BackgroundIn the present time Photodynamic therapy is a largely experimental treatment modality which is under development for application in both of neoplastic and non–neoplastic diseases. PDT involves a light-sensitive compound (photosensitizer), light and molecular oxygen. The photosensitizer is excited to its singlet state by light of the appropriate wavelength. Responses to photodynamic treatment are dependent on the photosensitizer used the an illumination conditions, the oxygenation status of the tissue and the type of cells involved.CoalTo study new photosensitizers from the pyrazole derivatives which is based on chlorine and porphyrin and produced from sea algae to the lung cancer cell (A549) that is cultured in vitro medium and tested by two ways that are light treatment and dark treatment. Furthermore we define how the photosensitizer dictate cancer cells by test MTT/3-/4.5-dimethylthiazole-2- yl/-2.5-biphenyl tetrzolium bromide a yellow tetrazole/, and how to change the cell morphological characteristics by its micro photo and determine potosensitizers that dictates on the least doze of the cell.Materials and MethodsThe cell line tested was A549 (human lung carcinoma cell). The cell line was obtained from the cell line bank at Seoul National University’s Cancer Research Center (Korea) and were grown in medium RPMI-1640 (Sigma-Aldrich) with 10% fetal bovine serum, glutamine, penicillin and streptomycin at 37 0C in humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (Sigma-Aldrich), microscope (Olympus, CK40-32 PH, Japan), Laser irradiation (BioSpec LED 670-700 nm, Russia), ELISA-reader (BioTek, Synergy HT, USA), trypsin-EDTA solution, incubator (37 0C, 5% CO2) were used. The PDT was carried out using a diode laser generator apparatus (BioSpec LED, Russia) equipped with a halogen lamp, a band-pass filter (670-700 nm), and a fiber optics bundle. The wavelength was set at 670±1 nm. Duration of the light irradiation, under PDT treatment, is calculated taking into account the empirically found effective dose of light energy in J/cm2. Figure 1 shows micrographs from an optical microscope illustrating the morphological changes of A549 cells at different points of time after PDT.ResultsThe morphological changes for all tested photosensitizers were revealed by the same patterns, hence we have shown the morphological changes for compound 8 in this paper (Fig 1). Untreated A549 cells as a control did not show any significant morphological changes. The changes in the state and activity of cellular organelles induced by PDT were clearly observed after 3 h. PDT treatment against A549 cells induced plasma membrane disruption and cell shrinkage, indicating the plasma membrane as the main target for the photosensitizer: the membrane of A549 cells began to shrink immediately after PDT, and cell death processes commenced with cytoplasm leakage around the membrane for the first 3 h. After 24 h, the membrane had disintegrated, confirming the loss of cell viability.СоnclusionThe morphological changes were determined in 3 h, 24 h and 48 h after PDT. The bioactivity of 23 new photosensitizers was examined. Among them, 8 photosensitizers showed a promising effect for PDT, therefore, their in vitro biological results are displayed in this study. It was observed from the experimental results that the tested photosensitizers showed more promising effects for PDT or light toxicity. These photosensitizers inhibited more than 50% cells at 2.5 μM after 24 h. Untreated cells as control did not show any significant morphological changes. The PDT treatment cells induced to plasma membrane disruption and cell shrinkage. After 24 h of treatment the membrane was disintegrated, and confirmed the loss of cell viability.

Primary malignancies of the urethra are uncommon and prognosis is poor except in patients with disease that is limited to the anterior urethra. Urethral tumors in the male patient comprise less then one percent of all urologic malignancies. We experienced a case of malignant urethral tumor(transitional cell carcinoma). Herein we report this case with brief review of the literatures.
Humans ; Male* ; Prognosis ; Urethra

Primary malignancies of the urethra are uncommon and prognosis is poor except in patients with disease that is limited to the anterior urethra. Urethral tumors in the male patient comprise less then one percent of all urologic malignancies. We experienced a case of malignant urethral tumor(transitional cell carcinoma). Herein we report this case with brief review of the literatures.
Humans ; Male* ; Prognosis ; Urethra

No abstract available.
Poroma*

The brief history of photodynamic therapy (PDT) research has been focused on photosensitizers (PSs) and light delivery was introduced recently. The appropriate PSs were developed from the first generation PS Photofrin (QLT) to the second (chlorins or bacteriochlorins derivatives) and third (conjugated PSs on carrier) generations PSs to overcome undesired disadvantages, and to increase selective tumor accumulation and excellent targeting. For the synthesis of new chlorin PSs chlorophyll a is isolated from natural plants or algae, and converted to methyl pheophorbide a (MPa) as an important starting material for further synthesis. MPa has various active functional groups easily modified for the preparation of different kinds of PSs, such as methyl pyropheophorbide a, purpurin-18, purpurinimide, and chlorin e6 derivatives. Combination therapy, such as chemotherapy and photothermal therapy with PDT, is shortly described here. Advanced light delivery system is shown to establish successful clinical applications of PDT. Phtodynamic efficiency of the PSs with light delivery was investigated in vitro and/or in vivo.
Chlorophyll ; Dihematoporphyrin Ether ; Family Characteristics ; Light ; Photochemotherapy ; Photosensitizing Agents ; Porphyrins ; Triazenes

BACKGROUND: Glucose uptake has been found to ha increased in cancer cells, and FDG-PET imaging is used for diagnosis of cancer using This phenomenon. However, the exact mechanism of increased glucose uptake in cancer cells has not been clarified. Recent studies demonstrated the presence of glucose transporter(GLUT) mRNA expression in gastrointestinal cancer and bead and neck cancer, and suggested that GLUT may be associated with glucose uptake in cancer cells. In lung cancer cells, glucose metabolism is also known to ha in. creased. We evaluated GLUT mRNA expression in human lung cancer cell lines in order to find out the mechanism of increased glucose uptake in lung cancer. METHOD: Total RNA was isolated from 15 human lung cancer cell lines and immortalized bronchial epithelial cell line(BEAS-2B). After electrophoresis of 20microgram total RNA, Northern blot analysis was done using GLUT1 cDNA and GLUTS cDNA as probes RESULTS: 2 Thirteen of 14 human lung cancer cell lines expressed GLUT1 mRNA and 10 of 14 human lung cancer cell lines expressed GLUT3 mRNA. Eight human lung cancer cell lines expressed both GLUT mRNAs. BEAS-2B expressed GLUT1 mRNA and did not express det~table GLUT3 mRNA. CONCLUISON: The increase of glucose metabolism in lung cancer may be associated with GLUT1 and GLUT3 expression.
Blotting, Northern ; Cell Line* ; Diagnosis ; DNA, Complementary ; Electrophoresis ; Epithelial Cells ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Gene Expression* ; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative* ; Glucose* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Metabolism ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND: Laboratory studies as diagnostic tools of scrub typhus have shown PCR to be sensitive and specific, but there have been few clinical studies. The aims of this study were to determine the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of the nested PCR through a prospective comparison of the nested PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a multicenter prospective study of patients with possible scrub typhus. Adult patients who have had fever together with eschar or a maculopapular skin rash and more or equal to two of the following symptoms: headache, malaise, myalgia, coughing, nausea, and abdominal discomfort were enrolled. Each patient was admitted between September, 2004 and December, 2004 to Chosun University Hospital and one of its three community branch hospitals (Haenam General Hospital, Jangheung Hospital, Muan Hospital), which are all located in the southwest of Korea. Whole blood samples were collected for PCR testing and sera were obtained for serology evaluation using the IFA and passive hemagglutination assay (PHA). RESULTS: We enrolled 135 possible scrub typhus patients, and 118 scrub typhus patients were confirmed on the basis of either a single indirect immunofluorescent specific IgM titer against O. tsutsugamushi of > or =1:10 or 4-fold or greater rise in IFA follow up titer. One hundred eighteen patients were confirmed as scrub typhus, 7 patients were undetermined and 10 patients were confirmed as the other diseases. The result of nested PCR assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 82.2% (95% confidence interval 0.74-0.88), a specificity of 100% (95% confidence interval 0.66-1), positive predictive value of 1 (95% confidence interval 0.95-1) and negative predictive value of 0.32 (95% confidence interval 0.17-0.51). 96 patients out of 118 patients were positive for IgM on the admission day. Of 22 patients with negative for IgM antibody at admission, 19 had positive results for nested PCR using buffy coat. CONCLUSION: The nested PCR assay of buffy coat is useful for rapid and reliable test for confirmation of the diagnosis of scrub typhus.
Adult ; Cough ; Diagnosis* ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Hemagglutination ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Satellite ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Korea ; Myalgia ; Nausea ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Prospective Studies* ; Scrub Typhus* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Laboratory studies as diagnostic tools of scrub typhus have shown PCR to be sensitive and specific, but there have been few clinical studies. The aims of this study were to determine the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of the nested PCR through a prospective comparison of the nested PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a multicenter prospective study of patients with possible scrub typhus. Adult patients who have had fever together with eschar or a maculopapular skin rash and more or equal to two of the following symptoms: headache, malaise, myalgia, coughing, nausea, and abdominal discomfort were enrolled. Each patient was admitted between September, 2004 and December, 2004 to Chosun University Hospital and one of its three community branch hospitals (Haenam General Hospital, Jangheung Hospital, Muan Hospital), which are all located in the southwest of Korea. Whole blood samples were collected for PCR testing and sera were obtained for serology evaluation using the IFA and passive hemagglutination assay (PHA). RESULTS: We enrolled 135 possible scrub typhus patients, and 118 scrub typhus patients were confirmed on the basis of either a single indirect immunofluorescent specific IgM titer against O. tsutsugamushi of > or =1:10 or 4-fold or greater rise in IFA follow up titer. One hundred eighteen patients were confirmed as scrub typhus, 7 patients were undetermined and 10 patients were confirmed as the other diseases. The result of nested PCR assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 82.2% (95% confidence interval 0.74-0.88), a specificity of 100% (95% confidence interval 0.66-1), positive predictive value of 1 (95% confidence interval 0.95-1) and negative predictive value of 0.32 (95% confidence interval 0.17-0.51). 96 patients out of 118 patients were positive for IgM on the admission day. Of 22 patients with negative for IgM antibody at admission, 19 had positive results for nested PCR using buffy coat. CONCLUSION: The nested PCR assay of buffy coat is useful for rapid and reliable test for confirmation of the diagnosis of scrub typhus.
Adult ; Cough ; Diagnosis* ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Hemagglutination ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Satellite ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Korea ; Myalgia ; Nausea ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Prospective Studies* ; Scrub Typhus* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is the most common cause of vascular dementia and a major contributor to mixed dementia. CSVD is characterized by progressive cerebral white matter changes (WMC) due to chronic low perfusion and loss of autoregulation. In addition to its antiplatelet effect, cilostazol exerts a vasodilating effect and improves endothelial function. This study aims to compare the effects of cilostazol and aspirin on changes in WMC volume in CSVD.METHODS: The comparison study of Cilostazol and aspirin on cHAnges in volume of cerebral smaLL vEssel disease white matter chaNGEs (CHALLENGE) is a double blind, randomized trial involving 19 hospitals across South Korea. Patients with moderate or severe WMC and ≥ 1 lacunar infarction detected on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are eligible; the projected sample size is 254. Participants are randomly assigned to a cilostazol or aspirin group at a 1:1 ratio. Cilostazol slow release 200 mg or aspirin 100 mg are taken once daily for 2 years. The primary outcome measure is the change in WMC volume on MRI from baseline to 104 weeks. Secondary imaging outcomes include changes in the number of lacunes and cerebral microbleeds, fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity on diffusion tensor imaging, and brain atrophy. Secondary clinical outcomes include all ischemic strokes, all vascular events, and changes in cognition, motor function, mood, urinary symptoms, and disability.CONCLUSIONS: CHALLENGE will provide evidence to support the selection of long-term antiplatelet therapy in CSVD.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01932203
Anisotropy ; Aspirin ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Dementia, Vascular ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Perfusion ; Sample Size ; Stroke ; Stroke, Lacunar ; White Matter