The success and rapid spread of laparoscopic cholecystectomy have prompt the application of laparoscopic approach to abdominal surgical problems. As better in- strumentation is introduced, more complicated surgical procedrues will be performed. In some hematologic disorders, splenectomy was required to cope with these disorders. So laparoscopic splenectomy also has been perfomed inspite of several specific difficulties for handling and mobilization of a parenchymatous organ and the retrieval of the specimen. We experienced a case of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura which was treated safely and successfully by laparoscopic splenectomy in 35-year-old female. This technique allows the patient to return to normal activity sooner than with open splenectomy.
Adult ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Female ; Humans ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic* ; Splenectomy*

To address the possible prognostic value of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), the authors studied 43 cases of NSCLCs diagnosed between the years 1990 to 1995 at Pusan National University Hospital. The patients were treated either by pneumonectomy or lobectomy of the lung. The expression of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins was semiquantitatively analyzed in paraffin sections by immunohistochemical method and correlated with clinicopathologic prognostic parameters of NSCLCs. Overexpression of the p53 protein was found in 31 cases (72.1%) of the 43 NSCLCs. Overexpression of the p53 protein was significantly correlated with the decreasing degree of histologic differentiation, increasing tumor stage, and cigarette smoking. Bcl-2 expression was found in 19 cases (44.2%) of the 43 NSCLCs. Increased expression of the Bcl-2 protein was significantly correlated only with decreasing tumor stage. An inverse relationship was found between p53 and Bcl-2 proteins, but it was not statistically significant. Thus p53 and Bcl-2 proteins, as demonstrated immunohistochemically in routine paraffin sections, could be of value in prediction of the aggressiveness and prognosis of NSCLCs, in agreement with the central role of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins in the evolution of NSCLCs associated with cigarette smoking.
Busan ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung* ; Paraffin ; Pneumonectomy ; Prognosis ; Smoking

The author examined the immunophenotype and expression of Epstem-Barr virus RNA (EBERs) used in the situ hybridization technique in 20 cases of conventional malignant lymphoma and 28 cases of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis occured in the upper aerodigestive tract including the upper digestive tract(palatine tonsil), and upper respiratory tract(nasal cavity, paranasal sinus, nasopharynx). The results obtained were summarized as followings; 1. The favorable site of malignant lymphoma that occured in the upper aerodigestive tract was in the palatine tonsil(11 out of 20 cases, 55%), those of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis were nasal cavity and nasopharynx(19 out of 28 cases, 78%). 2. The immunophentype of malignant lymphoma that occured in the upper aerodigestive tract was mostly B-cell phenotype (15 out of 20 cases, 75%), and that of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis was predominantly T-cell phenotype(22 out of 28 cases, 79%). 3. The EBERs positivity of malignant lymphoma that occured in the upper aerodigestive tract was 25%(5 out of 20 cases), but that of polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis was 57%(16 out of 28 cases). 4. The positive cases for EBERs revealed angiocentricity with necrosis(16 out of 21 cases, 76%), predominantly T-cell phenotype(19 out of 21 cases, 90%), and favorably involved the nasal cavity and nasopharynx(16 out of 21 cases, 76%). Based on the above results, it was concluded that polymorphic reticulosis and malignant lymphoma with features of polymorphic reticulosis that occurred in the upper respiratory tract was an EBV-positive angiocentric T-cell lymphoma favorably involving the nasal cavity and nasopharynx.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Animals ; Male ; Penile Erection* ; Rats* ; Saponins*

