Routine use of commercially available antisera against hepatitis B core antigen(HBcAg) has permitted a reevaluation of the histochemical distribution of the antigen in liver tissue. HBcAg, classically described almost exclusively in the nucleus, was found with a very high frequency in the cytoplasm of liver cells as well. To elucidate the biologic significance of HBcAg expression and its relation to the natural course of hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection, the patterns of activity in 33 needle liver biopsies of HBsAg carriers were analysed. A good correlation of liver HBcAg with disease activity was demonstrated. HBcAg was present in the hepatocyte nuclei(nHBcAg) or cytoplasm(cHBcAg), or in both(mixed). Pure nHBcAg was seen mainly in non-aggressive reactive liver tissue and cHBcAg was predominantly associated with chronic active hepatitis(95%). The results suggest that expression of HBcAg correlates with the liver pathology and the possibility of HBcAg to be an immunological target for T cell mediated hepatocyte damage.
Biopsy

Elastofibroma is a rare entity of slowly-growing, solid, ill-defined fibroblastic mass occurring almost exclusively in elderly persons and arising mainly from the connective tissue between the lower portion of the scapula and the chest wall. This entity has been considered to be a degenerative pseudo-neoplastic process caused by mechanical friction. We report an additional case of elastofibroma removed from the subscapular region of a 58-year-old woman. Microscopically the tumor was made up of a mixture of swollen eosinophilic collagen and elastic fibers occasionally associated with fibroblasts and mature fat cells. The elastic fibers showed a degenerated beaded appearance or were fragmented into small globules or droplets in a linear pattern.
Female ; Humans

Gastric bezoars are large masses or concretions, composed with plant fiber, hair and miscellaneous foreign bodies, found in the stomach and occur usually as sequele of gastric surgery. We experienced 2 cases of fat bezoars which developed after drinking of melted beef fst. They had postprandial epigastric fullness and pain, those were relieved on supine and left recumbent position. Upper gastrointestinal series showed a large movable mass in the stomach in hoth cases. On gastrofibercopic examination, a large egg sized white bezoar was cordirmed in both cases and a gastrie ulcer at antrum associated in one case. In attempt to removal of the bezoars, we tried to break them, but failed because of its character. The patients were treated with pancreatic lipase containg digestives, Pancreon-F and Azintal. From one day after this treatment, symptoms were completely relieved. Five days later, we confirmed disappearance of bezoars by gastrofiberscopy. and upper gastrointestinal barium
Barium ; Bezoars* ; Drinking ; Foreign Bodies ; Hair ; Humans ; Lipase* ; Ovum ; Plants ; Stomach ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND: IGF-I is an important mitogen in many types of malignancies. Tumors also express many IGF binding proteins, which modulate IGF action. The purpose of this study was to evaluaste the effect of IGF-I and IGFBP on cell proliferation in mouse lung cancer cells (3LL). METHODS: The cellular proliferation of 3LL with the treatment of growth factors was evaluated using MTT assay. Western ligand blot was performed in order to determine whether 3LL cells secrete IGFBPs and we evaluated the effect of IGFBP on cellular proliferation. RESULTS: The treatment of 3LL cells with IGF-I increased cellular proliferation in a serum free media. Western ligand blot of conditioned medium of 3LL with 125I-IGF-I demonstrated one single major band with an estimated molecular mass of 24 kDa. This band was identified as IGFBP-4 with immunoblot analysis using antisera. The addition of anti-IGFBP-4 antibody to abrogate the effect of IGFBP-4 resulted in increased cellular prolife ration suggesting that IGFBP-4 inhibits cell growth. CONCLUSION: IGF-I increases cellular proliferation, however the secreted IGFBP- 4 has an ingibitory function on cell growth in 3LL. These findings suggest that IGF-I and IGFBP are involved in the cell proliferation.
Animals ; Carrier Proteins* ; Cell Proliferation ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Immune Sera ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Pneumonectomy*

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Blastoma*

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenesis of the endometriosis is very complex and the etiology is still unclear. Our hypothesis is that there may be some difference in gene expression patterns between eutopic endometriums with or without endometriosis. In this study, we analyzed the difference of gene expression profile with cDNA microarray. METHODS: Endometrial tissues were gathered from patients with endometriosis or other benign gynecologic diseases. cDNA microarray technique was applied to screen the different gene expression profiles from early and late secretory phase endometria of those two groups. Each three mRNA samples isolated from early and late secretory phase of endometrial tissues of control were pooled and used as master controls and labeled with Cy3-dUTP. Then the differences of gene expression pattern were screened by comparing eutopic endometria with endometriosis, which were labeled with Cy5-dUTP. Fluorescent labeled probes were hybridized on a microarray of 4,800 human genes. RESULTS: Twelve genes were consistently overexpressed in the endometrium of endometriosis such as ATP synthase H transporting F1 (ATP5B), eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (NADP+), mitochondrial ribosomal protein L3, ATP synthase H+ transporting (ATP5C1) and TNF alpha factor. Eleven genes were consistently down-regulated in the endometriosis samples. Many extracellular matrix protein genes (decorin, lumican, EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1, fibulin 5, and matrix Gla protein) and protease/protease inhibitors (serine proteinase inhibitor, matrix metalloproteinase 2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1), and insulin like growth factor II associated protein were included. Expression patterns of selected eight genes from the cDNA microarray were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR or real time RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The result of this analysis supports the hypothesis that the endometrium from patients with endometriosis has distinct gene expression profile from control endometrium without endometriosis.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Gene Expression* ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Isocitrate Dehydrogenase ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Peptide Elongation Factor 1 ; Ribosomal Proteins ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcriptome*

