OBJECTIVE: The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is located at chromosome 3p14.2 and encompasses the common fragile site, FRA3B, which may contribute to chromosome breakage and rearrangement of cancer cells. In this study, we examined whether transcriptional alterations of FHIT gene play a role in the development of human cervical carcinomas and the possibility that hypermethylation of CpG islands serves for FHIT inactivation. We then analyzed FHIT expression status with clinical parameters to determine whether it has any prognostic significance. METHODS: The study group included 50 squamous carcinomas, 4 adenocarcinomas, 4 adenosquamous carcinomas, 7 noncancerous tissue and the clinical stage is composed of 4 Ia, 37 Ib and 17 II. Tissue specimens were snap-frozen in liquid N2 and stored at -70degrees C until used. To examine for abnormal transcripts of the FHIT gene, quantitative RT-PCR, genomic DNA-PCR and nonisotopic RT-PCR-SSCP analysis were performed using the standard method. The methylation status was determined by methylation specific PCR. RESULTS: The FHIT gene was down-regulated in 15 of 58 (25.9%) cervical carcinomas. FHIT promoter hypermethylation was detected in 15 of 15 (100%) abnormally expression in cervical carcinomas. CONCLUSION: In this study, gene mutation is not a main mechanism for FHIT inactivation, but the aberrant promoter hypermethylation may be correlated with decreased expression of the FHIT gene. The significance of decreased expression of FHIT does not appear to be an independent prognostic factor in cervical cancers, although a still larger sample of patients will be required to asses this issue definitively.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Chromosome Breakage ; CpG Islands ; Equidae ; Histidine* ; Humans ; Methylation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The adult trematodes, Fasciola hepatica, Eurytrema pancreaticum and Paramphistomum cervi, employed in this experiment were obtained from the cattle slaughtered at the local abbatoir. The worms selected and washed several times in normal sterilized saline solution. Each about ten of intact F. hepatica, fourty of E. pancreaticum, and twenty of P. cervi were incubated in 50 cc volume of special incubation flasks with incubation medium consisting of 10 cc. of Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer(pH 7.4) The incubation medium was added C(14)-1-acetate and non-radioactive carrier Na-acetate so as to contain acetate concentration of 50 mg per cent . The worms were allowed to incubate for 5 hours in the Dubnoff metabolic shaking incubator at 38 C. After incubation period, respiratory CO(2) samples from central well of incubation flask were analysed for total CO(2) production rate and their specific activity of respiratory CO(2). The lactate and pyruvate appearance rates were determined by analyzing the lactate and pyruvate concentration in a medium after incubation. The glycogen samples isolated from worms were analyzed for the tissue concentration and their radioactivities in order to determine the turnover rate of glycogen pool. Radioactivities of these series of experiments were counted by an endwindow Geiger-Muller counter as an infinitely thin samples. The quantitative analysis of C(14)-acetate utilized by F. hepatica, E. pancreaticum and P. cervi were compared and discussed in this report. According to these data of the experiment, it is suggested that the fatty acid such as acetate may play a part of their oxidative process into the respiratory CO2 and the synthetic process into glycogen in the above species of trematodes.
parasitology ; helminth ; trematoda ; Fasciola hepatica ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Paramphistomum cervi ; acetate ; metabolism ; biochemistry ; CO(2) ; glycogen ; Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer

Malignant mixed mullerian tumor of the ovary are very aggressive tumors that were usually diagnosed at an older age. They are usually at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis, and survival after diagnosis varies by stage of disease and histological type. Despite aggressive treatment that includes surgery and chemotherapy, women with these tumors have a significantly increased risk of death giving them a very poor prognosis. The poor prognosis associated with this rare disease represents a need to new therapeutic regimens to improve patients' survival. We experienced two cases of primary malignant mixed mullerian tumor of the ovary.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Ovary* ; Prognosis ; Rare Diseases

