Correction of funding statement.

Correction of funding statement.

We evaluated the role of endoseopic balloon dilatation for esophageal strictures caused by postoperative anastomosis in 5 cases, sclerotherapy in 4 cases, caustic injury in 6 cases, and malignancy in 16 cases. The success rate of balloon dilatation was 100% in postoperative anastomotic and post-scle- rotherapy strictures, 16.7% in caustic stricture, and 62.5% in malignant stricture. The addition of bougienage increased the final success rate of dilatation therapy from 16.7 to 66.7% in caustic stricture, and 62.5 to 93.8% in malignant stricture. The overall one-year recurrence rate in benign stricture was 34.5%. All of the recurrent strictures were successfully retreated by balloon dilatation. In conclusion, endoscopic balloon dilatation is a safe, effective, and easy method for the management of benign esophageal strictures except longstanding caustic stricture, and can be used as an auxiliary therapy prior to more definitive treatments such as esophageal intubation in malignant stricture.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation ; Esophagus ; Intubation ; Recurrence ; Sclerotherapy

No abstract available.
Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis*

Authors have previously experienced the effect of balloon dilation at the vallecular by utilizing the video-fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and the urethral catheter to physically stretch and spread in the direction of the posterior inferior towards the patients who have claimed for dysphagia symptoms due to epiglottic dysfunction. A 72-year-old male patient has been diagnosed with rectal cancer and have been treated with an ileocolostomy after the intubation. After the removal of tracheal intubation, the patient complained of dysphagia. Foods and drinks could not be transmigrated into the esophagus due to the inability of the epiglottis to bend backward in the direction of posterior inferior on VFSS. The epiglottis was physically stretched and spread in the direction of posterior inferior by utilizing the balloon attached to a urethral catheter. After stretching and spreading the epiglottis in the direction of posterior inferior, the bolus remaining in the epiglottic vallecula was decreased. For a patient who is experiencing dysphagia due to an epiglottis disorder, it seems that an epiglottis balloon dilation supported by VFSS and a urethral catheter may be appropriate for the treatment of dysphagia symptoms.
Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Epiglottis ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Intubation ; Male ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Urinary Catheters

Cancer tissues are characterized by increased glucose uptake. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG), a glucose analogue is used for the diagnosis of cancer in PET studies. This study was aimed to compare the glucose uptake and glucose transporter l(GLUT1) expression in various human colon cancer cells. We measured FDG uptake by cell retention study and expression of GLUTI using Western blotting. Human colon cancer cells, SNU-C2A, SNU-C4 and SNU-C5, were used. The cells were incubated with 1micro Ci/ml of FDG in HEPES-buffered saline for one hour. The FDG uptake of SNU-C2A,SNU-C4 and SNU-C5 were 16.8+/-1.36, 12.3+/-5.55 and 61.0+/-2.17cpm/microgram of protein, respectively. Dose-response and time-course studies represent that FDG uptake of cancer cells were dose dependent and time dependent. The rate of FDG uptake of SNU-C2A, SNU-C4 and SNU-C5 were 0.29+/-0.03, 0.21+/-0.09 and 1.07+/-0.07cpm/min/microgram of protein, respectively. Western blot analysis showed that the GLUT1 expression of SNU-C5 was significantly higher than those of SNU-C2A and SNU-C4. These results represent that FDG uptake into human colon cancer cells are different from each other. In addition, FDG uptake and expression of CLUT1 are closely related in human colon cancer cells.
Blotting, Western ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Diagnosis ; Glucose ; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative ; Humans*

