A radioresistant cell line was established by fractionated ionizing radiation (IR) and assessed by a clonogenic assay, flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis, as well as zymography and a wound healing assay. Microarray was performed to profile global expression and to search for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to IR. H460R cells demonstrated increased cell scattering and acidic vesicular organelles compared with parental cells. Concomitantly, H460R cells showed characteristics of increased migration and matrix metalloproteinase activity. In addition, H460R cells were resistant to IR, exhibiting reduced expression levels of ionizing responsive proteins (p-p53 and gamma-H2AX); apoptosis-related molecules, such as cleaved poly(ADP ribose) polymerase; and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related molecules, such as glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and C/EBP-homologous protein compared with parental cells, whereas the expression of anti-apoptotic X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein was increased. Among DEGs, syntrophin beta 2 (SNTB2) significantly increased in H460R cells in response to IR. Knockdown of SNTB2 by siRNA was more sensitive than the control after IR exposure in H460, H460R, and H1299 cells. Our study suggests that H460R cells have differential properties, including cell morphology, potential for metastasis, and resistance to IR, compared with parental cells. In addition, SNTB2 may play an important role in radioresistance. H460R cells could be helpful in in vitro systems for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of and discovering drugs to overcome radioresistance in lung cancer therapy.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Organelles ; Parents ; Radiation, Ionizing ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Wound Healing ; X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein

PURPOSE: The lung is the second most common site of metastasis from colorectal cancer. Of all patients who undergo a curative resection for colorectal cancer, 10% to 15% will develop lung metastasis. As a hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastases results in improved survival, many reports have suggested that a pulmonary resection of a colorectal lung metastasis would also improve survival. The aim of this study was to analyze the postoperative outcomes of and the prognostic factors for a surgical resection of a lung metastasis. METHODS: Between August 1997 and March 2006, 27 patients underwent surgical resections for colorectal lung metastases at Seoul St. Mary's hospital. A retrospective review of patients' characteristics and various tumor factors was performed. RESULTS: The mean interval between colorectal resection and lung metastasis was 24.0 +/- 15.1 months. The overall 3- and 5-year survival rates were 76.5% and 22.2%, respectively. The mean follow-up after pulmonary resection was 39.5 +/- 21.6 months (range, 3.3 to 115 months). Except for the existence of hilar-lymph-node metastasis (P < 0.001), no risk factors that we studied were statistically significant. Two patients had hilar-lymph-node metastasis. They survived for only for 3.3- and 11.6-months, respectively. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found that a pulmonary resection for metastases from colorectal cancer may improve survival in selected patients.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; ortho-Aminobenzoates ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The main treatment for stage IV breast cancer is currently systemic therapy. Surgical resection of the primary tumor is usually done for treating the tumor-related complications. Recent studies have suggested that surgery may improve the long-term survival of stage IV breast cancer patients. We evaluated the impact of the primary surgical resection site on the survival of stage IV breast cancer patients. METHODS: We reviewed the records of the stage IV breast cancer patients who were treated at Seoul University Hospital between April 1992 and December 2007. The tumor and clinical characteristics, the type of treatments and the overall survival were compared between the surgically versus nonsurgically treated patients. RESULTS: Of the 198 identified patients, 110 (55.8%) received surgical excision of their primary tumor and 88 (44.2%) did not. The mean survival was 67 months vs. 42 months for the surgically treated patients vs. the patients without surgery, respectively (p=0.0287). On a multivariate analysis with using the Cox model and after adjusting for the estrogen receptor status, visceral metastases, the number of metastatic sites and trastuzumab treatment, surgery was an independent factor for improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.97; p=0.041). CONCLUSION: Surgical resection of the primary tumor in stage IV breast cancer patients was independently associated with improved survival. Randomized prospective trials are needed to firmly recommend surgical resection of the primary tumor in stage IV breast cancer patients.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Trastuzumab

PURPOSE: The main treatment for stage IV breast cancer is currently systemic therapy. Surgical resection of the primary tumor is usually done for treating the tumor-related complications. Recent studies have suggested that surgery may improve the long-term survival of stage IV breast cancer patients. We evaluated the impact of the primary surgical resection site on the survival of stage IV breast cancer patients. METHODS: We reviewed the records of the stage IV breast cancer patients who were treated at Seoul University Hospital between April 1992 and December 2007. The tumor and clinical characteristics, the type of treatments and the overall survival were compared between the surgically versus nonsurgically treated patients. RESULTS: Of the 198 identified patients, 110 (55.8%) received surgical excision of their primary tumor and 88 (44.2%) did not. The mean survival was 67 months vs. 42 months for the surgically treated patients vs. the patients without surgery, respectively (p=0.0287). On a multivariate analysis with using the Cox model and after adjusting for the estrogen receptor status, visceral metastases, the number of metastatic sites and trastuzumab treatment, surgery was an independent factor for improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.97; p=0.041). CONCLUSION: Surgical resection of the primary tumor in stage IV breast cancer patients was independently associated with improved survival. Randomized prospective trials are needed to firmly recommend surgical resection of the primary tumor in stage IV breast cancer patients.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Trastuzumab

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of endometrial cancer is increasing. We would like to report our institution's clinical data of endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EC) which is the most frequent type. METHODS: From 1998 to 2009, patients' clinical data were reviewed through medical records, retrospectively. RESULTS: For 11 years, there were 96 patients with EC. The average age was 51.1 years old and mean follow duration was 36.6 months. There were 73 patients with stage I, 10 patients with stage II, and 12 patients with stage III. 42 patients were treated by operation only and 46 patients were treated by operation and adjuvant radiotherapy. Among 95 patients who underwent operations, 32 patients did not get lymph node removal and 63 did, and 10 patients had malignant cells at the lymph nodes removed. 6 patients died of EC, 1 with stage I, 3 with stage II and 1 with stage III. CONCLUSION: This study had retrospective limitation but could show the profile of 96 patients with EC.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: Reduced tumor cell adhesion is associated with invasive growth and unfavorable prognosis. In endometrial carcinoma, the prognostic impact of adhesion marker such as E-cadherin is partly known. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation of the expression and the mutation of E-cadherin in endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinomas and endometrial hyperplasias and to correlate their results with various clinicopathological factors. METHODS: The expression of E-cadherin by using immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and the mutation of E-cadherin gene by using polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and sequencing were performed in tissues of 20 endometrial adenocarcinomas and 30 endometrial hyperplasias. The results were compared with previously known prognostic factors such as the stage, tumor grade and lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Decreased expression of E-cadherin was detected in 13 of 30 (43.3%) endometrial carcinomas and in 1 of 20 (5%) endometrial hyperplasias (P=0.009). There was no statistical significance of the mutation of E-cadherin gene in between the endometrial carcinomas and endometrial hyperplasias (6.7%: 0%) (P=0.06). The incidence of the expression loss of E-cadherin in endometrial carcinomas also showed significantly higher with tumor grade 3, tumor stage above Ic or lymph nodal metastasis (P=0.01, P=0.02, P=0.03). CONCLUSION: Decreased expression of E-cadherin was detected significantly higher in endometrial carcinomas than endometrial hyperplasias. And the incidence of decreased expression of E-cadherin was more frequent in advanced stage, high histopathologic grade, and lymph nodal metasis. The mutation of E-cadherin gene was detected in only 2 cases. These results suggests that the expression of E-cadherin seems to be important in endometrial carcinomas and associated with aggressive subgroups. But the mutation of E-cadherin gene would not be related to endometrial carcinomas.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cadherins ; Cell Adhesion ; Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: To know impacts of BMI on clinical results of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients with myoma uteri who undergone TLH between March 2003 and February 2007, retrospectively. We classified group 1 when BMI was <23 kg/m2, group 2 when BMI was between 23 and 28, and group 3 when BMI was > or =28. We reviewed age, parity, body weight and height, operation time, amount of blood loss, change of hemoglobin change and days of hospital stay, and analyze these. RESULTS: There were 83 patients (Group 1; 30, Group 2; 40, Group 3; 13). The body weight distributions of Group 1, 2, and 3 were 52.2, 60.9, and 72.0 kg and there were significant differences. But there was no difference of height distributions. The age distributions were 44.3, 47.0, 43.8 year old, and there were differences. But there was no difference of parity distribution. The weight distribution of removed uterus were 250.5, 257.4, 242.7 gm and there was no difference. The operation time distributions were 155.0, 168.2, 160.8 minutes, and there was no difference. The amount distributions of bleeding were 342.7, 356.5, 396.2 ml, and there was no difference. The change distributions of hemoglobin were 2.1, 1.8, 2.2 g/dL, and there was no difference. The day distributions of hospital stay were 5.2, 5.5, 4.8, and there was no difference. CONCLUSION: We could not find any trend between operation time, amount of bleeding, change of hemoglobin, and days of postoperative hospital stay after TLH with BMI.
Age Distribution ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Female ; Hemoglobins ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Myoma ; Parity ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterus

Hypertriglyceridemia is a rare cause of pancreatits. However the relationship between acute pancreatits and severe hypertrigyceridemia is well recognized. It can be a life- threatening complication if the degree of hypertrigyceridemia is severe enough. A serum triglyceride level of more than 1,000 to 2,000 mg/dL is the identifiable risk factor. The clinical course and management of hypertriglyceridemia induced acute pancreatitis is not different from other causes. The clinical course and management of hypertriglyceridemia induced acute pancreatitis during pregnancy are similar to the one during nonpregnant state. The prevalence of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy ranges between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 3,000. Gestational hypertrigyceridemic pancreatits can be fatal, and maternal morbidity rate has an upward trend of 20%. We report a 31-year-old woman with coexistence of hypertrigyceridemia and acute pancreatits at 32 weeks gestation with a brief review of the literatures.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Pancreatitis ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether administrating insulin four times daily, compared to 1-3 times daily, improves maternal and perinatal outcomes of diabetes. METHODS: From August 1998 to April 2004, the 14 pregnant diabetic women were treated with four times daily administration of NPH and insulin-lispro and 15 pregnant diabetic women were treated with 1-3 times daily administration of Mixtard (30% RI, 70% NPH) or NPH. We compared the maternal and fetal complications between two groups. The goals for therapy are to achieve and maintain normoglycemia (premeal whole blood capillary glucose levels of less than 90 mg/dL and 1-hour after-meal levels of less than 120 mg/dL). RESULTS: The pregnant diabetic women who were treated with four times daily administration of NPH and Insulin lispro, instead of 1-3 times daily administration of Mixtard or NPH, resulted in better maternal and fetal outcome. But there was no significant difference between two groups statistically. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that this four times daily administration of NPH and insulin-lispro protocol achieved the glucose target level without maternal hypoglycemic events and helped to reduce the perinatal complications in pregnant diabetic women.
Capillaries ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Insulin Lispro ; Insulin* ; Pregnancy*

A novel combined treatment of conventional chemotherapy with an intratumoral injection of syngeneic dendritic cells (DCs) has emerged as a potent cancer treatment strategy. In this study, we evaluated the synergistic effect of an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel, and an intratumoral (i.t.) injection of syngeneic bone marrow- derived DCs for the treatment of pre-existing fibrosarcoma. Subcutaneous tumors were established using MCA102 fibrosarcoma cells in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. The results demonstrated that the combined treatment of paclitaxel chemotherapy and the injection of DCs led to complete tumor regression, in contrast to only partial eradication of the tumors with chemotherapy or DCs alone. Furthermore, the tumor-free mice were able to resist a repeat challenge with the same type of tumor. These findings suggest that a combination therapy of systemic chemotherapy along with the intratumoral administration of DCs is a potent treatment strategy for fibrosarcoma.
Treatment Outcome ; Transplantation, Isogeneic ; Phenotype ; Paclitaxel/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Mice ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Immunologic Memory ; Fibrosarcoma/drug therapy/pathology/*therapy ; Dendritic Cells/cytology/*transplantation ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Cells, Cultured ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Bone Marrow Cells/cytology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Animals