Malignant cells in culture express elevated levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) mRNA and secrete an abundant amount of the TGF-beta1 protein. An attempt was made to define the role of the TGF-beta1 secreted from tumor cells, as a possible humoral factor which functions in a paracrine manner to stimulate the production of collagen and angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma. The expression of the TGF-beta1 by immunohistochemical stain (n=70) in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues was studied. Angiogenesis was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of tumor vessels, using polyclonal antibody to factor VIII related antigen and counting the three most active areas of neovascularization. The extracellular matrix was counted as area density by using an image analyzer following Masson-Trichrome staining. The prominent reactivity for TGF-beta1 was associated with invasion depth (r=0.2, p<0.05), increased number of microvessel (r=0.49, p<0.05) and increased area density of extracellular matrix (r=0.36, p<0.05), respectively. In summary, TGF-beta1 may have a role in tumor invasion and metastasis by increased angiogenesis and deposits of extracellular matrix.
Adenocarcinoma ; Collagen ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; von Willebrand Factor

Patient with Kawasaki disease who presented with acute myocardial infarction in young age Although the clinical course of Kawasaki disease is self limiting, coronary aneurysm or myocardial disorders develop in about 20% of the patients. In recent years there have been reports of ischemic heart disease as sequelae of Kawasaki disease in adults, especially young adults. In Korea, there was only one case report in 1995. We report a young woman who presented as acute myocardial infarction with coronary artery aneurysms which highly suggest the underlying Kawasaki disease. The acute myocardial infarction in this patient seems to be the late cardiologic sequelae of Kawasaki disease, which has been silent clinically until the presentation as an acute myocardial infarction. New noninvasive diagnostic tests are being tried to improve the detection of coronary artery complication. However, coronary angiography is still widely used to determine the presence of coronary artery lesions and access the feasibility of coronary intervention. Another advantage of coronary angiography is that, it is possible to analyze the shape and the size of aneurysm and predict the prognosis. In this case we performed the percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) instead of surgery. Further study comparing surgery with percutaneous coronary angioplasty is needed.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Angioplasty ; Coronary Aneurysm ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Prognosis ; Young Adult

Spindle cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract mucosa was usually presented as polypoid mass and shows squamous cell carcinoma or dysplasia in the surface and underlying spindle cell proliferation. The spindle cell area discloses a variable pattern of sarcoma including rare osteosarcoma of 0~20% incidence. The histogenetic origin of the spindle cell component is now considered a metaplasia of squamous cell carcinoma. We experienced a case of spindle cell carcinoma of larynx showing massive underlying bone formation with proliferation of osteoclast-like cells in 75 year-old man. The immunohistochemical study demonstrates positive reaction with cytokeratin in area of squamous cells and with vimentin in area of spindle cells and osteoclasts. There are very focal reactivity for high molecular weight cytokeratin in spindle cell area.
Incidence

No abstract available.
Cystadenocarcinoma*

No abstract available.
Trophoblasts*

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic methods of atherosclerosis before the development of clinical diseases(such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction or peripheral vascular disease) are rather limited. The Russian doctors made the observations through the autopsy studies that there is a good correlation between the degree of atherosclersis or the cholesterol content of the aorta and the cholesterol content of the skin. We tried to investigate whether there is a significant degree of differences in the cholesterol content of the skin between the patietns with atherosclerotic disease(disease group), the patients who have not developed the clinical atheroscleric disease but have risk factors for atherosclerosis(risk group), and the normal control patients(normal group). METHODS: The skin choleterol was extracted from the palm of the hands by the closed contact with the chemicals. RESULTS: 1) The skin cholesterol was 2.77+/-1.08/microg/cm2in the disease group, 2.47+/-1.13microg/cm2in the risk group, and 1.84+/-0.60microg/cm2in the control group, The difference between the disease group and the normal group was significant(p<0.001), but the difference between the disease group and the risk group was not significant. 2) When the skin cholesterol of 2.1microg/cm2was used as a criterion. its sensitivity and specificity to predict either the disease gorup or the risk group was 66.1% and 70.8%. 3) In addition to the skin cholesterol of 2.1microg/cm2or more, if we add a criteria of cholesterol >220mg/dl, or TC/HDL-C ratio >4:1, or Apo B/A ratio >0.9, these separated the normal group from either the disease group or risk group much beter. 4) There was no significant correlation between the skin cholesterol and blood cholesterol. Also there were not any significant correlations between the skin cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol, TC/HDL-C ratio or Apo B/A ratio. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the above mentioned observations made by the Russian doctors and the present data showing significantly higher skin cholesterol level in the disease and risk group compared with normal control group, and little significant correlation between the skin cholesterol and the blood cholesterol level, it is likely that the skin cholesterol can be considered as an independent risk index for the atherosclerotic disease. Measuring the skin cholesterol by extraction of cholesterol from the palms of the hands may help predicting the presence or the risks of the atherosclerotic diseases.
Angina Pectoris ; Aorta ; Atherosclerosis* ; Autopsy ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cholesterol* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Hand ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin*

This study aimed at assessing the usefulness of paraffin wax sections for demonstration of ER(estrogen receptor) and PR(progesterone receptor), using brief microwave processing rather than proteolytic predigestion. The receptor status of a breast cancer is often into consideration when planning treatment nowadays. As biochemical receptor assays require large amount of fresh tumor tissue and are not always available for all tumors, pathologists are now increasingly asked to provide a service for the assessment of the receptor status in tissue routine sections. Until recently, immunohistochemical demonstration of receptors was used in frozen sections. Therefore, routinely processed paraffin wax sections of 25 cases of breast carcinoma with known ER and PR concentrations, estimated by the standard DCC(dextran-coated charcoal) biochemical assay, were examined using the ABC immunoperoxidase technique. The results were assessed semiquantitably, using a five grade scoring system. Of the 25 cases examined, with DCC cutoff point being <10 fmol,71% and 75% in positivity of each ER, PR receptor is concordant. Statistic analysis demonstrates high relationship between scoring system of IH method and DCC value in ER (R=0.6061, p=0.001) and PR (R=0.5832, p=0.001). The IH method can provide easily assessed reliable positive information about ER, PR status of breast carcinoma using routinely processed paraffin wax sections.
Breast Neoplasms

Gastrointestinal ganglioneuromatosis is an extremely rare lesion which typically occurs with a significant systemic syndrome. It is known to be a major component of multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2b. We presented a case of polypoid ganglioneuromatosis of the colon in a 3-year-old female with abdominal pain and diarrhea. She had no clinical evidence of the systemic syndrome or von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis, conditions in which intestinal ganglioneuromatosis can occur. Gross examination showed diffuse polypoid masses in ascending and transverse colons with normal-appearing mucosa. Microscopic examination revealed a proliferation of spindle-shaped neuronal cells containing multiple clusters of mature ganglion cells in the mucosa, submucosa and proper muscle. We describe a case of colonic ganglioneuromatosis without any component of multiple endocrine neoplasia or family history.
Abdominal Pain ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colon* ; Colon, Transverse ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2b ; Neurofibromatoses ; Neurons

Strumal carcinoid of the ovary is a rare turkor characterized by an intimate mixture of thyroid follicles and carcinoid. Herein is reported an ovarian strumal carcinoid in a serous cystadenoma from a 27-year-old pregnant woman. The thyroid follicular epithelial cells had immunohistochemically thyroglobulin and carcinoid tumor cells contained neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin and carcinoembryonic antigen. In addition, carcinoid cells showed neuroendocrine granules ultrastructurally. Calcitonin and amyloid were not found. This tumor may be originated from pluripotent endodermal germ cells on the basis of morphologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans

Eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare tumor of the skin. A case report of an eccrine porocarcinoma metastasizing to epidural space of spinal cord and inguinal area with a nine year follow up is described. The patient had a nodular growth of the abdomen with both inguinal lymphadenopathy three years before its first excision. After a follow up of nine years, he complained a weakness of lower extremities and back pain. Extradural mass of 10th thoracic vertebra and left inguinal mass were found. Subsequently, the masses histologically identical to the skin tumor were found.
Abdomen* ; Back Pain ; Eccrine Porocarcinoma* ; Epidural Space ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Skin ; Spinal Cord ; Spine