No abstract available.
Education, Medical* ; Humans ; Students, Medical*

No abstract available.
Urinary Bladder* ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide*

The 68 cervical cerclage operations of incompetent internal os of the cervix(IIOC) were performed at the Taegu Catholic Medical Center from Jan. 1, 1990 to Dec. 31, 1995. The results of this study were as follows: 1. The incidence of operation for IIOC was 0.23% of total delivery. 2. Highest number of IIOC was observed in the age group of 25 to 29, and the average number of pregnancy before operation was 4.1. 3. The significant contributory factor was previous history of the induced or spontaneous abortion. 4. In all cases, cerclage method was McDonald operation. 5. The average fetal salvage rate after operation was 82.5% and from the 14th week to 16th week of gestation(43 cases), the success rate of operation was 85%. 6. The causes of operation failure were premature labor in 6 cases(55%), premature rupture of membrane in 3 cases(27%) and abortion in 2 cases(18%) in order.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Cerclage, Cervical ; Cervix Uteri* ; Daegu ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Membranes ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Rupture

OBJECTIVE: We previously described that Diva is highly expressed in matured metaphase II (MII) oocytes compared to immature germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes in mouse.1 We report here that the expression of Diva transcript as well as protein is oocyte-specific. To elucidate its physiological role in oocyte, the binding partner(s) of Diva has been identified by using immunoprecipitation (IP) followed by Mass Spectrometry. METHODS: NIH/3T3 cells were transiently transfected for 24 h with either empty vector for control or FLAG-tagged mouse Diva construct, and IP was performed with anti-FLAG antibody. The immuno-isolated complexes were resolved by SDS-PAGE on a 12% gel followed by Coomassie Blue staining. For in-gel digestion, 15 bands of interest were excised manually and digested with trypsin. All mass spectra were acquired at a positive reflector mode by a 4700 Proteomics Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, Framingham, MA). Proteins were identified by searching the NCBI nonredundant database using MASCOT Peptide Mass Fingerprint software (Matrixscience, London). RESULTS: Diva-associated complexes were formed in FLAG-tagged mouse Diva-overexpressed NIH/3T3 cells via IP using anti-FLAG-conjugated beads. Among the excised 15 bands, actin and actin-binding proteins such as tropomyosin, tropomodulin 3, and alpha-actinin were identified. Binding between Diva and actin or tropomyosin was confirmed by IP followed by Western blot analysis. Both bindings were also detected endogenously in mouse ovaries, indicating that Diva works with actin and tropomyosin. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report that immuno-isolated Diva-associated complexes are related to actin filament of the cytoskeletal system. When we consider the association of Diva with actin and tropomyosin, oocyte-specific Diva may play a role in modulating the cytoskeletal system during oocyte maturation.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Actinin ; Actins ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Dermatoglyphics ; Digestion ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Female ; Immunoprecipitation ; Mass Spectrometry* ; Metaphase ; Mice ; Microfilament Proteins ; Oocytes ; Ovary ; Proteomics ; Tropomodulin ; Tropomyosin ; Trypsin

MAGE (melanoma antigen gene) is a tumor specific shared antigen, presented by HLA class I molecules, which is recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. MAGE proteins are expressed in malignant tumor cells, in contrast to no expression in normal or benign tissues except for testis and placenta. MAGE might be a potential target for immunotherapy of malignant tumors. However, its biological aspects associated with cell cycle are not yet described. The flow cytometry is a useful tool for objective and quantitative analyses of heterogenous tumor cell population. To understand the status of MAGE related to cell cycle and its relationship with p53 as the G1 checkpoint regulator, p21, and PCNA as a proliferative index, we investigated expression of MAGE-3 protein, mutant p53, p21, and PCNA by flow cytometry and immunohistochemical stain. In addition, double stains for MAGE-3/p53, p53/PCNA, and p53/p21 were analysed with bivariate flow cytometry. DNA histograms using MAGE-3/PI (DNA) and p53/PI (DNA) were also analysed. The cell line (PNUH- 12) used for this study originated from a hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, which has point mutation (exon 7, C-->G) of p53. The expression rate of MAGE-3 was 83%, PCNA 85%, and p53 81%. No expression for p21 was identified. MAGE-3 was expressed in cytoplasm, while both PCNA and p53 were expressed in nuclei of tumor cells. With bivariate analyses, coexpression rates of MAGE-3/p53 and p53/PCNA were 0.96 and 0.97, respectively. Both MAGE-3 and p53 showed constantly high level throughout the cell cycle. These results suggest that expression of MAGE-3 and mutant p53 is not dependent on the cell cycle. p21 seems to be inactivated.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line* ; Coloring Agents ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; Flow Cytometry* ; Immunotherapy ; Mutant Proteins ; Placenta ; Point Mutation ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; Testis

