Prostatic carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States in men. Prostatic carcinoma in Korean men is uncommon and accounts for less than 1% of total cancer: however, the incidence of prostatic carcinoma is continuously increasing. Several clinicopathologic parameters including stage, Gleason score, and serum PSA level have been widely accepted as well established prognostic factors. To study the clinicopathologic features of prostatic carcinoma in Korean men, 58 cases of prostatic carcinoma, which were diagnosed on radical prostatectony specimens at Asan Medical Center from Jan. 1993 to June 1998 (1993; 3 cases, 1994; 3, 1995; 6, 1996; 12, 1997; 24, 1998; 10), were evaluated. The prostatic carcinomas were divided into three groups according to Gleason score. Tumors with Gleason score 6 or lower, 7, and 8 to 10 were categorized as low-grade, intermediate-grade and high-grade tumor, respectively. The overall mean age of the patients was 62.6 years (range, 4 6~76 years); mean age was 65.4, 62.8 and 61.1 in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor, respectively (p>0.05). The overall mean serum PSA level was 38.6 ng/ml (range, 0.3~276.0 ng/ml); mean serum PSA level was 17.0, 29.0 and 60.9 ng/ml in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor, respectively (p=0.002). The mean T stage was 2.3, 2.4 and 3.1 in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor (p=0.001). The percentage of positive resection margin was 33.3, 50.0 and 91.0 % in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor (p=0.001). The overall presence of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) was 79.3 %; percentage of the presence of PIN was 100, 79.2 and 68.2 % in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor (p>0.05). As reported in the literature, our results indicated that Gleason score was a good predictor of stage and prognosis. The higher Gleason score, the more cases were with positive surgical margins, advanced pathologic stage, and high serum PSA level (p<0.05).
Adenocarcinoma* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Neoplasm Grading ; Prognosis ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; United States

Prostatic carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States in men. Prostatic carcinoma in Korean men is uncommon and accounts for less than 1% of total cancer: however, the incidence of prostatic carcinoma is continuously increasing. Several clinicopathologic parameters including stage, Gleason score, and serum PSA level have been widely accepted as well established prognostic factors. To study the clinicopathologic features of prostatic carcinoma in Korean men, 58 cases of prostatic carcinoma, which were diagnosed on radical prostatectony specimens at Asan Medical Center from Jan. 1993 to June 1998 (1993; 3 cases, 1994; 3, 1995; 6, 1996; 12, 1997; 24, 1998; 10), were evaluated. The prostatic carcinomas were divided into three groups according to Gleason score. Tumors with Gleason score 6 or lower, 7, and 8 to 10 were categorized as low-grade, intermediate-grade and high-grade tumor, respectively. The overall mean age of the patients was 62.6 years (range, 4 6~76 years); mean age was 65.4, 62.8 and 61.1 in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor, respectively (p>0.05). The overall mean serum PSA level was 38.6 ng/ml (range, 0.3~276.0 ng/ml); mean serum PSA level was 17.0, 29.0 and 60.9 ng/ml in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor, respectively (p=0.002). The mean T stage was 2.3, 2.4 and 3.1 in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor (p=0.001). The percentage of positive resection margin was 33.3, 50.0 and 91.0 % in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor (p=0.001). The overall presence of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) was 79.3 %; percentage of the presence of PIN was 100, 79.2 and 68.2 % in low, intermediate and high-grade tumor (p>0.05). As reported in the literature, our results indicated that Gleason score was a good predictor of stage and prognosis. The higher Gleason score, the more cases were with positive surgical margins, advanced pathologic stage, and high serum PSA level (p<0.05).
Adenocarcinoma* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Neoplasm Grading ; Prognosis ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; United States

BACKGROUND: The histogenesis and interrelationship of the various types of germ cell tumors (GCTs) have been proposed. Dysgerminoma/seminoma (D/S) is a primitive GCT that has not acquired the potential for further differentiation, whereas other types of GCTs are in a dynamic process of differentiation towards a somatic or extraembryonal direction. A primordial germ cell giving rise to a GCT undergoes a developmentally regulated erasure and resetting of imprinted genes, but changes in the imprinting pattern in GCTs as the tumor differentiates have not been well defined. We aimed to investigate the changes of the SNRPN methylation pattern between the germinomas and non-germinomatous GCTs, as compared with the somatic methylation pattern. METHODS: We used formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 97 GCTs (18 Ds, 21 Ss, 17 yolk sac tumors (YSTs), 19 immature teratomas, and 22 mature teratomas). DNA methylation was evaluated after bisulfite modification, PCR amplification, and restriction enzyme digestion. RESULTS: The SNRPN methylation pattern was changed in 53/74 (71.6%) of GCTs as non-somatic patterns. There were significant differences in the methylation pattern between the germinomas and non-germinomatous GCTs, the GCTs being frequently hypo- methylated in Ds/Ss (73.3%), in contrast to the frequent hypermethylation seen in the YSTs and teratomas (47.7%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The methylation status of an imprinting gene may be involved in the mechanism causing cellular differentiation and tumorigenesis of GCTs.
Carcinogenesis ; Digestion ; DNA Methylation ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Genomic Imprinting ; Germ Cells* ; Germinoma ; Humans* ; Methylation* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear* ; snRNP Core Proteins ; Teratoma

A 18 year-old man presented with dyspnea and a swelling of the neck. On physical examination, maculopapular rashes were noted on the face and the whole body and crepitus was noted at the thorax and upper arms. His chest X-ray showed bilateral interstitial infiltrates of the lung, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. On serologic examination, measles IgM was positive. Under the diagnosis of measles pneumonia, the patient was treated with oral ribavirin, which resulted in a complete resolution of the pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumonic infiltrate, and subjective symptoms of dyspnea and swelling of the neck in 7 days. Here we report this case with a brief review of the relevant literature.
Adolescent* ; Arm ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Lung ; Measles* ; Mediastinal Emphysema* ; Neck ; Physical Examination ; Pneumonia* ; Ribavirin ; Subcutaneous Emphysema* ; Thorax

Cone-beam digital tomosynthesis (CBDT) has greatly been paid attention in the image-guided radiation therapy because of its attractive advantages such as low patient dose and less motion artifact. Image quality of tomograms is, however, dependent on the imaging conditions such as the scan angle (beta(scan)) and the number of projection views. In this paper, we describe the principle of CBDT based on filtered-backprojection technique and investigate the optimization of imaging conditions. As a system performance, we have defined the figure-of-merit with a combination of signal difference-to-noise ratio, artifact spread function and floating-point operations which determine the computational load of image reconstruction procedures. From the measurements of disc phantom, which mimics an impulse signal and thus their analyses, it is concluded that the image quality of tomograms obtained from CBDT is improved as the scan angle is wider than 60 degrees with a larger step scan angle (Delta beta). As a rule of thumb, the system performance is dependent on . If the exact weighting factors could be assigned to each image-quality metric, we would find the better quantitative imaging conditions.
Artifacts ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Radiotherapy, Image-Guided ; Thumb

No abstract available.
Classification* ; Leukemia*

Sirtuin family members with lysine deacetylase activity are known to play an important role in anti-aging and longevity. Cellular senescence is one of the hallmarks of aging, and downregulation of sirtuin is reported to induce premature senescence. In this study, we investigated the effects of small-molecule sirtuin inhibitors on cellular senescence. Various small molecules such as tenovin-1 and EX527 were employed for direct sirtuin activity inhibition. U251, SNB-75, and U87MG glioblastoma cells treated with sirtuin inhibitors exhibited phenotypes with nuclear enlargement. Furthermore, treatment of rat primary astrocytes with tenovin-1 also increased the size of the nucleus. The activity of senescence-associated β-galactosidase, a marker of cellular senescence, was induced by tenovin-1 and EX527 treatment in U87MG glioblastoma cells. Consistent with the senescent phenotype, treatment with tenovin-1 increased p53 expression in U87MG cells. This study demonstrated the senescence-inducing effect of sirtuin inhibitors, which are potentially useful tools for senescence research.
Aging* ; Animals ; Astrocytes ; Cell Aging ; Down-Regulation ; Glioblastoma* ; Humans ; Longevity ; Lysine ; Phenotype ; Rats

We reported localized amyloidosis involving seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia, which was found in two patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma. A 60-yr-old (Case 1) and a 59-yr-old (Case 2) man came to our hospital with elevation of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and biopsy proven carcinoma, respectively. MRI revealed multiple irregular foci of low signal intensity in the prostates as well as in both seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia on T2-weighted imaging, suggesting prostatic carcinoma with extension to both seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia in both cases. Under the clinical diagnosis of stage III prostatic adenocarcinoma, a radical prostatectomy was performed in both patients. Microscopically, Gleason score 7 adenocarcinoma was observed in both patients. In addition, isolated amyloidosis of both seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia was found without carcinoma involvement. Localized amyloidosis in the seminal vesicles, which is considered as senile process, has been occasionally reported in the autopsy and in the surgical specimens. Amyloid deposition in the vas deferens has also been reported in the literature, however, the deposition mimicking extension of carcinoma has not been reported. In this report, two cases of isolated amyloidosis of the seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia are described with electron microscopic study and literature review.
Adenocarcinoma/complications ; Amyloidosis/complications/*pathology ; Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Neoplasms/complications ; Seminal Vesicles/*pathology ; Vas Deferens/*pathology

Immunoglobulin G4-related systemic disease (IgG4-RSD) is a recently defined emerging entity characterized by a diffuse or mass forming inflammatory reaction rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells associated with fibrosclerosis and obliterative phlebitis. IgG4-RSD usually affects middle aged and elderly patients, with a male predominance. It is associated with an elevated serum titer of IgG4, which acts as a marker for this recently characterized entity. The prototype is IgG4-related sclerosing pancreatitis or autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). Other common sites of involvement are the hepatobiliary tract, salivary gland, orbit, and lymph node, however practically any organ can be involved, including upper aerodigestive tract, lung, aorta, mediastinum, retroperitoneum, soft tissue, skin, central nervous system, breast, kidney, and prostate. Fever or constitutional symptoms usually do not comprise part of the clinical picture. Laboratory findings detected include raised serum globulin, IgG and IgG4. An association with autoantibody detection (such as antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor) is seen in some cases. Steroid therapy comprises the mainstay of treatment. Disease progression with involvement of multiple organ-sites may be encountered in a subset of cases and may follow a relapsing-remitting course. The principal histopathologic findings in several extranodal sites include lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, lymphoid follicle formation, sclerosis and obliterative phlebitis, along with atrophy and destruction of tissues. Immunohistochemical staining shows increased IgG4+ cells in the involved tissues (>50 per high-power field, with IgG4/IgG ratio >40%). IgG4-RSD may potentially be rarely associated with the development of lymphoma and carcinoma. However, the nature and pathogenesis of IgG4-RSD are yet to be fully elucidated and provide immense scope for further studies.
Autoimmune Diseases/*immunology ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing/*immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/*immunology ; Lacrimal Apparatus/immunology ; Lymphatic Diseases/*immunology ; Pancreatitis, Chronic/*immunology ; Salivary Glands/immunology ; Sclerosis/immunology

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*pathology ; Cholangiocarcinoma/*pathology ; Female ; Human ; Liver Neoplasms/*pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/*pathology