences of this disease provide medical aid beneficiaries with free-of-charge screening involving upper endoscopy to detect early-stage GC. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to routine healthcare access. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the diagnosis, overall incidence, and stage distribution of GC. Materials and Methods: We identified patients in our hospital cancer registry who were diagnosed with GC between January 2018 and December 2021 and compared the cancer stage at diagnosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age and sex. The years 2018 and 2019 were defined as the “before COVID” period, and the years 2020 and 2021 as the “during COVID” period. Results: Overall, 10,875 patients were evaluated; 6,535 and 4,340 patients were diagnosed before and during the COVID-19 period, respectively. The number of diagnoses was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic (189 patients/month vs. 264 patients/month) than before it.Notably, the proportion of patients with stages 3 or 4 GC in 2021 was higher among men and patients aged ≥40 years. Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall number of GC diagnoses decreased significantly in a single institute. Moreover, GCs were in more advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Further studies are required to elucidate the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay in the detection of GC worldwide.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the prognostic significance of T3 subtypes and the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with resected the American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IIB T3N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: T3N0 NSCLC patients who underwent resection from January 1990 to October 2009 (n = 102) were enrolled and categorized into 6 subgroups according to the extent of invasion: parietal pleura chest wall invasion, mediastinal pleural invasion, diaphragm invasion, separated tumor nodules in the same lobe, endobronchial tumor <2 cm distal to the carina, and tumor-associated collapse. RESULTS: The median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 55.3 months and 51.2 months, respectively. In postoperative T3N0M0 patients, the tumor size was a significant prognostic factor for survival (OS, p = 0.035 and DFS, p = 0.035, respectively). Patients with endobronchial tumors within 2 cm of the carina also showed better OS and DFS than those in the other T3 subtypes (p = 0.018 and p = 0.016, respectively). However, adjuvant radiotherapy did not cause any improvement in survival (OS, p = 0.518 and DFS, p = 0.463, respectively). Only patients with mediastinal pleural invasion (n = 25) demonstrated improved OS and DFS after adjuvant radiotherapy (n = 18) (p = 0.012 and p = 0.040, respectively). CONCLUSION: The T3N0 NSCLC subtype that showed the most favorable prognosis is the one with endobronchial tumors within 2 cm of the carina. Adjuvant radiotherapy is not effective in improving survival outcome in resected T3N0 NSCLC.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Diaphragm ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Joints ; Pleura ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant* ; Thoracic Wall

No abstract available.
Basilar Artery ; Brain Injuries ; Infarction

PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess the safety and effectiveness of the ErhBMP-2 in alveolar bone regeneration as well as preservation of the beta-TCP bone graft material that contains ErhBMP-2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involved 72 patients at the 3 study centers. The patients, who were divided into 2 groups: the experiment group who had ErhBMP-2 coated TCP/HA and the control group who had TCP/HA graft material alone transplanted immediately after tooth extraction. CT was taken before and 3 months after the transplantation and healing status was compared between the two groups. The efficacy endpoints that were used to measure the degree of bone induction included alveolar bone height and 3 measurements of bone width. The paired t test was used to determine the significance of the changes (P<.05). RESULTS: Changes in alveolar bone height were -1.087 +/- 1.413 mm in the control group and -.059 +/- 0.960 mm in the experimental group (P<.01). At 25% extraction socket length [ESL], the changes were 0.006 +/- 1.149 mm in the control group and 1.279 +/- 1.387 mm in the experimental group. At 50% ESL, the changes were 0.542 +/- 1.157 mm and 1.239 +/- 1.249 mm, respectively (P<.01 for 25% ESL, and P<.05 for 50% ESL). During the experiment, no adverse reactions to the graft material were observed. CONCLUSION: ErhBMP-2 coated beta-TCP/HA were found to be more effective in preserving alveolar bone than conventional beta-TCP/HA alloplastic bone graft materials.
Bone Regeneration ; Calcium Phosphates ; Escherichia ; Humans ; Tooth Extraction ; Transplants

