No abstract available.
Bias (Epidemiology)* ; Case-Control Studies* ; Humans ; Triplets*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Telomerase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that synthesizes TTAGGG telomeric DNA onto chromosomal ends to compensate for sequence loss during replication. It has been detected in a variety of human malignancies, suggesting that such activity may play a role in the tumorigenic process. To determine whether telomerase is reactivated in malignant fibrous histiocytoma, 12 tissue samples with this tumor were analyzed for the telomerase activity by a radioactive PCR-based TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol) assay. All of the tumors were further investigated for the expression of human telomerase RNA (hTR) by an in situ hybridization (ISH). Telomerase activity was detected in one (8.3%) sample. Expression of hTR was demonstrated in 7 (58.3%): one telomerase-positive and six telomerase-negatives. These data indicate that the reactivation of telomerase is an uncommon event and not an important factor involved in tumorigenesis in malignant fibrous histiocytoma. It is noteworthy that 50% of the patients with grade 2 tumors expressed hTR, suggesting that telomerase RNA may be useful as a marker for identifying tumor aggressiveness earlier than the conventional histopathologic grading scale.
Carcinogenesis ; DNA ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; RNA* ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Telomerase*

No abstract available.
Atrioventricular Block* ; Myocarditis* ; Pancreatitis* ; Typhoid Fever*

Pheochromocytoma is an unusual tumor in pediatric age group and there are several different aspects from adult counterparts. Children have fewer malignant, more extra-adrenal, and greater bilaterality and multiplicity of tumor. We present a case of 14-year old boy with pheochromocytoma who has symptoms such as episodic headaches, vomiting, seizure and paroxysmal hypertension which is less common in children. Although the duration of preoperative preparation was not long enough, we decided to remove the tumor because symptoms were disappeared rather rapidly after alpha and beta adrenergic blocker treatment. The patient was managed with continuous epidural block and light general anesthesia but extra use of adrenergic receptor blocker and vasodilator were demanded during tumor manipulation. The patient has remained well postoperatively but long-term follow up is essential because of the possibilities of recurrence.
Adolescent ; Adrenergic Antagonists ; Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; Recurrence ; Seizures ; Vomiting

Trichoblastic fibroma is a benign trichogenic tumor that has both epithelial and mesenchymal components and exhibits partial follicular induction. We studied 4 cases of trichoblastic fibroma and reviewed their clinical and histologic features. Two tumors were present in the face. The remaining two were in the vulva and perianal area, respectively. The age of the patients ranged from 53 to 68 years, with an average age of 62. All were female. Histologically, the lesions showed a well circumscribed mass, located at dermo-subcutaneous junction in three patients and subcutaneous in one. They demonstrated mesenchymal induction evidenced by hair germ-like structure and perifollicular sheath. There was no connection between the tumor and epidermis. Differentiation toward hair structure led to the formation of the infundibulum through inner root sheath. Trichoblastic fibroma may be confused clinically and/or histologically with basal cell carcinoma. Identification of the mixed epithelial and mesenchymal components, and the absence of epidermal connection and cleft within the stroma are important in differentiating this benign neoplasm from basal cell carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Epidermis ; Female ; Fibroma* ; Hair ; Humans ; Vulva

It is well known that fractures around the knee joint are usually combined with ligament injuries but it is easy to miss the ligament injuries during the treatment of fractures. The invention of the MRI and the development of arthroscopic techniques has made it easy to diagnose and care for ligament injuries. Authors reviewed the patients who had fractures around the knee joint to evaluate the frequencies, types, treatments and the results of combined ligaments injuries. There were 57 cases with the fracture of the proximal tibia and fibula which could be follwed up at least one year: from January 1992 to June 1995. There were 19 cases (33%) which had combined ligament injuries. The ligament injuries were diagnosed by stress X-ray & MRI evaluation and confirmed by arthroscopic examination. Single lateral rim avulsion fracture of proximal tibia was the most common type of fractures (7 cases, 37%). There were 11 cases (57%) of combined injuries of anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament. It was the most common combined ligament injury. Except for one, eleven cases that were combined with lateral rim avulsion of proximal tibia had anterior cruciate ligament injury. There were ten cases (53%) of fibula head and neck fractures which were combined with ligament injuries. The total number of the injured ligament was 35 and the common rupture sites of the injured ligaments was the attachment site of femur (13 cases) and tibia (16 cases). There were seven meniscal injury cases (37%). The interval from injury to operation averaged 14.1 days because many cases were acute injuries. Primary repairs for ruptured ligament were done in 31 cases (88%) because of their attachment site injuries. There were no instabilities except one case which was treated with posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using semitendinosus ligament. It had a grade I posterior instability at the last follow-up. Early diagnosis and proper treatment on the ruptured ligaments and the torn meniscus combined with proximal tibia and fibular fractures seem to be important for a good prognosis.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Collateral Ligaments ; Early Diagnosis ; Femur ; Fibula* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Inventions ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Ligaments* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament ; Prognosis ; Rupture ; Tibia*

A simple, rapid and selective liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is developed and validated for quantification of venlafaxine in human plasma with simple liquid-liquid extraction step consisted of extraction with ether and dichloromethane for 10 min and mixing with 1 M sodium acetate in human plasma using fluoxetine as an internal standard (IS). The analyte are separated using an isocratic mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 5 mM ammonium formate (4/3, v/v) on a isocratic YMC hydrosphere C18 (2.0x50.0 mm, 3.0 microm) column and analyzed by MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode using the transitions of respective [M+H](+) ions, m/z 278.2-->260.3 and m/z 310.1-->148.1 for quantification of venlafaxine and IS, respectively. The standard calibration curves showed good linearity within the range of 1.0-200.0 ng/mL (r2=0.9986, 1/chi2 weighting). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1.0 ng/mL. The retention times of venlafaxine and IS were 0.6 min and 0.7 min that means the potential for the high-throughput potential of the proposed method. In addition, no significant metabolic compounds were found to interfere with the analysis. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for the concentrations over the standard curve range. The validated method was successfully applied to bioequivalence study after 75-mg of venlafaxine sustained-release (SR) capsule in 24 healthy Korean subjects.
Ammonium Compounds ; Calibration ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Ether ; Fluoxetine ; Humans ; Ions ; Liquid-Liquid Extraction ; Methylene Chloride ; Pharmacokinetics ; Plasma* ; Sodium Acetate ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Therapeutic Equivalency* ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride

BACKGROUND: Many drugs are commonly administered according to total body weight or age basis. However, drugs are primarily distributed to the lean body mass. This study was undertaken to find out the best determinant for drug requirements during induction in elderly. METHODS: Forty-five ASA 1 to 3 male and female patients older than 65 years scheduled for elective surgery were divided into 3 groups and received thiopental sodium 62.5 mg/min (group T, n = 15), propofol 25 mg/min (group P, n = 15), or etomidate 5 mg/min (group E, n = 15) respectively. Kendall's tau test for correlations was used to describe the relationship between drug requirements for induction and total body weight, lean body mass determined by Weisburg's modification of Gubner's formula, ideal body weight calculated by Devine's method, and body surface area. RESULTS: Loss of consciousness was obtained with a thiopental sodium dose of 128.4 +/- 29.3 mg, propofol 59.8 +/- 13.6 mg, and etomidate 9.8 +/- 1.4 mg. Kendall's tau correlation test showed that requirements of drugs were related to lean body mass (group T, r = 0.490*, group P, r = 0.433*, group E, r = 0.493*, global P < 0.05) and ideal body weight (group P, r = 0.426*, group E, r = 0.434*, p < 0.05), but not to total body weight or body surface area. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that drug requirements for induction of anesthesia correlate better with lean body mass and ideal body weight than with total body weight or body surface area in elderly patients.
Aged* ; Anesthesia ; Body Surface Area ; Body Weight ; Etomidate* ; Female ; Humans ; Ideal Body Weight ; Male ; Propofol* ; Thiopental* ; Unconsciousness