PURPOSE: To elucidate high-resolution CT(HRCT) findings and their pathologic basis in pulmonary oil embolism induced by LipiodoI-Adriamycin emulsion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pulmonary oil embolism was induced by infusing LipiodoI-Adriamycin emulsion through a peripheral vein in twelve Yorkshire pigs. Serial HRCT scans were performed on 2rid, 4th, 7th, 14th, and 28th day after the procedure. The pigs were sacrificed immediately after HRCT and histologic specimens were prepared in the same plane and level with HRCT. RESULTS: The basic pathology was reversible hemorrhagic edema of the lung. On HRCT, intraalveolar hemorrhage and edema in the acute stage manifested as ground-glass opacity or air-space consolidation of the whole secondary Iobule. The lesions were predominantly distributed over the dependent posterior lung fields because the specific gravity of Lipiodol is 1.28. Interlobular septal thickening due to edematous fluid collection was also associated. With the elapse of time, the extent and severity of the acute lesions resolved and, sometimes, changed into small nodular opacities. Pulmonary opacity was most severe on the post-embolization 2nd day and completely resolved within 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary embolization of LipiodoI-Adriamycin emulsion causes reversible hemorrhagic edema of the lung and Lipiodol toxicity seems to play a major role. HRCT findings of pulmonary oil embolism are quite different from those of pneumonia and pulmonary metastasis, which suggests the possibility of clincal application.
Edema ; Embolism* ; Ethiodized Oil ; Hemorrhage ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pathology ; Pneumonia ; Specific Gravity ; Swine ; Veins

PURPOSE: To evaluate ethanolamine oleate (EAO)-microfibrillar collagen (MFC) mixture as a new scleroembolic material for the interventions requiring both permanent obliteration of vascular lumen and atrophy of mass, such as for the facial AVM and other hypervascular soft tissue masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine transcatheter transarterial embolizations of renal arteries were performed in six groups of rabbits classified by the EAO concentration and the addition of MFC. Postembolization angiography, gross morphological and microscopic examinations of embolized kidneys were performed immediately, 3 days, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after embotization. Analysing points were the usefulness as a scleroembolic material (endovascular retention, thrombogenic-sclerosing effect, perivascular fibrosis and inflammatory reaction), effects of the EAO concentration and the addition of MFC. RESULTS: EAO-MFC mixture satisfied all ideal conditions of scleroembolic agent;persistent endovascular retention, good thrombogenic-sclerosing effect with a mild inflammatory reaction and significant atrophy of kidney. The effect of increasing concentration of EAO was proximal embolization. The effects of MFC were promotion of proximal embolization, endovascular retention and sclerosing effect. CONCLUSION: EAO-MFC mixture can be used as a new effective scleroembolic material for the various hemodynamic situations in which embolic level can be controlled by EAO concentration and the addition of MFC.
Angiography ; Atrophy ; Collagen* ; Ethanolamine* ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics ; Kidney ; Oleic Acid* ; Rabbits* ; Renal Artery

PURPOSE: To evaluate histopathologic correlation of the component of the lesion on CT and MR of retinoblastomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gross pathologic findings of 24 enucleated eyeballs in 24 patients with retinoblastomas were compared with preoperative CT (n=19) and MR (n=5) findings. In eight eyeballs, in which there were findings other than mass, histopathologic findings were reviewed and correlated with image findings. RESULTS: Retinal detachment and subretinal hemorrhage which were not detected on CT were demonstrated in two of eight eyeballs on histopathologic examination. In one eyeball, retinal detachment and subretinal effusion were detected on both CT and in a pathologic specimen. In two eyeballs with peripheral heterogeneous MR enhancement of the masses, tumor necrosis and calcification were demonstrated in the central non-enhancing portion of the mass. In two eyeballs, linear soft tissue along the retina apart from the main mass were revealed as tumor spread along the retinal surface. In one patient, retinal thickening on MR was presumed to be an MR artifact and no lesion was found in the gross specimen. CONCLUSION: On CT, retinal detachment and subretinal hemorrhage associated with retinoblastoma can mimic mass, and tumor spread along the retinal surface can be seen as a linear retinal lesion. On MR, tumor necrosis and calcification can be a cause of heterogeneous enhancement.
Artifacts ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinaldehyde ; Retinoblastoma*

