BACKGROUND: beta-Catenin has dual functions: adhesive molucule and transcriptional activator. Subcellular accumulation of beta-catenin and subsequent formation of beta-catenin- Tcf/Lef-1 complexes, as well as c-myc and cyclin D1 genes which were recently defined as target genes of beta-catenin- Tcf/Lef-1, has been shown to be important in the development of colorectal and breast carcinomas. The author investigated the rate of subcellular accumulation of beta-catenin and overexpression of c-myc and cyclin D1, and also investigated the association between them in the pulmonary adenocarcinomas. METHODS: Fifty-one surgically resected primary adenocarcinomas of the lung, including 11 bronchioloalveolar carcinomas, were investigated by immunohistochemical analysis with monoclonal antibodies specific for beta-catenin, c-myc and cyclin D1. Clinico-pathological information were collected from the patient charts and surgical pathology reports. RESULTS: Accumulation of beta-catenin in the nucleus and/or cytoplasm and overexpression of c-myc and cyclin D1 were observed to be 20%, 37%, 16%, respectively. Ten cases showing accumulated patterns of beta-catenin revealed alternative overexpressions of c-myc (7 cases) and cyclin D1 (3 cases). In nonmucinous tumors, 9 cases showing overexpression of c-myc or cyclin D1 revealed accumulations of beta-catenin. The accumulation of beta-catenin was not statistically related to clinico-pathological parameters. The association between c-myc overexpression and histological subtype of tumors was observed. CONCLUSIONS:It is suggested that the accumulation of beta-catenin is closely associated with tumorigenesis in a minor subset (20%) of peripheral adenocarcinomas of the lung. It is also suggested that transactivation of beta-catenin may closely be associated with the overexpression of c-myc or cyclin D1 in the nonmucinous adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar ; Adhesives ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; beta Catenin* ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinogenesis ; Cyclin D1* ; Cyclins* ; Cytoplasm ; Genes, bcl-1 ; Humans ; Lung ; Pathology, Surgical ; Transcriptional Activation

Pseudohypoparathyroidism is a medical disorder characterized by a complex disorder of renal resistance to parathyroid hormone and the mechanism underlying the disease is still unclear. The authors described two cases of pseudohypoparathyroidism in sibling,who had metabolic anomalies(hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, high circulatin immunoreactive PTH)and basal ganglia calcification. Bilateral basal ganglia calcifications, which was not visible on plain skull film, was detected by CT scan of brain MRI. We report these cases with a review of related literatures.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Humans ; Hyperphosphatemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Pseudohypoparathyroidism* ; Siblings* ; Skull ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the nutritional status of child-bearing age women between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). METHODS: The data presented in the DPRK Final Report of the National Nutrition Survey 2012 was utilized for the nutritional status and food intake of North Korean women. To produce the South Korean women's data comparable to those of North Korean women, the data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey were analyzed and the data presented in the 2010 Report of the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards were utilized. RESULTS: The prevalence of maternal anemia (blood hemoglobin < 12.0 g/dL) was over 30% in all the age groups of North Korean women and 8.9%, 14.2%, 16.4% in 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 year old South Korean women, respectively. The prevalence of maternal protein-energy malnutrition (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference < 22.5 cm) was 25.2%, 21.4%, 21.8% in 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 year old North Korean women, respectively and less than 10% in all the age groups of South Korean women. Result of dietary diversity comparison showed that North Korean women consumed less food than South Korean women at all food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy. Percentage of North Korean women having consumed protein rich foods-meat and fish, eggs or dairy products-were much lower than those of South Korean women. CONCLUSIONS: The striking disparity of nutritional status between South and North Korean women indicates that nutrition support for North Korean women is essential in the process of preparation for a unified nation.
Anemia ; Arm ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea* ; Eating ; Eggs ; Female ; Fruit ; Humans ; Meat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Protein-Energy Malnutrition ; Republic of Korea ; Strikes, Employee ; Vegetables

The Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor is a rare sex cord stromal tumor of the ovary, accounting for less than 0.5% of all primary ovarian neoplasm. This tumor is the most common type of all virilizing ovarian tumors. However, only one-third of patients develop virilization. Recently, we experienced a case of intermediately differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with amenorrhea and so we present it with brief review of literature.
Amenorrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor* ; Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors ; Virilism

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the experience of adolescents with cancer. METHODS: This study was based on the grounded theory by Strauss & Corbin (1998). The subjects were 13 adolescents including in and out-patients of a university hospital diagnosed with cancer. RESULTS: 'Getting changed' and 'getting deviated' were found to be the causal conditions. 'Inclination', 'self-reliance', and 'hope' were identified as contextual conditions, 'shrinking feeling' as the core phenomenon, 'awareness of disease', 'self-consciousness', and 'getting understanding and love' as intervening conditions, 'negligence', 'separation', 'self-management', and 'inspiration' as the strategies and 'being shirk', 'getting back', and 'going forward' as consequences. 'Breaking out of the withdrawn ego' was the core category in this study. CONCLUSION: This study provides a framework for the development of individualized nursing interventions for 'Breaking out of the withdrawn ego' to care for adolescents with cancer. Finally adolescents with cancer are 'reborn' with a more mature ego.
Adolescent ; Ego* ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Nursing ; Outpatients

