We studied the expressions of E-cadherin, MMP-7 and CD44V in colorectal cancer and their corresponding normal mucosa using RT-PCR. From the 26 patients whom a com parative study of clinical and histopathological data is available, MMP-7 and CD44V were significantly enhanced in cancer and their metastatic tissues, compared with their normal mucosa. E-cadherin did not reveal any difference between cancer and normal mucosa. The relashionship between these genes and colorectal cancer development can not be confirmed by this study, however CD44v and MMP-7 may be associated with metastasis of colorectal cancer.
Cadherins ; Cell Line* ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

Noise is not only affecting the ear and the auditory cortex locally, but its influence is widely spread throughout the brain structures, e. g., the reticular formation, the brain stem nuclei or the subcortical forebrain area. Hence, any of the organism's activities can be hindered or stimulated by noise. High noise is a stressor and the catecholamine level can be used both as a stress marker and as an indicator of modified sympathetic nervous system activity. Several recent studies have found that the urinary excretion of catecholamines is increased due to high noise intensity, especially unexpectedly high and long lasting noise. The present study was conducted in order to examine the effects of noise stress on urinary excretion of catecholamines in rats and humans. Rats were exposed to 90 dB noises for 10, 30, and 60 minutes, 3 and 12 hours. 24 hour urinary samples were collected and the catecholamines were extracted by alumina and analyzed by HPLC-ECD. Catecholamine levels increased with time of exposure up to 60 minutes: norepinephrine concentration at 60 min of noise=1.038 ng/ml, epinephrine=0.636 ng/ml. Urine catecholamines of blue collar workers exposed to 90 dB of noise at the workplace were collected between 2 and 4 p.m. and compared to that of white collar workers exposed to 70 dB. Mean norepinephrine level of the blue collar workers was 0.89 ng/ml(+/-0.25), epinephrine 0.24 ng/ml(+/-0.09), and that of the white collar workers 0.48 ng/ml(+/-0.12), epinephrine 0.19 ng/ml(+/-0.05). It was concluded that noise acts as a stressor and increases the catecholamine levels in both rats and humans.
Aluminum Oxide ; Animals ; Auditory Cortex ; Brain ; Brain Stem ; Catecholamines ; Ear ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Noise* ; Norepinephrine ; Prosencephalon ; Rats ; Reticular Formation ; Sympathetic Nervous System

CD44 is a cell adhesion molecule with numerous isoforms created by mRNA alternative splicing. Expression of CD44 variants has been suggested to play a potential role in tumor progression and metastasis. We designed primers CD44V, CD44V6/7, CD44R1 and CD44V6-10 to analyze and compare the roles of each CD44 variants. Expressions of CD44 variants were investigated in normal colonic mucosa, the lymph nodes which was histopathologically free of cancer cell, and cancer tissues of 44 human colorectal cancer patients by RT-PCR method. The expression of CD44V was observed in 28 out of 39 (71.8%) tumors and 7 out of 11 (63.6%) N1 normal regional lymph nodes, and CD44V6/7 was observed in 28 out of 39 (71.8%) tumors and 9 out of 11 (81.8%) N1 normal regional lymph nodes. The expressions of CD44V and CD44V6/7 were most frequently observed compared with any other CD44 variants. In normal colonic mucosa, the expression of CD44 variants are low but in cancer tissue and its regional lymph node, the expression of CD44V and CD44V6/7 were significantly higher and more frequent than any other CD44 variants (p<0.05). These results suggest that CD44V and CD44V6/7 can be a molecular marker for colorectal cancer and its micrometastasis to the regional normal lymph node.
Alternative Splicing ; Antigens, CD44/genetics* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology ; Colorectal Neoplasms/immunology* ; Gene Expression ; Human ; Lymph Nodes/pathology ; Lymph Nodes/immunology* ; Protein Isoforms/genetics

The health insurance financial crisis and the aging population have overshadowed the South Korean healthcare market. Reforming healthcare has become a major policy issue in the upcoming presidential election on December 19, 2012. It is hard to imagine a time when expectations have been higher and the challenges have been greater for the next administration to create a sustainable healthcare system. Among healthcare policy problems, the new administration must keep in mind reforms for healthcare personnel. Accordingly, several intermediate and long-term actions and initiations for healthcare personnel can help lay the groundwork for sustainable development of Korea's healthcare system. Possible examples include balancing the supply plan of physicians and nurses according to the finances of the National Health Insurance, controlling the number of dentists, oriental medical doctors, and pharmacists, while enhancing health education specialists, and complementary and alternative medical therapists.
Aging ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dentists ; Health Care Sector ; Health Education ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; National Health Programs ; Natural Resources ; Pharmacists ; Specialization

No abstract available.
Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic*

PURPOSE:Tumor cells can be shed into a venous blood stream by manipulation of tumor during surgery, resulting metastasis to distant organs from the primary tumor. In order to elucidate the effect of early lymphovascular dissection prior to tumor mobilization, we studied the difference in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) values of tumor draining veins before and after tumor mobilization. METHODS:Blood samples were taken from the tumor draining veins of sixteen patients during operations. The lymphovascular dissection was performed before the tumor mobilization, and the main draining vein from the tumor was isolated and the proximal end was ligated and blood samples were taken, then the tumor mobilization was made. Just before the removal of the tumor, we took the second sets of blood samples from the same sites. RESULTS:There were no significant differences in CEA values between peripheral blood (1.8+/-1.2 ng/mL) and tumor draining veins before the tumor mobilization. The mean CEA value of draining veins after the tumor mobilization (14.3+/-11.9 ng/mL) was significantly higher than that of draining veins before the mobilization (2.2+/-2.1 ng/mL)(P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Theses results suggest that early lymphovascular dissection procedures before tumor mobilization can reduce the opportunity of tumor cell dissemination into draining vein.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen* ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rivers ; Veins

PURPOSE: Although the 'No-touch' isolation technique was introduced by Turnbull et al. in 1967, the controversy over whether or not it reduces the risk of metastasis during surgery exists even today. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the 'No-touch' isolation technique in primary colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: The evaluation was done by comparing the levels of CEA and CEA m-RNA expression from the same draining vein before and after tumor mobilization. Blood samples from 25 patients with primary colorectal cancer were collected for analysis. At the time of surgery, the main draining vein from the tumor was isolated and ligated at the proximal end. The 1st blood samples were collected just prior to tumor mobilization, and the 2nd samples right after. Both samples were analyzed for serum CEA level and CEA mRNA expression by using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The mean CEA value from draining veins after tumor mobilization (8.08+/-8.98 ng/ml) was significantly higher than it was before mobilization (4.17+/-4.98 ng/ml). CEA mRNA was detected in 16% (4/25) of the blood specimens post-mobilization, whereas it was detected in only 4% (1/25) of the pre-mobilization samples. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the validity of using the 'No-touch' isolation technique to reduce the risk of metastasis into the draining vein during mobilization.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Veins

This study is a retrospective clinical analysis of two hundred forty-four consecutive cases of acute subdural hematoma which were confirmed by operation during the last five years at the Department of Neurosurgery of the Dong-guk University Hospital. The authors have attempted, through this analysis to identify the factors affecting the outcome of acute subdural hematoma. A favorable outcome occurred in 40%, and an unfavorable outcome in 21% of patients at the time of discharge while a death ocurred in 39% of the cases. We have concluded that initial GCS, pupillary status, systolic arterial blood pressure, FDP vaules, presence or absence of skull fracture. IICP findings on brain CT, hematoma amount, and associated intracranial lesions are all prognostic factors, although the timing of operation did not reflect a significant difference in the outcome, however the sooner the intracranial hematoma lesion is evacuated, the better the outcome will be.
Arterial Pressure ; Brain ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute* ; Humans ; Neurosurgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Fractures

OBJECTIVES: To compare the quality improvement of the abstracts of original articles, according to the revised manuscript format, of the Korean Journal of Preventive Medicine (Korean J Pre Med) was adopted in 1999. METHODS: A total 63 abstracts for 1997, and 49 for 2001, were selected as the original articles from the Kor J Pre Med. This study was carried out by the separate-sample pretest-posttest design. The quality of the abstracts was measured by a checklist of Narine' evaluation criteria, and the other information related to the articles were also surveyed by e-mail and fax or telephone using a self-made questionnaire. From the response rate, a total of 62 abstracts for 1997 and 49 for 2001 were finally analyzed. RESULTS: The mean number of words in an abstract decreased from 285 in 1997, to 250 by 2001. The mean number of key words per abstract decreased from 3.9 in 1997, to 3.6 by 2001. The mean number of inappropriate usage of key words per abstract, by the MeSH standard, decreased from 1.9 in 1997, to 0.4 by 2001. Also, the overall mean score of abstract quality increased from 0.54 in 1997 to 0.61 by 2001. The range of scores for the abstract quality was better in 2001 (0.40~0.77) than in 1997 (0.20~0.81). From the multiple regression analyses of the 1997 and 2001 databases, the intervention of the manuscript format's revision, and the number of English words to the quality score of the abstract, were the only statistically significant factors. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the quality of abstracts in the Kor J Pre Med has improved since the revised manuscript format was adopted in 1999. The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine will continuously recommend proposals for more informative abstracts in their journal, and will evaluate the abstracts' content with quality criteria. Future studies should address these issues, and compare the quality of abstracts between different international and domestic journals.
Checklist ; Electronic Mail ; Preventive Medicine* ; Quality Improvement* ; Telephone

Abscesses in the spinal epidural space are seen in 0.2~1.2 patients per 10,000 hospital admissions and are much rarer than intracranial abscess. The morbidity and mortality of patients with infections in this location can be high, and most authors emphasize prompt diagnosis combined with appropriate antibiotics and surgical theraphy. Although laminectomy is frequently used for deagnosis and decompression of the neural element, it can lead to instability, and there are orther reports emphasizing the importance of anterior decompression with stabilization. We discussed the clinical features, radiologic findings of the case, and reviewed the literatures of this disease.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Decompression ; Diagnosis ; Epidural Abscess* ; Epidural Space ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Mortality