OBJECTIVE: Etoposide is a potent and widely used antineoplastic agent. It is able to induce apoptosis in most cell types. However, very little is known about its mechanism of action. In this study, we demonstrate the cytotoxic signal that induced by etoposide and investigate how etoposide exerts antitumor activity in HPV-16 (+) CaSki cervical carcinoma cells. METHODS: Antiproliferation activity was measured in CaSki cell lines by using MTT assays, DNA fragmentation assay. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed using flow cytometry. Expression of proteins involved in the apoptotic pathway was analyzed by Western blotting (WB). Electron microscopic (EM) and biochemical studies (Western blotting, RT-PCR) revealed that non-apoptotic death was associated with autophagosomes/-autolysosomes. These parameters have also been measured in cells treated with 3-methyladenine (an autophagy inhibitor), zVAD-fmk (a pan-caspase inhibitor) and both. RESULTS: The etoposide induced apoptosis. In cell cycle analysis, etoposide-treated CaSki cells were few induced hypodiploid DNA content, suggesting that apoptotic cell death. EM study revealed that autophagic appearance in the presence of etoposide exhibited by autophagosomes/autolysosomes. It was confirmed by LysoTracker probe and WB against Beclin 1, APG 5, APG 12 and p53. When autophagy was blocked by 3-MA, not only the protein expression of Beclin 1, but also the antitumor effect of etoposide was suppressed. On the other hand, the addition of zVAD-fmk could induce a few etoposide-induced autophagy. And etoposide-treated CaSki cells were rescued by combination of 3-MA and zVAD-fmk. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that etoposide not only initiated apoptosis but ultimately caused cell death through autophagy. In this study, we demonstrate novel features for the action of etoposide in HPV-16 (+) CaSki cervical carcinoma cells. Autophagic cell death induction by some anticancer agents underlines the potential utility of its induction as a new cancer treatment modality.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death* ; Cell Line ; DNA ; DNA Fragmentation ; Etoposide* ; Flow Cytometry ; Hand ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: A histopathologic review of synchronous primary neoplasms of the female reproductive tract was presented and the possible correlation among discrete tumor subsets, natural history, and survival was evaluated. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2005, 20 patients with synchronous primary cancers of the gynecologic malignancy were identified. Clinical and pathologic informations were obtained from medical records. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: The patients with Synchronous primary malignancies constituted 0.63% of all genital malignancies. The most frequently observed synchronous neoplasms were those of the ovary with the endometrium (40%). The mean age of patient with synchronous ovarian and endometrial cancer was 45.2 years. 8 patients underwent the hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and adjuvant therapy. The mean survival is 57 months (SE 10.0, 95% Confidence interval 37-77). CONCLUSION: Synchronous ovarian and endometrial cancers were detected in relatively early age and the prognosis was favorable.
Endometrial Neoplasms ; Endometrium ; Female* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Medical Records ; Natural History ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Prognosis

Arteriovenous malformation of the pelvic organ is a very rare cause of massive uterine bleeding. But, it is important to consider in the assessment of a patient with abnormal uterine bleeding because accurate diagnosis can allow appropriate treatment to be planned and avoid hysterectomy in women who wish to retain their reproductive capacity. This malformation may be congenital or acquired. In the past, the diagnosis is usually made retrospecively after hysterectomy, however, recently it may be made before management by ultrasound, doppler ultrasound, pelvic angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, etc. We have experienced two cases of arteriovenous malformation of the uterus, which is presented with a brief review of the literatures.
Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Uterus

Adenoma malignum (minimal deviation adenocarcinoma) is a rare, extremely well-differentiated form of invasive cervical adenocarcinoma. The name derives from the deceptively benign epithelial cells that line the glands of this neoplasm. The presence of architectural disorder with irregular, abnormally shaped invasive glands sometimes surrounded by a desmoplastic stromal response or demonstrating vascular and perineural invasion may be the only features establishing its malignant nature. Despite its bland appearance, adenoma malignum may carry a poor prognosis. Because of its rarity, and possibly because diagnostic changes are subtle and may be missed, there are few reports. A case of adenoma malignum of the uterine cervix is presented with a brief review of the literatures.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Prognosis

Adenoma malignum (minimal deviation adenocarcinoma) is a rare, extremely well-differentiated form of invasive cervical adenocarcinoma. The name derives from the deceptively benign epithelial cells that line the glands of this neoplasm. The presence of architectural disorder with irregular, abnormally shaped invasive glands sometimes surrounded by a desmoplastic stromal response or demonstrating vascular and perineural invasion may be the only features establishing its malignant nature. Despite its bland appearance, adenoma malignum may carry a poor prognosis. Because of its rarity, and possibly because diagnostic changes are subtle and may be missed, there are few reports. A case of adenoma malignum of the uterine cervix is presented with a brief review of the literatures.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Prognosis

Malignant mixed mullerian tumor of the ovary are very aggressive tumors that were usually diagnosed at an older age. They are usually at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis, and survival after diagnosis varies by stage of disease and histological type. Despite aggressive treatment that includes surgery and chemotherapy, women with these tumors have a significantly increased risk of death giving them a very poor prognosis. The poor prognosis associated with this rare disease represents a need to new therapeutic regimens to improve patients' survival. We experienced two cases of primary malignant mixed mullerian tumor of the ovary.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Ovary* ; Prognosis ; Rare Diseases

Approximately 5-30% of the ovarian cancers are metastatic malignancies. The prevalence of metastatic ovarian tumors varies with the incidence rates and spread patterns of primary malignancies. We evaluated the prevalence, pre- and postoperative characteristics of metastatic ovarian cancer in Korean women. We reviewed the records for 821 ovarian malignancies with pathological consultation from 1996- 2006 and recorded patient demographical, radiological, histopathological, and survival data. The study included 112 cases of histologically confirmed metastatic ovarian cancer. Metastatic ovarian cancer accounted for 13.6% of all ovarian malignancy, primarily arising from the gastrointestinal tract. The preoperative detection rate with imaging was 75%, and none of the radiological or serological features were useful for differential diagnosis. In multivariate analysis for prognostic variables, the only significant factor was the primary tumor site (p=0.004). Furthermore, extensive resection increased survival for some patients. The differential diagnosis of metastatic ovarian cancer can be problematic, so multiple diagnostic approaches are necessary. The extent of cytoreductive surgery for this type of tumor must be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Adenocarcinoma/*diagnosis/*secondary/surgery ; Adult ; CA-125 Antigen/blood ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*secondary/surgery ; Ovariectomy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Analysis