PURPOSE: To determine differential points, if any, on MR imaging between cerebellar cystic hemangioblastoma and cystic astrocytoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR images of patients with surgically proven cerebellar cystic hemangioblastomas (n=12) and cystic astrocytomas (n=14) were retrospectively reviewed with regard to the following points: size, location and signal intensity of the tumor ; tumor margin; presence, size and location of the enhancing mural nodule; vascular signal voids, internal septations, enhancing feature of the cyst wall, secondary findings (degree of peritumoral edema and presence of hydrocephalus) and the patient's age. RESULTS: The significant (p<0.5) differential points were vascular signal voids, which were the most important clue, as well asthe presence of an enhancing mural nodule, tumor margin, enhancing feature of the cyst wall and the patient's age.If the patient was an adult and presented an enhancing mural nodule with adjacent vascular signal voids and smooth tumor margin, then cystic hemangioblastoma was suggested, While the presence of an irregular-margined thick enhancing cyst wall, mural nodule without adjacent vascular signal voids and pediatric age were suggestive of cystic astrocytoma. CONCLUSION: On MR imaging, there are certain significant differential points between these similar-appearing tumors and these would be useful for a more accurate diagnosis.
Adult ; Astrocytoma* ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Hemangioblastoma* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Breast cancer has been reported as the most common cancer of women in the United States, Western Europe and Korea and about 210,000 and 10,000 women in United States and Korea every year, respectively are diagnosed with it. Breast cancer is curable with an early diagnosis, and many researchers have made efforts to find a marker for this malady, heat shock protein (HSP) consists of 6 groups, it is highly preserved throughout both the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and it acts as a molecular chaperone that's involved in protein folding. HSPs have been recently reported to be related with breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the changes of expression of HSP60 in tissues and cell lines of breast cancer. METHODS: We obtained breast cancer tissues and normal tissues from breast cancer patients, and we purchased several cancer cell lines from American tissue culture correction. We treated the tissues and the cell lines of human breast cancer with heat shock protein. Proteins and mRNAs were isolated from the tissues and the cells and then we performed Western blotting, reverse transcriptase-Polymerase chain Reaction and fluorescence activated cell sorter analysis on them. RESULTS: On Western blot, HSP60 was more overexpressed in the tissues and the cell lines of breast cancer than in the normal breast tissues and cell lines. The expression of HSP60 showed 2 types of molecular weight differences in the tissues and cell lines of breast cancer, and specifically, low HSP60 was over-expressed in the cancer tissues. There was no difference between the breast cancer cell lines and the normal cell lines in the expressions of HSP60 mRNA, according to the treatment with heat shock. Also, there was no relationship between phosphorylation and the structural difference of HSP60 protein, according to HSP60 protein's molecular weight. The expression of HSP60 has been mostly reported at the mitochondria; however, in this study, it was more predominantly detected at the cytoplasm than at the mitochondria in the breast cancer cell lines. CONCLUSION: We conclude that HSP60 may be used as a diagnostic marker for breast cancer. Detailed investigation of the usefulness and significance of the HSP60 expression as a prognostic factor is required in further studies.
Blotting, Western ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line ; Chaperonin 60 ; Cytoplasm ; Early Diagnosis ; Eukaryotic Cells ; Europe ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; Fluorescence ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Korea ; Mitochondria ; Molecular Chaperones ; Molecular Weight ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Folding ; Proteins ; RNA, Messenger ; Shock ; United States

PURPOSE: It is known that due to both their imaging and pathologic features, the accurate differentiation ofchondrosarcoma from chordoma is difficult. Through an analysis of MR and CT findings, this study aims to determinethe differential points between these two tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 21 patients, CT and MR imagingstudies of chordoma(n=12) and chondrosarcoma(n=9) at the base of the skull were retrospectively reviewed.Diagnosis had been established by histologic examination of surgically removed specimens. Eleven of the chordomaswere subclassified as 'conventional' and one as 'chondroid'; eight chondrosarcoma were 'conventional' andone was 'myxoid'. Four chordoma patients underwent CT and MR ; in six, only MR was performed ; and in two, onlyCT. Eight chondrosarcoma patients underwent both CT and MR, while in one, only CT was performed. All scans wereretrospectively evaluated for the location(midline/off-midline), direction of extension, margin and shape, bonydestruction and calcification, MR signal intensity and enhancement patterns of the tumors. Degree of calcificationwas graded from I to III. RESULTS: The epicenter of the mass of ten chordomas (83%) was midline, in twochondrosarcomas(22%), this was off-midline. Foci of calcification were observed in three of eleven chordomas(27%),and heavy calcification (grade III) was observed in one. In contrast to these findings, foci of calcificationswere observed in eight of nine chondrosarcomas (89%) and grade III calcification was observed in five. In bothtumors, calcification was coarse. Between the two kinds of tumor, there were no significant difference in MRsignal intensity and enhancement patterns, margin and shape, or direction of extension. CONCLUSIONS: Although MRand CT findings were similar in both types of tumor, location and degree of calcification may be features whichusefully distinguish chordoma from chondrosarcoma.
Chondrosarcoma* ; Chordoma* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base* ; Skull*

Serotonin receptor subtype 6 (5-HT(6)) is a neurotransmitter receptor, which is involved in various brain functions such as memory and mood. It mediates signaling via the interaction with a stimulatory G-protein. Especially, the third intracellular loop (iL3) of 5-HT(6) and the alpha subunit of stimulatory G protein (Galpha(s)) are responsible for the signaling process of 5-HT(6). Chemical compounds that could inhibit the interaction between the iL3 region of 5-HT(6) and Galpha(s) were screened from a chemical library consisted of 5,600 synthetic compounds. One of the identified compounds bound to Galpha(s) and effectively blocked the interaction between Galpha(s) and the iL3 region of 5-HT(6). The identified compound was further shown to reduce the serotonin-induced accumulation of cAMP in 293T cells transformed with 5-HT(6) cDNA. It also lowered the Ca2+ efflux induced by serotonin in cells expressing 5-HT(6) and chimeric Galpha(s5/q). These results indicate that the interaction between the iL3 of 5-HT(6) and Galpha(s) can be exploited for screening of regulatory compounds against the signaling pathway of 5-HT(6).
Animals ; Calcium/metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cephalosporins/*pharmacology ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Cyclic AMP/biosynthesis ; GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs/antagonists & inhibitors/*metabolism ; Humans ; Receptors, Serotonin/*drug effects/metabolism/*physiology ; Serotonin/pharmacology ; Serotonin Antagonists/pharmacology ; Signal Transduction

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to influence the development of some cardiovascular disease. In this study, the association between the existence of coronary artery plaque and vitamin D was examined among participants who were not previously diagnosed with coronary artery disease. METHODS: A total of 339 participants (246 men and 93 women) who visited a health examination center for check-up including blood test for serum vitamin D level and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were selected for this study. RESULTS: Among the total 339 participants, 106 displayed coronary artery plaques. The serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) level of the group with plaque was lower than that of the group without (17.7 ± 7.72 ng/mL vs. 19.6 ± 7.12 ng/mL, P = 0.0316). The group with plaque had higher incidence rates of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia than that without (P = 0.0078, P = 0.0065, and P = 0.0174, respectively). The former displayed higher serum glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels than the latter (P = 0.0055 and P = 0.0137, respectively). The group with plaque showed higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than that without (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0012, respectively). Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that 25(OH)D (coefficient, −0.06; odd ratio, 0.9433; 95% confidence interval, 0.8967–0.9924), age, and sex were independently related with presence of coronary artery plaque. CONCLUSIONS: Relatively low vitamin D level was observed among participants with plaque, which was determined through CCTA during a health examination. Plaque formation and serum 25(OH)D level showed inverse relationship.
Angiography* ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyslipidemias ; Hematologic Tests ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine differential points between benign and malignants acrococcygeal germ cell tumors (SGCT) on MR and CT imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR (n=13) and CT images (n=9)of 19 patients with surgically-proven SGCT (12 benign, 7 malignant) were retrospectively reviewed with regard totumor features and associated findings, as well as to clinical features including age at presentation and ratio of the sexes. Tumor features in cluded location, size, components (ratio of the enhancing solid portion, presence of fatty components, calcification and necrosis), signal intensity and the presence of an encircling low-signal rimon MR. Associated findings included the presence of sacrococcygeal bony defect and effects of the tumor on adjacent structures (anterior displacement of the bladder and rectum, local invasion). RESULTS: Benign SGCT showed early presentation (mean age, 4.7months), a predominantly (over half total volume) external location(58%)and a cystic composition(100%) and the presence of encircling low-signal rim on MR(80%). Malignant SGCT showed late presentation beyond infancy(mean age, 21.7months), a predominantly internal location(86%) and a enhancing solid composition(86%), the presence of tumoral necrosis(71%) and local invasion of adjacent structures(71%). The significant(p<.05) differential points were age at presentation, location, ratio of enhancing solid portions, the presence of tumoral necrosis, the presence of an encircling low-signal rim on MR and local invasion. CONCLUSION: There are certain differential points between benign and malignant SGCT on MR and CT imaging, and an appreciation of these would be helpful for the planning of treatment.
Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Rectum ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Bladder