Cell growth rate and the secretion of ectopin hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG), free beta-subunit and beta core fragment of hCG, were measured in the culture media with various serum concentrations from ovarian carcinoma cell lines, Bixler and Bix2NMB. The concentrations of fetal bovine serum contained in the culture media that showed the most active cell growth and hormone secretion were investigated to decide the best optimal serum concentration as one of the appropriate culture conditions in the experiment using cell culture. Ovarian concer cells were not able to proliferate in the media without serum. Cells proliferated more actively in higher concentration of serum. They secreted more hormone according to the increment of confluency as long as they secreted hormone. These findings suggest that serum is essential for surviving and cellular activity of cancer cells. The selection of the optimal serum concentration of culture media is very important to get appropriate data from the experiments which use cell culture technique. It is considered that we must have the knowledge on the most efficient concentration of serum in the culture media or on the exact percentage of serum in the media that matched to that of in vivo.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line ; Chorion ; Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Culture Media* ; Humans* ; Ovarian Neoplasms*

Malignant struma ovarii is extremely rare and difficult to diagnose histologically, particularly in cases of follicular carcinoma. This case study is intended to describe three cases of follicular proliferative lesion arising in struma ovarii that we experienced. The first case was clearly malignant given the clinical picture of multiple recurrences, but there was little histological evidence of malignancy. Our second case featured architectural and cellular atypia and necrosis and was diagnosed as malignant despite the absence of vascular and stromal invasion. Our third case exhibited solid microfollicular proliferation without any definite evidence of malignancy (even the molecular data was negative); however, we could not completely exclude malignant potential after conducting a literature review. In cases such as our third case, it has been previously suggested that a diagnostic term recognizing the low-grade malignant potential, such as "proliferative stromal ovarii" or "follicular proliferative lesion arising in the stromal ovarii" would be appropriate.
Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; Necrosis ; Recurrence ; Struma Ovarii*

PURPOSE: In this single repeated measures study, an examination was done on the effects of dialysate flow rate on dialysis adequacy and fatigue in patients receiving hemodialysis. METHODS: This study was a prospective single center study in which repeated measures analysis of variance were used to compare Kt/V urea (Kt/V) and urea reduction ratio (URR) as dialysis adequacy measures and level of fatigue at different dialysate flow rates: twice as fast as the participant’s own blood flow, 500 mL/min, and 700 mL/min. Thirty-seven hemodialysis patients received all three dialysate flow rates using counterbalancing. RESULTS: The Kt/V (M±SD) was 1.40±0.25 at twice the blood flow rate, 1.41±0.23 at 500 mL/min, and 1.46±0.24 at 700 mL/min. The URR (M±SD) was 68.20±5.90 at twice the blood flow rate, 68.67±5.22 at 500 mL/min, and 70.11±5.13 at 700 mL/min. When dialysate flow rate was increased from twice the blood flow rate to 700 mL/min and from 500 mL/min to 700 mL/min, Kt/V and URR showed relative gains. There was no difference in fatigue according to dialysate flow rate. CONCLUSION: Increasing the dialysate flow rate to 700 mL/min is associated with a significant nicrease in dialysis adequacy. Hemodialysis with a dialysate flow rate of 700 mL/min should be considered in selected patients not achieving adequacy despite extended treatment times and optimized blood flow rate.
Dialysis* ; Fatigue* ; Hemodialysis Solutions ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis* ; Treatment Outcome ; Urea

OBJECTIVES: To determine changes in the incidence and pattern of eclampsia in Il Sin Christian Hospital over a 46-year period. METHODS: Information was collected from medical records of the 1910 eclamptic patients among 233,613 deliveries in Il Sin Christian Hospital from Jan. 1 1953 to Dec. 31 1998. Incidence, presentation, and management of eclampsia were reviewed retrospectively, and maternal mortality rate and perinatal mortality rate were calculated. Statistical analysis was done by Chi-squared and Fisher's exact test through two by two tables looking at relative changes between each study period. RESULTS: The overall incidence of eclampsia was 81.8 per 10,000 deliveries. The incidence of eclampsia had increased from 137.3/10,000 in 1953-1962 to 278.4/10,000 in 1963-1972, but the rate had reduced to 6.5/10,000 in 1993-1998. There was a statistically significant fall in the rate of eclampsia every decade between 1973 and 1992, but there has been steady decrease in the last study period. Convulsion occurred antepartum in 54% of patients, intrapartum in 29% and postpartum in 17%. With the reduction in the proportion of antepartum eclampsia, there has been a relative increase in that of intrapartum and postpartum eclampsia. Maternal death occurred in 59 cases among eclampsia, and maternal mortality rate was 3.1%. Maternal mortality rate had significantly decresed from 11.1% in 1953-1962 to 3.8% in 1963-1972, and there has been no maternal death from eclampsia since 1986. Postpartum eclampsia had increased death risk compared with antepartum or intrapartum eclampsia. There were 280 cases of perinatal death and overall perinatal mortality rate was 144.1 per 1000 deliveries. There was a significant decrease in the rate from 243.2/1000 in 1953-1962 to 141.5/1000 in 1963-1972, but the rate has risen steadily since 1983. CONCLUSIONS: With the improvement in antenatal care and management of eclampsia, the incidence of eclampsia and its associated maternal mortality has decreased over the last 46 years. But eclampsia still remains a significant complication of pregnancy with high maternal and perinatal mortality.
Eclampsia* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Maternal Death ; Maternal Mortality ; Medical Records ; Perinatal Mortality ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Female ; Humans ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women*

Synovial sarcoma is a distinct and generally recognized soft tissue tumor that it’s origin still raises controversy. The synovial origin of synovial sarcoma has not been determined despite the accepted terminology implying synovium as stem cell. Three cases of primary synovial sarcoma (2 fibrous monophasic, 1 biphasic type) were studied with a panel of antibodies against different types of cytokeratin and other markers (EMA, CEA, vimentin, S-100 protein, lysozyme, 1-antichymotrypsin). Spindle shaped-cell in monophasic synovial sarcoma showed reactivity for CK7 and pancytokeratin. Epithelial cells lining of glands in biphasic synovial sarcoma reactive for CK7, pancytokeratin, EMA, and focally CEA but spindle cells only positive for vimentin. By electron microscopy, fibrous monophasic synovial sarcoma showed pseudogland formation with intercellular junctions of paired subplasmalemmal destiny and discontinuous basal lamina. These results indicate that synovial sarcoma showes epithelial differentiation. We believe that synovial sarcoma arises in pluripotential connective tissue cells that is able to be differentiated into both mesenchymal and epithelial components. So, synovial sarcoma have been considered carcinosarcoma of soft tissues depending on the type of differentiation.
Antibodies ; Basement Membrane ; Carcinosarcoma ; Connective Tissue Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Junctions ; Keratins ; Microscopy, Electron ; Muramidase ; S100 Proteins ; Sarcoma, Synovial ; Stem Cells ; Synovial Membrane ; Vimentin

We investigated dietary effects of green tea powder (GTP) on plasma lipids, platelet aggregation, hemolysis, plasma TBARS, and liver enzymes. Thirty one volunteer diving women living on Jeju island consumed 4 g green tea powder daily for a period of four weeks and data for the study subjects were analyzed on the basis of diagnostic criteria for blood pressure (BP)(> or = 140/90 mmHg), plasma total cholesterol (TC)(> or = 200 mg/dL), and triglyceride (TG)(> or = 150mg/dL). Subjects with high BP had significantly higher TC and TG than those with normal BP. Subjects with higher TC had higher TG, and those with higher TG had lower HDL cholesterol. Platelet aggregation in the initial slope was significantly higher in subjects with normal BP, normal TC, or normal TG than their counterparts in high BP, TC, and TG. HDL cholesterol after GTP intake increased only in subject groups with normal BP, normal TC, or normal TG, and plasma TG after GTP intake decreased only in groups with higher BP, higher TG, or higher TC. Plasma TC and TG in subjects with normal BP increased after GTP intake. GTP intake caused a decrease in the initial slope of platelet aggregation in all subject groups with little effect on maximum aggregation. Total bilirubin showed a significant increase and GOT increased in all subject groups after GTP intake. Beneficial effects of short term intake of green tea powder might differ depending on the subject conditions in terms of blood pressure, plasma lipids, and other cardiovascular conditions. However, with the hypolipidemic, antithrombotic, and antioxidant actions of its bioactive flavonoids, long term usage of GTP or brewed green tea may provide preventive effects against cardiovascular disease.
Bilirubin ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Diving ; Female ; Flavonoids ; Guanosine Triphosphate ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Liver ; Plasma ; Platelet Aggregation ; Tea ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances

Chronic alcoholism is considered a common cause of malnutrition. Especially, micronutrient deficiency may playa critical role in the incidence of alcoholic liver diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of folate deficiency and ethanol consumption on cholesterol metabolism and the antioxidative system in rats. Plasma concentration of total cholesterol was increased by ethanol administration in folate-fed rats. HDL-cholesterol tended to be higher in the folate-fed group, but it was not significant. The plasma and hepatic levels of malondialdehyde were increased after chronic ethanol feeding, but dietary folate depressed the plasma malondialdehyde content of rats. Ethanol or folate feeding did not significantly change alcohol dehydrogenase activity. But folate feeding increased catalase activity in ethanol-fed rats. There was no significant change in superoxide dismutase activity among the experimental groups. Glutathione peroxidase activity tended to decrease by chronic ethanol feeding, but dietary folate did not affectthe glutathione peroxidase activity of chronic ethanol-fed rats. Glutathionine-S-transferase activity was not affected by ethanol feeding or folate deficiency. The plasma and hepatic levels of retinol decreased after chronic ethanol feeding. The hepatic level of retinol significantly decreased in ethanol-fed rats by folate deficiency. The plasma level of alpha-tocopherol tended to be low in the folate deficient group with ethanol feeding, but there was no difference among the experimental groups in the hepatic level of alpha-tocopherol. These results demonstrate that chronic ethanol consumption changes the plasma cholesterol metabolism and antioxidative system of rats, and optimal folate feeding in ethanol-fed rats exerts protective effects to some extent.
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ; Alcoholism ; alpha-Tocopherol ; Animals ; Catalase ; Cholesterol* ; Ethanol ; Folic Acid* ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Incidence ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; Malnutrition ; Malondialdehyde ; Metabolism ; Micronutrients ; Plasma* ; Rats* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Vitamin A

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of oncology ward nurses toward cancer pain management and to find ways to improve the educational program for nurses. METHOD: A total of 209 nurses working at the oncology ward of three hospitals in Seoul and a Gyenggi Province. The survey instrument used was the 32-item scale for evaluating nurses knowledge and attitudes originally developed by McCaffery and Ferrell'(1990), that was by Kim'(1997). RESULTS: In terms of the nurses knowledge of pain management, the result showed that the nurses scored an average of 67.8 out of 100 for phamacokinetics of opioids, 84.8 for classification of analgesics, 60.1 for pain assessment, and 70.7 for drug administration. 18.2% of the nurses hesitate to inject the narcotic agent because of concerns regarding the drug's potential side effects. there was significant difference in the knowledge of pain management according to the general characteristics of pain in terms of the nurses age(p=.001), position (p=.016), years of experiences(p=.002), experience of cancer pain education(p=.001). CONCLUSION: The also showed that nurses working at cancer ward lack knowledge. It is important to provide intensive education to nurses about cancer pain management.
Analgesics ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Classification ; Education ; Pain Management* ; Pain Measurement ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of oncology ward nurses toward cancer pain management and to find ways to improve the educational program for nurses. METHOD: A total of 209 nurses working at the oncology ward of three hospitals in Seoul and a Gyenggi Province. The survey instrument used was the 32-item scale for evaluating nurses knowledge and attitudes originally developed by McCaffery and Ferrell'(1990), that was by Kim'(1997). RESULTS: In terms of the nurses knowledge of pain management, the result showed that the nurses scored an average of 67.8 out of 100 for phamacokinetics of opioids, 84.8 for classification of analgesics, 60.1 for pain assessment, and 70.7 for drug administration. 18.2% of the nurses hesitate to inject the narcotic agent because of concerns regarding the drug's potential side effects. there was significant difference in the knowledge of pain management according to the general characteristics of pain in terms of the nurses age(p=.001), position (p=.016), years of experiences(p=.002), experience of cancer pain education(p=.001). CONCLUSION: The also showed that nurses working at cancer ward lack knowledge. It is important to provide intensive education to nurses about cancer pain management.
Analgesics ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Classification ; Education ; Pain Management* ; Pain Measurement ; Seoul