No abstract available.
Moyamoya Disease*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Brain* ; Mice* ; RNA, Messenger*

Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) gene IVS6+G82A and Pro303Pro polymorphisms in Chinese children and determine the effect of PTP1B gene IVS6+G82A and Pro303Pro polymorphisms on the pathogenesis of childhood obesity. Methods A total of 147 Chinese obese and 118 healthy children were randomly selected and enrolled to identify IVS6+G82A and Pro303Pro genotypes by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. Waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR), percentage of body fat (%BF),systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), plasma fasting insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and plasma leptin were examined. Results The allele frequencies of IVS6+G82A and Pro303Pro were 59.5% and 19.4% in obese children, and 53.4% and 11.0% in healthy children, respectively. There were significant differences in allele frequencies of Pro303Pro polymorphism between the obese and the control group. Pro303Pro polymorphism was associated with body mass index, WC, TG, and LDL C in the obese subjects. There was not di fference in the genotype distributions or allele frequencies of IVS6+G82A polymorphism between the obese and the control group. Further analysis showed no association between the genotypes of IVS6+G82A and clinical characteristics in the obese subjects. The linkage disequilibrium analysis for IVS6+G82A and Pro303Pro (D′: 0.441, r2: 0.027) was weak.Conclusion PTP1B gene Pro303Pro polymorphism might be associated with the pathogenesis of obesity in children and could affect the lipid metabolism in Chinese obese children.

PURPOSE: According to the staging system for breast cancer by the 2003 revised American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), the patients with 10 or more positive axillary nodes are classified as N3 and also as a new stage, i.e., stage IIIC. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognosis of patients with 10 or more positive nodes. METHODS: The database of 125 patients with 10 or more positive axillary nodes who underwent surgery at Korea Cancer Center Hospital between 1997 and 2001 were reviewed. The age of the patients, the T stage, the number and site of the positive nodes, the hormone receptor status, the HER-2 over-expression, and the treatment modalities were examined in reference to the disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: At the median follow-up time of 40 months, 16 cases (13%) of locoregonal recurrence and 57 cases (46%) of systemic relapse had developed in 67 patients (54%). The DFS and overall survival rates at 5 years were 46% and 55%, respectively. On univariate analysis, the T stage (p<0.001), hormone receptor status (p=0.001), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.014) were predictive factors of recurrence. On multivariate analysis, the T stage (p=0.002) and hormone receptor status (p=0.02) were independent predictors of recurrence. The patients with hormone receptor positive tumor had a 58%, 5-year DFS rate. On the contrary, in 9 of 10 patients with T4 tumor, recurrence developed within 2 years after the initial treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that stage IIIC according to the revised AJCC staging system was not a prognostically homogeneous group. Some notably high survival rates were observed in a subgroup of patients, and especially for those patients with hormone receptor positive tumor. In contrast, the prognosis of patients with T4 tumor was significantly worse than that of the patients with the other stage IIIC disease. Thus, we suggest that the stage IIIC group in the new AJCC staging system needs to be refined to provide more reliable prognostic information for the patients with advanced breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis* ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: This study investigates the usefulness of the duochrome test for the prevention of overcorrection in refraction tests of myopic children. METHODS: This prospective study comprises 44 subjects (88 eyes, aged 6 to 10 years) with simple myopia and best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20. After the manifest refraction (MR) was measured with an autorefractometer (KR-8100, Topcon), the refractive error of the duochrome test (DR) was measured at the end point when targets of red and green appeared equally clear. The cycloplegic refraction (CR) was then measured. A statistical analysis and comparison of MR, DR, and CR were conducted using a paired t-test. With strabismus, amblyopia and astigmatism (>or=0.5D), it was excluded. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 8.7+/-1.70 years (range, 6 to 12 years). Mean refractive errors found by MR, DR, and CR were -1.9D+/-0.89 (range, -0.75 to -4.75D), -1.5D+/-0.83, -1.5D+/-0.85 in the right eye, respectively. Those found by MR, DR, and CR in the left eye were -2.0D+/-0.79 (range, -0.75 to -4.75D), -1.7D+/-0.76, and -1.6D+/-0.77, respectively. Differences in the refractive errors of MR and DR, MR and CR were statistically significant (p=0.000, p=0.000 respectively), but there was no statistically significant difference between the refractive errors of DR and CR.(p=0.102) CONCLUSIONS: We found the duochrome test to be an easy and simple method to prevent overcorrection of myopia.
Amblyopia ; Astigmatism ; Child* ; Humans ; Myopia ; Prospective Studies ; Refractive Errors ; Strabismus ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To report a case of cancer-associated retinopathy developed in a patient with small cell lung cancer, which is a kind of paraneoplastic syndrome. METHODS: A 78-year-old woman presented complaining of decreased visual acuity and visual field that had developed about 15 days previously. She was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer 1.5 years ago and underwent 3 cycles of chemotherapy. At presentation, the best-corrected visual acuity was hand motion in both eyes and there was no afferent pupillary defect. Slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination revealed no specific abnormality in the anterior segment of either eye, and intraocular pressure was normal. Posterior segment examination demonstrated remarkable arteriolar narrowing in both eyes, but there was little doubt about the presence of an optic nerve lesion such as optic disc edema or pallor. RESULTS: Fluorescein angiography and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed no significant abnormalities. However, electroretinograms (ERG) demonstrated marked reduction in the a and b waves. Visual evoked response was delayed for the latency period. She was treated with systemic steroid, after which her visual acuity gradually improved.
Aged ; Brain ; Drug Therapy ; Edema ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Hand ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Latency Period (Psychology) ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Optic Nerve ; Pallor ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Ocular* ; Pupil Disorders ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma* ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the role of the CT scan in blunt hepatic injury and the significance of CT degree of hepatic injury in the decision making of treatment plan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the CT findings of 22 patients with hepatic injury. We graded hepatic injury on CT scan into five according to the severity. Clinical records, type of management and clinical outcome of the patients were also reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 22 patients, 17 had conservative treatment and five had surgery. The numbers of patients treated conservatively were 0, 4, 11, 2 and 0 in the grade 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively and the numbers of surgically treated cases were 0, 0, 3, 2 and 0 respectively. There was no significant statistical difference between surgically and conservatively treated groups(p-value > 0.05). All patients with conservatively treated group were hemodynamically stable and had no complication during hospitalization. Hemoperitoneum was observed in 11 of 22 patients. CONCLUSION: In blunt hepatic injury, CT plays an important role in the demonstration of location and extent of the hepatic injury, size of hemoperitoneum and the post operative course. However, we believe that physiologic status of the patients may be more important than the extent of CT based hepatic injury for determining a mode of treatment.
Decision Making ; Hemoperitoneum ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: This study is to describe authors'experience on mammographic findings of breast cancer and to know if there is difference between 35 years of age or younger and older groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mammograms of 72 patients with breast cancer detected from January, 1991 to December, 1993 were retrospectively analysed. Mammographic findings were classified into mass only, mass with microcalcifications, microcalcifications only and others. Marginal characteristics of mass were classified into spiculated, poorly marginated and well marginated. Shape of microcalcifications were classified into casting, granular and mixed types. These findings were compared between 35 years of age or younger and older groups. RESULTS: Mammogram showed mass only in 33 patients(46%), mass with microcalcifications in 26 patients (36%), microcalcifications only in seven(10%) and other findings in six(8%). Other findings were architectural distortion, asymmetric high density and incidental breart carcinoma from paraffinoma in one patient respectively, and dense breast in three patients. The margins of the breast mass were spiculated in ten(17%) poorly marginated in 30(51%), well-marginated in 19(32%). Shape of microcalcifications were casting type in 13(40%), granular in 14(42%) and mixed in six(18%) cases. 3 patients had dense breast with which mammography did not demonstrate the lesion. 3 patients without mammographically demonstrable lesions due to dense breasts were under 35 years in age. and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups(p-value<0.05). Microcalcifications only was more common findings in 35 years of age or younger. CONCLUSION: The most important mammographic findings of breast cancer were mass and microcalcifications. Architectural distortion and asymmetric high density were additional findings. In 35 years of age or younger, microcalcifications only was an important finding because mass lesions are frequently masked by dense breast. Thus other imaging modalities, such as ultrasonography, were required.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans ; Mammography ; Masks ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

Application of ex vivo expanded megakaryocytic progenitor cells (MKPC) is a strategy for the treatment of thrombocytopenia after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Some growth factors including thrombopoietin (TPO), megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-3, IL-6, IL-11, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and serotonin (5-HT) have been demonstrated to play an important role on the regulation of megakaryocyte/platelet development, the efficient conditions for the expansion of the megakaryocyte (MK) progenitors from hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells were discussed in this review article. TPO alone produced a high proportion of MK progenitors but a low total cell count. The addition of IL-1 beta, IL-3, IL-6 and Flt-3L improved the expansion outcome. The combination of three to five cytokines produced more efficient expansions of hematopoietic stem and MK progenitors. PDGF also enhanced the ex vivo expansion of CD61+ CD41+ cells and CD34+ cells in combination with TPO, IL-1 beta, IL-3, IL-6 and Flt-3L. PDGF is a suitable growth factor to improve the ex vivo expansion of MKPC without promoting their in vitro maturation. More importantly, PDGF also enhanced the engraftment of human stem and progenitor cells in NOD/SCID mice. It has been reported that MKPC can be safely administered to autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplant recipients. In short, MKPC can be expanded ex vivo and safely applied to autologous transplant.
Cells, Cultured ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Megakaryocytes ; cytology ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Serotonin ; pharmacology ; Thrombocytopenia ; prevention & control ; Thrombopoietin ; pharmacology