OBJECTIVE: p16INK4 and p15INK4B genes are known to be tumor suppressor genes which reside in p21 region of chromosome 9 and are related to cell cycle control as an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent-kinase. We designed this study to search for deletion and decreased expression of p16INK4 and p15INK4B genes in advanced ovarian carcinomas. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based analysis was performed to search for deletion of p16INK4 and p15INK4B using DNA extracted from frozen tissue in liquid nitrogen of thirty-one advanced ovarian carcinoma patients. The intensities of PCR bands were analyzed using an imaging densitometer to determine gene dosage in tumor samples and the relative gene dosage was calculated by comparing band intesity of p16INK4 or p15INK4B with that of beta-globin gene. Homozygous deletions were assigned to tumors in which the ratio was reduced to less than 25% in any one of exons of p16INK4 and p15INK4B. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to study the expression of p16INK4. p16-negative cells were characterized by the absence of nuclear staining, whereas cytoplasmic staining was variable. Clinico-pathologic features, complete remission rates and survivals were analyzed according to the status of p16INK4 and p15INK4B genes. RESULTS: Homozygous deletion of p16INK4 was detected in 12.9% of advanced ovarian carcinoma patients and that of p15INK4B in 35.5%. Clinico-pathologic features such as FIGO stage, histological grade, serum CA-125 levels were not different from groups with homozygously deleted p16INK4 and p15INK4B to those with normal genes. The survival of patients (13 [6-20] months) with homozygously deleted p16INK4 was significantly shorter than that (30 [8-52] months) of patients with normal p16INK4 (p=0.046; Log-rank test). CONCLUSION: These observations indicate that deletions of p16INK4 and p15INK4B gene might be involved in tumorigenesis of ovarian carcinoma and could be useful as a prognostic factor. A prospective, controlled study with more patients will be mandatory in the future.
beta-Globins ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; Exons ; Gene Dosage ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nitrogen ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

PURPOSE: To evaluate high signal intensity of nontumorous conditions of corpus callosum on T2-weighted MR images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourty nine patients with nontumorous high signal intensities involving corpus callosum on sagittal T2-weighted image were restrospectively analyzed. Nontumorous condition of corpus callosum were diffuse axonal injury(DAI, 19 cases), cerebral infarctions(16 cases), multiple sclerosis(MS, 5 cases), Wilson's disease(2 cases) and hydrocephalus(7 cases) that were diagnosed by clinical and MR findings. Numbers, configuration, involved thickness and sites of high signal intensities of corpus callosum were analyzed. RESULTS: DAI and infarctions showed either single or multiple lesions. MS and hydrocephalus showed multiple lesions, but Wilson's diseases showed single lesion. In DAI, infarctions and MS the lesions involved any part of corpus callosum, splenium in WIIson's disease, and all parts of corpus callosum in hydrocephalus. Wilson's disease showed only partial thickness involvement, and others involved partial or full thickness of corpus callosum. Configuration of high signal intensity was linear in most cases of hydrocephalus, and oval in Wilson's disease, and oval and confluent in MS, and variable in DAI and infarctions. CONCLUSION: High signal intensities of nontumorous conditions of corpus callosum revealed variable findings, and therefore, analysis of nontumorous high signal intensities of corpus callosum is not made by only MR findings but by conjuction with clinical aspects.
Axons ; Corpus Callosum* ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infarction

Leg ; Osteogenesis, Distraction

PURPOSE: Chronic dorsal wrist pain limits hand function and is related to several diseases. Especially, pain and tenderness over the fourth extensor compartment with repetitive wrist dorsiflexion was described as distal posterior interosseous nerve syndrome. This article details the history, symptoms, physical findings, and treatment of this syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study includes six patients seen between 1996 and 1998. Five men and one woman (ages 17 to 57 years) presented with localized, nonradiating, dull dorsal wrist pain, ulnar and distal to Lister's tubercle. Presumptive diagnostic test was an injection of selective lido cane 2 cm proximal to the wrist joint. RESULTS: Six patients were diagnosed of having distal posterior interosseous nerve syndrome. The five patients who recurred symptoms after injection underwent surgical exploration. Histologic evaluations revealed abnormal perineural fibrosis and edema. Patients were reexamined at least 12 months after surgery and have returned to full asymptomatic activity. CONCLUSIONS: Initially, non-operative treatment seems to be effective. If conservative treatment fails, operative excision of distal posterior interosseous nerve may be required
Canes ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Edema ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Wrist ; Wrist Joint

Epiblepharon is frequently encountered n oriental eyelid, especially in children. It is characterized by a horizontal fold of redundant skin and abundant orbicularis muscle near lid margin, which the lashes vertically, or posteriorly towards the eye. Surgical therapy of epiblepharon in correcting the trichiasis includes lid bracing sutures, burried sutures, skin resection, a Hotz procedure or its modification, and a Jones procedure. In our opinion, these procedures are not sufficient, because these procedures will not correct the epicanthal folds. Epicanthal folds have been a one of the characteristics of Asian over 50 percents of population in Japan and South Korea, and it either reduce the aesthetic result of the double-eyelid procedure or make the correction of the entropion and epiblepharon difficult. Although many surgical procedures are available to eliminate epicanthal folds, scarring on the medial canthus is in still and obstacle for surgeons to overcome. From January of 1998 to October of 1998, we used half z-plasty procedures in 5 cases to correct epicanthal folds in epiblepharon. There were few complications in our series. We believe that half z-plasty can get a good result in the correction of epibolepharon and oriental epicanthal folds.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Braces ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Entropion ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Skin ; Sutures ; Trichiasis

A total of 212 cases of gastric carcinoma resected at Kang-Dong Sacred Heart Hospital during the period of 4 years from December 1986 to December 1990 were examined according to Borrmann, Mulligan-Rember, Ming and WHO methods based on histopathological investigations. In Mulligan-Rember (M-R) classification, intestinal cell type (IC) was frequently seen in Borrmann type I and II; pyloro-cardiac gland cell type (PC) in II and III, and mucous cell type (MC) in IV and III. Expanding growth pattern was more frequent in IC, infiltrative growth pattern in MC, and PC showed less infiltrative growth than MC. In gross type, the most expanding growth pattern was seen in Advanced gastric carcinoma type (AGC) I and the next one was in AGC II; the ratio of infiltrative versus expanding type was highest in AGC IV and next in AGC resembling early gastric carcinoma (EGC) and AGC III in order. On WHO classification except squamous type, all the papillary type showed expanding growth and infiltrative growth was frequently seen in signet-ring cell, undifferentiated, tubular and mucinous types in order. Lymphoid stroma was more frequently found in expanding type than infiltrative type. The frequency of angioinvasion of tumor cells observed was high in AGC resembling EGC, AGC II, III, IV, I and EGC in order. In WHO classification excluding squamous type, undifferentiated and signet-ring cell types occurred more frequently under the age of 60 and papillary type were more frequnetly seen over the age of 60. But tubular type had no difference between the two age groups. In Ming's classification, expanding type was more frequently seen than infiltrative type over the age of 60.

Testicular feminization is an uncommon genetic disorder with considerably familial predisposition and results in total feminization due to end-organ unresponsiveness to androgens. It is characterized by the presence of testes in phenotypically female with adequate breast development, normal extemal genitalia, absence of mullerian structures, and meager or absence of body hair. These patients characteristically have male karyotype(XY) and negative sex chromatin and are at increased risk of undergoing malignant transformation of the undescended gonad. In recent times, the malignant potential of the dysgenetic gonads in the intersex patients with a Y chromosome has been stressed by many authors, but few reports of an association between testicular feminization syndrome and benign tumors such as Sertoli cell adenomas. In the present study, postoperative pathology revealed that the gonads were Sertoli cell adenomas. The main features of clinical presentation and histological studies are briefly discussed with a review of the literature.
Adenoma* ; Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome* ; Androgens ; Breast ; Female ; Feminization ; Genitalia ; Gonads ; Hair ; Humans ; Male ; Pathology ; Sex Chromatin ; Testis ; Y Chromosome

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the fetal doppler flow velocimetry and birth weight in low risk pregnancy population. METHODS: From December 1995 to May 1996, We prospectively performed doppler study in 254 uncomplicated, term pregnant women, who visited Pohang Hospital, Dongguk University. Using pulsed color doppler, we measured umbilical artery RI, middle cerebral artery RI and middle cerebral-umbilical artery RI ratio within one week before delivery. RESULTS: The result was that low birth weight group (below 2500gm) had very significant lationship with umbilical artery RI(P<0.01), middle cerebral artery RI(P<0.05) and middle cerebral-umbilical artery RI ratio(P<0.05), but there was no significant relationship in these blood flow indices between normal birth weight group (2501gm- 3999gm) and macrosomia group (above 4000gm). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that application of doppler ultrasonopaphy in the assessment of fetal weight is somewhat helpful for identification of low birth weight, not for macrosomia.
Arteries ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Weight* ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Prospective Studies ; Rheology ; Ultrasonography* ; Umbilical Arteries

Lovastatin, a competitive inhibitor of the rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis was administered to 34 patients with primary hypertlipidemia, 20 mg once daily with the evening meal. Patients experienced mean total and LDL cholesterol reductions of 30.9% and 34.0% respectively. HDL cholesterol level was significantly increased by 15.4% and plasma triglyceride level was decreased by 11.2%. maximal hypocholesterolemic effects were evident at 8 weeks, after which the effects were stable. Adverse effects were noted in 2 patients who had mild gastrointestinal symptoms, that subsided after discontinuing the drug. We concluded that lovastatin is a well tolerated and effective agent for the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Lovastatin ; Meals ; Plasma* ; Triglycerides

RecentIy, increasing emphasis has been placed on the histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of the muscle in the cleft lip. Schendelet al and Cho et al demonstrated a non-neurogenic muscle atrophy and mitochondrial myopathy, and Raposio examined an increased inflammatory reaction, but no mitochondrial abnormalities of the cleft lip muscle. However, no study has focused on the ultrastructure of the microform cleft lip muscle. Eleven muscle specimens were obtained from the microform cleft lip patients at the time of primary repair from Jun.1997 to Aug.1998 and they were submitted to histologic and histochemical examinations as well as electron microscopy. A non-neurogenic muscle atrophy was seen on HE stain. Modified Gomori trichrome stain revealed red granularity of the muscle fibers, suggesting an increase in mitochondrial activity, however, no ragged-red fibers, a typical sign of mitochondrial myopathy, was found. Electron microscopy revealed atrophy, disarray, and focal loss of myofibrils, dilated sarcoplasmic reticulum with glycogen deposit, and interstitial fibrosis. However, the mitochondrial morphology was well preserved with an increase of the number of the mitochondria which might be secondary change to muscle degeneration. In conclusion, ultrastructural characteristics of the orbicularis oris muscle in the microform cleft lip is non-neurogenic muscle atrophy without mitochondrial myopathy which is controversial in the complete cleft lip.
Atrophy ; Cleft Lip* ; Fibrosis ; Glycogen ; Humans ; Microfilming* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mitochondria ; Mitochondrial Myopathies ; Muscular Atrophy ; Myofibrils ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum