No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Tamoxifen has been well known as an effective anti-tumor agent against breast cancer. The important role of bcl-2 and p53 proteins in tamoxifen-induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells has been suggested. However, the paradoxical fact that bcl-2 over-expression is assdegrees Ciated with better prognosis in clinic has not yet been clearly explained. To investigate this paradox, we analyzed the effect and dynamics of bcl-2 and p53 on the apoptosis after treatment of breast cancer cells with tamoxifen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MB MDA-468 were treated with 17-betaestradiol (E2) and tamoxifen. RESULTS: Following tamoxifen treatment, MCF-7 cells underwent apoptosis accompanied by reduced bcl-2 expression. E2 pre-treatment led to the inhibition of tamoxifen-mediated apoptosis and bcl-2 down-regulation. When MB MDA-468 cells were treated with E2 or tamoxifen, bcl-2 and p53 protein expression did not change and apoptosis did not develop. CONCLUSION: We observed that the down-regulation of bcl-2 by tamoxifen treatment can facilitate the apoptosis of breast cancer cells without p53 mutations. This finding was consistent with clinical experiences in which bcl-2 positive tumors were assdegrees Ciated with more indolent phenotypes in breast cancer.
Apoptosis* ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Cell Line* ; Down-Regulation ; Humans* ; MCF-7 Cells ; Phenotype ; Prognosis ; Tamoxifen

Arthroscopy assisted anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) reconstruction with the autogenous bone-patellar tendon-bone(BPB) graft showed more favorable results in the hand of experienced surgeon, but it requires long leaming curve for skillful techniques. On the contrary, open method is very easy to learn, but it needs more soft tissue dissection affecting rehabilitation and morbidity. Arthrotomy through the patellar tendon harvest site provide good surgical approach without supplementary incision, and hence short operation time and good clinical result can be expected. The purpose of this study is to introduce this technique and compares the results with arthroscopic one. We performed 67 cases of ACL reconstruction with autogenous BPB graft through the patellar tendon harvest site. We recorded and analysed the physical findings, Lysholm score and Cybex test at preoperative and postoperative 3, 6, 12 months. Average Lysholm score was 58.0 preoperatively and 90.5 at postoperative one year. Cybex test at one year follow-up showed decreased muscle strength of quadriceps, which was nearly the same result with arthroscopic technique. In conclusion, this technique provided similar excellent clinical results comparing with the arthroscopy assisted ones. Furthermore, this technique had merits of short learning curve and short operation time.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction* ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Arthroscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Learning Curve ; Muscle Strength ; Patellar Ligament* ; Rehabilitation ; Transplants

Pulmonary artery sling is a rare vascular anomaly wherein the left pulmonary artery arises from the right pulmonary artery and then traverses between the esophagus and the trachea toward the hilum of the left lung. Associated anomalies are common, particularly those of the tracheobronchial tree, which have been found in more than 50% of patients. Cardiovascular anomalies such as persistent left superior vena cava, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus and aortic arch anomalies are also found not infrequently. We have experienced a 20 day-old female who had showed severe respiratory distress and cyanosis. She was diagnosed as pulmonary artery sling associated with tracheobronchial hypoplasia by echocardiography, angiography, esophagography and bronchography. We report this case with related literature review.
Angiography ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Bronchography ; Cyanosis ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Echocardiography ; Esophagus ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Lung ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Trachea ; Vena Cava, Superior

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia may show a delayed presentation and it rarely simulates pleural effusion. We report here on two asymptomatic cases that were diagnosed by performing chest CT.
Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic, Traumatic* ; Omentum ; Pleural Effusion* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that coffee consumption has an influence on kidney function. This study investigated the relationship between habitual coffee consumption and renal impairment in Korean women, in consideration of diabetic status. METHODS: This study involved 2,673 women aged 35 to 84 years who had participated in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, conducted in 2008. Habitual coffee consumption was classified into three categories: less than 1 cup per day, 1 cup per day, and 2 or more cups per day. Renal function impairment was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes and renal function impairment was higher in women who drank < 1 cup of coffee per day. Compared with drinking < 1 cup of coffee per day, the odds ratio (OR) for renal function impairment was significantly lower (OR, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37 to 0.95; P = 0.03) in those who habitually drank > or = 2 cups per day after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. When data were stratified according to the presence of diabetes, coffee consumption > or = 2 cups of coffee per day showed an inverse association with renal function impairment in only diabetic women (OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.88; P = 0.04), compared with consumption < 1 cup of coffee per day. CONCLUSION: In a representative sample of Korean women, coffee consumption was significantly associated with a decreased risk of renal impairment especially in middle and elderly-aged diabetic women.
Aged ; Coffee ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Drinking ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
Arthritis ; Bacteremia* ; Female* ; Humans ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Listeria monocytogenes* ; Listeria*

OBJECTIVE: Recent epidemiologic studies indicate that use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) activity reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. COX-2 expression has been identified in cancers of many organs. There are also many reports that identify COX-2 expression and its possible role in tumorigenesis in cervical cancers. This study was performed to determine wether COX-2 is expressed in cervical cancer and to evaluate the value of COX-2 as a predictor of treatment results. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 34 cases of stage IB to IVA cervical cancer and 22 cases of normal cervical specimens obtained through biopsy or surgery at the Chungnam National University Hospital. A COX-2 immunohistochemical stain was performed on these specimens. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference of COX-2 positivity between the cervical cancer group and a control group (p=0.01, Fisher's exact test), between the well controlled group and the treatment failure group (p=0.00, Fisher's exact test) and among stages (p=0.01, linear-by-linear association). The COX-2 positive group had a mean overall survival time of 55 months compared with 80 months for COX-2 negative group (p=0.00, log-rank test). The Locally advanced cervical cancer group (stage IIB-IV A) had a mean overall survival time of 46 months compared with 84 months for early stage disease group (stage IB, II A) (p=0.00, log-rank test). A Cox regression model showed that COX-2 positivity and clinical stages retained independent roles in predicting treatment results and prognosis. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of COX-2 expression in cervical cancer patients is valuable for predicting the treatment results and prognosis.
Biopsy ; Carcinogenesis ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Treatment Failure ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus(HPV) 16 is the most frequently found oncogenic HPV type in cervical cancer and the early protein E7 is considered to be one of the two major proteins involved in malignant transformation and maintenance of the transformed phenotype of the cells. It is suggested that serologic detection of anti-HPV antibody in serum can be used as a marker for HPV-associated cervical cancer. We evaluated the efficacy of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) method for detecting antibodies circulating in human sera against E7 proteins of HPV 16 in patients with cervical cancer/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN) and in normal controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have developed a ELISA method using fusion proteins of HPV 16 E7, expressed in E. coli, as antigen to detect the anti-E7 antibody in human sera. Sera from 276 women(90 patients with invasive cervical cancers, 8 patients with CIN III and 178 healthy women) were tested for the presence of antibodies to E7 proteins. The results were compared with that of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) method. RESULTS: Fifteen(16.7 %) of the 90 cervical cancer sera, one(12.5 %) of the 8 CIN sera and twelve (6.7 %) of the 178 normal sera were reactive with E7 proteins(cut-off value : absorbance (A) = 0.079, x + 3 SD). The detection rate of HPV 16 DNA by PCR were 45.5 %(41/90) in cervical cancer patients, 37.5 %(3/8) in CIN III patients, and 11.8 %(21/178) in normal controls Twelve(29.3 %) of 41 cervical cancer patients harboring HPV 16 DNA showed positive for the anti-E7 antobody. Although the positivity with ELISA was rather lower that of PCR. A statistically significant trend of increasing seropositivity was obtained( 2=6.48 ; df=1 ; p=0.011). The concordance rate between the results of ELISA and PCR was 64.4 %. CONCLUSION: The increasing seropositivity for HPV 16 E7 antibodies in association with malignant progression suggest that these antibodies may be a useful marker for HPV 16-associated cervical cancer. But the facts that in only about one-fifth portion of patients with cervical cancer showed the positive results in ELISA restricts the direct clinical applications. A search for more sensitive and specific serologic method for the detection of antibodies to HPV 16 E7 is needed.
Antibodies* ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Humans* ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serologic Tests ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Choristoma/*complications/radiography ; Escherichia coli Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Female ; Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/*complications/radiography ; Humans ; *Kidney ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Pyelonephritis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology ; Thoracic Diseases/*complications/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome