Human assisted reproductive technology programs have been being developed marvelously during this decade. However, implantation rates following embryo replacement remain low, regardless of increased fertilization rates by ICSI. One proposed possibility limiting the successful implantation is an impaired hatching caused by suboptimal culture conditions. As to improve the hatching potential of blastocysts, assisted hatching by an artificial alteration of zona pellucida(ZP) have been done in many laboratories using the various methods. We tried to investigate whether the supplementation of proteases into culture media has any effect on development, zona structure, and/or hatching of mouse embryos. Supplementation of either pronase E(PE) or proteinase K(PK) in culture media did not affect development up to blastocyst but significantly increased hatching rate. And we observed the alteration of ultrastructure and casein binding properties of ZP in mouse embryos. Also we investigated the effects of protease on development of human embryos and pregnancy rates in human ART program. From July 1994 to December 1996, 792 cycles(for study I) and 1095 cycles(for study II) undergoing the IVF-ET program in MizMedi Hospital were randomly selected for BAH. The concentrations of proteases used in this study were 1microgram/ml PE, 0.1microgram/ml PK and 1microgram/mlPE+0.1microgram/ml PK in HTF with 0.5% human serum albumin(HSA), and in vitro fertilized embryos were cultured for 24 hours. We analyzed the efficiency and stability of biochemical assisted hatching(BAH) according to the clinical profiles of patients and fertilization methods. After cultured in HTF with proteases for 24 hours of human embryos, the thinning in zona pellucida of embryos was observed but its development was not disturbed. Also, clinical pregnancy rates were higher in the PE, PK and PE+PK groups than the control group without proteases(36.0%(32/89), 35.3%(36/102), 35.1%(39/111) vs. 25.5%(125/490), p<0.05). The live birth rate in the PE, PK and PE+PK groups were increased than control, and the abortion rate were not different. They were showed a effect and safety of proteases treatment in human embryos. We selected PE as BAH for study II because of slightly better embryonic morphology and pregnancy rate. In patients over 35 years old, clinical pregnancy rates of the BAH group was higher than that of the control group(31.4%(58/185) vs. 22.2%(51/230); p<0.05). And in the cases with few oocytes retrieval, or less than 3 cycles of IVF-ET, clinical pregnancy rates of the BAH group was significantly higher than that of the control group(36.8%(86/234) vs. 27.2%(93/342), p<0.05; 36.8%(148/402) vs. 29.9%(168/562), p<0.05). In BAH groups, the clinical pregnancy rate was similar between conventional IVF and ICSI group. From above results, it is suggested that improved hatching by protease treatment is due to physiological alteration of ZP structure, giving rise to the similar hatching process to that in vivo. We suggest that BAH using protease is a simple, safe and economic technique compared to the other known assisted hatching techniques in human ART program.
Abortion, Induced ; Adult ; Animals ; Blastocyst ; Caseins ; Culture Media ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fertilization ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans* ; Live Birth ; Mice ; Oocytes ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pronase ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Zona Pellucida

PURPOSE: The prognostic significance of peri-operative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 determination in patients with gastric cancer has been controversial. This study was performed to evaluate the significance of CEA and CA19-9 as clinical predictors of prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The correlations between peri-operative serum CEA/CA19-9 levels and clinicopathologic factors were evaluated retrospectively in gastric cancer patients who had undergone curative surgery during the period from January 1995 to December 1998 at the Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine. RESULTS: The positive rates for CEA and CA19-9 were 17.9% and 18.4%, respectively. The CEA positivity was related to the depth of invasion (P=0.040), lymph-node metastasis (P=0.000), and stage (P=0.001). The CA19-9 positivity was significantly related to the depth of invasion (P=0.000), lymph-node status (P=0.000), and stage (P=0.000). The positive rate of combined assay of pre-operative CEA and CA19-9 was 30.0%. There were statistically significant correlations with stage, depth of invasion, or degree of lymph- node metastasis in the combined assay. The survival rates according to the positivity of CEA and to the positivity of CA19-9 were clearly different (P=0.000). CONCLUSION: It should be stressed that even a simple blood test prior to surgery could be useful in establishing the depth of invasion, the status of lymph-node involvement, and the prognosis. For improved survival, an aggressive lymphadenectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered for patients with positive levels of pre-operative CA19- 9.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Gastrectomy* ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survival Rate ; Biomarkers, Tumor*

No abstract available.
Abortion, Habitual* ; Cytogenetics* ; Family Characteristics* ; Female ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Multiple*

Metastatic brain parenchymal tumors are among the most important cause of death in patients with cancer, but many physicians didn't have any efforts to treat of metastatic tumors because of their poor responses of treatment. With the recent development of MR techniques, we could diagnose and treat them earlier. Recently many reports for prognostic factors of metastatic brain parenchymal tumors led to assume a more active attitude toward the diagnosis and treatment. We analysed 250 cases of metastatic brain parenchymal tumors diagnosed with the brain CT scan or MRI scan at Yonsei University, Severance Hospital from January, 1992 to December, 1995 and following results were obtained. 1. Metastatic brain parenchymal tumors are found in 254 cases(38.5%) of all intracranial neoplasms. 2. The most common primary tumor is lung cancer(154 cases, 61.6%) followed by breast cancer (30 cases, 12%), GI cancer (15 cases, 5.6%) in the order and melanoma (11.9%), rectal cancer (11.3%), lung cancer (8.6%) exhibit relatively high rate of intraparenchymal metastasis in the order. 3. The most common presenting symptom and sign is headache(52.8%) followed by motor deficit (32.4%), nausea and vomiting(21.6%). 4. Metastatic brain parenchymal tumors are detected simultaneously (73 cases, 28.8%), precociously (9 cases, 3.6%), after (153 cases, 61.2%) diagnosis of the primary tumor. Interval between the diagnosis of primary tumor and development of intracerebral metastasis is short in lung cancer (15.2 month) and long in breast cancer (43.1 month), nasopharyngeal cancer (51 month). In radiologic findings, the lesions were located in supratentorial areas in 186 cases, and in infratentorial in 36 cases. Ring type(63.6%) in enhancement is more than nodular type (33.2%). 5. Hemorrhages are found in 15 cases (7.6%) and calcifications in 2 cases. Density of lesions are hypodense(72.8%) than hyperdense on CT scan and high signal intensity in T1, or T2 weighted image of MRI are 66.7% and 88.9%. 6. Treatments for metastatic brain parenchymal tumors are conventional adiation therapy(165 cases, 66%), surgery(22 cases, 8.8%), gamma knife surgery (19 cases, 7.6%) in the order and there were 36 cases(14.4%) who didn't have any treatment. There are 132 cases(58.2%) who alive and 118 cases(47.2%) who dead. 7. Good predilicting findings in prognosis of metastatic brain parenchymal tumors are single lesion and supratentorial location. However, there are no significant value between prognosis and interval primary-to-metastasis, age, type of primary cancer, type of presenting symptom, size of edema.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cause of Death ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Melanoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Nausea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis* ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The 21st century is considered as the era of Biotechnology (BT). Recently, the regenerative medicine using stem cells has been recognized as the future medicine, especially for the devastating diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, heart disease, diabetes, infertility and liver diseases. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are at the center of the stem cell research due to its ability to proliferate unlimitedly without differentiation (self-renewal) and to differentiate into the derivatives of all three germ layers including germ cells with appropriate treatments (pluripotency). A total of 173 hESC lines have been derived since the first derivation by Thomson et al. in 1998, and 70 hESC lines are currently available for distribution including hESC line (Miz-hES1) established at the MizMedi Hospital. The major goal of hESC research is to provide basic and clinical clues for cell replacement therapy, whose targets are aforementioned incurable diseases. One of the landmarks in hESC research is the derivation of a hESC line from a cloned human blastocyst, which has recently been done by Korean scientists. This made it possible to overcome the issue of immune-mediated rejection following cell replacement therapy using hESCs. Guided differentiation of hESCs into specific cell types by treating growth factors and drugs or by genetic manipulation by using overexpression or an RNAi knockdown system is one of the most active research areas. Combined efforts towards the guided differentiation of hESC into specific cell types and the cloning of hESC from a cloned human blastocyst will overcome a list of diseases hitherto considered to be incurable.
Biotechnology ; Blastocyst ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Germ Cells ; Germ Layers ; Heart Diseases ; Humans* ; Infertility ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Liver Diseases ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Regenerative Medicine ; Stem Cell Research* ; Stem Cells

Dumbbell-shaped spinal extradural cavernous hemangioma is rare. The differential diagnosis of dumbbell-shaped spinal tumors based on magnetic resonance imaging includes schwannoma and lymphoma. Here, we report a dumbbell-shaped spinal extradural cavernous hemangioma with intrathoracic growth on T2-3 in a 64-year-old man complaining of right side infrascapular area back pain with no neurologic deficit. The cavernous hemangioma was resected through combined video-assisted thoracoscopy and laminectomy without a fusion procedure. The patient had tolerable operative wound pain with no neurologic deficit after surgery. Based on magnetic resonance imaging findings and a review of the literature, we discuss cavernous hemangioma among the differential diagnosis of paravertebral dumbbell-shaped spinal tumors and the importance of complete resection.
Back Pain ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Lymphoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spine ; Thoracoscopy ; Wounds and Injuries

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of LH receptor in folliculogenesis, we confirm the expression level of LH receptor (LH-R) mRNA in human granulosa cells (GCs) and its expression levels were analyzed by comparison to embryo developmental rate and pregnancy rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: GCs were obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval from the patients undergoing IVF-ET program. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n=20) is poor responder (retrieved oocyte(s)< or =3ea), Group II (n=80) is normal responder (retrieved oocytes>3ea). After the extraction of total RNA, semiquantitative RT-PCR was performed and the expression level of LH-R mRNA was normalized by beta-actin. Statistical analysis was performed by using Chi(2) test, Student's t-test and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: In Group II, the relative values of LH-R mRNA (0.680 vs. 0.463, p<0.005) and pregnancy rate (54.7% vs. 23.1%, p<0.05) were significantly higher than in Group I. Number of retrieved oocyte(s) was gradually increased when the expression of LH-R mRNA was increased (p<0.05). But the quality of retrieved oocyte and transferred embryo were not related with the expression of LH-R mRNA. When the pregnancy rate was compared with FSH only group and FSH combined with hMG group in the ovarian stimulation protocol, FSH combined with hMG group was significantly higher than FSH only group in Group I (37.5% vs. 0%), and the expression of LH-R mRNA was significantly higher in hMG combined group than FSH only group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Expression level of LH-R mRNA has important role in ovarian function related with the response to gonadotrophin in human folliculogenesis. Furthermore these data might provide the evidence that additional use of hMG is helpful to poor responders.
Actins ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Granulosa Cells ; Humans ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Oocytes ; Ovulation Induction ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy* ; Receptors, LH* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

Although quantitative EEG parameters, such as spectral band powers, are sensitive to centrally acting drugs in dose- and time-related manners, changes of the EEG parameters are redundant. It is desirable to reduce multiple EEG parameters to a few components that can be manageable in a real space as well as be considered as parameters representing drug effects. We calculated factor loadings from normalized values of eight relative band powers (powers of 0.5, 1.0~2.0, 2.5~4.0, 4.5~5.5, 6.0~8.0, 8.5~12.0, 12.5~24.5, and 25~49.5 Hz bands expressed as ratios of the power of 0.5-49.5 Hz band) of EEG during pre-drug periods (11:00~12:00) by factor analysis and constructed a two-dimensional canonical space (reference canonical space) by canonical correlation analysis. Eight relative band powers of EEG produced by either physostigmine or yohimbine were reduced to two canonical scores in the reference canonical space. While changes of the band powers produced by physostigmine and yohimbine were too redundant to describe the difference between two drugs, locations of two drugs in the reference canonical space represented the difference between two drug's effects on EEG. Because the distance between two locations in the canonical space (Mahalanobis distance) indicates the magnitude of difference between two different sets of EEG parameters statistically, the canonical scores and the distance may be used to quantitatively and qualitatively describe the dose-dependent and time-dependent effects and also tell similarity and dissimilarity among effects. Then, the combination of power spectral analysis and statistical analysis may help to classify actions of centrally acting drugs.
Animals ; Electroencephalography ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Physostigmine ; Rats ; Yohimbine

OBJECTIVE: The gyrus rectus (GR) is known as a non-functional gyrus; hence, its resection is agreed to be a safe procedure frequently practiced to achieve a better surgical view during specific surgeries. This study aimed at comparing the cognitive outcomes following GR resection in patients who underwent surgery for ruptured anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2012 to 2015, 39 patients underwent surgical clipping for ruptured ACoA aneurysms. Mini-mental state examinations (MMSE) were performed in 2 different periods. The statistical relationship between GR resection and MMSE results was evaluated, and further analysis of MMSE subgroup was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-five out of the 39 patients (64.19%) underwent GR resection. Mean initial and final MMSE scores in the GR resection group were 16.3 ± 9.8 and 20.8 ± 7.3, respectively. In the non-resection group, the mean initial and final MMSE scores were 17.1 ± 8.6 and 21.9 ± 4.5, respectively. Neither group's scores showed a significant change. Subgroup analysis of initial MMSE showed a significant difference in memory recall and language (p = 0.02) but not in the final MMSE scores. CONCLUSION: There was no significant relationship between the GR resection and cognitive outcomes in terms of total MMSE scores after surgery for ruptured ACoA aneurysm. However, subgroup analysis revealed a temporary negative effect of GR resection in the categories of language and memory recall. This study suggests that GR resection should be executed superficially, owing to its close anatomical relationship with the limbic system.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Cognition Disorders* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Limbic System ; Memory ; Prefrontal Cortex* ; Surgical Instruments