OBJECTIVE: We examined the vasoconstricting poperties of endothelin (ET) on isolated arteries from pregnant as well as non-pregnant uterus. METHODS: Arteries of the uterus were obtained from both hysterectomized uterus and during pregnany hysterectomy for control group and cesarean section for pregnant group. Rings of uterine artery were suspended on muscle chambers at their optimal length for generating tension and contractile properties were examined. RESULTS: ET-1 and ET-2 induced concentration-dependent constriction of both isolated arterial strips from non-pregnant and pregnant uterus. The contraction to ET-1 and ET-2 were more enhanced in full-term pregnancy. Furthermore, in pregnant group, sarafotoxin S6c and IRL 1620, ET. agonists, induced a dose-dependent contraction, which was not shown in those from non-pregnant human. Pretreatment of human uterine arterial strips from pregnant uterus with BQ610, an ET. antagonist, for 10 min resulted in a dose-related rightward shift of ET-1 response curve with diminution of maximal response. Schild plot analysis yielded a pA value of 7.29 with a slope of 0.98. However, BQ788, an ET antagonist, did not produce any rightward shift. The contraction to lower concentration (10-8~3*10-7 M) of sarafotoxin S6c was not affected by BQ788, whereas that to higher concentration (10-s-8*10-7 M) was marked diminished. However, BQ610 did not exnt any efFect on sarafotoxin S6c-induced contraction in arterial staips from pregnant uterus. When the bath solution was replaced with Ca-free physiological salt solution (PSS) containing 1 mM EGTA for 10 min prior to adding sarafotoxin S6c, sarafotoxin S6c-induced contraction was completely abolished. Sarafotoxin S6c (10 nM)-induced contraction was prefetentially blocked by a protein kinase C antagonist, H-7, whereas it was less sensitive to a calmodulin antagonist, calmidazolium, CONCLUSION: Based on above results, we concluded that ET plays an important role in regulating uterine blood flow through the activation of ETa and ETB receptors. Furthermote, ETB receptors may predominantly contribute to the modulation of human uterine circulation in full-term pregnancy.
1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine ; Arteries* ; Baths ; Calmodulin ; Cesarean Section ; Constriction ; Egtazic Acid ; Endothelin-2 ; Endothelins* ; Female ; Humans* ; Hysterectomy ; Pregnancy ; Protein Kinase C ; Receptors, Endothelin ; Uterine Artery ; Uterus*

Colonic sarcomatoid carcinomas are known to be extremely rare tumors, with only 22 cases reported either as sarcomatoid carcinomas or carcinosarcomas in the literature. The known characteristics are rapid growth, a high recurrence rate, and an extremely poor prognosis. Herein we report a case of a patient who had a sarcomatoid carcinoma of the sigmoid colon and died only 22 days after surgery due to rapid tumor growth.
Carcinosarcoma ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

No abstract available.
Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neuroblastoma*

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are characterized by immediate - and late - phase reactions to various allergens by the selective activation of a subset of CD4 + T cells. In response to allergen, T cells isolated from atopic donors are biased to low levels of IFN - y and high levels of IL - 4, and vice versa by T cells from non - atopic donor. Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the patterns of IL - 4 and IFN - y production after Der p I stimulation and the effect on the cytokine production from T cells by budesonide, disodium cromoglycate and cyclosporin A in atopic and non - atopic individuals. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Seven Der p I specific atopic and 7 non - atopic individuals were selected. We decided the 50% inhibiting concentration of each immunomodulator by lymphocyte proliferation assay, and measured their effects on the cytokine production in vitro by intracellular IL - 4, IFN - y staining and flow cytometry. Results and CONCLUSION: There was significant difference on stimulation index ( SI ) of production of IFN - y as well as IL-4 after Der p I stimulation between atopic and non-atopic individuals ( IL - 4 ; 1.57 +/- 0.7 : 0.98 +/- 0.2, p = 0.026, IFN - r : 1.45 +/- 0.5 : 0.95 +/- 0.2, p = 0.048 ). The synthesis of IL - 4, and IFN - r were significantly inhibited after the stimulation of every immunomodulators in atopic individuals, DSCG couldnt inhibit IL - 4 and IFN - r in nonatopic individuals. There was no significant difference in the inhibiting effect of these immunomodulators in both of them.
Allergens ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Budesonide ; Cromolyn Sodium ; Cyclosporine ; Dust* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; Interferons* ; Interleukin-4 ; Lymphocytes ; Pyroglyphidae* ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Tissue Donors

or =50 years), there was a significant association between oral cancer risk and high BMI in female subjects younger than 50 years of age (OR=3.92, 95% CI 1.03~14.9, P for trend=0.04), but not in older (> or =50 years) female subjects (OR=1.11, 95% CI 0.55~2.24, P for trend=0.76). There was no significant relationship between BMI and oral cancer risk in any of the male age subgroups.CONCLUSION: Our study provides the first epidemiological evidence supporting an association between obesity and an increased risk of oral cancer.]]>
Body Mass Index ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mouth Neoplasms ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*

Though basal cell carcinoma is the most frequent and increasing malignant tumor of the skin in Korea, its pathological analysis has been done only on the small numbers. So, we did a comprehensive pathologic study on the 283 patients with basal cell carcinoma diagnosed in the Department of Pathology, Seoul National(233cases) and Chung-Ang(50cases) University Hospital during 1975-1992. The age distribution was ranged from 15 to 84 years with highest incidence rate in the age group of 5th-8th decades and 83.7% of all patients were over 40 years of age. Sex difference was not noted. The most common site was face occuring in 235 out of 283cases(83.0%) especially in the eyelid(25.5%), nose(17.9%) and cheek(16.6%). The most frequent histopathologic type was solid type(54.0%) followed by mixed(23.9%), adenoid(7.5%), and metatypical(4.7%). Among 51 mixed type, all showed solid components with adenoid(51.0%) followed by morphea(25.5%) and metatypical type(13.7%). And among 14 recurrent cases, solid type is found in 50% of cases. The characteristic clinicopathological findings are solid arrangement of tumor cells with various histological pattern and predominant occurence on the face.
Incidence

No abstract available.
Angiography ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography* ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*