BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As a part of efforts to evaluate effectiveness of aorta cell lineages derived from the transgenic mice in which expression of the temperature-sensitive SV40 large T antigen has been targeted to vascular smooth muscle, localization of the T antigen gene in chromosome of the established cell lineages was characterized. Expression pattern of p53 in an aorta cell line or those of r-actin and the T antigen in the various tissues of the transgenic mice, respectively, were also examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chromosomal DNA obtained from the aorta cell lines, which were derived from the transgenic mice, was analyzed by genomic Southern blot method to identify the transgene in genome. mRNA was prepared from the various tissues of the transgenic mouse and was examined by Northern blot analysis to detect expression of r-actin gene. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was also performed to examine transcription pattern of p53 gene in an aorta cell line. Immunohistology for detecting the T antigen expression in the tissues of the transgenic mouse was also carried out. RESULTS: Correct integration of the SV40 T antigen transgene in chromosome was observed in two aorta cell lines, although their copy numbers inserted were different from each other. Alternative splicing of the primary p53 RNA was identified in the aorta cells when cultured at the restrictive temperature, but not in the cells at permissive temperature. Several tissues of the transgenic mouse showed expression of the viral oncoprotein T antigen. CONCLUSION: An established aorta cell line may be useful model to study the mechanism regulating the proliferation of vascular smooth cells in mice. Mutant form (s) of the p53 tumor suppressor protein generated by the translation of the alternatively spliced mRNA might be involved in the blockade of apoptosis in some aorta cells when cultured at the restrictive temperature. However, expression of the viral gene in the tissues of the transgenic mice seemed not to be precisely regulated by temperature-dependent manner.
Alternative Splicing ; Animals ; Antigens, Viral, Tumor* ; Aorta ; Apoptosis ; Blotting, Northern ; Blotting, Southern ; Cell Line ; Cell Lineage* ; DNA ; Genes, p53 ; Genes, Viral ; Genome ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic* ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Simian virus 40* ; Transgenes ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by decrease of bone matrix, resulting in generally reduced bone mass, and the diagnosis and grading of progression are assessed by many methods. There are Singh Index as a simplest method, for grading the trabecular pattern of the femur in pelvis anteroposterior X-ray, and the recently developed Dual Photon Absorptiometry which measures the bone mineral contents in the lumbar spine(L2-L4), femur neck, Ward's triangle and trochanteric area. Study for correlation between the Singh index and bone mineral contents measurements by Dual Photon Absorptiometry was performed in 36 normal Korean persons and 35 persons with osteoporosis. The results and conclusion were as follows; 1. A significant difference in bone mineral density at each area was noted between the control group and osteoporosis group. 2. A significant difference in Singh Index at each area was noted between the control group and osteoporosis group. 3. Positive correlation was noted between the mineral density and Singh Index. 4. We think Singh Index is a useful method in the diagnosis and grading of progression of osteoporosis.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Bone Matrix ; Diagnosis ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Methods ; Miners ; Osteoporosis ; Pelvis

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia*

Cerebral metastses secondary to primary epithelial ovarian carcinoma are unusual. The incidence was estimated under 1%, but some authors reported higher incidence than previously reported data. Recently, we experienced a case of cerebral metastasis secondary to primary epithelial ovarian cancer. We present this case with review of brief related literatures.
Drug Therapy* ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovarian Neoplasms

Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is the second most common form of retinal vascular diseases next to diabetic retinopathy. Several risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperopia have been shown to be associated with BRVO. The pathogenesis of branch retinal vein occlusion has not been well understood. This study was conducted prospectively on 21 patients with BRVO and normal 21 patients as controls to assess the relationship of the axial length with the development of BRVO. Mean axial lengths of the affected and the fellow eyes in the branch retinal vein occlusion group were 22.69 +/-0.72 mmand 22.89 +/-0.67mm, respectively. The difference between mean axial lengths of the affected and the fellow eyes was not statistically significant (p=0.17). The mean axial length of control eyes was 23.22 +/-1.29 mm. The affected eyes in the BRVO group were 0.53 mmshorter than eyes in control group on the average, and the difference was statistically significant(p=0.04). This study suggests that shorter axial length could be a local risk factor in the pathogenesis of branch retinal vein occlusion.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Hypertension ; Prospective Studies ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: To compare the anatomical and visual outcomes in idiopathic macular hole surgery with or without indocyanine green (ICG)-stained internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. METHODS: Thirty-six eyes of 36 patients who underwent idiopathic macular hole surgery were included. Follow-up period was longer than 6 months. In the initial 16 eyes, no ILM peeling was performed (non-ILM peeling group). The subsequent 20 eyes underwent surgery with ICG-stained ILM peeling (ILM peeling group). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the age, sex, hole size, symptom duration and preoperative best-corrected visual acuity between the two groups. The anatomical closure rates were 95% (19/20eyes) and 75% (12/16eyes) in the ILM peeling and non-ILM peeling groups, respectively (Fisher's exact test, p=0.15). Visual improvement of two or more lines occurred in 35% (7/20eyes) in the ILM peeling group and 43.8% (7/16eyes) in the non-ILM peeling group (Chi-square test, p=0.59). CONCLUSIONS: ICG stained ILM peeling was not statistically significant for anatomic and functional success in idiopathic macular hole surgery. Further studies of the toxicity of ICG and the result of ILM peeling should be performed.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green ; Membranes* ; Retinal Perforations* ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Osteoporosis*

Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome is a clinical disorder of unknown etiology that affects primarily the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, usually manifests with acute visual loss or blurred vision. The course of MEWDS is recoverable over several weeks. Characteristic ocular manifestations may include multiple white dots in the deep retina of posterior pole, granularity of the macula, optic disc edema, and vitreous cells. Fluorescein angiography shows small punctate areas of hyper-fluorescence at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium corresponding to the white dots and late fluorescein staining, fluorescein leakage from disc capillaries. We experienced a case of suspected Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome with Ebstein-Barr virus infection and reviewed the available literatures regarding the disease entity.
Capillaries ; Edema ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Retina ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical results of pars plana vitrectomy on posterior segment complications in posterior uveitis. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 20 eyes of 19 uveitis patients who were followed up for 6 months or more after vitrectomy. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 20 months. Final visual acuity improved in 10 eyes (50%), was maintained in 6 (30%), and decreased in 4 (20%). The mean improvement of vision was 1.6 lines (p=0.019). Detached retina was reattached in 8 (80%) among the 10 eyes with primary surgery. Postoperative complications were cataract (7 eyes), macular degeneration (2 eyes), retinal detachment (2 eyes), and recurrence (1 eye). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that pars plana vitrectomy may be a safe and effective treatment for posterior segment complications in posterior uveitis, but that early and complete vitrectomy should be considered for a better visual prognosis.
Cataract ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Macular Degeneration ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment ; Uveitis ; Uveitis, Posterior* ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy*