No abstract available.
Endothelial Cells*

No abstract available.
Genetic Loci* ; Loss of Heterozygosity* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Digestion* ; Exons* ; Humans* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: It is not yet clear whether the abnormal cytokine production in relation to serum IgE levels in atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with the amount of mRNA of cytokine gene. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to delineate the effect of reciprocal correlation in the level of mRNA between interleukin-4 (I") and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in severe AD. METHODS: We examined 15 cases including 5 AD patients with high serum IgE (>2,000 kU/liter), 5 AD patients with low serum IgE (<100 kU/liter), and 5 healthy controls. Using semi quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, IL-4 and IFN-γ gene expressions in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) were examined. RESULTS: 1) IL-4 gene expression in spontaneous PBMC was higher in AD patient groups than in control group, significantly higher only in AD patient group with high serum IgE level (p < 0.05). 2) IFN-γ gene expression in spontaneous PBMC showed increased tendency in AD patient groups than in control group without statistical significance. 3) IL-4 and IFN-γ gene expressions in stimulated PBMC were not different among all three groups. CONCLUSION: In light of our results, high and low IgE subgroups in AD can exist and AD may not be R characterized by the shift in the reciprocal relationship between IL-4 and IFN-γ when T cells are stimulated under antigen presenting cell-independent conditions.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Interferon-gamma* ; Interleukin-4* ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes

Recently the adenomaatous polyposis coli(APC) gene, a tumor suppressor gene, was identified and the cDNA was cloned from chromosome 5q21. Allelic deletion or point mutation of tumor suppressor genes(TSGs) has been considered as an important mechanism in development of human tumor. Point mutations affecting APC gene are seen in the hereditary syndrome, adenomatous polyposis and spordic colon cancer. However, the mutation of APC gene and other TSGs have not been described in gastric cancer. In order to identify the mutation of exon 11 of APC gene for gastric cancer, we amplified DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tissues by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and digested the PCR products with restriction enzyme Rsa I. We examined the DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded 44 gastric cancer tissues with lymph nodes. Eighteen(41%) among 44 were informative for the study exon 11 of the APC gene, and we found loss of heterozygosity(LOH) for APC in 6/18(33.3%). These data suggest that the point mutation or the base change of APC gene commonly occurs in gastric cancer. We conclude that the mutation of APC gene is strongly connected with development of human gastric cancer.
Humans ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Stomach Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Kidney*

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Kidney*

Over the past years, university administrators have known how hard it is to transform into the modern university. Rigid in-bred research system, narrow interest, unworkable graduate programs are complicatedly woven into a network of academic fraction. Cronyism and protectionism flood various laboratories and research institutes affiliated with the university. Until recently, the department structure of medical school has steadfastly guarded its territory and refused to allow non-medical undergraduate students to apply for the graduate schools of medical science. The graduate schools in medical science are considered just extra appendages because most of graduate students should be engaged in hard work position such as junior faculty or residentship training course of university hospital. In the present environment of graduate program, medical schools are consequently not able to bring in full-time young researchers, but only recently has its door been open for others. It should be time to reorganize the medical school graduate course into large multidisciplinary research group by expanding graduate programs.
Academies and Institutes ; Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Schools, Medical*

Polycythemia is a condition in which the red blood cell count is increased due to an inherited or acquired mutation, a physiologic response to hypoxia, autonomous erythropoietin production, or deliberate erythropoietin administration. Higher testosterone levels appear to act as a stimulus for erythropoiesis and testosterone replacement therapies have rarely been reported as causes of polycythemia. We report here a case of a 51-year-old man with polycythemia that was caused by long-acting testosterone undecanoate (Nebido(R)).
Anoxia ; Erythrocyte Count ; Erythropoiesis ; Erythropoietin ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Polycythemia ; Testosterone

PURPOSE: This aim of this study was to evaluate changes in gastric volume and organ position as a result of delayed gastric emptying after a subtotal gastrectomy performed as part of the treatment of stomach cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 32 patients who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy after a subtotal gastrectomy from March 2005 to December 2008 were reviewed. Of these, 5 patients that had more than 50 cc of residual gastric food detected at computed tomography (CT) simulation, were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Gastric volume and organ location was measured from CT images obtained before radiotherapy, twice weekly. In addition, authors evaluated the change of radiation dose distribution to planning the target volume and normal organ in a constant radiation therapy plan regardless of gastric volume variation. RESULTS: A variation in the gastric volume was observed during the radiotherapy period (64.2~340.8 cc; mean, 188.2 cc). According to the change in gastric volume, the location of the left kidney was shifted up to 0.7 - 2.2 cm (mean, 1.2 cm) in the z-axis. Under-dose to planning target volume (V43, 79.5+/-10.4%) and over-dose to left kidney (V20, 34.1+/-12.1%; Mean dose, 23.5+/-8.3 Gy) was expected, given that gastric volume change due to delayed gastric emptying wasn't taken into account. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that a great change in gastric volume and left kidney location may occur during the radiation therapy period following a subtotal gastrectomy, as a result of delayed gastric emptying. Detection of patients who experienced delayed gastric emptying and the application of gastric volume variation to radiation therapy planning will be very important.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Gastrectomy ; Gastric Emptying ; Humans ; Kidney ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms