Colorectal cancers (CRC)-and probably all cancers-are caused by alterations in genes. This includes activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). There are many ways to achieve these alterations. Oncogenes are frequently activated by point mutation, gene amplification, or changes in the promoter (typically caused by chromosomal rearrangements). TSGs are typically inactivated by mutation, deletion, or promoter methylation, which silences gene expression. About 15% of CRC is associated with loss of the DNA mismatch repair system, and the resulting CRCs have a unique phenotype that is called microsatellite instability, or MSI. This paper reviews the types of genetic alterations that can be found in CRCs and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and focuses upon the epigenetic alterations that result in promoter methylation and the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). The challenge facing CRC research and clinical care at this time is to deal with the heterogeneity and complexity of these genetic and epigenetic alterations, and to use this information to direct rational prevention and treatment strategies.
Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics ; DNA Methylation/*genetics ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/*etiology/*genetics ; Humans ; Microsatellite Instability ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/*genetics

No abstract available.
Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Cicatrix* ; Lasers, Gas* ; Methods* ; Thyroidectomy*

Refinement of surgical techniques has allowed hearing preservation after tumor resection to be prioritized. Moreover, restoration of hearing after tumor removal can be attempted in patients with bilateral vestibular schwannomas or those with a schwannoma in the only-hearing ear. Cochlear implantation (CI) has emerged as a proper method of acoustic rehabilitation, provided that the cochlear nerve remains intact. Studies of electrical promontory stimulation in patients after vestibular schwannoma resection have demonstrated favorable results. We describe herein two cases of hearing rehabilitation via CI implemented at the time of vestibular schwannoma resection. Tumors were totally removed, and cochlear implant electrodes were successfully inserted in both cases. Also, post operative CI-aided hearing showed improved results.
Acoustics ; Cochlear Implantation* ; Cochlear Implants* ; Cochlear Nerve ; Ear ; Electrodes ; Hearing ; Humans ; Methods ; Neurilemmoma ; Neuroma, Acoustic* ; Rehabilitation

An adenomyomectomy is a conservative-surgical option for preserving fertility. Conventional laparoscopic adenomyomectomies present difficulties in adenomyoma removal and suturing of the remaining myometrium. Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery could overcome the limitations of conventional laparoscopic surgery. Four patients with severe secondary dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain visited Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and were diagnosed with adenomyosis by pelvic ultrasonography and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The four patients were unmarried, nulliparous women, who desired a fertility-preserving treatment. We performed robot-assisted laparoscopic adenomyomectomies. The dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain of the patients nearly disappeared after surgery. No residual adenomyosis was observed on the follow-up pelvic MRI. A robot-assisted laparoscopic adenomyomectomy was feasible, and could be a minimally invasive surgical option for fertility-sparing treatment in patients with adenomyosis.
Adenomyoma ; Adenomyosis ; Animals ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Fertility Preservation ; Fertility* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mice ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Myometrium ; Pelvic Pain ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Seoul ; Single Person ; Ultrasonography

Two children with spigelian hernias are presented in this report. The etiopathogenesis and surgical anatomy of these rare hernias were discussed. Our cases are the fourth and fifth cases of spigelian hernia (SH) in patients under 2 years of age. Surgical intervention is indicated in all cases of SH because of the danger of strangulation of the bowel.
Case Report ; Hernia, Ventral/*diagnosis ; Human ; Infant ; Male

The definition of volvulus is an axial twist of a portion of the gastrointestinal tract along its mesentery. The involved bowel is obstructed partially or completely with a variable degree of arterial and venous occlusion. The colon is the most common site for volvulus. The splenic flexure is the least common site of colonic volvulus. We experienced a case of the volvulus of the splenic flexure. It will be the 30th case of the volvulus involving the splenic flexure in the English literature, to our knowledge. A 30-year-old woman was admitted due to abdominal pain and distention with vomiting. An emergency barium study revealed characteristic "bird beak" sign. Surgery was performed resecting the involved colon of splenic flexure. The result was excellent.
Adult ; Barium Sulfate/diagnostic use ; Case Report ; Colonic Diseases/*radiography ; Female ; Human ; Intestinal Obstruction/*radiography

We describe a case with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML; M2) who developed prolonged marrow hypoplasia with residual leukemic blasts and recurrent infections after induction chemotherapy. He was treated successfully with a sequential treatment of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) and low-dose cytosine arabinoside (LD AraC). To the best of our knowledge this is the first reported case of a successful treatment of a patient with AML, who showed prolonged markedly hypocellular bone marrow with significant residual leukemic cells after induction chemotherapy, with a sequential treatment of GM-CSF and LD AraC.
Bone Marrow Diseases/chemically induced/*drug therapy ; Case Report ; Cytarabine/*administration & dosage ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/*therapeutic use ; Human ; Leukemia, Myelocytic, Acute/*drug therapy/pathology ; Male ; Middle Age

When cells are exposed to a low dose of a mutagenic or clastogenic agent, they often become less sensitive to the effects of a higher dose administered subsequently. Such adaptive responses were first described in Escherichia coli. Studies on mammalian cells have been limited to human lymphocytes exposed to low doses of an alkylating agent. In this study, the adaptive response to 1 cGy of gamma rays was investigated in human tumor cells using two human hepatoma cell lines, Hep G2 and Hep 3B. Experiments were carried out by delivering 1 cGy followed by 50 cGy of gamma radiation and chromatid breaks were scored as an endpoint. The results of this study indicate that prior exposure to 1 cGy of gamma rays reduces the number of chromatid breaks induced by subsequent higher doses (50 cGy). The time necessary for the expression of the adaptive response was determined by varying the time interval between the two doses from 1 hour to 72 hours. In G2 chromatids, the adaptive response was observed both at short time intervals, as early as 1 hour, and at long time intervals. In S chromatids, however, the adaptive response was shown only at long time intervals. When 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, was added after 50 cGy, adaptive responses were abolished in all the experimental groups. Therefore, it is suggested that the adaptive response can be observed in human hepatoma cell lines, which is first documented through this study.
*Adaptation, Physiological ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics ; Chromosome Aberrations ; *Gamma Ray ; Human ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics ; Radiation Tolerance/*physiology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Tumor Cells, Cultured/*radiation effects

An hemodynamic evaluation of two mechanical heart valves is presented. A tilting disc valve and a bileaflet valve were incorporated in a mock circulatory system which consists of a closed flow loop with a pneumatically driven flexible diaphragm to simulate the physiologic pulsatile flow. Comparisons between the valves were made on the aortic pressure, ventricular pressure, as well as mean pressure gradient at a systolic duration of 45% and a heart rate of 90 beats per minute. The results showed that the tilting disc valve has higher ventricular pressure and mean pressure gradient than that of the bileaflet valve. This indicates that the tilting disc valve has higher transvalvular flow resistance and energy loss than that of the bileaflet valve. From this study it is demonstrated that the mock circulatory system can be a very useful device to evaluate the prosthetic heart valves in vitro.
Comparative Study ; *Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Models, Structural ; Pressure ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

We investigated the effect of desferrioxamine (DFO), an iron chelator, on the DNA synthesis and the cell cycle of cultured hepatoma cells. Using Hep 3B cells as the hepatoma cell lines, DNA synthesis was measured by [3H] thymidine incorporation, and the cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry including bivariate DNA/BrdU analysis. [3H] thymidine uptake was decreased by DFO in a dose dependent manner. The proportion of S phase cells increased and that of G0/G1 phase cells decreased after the addition of DFO in the culture media in a dose dependent manner up to 20 micrograms/ml of DFO. The S phase duration of the exponentially proliferating Hep 3B cells was 9.9 hours when cultured without DFO, but it was markedly prolonged (54.1 hours) after the addition of 20 micrograms/ml of DFO. After removal of DFO from the culture media following 24 hours of incubation with 20 micrograms/ml of DFO, a sequential increase from early through mid and late-S to G2/M phase was observed. In conclusion, the antiproliferative effect of DFO on cultured human hepatoma cell lines was caused by the inhibition of DNA synthesis which was related to a block in the early-mid S interface or mid S phase of the cell cycle.
Bromodeoxyuridine/diagnostic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*pathology ; Cell Cycle/drug effects ; Cell Division/drug effects ; Deferoxamine/*pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Human ; Liver Neoplasms/*pathology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effects