The pathogenetic mechanism of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is not known. Some authors suggest glomerular hypertrophy may precede the development of FSGS in patients with minimal lesion. It was recently reported that the size of nonsclerotic glomeruli in adults with FSGS is significantly larger than that of cases with minimal lesion. It is not clear whether glomerular hypertrophy observed in adults with FSGS is also seen in children with FSGS. Thus, we have analyzed 37 renal biopsies from children with FSGS by morphometry and the data were compared with 37 renal biopsies from age- and sex-matched patients with minimal lesion. The number of glomeruli submitted for morphometric analysis was 22.6+/-14.2 in cases with FSGS and 30.9+/-11.4 in cases with minimal lesion. Mean glomerular volume (MGV) in FSGS group was significantly larger than that of minimal lesion [(13.1+/-3.9) x10(5) microm3 vs. (10.1+/-1.9) x10(5) microm3, p<0.001]. The relative interstitial volume of renal cortex in patients with FSGS was significantly larger than that of minimal lesion [(0.106+/-0.051) microm3/microm3 vs. (0.029+/-0.012) microm3/microm3, p<0.0001]. In FSGS, the percentage of glomeruli with FSGS was significantly correlated with relative interstitial volume of renal cortex (r=0.79, p<0.0001). As is the case for adult FSGS, MGV of children with FSGS is significantly larger than that of minimal lesion. Thus, the presence of glomerular hypertrophy observed in biopsies with minimal lesion nephropathy seems to be an indication that the coexistent FSGS lesions are undetected due to sampling problems.
Child ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Biopsy

No abstract available.
Animals ; Indomethacin* ; Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated* ; Mice*

Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive tumor occurring in mesothelial cells of the pleura and peritoneum. This cancer is attributable to asbestos in 80~90% of the patients. Asbestos has been widely used in Korea since the 1970s, therefore, a large number of Korean workers, especially who engaged in the industries of asbestos textiles, shipbuilding, or construction, have been exposed to asbestos occupationally. Korea has several kinds of statistics showing mesothelioma mortality and morbidity, which include cancer registry data, mortality data, and surveillance data. According to the annual report of the Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR), fatal malignant mesothelioma occurred in around 40~50 cases a year during the recent 10 years (1993~2002). According to the surveillance data, about 34 cases have been reported annually since 2001. It has also been revealed that about 60% of malignant mesothelioma patients have experiences to be exposed to asbestos in the past. The number of mesothelioma patients in Korea is smaller than that of some developed countries such as United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. However, mesothelioma has increased greatly in recent years in Korea, and it is expected to increase continuously considering asbestos consumption, as it happened in other countries which used large amounts of asbestos. Therefore, active policies to prevent asbestos-related malignant mesothelioma and to compensate patients suffering from it have to be made in Korea.
Asbestos ; Developed Countries ; Germany ; Great Britain ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Mesothelioma ; Occupations ; Peritoneum ; Pleura ; Stress, Psychological ; Textiles

Human membranous nephropathy (MN) is morphologically characterized by subepithelial immune complex deposits and progressive thickening of glomerular basement membranes (GBM). Studies have suggested that the enhanced secretion of classical and novel type IV collagen chains in MN contributes to spike formation and the novel type IV collagen chain is particularly related to thickening of GBM. It is unclear whether the increased accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in GBM is due to the increased mRNA expression for type IV collagen in glomerular visceral epithelial cells (GECs). To answer this question, we analyzed seven renal biopsies of patients with idiopathic MN using in situ hybridization. In MN, the number of GECs expressing mRNA for alpha1(IV) collagen was 2.82+/-1.80/glomerular cross section (gcs), and the number expressing mRNA for alpha4(IV) collagen was 8.42+/-2.85/gcs. The number of GECs expressing mRNA for alpha4(IV) collagen was significantly larger than that of alpha1(IV) collagen mRNA. The expression of mRNA for these ECM proteins in normal controls was negligible. These results suggest that subepithelial immune complexes stimulate the gene expression of alpha1(IV) collagen and alpha4(IV) collagen in glomerular GECs which, in turn, increase the secretion of ECM proteins and contribute to the thickening of GBM in MN.
Antigen-Antibody Complex ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Collagen Type IV* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Gene Expression ; Glomerular Basement Membrane ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Humans* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Podocytes ; RNA, Messenger*

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of the patients who had cauda equina syndrome caused by a herniated lumbar disc. OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical debates concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and results of treatment. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: This syndrome has been considered as an absolute indication of surgical treatment in the herniated lumbar disc and poor prognosis after surgery were reported. Although there are debates on the timing of surgery, early recognition early surgical treatment are recommended for a better results of treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 23 consecutive patients having a cauda equina syndrome caused by herniated lumbar disc were reviewed retrospectively. They were 14 males and 9 females having ages of 41.6 in average. The incidence of this syndrome was 3.8% of the patients who had surgical treatment of herniated lumbar disc. RESULTS: All patients had bladder dysfunction in addition to the low back pain and radicular pain in the leg, but five patient did not recognize their urinary retention which were shaded by severe leg pain. A surgical treatment were performed for all patients at 6.8 days in average after onset of the bladder dysfunction. At follow-up of 3 years and 3 months in average after surgery, 20 patients(86.9%) had satisfactory resolution of the low back pain and leg pain, and all patients had complete recovery of motor weakness except one patients who had residual foot drop. Bladder function recovered satisfactorily in 18 patients (78.3%), but 4 patients had some difficulty of urination and one patient needed a sphinterotomy for urination. CONCLUSIONS: The cauda equine syndrome in herniated lumbar disc was often not recognized early and a poor result of treatment was not rare, particularly in the patients who had acute onset and severe bladder dysfunction. So, early diagnosis and active surgical treatment are recommended for a better results of treatment.
Cauda Equina* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Polyradiculopathy* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Retention ; Urination

As flow cytometric analysis using paraffin-embedded tissue was developed by Hedley et al in 1983, retrospective study with large amount of archival material was possible. Many literatures reported that the result of paraffin embedded tissue was compatible with that of fresh tissue. We compared the DNA histograms of 26 cases of colorectal adenocarcinoma in which the analysis was done in both fresh and paraffin-embedded tissues. Aneuploidy in fresh and paraffin-embed-ded tissues was 73.0% and 50.0%, respectively. The concordance rate of fresh and paraffin-em-bedded tissues was 76.8% and six interpreters were agreed in 73.0% of the cases. Because flow cytometric DNA analysis using fresh tissues can detect more aneuploid population than in paraffin-embedded tissue, the former is strongly recommeded in DNA ploidy study. Also careful observation using standard criteria may improve the interpretation of DNA histogram.
Adenocarcinoma

Collapsing glomeruopathy (CG) is a clinicopathologic variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and is characterized by severe nephrotic syndrome, rapid progression to end stage renal disease, and features of visceral epithelial cell injury and glomerular capillary collapse. Such characteristics closely resemble those of HIV associated nephropathy. The frequency of CG has increased over the last decade. The cause of CG is unknown. The lesion has rarely been described in renal allografts with features similar to CG in native kidney. We recently identified allograft CG in a 44 year-old male patient who underwent biopsy for graft dysfunction after autodermic graft. The biopsy showed typical characteristics of CG. Serologically, the patient had no evidence of HIV infection. The renal function was not restored to normal in spite of methylprednisolone pulsing therapy. Now he is on conservative treatment with a functioning graft.
AIDS-Associated Nephropathy ; Biopsy ; Capillaries ; Epithelial Cells ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Female ; Ovary* ; Teratoma*

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to find the association between the depression and perception of obesity by adolescent girls in Jung Eup City, Chollapukdo. The data were collected by questionnaire from July to October, 1996. RESULTS: 1. While the obesity rate of the girls by BMI criteria was 6.0%, 41.1% of girls perceived that they were obese. 2. Forty-eight percent of respondents tried weight control already, and as the method of weight control 33.3% tried exercise, 27.2% reduced food, 23.6% avoided snack before going to bed. 3. while 39.3% among those whose BMI was lower than 20 and 54.2% among those with BMI 20-24 tried weight control, only 5.1% among those who perceived their bodies as slim tried weight control. 4. By the analysis of self-rating depression scale (SDS) only 14.8% was normal without depression and the rest showed high SDS scale; 36.9% as mild, 38.5% as moderate, and 9.7% as severe state of depression. 5. While no statistically significant difference of SDS scores by the size of BMI was shown, significant different of SDS scores was shown among groups with different perception of their obesity and practice of weight control. 6. As a result of stepwise multiple regression analysis, dieting, perceived body image, and body mass index were significantly associated with depression of the adolescent girls. CONCLUSION: Adolescent girls who perceived themselves overweight regardless of actual weight were more likely to diet than other girls. And these characteristics had an influence on the depression of the adolescents. It is suggested that appropriate education should be required to prevent thoughtless weight control of the adolescents and to maintain mental health of the adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Body Image ; Body Mass Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Depression* ; Diet ; Education ; Female* ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Obesity* ; Overweight ; Snacks

Bartter syndrome is characterized by markedly reduced or absent salt transport by the thick ascending limb of Henle. The phenotype of Bartter syndrome is renal salt wasting, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, increased renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, with normal or low blood pressure. Most of the cases have been noted in the pediatric age group and adult-onset cases are rare. Nephrocalcinosis is common in antenatal Bartter syndrome. We report a case of adult-onset Bartter syndrome associated with nephrocalcinosis.
Alkalosis ; Bartter Syndrome* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Hypotension ; Nephrocalcinosis* ; Phenotype ; Renin-Angiotensin System