Whereas increasing concerns about radiation exposure to nuclear disasters or side effects of anticancer radiotherapy, relatively little research for radiation damages or remedy has been done. The purpose of this study was to establish level of LD70/30 (a lethal dose for 70% of mice within 30 days) by total-body γ irradiation (TBI) in a mouse model. For this purpose, at first, 8-week-old male ICR and C57BL/6N mice from A and B companies were received high dose (10, 11, 12 Gy) TBI. After irradiation, the body weight and survival rate were monitored for 30 days consecutively. In next experiment, 5-week-old male ICR and C57BL/6N mice from B company were received same dose irradiation. Results showed that survival rate and body weight change rate in inbred C57BL/6N mice were similar between A and B company. In ICR mice, however, survival rate and body weight change rate were completely different among the companies. Significant difference of survival rate both ICR and C57BL6N mice was not observed in between 5-week-old and 8-week-old groups receiving 10 or 12 Gy TBI. Our results indicate that the strain and age of mice, and even purchasing company (especially outbred), should be matched over experimental groups in TBI experiment. Based on our results, 8-week-old male ICR mice from B company subjected to 12 Gy of TBI showed LD70/30 and suitable as a mouse model for further development of new drug using the ideal total-body irradiation model.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Body Weight Changes ; Disasters ; Humans ; Male ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Radiation Exposure ; Radiotherapy ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: We compared location of positive cores in biopsy and location of positive surgical margin (PSM) following radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis included patients who were diagnosed as prostate cancer by standard 12-core transrectal ultrasonography guided prostate biopsy, and who have PSM after radical prostatectomy. After exclusion of number of biopsy cores <12, and lack of biopsy location data, 46 patients with PSM were identified. Locations of PSM in pathologic specimen were reported as 6 difference sites (apex, base and lateral in both sides). Discordance of biopsy result and PSM was defined when no positive cores in biopsy was identified at the location of PSM. RESULTS: Most common location of PSM were right apex (n=21) and left apex (n=15). Multiple PSM was reported in 21 specimens (45.7%). In 32 specimens (69.6%) with PSM, one or more concordant positive biopsy cores were identified, but 14 specimens (28%) had no concordant biopsy cores at PSM location. When discordant rate was separated by locations of PSM, right apex PSM had highest rate of discordant (38%). The discordant group had significantly lower prostate volume and lower number of positive cores in biopsy than concordant group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that one fourth of PSM occurred at location where tumor was not detected at biopsy and that apex PSM had highest rate of discordant. Careful dissection to avoid PSM should be performed in every location, including where tumor was not identified in biopsy.
Aged ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle/methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostatectomy/*methods ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*pathology/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography, Interventional/methods

OBJECTIVE: Activation of one or more serotonin (5-HT) receptors may play a role in mediating the antidepressant effects of serotonergic antidepressants. The serotonin 2C (5HT 2C) receptor is known to be associated with antidepressant action and weight gain. We sought to determine whether the 5-HTR 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism was associated with weight gain and treatment response to mirtazapine in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. METHODS: The 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism was analyzed in 323 MDD patients. All patients were evaluated using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at the beginning of the study and at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks of mirtazapine treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T genotype distribution between responder and non-responder groups. The 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism was not associated with weight change over time after mirtazapine administration. CONCLUSION: The 5-HT 2C receptor -759C/T polymorphism does not appear to be a predictor of treatment response to mirtazapine. This polymorphism was not associated with weight change after 8 weeks of mirtazapine treatment. Further investigation on other polymorphisms of the 5-HT 2C gene is required to determine whether the 5-HT 2C gene influences treatment response and weight change after mirtazapine administration in patients with major depressive disorder.
Antidepressive Agents ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Genotype ; Humans ; Mianserin ; Negotiating ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C ; Serotonin ; Weight Gain

BACKGROUND: This study compared the bronchodilator efficacy and safety of tiotropium inhalation capsules (18microgram once daily) with a ipratropium metered dose inhaler (2 puffs of 20microgram q.i.d.) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHOD: After the initial screening assessment and a two-week run-in period, patients received either tiotropium 18microgram once daily or ipratropium 40microgram four times daily over a period of 4 weeks in a double blind, double dummy, parallel group study. The outcome measures were the lung function, the daily records of the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), the patients' questionnaire, and the use of concomitant salbutamol. The forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured 5 minutes before inhalation, and 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 hours after inhaling the study drug on days 0, 14 and 28. RESULT: In 16 centers, 134 patients with a mean (SD) age of 66 (7) years and a predicted FEV1 of 42 (12)% were analyzed. The trough FEV1 response was significantly higher in the tiotropium group than in the ipratropium group after a four-week treatment period. The weekly mean morning PEFR of the tiotropium group was consistently higher than that of the ipratropium group during the 4-week treatment period with differences ranging from 12.52 to 13.88 l/min, which were statistically significant. Tiotropium was well tolerated by the COPD patients during the 4-week treatment period and had a similar safety profile to ipratropium. CONCLUSION: This study shows that tiotropium administrated once daily has a superior bronchodilator effect with a similar safety profile in treating COPD patients compared with ipratropium, inhaled four times daily.
Adult* ; Albuterol ; Bronchodilator Agents ; Capsules ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Ipratropium* ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Metered Dose Inhalers ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vital Capacity ; Tiotropium Bromide

An alveolar soft part sarcoma(ASPS) is a rare malignant soft tissue tumor, which metastasizes to the lung, bone and brain. Recently, we encountered an unusual case of a metastatic ASPS to the bilateral breasts in a 27-year-old woman. She had undergone surgery for an ASPS in her right thigh two years ago, which metastasized to the breast on three occasions, 15 months, 20 months and two years after surgery.
Adult ; Brain ; Breast ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Sarcoma, Alveolar Soft Part* ; Thigh ; Viperidae

BACKGROUNDS: Today, tuberculosis cannot only be cured medically, but also controlled by public health. Despite the overall worldwide decline in tuberculosis, the disease continues to be a significant problem among developing countries and in the slums of large cities in some industrialized countries. Particularly, this communicable disease has come into the public health spotlight because of its resurgence in the 1990's Our country has been operating the Korean National Tuberculosis Control Program since 1962, focusing around public health centers. Therefore, this study aims to compare the effectiveness of tuberculosis control activities, one of the major public health activities in Korea, by producing indexes, such as the yearly registration rate per 100,000 population and treatment compliance of tuberculosis on in small areas (communities). METHODS: This work was accomplished by constructing a time-series analytic model using data from "1980~2000 : the Yearly Statistical Report" with patient registry data of 234 City. County. District public health centers and by identifying the factors influencing the tuberculosis indexes. RESULTS: The trends of pulmonary tuberculosis positive point prevalence and pulmonary tuberculosis negative point prevalence on X-ray screening have declined steadily, beginning in 1981 and continuing to 1998 by region (city. county. district). Although the tuberculosis mortality rate steadily shows a declining trend by year and region, but Korea still ranks first among 29 OECD countries in 1998, with a tuberculosis mortality rate of 7.1 per 100,000 persons, according to the time-series analysis for fatal diseases. CONCLUSION: The results of the study will form the fundamental basis of future health care planning and the Korean Tuberculosis Surveillance System on 2000. Since the implementation of local autonomy through the Local Health Act of 1995. it has now become vital for each city. county. district public health centers to determine its own priorities for relevant health care management, including budget allocation and program goals.
Budgets ; Communicable Diseases ; Compliance ; Delivery of Health Care ; Developed Countries ; Developing Countries ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Poverty Areas ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

OBJECTIVES: To determine accurate diagnosis and proper treatment, we reviewed colonoscopic and histologic findings of flat adenoma of colon, METHODS: We studied retrospectively 2148 cases of colonoscopic findings performed in our hospital from March of 1993 to September of 1995. RESULTS: 1) The incidence of adenoma is 9.5%(203 cases), and that of flat adenoma is 1.6%(34 cases). 2) The location of flat adenoma is 3 cases in rectum(8.8%), 15 cases in sigmoid colon(44.1%), 9 cases in descending colon(26.5%), 3 cases in transverse colon(8.8%) and 4 cases in ascending colon and cecum(11.8%). 3) The diameter of flat adenoma was smaller than 5mm in 17 cases(50.0%), between 5-10mm in 8 cases(23.5%) and larger than 10mm in 9 cases (26.5%). Mean size was 9.2mm. 4) In colonoscopic features, type IIa was 25 cases (73.5%), type IIa + IIc was 5 cases(14.7%) and lateral spreading tumor was 4 cases(11.8%). 5) In histologic findings, tubular adenoma was 26 cases(76.5%), tubulovillous adenoma was 6 cases (17.6%) and serrated adenoma was 2 cases(5.9%). 6) The incidence of severe dysplasia or carcinoma was zero in smaller than 5mm, 25.0%(2 case) in 5-10mm and 55.6%(5 cases) in larger than 10mm. 7) The incidence of severe dysplasia or carcinoma was 11.5%(3 cases) in tubular adenoma and 66.7%(6 cases) in tubulovillous adenoma. 8) It was confirmed by abdominal CT scan or operation that lesions were limited to intraepithelium in 4 cases, mucosa in 2 cases submucosa in 1 case and no lymph node metastasis in any case. CONCLUSION: Even though flat adenoma of colon was smaller than polypoid adenoma, the incidence of malignant change was higher. When it was smaller than 10mm, the incidence of submucosal invasion or lymph node invasion was rare. Therefore endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR) can be the treatment of choice in flat adenoma smaller than 10mm, and after EMR, it is desirable to decide the treatment modality depending on the histologic findings.
Adenoma* ; Colon* ; Colon, Ascending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Diagnosis ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The purpose of this experiment is to evaluate the histopathologic findings of shark liver oil-induced lipoid pneumonia, and to determine whether shark liver oil is absorbed through lymphatics and the venous system or not. A single intratracheal administration of shark liver oil (0.6 ml/kg of B.W.) was given to Sprague-Dawley rats. They were then sacrificed sequentially from 1 hour to 12 weeks after injection. We investigated the chest radiographic findings, the serum total lipid concentration of blood obtained by cardiac puncture, lipid-laden alveolar macrophage index of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and the histopathology of tracheobronchial lymph nodes and the lung (Oil red O stain & H&E stain). Chest radiographs showed no specific findings; ill-defined hazy, linear, small patch radioopacity, air space consolidation or collapse. Thirty-six percent of the experimental rats revealed normal findings. Within the lung, the shark liver oil appeared either as highly emulsified fine granules in the cytoplasm of the alveolar macrophage or as free, round oil masses. The area of the lung accumulated with lipid material was maximized 1 week after injection, and then decreased thereafter. The tissue reactions were cuboidal metaplasia of the alveolar lining, widening and lymphocytic infiltration of the alveolar septa and granuloma formation (3% of experimental rats) as a reaction to a foreign body. There were also lung abscesses due to superimposed bacterial infection (5% of experimental rats). With time after the injection of the oil, the serum total lipid tended to increase and the intracellular lipid of the alveolar macrophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid tended to decrease. In summary, the histopathologic findings of the lung in the experimental lipoid pneumonia were interstitial chronic inflammation and granulomas with the presence of lipoid material in the lung parenchyma, and shark liver oil appeared to be absorbed in the blood and the lymph, then metabolized.
Animals ; Bacterial Infections ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Cytoplasm ; Foreign Bodies ; Granuloma ; Inflammation ; Liver* ; Lung ; Lung Abscess ; Lymph Nodes ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Metaplasia ; Pneumonia* ; Punctures ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sharks*

This article presents the results of the Implementation Study of the Seoul Cancer Registry, which started in July, 1991 as a population based cancer registry in Seoul, Korea. The completeness and validity of the registered data were evaluated using Mortality/Incidence ratio (M/I ratio), Histologically Verified Cases (HV%), Primary Site Uncertain (PSU%), and Age Unknown (Age UNK%). Owing to the additional active surveillance, the completeness of the data turned out to be fairly acceptable, except for the aged over 75(Mortality/Incidence ratio was over 100%). Eventhough the Seoul cancer registry(SCR) has further way to go in the completeness especially among elderly persons, the validity of SCR data was also acceptable in terms of HV%, PSU%, and Age UNK%. However, PSU% and Age UNK% might need to be further reduced to be comparable with other well established cancer registries. The age standardized incidence rates(ASR) of all cancers between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 1992 were 232.4/100,000 in males and 147.9/100,000 in females. The top five major sites of cancers in Seoul were the stomach, liver, lung, colo-rectum, and bladder in order in males, and the uterine cervix, stomach, breast, colo-rectum, and liver in females. Those 5 cancer sites comprised 68.9% and 64.7% of the total cancer incidence in males and females, respectively.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Incidence ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Age ; Neoplasms/*epidemiology/pathology ; *Registries ; Sex Factors ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Bleeding from gastric varices greater than 2cm in diameter represents a major limitation for endoscopic hemostasis. The endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) using conventional sclerosing agents is not satisfactory for the control of acute bleeding from gastric varices which have large diameter, fast blood flow and abundant collateral circulations. Endoscopic ligation using small rubber bands, known to be alternative to EIS, never obliterate large gastric varices greater than 2 cm in diameter. Obliteration therapy using Histoacryl (n-buty1-2-cyanoacrylate), known to be more satisfactory, has some drawback such as embolization. We per formed endoscopic ligation using detachable snares and rubber bands in 22 patients who had recently bleeding from gastric varices larger than 2 cm in diameter. For ligation of gastric varices larger than 2 cm in diameter, the detachable snares were used, and then for ligation of adjacent small gastric varices, rubber bands were used. In seven patients active bleedings were noted at initial endoscopy; 6 of them were successfully controlled by endoscopic ligation using detachable snares and rubber bands, but one patient who was uncontrolled by it died from bleeding and multiple organ failure. In remaining 15 patients, there were no active bleeding but red color signs on large gastric varices; all of them were successfully controlled by endoscopic ligation using detachable snares and rubber bands. Early rebleeding, fol lowing initial treatment, occurred in two patients (9.5%). So overall hemostatic rate of endoscopic ligation using the detachable snares and the rubber bands was 86.4% (19/22). Varices were nearly eradicated in 18 (85.7%) of the 21 survivors by ligation of 1-3 detachable snares (mean, l.3 snares) and 4-30 rubber bands (mean, 16,2 bands) in 2-6 sessions (mean, 3.2 sessions). During or after ligation, there were no serious complications, except transient epigastric pain or discomfort in 14.7% and fever in 1.3%. These results suggest that endoscopic ligation therapy with detachable snares and rubber bands is a safe and effective method for treatment of acute bleeding of gastric varices, especially gastric varices larger than 2 cm in diameter, which can not he controlled by conventional scleratherapy or variceal band ligation.
Collateral Circulation ; Enbucrilate ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Fever ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Rubber* ; Sclerosing Solutions ; Sclerotherapy ; SNARE Proteins* ; Survivors ; Varicose Veins