No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: Owing to advances in laparoscopic technique and equipment, a single-port laparoscopic surgery has been applied in various fields of surgery. However, the application of a single-port laparoscopic surgery for pregnant women has been rarely reported. The aim of this study was to emphasize the feasibility of single-port laparoscopic appendectomy in pregnant women. METHODS: In seven pregnant women who underwent abdominal ultrasonography and physical examination, surgery was performed under the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. In all the patients, single-port laparoscopic appendectomy was performed in the same way. The laparoscopic surgical devices used during surgery were same as those in conventional laparoscopic appendectomy. RESULTS: Age ranged from 25 to 33 years (mean, 29.7 years), gestational age ranged from 7 weeks 3 days to 17 weeks 6 days (mean gestational age, 14 weeks 3 days). The mean operation time was 19 minutes (range, 16–22 minutes). No surgical related complications and any issues occurred. CONCLUSION: Single-port laparoscopic appendectomy for pregnant women is considered one of the treatment methods.
Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Physical Examination ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women* ; Ultrasonography

The omphalomesenteric duct is a link between the primitive midgut and the yolk sac. Normally, the duct obliterates around 6 weeks of gestation, yet varying degrees of incomplete obliteration can take place in 1%–4% of infants. This study described the case of a newborn with a patent omphalomesenteric duct remnant fistula identified at birth with meconium in the umbilical cord. At birth, the infant presented meconium staining and meconium discharged within the umbilical cord. Physical examination and other examinations showed no other specific findings. The omphalomesenteric duct fistula was confirmed through the imaging study (abdominal ultrasonography, gastrografin enema). A surgery was carried out where the remnant was resected. The patient did well and was discharged soon after without complication.
Diatrizoate Meglumine ; Fistula ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium ; Parturition ; Physical Examination ; Pregnancy ; Ultrasonography ; Umbilical Cord ; Umbilicus ; Vitelline Duct ; Yolk Sac

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant*

PURPOSE: There are two surgical procedures for proximal early gastric cancer (EGC): total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG). This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of PG with those of TG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2001 and December 2008, 170 patients were diagnosed with proximal EGC at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, of which 64 patients underwent PG and 106 underwent TG. Clinicopathologic features, postoperative complications, blood chemistry data, changes in body weight, and oncological outcomes were analyzed and retrospectively compared between both groups. RESULTS: Tumor size was smaller and the number of retrieved lymph nodes was lower in the PG group. The postoperative complication rate was 10.9% in the TG group and 16.9% in the PG group. The incidence of Los Angeles grade C and D reflux esophagitis was significantly higher in the TG group. Hemoglobin level was higher and body weight loss was greater in the TG group at 2, 3, and 5 years postoperatively. The albumin levels at 3 and 5 years were lower in the TG group. There was no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival rates between the two groups (P=0.789). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative complications and oncologic outcomes were observed to be similar between the two groups. The PG group showed better laboratory data and weight loss than did the TG group. Moreover, severe reflux esophagitis occurred less frequently in the PG group than in the TG group. PG can be considered as an effective surgical treatment for proximal EGC.
Body Weight ; Chemistry ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: Placenta growth factor (PlGF) is a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family. PlGF is implicated in several pathologic processes, including the growth and spread of cancer and tumor angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and the clinical implications of PlGF in colorectal cancer. METHODS: In order to ascertain the clinical significance of PlGF expression in colorectal cancer, the researcher analyzed the expression pattern of PlGF by using an immunohistochemical method and attempted to establish if a relationship existed between PlGF expression and microvessel density (MVD), and subsequently between PlGF expression and the predicted prognosis. A total of 83 patients with colorectal cancer were included for immunohistochemical staining. Clinicopathological characteristics were defined according to the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) criteria of the Union for International Cancer Control. Clinicopathologic factors, such as age, sex, histological types of tumors, tumor cell grade, TNM stage, lymphovascular invasion, and lymph-node metastasis, were reviewed. RESULTS: In this study, the PlGF protein expression level was significantly correlated with MVD, patient survival, and clinicopathological factors such as lymph-node metastasis, TNM staging, lymphatic invasion and vascular invasion. CONCLUSION: PlGF may be an important angiogenic factor in human colorectal cancer, and in this study, PlGF expression level was significantly correlated with positive lymph-node metastases, tumor stage, and patient survival. These findings suggest that PlGF expression correlates with disease progression and may be used as a prognostic marker for colorectal cancer.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pathologic Processes ; Placenta ; Pregnancy Proteins ; Prognosis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans ; Mandible* ; Myofibroma*

PURPOSE: To identify novel proteins which bind to myocilin, using a yeast two-hybrid screening system. METHODS: A bait plasmid of myocilin was constructed, and then transformed into yeast AH109. The transformed yeast cells were mated with yeast Y187 containing human skeletal muscle cDNA library plasmids in 2 X YPD medium. Mated diploid yeasts were plated on synthetic dropout medium (SD/-Trp-Leu-His and SD/-Trp-Leu-His-Ade). The positive clones grown on the selective medium were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed using the database of GenBank. The expression of selected genes in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The expression of bait protein in yeast was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Extensive screening of a cDNA library led to the selection of twenty-four positive clones which represent eight genes, including six of cytoskeleton associated proteins such as alpha-actin, myosin regulatory light chain 2A, dynactin, syntrophin alpha1, microtubule associated protein 1B, and myosin binding protein C. CONCLUSIONS: Myocilin may interact with cytoskeleton associated proteins in TM cells. Further studies on their interactions will provide functional clues of myocilin.
Actins ; Blotting, Western ; Carrier Proteins ; Clone Cells ; Cytoskeleton ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Diploidy ; Gene Library ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Microtubules ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myosin Light Chains ; Myosins ; Patient Dropouts ; Plasmids ; Trabecular Meshwork ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone* ; Orbit* ; Orbital Diseases*

BACKGROUND: The restenosis after coronary angioplasty is the unresolved problem even if the improvement of interventional skills and pharmacological therapies. Nitric oxide, known as endothelial derived relaxing factor (EDRF), regulates the vascular tone and inhibits the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and platelet adhesions and endothelium-leukocyte interactions. Nitric oxide is produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). We studied the significance of eNOS gene polymorphism for the prediction of restenosis after coronary angioplasty in Koreans with ischemic heart disease. METHODS: We analyzed the two eNOS poly-morphisms using PCR (eNOS A/B polymorphism is the VNTR in intron 4 and eNOS T/G polymorphism is a missense mutation in exon 7) in 199 Korean patients who had 257 lesions undergoing percutaneous coronary angioplasty (ballooning=152, stenting=105). The angiography was repeated 6 months later to assess the relation between the rate of restenosis and types of eNOS gene polymorphism. RESULTS: We found no significant differences of restenosis rate in eNOS A/B and T/G polymorphism in those with balloon angioplasty or with stent (restenosis rate of A/A, A/B, B/B, respectively (n=257): 25% (1/4), 26% (14/53), 31% (62/200) (p=not significant), and T/T, T/G, G/G (n=249): 0% (0/3), 36% (16/44), 29% (58/202)(p=not significant)) Patients with A allele (non BB) or GG phenotype had lower restenosis rate, so we analyzed protective effect of non BB and GG phenotype on restenosis, but there was no significant statistical difference (restenosis rate of non BB and GG, BB and non GG respectively: 20% (15/57), 34% (16/47)(p=not significant)). CONCLUSION: eNOS A/B and T/G polymorphism is not associated with a significantly elevated risk of restenosis after coronary angioplasty.
Alleles ; Angiography ; Angioplasty* ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Blood Platelets ; Exons ; Humans ; Introns ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Mutation, Missense ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stents