PURPOSE: Since the discovery of estrogen receptor-beta(ER-beta, five C-terminal variants of ER-beta were identified. We designed this study to investigate the pattern and clinical implications of ER-betaand its splicing variants expression in normal and malignant mammary tissues. METHODS: Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we examined the expression levels of ER-alpha and ER-betaand its five splicing variants (beta1, beta2, beta3, beta4, beta5) in 50 paired normal and cancer tissues. We measured the densities of RT-PCR products using Tina version 2.10 (Raytest, Germany). Firstly, the incidence and intensity of ER-alpha and ER-beta and its five splicing variants were compared. Then the expression of ER-betamRNA splicing variants was also analyzed with regard to the ER-alphaprotein expression measured by immuno-histochemical staining and the menopausal status of the patients. Chi-square test and paired samples t-test were used for statistical analysis. Differences were considered to be significant with a p-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: The expression of ER-betamRNA variants in normal breast and cancer tissues were as follows: ER-beta2 (100%/100%), ER-beta4 (76%/74%), ER-beta5 (32%/58%), and ER-beta1 (14%/16%). ER-beta3 was not detected at all. In terms of intensity, we observed a significant decrease of ER-beta2 (P<0.001) and an increase of ER-beta5 (P=0.004) in the mRNA expression levels among breast cancers compared to the corresponding normal breast tissues. Compared to the corresponding normal tissues, a significant decrease of ER-beta2 in cancer tissues was observed in patients with ER-alpha-positive (P<0.001), with age over 50 (P=0.01), and under 50 (P=0.04) as well, but not in patients with ER-alpha-negative (P=0.48). ER-beta4 also significantly decreased in patients with ER-alpha-positive (P=0.004) and with age over 50 (P=0.07). ER-beta5 showed a significant increment only in patient aged over 50 (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: ER-alpha mRNA expression significantly increases but ER-beta mRNA expression decreases in the cancer tissues compared to the corresponding normal tissues. Among ER-beta variant forms, ER-beta2 is predominant in both normal and malignant mammary tissues and ER-beta4, ER-beta5, and ER-beta1 in descending order but ER-beta3 does not express in mammary tissues. The decrease of ER-beta2 and ER-beta4 expression is prominent in cancer tissue especially in ER-alpha-positive cancers, which suggests that ER-beta2 and ER-beta4 may possess a regulatory function in mammary carcinogenesis. Further investigations to verify the roles of ER-beta variants are mandatory.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinogenesis ; Estrogens* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Estrogen ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to identify the mediating effect of sleep quality on the relationship between job stress and stress response of shift-working nurses.METHODS: The participants in this study were 150 nurses who had more than 6 months of shift-working experience. A survey was conducted from May to June 2017 in a hospital in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The data were collected through self-report questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 program. The analysis was based on Baron and Kenny's model to examine the mediating effects of sleep quality on the relationship between job stress and stress response of shift-working nurses.RESULTS: In the first and second steps, job stress was identified as a significant predictor of sleep quality (β=.29, p=.001) and stress response (β=.24, p=.004). In the third step, sleep (β=.55, p < .001) was observed as a significant predictor of stress response, and the direct relationship between job stress and stress response was not significant (β=.07, p=.291). Sleep quality was found to exhibit complete mediating effect on the relationship between job stress and stress response.CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that strategies for managing the stress of shift-working nurses should include effective ways to ensure sleep quality.
Gyeonggi-do ; Korea ; Negotiating

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the age and sex differences of the fractal dimension of the normal parotid glands in the digitized CT images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The six groups, which were composed of 42 men and women from 20`s, 40`s and 60`s and over were picked. Each group contained seven people of the same sex. The normal parotid CT images were digitized, and their fractal dimensions were calculated using Scion ImagePC program. RESULTS: The mean of fractal dimensions in males was 1.7292(+/-0.0588) and 1.6329(+/-0.0425) in females. The mean of fractal dimensions in young males was 1.7617, 1.7328 in middle males, and 1.6933 in old males. The mean of fractal dimensions in young females was 1.6318, 1.6365 in middle females, and 1.6303 in old females. There was no statistical difference in fractal dimension between left and right parotid gland of the same subject(p>0.05). Fractal dimensions in male were decreased in older group(p<0.05) and larger than female in same age group(p<0.05). But fractal dimensions in female had a tendency to decrease in older group but no statistical difference between ages(p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The fractal dimension of parotid glands in the digitized CT images will be useful to evaluate the age and sex differences.
Female ; Fractals* ; Humans ; Male ; Parotid Gland* ; Sex Characteristics

