A prominent cause of death in patients with advanced gastric cancer is peritoneal metastasis or recurrence. There is no definite preventive surgery or treatment in such cases. Cancer tissue is more heat labile than normal tissue, and the administration of anticancer drugs interacts synergically with hyperthermia. The ability of anticancer drugs to eradicate the malignant cells is dependent not only on the dose of the antineoplastic drug but also on the number of tumor cells. Therefore, for success, the combination therapy of cytoreductive surgery and IPHC may be necessary in advanced gastric cancer. We performed this study to evaluate the toxicity and the clinical efficacy of IPHC in far-advanced gastric cancer and to assess the concentration of CDDP. Twenty one patients (11 females and 10 males) with gross serosal invasion (with or without peritoneal metastasis) underwent cytoreductive surgery and were treated with IPHC via hyperex-GHT-cpl (Green Cross Med. Corp. Korea) before closure of the abdominal wound. The IPHC was done using CDDP (200~400 mg/m2) and MMC (30~50 mg/m2) with 10 liters of normal saline as the perfusate. The peritoneal temperature during the IPHC was maintained at 42oC for 60 minutes. We used a modified peritoneal cavity expander to achieve free flow of the perfusate. The concentrations of the plasma and the perfusate were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry (Varian 300 A). Sixteen patients were stage IV, 3 were IIIb, and 2 were IIIa. The plasma concentraton of CDDP was 1.8 ug/ml at 10 minutes after perfusion and reached a maximal concentration (MXC) of 3.6 ug/ml. The area under the time-concentration curve (AUC) of the plasma at the 48th hour after perfusion was 3031.1 ug.min/ml. At the 24th hour, the maximum concentration of CDDP in the perfusate was 16.2 ug/ml. The AUC of the perfusate was 1703.3 ug min/ml at the 24th hour and 1817.7 ug min/ml at the 48th hour. The ratio of AUC of perfusate and the AUC of the plasma were 0.92 at the 24th hour and 0.59 at the 48th hour. The postoperative compllications were lymphatic leakage (2), pneumonia (1), and paralytic ileus (1). The most common drug-related complications of IPHC were anemia (WHO grade I), hematuria, leukopenia, jaundice, and thrombocytopenia in such order. These side effects were eliminated by conservative treatment within 4 weeks postoperatively. We could not determine the long term survival rate because of the short follow up period. However, the mean survival of the cases was about 12.0 months. The three deaths among the resected cases were due to extraperitoneal recurrences. The combination therapy of IPHC and cytoreductive is available for clinical use with a high AUC, high intraperitoneal CDDP concentration with a reasonable plasma concentration and has no threatening complications or mortality.
Absorption ; Anemia ; Area Under Curve ; Cause of Death ; Female ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematuria ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction ; Jaundice ; Leukopenia ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Perfusion ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Plasma ; Pneumonia ; Recurrence ; Spectrum Analysis ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate ; Thrombocytopenia ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Craniopharyngioma*

The transforming growth factor-beta 1 was known as having the most important influence on chondrocytes among various growth factors, being abundant in articular chondrocytes and osteocytes. We performed in vitro monolayer cultures of human articular chondrocytes from normal and osteoarthritic patients and studied the transforming growth factor-beta 1 responsiveness of those chondrocytes. The cell-growth curve indicated that the primary osteoarthritic chondrocyte culture with transforming growth factor-beta 1 showed a more rapid growth pattern than normal chondrocytes with or without TGF-beta 1 and osteoarthritic chondrocytes without TGF-beta 1. The osteoarthritic group showed a sharp decline in growth pattern with subsequent culture. The shape of osteoarthritic chondrocytes was bigger and more bizarre compared to those of normal chondrocytes. With subsequent culture, this change became prominent. The transforming growth factor-beta 1 increased the [3H]-TdR uptake in each group. The phenotypes of chondrocytes were more clearly expressed in the normal group. The chondrocytes lost their phenotype (production of collagen type II) following subculture in each group. The transforming growth factor-beta 1 could not inhibit or delay the dedifferentiation process (loss of phenotype).
Cartilage, Articular/drug effects* ; Cartilage, Articular/cytology ; Cell Division/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Human ; Osteoarthritis/pathology ; Reference Values ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology*

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Granulocytes* ; Humans*

The superior orbital fissure syndrome is a rare condition characterized by opthalmoplegia, ptosis, and proptosis of the eye, fixation and dilation of the pupil, and anesthesia of the upper eyelid and forehead. Tumor metastasis to the orbit is uncommon and there were only 11 histologically proven cases of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma to the orbit. There was only one case of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma to the orbit with superior orbital fissure syndrome. The prognosis were poor for all reported cases, but palliative radiotherapy could be some help. We report a rare case of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma to the orbit with superior orbital fissure syndrome.
Anesthesia ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Exophthalmos ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Orbit* ; Prognosis ; Pupil ; Radiotherapy

No abstract available.
Cisplatin*

No abstract available.
Neoplasm Metastasis*

OBJECTIVES: To quantitate apoptosis and Fas antigen expression of T lymphocytes by activation in aplastic anemia (AA) and compare with that of normal controls and completely-recovered AA, and to investigate the apoptotic sensitivity to anti-fas antibody of activated T lymphocytes in AA. METHODS: We studied the expression of Fas antigen on fresh T lymphocytes of twenty patients with AA [13 newly diagnosed, 7 recorvered AA after immunosuppressive therapy (IST)], and investigated the activation-induced cell death (AICD) and Fas expression by activation [interleukin-2 (200 U/ml) and phytohemagglutinin (50 micrograms/ml)] in 5 newly-diagnosed AA, 5 normal controls and 5 AA in complete response (CR). Apoptotic sensitivity to anti-Fas antibody was assessed by the time-course kinetics of induction of cell death by anti-Fas antibody (500 ng/ml). RESULTS: There was no significant difference of Fas antigen expression on freshly-isolated T lymphocytes among newly-diagnosed severe AA, normal control s and patients with AA in CR after IST. In normal controls, T lymphocytes death was greatly increased at 3 days of activation, and Fas antigen expression on T lymphocytes was increased above baseline at day 1 of activation. In contrast, in newly-diagnosed AA, T lymphocytes showed delayed cell death, which correlated with a slowed increase of Fas antigen expression by activation. Also, anti-Fa s antibody sensitivity of activated T lymphocytes was decreased in newly-diagnosed AA. In completely recovered AA, these abnormal AICD and Fas antigen expressions by activation were recovered to normal range. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal AICD plays a role in the immune pathophysiology of AA, and defective Fas system is involved in this process.
Anemia, Aplastic/pathology ; Anemia, Aplastic/immunology* ; Antigens, CD95/blood ; Apoptosis ; Case-Control Studies ; Human ; In Vitro ; Lymphocyte Transformation ; T-Lymphocytes/pathology* ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVES: We attempt to find out the decremental character of serum vitamin B12 level and features of patients with vitamin B12 deficiency anemia occurring earlier than 4 years after total gastrectomy. Methods: We studied 91 patients who underwent total gastrectomy and select 59 patients who evaluate serum vitamin B12 level within 4 years after total gastrectomy to characterize the features of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia group occurring earlier than 4 years after the operation. RESULTS: 1) In 91 patients, the mean postoperative duration is 31.9(range: 0-135) months and mean serum vitamin B12 level 158.9(total 159 times, range: 20.0-806.2) pg/mL. Correlation equation is y=403.30 x e-0.09x+175.93 x e-0.02 x (r2=0.804). The postoperation duration that serum vitamin B12 level falls below 200 pg/mL is 20 months. 2) Among 59 patients, there were 20 cases of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia group(Group I), 21 cases of vitamin B12 deficiency(Group II) and 39 cases of non-vitamin B12 deficiency group(Group III). Preoperation symptom dura tion in Group I was longer than that in Group II(18.2 vs 9.6 weeks, p<0.01). Group I and Group II showed lower serum vitamin B12 level than Group III(126.7 & 96.0 pg/mL vs 330.4 pg/mL, p<0.01). 3) Eleven cases had associated diseases(9 alcoholics and 2 liver cirrhosis) with vitamin B12 deficiency anemia and these disease had significant influence on the incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia(p<0.01) within 4 years. Among the 30 cases who could measure iron profile, 10 patients had an iron deficiency anemia. There was a higher incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia in iron deficiency anemia group(7/10, 70%) than that in non iron deficiency anemia group(7/20, 35%) but no sta tistical significance(p=0.12). 4) Although anti-cancer chemotherapy did not have a significant influence on the incidence of vitamin B12 defi ciency anemia, vitamin B12 level in anti-cancer chemo therapy group was higher than that in non-chemotherapy group(201.83 vs 127.66 pg/mL, p=0.01) at similar mean postoperation duration(27.8 vs 27.7 months, p=0.97). 5) The independent predictor of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia within 4 years were associated disease(p=0.002) and preoperation symptom duration(p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Red cell indices such as Hb or MCV did not have any clinical significances in predicting the development of vitamin B12 deficiency. To prevent vitamin B12 deficiency anemia and promote better quality of life in total gastrectomized patients with stomach can cer, careful monitoring of serum vitamin B12 level and re placement therapy should be necessary at least 20 months after operation, especially in patients with associated disease and longer preoperation symptom duration.
Alcoholics ; Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Drug Therapy ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iron ; Liver ; Quality of Life ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency* ; Vitamin B 12* ; Vitamins*

Wernicke's disease is a condition produced by thiamine deficiency; more than 90% of the cases are observed in chronic alcoholics. Other less frequent conditions associated with Wernicke disease are gastric disorders, prolonged parenteral nutrition, uremia, hemodialysis, hyperemesis gravidarum, prolonged starvation, and AIDS. We report a 41-year-old female patient of Wernicke disease associated with nausea and prolonged parenteral nutrition after chemotherapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia. She has got thiamine replacement therapy and most symptoms were improved. She was discharged after complete remission of leukemia and recovery of normal diet.
Adult ; Alcoholics ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperemesis Gravidarum ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute* ; Nausea ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Pregnancy ; Renal Dialysis ; Starvation ; Thiamine ; Thiamine Deficiency ; Uremia ; Wernicke Encephalopathy*