PURPOSE: HPV (human papillomavirus) are known as the major causative agent for development of cervical cancer. High-risk HPVs, especially HPV-16 /18 DNA, are often found to be integrated into the human genome in high grade CINs as well as cervial cancer. Investigation of the relationship between the genomic states of HPV genes and their antibody response against the HPV-16 Ll/L2 virus-like particles (VLPs) and the in vitro translated E6 and E7 proteins may help to explain the mechanism of HPV-related cervical carcinogenesis and host immune responses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cervical cancer tissues obtained from 41 patients with cervical cancer were studied by PCR, Southern blot hybridization and the antibody response against HPV-16 Ll/L2 VLPs and HPV-16 E6, E7 proteins of serum were tested by ELISA and radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA), respectively. RESULTS: Integrated forms of the HPV-16 DNA were found in 23 of the 38 patients (60.5%). The HPV-16 positive cervial cancer patients had a significantly higher prevalence (39.5%; 15/38) of antibodies to HPV-16 Ll/L2 VLPs than 8.7% (2/28) of the the control group (p<0.05). Antibodies to HPV-16 Ll/L2 VLPs were more detectable in 60% (9/15) of the cervical cancer patients with episomal forms of HPV-16 DNA than those who having only integrated HPV-16 (26.1%; 6/23) (p<0.05). Antibodies to E6 and E7 proteins were positive in 36.8% (14/38) and 50% (19/38) of the patients with HPV-16 positive cervical cancer. And those were siginificantly higher than the positivities for the control group (8.3% and 2.8%), (p<0.05). The difference between seroreactivities to E6 and E7 proteins in the patients with episomal forms of HPV-16 DNA (pure episomal and mixed forms) and those with integrated froms of HPV-16 DNA was not significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Integrated forms of HPV-16 DNA were prevalent in most patients with cervical cancer. Antibodies to HPV-16 Ll/L2 VLPs, in vitro translated HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins appeared in the significantly larger proportions of the HPV-associated cervical cancer patients than in the controls. Antibodies to HPV-16 Ll/L2 VLPs were more detectable in the cervical cancer patients with episomal form of HPV-16 DNA than those who having only integrated forms of HPV-16. Antibody responses to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins were not influenced by the different viral states. More numbers of studies would be necessary to determine the relationship between the genomic states of HPV and the immune responses to their proteins by the such genomic and serologic parameters.
Antibodies ; Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Southern ; Carcinogenesis ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genome, Human ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Radioimmunoprecipitation Assay ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Recent researches on ALS pathogenesis are focusing on abnormal immunological factors, excitotoxic substances, neurotrophic factors, and oxidative stress. It is well known that glutamate and aspartate are major putative excitatory neurotransmitters and possess excitotoxic properties that lead to neuronal death. In this study the authors checked the plasma level of amino acids in ALS and control groups and tried to understand any association between excitotoxic amino acids and sporadic ALS. The concentration of amino acids was measured by the HPLC method in the fasting plasma of fifteen ALS and nine control subjects. When we evaluated 19 amino acids or their metabolites, none showed significant difference between ALS and control groups. The mean concentrations of glutamic acid in ALS and control groups were 42.3+26.7 mmol/L and 57.4+17.0 mmol/L respectively, which showed no significant difference (p>O. 05). It was not possible to compare the level of aspartic acid in ALS and control groups as the levels were very low in individuals of both groups. In conclusion, authors could not note any significant correlations between sporadic ALS and excitotoxic substances, such as glutamate and aspartate. However, further studies m the excitotoxic levels in cerebrospinal fluid, spinal cord and brain, could be helpful to understand the overexcitation character of motor neuron by excitatory amino acids.
Amino Acids* ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis* ; Aspartic Acid ; Brain ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; Fasting ; Glutamic Acid ; Immunologic Factors ; Motor Neurons ; Nerve Growth Factors ; Neurons ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma ; Spinal Cord

No abstract available.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/*diagnosis/surgery ; Coronary Angiography ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form/analysis/*metabolism ; Echocardiography ; Electrophoresis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; False Positive Reactions ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms/*diagnosis/surgery ; Male ; Nephrectomy

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Growth of tumors and their metastases is dependent on factors that stimulate vessel formation (angiogenesis). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is closely related to angiogenesis in various human cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the value of serum VEGF levels in hepatocellular carcinomas as a tumor marker. METHODS: We measured serum VEGF levels, by enzyme immunoassay, and platelet counts in healthy controls (n=22), liver cirrhosis (LC; n=4) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC; n=14). RESULTS: The mean serum VEGF levels in controls and the patients with LC and HCC were 251.8+/-121.5 (mean+/-SD), 163.4+/-82.1 and 557.8+/-520.3pg/ml, respectively. The levels were significantly elevated in the HCC group, compared with the control group (p<0.05). Serum VEGF levels in the HCC group were highly correlated with platelet counts (r=0.915, p<0.05). Conclusions : We consider that serum VEGF is a possible tumor marker for HCC. Serum VEGF may be partly derived from platelets.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Platelet Count ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

