No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Exanthema* ; Lymphadenitis* ; Scrub Typhus*

BACKGROUND: A correct estimate of the tracheal tube insertion depth can prevent complications, including endobronchial intubation and vocal cord trauma. We evaluated a new topographical method for endotracheal tube positioning relative to the carina, using a well-known prior topographical method for comparison. METHODS: One hundred adult (male 50, female 50) patients were studied. The comparison topographic length (in cm) was measured by adding the distance between the right mouth corner and the right mandibular angle to the distance between the right mandibular angle and the center of the sternal manubrium. The new endotracheal tube insertion depth (in cm) was determined by adding the distance between the right mouth corner and the vocal cords, measured with the endotracheal tube itself, to the distance between the thyroid prominence and the manubriosternal joint, and then subtracting 4 cm. After intubation, the endotracheal tube was positioned properly at the right mouth corner and the endotracheal tube tip was evaluated using a fiberoptic bronchoscope at the carina. RESULTS: The distances from the tip of the endotracheal tube to the carina were not significantly different between the methods in the same gender. However, our method allowed endotracheal tube tip placement between 3 cm and 5 cm, above the carina more frequently than the prior method in males. CONCLUSIONS: The new topographical method can be used as a guide to positioning the endotracheal tubes.
Adult ; Bronchoscopes ; Female ; Humans ; Intubation ; Joints ; Manubrium ; Mouth ; Thyroid Gland ; Vocal Cords

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*

No abstract available.
Apolipoproteins* ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction*

In 12 Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy(RSD) patients(13 cases) after the acute stroke, Three- phase Bone Scintigraphy(TBS) was performed to evaluate whether the amount of radioisotope reflects the disease activity of RSD. The diagnosis of RSD was based on Kozin's criteria(definite or probable group) and scintigraphic findings(increased radioisotope uptake in all three phases). Initial TBS was performed within 10 days after the onset of clinical symptoms and it was followed up within 5days after the short term steroids therapy. Before and after the steroids therapy, patients were evaluated with respect to pain, swelling and allodynia. Radioisotope uptake of ROI(Regions Of Interest) of all three images was calculated semiquantitatively in initial and follow up scintigraphy. Pain, swelling and allodynia of the affected hand were improved in all patients after short-term oral corticosteroids therapy. Radioisotope uptake in blood flow image(11 patients, 12 cases) and blood pool image(11 patients, 12 cases) were decreased(p<0.05), but radioisotope uptake in delayed image was not decreased(p>0.05). We concluded that radioisotope uptake in blood flow and blood pool images could reflect disease activity of RSD. It was suggested that decreased capillary vascular permeability by corticosteroids resulted in decreased blood flow and blood pool. The semiquantitative evaluation of TBS may be useful for monitoring the response to therapeutic intervention. The role of inflammatory mediators in RSD and pharmacologic effect of corticosteroids were also discussed.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones* ; Capillaries ; Capillary Permeability ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy* ; Reflex* ; Steroids ; Stroke

Mutation of the p53 gene is one of the most common genetic alterations in invasive breast carcinoma. However, it is unclear that the mutation usually occurs in noninvasive breast lesions. It might be expected that there is a correlation between histologic progression of breast lesions and proliferative rate. We investigated the expression of p53 protein and Ki-67 labelling index (LI) using immunohistochemistry in 16 ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion (DCIS-Mi), 56 DCIS, 15 atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), and 7 intraductal hyperplasia (IDH). Expression of p53 protein was detected in 33.9% of DCIS and 56.3% of DCIS-Mi and was confined exclusively in Van Nuys DCIS group 2 and 3. In ADH and IDH, no expression of p53 protein was found. There was no significant correlation between Van Nuys DCIS groups and Ki-67 LI. In conclusion, p53 mutation may be involved in the neoplastic progression from ADH to DCIS and is directly related to high nuclear grade and associated necrosis of DCIS.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating* ; Genes, p53 ; Hyperplasia* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Necrosis

BACKGROUND: Xanthium stramarium (XAS) and Psoralea corylifolia (PSC), phototoxic oriental medicinal plants, has been used in traditional medicines in Asian countries. OBJECTIVE: The effects of highly purified XAS or PSC extract combined with ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) irradiation on cell proliferation and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) expression of the keloid fibroblast were being investigated to define potential therapeutic uses for keloid treatments. METHODS: The keloid fibroblasts were treated with XAS or PSC alone or in the combination with UVA1 irradiation. The cell viability, apoptosis, and expression of TGF-beta1 and collagen I were investigated. RESULTS: XAS and PSC in combination with UVA1 irradiation suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of keloid fibroblasts. Furthermore, the XAS and PSC in combination with UVA1 irradiation inhibited TGF-beta1 expression and collagen synthesis in keloid fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: These findings may open up the possibility of clinically used XAS or PSC in combination with UVA1 irradiation for keloid treatments.
Apoptosis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Collagen ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Keloid ; Plants, Medicinal ; Psoralea ; Therapeutic Uses ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Xanthium

BACKGROUND: Xanthium stramarium (XAS) and Psoralea corylifolia (PSC), phototoxic oriental medicinal plants, has been used in traditional medicines in Asian countries. OBJECTIVE: The effects of highly purified XAS or PSC extract combined with ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) irradiation on cell proliferation and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) expression of the keloid fibroblast were being investigated to define potential therapeutic uses for keloid treatments. METHODS: The keloid fibroblasts were treated with XAS or PSC alone or in the combination with UVA1 irradiation. The cell viability, apoptosis, and expression of TGF-beta1 and collagen I were investigated. RESULTS: XAS and PSC in combination with UVA1 irradiation suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of keloid fibroblasts. Furthermore, the XAS and PSC in combination with UVA1 irradiation inhibited TGF-beta1 expression and collagen synthesis in keloid fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: These findings may open up the possibility of clinically used XAS or PSC in combination with UVA1 irradiation for keloid treatments.
Apoptosis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Collagen ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Keloid ; Plants, Medicinal ; Psoralea ; Therapeutic Uses ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Xanthium

BACKGROUND: Core needle biopsy (CNB) is widely used as the initial sampling method for breast cancer. And because frozen section (FS) diagnosis is rapid and reliable, we studied the diagnostic agreement between the diagnosis of FS of CNB and final diagnosis after surgery to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the FS of CNB. METHODS: Of 409 patients who were preoperatively diagnosed by FS of CNB and who underwent final surgery from 1996 through 2000, 24 cases were found to be ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and 385 cases invasive carcinoma (IC). The diagnoses of FS of CNB were compared with final diagnoses. RESULTS: The diagnostic accuracy of carcinoma is 63.6% for DCIS and 86.9% for invasive carcinoma. Five cases (1.2%) could not be diagnosed because of material insufficiency for diagnosis. Twenty two cases (5.4%) were diagnosed as benign on FS, among which 20 (90.9%) were misdiagnosed by sampling error. Twenty seven cases (6.7%) were deferred on FS, 4 of these cases were DCIS, 5 were invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), the rest displayed low nuclear grades or marked freezing artifacts. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracy of FS of CNB is very high except for cases of ILC and low grade DCIS. Considering the advantage of rapid evaluation, more definitive diagnosis, familiarity by pathologists and availability of ancillary study, FS of CNB is very useful method as the preoperative evaluation.
Animals ; Artifacts ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle* ; Biopsy, Needle ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; Diagnosis ; Freezing ; Frozen Sections* ; Humans ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Selection Bias