OBJECTIVE: To systematic analyze the change of indications, age distribution of the patients and chromosomal results according to patient's age and indications in midtrimester genetic amniocentesis METHODS: This study reviewed 2,000 genetic amniocentesis cases from 1984 to 1997 which were done at Severance Hospital, after prenatal genetic counseling for the mothers who have high risk for carrying chromosomally abnormal babies. We analized the change of the indication, age distribution and chromosomal results according to maternal age and indications of amniocentesis RESULTS: 1. The incidence of amniocentesis had been in gradual increase since the 1980's, and from the mid 1990's it showed an abrupt increment. 2. Of the 2,000 amniocentesis cases, 31.8% was maternal age 35 to 39 which was most common age group and followed by age 30 to 34 was 28.4% and age 25 to 29 was 27.4. 3. The indications for amniocentesis were advanced maternal age(39.6%), abnormal maternal serum markers(27.8%) and abnormal ultrasonographic findings which implies chromosomal abnormality(6.4%). Recently maternal serum markers and ultrasonography play an important role as an indicator for the amniocentesis. 4. From the 2000cases, 1,950 cases showed normal diploidy and 50 cases abnormal karyotype which consisted 2.5%. In autosomal disorders ll Down syndrome, 7 Edward syndrome, 1 Patau syndrome, 15 Translocation, 3 Mosaicism were diagnosed. In sex chromosomal disorders 3 Klinefelter syndmme, 2 Turner syndrome and other 8 chromosomal abnormalities were diagnosed. No statistic significance was found among different age groups. Those who had abnormal ultrasonographic findings implying chromosomal abnormality were found to have correlation with chromosomal abnormality than other indications CONCLUSION: Midtrimester genetic amniocentesis is an important diagnostic tool in prenatal diagnosis, of which the annual incidence has been recently increased abruptly. Not only maternal age, but the maternal serum markers and ultrasonograms should be considered in prenatal counseling, The genetic amniocentesis should be well informed to the general population.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Age Distribution ; Amniocentesis* ; Biomarkers ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Disorders ; Counseling ; Diagnosis* ; Diploidy ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Genetic Counseling ; Humans ; Incidence ; Maternal Age ; Mosaicism ; Mothers ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Turner Syndrome ; Ultrasonography

In this article, the statement of ethical statement about animal experiment was omitted.

BACKGROUND: To investigate incidence and mortaltiy of osteoporotic fractures (including hip, spine, distal radius, and proximal humerus) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and compare them with those in the genearal population. METHODS: Data provided by National Health Insurance Service were used to identify osteoporotic fractures in patients aged >50 years between 2010 and 2012. Patients with RA were identified by the diagnostic code for seropositive RA. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs; observed/expected deaths) of osteoporotic fractures were calculated based on age and gender-specific rates in the entire Korean population. Incidence, mortality, and SMR of osteoporotic fractures in RA patients and the general population were calculated and compared. RESULTS: Osteopororic fractures in the general population and RA patients were increased by 11.6% and 17.4% over 3 years (195,271 and 1,356 in 2010; 217,985 and 1,592 in 2012), respectively. Mean age-specific incidence of osteoporotic fracture in women and men with RA increased from 932.1/100,000 and 306.1/100,000 for aged 50 to 59 year to 9,377.0/100,000 and 3,700.9/100,000 for aged ≥80 years, respectively. Cumulative mortality rate in the first year after osteoporotic fracture in patients with RA was higher than that in the general population (7.8% in RA and 6.6% in the general population). SMR of osteoporotic fracture in RA patients was 1.4 times higher in men and 1.3 times higher in women than that for the general population. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstated that incidence, 1-year mortality, and SMR of osteoporotic fracture in RA patients aged 50 years and older were higher than those in the general papulation.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Radius ; Spine

PURPOSE: The study was done to investigate psychological spiritual factors related to death anxiety of elderly living at home. METHODS: A descriptive correlation study was conducted. The participants were 494 living at home elderly people conveniently selected in Seoul and Kyunggi province. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The death anxiety positively correlated with depression and negatively with self-integrity, readiness of death, belief in life after death, and spiritual well-being. The factors influencing death anxiety were self-integrity, readiness of death, depression, and belief in life after death. Those four variables explained 21.6% of death anxiety. CONCLUSION: It is expected to serve as a useful tool for nurses who serve elderly people in the clinical field and local community to help get a better understanding of death, and it is expected to lay a theoretical foundation for the development of strategies geared toward alleviating death anxiety.
Aged* ; Anxiety* ; Depression ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The study was done to investigate psychological spiritual factors related to death anxiety of elderly living at home. METHODS: A descriptive correlation study was conducted. The participants were 494 living at home elderly people conveniently selected in Seoul and Kyunggi province. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The death anxiety positively correlated with depression and negatively with self-integrity, readiness of death, belief in life after death, and spiritual well-being. The factors influencing death anxiety were self-integrity, readiness of death, depression, and belief in life after death. Those four variables explained 21.6% of death anxiety. CONCLUSION: It is expected to serve as a useful tool for nurses who serve elderly people in the clinical field and local community to help get a better understanding of death, and it is expected to lay a theoretical foundation for the development of strategies geared toward alleviating death anxiety.
Aged* ; Anxiety* ; Depression ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic