PURPOSE: The CD5 molecules are pan-T cell antigens and are found on a minor subpopulation of B cells. CD5 antigens are involed in an intracellular signal transduction as well as in an intercellular signal transduction between CDS+ T cell/CD72+ B cell by CD5/CD72 interaction. CD5 antigens are known to be participated in classic immune reactions and in this study CDS mRNA expressions by lymphocytes were examined in allergic patients controls, acute febrile infectious disease controls and normal controls to elucidate the possibility of CDS involvement in allergic immune reactions. METHODS: Fifteen allergic patients, ten patients of acute febrile infectious disease patients and ten normal controls were studied. Venous blood was drawn and mononuclear cells were separated. T cells and B cells were separated using immunomagnetic beads. Total RNA was extracted and RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction) was done to detect CDS antigen mRNA expression. RESULTS: 1) CDS mRNA overexpressions were detected in allergic patient controls as compared to that in acute febrile infectious controls. CDS mRNA was not detected in normal controls. Semiquantitative CD5 mRNA expressions were measured as relative expressions of CD5 to GAPDH. Relative quantities of CD5 mRNA expressions were 90.656.24% in allergic patient controls and 23.76+3.58% in acute febrile infectious patients. CONCLUSIONS: CDS mRNA overexpression is a characteristic phenomenon in allergic immune reactions. From these result, CD5/CD72 pathway might be the preference immune mechanism in allergic immune reaction and the further study for the exact mechanism of CDS involvement in allergic immune reactions may be necessary
Antigens, CD5 ; B-Lymphocytes ; Communicable Diseases ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Lymphocytes* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes

Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains telomeres and prevents telomere shortening, and may be linked with cellular proliferation or the aging process. The purpose was to examine telomerase activity in human chorionic villi from early and term normal pregnancies, and to analyze the correlation of telomerase activity (TA) with MIB-1 & bcl-2. A total of 37 placentae were obtained from 16 early and 21 term pregnancies. TA was assayed by telomeric repeat amplification protocol, and immunohistochemical staining was performed for MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression. TA & MIB-1 expression were strong in early placenta, but bcl-2 was highly expressed in term placentae. Thirteen (81.25%) of 16 early placentae showed TA, but only 2 (9.52%) of 21 term placentae expressed TA (p<0.01). MIB-1 was observed in nuclei of cytotrophoblast, and the expression rate was 16.09% in early placentae and 2.87% in term placentae (p<0.01). bcl-2 was observed only in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast. Term placenta demonstrated stronger expression of bcl-2 compared to early placentae (p<0.05). These findings suggest that TA, MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression are critically regulated over the course of gestation: cytotrophoblast, main cells of early chorionic villi, may be a common source of telomerase and proliferative activity. The TA showed good correlation with cellular proliferative activity. Syncytiotrophoblast, may be a main source of bcl-2 expression which is stronger in the term placentae.
Aging ; Cell Proliferation ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Cytoplasm ; Humans* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy* ; Telomerase* ; Telomere ; Telomere Shortening ; Trophoblasts

PURPOSE: We evaluated whether aminoguanidine could inhibit VEGF mRNA expression in the retinal pigment epithelial cells cultured at various glucose concentrations. METHODS: Human retinal pigment epithelial cells were cultured in the culture media containing 5.5 mM, or 11 mM, or 16 mM glucose for 5 days, or 7 days, or 14 days respectively. To evaluate an inhibitory effect of aminoguanidine on VEGF mRNA expression, 1 micro M, or 3 micro M, or 10 micro M aminoguanidine was added in the culture media. The VEGF mRNA expression was assayed by northern blot analysis. RESULTS: The VEGF mRNA expression of the cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells increased proportionally with media glucose concentration in culture media. At each glucose concentration of the media, VEGF mRNA expression increased with a prolongation of incubation period. An aminoguanidine inhibited the expression of VEGF mRNA by concentration-dependent manner in 5 day and 7 day incubation, but not in 14 day incubation. CONCLUSIONS: The aminoguanidine could inhibit a new vessel formation in the diabetic retina, and be useful for therapeutic or preventive drug in the diabetic retinopathy.
Blotting, Northern ; Culture Media ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Epithelial Cells ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; RNA, Messenger ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of forearm anastomosis in healthy Korean subjects. METHOD: Healthy Korean adult subjects (70 males, 30 females) were included. Median and ulnar nerves were stimulated at wrist and elbow and recorded with the surface electrodes over abductor pollicis brevis (APB), first dorsal interossei (FDI) and abductor digiti quinti (ADQ). RESULTS: Martin-Gruber anastomosis (MGA) was found in 18 males and 8 females (26/100, 26%). MGA was found in 37 arms (18.5%). But, Marinacci anastomosis was not observed. For each type of MGA, type II was found in 36 arms (97.3%) whereas type I was found in 11 arms (29.7%), and type III was found in 1 arm (2.7%). Anastomosis was comprised 67.6% of type II, 2.7% of type III, and 29.7% of coexistence of type II and type I. Average innervation ratio of crossing fibers was the highest in FDI (16.2%). CONCLUSION: Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) comparison method using modified incremental technique is a simple and sufficient method for evaluating forearm anastomosis without stimulus spread to adjacent nerve. In evaluating MGA, the FDI is a very important muscle because of high frequency and innervation ratio.
Action Potentials ; Adult ; Arm ; Elbow ; Electrodes ; Electromyography ; Female ; Forearm ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Ulnar Nerve ; Wrist

We report a case of renal sarcoidosis accompanied by hypercalcemia and renal insufficiency. A 52-year-old woman presented to hospital with nausea, pruritus, general weakness and weight loss. Laboratory tests revealed a serum creatinine was 3.6mg/dL, calcium ll.lmg/dL(ionized calcium 5.6mg/dL), hemoglobin 10.2g/dL, parathyroid hormone <3.0pg/mL, 24 hour urinary protein 1,127mg/day and 24 hour urinary calcium 489mg/day. Chest X-ray showed normal and both kidneys were within normal size with mild increased echo-genicity on renal ultrasound. Renal biopsy showed interstitial nephritis with mononuclear cell infiltration and mild interstitial fibrosis. Non-caseating granuloma with epitheloid and giant cells were seen. Following corticosteroid therapy, renal function and hypercalcemia were dramatically improved. Within 1 month, calcium level was normal and the creatinine level fell to 2.0mg/dL and subsequently remained stable while corticosteroid was progressively tapered off. She has been followed up for 11 months with normal seum calcium level and the creatinine level of 1.9mg/dL.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Biopsy ; Calcium ; Creatinine ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Giant Cells ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia* ; Kidney ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Nephritis, Interstitial ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Pruritus ; Renal Insufficiency ; Sarcoidosis* ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Weight Loss

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that synthesizes telomeric DNA onto the ends of chromosomes. thereby preventing the replication-dependent shortening of these ends. Telomerase activity is detected in a wide range of cancers of various tissues, and its expression may be a critical step in tumor progression. Our objective was to determine if detection of telomerase activity may be an indicator for diagnosis of breast cancer and any association between telomerase activity and prognostic factors of breast cancer. Using a polymerase chain reaction-based telomerase activity assay, we examined telomerase activity in 30 breast cancer specimens (2 ductal carcinoma in situ, 28 invasive ductal carcinoma), 25 benign lesions (14 fibroadenomas, 11 fibrocystic diseases) and 24 normal breast tissues (13 adjacent to malignancy, 11 adjacent to benign lesion). Among surgically resected samples, telomerase activity was detected in 23 (77%) of 30 breast cancers. While telomerase activity was not detected in any of 11 specimens of fibrocystic disease and 11 adjacent normal tissues to benign lesion, surprisingly low levels of telomerase activity were detected in 5 (36%) of 14 fiboadenomas and 1 (7%) of 13 adjacent normal tissues to malignancy. There was no significant difference in expression of telomerase among prognostic factors of breast cancer. In summary, telomerase activity in breast cancer may be useful in diagnosis of breast cancer. We found no correlation between telomerase activity and stage, tumor size or LN status. Mechanisms of telomerase expression are still under investigation; therefore, the significance of telomerase expression in malignant tumors and their progression remains to be determined.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Fibroadenoma ; Humans* ; Ribonucleoproteins ; Telomerase*