The development of a prophylactic vaccine that targets human papillomaviruses (HPV) 6, 11, 16, and 18 to prevent cervical cancer has increased interest in the ethnic and geographical distributions of HPV genotypes. We investigated HPV prevalence and type distribution by restriction fragment mass polymorphism (RFMP) testing a total of 60,775 specimens (aged 18-79 yr, median 44) taken from liquid-based cytology. Overall HPV positive rate of total patients was 34.2%. Among the positive patients, 87.7% was single type infections, and 12.3% was multiple HPV types. HPV-16 was the most prevalent genotype observed in 2,307 (26.0%), followed by type 52 in 2,269 (25.5%), type 58 in 1,090 (12.3%), type 18 in 633 (7.1%), type 56 in 436 (4.9%). The pattern of high risk-HPV positive rate according to age showed U-shape with a peak in HPV prevalence among women less than 30 yr of age, and a second peak among the older females aged 70 to 79 yr. The leading four high-risk HPV genotypes were HPV-16, HPV-52, HPV-58, and HPV-18 in descending order. In conclusion, this study provides the most representative prevalence and type-specific distribution of HPV among Korean women, and demonstrates that the epidemiology of HPV infection is different from that of other regions of the world.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Female ; Genotype ; Human papillomavirus 16/genetics ; Human papillomavirus 18/genetics ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections/*epidemiology/virology ; *Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Young Adult

Liver cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer related death in Korea. Especially, patients who present extrahepatic spread of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a shorter life expectancy (50% survival at 1 year and less than 4 months of median overall survival). Molecular target agent like sorafenib was usually mentioned as a treatment for them, but that was still not firmly established. We present a 75 year-old who had expanding nodular type of HCC. The mass was removed by resection and radiofrequency ablation. However, lung metastasis were revealed shortly after surgery. That lesions were treated with lenvatinib and systemic chemotherapy.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Catheter Ablation ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Expectancy ; Liver Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

PURPOSE: Growth regulation of cancer cells very frequently involves tumor suppressor gene p53, Rb and cell cycle regulator, however the molecular biologic mechanisms of growth regulation in ovarian carcinoma cells are not fully defined. To assess the mechanism of growth suppression, we treated IFN-gama in ovarian carcinoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Growth suppression by treatment of IFN-gama was determined by cell proliferation assay in ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Apoptosis was determined by DNA fragmentation assay and electron microscopy. Molecular mechanism of the apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cell by IFN-gama was further analyzed by the western blot. RESULTS: We found that IFN-gama had remarkable growth- suppressive effects in PA-1 and A2774 ovarian carcinoma cells in a time-dependent manner. Apoptosis was observed in PA-1 and A2774 cell following treatment of IFN- gama by DNA fragmentation assay and EM. The expression of IRF-1 protein from A2774 and PA-1 cell extracts was elevated by increasing the concentration of IFN-gama. IFN-gama caused an increased expression of the important apoptosis-related gene, ICE (interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme) protein in A2774 and PA-1. CONCLUSION: The coordinate induction of IRF-1 and ICE by IFN-gama in ovarian carcinoma cells suggests a functional relationship between these proteins in programmed cell death. The significance of this study is the molecular biologic background of IFN-gama considered as an alternative treatment trial of ovarian cancers.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cell Extracts ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; DNA Fragmentation ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Ice ; Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 ; Microscopy, Electron ; Ovarian Neoplasms*

Undifferentiated sarcoma is one of the rare primary malignant tumor of the liver typically occur ring in later childhood. It has also been referred to embryonal sarcoma or malignant mesenchymoma. In Korea, three child and two adult cases have been reported to date in liter ature. We experienced a case of undifferentiated sarcoma in a 65- year- old female who presented with abdominal pain and right upper quadrant mass . Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scan revealed a well demarcated mass with low at tenuation and sept ation at left lobe of the liver and the mass showed hypovas cular pattern on hepatic angiography. On cross section, the tumor was well demarcated from the adjacent liver by afibr ouspseudocapsule and showed cystic degener ation. Pathologically, the tumor was consistent with an undifferentiated sarcoma of the liver.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult* ; Angiography ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver* ; Mesenchymoma ; Sarcoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: We report on cases of anatomical popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) caused by an aberrant plantaris muscle and highlight the involvement of this muscle in PAES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven symptomatic PAES legs in six patients treated at The Division of Vascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between 1995 and 2011 were included in this study. We retrospectively analyzed patient records, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computed tomography (CT) scans of the knee joint, Doppler pressure studies, CT angiographies, and conventional femoral arteriographies. RESULTS: Five males and one female patient with a median age of 32 (18-53) years old were enrolled in the study. All patients complained of intermittent claudication of the affected leg. All aberrant plantaris muscles were higher and more medially located than normal plantaris muscles, causing occlusion of the popliteal artery upon forced plantar flexion of the ankle. For arterial lesions, five occlusions of the popliteal artery and two patent popliteal arteries with positive provocation were noted. As for treatment, myotomy of the aberrant plantaris muscle was done for two non-occlusive PAES legs. For occlusive PAES legs, one thrombectomy, one saphenous vein graft interposition of the popliteal artery followed by myotomy, and two below-knee femoro-popliteal bypasses were performed. The median follow-up period was 88 (7-148) months. CONCLUSION: An aberrant plantaris muscle can cause anatomical PAES. Classification or diagnosis of PAES should be based on axial studies using CT scans or MRI using various reconstruction methods. Treatment, including myotomy of the plantaris muscle, should be individualized.
Angiography ; Ankle ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intermittent Claudication ; Knee Joint ; Korea ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Muscles ; Popliteal Artery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Saphenous Vein ; Seoul ; Thrombectomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplants

Purpose: This study investigated the immediate biomechanical effects of unilateral mastication for 10 minutes on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with 21 healthy adult participants. Methods: The gum group chewed gum on the right side for 10 minutes, and the control group rested for 10 minutes. Biomechanical data were obtained using a three-dimensional infrared camera before and after intervention. An independent t-test assessed the variation of kinematic data to identify differences between before and after intervention. Results: Among biomechanical variables, the gum group’s length of the left forehead middle region and the temporomandibular joint angle decreased compared to the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion Caution with unilateral masticatory activity is recommended, as unilateral mastication causes biomechanical changes due to excessive load on the soft tissues of the contralateral TMJ.