Tracheobronchopathia Osteochondroplastica (TO) is a rare disease of the trachea characterized by the development of submucosal cartilaginous and bony nodules. The nodules are usually located at the anterior and lateral walls and sometims on the posterior membranous wall. Clinically, the manifestations of TO vary from the incidentally detected asymptomatic to life threatening diseases with airway obstruction. Bronchoscopy is a useful diagnostic tool and radiographic studies also play an important role in the diagnosis of TO. The treatment of TO is reserved for the symptomatic lesion with severe airway narrowing and the prevention of recurrent respiratory infections.
Airway Obstruction ; Bronchoscopy ; Osteochondrodysplasias ; Rare Diseases ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Trachea ; Tracheal Diseases

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the modified sinus floor elevation technique described hereafter as a "hybrid technique," in 11 patients with severely resorbed posterior maxillae. METHODS: Eleven patients who received 22 implants in the maxillary premolar and molar areas by the hybrid technique were enrolled in this study. A slot-shaped osteotomy for access was prepared on the lateral wall along the lower border of the sinus floor. The Schneiderian membrane was fully reflected through the lateral slot. Following drilling with the membrane protected by a periosteal elevator, the bone was grafted. All implants were placed simultaneously with sinus augmentation. The cumulative success rate was calculated and clinical parameters were recorded. Radiographic measurements were performed. RESULTS: All implants were well maintained at last follow up (cumulative success rate=100%). The mean residual bone height, augmented bone height, crown-to-implant ratio, and marginal bone loss were 4.1+/-1.64 mm, 8.76+/-1.77 mm, 1.21+/-0.33 mm, and 0.34+/-0.72 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous implant placement with sinus augmentation by hybrid technique showed successful clinical results over a 2-year observation period and may be a reliable modality for reconstruction of a severely resorbed posterior maxilla.
Bicuspid ; Bone Substitutes ; Chimera ; Dental Implants ; Elevators and Escalators ; Floors and Floorcoverings ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mandrillus ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus ; Membranes ; Molar ; Nasal Mucosa ; Osteotomy ; Transplants

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and its receptors have been suggested to play key roles in the pathogenesis of asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of genetic variations in the TGF-beta receptor type III (TGFBR3) on asthma and on its related phenotypes in the general population. A cohort of 2,118 subjects aged from 10 to 18 years responded to a questionnaire concerning asthma symptoms and risk factors. Methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), skin test responses to common aeroallergens, and serum total IgE levels were evaluated in the cohort. A total of 19 SNPs for TGFBR3 were found using direct re-sequencing in 24 healthy adults. Of these, informative SNPs [+44T>C (S15F) and +2753G>A at 3'UTR] were selected and scored using the high throughput single base extension method. Atopy was identified in subjects with 44T>C allele [P = 0.04, OR (95% CI) = 0.79 (0.62-0.99)] and in subjects with Ht1 (CG) more frequently than in subjects with other haplotypes [P = 0.04, OR (95% CI) = 1.27 (1.01-1.59)]. The A allele in 2753G>A was more common in subjects with non-atopic asthma [OR (95% CI) = 1.76 (1.01-3.05)]. A significant association was found between non-atopic asthma and 44T_2753A [OR (95% CI) = 2.16 (1.22-3.82)]. Genetic variations in TGFBR3 appear to be associated with a genetic predisposition to development of asthma and to phenotypes of asthma. Also, the minor allele 2753G and the haplotype TA in the TGFBR3 gene were associated with a pathogenesis of non-atopic asthma.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/*genetics ; Asthma/ethnology/*genetics/immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; *Genetic Variation/physiology ; Genetics, Population ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E/immunology ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Male ; Proteoglycans/*genetics ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta/*genetics

PURPOSE: To investigate the care patterns for radiation therapy and to determine inter-hospital differences for patients with laryngeal carcinoma in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 237 cases of laryngeal carcinoma (glottis, 144; supraglottis, 93) assembled from 23 hospitals, who underwent irradiation in the year of 1998 and 1999, were retrospectively analyzed to investigate inter-hospital differences with respect to radiotherapy treatment. We grouped the 23 hospitals based on the number of new patients annually irradiated in 1998; and designated them as group A (> or =900 patients), group B (> or =400 patients and <900 patients), and group C (<400 patients). RESULTS: The median age of the 237 patients was 62 years (range, 25 to 88 years), of which 216 were male and 21 were female. The clinical stages were distributed as follows: for glottis cancer, I; 61.8%, II; 21.5%, III; 4.2%, IVa; 11.1%, IVb; 1.4%, and in supraglottic cancer, I; 4.3%, II; 19.4%, III; 28.0%, IVa; 43.0%, IVb; 5.4%, respectively. Some differences were observed among the 3 groups with respect to the dose calculation method, radiation energy, field arrangement, and use of an immobilization device. No significant difference among 3 hospital groups was observed with respect to treatment modality, irradiation volume, and median total dose delivered to the primary site. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that radiotherapy process and patterns of care are relatively uniform in laryngeal cancer patients in Korean hospitals, and we hope this nationwide data can be used as a basis for the standardization of radiotherapy for the treatment of laryngeal cancer.
Female ; Glottis ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Korea ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting healing patterns of surgically created circumferential gap defects around implants in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In four mongrel dogs, all mandibular premolars were extracted. After 8 weeks of healing periods, implants were submerged. According to the surface treatment, turned surface was designated as a group A and rough surface as a group B. In each dog, surgical defects on the left side were made with a customized tapered step drill and on the right with a customized paralleled drill. Groups were also divided according to the width of the coronal gaps: 1.0mm, 1.5mm, or 2.0mm. The dogs were sacrificed following 8 weeks and the specimens were analyzed histologically and histomorphometrically. RESULTS: During the postoperative period, healing was uneventful and implants were well-maintained. As the size of the coronal gap was increased, the amount of bone-to-implant contact was decreased. The bone healing was greater in rough surface implants compared to the turned ones. About the defect morphology, tapered shape showed much bone healing and direct bone to implant contact even in the smooth surface implants. CONCLUSION: Healing of the circumferential defect around dental implant is influenced by the implant surface, defect width and the morphology of the defect. When using rough surface implants, circumferential gap defects within 2 mm do not need any kinds of regenerative procedures and the healing appeared to be faster in the tapered defect morphology than the paralleled one.
Animals ; Bicuspid ; Dental Implants ; Dogs ; Mandrillus ; Postoperative Period

PURPOSE: Bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2) has been shown to possess significant osteoinducitve potential. There have been attempts to overcome a limitation of mass production, and economical efficiency of BMP. The aim of this study was to produce recombinant human BMP-2(rhBMP-2) from E. coli in a large scale and evaluate its biological activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The E.coli strain BL21(DE3) was used as a host for rhBMP-2 production. Dimerized rhBMP-2 was purified by affinity chromatography using Heparin column. To determine the physicochemical properties of the rhBMP-2 expressed in E. coli, we examined the HPLC profile and performed Western blot analysis. The effect of the purified rhBMP-2 dimer on osteoblast differentiation was examined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and representing morphological change using C2C12 cell. RESULTS: E. coli was genetically engineered to produce rhBMP-2 in a non-active aggregated form. We have established a method which involves refolding and purifying a folded rhBMP-2 dimer from non-active aggregates. The purified rhBMP-2 homodimer was characterized by SDS-PAGE as molecular weight of about 28kDa and eluted at 34% acetonitrile, 13.27 min(retention time) in the HPLC profile and detected at Western blot. The purified rhBMP-2 dimer stimulated ALP activity and induced the transformation from myogenic differentiation to osteogenic differentiation. CONCLUSION: rhBMP-2 was produced in E. coli using genetic engineering. The purified rhBMP-2 dimer stimulated ALP activity and induced the osteogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells.
Acetonitriles ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; Chromatography, Affinity ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Durapatite ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Genetic Engineering ; Heparin ; Humans ; Molecular Weight ; Osteoblasts ; Recombinant Proteins ; Sprains and Strains ; Transforming Growth Factor beta