The primary clue for locating protein-coding regions is the open reading frame and the determination of ORFs (Open Reading Frames) is the first step toward the gene prediction, especially for prokaryotes. In this respect, we have developed a web-based ORF search tool called ORF Miner. The ORF Miner is a graphical analysis utility which determines all possible open reading frames of a selectable minimum size in an input sequence. This tool identifies all open reading frames using alternative genetic codes as well as the standard one and reports a list of ORFs with corresponding deduced amino acid sequences. The ORF Miner can be employed for sequence annotation and give a crucial clue to determination of actual protein-coding regions.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Ecthyma, Contagious ; Genetic Code ; Open Reading Frames ; Resin Cements

We treated 8 patients with large pituitary adenomas(4 females, 4 males) with bromocriptine. In all patients the level of prolactin was decreased to within the normal range and in most patients the size of tumor was decreased remarkably, high cure rate of large pituitary tumor fallowing operation after pretreated bromocriptine was obtained.
Bromocriptine* ; Female ; Humans ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Prolactin ; Reference Values

No abstract available.
Appointments and Schedules* ; Hepatitis B Vaccines* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Vaccination*

PURPOSE: Nuclear Factor-kappaB p65 (NF-kappaB p65) and nuclear Factor-kappaB1 p50 (NF-kappaB p65) have been shown to play roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, cytokine production and oncogenesis. This study was designed to investigate the expressions of NF-kappaB p65 and NF-kappaB p50 proteins in premalignant lesions and colorectal adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Paraffin sections of 20 normal mucosa specimens, 20 low grade tubular adenoma specimens, 20 high grade tubular adenoma specimens and 64 adenocarcinoma specimens were analyzed immunohistochemically for the expressions of NF-kappaB p65 and NF-kappaB p50 proteins. RESULTS: The expressions of NF-kappaB p65 and NF-kappaB p50 proteins were significantly higher in the adenocarcinoma tissue compared with that in the normal mucosa, the low grade tubular adenoma and the high grade tubular adenoma tissues. The frequency of a NF-kappaB p50 expression was higher in the poorly differentiated histologic grade specimens, in the presence of nodal metastasis and in the high stage specimens. There were significant correlations between the NF-kappaB p65 and NF-kappaB p50 proteins. CONCLUSION: The expressions of NF-kappaB p65 and NF-kappaB p50 proteins may play a role in the pathogenesis of colorectal carcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; NF-kappa B ; Paraffin ; Proteins

Focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS) accounts for recurrence in 20% to 40% of the renal allografts after transplantation, and it causes graft loss in 13% to 20% of the cases. We report here on successfully treating acute cellular rejection (ACR) combined with FSGS after a kidney transplantation with a combination treatment of plasmapheresis, rituximab and steroid pulse therapy. A 53-year-old female patient whose primary kidney disease was unknown developed massive proteinuria after living donor kidney transplantation. A urine protein/creatinine ratio of 13.42 and an elevated serum creatinine level was detected on postoperative days (POD) 10 and a renal biopsy showed acute cellular rejection (Banff IIb) combined with FSGS. We started steroid pulse therapy on POD 11. She underwent 5 plasmapheresis sessions in the first 3 week after transplantation and she received one dose of rituximab (375 mg/m2) on POD 12. The proteinuria decreased below the nephrotic range at POD 20 and the serum creatinine level was normalized. Three months later, the proteinuria was at 35 mg/day with stable graft function. Rituximab and plasmapheresis is a possible option to treat FSGS combined with a relapse of proteinuria after renal transplantation.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; Biopsy ; Creatinine ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; Kidney Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Middle Aged ; Plasmapheresis ; Proteinuria ; Recurrence ; Rejection (Psychology) ; Rituximab ; Sclerosis ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants

Uterine artery embolization for the treatment of uterine leiomyomas is gaining acceptance as an effective alternative to surgical treatment in preserving uterus and reducing symptoms. Vaginal expulsion of leiomyomas after UAE is uncommon, and has been regarded as a side effect of the procedure, as well as a natural phenomenon of treatment response. A-28-year-old unmarried woman who has been suffered from menorrhagia underwent UAE. MRI revealed the remnant leiomyomas were reduced in size and volume and also symptoms of leiomyomas were much improved. After 6 month, We've made sure about non-visualization of leiomyoma on follow-up pelvic dynamic MRI. We report this rare case of vaginal expusion of intramural leoimyoma with a brief literature.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Menorrhagia ; Single Person ; Uterine Artery Embolization* ; Uterine Artery* ; Uterus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There have been many studies concerning histologic changes and effectiveness of specific treatment in the experimentally induced sinusitis model, but there are few studies about natural course of paranasal sinusitis. This study aimed to analyze the natural course of sinusitis and the influence of stress on the natural disease course. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Natural ostia of 120 rabbits were occluded and reopened at 10 days after occlusion. Rabbits were divided into six groups according to duration from reopening to sacrifice. Each group was sacrificed at 1, 4, 8, 12, 19, 26 days after reopening of the natural ostium. Each group was divided into a control and stress subgroups. Radiologic, gross and histologic findings were analyzed. RESULTS: Percentage of rabbits showing partial or total haziness was highest at 3 days after reopening in the control subgroup and at 11 days in the stress subgroup. Percentage of the rabbits showing moderate or severe amount of pus in the sinus on gross examination was highest at 4 days in both subgroups. Degree of epithelial loss was most severe at 4 days in both subgroups. Subepithelial thickness was largest and inflammatory cell infiltrations were most severe at 8 days in both subgroups. Although there was a lack of statistical significance, stress subgroups showed more severe gross, radiologic, and histologic findings than those of control subgroups. CONCLUSION: This study shows that maxillary sinusitis is induced by natural ostium occlusion only and is improved with time without any treatment, and that stress might influence the severity of maxillary sinusitis.
Maxillary Sinus* ; Maxillary Sinusitis* ; Rabbits* ; Sinusitis ; Suppuration

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) are clinically heterogeneous because its diagnosis is based solely on clinical observation and there are no definitive biomarkers. We dissected the clinical heterogeneity of KD patients using the KD-associated genetic variants. METHODS: We performed a genetic association analysis in several KD subgroups categorized by clinical characteristics using the KD-associated variants of the B lymphoid tyrosine kinase (BLK; rs6993775) and Fc gamma receptor II a (FCGR2A; rs1801274) in a large number of case (n=1,011) and control (n=4,533) samples. RESULTS: BLK and FCGR2A were very significantly associated with KD in Korean KD patients (odds ratio [OR],1.48; p=4.63×10⁻¹¹ for BLK, and OR, 1.26; p=1.42×10⁻⁴ for FCGR2A). However, in KD subgroup analysis, we found that neither BLK nor FCGR2A were associated with either incomplete Kawasaki disease (iKD) type patients or those older than 5 years of age (p>0.2), suggesting that patients with iKD or those older than 5 years of age are a unique subgroup of KD. In genetic association analysis after excluding iKD patients and those older than 5 years old, we found that BLK was associated with all KD subgroups, whereas FCGR2A was specifically associated with male KD patients younger than 1 year of age (OR, 2.22; p=2.35×10⁻⁵). CONCLUSIONS: KD is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. These findings will provide new insights into the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of KD.
Biomarkers ; Diagnosis ; Genetic Heterogeneity ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Population Characteristics ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) are clinically heterogeneous because its diagnosis is based solely on clinical observation and there are no definitive biomarkers. We dissected the clinical heterogeneity of KD patients using the KD-associated genetic variants. METHODS: We performed a genetic association analysis in several KD subgroups categorized by clinical characteristics using the KD-associated variants of the B lymphoid tyrosine kinase (BLK; rs6993775) and Fc gamma receptor II a (FCGR2A; rs1801274) in a large number of case (n=1,011) and control (n=4,533) samples. RESULTS: BLK and FCGR2A were very significantly associated with KD in Korean KD patients (odds ratio [OR],1.48; p=4.63×10⁻¹¹ for BLK, and OR, 1.26; p=1.42×10⁻⁴ for FCGR2A). However, in KD subgroup analysis, we found that neither BLK nor FCGR2A were associated with either incomplete Kawasaki disease (iKD) type patients or those older than 5 years of age (p>0.2), suggesting that patients with iKD or those older than 5 years of age are a unique subgroup of KD. In genetic association analysis after excluding iKD patients and those older than 5 years old, we found that BLK was associated with all KD subgroups, whereas FCGR2A was specifically associated with male KD patients younger than 1 year of age (OR, 2.22; p=2.35×10⁻⁵). CONCLUSIONS KD is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. These findings will provide new insights into the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of KD.

A 31-year-old woman with a 5-year history of Crohn's disease was admitted to our hospital because of recurrent right lower quadrant pain and diarrhea. Abdominal computed tomography showed multiple fistulas between the terminal ileum, the sigmoid colon, and the cecum, and mucosal wall thickenings due to an active inflammatory process and mucosal enhancements. Colonoscopic examinations showed a finger-like projection of a polypoid mass at the ileocecal valve, long-neck, finger-like pseudopolyps at the cecum, and soft, lumen narrowing and multiple pseudopolyps at the sigmoid colon and the intact rectum. There was healing scarring of the anal fistula. These findings were compatible with those of Crohn's disease. Histologic findings were chronic inflammation with erosion and regenerative crypt epithelium. The patient underwent infliximab therapy. She underwent a right colectomy, a Hartman's procedure, and a small bowel segmental resection due to multiple fistulas. The pathologic diagnosis was a signet-ring-cell carcinoma with non-caseating granuloma in the ascending colon, ileum, and sigmoid colon. We report this case of Crohn's disease associated with a colonic signet-ring cell carcinoma.
Adult ; Cecum ; Cicatrix ; Colectomy ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Colon, Sigmoid* ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Epithelium ; Female ; Fistula ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Ileocecal Valve ; Ileum ; Inflammation ; Infliximab ; Rectal Fistula ; Rectum