The purpose of this study was to determine the immunohistochemical expression of nm23-H1, a putative metastatic suppressor gene, and to correlate its expression with clinicopathologic variables in 75 cases of surgically resected colorectal carcinomas. There appeared to be a trend between increasing relative nm23 protein expression and Dukes' stage, vessel invasion, and metastasis of lymph nodes. nm23 was expressed in 67 cases (89.3%) and increased in cases with lower Dukes' stage (P<0.05) and in cases without vessel invasion (P<0.01) or lymph node metastasis (P<0.01). No significant relationship was observed between the nm23 protein expression and other parameters, such as tumor size, location and differentiation of the tumor. The results suggest that the nm23 protein expression plays a role in the suppression of nodal metastasis and vessel invasion in colorectal carcinomas.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Genes, Suppressor ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Tailgut cyst of retrorectal space is uncommon and its classification and prognosis are unclear. The lesion usually consists of a multiloculated cyst lined by squamous, transitional, and glandular epithelium. Disorganized fascicles of smooth muscle may be seen in the wall. Glomus coccygeum, normally located at the tip of coccyx, is incidentally discovered in the presacral mass including tailgut cyst. We report a case of tailgut cyst in a 35 year old female who had internal hemorrhoid and intermittent anal pain for 3 years. Pelvic computerized tomography revealed a 3x2 cm sized mass in the presacral area. The mass was multicystic and lined by squamous, transitional, and peudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with inflammatory cells and scattered smooth muscle in the wall. Dermal adnexal structures were not present, which excluded dermoid cyst. A glomus body was identified in the surrounding soft tissue.
Female ; Humans ; Cysts

This study presents the cytologic features of peritoneal washings, with particular emphasis on the cytologic discrimination among serous, mucinous, and endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary. We selected histologically confirmed 27 cases of peritoneal washing : 8 cases of serous cystadenocarcinomas, 5 cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, and 14 cases of endometrioid adenocarcinomas. The most frequent cytologic pattern of three tumors was clusters. Ball pattern was found in serous cystadenocarcinoma(36%) and acinar pattern in endometrioid adenocarcinoma (36%). Mucinous adenocarcinoma showed mucoid background(100%) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma revealed inflammatory background(43%). The cytoplasmic vacuoles were noted in 80%, 13%, and 43% of mucinous, serous, and endometrioid adenocarcinoma, respectively. The endometrioid adenocarcinoma showed prominent nucleoli(64%). In conclusion, the cytologic findings of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma were different from that of serous and endometrioid carcinomas, such as mucoid background, abundant cytoplasm with vacuolated cytoplasm, and peripherally located cytoplasm. Although endometrioid carcinoma showed acinar pattern and prominent nucleoli, the differential diagnosis between serous cystadenocarcinoma and endometrioid adenocarcinoma in peritoneal washing cytology was not always possible.
Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid* ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Female ; Mucins* ; Ovary ; Vacuoles

BACKGROUND: Histologic progressive changes of bile duct epithelium with hyperplasia, dysplasia and cholangiocarcinoma could be caused by hepatolithiasis. To be clarified as a neoplastic process, this histologic process should be evaluated with various aspects of cell biology. METHODS: Immunohistochemical study of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was performed on 45 cases (10; normal, 15; hyperplasia, 14; low-grade dysplasia:LGD, 6; high-grade dysplasia: HGD) of hepatolithiasis and 10 cases (all HGD) of hepatolithiasis with cholangiocarcinoma. RESULTS: In the hepatolithiasis, mean PCNA labelling indices (LI) of normal, hyperplasia, LGD and HGD of major intrahepatic bile duct epithelium were 24.5+/-4.3, 51.5+/-0.1, 62.0+/-.4 and 84.7+/-.3, respectively and gradually increased. Mean LI of PCNA in HGD of major intrahepatic bile duct epithelium of hepatolithiasis with cholangiocarcinoma was 68.7+/-.7, which was similar to that of LGD in hepatolithiasis without cholangiocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Histologic transformation through hyperplasia, dysplasia and carcinoma in major intrahepatic bile duct epithelium of hepatolithiasis may be a neoplastic process if these histologic changes are evaluated in the cellular proliferation aspect.
Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Epithelium* ; Hyperplasia ; Liver* ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen*

Taxol is an active chemotherapeutic agent against a variety of solid tumors and a potentially useful drug for augmenting the cytotoxic action of radiotherapy against certain cancers. Taxol blocks cells in the mitotic phase of cell cycle. The aim of this study was to define the in vivo response of rapidly dividing cells of the small intestinal mucosa to taxol. We studied the numbers of apoptotic and mitotic cells and the expression of bcl-2 and p53 in rat jejunal crypt cells at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 hours and 3 and 5 days after intraperitoneal injection of taxol. Mitosis peaked at 2 and 4 hours and 12 and 16 hours. Apoptosis peaked at 16 hours and returned to normal after five days. The glands in crypts showed marked distortion with atypical lining cells after three days, which returned to normal at 5 days. bcl-2 expression was markedly decreased at 8 to 24 hours and subnormally recovered after three to five days. p53 showed no significant changes throughout. The histopathological changes in small intestine due to taxol were transient with complete recovery. bcl-2 expression was inversely corresponded to numbers of apoptosis. The changes were p53 independent. Further studies to understand the conditions that maximize the cell-cycle modulating effects of taxol cl-may greatly enhance its anti-tumor effectiveness.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Cycle ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Intestine, Small* ; Mitosis ; Paclitaxel ; Radiotherapy ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) has been strongly implicated in the etiopathogenesis of multiple myeloma. Cytokines, especially interleukin-6, that are produced by HHV-8 infected bone marrow stromal cells may play a role in the proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells. Viral DNA sequences have been detected in the bone marrow and peripheral blood cells of myeloma patients. Yet some investigators have not found the same results. METHODS: We exmined the presence of HHV-8 DNA in the paraffin-embedded cell block specimens of bone marrow aspirations from 26 patients with multiple myeloma by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with KS330(233) primers. Thirteen cases of bone marrow aspirations from patients with other diseases were used as a negative control. The DNA extracted from the BC-1 cell line was used as a positive control. Immunohistochemistry using commercially available HHV-8 antibody was done in the cases that were proven HHV-8 DNA-positive by PCR. RESULTS: One case (3.9%) among the 26 patients with myleoma was positive for HHV-8 DNA by PCR, but no positive cells were detected in this case by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: We could not find a clear relation between myeloma and HHV-8 in Korean patients examined in the present study.
Aspirations (Psychology) ; Blood Cells ; Bone Marrow ; Cell Line ; Cytokines ; DNA ; DNA, Viral ; Herpesvirus 8, Human ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interleukin-6 ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Plasma Cells ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Research Personnel

PURPOSE : The 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases(17HSDs) play an important role in the regulation of the physiologic activities of sex steroid hormones. The predominance of 17HSD type 1 in the malignant breast tissue could increase the estrogen-dependent proliferation and stimulate the cancer progression. On the other hand, the oxidative 17HSD type 2 may protect the normal breast cells from an excessive estradiol effect. To identify the role of 17HSD type 2 in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer, we investigate the mutation of 17HSD type 2 in 35 breast cancers. METHODS : We analyzed the entire coding region of the 17 HSD type 2 gene for detection of the somatic mutations in 35 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast by polymerase chain reaction, single strand conformation polymorphism, and DNA sequencing. RESULTS : We found one missense mutation in exon 6(2.86%). It revealed the CCT-->CTT (Pro-->Leu) transition type at codon 262 in exon 6. CONCLUSION : In present study, we found only a mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene in breast cancer and could not demonstrate the direct relationship between the mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene and the development of breast cancer. These results suggest that the mutation of 17HSD type 2 doesn? play a major role in the development of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Clinical Coding ; Codon ; Estradiol ; Exons ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Hand ; Mutation, Missense ; Oxidoreductases* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

PURPOSE : The 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases(17HSDs) play an important role in the regulation of the physiologic activities of sex steroid hormones. The predominance of 17HSD type 1 in the malignant breast tissue could increase the estrogen-dependent proliferation and stimulate the cancer progression. On the other hand, the oxidative 17HSD type 2 may protect the normal breast cells from an excessive estradiol effect. To identify the role of 17HSD type 2 in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer, we investigate the mutation of 17HSD type 2 in 35 breast cancers. METHODS : We analyzed the entire coding region of the 17 HSD type 2 gene for detection of the somatic mutations in 35 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast by polymerase chain reaction, single strand conformation polymorphism, and DNA sequencing. RESULTS : We found one missense mutation in exon 6(2.86%). It revealed the CCT-->CTT (Pro-->Leu) transition type at codon 262 in exon 6. CONCLUSION : In present study, we found only a mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene in breast cancer and could not demonstrate the direct relationship between the mutation of the 17beta -HSD type 2 gene and the development of breast cancer. These results suggest that the mutation of 17HSD type 2 doesn? play a major role in the development of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Clinical Coding ; Codon ; Estradiol ; Exons ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Hand ; Mutation, Missense ; Oxidoreductases* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

BACKGROUND: RUNX3 is expressed throughout the luminal gastrointestinal tract. RUNX3 is on chromosome 1p36, a location considered to carry an important tumor suppressor for many types of cancers. Epigenetic silencing of RUNX3 is causally related to human gastric cancer. METHODS: Colorectal cancers, adenoma, and the corresponding normal mucosa were obtained from 26 individual patients. To identify methylation of RUNX3 in colonic carcinogenesis, methylation-specific PCR was performed. RESULTS: RUNX3 methylation was found in one case of colonic carcinoma. The normal mucosa and tubular adenoma of this case had no methylation. No other cases were found to have methylations. CONCLUSIONS: These results are very different from the findings of gastric carcinomas, where frequent DNA methylation in the vicinity of the RUNX3 promoter is found. Although, the possibility of a role of RUNX3 methylation in the colon can not be completely ruled out, these results suggest that methylation of the RUNX3 promoter region might not contribute to the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of the colon.
Adenoma* ; Carcinogenesis ; Colon* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; DNA Methylation ; Epigenomics ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Methylation* ; Mucous Membrane ; Phenobarbital ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Stomach Neoplasms

Familial juvenile polyposis is a rare intestinal polyposis characterized by the occurrence of multiple juvenile polyps in the gastrointestinal tract. We report a case of familial juvenile polyposis in a 17-year-old man with a review of the literature. This patient underwent total colectomy due to a 6 years history of rectal bleeding. Grossly, the colon showed 36 variable sized pedunculated polyps, measuring 2.5cm x 2cm from the largest size and 0.2cm x 0.2cm to the smallest size. Histologically, the polyps consisted of cystically dilated glands, lined by normal colonic epithelial cells, scattered in loose, edematous stroma containing inflammatory cell infiltration. There were no areas of tubular adenoma or malignancy in any of the polyp.
Adenoma ; Adolescent ; Colectomy ; Colon ; Epithelial Cells ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intestinal Polyposis ; Polyps