Recurrent parotitis, which is also known as juvenile recurrent parotitis, is characterized by a cyclic swelling of parotid glands associated with discomfort and/or pain in the absence of external inflammatory changes or progression to frank suppuration. It is usually accompanied by fever and malaise. Recurrent parotitis, following mumps, is the most common inflammatory salivary gland disease during childhood. Its etiology remains an enigma, but various etiologies have been suggested as causes, including infection, allergy, localized manifestations of systemic immunologic disorders, autoimmune diseases and hereditary or congenital abnormalities of salivary duct. Sialolithiasis may occur at any age. Its higher frequency is found between the 4th and 6th decade, but it is rare in the first decade. We currently experienced a 14-year-old boy with recurrent parotitis associated with sialolithiasis. One and a half year earlier this boy experienced right-sided parotid swelling, which subsided spontaneously over a few days. During the following year and a half period, he experienced three more short bouts of parotid swelling with mild pain, fever and malaise. The symptoms including swelling lasted from several days to 2 weeks and resolved spontaneously, independent of any treatment. Forty days ago diffuse swelling of his right parotid gland developed with pain and fever, which were more exacerbated during or after meals. Meanwhile, his left parotid gland also became swollen. Diagnosis for sialolithiasis was confirmed by sialographic findings showing the filling defect in the right parotid duct. We present a case of parotid parotitis with sialolithiasis in a child with a brief review of related literatures.
Adolescent* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Male* ; Meals ; Mumps ; Parotid Gland ; Parotitis* ; Salivary Ducts ; Salivary Gland Calculi* ; Salivary Gland Diseases ; Suppuration

Radiotherapy in the treatment of head and neck cancers is often used either alone or in addition to surgery. Radiation disrupts the proliferative capacity of the cancer while doing as little damage as possible to the normal tissue. Nevertheless, conventional radiotherapy of advanced head and neck tumors is frequently associated with severe oropharyngeal mucositis. The fungiform papillae are found on the dorsal surface of the anterior 2/3 of the tongue and have one taste bud which always located on the superior side. In recent years, many study have demonstrated the location of neuropeptides in the intragemmal cells of the taste buds. We used neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in this study. NCAM is a membrane surface glycoprotein found in neural tissue that functions in cell -cell interactions such as adhesion and recognition and may contribute to neuronal and receptoneural synaptogenesis. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study about NCAM in relation to dysgeusia, especially after radiotherapy. Therefore, we studied the change of the expression of NCAM in the fungiform papilla of the young rat tongue following single dose radiation. Twenty days old 18 Sprague -Dawley rats were used. Twelve rats were irradiated with a single dose of 17 Gy gamma radiation. We sacrificed rats 1, 7, 20 days after radiation. The anterior part of tongues were removed and cut into at 30 micro gram on a cryocut. Using the free floating method, we immunostained sections. In control group, NCAM is expressed on some intragemmal cells which were located in the center of the bud and intragemmal nerve fibers. NCAM -immunoreactive (ir) perigemmal nerve fibers were rare, however basal plexus fibers and subpapillary nerve bundle showed strong immunoreactivity. One day after radiation, taste buds had no detectable changes of the expression of NCAM. However, seven days after radiation, the number of NCAM -ir intragemmal cells was reduced and the shape of ir cells was deformed. Immunoreactivity of basal plexus fibers and subpapillary nerve bundle was also decreased. The surface of the papilla was transformed into dome shape. Twenty days after radiation, overall forms of buds were recovered except a few deformed NCAM -ir intragemmal cells. NCAM was expressed in the intragemmal cells which are thought to be related with taste sensation, and we speculate that NCAM participate synaptogenesis. However, more studies using immunoelectron microscopic method are required.
Animals ; Dysgeusia ; Gamma Rays ; Head ; Immunohistochemistry ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Membranes ; Mucositis ; Neck ; Nerve Fibers ; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules* ; Neurons ; Neuropeptides ; Radiotherapy ; Rats* ; Sensation ; Taste Buds ; Tongue*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a system for the measurement and simulation of the TMJ movement and to analyze the mandibular movement quantitatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We devised patient-specific splints and a registration body for the TMJ movement tracking. The mandibular movements of the 12 subjects with facial deformity and 3 controls were obtained by using an optical tracking system and the patient-specific splints. The mandibular part was manually segmented from the CT volume data of a patient. Three-dimensional surface models of the maxilla and the mandible were constructed using the segmented data. The continuous movement of the mandible with respect to the maxilla could be simulated by applying the recorded positions sequentially. Trajectories of the selected reference points were calculated during simulation and analyzed. RESULTS: The selected points were the most superior point of bilateral condyle, lower incisor point, and pogonion. There were significant differences (P<0.05) between control group and pre-surgical group in the maximum displacement of left superior condyle, lower incisor, and pogonion in vertical direction. Differences in the maximum lengths of the right and the left condyle were 0.59+/-0.30 mm in pre-surgical group and 2.69+/-2.63 mm in control group, which showed a significant difference (P<0.005). The maximum of differences between lengths of the right and the left calculated during one cycle also showed a significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Significant differences in mandibular movements between the groups implies that facial deformity have an effect on the movement asymmetry of the mandible.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Humans ; Incisor ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Splints ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Track and Field