The number of post-irradiated surgical specimen appears to have risen in recent years due to the increasing utiliz ation of radiotherapy for cancer patients. Radiation therapy damages cells by its effects on the deoxyribonucleic acid and the spectrum of injury ranges from acute self-limited lesion to irreversible chronic lesion. We reviewed 24 cases of post-irradiated specimen and thought that time interval is the main factor influencing the morphologic change. Within six weeks, the individual cytologic changes such as biz arre nuclei, altered nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, amphophilic and vacuolated cytoplasm are noted. Chronic injury resulting from progressive changes in the fibrovascular tissue of the radiated area occur in six months after the initial course of radiation and the vascular changes of intimal thickening and fibrosis, foamy histiocytes within media, periadventital fibrosis and chronic inflammatory cells infiltration are present. Althouhg above mentioned finding are not pathognomonic, we thought them quite constant nd reproducible characteristics of radiation injury.

This investigation evaluated patients who received Steri-Oss implants from the Dental Hospital of Chosun University during the period from March 1989 to August 1997. 346 fixtures of 127 patients were included in this study . The results were as follows ; 1.The follow-up period was defined as the period between the surgical placement of the implants and the last follow-up examination. The mean follow-up period was 2.17+/-1.21 years. 2.The period between fixture installation and second surgery was 0.71+/-0.44 years in the maxilla and 0.46+/-0.21 years in the mandible. 3.The number of fixtures which were installed in the upper jaw(112) was less than that in the lower jaw(234) and in the posterior region(260) was more than in the anterior region(86). 4.The length of fixture which was most frequently used was 12 mm and least was 8mm. Screw implants were installed more than cylindrical implants. 3.8mm implant was the most common implans, followed by 4.5mm and 3.25mm. 5.The number of augmentation cases was more than that of non-augmentation cases and the rate of augmentation cases in the maxilla was more than that in the mandible. 6.Implant restorations for partial edentulos patients(94cases) were more than single-tooth implant restorations(33cases) or implant restorations for complete edentulos patients(10cases). 7.Free-standing prostheses for partially edentulous patients were more commom than any other type of connection between implants and natural teeth. 8.Plaque Index(0.95+/-0.74) and Gingival Index(0.31+/-0.52) were very similar around the natural teeth and reflected an acceptable level of plaque and gingivitis control. Mean value for keratinized mucosa index(1.93+/-1.20) remained fairly constant around level 2(1-2 mm keratinized epithelium). 9.Patients were generally satisfied with implant in terms of comfort, function, speech and esthetics. 10.There was not a statistically significant differences in overall survial rate between implants placed in the maxilla (91.5%) and those placed in the mandible (93.8%). Fourteen implants lost before the prosthetic rehabilitation and eleven implants lost following variable periods in function after the prosthetic phase of the treatment. 11.Cause of implant failures was exfoliation or removal of fixture due to non-osseointegration before the prosthetic rehabilitation or due to fracture of fixture, masticatory pain after the prosthetic rehabilitation. 12.The survival rate of Steri-Oss implants using the Kaplan-Meier statistical analysis was 93.8% at 2 year and 86.6% at 5 year. In all cases, implant losses occured predominantly in the healing period. There was a steep decline in the rate of implant loss after the first year. 13.The survival rate of Steri-Oss implants in the anterior region was 94.8% at 2 year and 94.8% at 5 year and that in the posterior region was 92.8% at 2 year and 75.9% at 5 year. In conclusion, this study revealed a number of parameters and guidelines for achieving an optimal success rate in osseointegration.
Dental Implants, Single-Tooth ; Esthetics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingivitis ; Humans ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Mucous Membrane ; Osseointegration ; Prostheses and Implants ; Rehabilitation ; Survival Rate ; Tooth

To evaluate the incidence and clinico-pathologic correlation of benign epithelial changes of endometrium, we tried to classify the changes into squamous cell change, ciliary change, eosinophilic cell change, papillary surface epithelial change, and mucinous cell change by the criteria of Hendrickson. Based on the 450 hysterectomy specimens obtained from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1994 in PMC, the incidence of the cell changes was as follows: squamous cell change: 1.1%, eosinophilic cell change: 6.8%, mucinous cell change: 6.6%, ciliary change: 10.4%, papillary surface epithelial change: 16.4%. Squamous cell change was noted in severe endometritis or endometrial hyperplasia and papillary surface epithelial proliferation was mainly associated with plasma cell infiltration in adenomyosis or leiomyoma. Eosinophilic change and ciliary change were sometimes concomitantly found in dilated glands of the basal layer or in the invaded glands of adenomyosis. The results of this study suggested a correlation of benign epithelial changes with endometritis, adenomyosis, leiomyoma and dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
Incidence