Somatosensory evoked potentials(SEPs) reflect the functional integrity of the central neural pathways, and as such may be used to assess function that remains during variety of cerebral insults. To evaluate the utility of SEPs during cerebral ischemic deterioration due to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, SEPs were measured in 43 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, among them 24 patients had no cerebral ischemic deterioration(group 1) and 19 patients had cerebral ischemic deterioration(group 2). In group 1, central conduction time(CCT) were measured on the day of admission(CCT1), the seventh day(CCT2), and the twenty-first day(CCT3) after aneurysmal rupture. In group 2, CCT were measured on the day of admission(CCT1), during(CCT2) and after resolution(CCT3) of cerebral ischemic deterioration. CCT2 of the both cerebral hemispheres were different significantly between two group(p=0.01). In group 2, there was stastically significantly difference between CCT1 and CCT2(p<0.01), and significant correlation between clinical grade and CCT was noted, especially in grade III, and IV. Therefore it is suggested that the central latencies of the SEPs are seemed to be a sensitive tools as indicators of the onset and extent of a cerebral ischemic deterioration due to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Aneurysm* ; Cerebrum ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory* ; Humans ; Neural Pathways ; Rupture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage*

This study was performed to analyze the long-term results of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia. The authors analyzed 193 cases with trigeminal neuralgia which underwent percutaneous radiofrequency thermal rhizotomy documented from March, 1973 to December, 1992. The patients(122 cases) were followed-up for average 6.1 years. Initial pain relief was obtained in 97.4% of the patients with percutaneous thermal rhizotomy. Recurrence of trigeminal pain after surgery was observed in 47 cases(38.5%) during the follow-up period. Surgical complications were as follows; masseter weakness in 7 patients, oculomotor palsy in 1 patient, weakness of the corneal reflex in 10 patients(1 of them requested ocular management) for keratitis, and anesthesia dorosa in 2 patients. These results suggest that percutoneous radiofrequency thermal rhizotomy is a useful therapeutic tool to relieve pain immediately an safely in trigeminal neuralgia.
Anesthesia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Paralysis ; Recurrence ; Reflex ; Rhizotomy* ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

OBJECTIVE: To establish a treatment guideline for intracranial cavernous malformation, the authors analyzed the clinical features, treatment modality, complications, and late outcomes in 76 consecutive cases (45 microsurgical resections, 30 stereotactic radiosurgeries, one microsurgery followed by radiosurgery) managed at the Yonsei University Medical Center from 1985 to 1998. RESULTS: Among 104 lesions in 76 patients, 64(61.5%) lesions were supratentorial and 40(38.5%) infratentorial. Hemorrhage was the most common presentation(31 patients, 40.8%), followed by generalized seizure(15 patients, 19.7%). Fifteen(19.7%) patients had mixed presentation with generalized seizure and hemorrhage, while 9(11.9%) patients presented focal deficits. The remaining 6(7.9%) patients had headache or incidental lesion. Almost all infratentorial lesions(92.5%) were managed with radiosurgery, and 65.6% of supratentorial lesions with microsurgery. The average follow-up period was 14.6 months for the microsurgery group and 32 months for the radiosurgery group. The overall outcome was good in 68(89.5%), fair in 6(7.9%), poor in 1(1.3%), and dead in 1(1.3%). Total microsurgical resection and symptomatic cure rate was 95.6%. Two lesion were incompletely resected. One lesion was followed by radiosurgery and the other was followed by reoperation. Only 38.5% of lesions with radiosurgery were shrunken. CONCLUSION: Microsurgical removal is effective for lesions in the non-eloquent area, or with recurrent hemorrhages and seizures. Although radiosurgery could be considered for lesions with multiplicity in the eloquent or deep-seated area, further study for the radiosurgical effect on cavernous malformations is required.
Academic Medical Centers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Microsurgery ; Radiosurgery ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies* ; Seizures

