No abstract available.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Humans ; Immunocompetence*

To generate drug delivery vector to locales in the body, genetic engineering and expression techniques have been used to produce antibody avidin fusion proteins. Chicken avidin has been fused to mouse-human chimeric IgG3 immediately after the hinge with a flexible linker (H-Flex-Av) and at the end of CH2 (CH2-Av). Fusion heavy chains were expressed with the expected molecular weight, assembled as H2L2 forms with a co-expressed light chain, and were secreted. The expression level of H- Flex-Av was 1~10 ug/ml/10(8)/24 hrs, but that of C2-Av was a very little (0.08~0.9 ug/ ml/10(8)/24 hrs). The resulting H-Flex-Av and CH2-Av fusion proteins continued to bind antigen dansyl and also bound biotinylated bovine serum albumin; both H-Flex-Av and CH2-Av had shown to retain 3-4 times higher relative affinity than that of CH3-Av in ELISA. Importantly the fact that both avidin fusion proteins had a higher relative affinity suggests that these avidin fusion proteins can be effectively used to deliver biotinylated ligands such as drugs and peptides to a certain locale, such as the brain.
Avidin ; Biotin* ; Brain ; Chickens ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Engineering ; Immunoglobulin G ; Ligands ; Molecular Weight ; Peptides ; Serum Albumin, Bovine

Development of antibody-based cancer therapies will be greatly facilitated if antibodies are better standardized in two fundamental issues that are specificity analysis of antibody reactivity and the detailed biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profile of antibodies. In the current endeavor we attempted to use an antibody binding specificity to target the tumor in a syngeneic carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) tumor model. CEA, a 180 kDa glycoprotein, expressed at high levels on the surface of nearly all tumors of the gastrointestinal tract was used a potential target for antibody immunotherapy of gastrointestinal carcinomas. Using the CEA model antibody-based cancer therapy directed against CEA has been evaluated in a syngeneic animal model of disseminated disease. We constructed mouse/human chimeric anti-CEA IgG3, which has been evaluated for the specificity for CEA and the detailed biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profiles. Anti-CEA IgG3 heavy chain was expressed with the expected 180kDa molecular weight, assembled as H2L2 forms with a co-expressed mouse/human chimeric anti-CEA light chain, and were secreted. On FACS the purified anti-CEA IgG3 specifically recognized the mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line MC-38 transduced with CEA (MCA32a), but not MC 38 without expressing CEA. After subcutaneous injection in C57BL/6 mice the half- lives of anti-CEA IgG3 and an irrelevant anti-dansyl IgG3 showed the bi-phasic kinetic patterns, and their pharmacokinetics of the distribution and the elimination were similar in mice. However, the biodistribution patterns of anti-CEA IgG3 were very different from those of anti-dansyl IgG3. Anti-dansyl IgG3 was mainly distributed into kidney until 72 hours, but anti-CEA IgG3 was slowly rernoved from blood and distributed into liver, kidney, spleen, and tumor. It is note worthy that anti- CEA IgG3 increased in targeting MCA32a tumor expressing human CEA by time, but the targeting to MC38 tumor was negligible. Thus, the increased targeting of anti- CEA IgG3 made MCA32a tumor grow slowly
Adenocarcinoma ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Cell Line ; Colon ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunotherapy ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Kidney ; Liver ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Molecular Weight ; Pharmacokinetics ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spleen

PURPOSE: Abnormalities in calcium(Ca), vitamin D and bone mineral density (BMD) associated with antiepileptic drug(AED) are reported, but the results are inconsistent. In case of intractable epilepsy, poor growth and altered bone mineral metabolism may be prominent, possibly related to previous long-term use of multiple AED and poor activity. The aim of this study was to assess growth status, concentrations of calcium regulating hormones and BMD in children with intractable epilepsy. METHODS: Sixty-six intractable epilepsy patients aged 0.8 to 14.7 years(mean+/-D:4.6+/-.6 years) were included in the study. Height and weight were measured and then height SDS and weight SDS were calculated. Serum Ca, i-Ca, P, Mg, Zinc, osteocalcin, intact-PTH, 25-OHD, 1,25(OH)2D were measured. BMD of the lumbar spine was measured by dual energy X-ray absorption. RESULTS: Most of the patients showed normal height SDS and weight SDS. Percentage of severe short stature(height SDS <-2) was 1.5% and tall stature(height SDS >2) was 4.5%. Percentage of severe thin(weight SDS <-2) was 1.5% and obesity(weight SDS >2) was 6%. Duration of AED was not related to height SDS or weight SDS. Etiology of epilepsy and physical activity were not related to height SDS and weight SDS. Most of them had normal Ca, iCa, P, Mg, Zinc, intact-PTH, osteocalcin, 25-OHD and 1,25(OH)2D concentrations. BMD was not related to the levels of Ca, i-Ca, P, Mg, intact-PTH, osteocalcin, 25-OHD, 1,25(OH)2D. BMD was not related to the duration of AED. BMD positively correlated with age(r=0.75, P>0.01) and body weight(r=0.72, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Most of the children with intractable epilepsy, who regularly visits epilepsy clinic, showed normal growth and normal bone mineral metabolism, but careful monitoring about growth and bone mineral metabolism is needed.
Absorption ; Bone Density* ; Calcium* ; Child* ; Epilepsy* ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Motor Activity ; Osteocalcin ; Spine ; Vitamin D ; Zinc

