The glandular lesions of the uterine cervix can be classified into endocervical glandular dysplasia (EGD), adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and adenocarcinoma, but the diagnostic criteria and the continuity of endocervical glandular lesions are still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of immunohistochemical findings of p53 and MIB-1 in the discrimination and the continuity of EGD, AIS and adenocarcinoma. The materials for the study included 11 cases of adenocarcinoma, 7 cases of AIS, 12 cases of high grade EGD, and 19 cases of low grade EGD. Also included were eleven benign glandular lesions (5 cases of tuboendometrial metaplasia, 3 cases of mesonephric remnant, 3 cases of microglandular hyperplasia). A strong reaction of more than 5% of the glandular epithelial nuclei was interpreted as positive for p53 protein. MIB-1 expression was analyzed semiquantitatively as negative, 1 , 2 , 3 , depending on the percentage of positive nuclei (less than 1%, 1~9%, 10~39%, > or = 40%, respectively). p53 protein expression was found in 3 (27.3%) out of 11 cases of adenocarcinoma, and 2 (28.6%) out of 7 cases of AIS. But all of high and low grade EGD cases were negative. High MIB-1 labelling index (> or =10%) was found in all adenocarcinoma cases and in 3 (42.9%) out of 7 cases of AIS. But only 2 (17.7%) out of 12 cases of high grade EGD showed high MIB-1 labelling index, and all of low grade EGD and benign lesions showed negligible MIB-1 positivities. In summary, MIB-1 labelling index might be valuable in the discrimination of malignant glandular lesions and endocervical glandular dysplasia from benign lesions, but p53 expression could be a useful parameter in the discrimination of malignant glandular lesions from endocervical glandular dysplasia and benign lesions.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cervix Uteri* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Female ; Metaplasia

E-cadherin (ECD) is a Ca++ -dependent adhesion molecule which plays a major role in the maintenance of intercellular adhesion in epithelial tissues. The expression pattern of ECD in 77 surgically resected gastric adenocarcinomas was examined by immunohistochemistry, using a rat monoclonal antibody raised against murine E-cadherin (DECAM-1). ECD was strongly expressed uniformly at cell to cell borders in normal gastric epithelium without exception. But, various staining patterns were observed in the cancer tissues. The frequency of tumors with preserved ECD expression (Pre-type) and reduced ECD expression (Rd-type) was 44% and 56%, respectively. Using Lauren's classification, the high frequency of the Pre-type expression in adenocarcinoma of the intestinal type was significantly higher than that in adenocarcinoma of the diffuse type (p<0.05). But, no significant correlation between the ECD expression and the gross type, invasion depth, growth pattern or metastasis was observed. These results suggest that ECD might play a key role in the morphogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Animals ; Cadherins* ; Classification ; Epithelium ; Immunohistochemistry ; Morphogenesis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rats

Although there have been many reports about the importance of the spleen's role in hepatic fibrogenesis, the exact mechanism is still uncertain. The author designed this study to evaluate splenic function on hepatic fibrogenesis. The degree of hepatic fibrosis and the population of splenocyte subsets were studied in the experimental animal model with fibrosis produced by injecting normal swine serum intra-peritoneally into Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were divided into three groups; group A was subjected to injection of swine serum only, group B swine serum and complete Freund's adjuvant and group C swine serum and cyclosporin A. The experimental hepatic fibrogenesis by swine serum was augumented by coinjection with the adjuvant and inhibited by cyclosporin A. The study of the splenocyte subset revealed increased percentages of spienic B cell and CD4+ cell and a decreased percentage of CD8+ cell, and these changes of splenocyte subset were also augumented by the adjuvant and inhibited by cyclosporin A. The percent of monocytes was not significantly altered, although a tendancy of early decrease by the adjuvant was noted.
Rats ; Animals

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCC syndrome) is a very rare autosomal dominant dermatopathy characterized by a primary triad with variable secondary anomalies. The chief features include nevoid basal cell carcinomas, one or more skeletal anomalies, and multiple odontogenic keratocysts of the jaw. We report a case of NBCC syndrome in a 43-year old male who had multiple nevoid basal cell carcinomas on the retroauricular area, face, chest wall, and back, which have been present since childhood. Skull x-rays revealed relatively well-circumscribed cystic, radiolucent lesions on bilateral rami of both upper and lower jaws, calcification of the falx cerebri, agenesis of the right coronoid process, and a bifid chin. The cystic lesions were histologically confirmed as keratocysts.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: The clinical value of preoperative serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen(SCC) in relation to clinical stage, tumor volume, disease extent and prognosis has already reported in many papers. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between preoperative SCC level and pelvic lymph node metastasis. Matrials and METHODS: From March 1995 to December 1998, 157 patients who examined pretreatment SCC levels before undergoing radical hysterectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix were included. The effect of pelvic lymph node status on the SCC level was examined by comparing 125 cases with cancer limited uterus or upper vagina and 32 cases with cancer confined to the uterus (including upper vagina) and pelvic lymph node using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: 90% of patients without pelvic lymph node metastasis showed SCC levels of 2.9ng/ml or below. 60.7% of patients with serum SCC level more than 2.9ng/ml exhibited pelvic lymph node metastasis. The marker values exceeding 2.9ng/ml increased risk of nodal metastasis 5 times compared with serum level 2.9ng/ml or below. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the pelvic lymph node metastasis had a large impact on the marker level than did tumor size or depth of stromal infilteration. CONCLUSION: SCC levels greater than 2.9ng/ml can be considered a high risk zone for nodal metastasis
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Tumor Burden ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Uterus ; Vagina

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of tumor suppressor genes, p53 and Rb gene, as well as apoptosis in the carcinogenesis of ovarian epithelial tumors. And the value of these factors as prognostic markers to tell the transformation of borderline tumors to overt carcinomas is also studied. METHOD: Thirty cases of ovarian epithelial benign and borderline tumors and invasive carcinoma were used and the expression of the p53 protein and Rb gene protein were evaluated by immunohistochemical method. The apoptosis was evaluated by TUNNEL method. RESULTS: Positive rate of p53 expression in benign, borderline and invasive tumors were 0, 28, and 94 %, respectively. And also, p53 was highly expressed in chemoresistant cases (2/3), in residual tumor (4/5) and in recurred cancer (2/2). Rb protein was partly lost in the borderline tumors, but the rate of Rb protein loss in both borderline tumors and invasive carcinomas were similar. Apoptosis were more active in overt carcinomas than in borderline and benign tumors. In borderline tumors, p53 protein was expressed as 28.6% positivity, and apoptosis was expressed as 28.6% negativity, which showed indirectly that there was apoptosis induction effect of p53. In ten cases of invasive carcinomas showing highly expressed p53, apoptosis revealed all positive reaction except 2 cases, and Rb protein revealed variously. This result supported the apoptosis imduction effect of p53, but it was difficult to find the association of expression degree between the two tumor supressor genes CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the values of p53 is a discriminating factor of malignancy from benign and the expression of p53 is related with clinical aggressivity such as recurrence and residual cancers. Apoptosis are more active in overt carcinoma than in benign & borderline tumor, and in borderline tumor the expression of p53 is related to apoptosis induction which results to carcinomatous change.
Apoptosis* ; Carcinogenesis ; Genes, Retinoblastoma* ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Recurrence ; Retinoblastoma Protein

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the role and the value as progression markers, of type IV collagen and E-cadherin in the pathogenesis of progressive uterine cervical epithelial lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Materials examined were 4 cases of normal exocervical squamous epithelium, 9 of endocervical squamous metaplasias, 2 of mild dysplasias, 8 of moderate dysplasias, 15 of severe dysplasias, 12 of carcinoma in situ, 7 of microinvasive squamous cell carcinomas, and 4 cases of invasive squamous cell carcinomas. All of them were biopsied ones and products of conization and hysterectomy. The expression of type IV collagen and E-cadherin in uterine cervical epithelial lesions were studied by immunohistochemical method using monoclonal antibodies to type IV collagen and E-cadherin. RESULTS: The expression of type IV collagen decreased relatively stepwise from squamous metaplasias to cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN) and subsequently to invasive carcinomas. The expression of type IV collagen in normal uterine exocervical squamous epithelium was within normal range in contrast to variable expression in squamous metaplasia. There was no definite difference in expression pattern between early invasive carcinoma and advanced invasive carcinomas. Normal and squamous metaplastic epithelium of uterine cervix revealed membranous expression of E-cadherin and cervical intraepithelial lesions showed cytoplasmic expression or negative expression instead of membranous expression. There was clearcut difference in E-cadherin expression between normal or metaplastic epithelium and neoplastic lesions. CONCLUSION: The change of type IV collagen expression could be an early marker in the progression of uterine cervical epithelial lesions from normal epithelium. And the loss of differentiaton and polarity and the deranged expression of E-cadherin are closely correlated on the basis of the result that the changed expression of E-cadherin was evident in the stage of transition from normal to neoplastic lesions.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Cadherins* ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Cervix Uteri ; Collagen Type IV* ; Conization ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelium ; Female ; Hysterectomy ; Metaplasia ; Reference Values