No abstract available.
Liver*

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a disease of unknown etiology. Disturbances in lipid metabolism have been suggested as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. OBJECTIVE: The study was performed to investigate the blood lipid, lipoprotein and apolipo-protein levels and their difference according to family history in Korean psoriasis patients. METHODS: Blood samples from seventy three psoriasis patients and twenty three normal persons were measured for total ciolesterol(TC), VLDL-cholesterol(VLDL-C), LDL-cholesterol(LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C), lipoprotein(a) (LPA), triglyceride(TG), apolipoprotein A-I(APO-AI), and apolipoprotein B(AFO-B). Psoriasis patients were divided according to their family history of psoriasis. RESULTS: Compared to ccntrols, TC, LDL-C, LPA, TG, APO-B were significantly elevated in psoriasis patients. Mean varues of LPA and APO-B in psoriasis group were above normal range. VLDL-C were significasitly elevated only in female patients. There was a tendency for psoriasis patients with family history to have higher values than those without family history. CONCLUSION: TC, LDL-C, L,PA, TG, APO-B was increased in psoriasis, especially in the patients with family history, cornpared to control. It is recommended that we must pay attention to the possible risk for the development of cardiac or cerebral vascular disease in psoriasis patients, especially in the presence of family history of psoriasis.
Apolipoproteins ; Apolipoproteins B ; Female ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Lipoproteins* ; Psoriasis* ; Reference Values ; Vascular Diseases

BACKGROUND: Oral etretinate treatment is associated with the changes in serum lipid concentration and the elevation of serum liver enzymes. In Korea, chronic degenerative diseases like diabetes and hypertension are increasing and the prevalences of HBsAg and chronic liver diseases are much higher than those in western countries. Therefore these changes in serum lipids and liver enzymes during etretinate treatrment are important in Korea as risk factors for atherosclerosis and aggravation of preexisting liver diseases. OBJECTIVE: We tried to observe the sequential pattern, frequency, severity, and relationship between pretreatment value and posttreatment values in the changes of serum lipids and liver enzymes in patients with psoriasis luring etretinate treatment. METHODS: Fourty-one patients with psoriasis were studied during etretinate treatment with the starting dose of 0.5-1.0mg/kg/day. The levels of serum triglyceride, serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and sGOT, sGPT was repeatedly determined until the 16th week of etretinate treatment. RESULTS: l. In serum triglyceride and cholesterol, the average of concentrations in each treatment period was usually higher than pretreatment value during the 16 weeks of treatment, but no sequential pattern of changes was observed 2. The number of patients with the maximum of posttreatment values higher than the normal limit were 12(29.3%) in triglyce side, 6(14.6%) in cholesterol, 0 in sGOT, and 5(12.5%) in sGPT. The number of patients with the minimum of posttreatment values lower than the normal limit were 15(36.6%) in HDL-cholesterol. 3. In serum cholesterol, patients with an abnormal pretreatment value are more prone to elevation above the normal limit duriing etretinate treatment than patients with a normal pretreatment value. CONCLUSION: In patients with psoriasis the increases in serum triglyceride, serum cholesterol, sGOT, sGPT and the decrease in HDL-cholesterol were occurred frequently during etretinate treatment. Therefore monitoring of serum lipid concentration and serum liver enzyme levels on a regular basis during etretinate treatment is essential for its safe use in patients with psoriasis, es- pecially in cases of long term etretinate treatment.
Acitretin* ; Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Etretinate* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Prevalence ; Psoriasis* ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides

We have studied morphologic characteristics and apoptosis on the fetal brain of the trisomy 16 mouse, a model for human trisomy 21 syndrome. This study was based on serial sections of the whole brain from a sample of sixteen trisomy 16 mice and forty-six age-matched control littermates from embryonic day (ED) 12 to ED 18. Trisomy 16 brains showed a reduction of telencephalic size and abnormal cortical development. At ED 13 trisomy 16 and control brains appeared similar. By ED 14 difference in the cortical thickness and telencephalic growth became evident, and by ED 16 a marked size difference had developed between the trisomy 16 and control brains. By ED 18, however, the thickness of the trisomy 16 cortex had increased considerably and was not significantly different with respect to the thickness and cross-sectional areas of the pallium and its constituent cortical layers. The cell density of the trisomy 16 cortex had persistently decreased before ED 17, when the cell density of control and trisomy 16 corteces was similar within each layer. At ED 18 cell density of trisomy 16 cortex in each layer increased. There was inverse relationship between a number of TUNEL positive apoptotic cells and cell density in the trisomy 16 brains. Our results suggest that developmental abnormalities of the trisomy 16 brain indicated developmental delay of the telencephalon growth, which may be caused by apoptosis rather than by a proliferation defect.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Brain* ; Cell Count ; Down Syndrome ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Mice* ; Telencephalon ; Trisomy*