BACKGROUND/AIMS: Markers of inflammation have been associated with outcomes in various cancers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether systemic inf lammatory markers and their f luctuations can predict survival and chemotherapy response in patients with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 502 patients who received first-line palliative chemotherapy for mGC between 2007 and 2013. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) were assessed before and after chemotherapy to evaluate their association with survival. The NLR values were categorized into two groups based on a cut-off value of 3; mGPS values were classified as high versus low. RESULTS: High prechemotherapy NLR was significantly associated with poor overall survival on univariate analysis (p = 0.002). On multivariate analysis, high prechemotherapy NLR (hazard ratio, 1.43; p < 0.001) was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival. However, the prechemotherapy mGPS was not significantly associated with survival. Continuously high NLR or a shift to high NLR postchemotherapy was associated with poor chemotherapy response as well as survival, while NLR reduction was associated with a good response (linear by linear association, p < 0.001) and a favorable prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Prechemotherapy NLR can be used as a prognostic factor in mGC, while the postchemotherapy NLR value may predict the chemotherapeutic response and prognosis. In contrast, mGPS has limited prognostic utility in mGC.
Biomarkers ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutrophils ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the repeatability of macular thickness and total macular volume measurements made using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in normal subjects and subjects with macular disease. METHODS: Among a total of 108 subjects, there were 50 normal subjucts, 20 patients with diabetic macular edema, 10 patients with retinal vein occlusion, 15 patients with age-related macular degeneration, and 13 subjects with other conditions. Two serial macular measurements were obtained from each subject by a single experienced examiner using spectral domain OCT. The repeatability of the measurements was evaluated by comparing two consecutive foveal and perifoveal thickness measurements and total macular volume measurements. The intraclass correlation coefficient was also calculated to evaluate the repeatability of measurements made in normal and macular disease subjects. Result: Spectral domain OCT measurements of macular thickness and macular volume were found to be consistent. Measurements of normal subjects were the most consistent, followed by measurements of patients with age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, and diabetic macular edema. CONCLUSIONS: Although measurements made using spectral domain OCT were repeatable across all subjects, they were more consistent in normal subjects than in patients with macular disease. The differences in repeatability should be considered in the context of diseased pathologic anatomy. Physicians should remain cautious when using these measurements for clinical evaluation.
Humans ; Macular Degeneration ; Macular Edema ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; Tomography, Optical Coherence

Leiomyoma is a benign smooth muscle tumor that usually arise in the uterus, skin and gastrointestinal system. Only 2 percent are located in the head and neck. Leiomyomas of oral cavity are uncommon as only two cases have been reported in the Korean literature. The common location of oral cavity has been tongue, but other sites include buccal mucosa, lips, palate. mouth floor, and gingiva. Our patient was 30 years old female who complained of swelling and discomfort in the mouth floor. Microscopically this tumor showed bundles of intertwining spindle cells within fibrous connective tissue stroma. The nuclei were generally pale staining and blunt ended. Masson's trichrome stain was positive for muscle, and immunohistochemical study for alpha -smooth muscle actin revealed strong positivity. It was treated by surgical excision. We experienced a case of leiomyoma of oral cavity, so we report with literature reviews
Actins ; Adult ; Connective Tissue ; Female ; Gingiva ; Head ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Lip ; Mouth ; Mouth Floor ; Mouth Mucosa ; Neck ; Palate ; Skin ; Smooth Muscle Tumor ; Tongue ; Uterus

It is known that there appear some nonspecific and delicate changes in neuropsychiatric aspect on the workers when they are exposed for a long period to low concentrated organic solvents in the work places. Therefore, it give rise to the necessity of developing a program for the health supervisor stationed in the work place to supervise these neurobehavioral health affection. In addition to the questionnaire posed to the workers exposed to organic solvents, the study team conducted NCTB(Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery) respectively on an exposed group and a non-exposed group to organic solvents. The study team compared the results and decided whether or not to apply the results to the evaluation program of health affection. The study team divided 132 workers in 6 car repairing factories and 2 textile printing factories into exposed group and non-exposed group, pairing them off into 66 research objects according to their age, sex, and job. Neurobehavioral test was conducted on 6 items, except the POMS test, of NCTB developed by the World Health 0rganization (WHO) . The study team conducted examinations of working environment on the exposed and non-exposed groups of each work place. The analysis of the collected materials for examinations were conducted with GC-MS. The concentration of the mix-ture in the air, relative to their respective threshold limit values (TLV) was calculated according to the formula of the ACGIH and the Korean threshold limits. The results indicated that for two of eight factories samples the recommended concentration limits for mixtures was exceeded. Of the six tests, the'digit span forward','digit span backward'and'digit symbol' produced conspicuous statistical differences between the two groups (p<0.1) as a result of compairing the test values by means of paired t-test. The results of respective analysis of the car repairing factories and textile printing factories revealed that the textile printing factories had greater differences between the exposed and the non-exposed than in the car repairing factories. It is presumably because the textile printing workers are continuously exposed to the organic solvents during working hours, whereas the car repairing workers are exposed only when they are doing painting works. The NCTB is assessed very useful in examining the neurobehavioral health affection under the exposure to organic solvents, and, therefore, the study team expects that the NCTB will play an important part in the course of developing a health program for the workers exposed to organic solvents.
Paint ; Paintings ; Questionnaires ; Solvents* ; Textiles ; Threshold Limit Values ; Workplace ; World Health