For the purpose to define the clinical usefulness of fasting serum total bile acid, the authors carried out to measure the serum total bile acid in 18 cases of acute hepatitis, 10 cases of chronic active hepatitis, 21 cases of liver cirrhosis, 7 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and 35 cases of adult healthy control. Diagnosis were confirmed histopathologically in all the patients. Blood samples were obtained usually in the morning before meals from th anterior cubital vein of all the patients and adult healthy control in Pusan National University Hospital during the periods from January to August, 1984. Total bile acid was measured fluorome cally by means of an enzymatic technique. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The mean value of serum total bile acid in adult healthy subject in fasting was 2.6+/-2.3 umol/L. 2) The mean values of serum total bile acid were significantly higher in the patients with various liver diseases, as compared with those in adult healthy subjects. 3) In acute hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis, the percentages of abnormal values were significantly higher or tended to be higher in total bile acid, as compared with those in total bilirubin, ALP, LDH and GGT activity and tended to be lower in total bile acid, as compared with those in AST and ALT activity. 4) In liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, the percentages of abnormal values of total bile acid were significantly higher in the patients with above 100IU/L of AST activity, compared with those in the patients with 50~100IU/L of AST activity. 5) Total bile acid showed a significant correlation with total bilirubin and ALP in acute hepatitis, with total bilirubin in chronic active hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and with ALP in liver cirrhosis. On the basis of the results obtained, it was suggested the measurement of serum total bile acid is clinically a highly sensitive, useful test in diagnosis of various liver diseases.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis, however, the prognostic value of neovascularization is undetermined. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in breast carcinomas. An immunohistochemical stains for CD 31 (DAKO) to estimate MVD and VEGF (Santa Cruz) were done on 40 cases of invasive breast carcinoma. MVD was calculated as an average count of vessels per 200 power field in the most vascularized areas. VEGF expression was interpreted according to staining intensity and number of positive cells. Mean MVD was 35, and MVD was not correlated with lymph node metastasis or histologic grade, but high MVD (mean MVD>35) showed an increasing tendency in cases with larger size, negative ER/PR, and positive cathepsin D. All of the cases showed VEGF expression, but VEGF expression was not correlated with tumor size, histologic grade, lymph node metastasis, ER/PR status, and cathepsin D expression. These results suggest that MVD and VEGF expressions are not reliable prognostic factors.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cathepsin D ; Coloring Agents ; Lymph Nodes ; Microvessels* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a microvascular thrombotic lesion caused by endothelial injury and subsequent formation of platelet rich thrombus. TMA is first described as a classical pathologic feature of HUS/TTP. Renal biopsy finding of TMA represents kidney involvement of HUS/TTP as well as other diseases such as malignant hypertension, drug toxicity, eclampsia, pre-eclampsia, and several systemic infections. Autoimmune diseases and transplant kidney sometime also have TMA. It is needed to consider a complete autoimmune work-up of patients presenting with TMA including tests for ANA, ANCA, and ADAMTS13 inhibitory antibodies, because there are several reports of association with TMA in patients of SLE, anti-phospholipid syndrome, and ANCA-associated vasculitis.
Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Biopsy ; Blood Platelets ; Drug Toxicity ; Eclampsia ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Malignant ; Kidney ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Thrombosis ; Thrombotic Microangiopathies ; Transplants