No abstract available.
Germ Cells* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal*

No abstract available.
Blood Transfusion* ; Female ; Humans

Detailed mechanism of uterine cervical cancer progression still remains unclear. Altered programmed cell death (apoptosis) and cellular proliferation are associated with the development of neoplasia. The authors investigated the expressions of bcl-2, which inhibit apoptosis, and caspase-3, which is involved in the induction of apoptosis and has been considered to be correlated with apoptosis, and proliferating activity according to the degree of malignancy in the squamous neoplasia of the uterine cervix. Correlation between bcl-2 and caspase-3 expression and proliferating activity was done. The materials were low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL, n=15), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL, n=15), microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma (n=15), and squamous cell carcinoma (n=15). Immunohistochemical stainings for bcl-2, caspase-3, and MIB-1 were done. bcl-2 and MIB-1 expressions were progressively increased in accordance with the increasing degree of malignancy, but caspase-3 immunoreactivity was higher in LSIL than invasive cancers. There was an inverse relationship between bcl-2 and caspase-3 expression, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. No significant correlation between MIB-1, bcl-2, and caspase-3 expressions was observed. These results suggest that an inhibition of apoptosis and the augmentation of proliferating activity of tumor cells might be separately involved in the development of the cervical squamous neoplasia.
Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Caspase 3* ; Cell Death ; Cell Proliferation ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

No abstract available.
C-Reactive Protein* ; Female ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pregnancy ; Tocolysis*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis continues to be a major threat to health throughout the world, with an estimated 8 to 10 million new cases and 3 million deaths annually. And control of the disease is further threatened by the emergence of drug resistance. Recent major advances have been made in unravelling the molecular basis of M. tuberculosis resistance to isoniazid, streptomycin, quinolones and rifampin. And rifampin resistance is the useful indicator for the occurance of the multi-drug resistance. Hence, the rapid detection of rifampin resistant strain of M. tuberculosis is the key to have successful anti-tuberculosis therapy. Here we present our experience using PCR and line probe assay (INNO-LiPA) for easy and rapid detection of rifampin resistance of M. tuberculosis. METHODS: Thirty rifampin resistant and twenty susceptible strains of M. tuberculosis were collected from the routine culture and analyzed with INNO-LiPA. And results were compared with conventional antibiotic susceptibility testing. After amplification of the region of the RNA polymerase(rpoB), the amplified product is hybridized with a set of 10 oligonucleotides immobilized onto a membrane strip. From the pattern obtained the presence or not of rifampin resistance M. tuberculosis can be assessed. RESULTS: Ninety three percent of patients who had rifampin resistant strain revealed the multidrug resistance while only two showed resistance to rifampin only. The INNO-LiPA test results were generally agreeable with that of the conventional susceptibility testing(90%). The mutations in codon 531 (absence of 55 probe) were most commonly observed. In 55.2% of the 31 rifampin resistance M. tuberculosis confirmed on mutation by R-probes on the INNO-LiPA strips. CONCLUSIONS: The line probe assay after polymerase chain reaction is a fast and convenient method to detect both presence of M. tuberculosis complex strains and its resistance to rifampin in clinical specimens. We have suggested that detection of rifampin resistance may play a key role in monitoring multi-drug resistance. Consequently, the INNO-LiPA test may constitute an important tool for the control of tuberculosis.
Codon ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Membranes ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Oligonucleotides ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Quinolones ; Rifampin* ; RNA ; Streptomycin ; Tuberculosis

No abstract available.
Endocrine System Diseases*

PURPOSE: This study is a descriptive survey research on factors related to fertility intention of nurses who work in general hospitals, by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB). METHOD: The research subjects are 674 nurses at the peak fertility age of 20-39 years old, who work in 4 general hospitals located in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. RESULT: The mean score of subjects' fertility intention is 3.69 in 5-point scale. The fertility intention was significantly influenced by perceived behavioral control and subjective norm. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the fertility intention of the nurses in general hospitals was influenced by the TPB variables such as the attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm. Thus, a comprehensive approach strategy is needed considering these factors.
Fertility ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intention ; Research Subjects

The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix had shown an increasing tendency, and which is related to the increased use of oral contraceptives or prevalent in human papillomavirus infection. Endocervical glandular dysplasia or adenocarcinoma in situ are occasionally associated with squamous neoplasms of the uterine cervix. This study was aimed to evaluate the histologic features and the incidence of endocervical glandular lesions associated with squamous neoplasms, the presence of human papillomavirus infection-suggesting histologic findings in adjacent squamous neoplasms and the immmunohistochemical findings of endocervical glandular lesions for carcinoembryonic antigen. The materials used were 105 cases of microinvasive and invasive squamous cell carcinoma, and 83 cases of squamous intraepithelial lesions which are consisted of 142 radical or total hystrectomy products and 46 conization or loop excision products. The results are as follows; 1. Among 188 cases, six cases(3.2%) had shown foci of high grade glandular dyaplasia, and 19 cases(10.1%) revealed the areas of low grade glandular dysplasia. There was no adenocarcinoma in situ case. 2. In four of six high grade glandular dysplasia cases, microinvasive or invasive squamous cell carcinomas were associated. In low grade glandular dysplasias, sqaumous intraepithelial lesions were occcupying 68.4%. 3. HPV infection-suggesting histologic findings had accompanied all high grade glandular dysplasia cases and in 17 cases(89.5%) of 19 low grade glandular dysplasias. 4. In 2 of 5 high grade glandular dysplasias and in 1 of 19 low grade glandular dysplasias, the immunohistochemical reaction for carcinoembryonic antigen was similar to that of adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, the clinicopathologic importance of endocervical glandular lesions associated with squamous neoplasms of the uterine cervix should be kept in mind, and further study for the relationship between endocervical glandular lesions and human papillomavirus infection or hormonal influence will be continued.
Humans ; Incidence ; Adenocarcinoma

Pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis is a rare disease of haphazard overproliferation of smooth muscle from perilymphatics, peribronchial and perivascular regions of the lung that leads to chylous effusion, hemoptysis, spontaneous pneumothorax and pulmonary insufficiency. The disease only affects women of child-bearing age. There is presently no successful therapy and most of the patients die within 10 years of diagnosis. We experienced a case of pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis in a 30-year-old woman who had suffered from three episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax for 4 years. Open lung biopsy was performed. Microscopically, abnormal excess proliferation of smooth muscle tissue was identified in the wall of perivascular lymphatic channels as well as around small bronchi, and more distal air spaces. Varying sized cytic spaces Iined by cuboidal cells were also present. Tamoxifen, given if February 1991, did not influence the course of her disease. She died of respiratory failure at age of 31 in April 1991.
Female ; Humans ; Biopsy