BACKGROUND: Acute renal allograft rejection is not only risk factor of chronic rejection but is also a significant cause of graft loss and patient death. MMF has been shown to reduce the incidence and severity of acute rejection. METHODS: To compare the risk of acute rejection and side effects of MMF with azathioprine(AZA), a total of 108 patients, who received living transplants, were divided in two groups : MMF(n=48) and AZA group(n=60). Cyclosporin microemulsion(Neoral) and steroid were administered concomitantly to all patients. RESULTS: The MMF group was significantly lower rate of acute rejection compared with AZA group during the first 3 months after renal transplantation(14.6% vs 30.0%, p=0.005). 54.5% of patients in the MMF group and 44% in the AZA group were treated only with steroid pulsing for acue rejection. 45.5% in the MMF group, compared to 56% in the AZA group, required OKT3 or Atgam for treatment of severe acute rejection, the difference is not significant. Treatment failure occurred among 31.3% of the MMF group compared with 55% in the AZA group(p=0.013). Serum creatinine of 6 months after transplantation was significantly lower in the MMF group than in the others(1.31+/-.27 vs 1.50+/-.28 mg/dL, p=0.017). The incidence of opportunistic infection was similar in both groups. Gastrointestinal side effects were more common in the MMF group 14.6% than in the AZA group 3.3%(p=0.035), while leukopenia was more common in the AZA group 21.7% than in the MMF group 4.3%(p=0.017). CONCLUSION: MMF reduced the incidence of acute rejection without notable side effects. Long-term follow up will be needed to establish the protective effect of MMF against immunological attack.
Allografts ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; Azathioprine* ; Creatinine ; Cyclosporine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Leukopenia ; Muromonab-CD3 ; Opportunistic Infections ; Risk Factors ; Transplants ; Treatment Failure

Actinomycosis is defined as a chronic, specific, suppurative, granulomatous disease caused mainly by the anaerobic, gram positive organism, Actinomyces israelii. Actinomycosis in the salivary gland is a rare disease that is caused by an inhabitant of the normal flora. We report the case of the actinomycosis of submandibular gland. A 53-year old man presented with the swelling on left submandiblar area. The lesion was not painful but had been increasing for about 10 days. In the CT view, the internal portion of the mass showed homogeneous moderate signal. The mass had continuities with the inferior portion of the left enlarged submandibular gland. In the MRI, there was a mass that showed a buldging pattern inferiorly in the left submandibular gland without bony invasion sign. The biopsy shows the colony of special organism. Many filaments are discovered with clubbed ends diffused from center of colony. We diagnosed this disease as actinomycosis in the submandibular gland by the postoperational biopsy.
Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Rare Diseases ; Salivary Glands ; Submandibular Gland*

A 19-year-old man was referred to Seoul National University Dental Hospital for evaluation of a large painless swelling of the left mandibular angle area in August, 1999. The growth had been first noted 6 years ago. He had visited other hospital in 1997. In spite of the treatment given at the hospital, the mass continued to grow rapidly. Conventional radiographs in 1999 showed an expansile, lobulated, and destructive lesion of the left mandibular body. CT scan demonstrated an expansile mass with a corticated margin. Bony septa were seen within the lesion. Internal calcification noted on the bone-setting CT image, and corresponded to the hypointense area in T1-weighted MRI image. MRI clearly delineated the extent of the lesion which had heterogenous intermediate signal intensity in T1-weighted images and heterogenous hyperintense signal intensity in T2-weighted images. The lesion was well-enhanced. Histopathologically, the lesion was completely encapsulated. Multinucleated giant cells were presented in a fibrous background, demonstrating a storiform pattern. Areas of osteoid rimmed by a few osteoblasts were scattered throughout the lesion. Inflammatory cells, blood vessels, and hemosiderin deposition were also shown. CGCG may show lots of internal calcification foci on the CT, and varied signal intensity in MRI. More cases will be needed to understand the features of the CT and MR finding of CGCG.
Blood Cells ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Giant Cells* ; Granuloma, Giant Cell* ; Hemosiderin ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osteoblasts ; Seoul ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

Pyogenic granuloma is a overzealous proliferation of a vascular type connective tissue as a result of some minor trauma and is a well circumscribed elevated, pedunculated or sessile benign inflammatory lesion of skin and mucous membrane. The clinical features of pyogenic granuloma are indicative but not specific and nearly all cases of pyogenic granulomas are superficial in nature, and there is little if any mention in the literature of these lesions producing alveolar bone even jaw bone loss. This case is somewhat unique in that the lesion was an obvious histologic pyogenic granuloma; however, it appeared to invade the mandibular bone which resulted in the loss of the adjacent teeth. A 12-year-old boy came to Seoul National University Dental Hospital with chief complaints of left facial swelling. The features obtained were as follows ; Plain radiograms showed a large well-circumscribed radiolucent lesion on left mandibular ramus area, which made severe expansion of lingual cortex and displacement of lower left 3rd molar tooth germ. Computed tomograms showed large soft tissue mass involving left masticator space with destruction of left mandibular ramus. Histologically, sections revealed loose edematous stroma with intense infiltration of inflammatory cells and proliferation of vascular channels. Also, there were focal areas of extensive capillary proliferation, bone destruction and peripheral new bone formation.
Capillaries ; Child ; Connective Tissue ; Granuloma, Pyogenic* ; Humans ; Jaw ; Male ; Mandible ; Molar ; Mucous Membrane ; Osteogenesis ; Seoul ; Skin ; Tooth ; Tooth Germ