OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to investigate the effect of coculture system on in vitro fertilization and development of mice embryos. METHODS: F1 hybrid mice were superovulated with PMSG/hCG. Recruited oocytes were divided into three subgroups which are control(subgroup a), Vero cell coculture(subgroup b) and human amniocyte coculture subgroup (subgroup c) respectively. For 3 subgroups, we observed fertilization after 24 hours of incubation. In vitro fertilized early 2-cell stage embryos were allocated to Group I and in vivo fertilized early 2-cell stage embryos were allocated to Group II. Also, each group was divided into control (subgroup a), Vero cell coculture(subgroup b) and human amniocyte coculture subgroup(subgroup c) respectively. For 6 subgroups, we observed in vitro development to blastocyst and that to hatching blastocyst after 120 hours of incubation. RESULTS: As to recruited oocytes, the in vitro fatilization rate of subgroup a was significantly higher than that of subgroup b and subgroup c (P<0.05). In Group I, the developmental rates were not significantly different between the three subgroups. But in Group II, the developmental rates to hatching blastocysts of subgroup b and c were significantly higher than that of subgroup a (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The development of the in vitro fertilized mouse embryos seemed to be independent of physiologic condition which we think coculture system may give to the embryos. The independent developmental capability of the in vitro fertilized embryos might be obtained through a certain intracellular mechanism for which there should be the need of many more investigations to be verified.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Coculture Techniques* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Humans ; Mice* ; Oocytes* ; Vero Cells

Filiform polyposis(FP), an unusual form of inflammatory polyposis, has been recently designated to a lesion characterized by multiple, long slender, finger-like projections of mucosa and submucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. We present 5 cases of FP, of which two were associated with irritable bowel syndrome, two with advanced colon carcinoma, and one with active ileotyphlitis(Behcet's disease). The polyps ranged from 1.0 cm to 3 cm; they were either isolated or aggregated, and their numbers were up to 100. The common microscopic feature was filiform polyps which consisted of central submucosal core covered by intact or minimally inflamed intestinal mucosa, comparable with that in reparative processes and formation of inflammatory(redundant) pseudopolyps. We conclude that awareness of FP in non-inflammatory bowel disease may promote the endoscopists to search its underlying disease and prevent unnecessary surgical procedure. Behcets enterocolitis in the ileocecal junction seems an additional preceding disorder of a localized form of FP.
Colon ; Enterocolitis ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Mucous Membrane ; Polyps

Pathological proliferation of Brgnners gland is rare, and its wide range of morphologieal variations have led to confusing the terminology with considerable lack of agreement. Six cases of duodenal nodular lesions which consisted of pathological proliferation of Brunners glands were examined by light microscopy. Polypectomy was made in two cases, and the remaining 4 cases were examined with endoscopic biopsy materials. Two polypectomy specimens, 2 cm and 3 cm each in great diameters, consisted of protruded ovoid mass with broad and short stalks. Microacopically, all of 6 cases revealed thin strands of fibrous connective tissue which separated the normal-looking Brunners glands in lobules. Individual lobules were composed of groups of acini formed by cuboidal cells admixed with occasional endocrine cells. Presence of glandular and ductal configuration of the Brunners gland aside from thick, randomly arranged bundles of smooth muscle were featured without distinct relation to interlobular septa. Also, one polypectomy case disclosed the nests of fat cells interspersed with the glandular acini. One mucosal biopsy case contained not only the smooth muscle bands but also the intimate mixture of both acini and ducts. We conclude that some of heterogeneous composition of duodenal nodular proliferation of Brunners gland is indicative of a hamartomatous growth.
Adipocytes ; Biopsy ; Brunner Glands ; Connective Tissue ; Duodenum ; Endocrine Cells ; Hamartoma* ; Microscopy ; Muscle, Smooth ; Pathology

This study was undertaken to characterize the clinicopathologic features of smooth muscle tumors of the stomach with additional regard to recent controversy over the gastrointestinal smooth mscle tumors. A total of 46 consecutive cases(47 tumors) of surgically resected or excised gastric smooth muscle tumors, were assessed for review. The criteria for malignancy applied in this study were one of the followings; (1) 5 or more mitoses/10 HPF or (2) 1-4 mitoses/10 HPF with tumor cell necrosis and 5 cm or greater in tumor size. The tumors were classified as ordinary leiomyoma in 24 cases(25 tumors), epithelioid leiomyoma in 3, cellular leiomyoma in 6, ordinary leiomyosarcoma in 10, myxoid leiomyosarcoma in 2, and epithelioid leiomyosarcoma in 1. Of the 46 cases, 13 cases(28%) were categorized as malignant smooth muscle tumor. But immunohistochemical study for S-100 protein, desmin and vimentin(5 cases), and ultrastructural study(2 cases) support that myogenic or neurogenic differentiation is evident simultaneously within the same tumor, regardless of malignancy, and that even the differentiated tumor cells seem to express such direction toward immature smooth muscle cell or nerve cell.

Overexpression of the nuclear phosphoprotein p53 is the most common genetic anomaly found in primary human cancer and mutation of the tumor suppressor gene p53 has been identified in breast cancer cell lines. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of p53 protein expression in patients with mammary infiltrating ductal carcinoma and its correlation with histopathologic grade, lymph node status, tumor size, p53 protein expression and survival. Among 53 cases, p53 protein expression was detected in 26(49.1%) cases by immunohistochemistry. There was no correlation between p53 protein overexpression and histopathologic grade(p=0.09) or lymph node status(p=0.38) and between survival and histopathologic grade (p=0.68) or lymph node status(p=0.52). However, p53 protein expression was significantly correlated with survival(p=0.01) and patients with p53 protein-positive tumors showed poorer survival times. But Cox multivariate analysis showed the lymph node status is significant(p=0.01). The authors conclude that the presence of mutant p53 protein and lymph node status may serve a prognostic role, in a subset of mammary infiltrating ductal carcinoma cases.
Humans ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Breast Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome* ; Meconium*

OBJECTIVE: SCC-Ag(Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen) is a tumor marker for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. It has shown that the SCC-Ag was well related with the response of cancer therapy and course of cervical cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the presence of pelvic lymph node metstasis can be predicted by the measurement of the preoperative SCC-Ag levels in the patients with early staged squamous cell carcinoma of cervix. METHODS: The preoperative serum SCC-Ag levels were measured in 45 patients with stage I-II squamous cell carcinoma of cervix undergoing radical hysterectomy from September 1995 to December 1997. The serum SCC-Ag levels were analyzed for the clinicopathologic characteristics and other prognostic factors using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The serum SCC-Ag levels of the patients exhibited pelvic lymph node metastasis were above 4.8ng/ml. An elevated preoperative serum SCC-Ag level, and tumor size were independent predictors for the presence of lymph node metastasis(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The determination of the preoperative serum SCC-Ag levels provides a new prognostic factor in early staged cervical cancer.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Nephritis, Interstitial* ; Yersinia pseudotuberculosis* ; Yersinia*

No abstract available.
Nerve Regeneration*

No abstract available.
Autopsy* ; Endocarditis* ; Thromboembolism