BACKGROUND: Purified major allergens of house dust mite are essential for evaluation of the allergic mechanism in molecular basis and development of new modalities of immunemodulation. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to purif group 1 and group 2 allergens from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp). In addition, cDNAs corresponding to Der pI and II in Korean Dp were isolated and recombinant Der p1 and Der pII were synthesized. MATERIALS AND and METHOD: Der pI allergen was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion -exchange column chromatography, and gel filtrat,ion chromatography. Der pII allergen was purified by anion exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, and a preparative isoelectric focusing method. RESULTS: Eight hundred ug of Der pI and 50 ug of Der pII were obtained from 100 g of culture medium and 1 g of mite bodies, respectively. The purities of these allergens were confirmed by SDS PAGE and the strong reactivity to the patient sera was identified. In order to produce a recombinant allergens, poly(A) RNA from house dust mites were isolated and used for cDNA synthesis by RT PCR. The cDNA was inserted into prokaryotic expression vector and the vectors were transformed into E. coli. A little amount of recombinant Der pI protein was produced due to the low solubility, and 1.2 mg of recombinant Der pII was produced from 1 L of E. coli culture medium. The antigenicity of Der pI was relatively weak, however, Der pII showed a strong antigenicity. Amino acid sequence of the amplified cDNA deduced from DNA sequences of Der pII showed 6 different variants. The variation of amino acid sequences suggests the possibility of high incidence of mutation of Der pII protein. CONCLUSION: A simplified method for the purification of Der pI and Der pII was developed. Recombinant allergens will be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of allergy with lower costs.
Allergens* ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Ammonium Sulfate ; Base Sequence ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, Gel ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus* ; Diagnosis ; DNA, Complementary ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Incidence ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Mites ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyroglyphidae* ; RNA, Messenger ; Solubility

Polymorphic reticulosis(PMR) is a unique clinicopathological entity of unknown etiology, which commonly present as an aggressive, necrotizing lesion of the upper respiratory tract. It is a separate nosologic entity from Wegener's granulomatosis and idiopathic mildine destructive disease. The origin of the cells composing polymorphic reticulosis has been controversial. We reviewed 15 cases of polymorphic reticulosis with respect to clinical and histologic bases, and immunohistochemical studies were done using UCHLI (CD45RO), as a T cell marker, CD-20 as a B cell marker and alpha- I -antichymotrypsin as a histiocytic marker. Almost all cases showed characteristic histologic and immunohistochemical features similar to those of peripheral T cell lymphoma. Thus, this study indidcated that polymorphic reticulosis is a type of malignant lymphoma of T cell lineage.

PURPOSE: Telomeres are specialized structures containing unique (TTAGGGG) repeats at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that are thought to be important in the protection and replication of chro mosomes. Lagging strand DNA synthesis at the end of linear chromosomes cannot be complieted (referred to as the end-replication problem), and this results in the progressive shortening of telomeric repeats with each cell division. This shortening of telomeres has been proposed as the mitotic clock, and when telomeres are sufficiently short, may contribute to replicative cellular senescence in cells. The enzyme telomerase permits the de novo synthesis of telomeric DNA into chromosomal ends. Apoptosis is physiologic cell death and prevent cancerous transformation of cell. METHODS: We measured the telome rase activity with the use of a PCR-based telomerase assay and apoptosis, in 10 superficial gastritis and 13 gastric cancer patients. RESULTS: Telomerase activity was present in 70% of the gastric cancer patient and in 92.7% of the superficial gastritis patients (P=0.171). Apoptosis was present in 0% of the gastric cancer patients, and in 80% of the superficial gastritis patients (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Telomerase activity was detected in and cancer and inflammatory tissue. Although there is progressive cellular division due to telomerase activity, cancerous transformations are prevented by apoptosis.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Aging ; Cell Death ; Cell Division ; DNA ; Gastritis* ; Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Telomerase* ; Telomere

No abstract available.
Erythrocytes*

Myocardial ischemia occurs when myocardial oxygen availability is inadequate to meet metabolic requirements. The common cause of myocardial ischemia is atherosclerotic epicardial coronary arteries. Isoflurane is a potent small vessel-type coronary vasodilator and has the potential for causing regional myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary disease, but it's still controversial. We experienced a case of transient myocardial ischemia during general anesthesia with isoflurane. The patient was a 51 year- old male who underwent a direct clipping of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm. There was no specific abnormality on preoperative laboratory tests except for mild mitral valve regurgitation on the cardiac echocardiogram. He had once experienced several minutes of sudden severe chest tightness just 3 months before admission, but it had subsided without any specific treatment. One hour after beginning of operation, abnormal EKG changes such as ST-T elevation, QRS widening, VPC, ventricular tachytcardia and ST-T depression appeared and then normalized within 2 minutes with stopping isoflurane and using isosorbide dinitrate. He discharged 12 days later without complications. After discharge, Tread-mill test, SPECT and 2D echocardiogram were performed but there was no any evidence of coronary artery disease.
Anesthesia, General* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Isoflurane* ; Isosorbide Dinitrate ; Male ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Oxygen ; Thorax ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon