It has been shown that wornen with endometriosis have several immunological defects. The effect of interleukin-2 (IL-2) for the treatment of induced endometriosis in rat was studied. The results obtained are as followings: proliferation of epithelium is increased, and the inner surface is undulated with 1.5 nM IL-2. In 7.5 nM IL-2, the epithelial cells are changed to columar ones, and secretory hobs are observed at the apex of individual cell. Secretory activity of epithelium is increased with 0.5 nM IL-2, and apoptosis of the epithelial cell is observed in 15 nM IL-2. The levels of progesterone and estradiol in sera of rat were increased after treatment with IL-2 and were highest in the concentration of 1.5 nM IL-2. The results of this study can be a guide in the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of endometriosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Endometriosis ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Estradiol ; Female ; Interleukin-2* ; Progesterone ; Rats*

Prostatic adenocarcinoma is a common genitourinary malignancy which frequently is assiciated with bony metastasis at initial diagnosis. The detection of bony metastasis is important because it often alters the therapeutic strategy. The radionuclide one scintigraphy is known to be the most sensitive diagnostic method in detecting bony metastasis from prostatic adenocarcinoma. In the histologic grading of prostatic adenocarcinoma, the Gleason's grading system is the most widely employed one which is based on the degree of glandular differentiation and the growth patterns of tumor in relation to the prostatic stroma. The purpose of this study is to know the correlation of Gleason's grade and bone scintigraphic findings in prostatic carcinoma. We analyzed 99mTc-diphosphonate bone scintigraphies of 19 cases with prostatic adenocarcinoma confirmed by transurethral prostatic biopsy. Ten of the 19 cases showed asymmetrical multiple radioisotope uptake suggesting bony metastases and their Gleason's grade were 4 or 5 in seven cases. The remaining three cases were Gleason's grade 2 or 3. Another nine cases showed symmetrical radioisotope uptake with normal renal imaging suggesting no bony metastases and their Gleason's grade were 1,2 or 3 in seven cases. The remaining two cases of these nine cases were Gleason's grade 4 and 5. As the results, there was a correlation between the Gleason's grade and bone scintigraphic findings. The asymmetrical multiple skeletal uptake of radioisotope may suggest that the Gleason's grade is likely to be higher.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Methods ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radionuclide Imaging

No abstract available.
Analgesia* ; Bradycardia* ; Female ; Labor Pain* ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Analgesia* ; Bradycardia* ; Female ; Labor Pain* ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The colonic transit time in patients with liver cirrhosis has not been studied extensively in South Korea. Thus, the authors investigated the differences of colonic transit time between cirrhotic patients and normal controls with attention to factors that affect this change. METHODS: Fifteen cirrhotic patients and 15 controls were included in this study. To exclude any organic diseases, colonoscopy was preceded. The colonic transit time was measured by taking plain abdominal films on the 4th and 7th days after ingestion of radiographic non-absorbable colon markers for 3 days. RESULTS: The colonic transit time was 10.7 +/- 2.6 hours and 24.0 +/- 4.1 hours for cirrhotic patients and controls, respectively, indicating that the transit time in cirrhotic patients is much faster (p<0.05). The transit time for each segment of the colon was also measured. For the ascending colon, average transit time of the cirrhotic patients and controls were 5.60 +/- 1.93 and 6.88 +/- 1.77 hours respectively. For the descending colon, those were 2.80 +/- 1.04 and 10.80 +/- 2.59 hours (p<0.05), while those in the rectosigimoid portion were 2.32 +/- 0.81 and 4.96 +/- 1.19 hours, respectively. These results indicated that a significant difference is present in the descending colon. Additionally, the transit time is correlated with age and albumin level (B=0.760, p<0.05 and B=7.498, p<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The colonic transit time of cirrhotic patients is faster than that of control, especially in the descending colon.
Colon/*physiopathology ; Female ; *Gastrointestinal Transit ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged

Panniculitis is an inflammatory reaction of the subcutaneous fat. Erythema nodosum is its most common form and mesenteric panniculitis is well known. We describe a case of posterior mediastinal panniculitis confirmed by gun biopsy and describe the CT and pathologic findings. CT showed a paraspinal mass containing a small amount of fat in the posterior mediastinum.
Biopsy ; Erythema Nodosum ; Mediastinum ; Panniculitis* ; Panniculitis, Peritoneal ; Subcutaneous Fat

PURPOSE: Retinal blood vessels and cerebral small vessels possess similar characteristics anatomically, physiologically and embryologically. We studied the availability of abnormal fundus findings of patients who had an atherothrombotic ischemic stroke and who have the risk factors. METHODS: Fundus photographs and brain images were taken in patients who had a first-ever symptomatic ischemic stroke of large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) or small vessel occlusion (SVO) from March 2004 to February 2005. We analyzed the association between fundus abnormalities and ischemic stroke subtypes. RESULTS: Based on brain MRI and MRA, a total of 47 patients were classified into SVO and LAA groups. The SVO group consisted of 27 patients (mean age: 69.7 years), and the LAA group consisted of 20 patients (mean age: 65.4 years). The control group comprised 15 patients (mean age: 64.9 years). The baseline characteristics were similar among the three groups. The severity of the retinal arteriolar narrowing and sclerosis were associated with hypertension. Compared to the control group, both the SVO and LAA groups showed more severe arteriolar sclerosis, the SVO group showed more severe arteriolar narrowing and the LAA group showed more frequent AV crossing and retinal exudate. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal arteriolar abnormalities such as arteriolar narrowing and sclerosis are more severe in atherothrombotic ischemic stroke patients. Indirectly, retinal microvascular changes may indicate the status of the cerebral vasculature. Thus, analysis of fundus findings is useful for predicting an atherothrombotic ischemic stroke and planning follow-up examinations.
Arteries ; Arterioles* ; Atherosclerosis ; Brain ; Exudates and Transudates ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retinal Vessels ; Retinaldehyde* ; Risk Factors ; Sclerosis ; Stroke*

Primary aldosteronism is one of the most common cause of secondary hypertension and can be accompanied with hypokalemia. Rhabdomyolysis with hypokalemia in primary aldosteronism has been rarely reported. We describe a patient of primary aldosteronism who presented with limb-girdle type weakness.
Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism* ; Hypertension ; Hypokalemia* ; Rhabdomyolysis*

Lymphoepithelioma was originally described as a neoplasm in the nasopharynx. Tumors with histologic features similar to those of nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma have been identified in anatomic sites other than the nasopharynx, such as the salivary gland, lung, thymus and stomach; these tumors have been termed lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma(LELC). The etiology and pathogenesis of this neoplasm in the renal pelvis is not clear. We have experienced a case of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the renal pelvis and we report here on this along with a brief review of the relevant literature.

Lymphoepithelioma was originally described as a neoplasm in the nasopharynx. Tumors with histologic features similar to those of nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma have been identified in anatomic sites other than the nasopharynx, such as the salivary gland, lung, thymus and stomach; these tumors have been termed lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma(LELC). The etiology and pathogenesis of this neoplasm in the renal pelvis is not clear. We have experienced a case of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the renal pelvis and we report here on this along with a brief review of the relevant literature.