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that enalapril or lovastatin seems to ameliorate the renal injury in several animal models with glomerulonephritis. The aim of this study was to examine whether enalapril or lovastatin was still beneficial in tubulointerstitial injury induced by protein-overload proteinuria in rats. METHODS: Enalapril(200mg/L in the drinking water) or lovastatin(16mg/kg, subcutaneously) was administered to uninephrectomized rats which received a daily intraperitoneal injections of bovine serum albumin(BSA, 1/100g body weight)(each n=6). Six rats were served as normal control. After 2 weeks, renal cortical pathologic findings, including immunohistochemistry for macrophage were examined and renal cortical osteopontin, MCP-1, endothelin-1, TGF-beta and procollagen alpha1(I) mRNA expression were examined by Northern blot analysis. RESULTS: Renal cortex in rats with protein-overload proteinuria showed infiltration of inflammatory cells including macrophages, tubular dilatation and atrophy. Renal cortical mRNA expression of osteopontin, MCP-1 and endothelin-1 were increased in rats with protein-overload proteinuria. There were no changes in TGF-beta and procollagen alpha1(I) mRNA expression. Enalapril decreased the macrophage infiltration significantly and inhibited the mRNA expression of osteopontin, MCP-1 and endothelin-1. However, lovastatin had no significant effects on the macrophage infiltration and cortical mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: Enalapril showed beneficial effects in tubulointerstitial injury induced by protein-overload proteiuria in rats by inhibition of macrophage infiltration and the cortical mRNA expression of osteopontin, MCP-1 and endothelin-1. However, lovastatin had no significant effects.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Blotting, Northern ; Dilatation ; Drinking ; Enalapril* ; Endothelin-1 ; Glomerulonephritis ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Lovastatin* ; Macrophages ; Models, Animal ; Osteopontin ; Procollagen ; Proteinuria* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that enalapril or lovastatin seems to ameliorate the renal injury in several animal models with glomerulonephritis. The aim of this study was to examine whether enalapril or lovastatin was still beneficial in tubulointerstitial injury induced by protein-overload proteinuria in rats. METHODS: Enalapril(200mg/L in the drinking water) or lovastatin(16mg/kg, subcutaneously) was administered to uninephrectomized rats which received a daily intraperitoneal injections of bovine serum albumin(BSA, 1/100g body weight)(each n=6). Six rats were served as normal control. After 2 weeks, renal cortical pathologic findings, including immunohistochemistry for macrophage were examined and renal cortical osteopontin, MCP-1, endothelin-1, TGF-beta and procollagen alpha1(I) mRNA expression were examined by Northern blot analysis. RESULTS: Renal cortex in rats with protein-overload proteinuria showed infiltration of inflammatory cells including macrophages, tubular dilatation and atrophy. Renal cortical mRNA expression of osteopontin, MCP-1 and endothelin-1 were increased in rats with protein-overload proteinuria. There were no changes in TGF-beta and procollagen alpha1(I) mRNA expression. Enalapril decreased the macrophage infiltration significantly and inhibited the mRNA expression of osteopontin, MCP-1 and endothelin-1. However, lovastatin had no significant effects on the macrophage infiltration and cortical mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: Enalapril showed beneficial effects in tubulointerstitial injury induced by protein-overload proteiuria in rats by inhibition of macrophage infiltration and the cortical mRNA expression of osteopontin, MCP-1 and endothelin-1. However, lovastatin had no significant effects.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Blotting, Northern ; Dilatation ; Drinking ; Enalapril* ; Endothelin-1 ; Glomerulonephritis ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Lovastatin* ; Macrophages ; Models, Animal ; Osteopontin ; Procollagen ; Proteinuria* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside binding protein that has been reported to be implicated in numerous biologic and pathologic functions including cell growth, cell adhesion, inflammation, neoplastic transformation, and apoptosis. Most previous studies in thyroid tissue have found galectin-3 expression to be a feature of malignant and not of benign or normal tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of galectin-3 in 57 thyroid lesions, to assess its potential as a marker in the diagnosis and classification of thyroid malignancy. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The followings were studied: 19 cases of papillary carcinomas, 8 of follicular carcinomas, one anaplastic carcinoma, one medullary carcinoma, 16 follicular adenomas, and 12 nodular hyperplasia. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded thyroid tissues were stained immunohistochemically for galectin-3. RESULTS: Galectin-3 expression was found in all cases, however, it was strong in papillary carcinomas than in follicular carcinomas or adenomas. In nodular hyperplasia, galectin-3 expression was very weak and focal. A significant difference was not found in the expression of galectin-3 between follicular carcinomas and follicular adenomas. CONCLUSION: Galectin-3 is a reliable marker of papillary carcinoma but not useful in identifying follicular carcinoma.
Adenoma ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Carrier Proteins ; Cell Adhesion ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Galectin 3* ; Hyperplasia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; Thyroid Gland*

BACKGROUND: Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that synthesizes telomeric DNA onto the ends of chromosomes, thereby preventing the replication-dependent shortening of those ends. Telomerase activity is detected in a wide range of cancers of various tissues, and its expression may be a critical step in tumor progression. Our objective was to determine if detection of telomerase activity may be an indicator for diagnosis of breast cancer and if any association exists between telomerase activity and prognostic factors of breast cancer. METHODS: Using a polymerase chain reaction-based telomerase activity assay, we examined telomerase activity in 30 breast cancer specimens (2 ductal carcinoma in situ, 28 invasive ductal carcinoma), 25 benign lesions (14 fibroadenomas, 11 fibrocystic diseases), and 24 normal breast tissues (13 adjacent to malignancy, 11 adjacent to benign lesion). RESULTS: Among surgically resected samples, telomerase activity was detected in 23 (77%) of 30 breast cancers. While telomerase activity was not detected in any of the 11 specimens of fibrocystic disease and the 11 normal tissues adjacent to benign lesion, surprisingly low levels of telomerase activity were detected in 5 (36%) of the 14 fibroadenomas and 1 (7%) of the 13 normal tissues adjacent to malignancy. There was no significant difference in expression of telomerase among prognostic factors of breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, telomerase activity may be useful in the diagnosis of breast cancer. We found no correlation between telomerase activity and stage, tumor size, or LN status. Mechanisms of telomerase expression are still under investigation; therefore, the significance of telomerase expression in malignant tumors and their progression remains to be determined.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Fibroadenoma ; Humans* ; Ribonucleoproteins ; Telomerase*