The importance of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) as an oncogene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has emerged as a major concern due to a dramatic clinical effect of targeted therapy. As compared with the research for targeted therapy, the study about clinicopathological characteristics for ALK positive NSCLC hasn't been worked enough. Here, we describe a 35-year-old woman diagnosed with stage IVb NSCLC with ALK rearrangement. During evaluating her disease, a metastatic lesion to uterine cervix was found. Although lung cancer metastasis to female genital tract is rare, we also present case series that show a metastasis to the female genital tract in NSCLC with ALK rearrangement. These case series could suggest that ALK positive NSCLC has distinct metastatic pattern.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Glycogen Storage Disease Type VI ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Lymphoma* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Oncogenes ; Phosphotransferases*

PURPOSE: Antibiotic is widely used in the treatment of chronic prostatitis. In this study, we evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of levofloxacin (Cravit(R)) in the treatment of patients with chronic prostatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2001 and February 2003, 64 patients with chronic bacterial (NIH-category II) and nonbacterial inflammatory prostatitis (NIH-category IIIa) were enrolled in this study. Daily 400 mg of levofloxacin was administered orally for 4-18 weeks. To determine the efficacy of levofloxacin, patients were assessed with the NIH-CPSI and examined of expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) at 3 months follow-up period. RESULTS: The CPSI of 16 patients stratified into NIH-category II was 24.9+/-4.7 before and 14.1+/-6.5 after the treatment. For 48 patients stratified into NIH-category IIIa, the CPSI value before and after the treatment was 23.9+/-4.4 and 13.2+/-5.7, respectively. 40 patients (62.5%) showed mild to moderate improvement in NIH-CPSI, and 23 patients (35.9%) showed improvement in the laboratory profile according to the count of leukocytes (WBC <10/HPF) in EPS. Adverse reaction was noted in 1 patient during the treatment. Conclusions:This study shows that levofloxacin may be a safe and effective agent in treating either chronic bacterial prostatitis or chronic nonbacterial inflammatory prostatitis with few adverse reactions.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Levofloxacin* ; Prostatitis*

PURPOSE: Antibiotic is widely used in the treatment of chronic prostatitis. In this study, we evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of levofloxacin (Cravit(R)) in the treatment of patients with chronic prostatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2001 and February 2003, 64 patients with chronic bacterial (NIH-category II) and nonbacterial inflammatory prostatitis (NIH-category IIIa) were enrolled in this study. Daily 400 mg of levofloxacin was administered orally for 4-18 weeks. To determine the efficacy of levofloxacin, patients were assessed with the NIH-CPSI and examined of expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) at 3 months follow-up period. RESULTS: The CPSI of 16 patients stratified into NIH-category II was 24.9+/-4.7 before and 14.1+/-6.5 after the treatment. For 48 patients stratified into NIH-category IIIa, the CPSI value before and after the treatment was 23.9+/-4.4 and 13.2+/-5.7, respectively. 40 patients (62.5%) showed mild to moderate improvement in NIH-CPSI, and 23 patients (35.9%) showed improvement in the laboratory profile according to the count of leukocytes (WBC <10/HPF) in EPS. Adverse reaction was noted in 1 patient during the treatment. Conclusions:This study shows that levofloxacin may be a safe and effective agent in treating either chronic bacterial prostatitis or chronic nonbacterial inflammatory prostatitis with few adverse reactions.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Levofloxacin* ; Prostatitis*

BACKGROUND: Cryopreservation can cause mechanical and chemical stress, ultimately leading to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress. ROS inhibits the expression of antioxidant enzymes in cells, resulting in increased DNA fragmentation and apoptosis. In this paper, we used a vitrification method that has the advantage of producing less ice crystal formation, cost-effectiveness, and time efficiency during cryopreservation. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the degree of protection of ovarian tissue against oxidative stress when N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and Klotho proteins are treated in the vitrification process of ovarian tissue. METHODS: The control group and the cryopreservation groups were randomly assigned, and treated NAC, Klotho, or the combination (NAC ? Klotho). The cell morphological change, DNA damage, senescence, and apoptosis of each group after the freeze–thaw process were compared using transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis. RESULTS: Both NAC and Klotho were found to be more effective at protecting against DNA damage than the control;however, DNA damage was greater in the NAC ? Klotho group than in the group treated with NAC and Klotho, respectively. DNA damage and cellular senescence were also reduced during the vitrification process when cells were treated with NAC, Klotho, or the combination (NAC ? Klotho). NAC increased apoptosis during cryopreservation, whereas Klotho inhibited apoptosis and NAC-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSION This study highlights Klotho’s benefits in inhibiting DNA damage, cell senescence, and apoptosis, including NAC-induced apoptosis, despite its unclear role in vitrification.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Acanthopanax sessiliflorus is a native Korean plant and used as traditional medicine or an ingredient in many Korean foods. The free radical theory of aging suggests that cellular oxidative stress caused by free radicals is the main cause of aging. Free radicals can be removed by cellular anti-oxidants. MATERIALS/METHODS: Here, we examined the anti-oxidant activity of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus extract both in vitro and in vivo. Survival of nematode C. elegans under stress conditions was also compared between control and Acanthopanax sessiliflorus extract-treated groups. Then, anti-aging effect of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus extract was monitored in C. elegans. RESULTS: Stem extract significantly reduced oxidative DNA damage in lymphocyte, which was not observed by leaves or root extract. Survival of C. elegans under oxidative-stress conditions was significantly enhanced by Acanthopanax sessiliflorus stem extract. In addition, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus stem increased resistance to other environmental stresses, including heat shock and ultraviolet irradiation. Treatment with Acanthopanax sessiliflorus stem extract significantly extended both mean and maximum lifespan in C. elegans. However, fertility was not affected by Acanthopanax sessiliflorus stem. CONCLUSION: Different parts of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus have different bioactivities and stem extract have strong anti-oxidant activity in both rat lymphocytes and C. elegans, and conferred a longevity phenotype without reduced reproduction in C. elegans, which provides conclusive evidence to support the free radical theory of aging.
Eleutherococcus* ; Aging ; Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans* ; DNA Damage ; Fertility ; Free Radicals ; Hot Temperature ; Longevity ; Lymphocytes ; Medicine, Traditional ; Oxidative Stress ; Phenotype ; Plants ; Rats ; Reproduction ; Shock

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a disease with high mortality if left untreated. But, confirmative diagnosis is difficult because many diagnostic modalities are nonspecific. Pulmonary angiography, which is considered as the gold standard diagnostic tool, is invasive, costly, time-consuming, and not always available in small centers. Echocardiography is a non-invasive and available in the emergency room without significant time delay. We investigated the role of echocardiography as a screening test in patients with suspected PE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: (A) Retrospective study: We analyzed the recorded videotapes of transthoracic echocardiography in fifty patients with confirmed PE from Jan 1995 to Aug 1999. From the frequent echocardiographic findings of those patients, positive criteria were defined as followed ( 2 among 1-5 or only 6). (1) RV or pulmonary artery dilatation (RVEDA/LVEDA 0.6) (2) RV hypokinesis (3) paradoxical septal wall motion (4) pulmonary hypertension (5) TR (moderate degree or more) (6) Visible thrombus. Although the degree of TR was less than moderate, if the degree of pulmonary hypertension was more than moderate, we considered as PE. (B) Prospective study: From Nov 1999 to June 2000, patients with suspected pulmonary embolism underwent a transthoracic echocardiography and perfusion-ventilation lung scan or chest CT. We assessed echocardiographic findings, sensitivity and specificity of the previously defined echocardiographic positive criteria for PE. RESULTS: (A) Retrospective study: The sensitivity of echocardiography for PE was 74%. (B) Prospective study: The number of enrolled patients was thirty-four. In twenty patients the diagnosis was PE. The sensitivity of echocardiography was 75% but the specificity was 14%. CONCLUSION: Echocardiography may be used as a good screening test in patients who are clinically suspicious of pulmonary embolism.
Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Echocardiography* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Lung ; Mass Screening* ; Mortality ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thrombosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Videotape Recording