Progressive renal fibrosis is considered to be the final common pathway leading to chronic renal insufficiency, however, the mechanism regarding renal fibrosis in renal injury is not well understood. Recently, several kinds of cytokines have been known to be related to fibrosis after renal injury. The interaction between elements regulating fibrogenesis would be better understood by looking at the effect of TGF-beta1 on the synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix, especially collagenous proteins. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) was induced in New Zealand White rabbits by administration of guinea pig anti-GBM IgG after sensitization with guinea pig IgG; and their kidneys were analyzed for the development of crescents and fibrosis through sequential renal biopsies. Serum creatinine levels in a time course progressively increased until day 15. We semi-quantitatively assayed the levels of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA factored for GAPDH mRNA using RT-PCR. We observed a progressive interstitial fibrosis and the expression of collagen I both in the cortex and medulla. The effect of repeated renal biopsy itself on pathology and on the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA in a time course were not significant, but a very mild increase of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was noted at day 15. Histology showed a progressive crescent formation and interstitial fibrosis in a time course that roughly paralleled the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in both cortex and medulla. TGF-beta1 mRNA was hardly expressed at day 0 in cortex as well as in medulla. It was elevated from day 1, peaked at day 7, and then decreased. In medulla, TGF-beta1 mRNA was noticeably expressed at day 1, peaked at day 4, and then decreased. The expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was seen even before inducing CGN. It was gradually and continuously increased until day 15 both in cortex and medulla. These results suggest that the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA precedes that of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in the early stage of CGN and has a central role for provoking the accumulation the collagen I, the most representative interstitial extracellular matrix, in the rabbit model CGN induced by anti-GBM antibody. We conclude that the measurement of the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA and/or alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in a biopsy sample can be a useful predictor for renal outcome.
Animals ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Creatinine ; Cytokines ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibrosis ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Pathology ; Rabbits ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

A case of vaginal and cervical adenocarcinoma, mostly of clear cell type, in young women have been associated with intrauterine exposure to diethystillbestrol(DES) or other nonsteroidal estrogenic substances and vaginal adenosis. We have encountered a case of clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix uteri of 27years young house wife, in which there was a history of intrauterine exposure to DES. We presented a case with a brief review of related literature.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Spouses

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Korean women since 2001 and needs national interests. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing with new breast cancer cases reaching more than 10,000 cases annually. But, there are some difficulties in breast cancer control; first, the National Cancer Screening Program is ineffective and of low quality, second, the lack of psychosocial care for mastectomized patients, third, the lack of national care for terminal cancer patients. For effective breast cancer control, we need special support for breast cancer awareness campaign, activation of breast cancer registry, development of clinical practice guideline, development of hospice program, breast cancer research, and upgrading its guarantee on breast cancer treatment. The Korean Breast Cancer Society should have the leading role in solving the current problems, but moreover, we cannot overemphasize the need for national support.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Hospice Care ; Humans ; Incidence

Recently the use of hydrochloric acid as a toilet disinfectant has become more common, and the risk of its ingestion is though to be increasing. We experienced a case of 67 year-old man who accidentally ingested hydrochloric acid and as a result developed a postprandial epigastric fullness end pain 3 weeks thereafter, The patient underwent an UGI series, fiberoptic gastroscope and abdominal ultrasonography and was found to have a gastric midbody stricture. A total gastreetomy and Roux-en- Y esophagojejunostomy was performed. We report this case with brief review of the literature.
Aged ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Eating ; Gastritis* ; Gastroscopes ; Humans ; Hydrochloric Acid* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Animals ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Mice* ; Signal Transduction*

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Estrogens*

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Echocardiography ; Fetus* ; Heart ; Humans* ; Mitral Valve* ; Tricuspid Valve*

This report describes rodents in a laboratory animal facility that was adversely affected by a noisy environment during construction work. There was much noise and vibration as well as dust caused by the drilling and hammering. The noise levels, frequencies, and length of time when occurring in the drilling and hammering, were all measured. The drilling showed noise levels ranging from 50-90 decibels (dB) (A-filter, A), and the hammering presented 60-70 dB (A). Some researchers raised problems regarding animal experiments, including skin injuries resulted from self-mutilation, and increase of mortality. This gives useful information to people who plan to renovate laboratory animal facilities as it is a very rare case.
Animal Experimentation ; Animal Welfare ; Animals ; Animals, Laboratory ; Dust ; Mandrillus ; Mice ; Noise ; Rats ; Rodentia ; Skin ; Vibration

PURPOSE: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is an accurate and effective means of axillary nodal staging in early breast cancer. However its indication after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is under constant debate. The present study evaluates the reliability of SLNB in assessing axillary nodal status after NAC. METHODS: Data from 281 patients who had received NAC and subsequent SLNB were reviewed. The identification and false negative rates of SLNB were determined and the clinicopathologic factors associated with false negative results were investigated using univariate analysis. RESULTS: The identification rate of SLNB after NAC was 93.6% and the false negative rate was 10.4%. Hormone receptor status, especially progesterone receptor positivity, was significantly associated with false negative results. The accuracy of intraoperative frozen section examination of sentinel lymph nodes was 91.2%. CONCLUSION: The identification rate of SLNB and the accuracy of intraoperative frozen section examination after NAC are comparable to the results without NAC in patients with early breast cancer. However considering the high false negative rates, general application of SLNB after NAC should be avoided. Patients with progesterone-positive tumors and non-triple-negative breast cancers may be a select group of patients in whom SLNB can be employed safely after NAC, but further studies are necessary.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy* ; Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*