OBJECTIVE: The chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)) is particularly effective against cervical cancer. The purpose of this study is to elucidate combination effect of cisplatin and green tea extracts on the growth inhibition of TC-1 cell. METHODS: To observe the anti-proliferative effects, we treated different doses of cisplatin (0.1, 0.5, 2.5 uM), GTP (1, 5, 25 ug/ml) and EGCG (25, 50, 100 uM). to TC-1 cells. Also, we treated 0.5 uM of cisplatin and different doses of GTP (1 and 5 ug/ml) or EGCG (25 and 50 uM). Cell viability was scored by use of MTT assay. In addition, E6 gene expression patterns in TC-1 cell were investigated by using RT-PCR. RESULTS: Cell growth inhibition in a dose dependent was observed at the different concentration of ciaplatin, GTP and EGCG. Also, in the groups treated by 0.5 uM of cisplatin and GTP (1 and 5 ug/ml) or EGCG (25 and 50 uM), the inhibition of cell growth showed with 12.2%, 6.9% and 63.4%, 72.2% as compared to the group treated by cisplatin only. In RT-PCR, down regulation of E6 was shown. CONCLUSION: Additive effect of the combination of cisplatin with GTP or EGCG on the inhibition of cell growth was observed. This effect suggests the possibility lowering the concentration of chemotherapeutic drugs, which alleviate the side effect of drugs.
Cell Survival ; Cisplatin* ; Down-Regulation ; Gene Expression ; Guanosine Triphosphate ; Tea* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the Th17 and Treg cell infiltration into allograft tissue is associated with the severity of allograft dysfunction and tissue injury in acute T cell-mediated rejection (ATCMR). Seventy-one allograft tissues with biopsy-proven ATCMR were included. The biopsy specimens were immunostained for FOXP3 and IL-17. The allograft function was assessed at biopsy by measuring serum creatinine (Scr) concentration, and by applying the modified diet in renal disease (MDRD) formula, which provides the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The severity of allograft tissue injury was assessed by calculating tissue injury scores using the Banff classification. The average numbers of infiltrating Treg and Th17 cells were 11.6 +/- 12.2 cells/mm2 and 5.6 +/- 8.0 cells/mm2, respectively. The average Treg/Th17 ratio was 5.6 +/- 8.2. The Treg/Th17 ratio was significantly associated with allograft function (Scr and MDRD eGFR) and with the severity of interstitial injury and tubular injury (P < 0.05, all parameters). In separate analyses of the number of infiltrating Treg and Th17 cells, Th17 cell infiltration was significantly associated with allograft function and the severity of tissue injury. By contrast, Treg cell infiltration was not significantly associated with allograft dysfunction or the severity of tissue injury. The results of this study show that higher infiltration of Th17 cell compared with Treg cell is significantly associated with the severity of allograft dysfunction and tissue injury.
Acute Disease ; Creatinine/metabolism ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/metabolism ; Graft Rejection/*etiology/pathology ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Interleukin-17/*metabolism ; Kidney Transplantation/*adverse effects ; Retrospective Studies ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/*immunology/pathology ; Th17 Cells/*immunology/pathology ; Transplantation, Homologous

PURPOSE: Screening in cervical cancer is now progressing to discover candidate genes and proteins that may serve as biological markers and that play a role in tumor progression. We examined the protein expression patterns of the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues from Korean women with using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Normal cervix and SCC tissues were solubilized and 2-DE was performed using pH 3~10 linear IPG strips of 17 cm length. The protein expression was evaluated using PDQuest 2-D software(TM). The differentially expressed protein spots were identified with a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, and the peptide mass spectra identifications were performed using the Mascot program and by searching the Swiss-prot or NCBInr databases. RESULTS: A total of 35 proteins were detected in SCC. 17 proteins were up-regulated and 18 proteins weredown-regulated. Among the proteins that were identified, 12 proteins (pigment epithelium derived factor, annexin A2 and A5, keratin 19 and 20, heat shock protein 27, smooth muscle protein 22 alpha, alpha-enolase, squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 and 2, glutathione S-transferase and apolipoprotein a1) were protein previously known to be involved in tumor, and 21 proteins were newly identified in this study. CONCLUSION: 2-DE offers the total protein expression profiles of SCC tissues; further characterization of these differentially expressed proteins will give a chance to identify the badly needed tumor-specific diagnostic markers for SCC.
Annexin A2 ; Apolipoproteins ; Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Databases, Protein ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Epithelium ; Female ; Glutathione Transferase ; HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Keratin-19 ; Mass Screening ; Muscle, Smooth ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Expression of estrogen receptors (ER)-alpha and -beta, as well as androgen receptor (AR), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is thought to be correlated with prognosis, survival, and male prevalence of HCC. These hypotheses are based on investigations of European patients; however the expression patterns of these receptors in Asian patients are largely unknown. In this study, we collected liver carcinoma and peritumor tissues from 32 patients (9 females and 23 males) in South Korea. The expression of ERs and ARs was studied using RT-PCR. Wild-type ER-alpha and AR were expressed in all of the samples investigated, and their expression was independent of the causal virus or patient sex. Expression of the ER-alpha variant was independent of sex (100% female vs. 91.3% male) and HCV and HBV status (91.3% vs. 100%). Wild-type ER-beta was expressed more often in HCV patients than in HBV patients (95.7% vs. 44.4%; p < 0.05). In conclusion, the stronger ER-alpha variant expression in HCC tissues implies that this variant has an important role in HCC development. However, at least in Korean patients, expression of the ER-alpha variant (vER-alpha) is not related to male HCC prevalence. In addition, the predominant expression of ER-beta in HCV patients suggests that it plays an important role in HCV-induced liver disease.
Sex Factors ; Receptors, Estrogen/*metabolism ; Receptors, Androgen/metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Liver Neoplasms/ethnology/*metabolism/virology ; Korea ; Humans ; Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification ; Hepacivirus/isolation & purification ; Female ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/ethnology/*metabolism/virology ; Biological Markers/metabolism ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Aged