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

Antibiotics were reported to be able to alter bacterial surface properties in subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs). The effects of sub-MICs of certain antibiotics on a bacterial surface property such as hemagglutination, as well as on the cell morphology were studied using Streptococcus gordonii and Staphylococcus aureus. The effect of sub-M1Cs of antibiotics on the binding of these bacteria to immobilized fibrinogen were also investigated. The MICs of antibiotics were determined by culturing S. gordonii and S. aureus in media supplemented with serially diluted drug solutions, and one-half the MIC was used as the sub-MIC of the drugs, unless stated otherwise. Sub-MICs of antibiotics did not affect bacterial agglutination of erythrocytes. Microscopic observation of S. gordonii grown at sub-MIC concentration of 0.02 ug/ml of amoxicillin revealed cell enlargement of 1.6 times those grown without the drug. When grown in the sub-MIC amount of 0.08 ug/ml of cefazolin, most S. gordonii cells were enlarged and elongated into rod-shape, resulting in 3 times the size of the cells grown without the antibiotic. The data from the fibrinogen-binding experiments showed that the binding of S. gordonii to immobilized fibrinogen was increased with all the B-lactam drugs tested; the binding of S. aureus to immobilized fibrinogen, on the other hand, was decreased with the same drugs. The results show that low concentrations of certain B-lactam antibiotics are able to cause alterations in cellular morphology of S. gordonii and affect the binding of S. gordonii and S. aureus to immobilized fibrinogen.
Agglutination ; Amoxicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Bacteria ; Cefazolin ; Cell Enlargement ; Erythrocytes ; Fibrinogen ; Hand ; Hemagglutination ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Streptococcus gordonii* ; Streptococcus* ; Surface Properties*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal and prosthodontic complications of multiple freestanding implants in the posterior jaws for up to 1 year of function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eight patients received 20 implants posterior to canines. Two or more implants were consecutively inserted to each patient. Single crowns were delivered onto the implants. Marginal bone loss, implant mobility, probing depth, and screw loosening were examined to evaluate the clinical success of such restorations for maximum 1 year of functional loading. RESULTS: All the implants performed well during the observation period. Neither periodontal nor prosthodontic complications were found except a slight porcelain chipping. While the marginal bone level was on average 0.09 mm lower around the implant after 6 months of loading, it was 0.15 mm higher after 1 year. CONCLUSION: Within the limits of this investigation, separate single-tooth implant restorations to replace consecutive missing teeth may clinically function well in the posterior jaw.
Cohort Studies ; Crowns ; Dental Implants, Single-Tooth ; Dental Porcelain ; Humans ; Jaw ; Prospective Studies ; Prosthodontics ; Tooth

To evaluate the results and clinical impact of defecography in patients with anorectal diseases, 304 defecographic examinations from 304 patients were reviewed. The defecographic results were screened for the anorectal angle and perineal descent at rest, squeezing and during straining. Changes of rectal configuration and canal width during straining were reviewed. 304 patients had defecation problems such as terminal constipation, defecation defficulty, blood or mucus discharge, tenesmus, obstruction sensation etc. They were performed anorectal physical examination and anal manometry etc., and were later treated by operation and conservative management. Normal anorectal angle were measured to be 101°, 91°, 131°at rest, during squeezing and straining respectively. In the spastic pelvic floor syndrome, increase of anorectal angle less than 10 ° from rest to straining was observed. Incontinent patients had a larger anorectal angle (mean: 128°) at rest. 7.8cm of perineal descent was found in descending perineal syndrome in comparison to 4.0cm in normal. Normal anal canal width was measured 1.4cm only during straining but identified in incontinent patients at rest (mean:1.2cm). Abnormal rectal configuration was found in 254 defecographic examinations: rectoceles were observed in 235 cases and were associated with rectal prolapse in 115 cases, and rectal prolapses were found in 134 cases. In conclusion, the anorectal angle was valuable in evaluation of spastic pelvic floor syndrome and fecal incontinence. Degree of perineal descent was abnormally increased in descending perineal syndrome. In the cases of the rectoceles and rectal prolapses, defecography is helpful in preoperative evaluation of rectal wall change and postoperative follow up.
Anal Canal ; Constipation ; Defecation ; Defecography* ; Fecal Incontinence ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Manometry ; Mucus ; Muscle Spasticity ; Pelvic Floor ; Physical Examination ; Rectal Prolapse ; Rectocele ; Sensation