Chusid et al proposed diagnostic criteria of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) that remain valid today. These were, (1) a sustained peripheral blood eosinophil count of more than 1500/L present for longer than 6 months ; (2) no evidence of other apparent causes for eosinophilia, and (3) presumptive signs of parenchymal organ involvement. Any organ system may be affected in HES, but the most severe clinicopathological involvements are of the heart and nervous system. Although multiple organ systems may be involved, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality is cardiac involvement with extensive fibrous thickening of the endomyocardium and overlying thrombus. We report a case of acute peri-myocarditis with eosinophilia, which was confirmed as eosinophilic myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy, with literature review.
Biopsy ; Edema* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Heart ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Mortality ; Myocarditis* ; Nervous System ; Thrombosis

Chusid et al proposed diagnostic criteria of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) that remain valid today. These were, (1) a sustained peripheral blood eosinophil count of more than 1500/L present for longer than 6 months ; (2) no evidence of other apparent causes for eosinophilia, and (3) presumptive signs of parenchymal organ involvement. Any organ system may be affected in HES, but the most severe clinicopathological involvements are of the heart and nervous system. Although multiple organ systems may be involved, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality is cardiac involvement with extensive fibrous thickening of the endomyocardium and overlying thrombus. We report a case of acute peri-myocarditis with eosinophilia, which was confirmed as eosinophilic myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy, with literature review.
Biopsy ; Edema* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Heart ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Mortality ; Myocarditis* ; Nervous System ; Thrombosis

OBJECTIVES: We sought to describe the perioperative and postoperative adverse events associated with sacral colpopexy and evaluate the surgical outcome, complications, and benefits of laparoscopic sacral fixation for patients with pelvic prolapse. METHODS: Ninety-two women with uterine prolapse underwent sacral colpopexy between January 2011 and September 2016 at Chosun University Hospital. Patients' electronic medical records were investigated for demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative data. Strict definitions were used for all clinically relevant adverse events. Patients' outcomes were documented with 1 self-administered quality of life questionnaires: the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 focused on symptom distress. The primary analysis looking at perioperative and postoperative adverse events was descriptive and statistics were reported for all groups as n/N (%) with 95% confidence intervals for categorical variables and as mean ± standard deviation and mean (range) for all continuous variables. RESULTS: Their mean age was 69 ± 8.1 years, mean follow-up duration was 12 months, and mean operating time was 61 minutes. There were seven conversions due to anesthetic or surgical difficulties. Follow-up was performed using a telephone questionnaire and physical examination at 12 months. There were three cases of sacral pain with strong analgesics, one of vaginal erosion, two of transient urinary retentions, one of spondylitis, and two of mesh infection. Of the patients, 98.9% were satisfied with the surgical results, while none complained of sexual dysfunction or problems performing her usual activities. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic sacral colpopexy is a feasible and highly effective technique that offers good long-term results with complication rates similar to those of open surgery with the added benefit of being minimally invasive.
Analgesics ; Electronic Health Records ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Pelvic Floor ; Physical Examination ; Postoperative Complications ; Prolapse ; Quality of Life ; Spondylitis ; Telephone ; Uterine Prolapse*

We describe a 69-year-old woman who presented with a dedifferentiated extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma arising in the left masticator space. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 5 cm sized mass in the left masticator space. Histologically, the tumor consisted of two distinct areas. The less cellular area was a low-grade extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma, composed of strands or cords of uniform spindle cells and abundant myxoid stroma. The more cellular, dedifferentiated area corresponded to a high grade myxofibrosarcoma, consisting of anaplastic tumor cells in myxoid stroma and geographic necrosis. The tumor cells of the former area were positive for S-100 protein, microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and class III beta-tubulin, but negative for cytokeratin, smooth muscle actin, and desmin. The tumor cells in the latter, pleomorphic area showed MAP-2 and beta-tubulin immunoreactivity with a high Ki-67 labeling index. Based on its histologic and immunohistochemical features, the tumor was considered a dedifferentiated extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma.
Actins ; Aged ; Cell Dedifferentiation ; Chondrosarcoma ; Desmin ; Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle, Smooth ; Necrosis ; S100 Proteins ; Tubulin

We describe a 69-year-old woman who presented with a dedifferentiated extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma arising in the left masticator space. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 5 cm sized mass in the left masticator space. Histologically, the tumor consisted of two distinct areas. The less cellular area was a low-grade extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma, composed of strands or cords of uniform spindle cells and abundant myxoid stroma. The more cellular, dedifferentiated area corresponded to a high grade myxofibrosarcoma, consisting of anaplastic tumor cells in myxoid stroma and geographic necrosis. The tumor cells of the former area were positive for S-100 protein, microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and class III beta-tubulin, but negative for cytokeratin, smooth muscle actin, and desmin. The tumor cells in the latter, pleomorphic area showed MAP-2 and beta-tubulin immunoreactivity with a high Ki-67 labeling index. Based on its histologic and immunohistochemical features, the tumor was considered a dedifferentiated extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma.
Actins ; Aged ; Cell Dedifferentiation ; Chondrosarcoma ; Desmin ; Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle, Smooth ; Necrosis ; S100 Proteins ; Tubulin

Dubin-Johnson Syndrome is a form of benign, familial idiopathic jaundice presenting with chronic intermittentconjugated hyperbilirubinnmia and a melamin-like pigment has been found in the parenchymal liver cells. This disorder is rarely diagnosed in the neonatal period. We report a case of Dubin-Johnson syndrome presenting with neonatal cholestasis.
Cholestasis ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Chronic Idiopathic* ; Liver