Genes of cancer-associated testis antigens (CTAs) are expressed in various cancer tissues. In order to use CTAs as cancer diagnosis marker, we developed molecular method for detection of CTAs transcripts in tissue. In order to know the applicability of DNA of cancer-associated testis antigens (CTAs) on cancer diagnosis, molecular diagnostic methods for detection of gene expression of melanoma antigen gene (MAGE), GAGE, and B melanoma antigen (BAGE) was studied. After comparing DNA sequences of CTAs, S1/AS1 and S2/AS2, GAGE-S/ GAGE-AS, and BAGE-S/BAGE-AS primers were designed for the detection of MAGEs, GAGEs and BAGEs, respectively. The gene expression of CTAs in cancer cell lines, head and neck cancer tissues, ovary cancer tissue, and peritoneal cells of gastric cancer patients were investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using these primers. The MAGEs, GAGEs and BAGE genes were expressed in 8/8 (100%), 5/8 (62.5%) and 1/8 (12.5%) of head and neck cancer tissues, respectively. The gene expression of MAGEs were also detected in 8/10 (80%) of ovary cancer tissues and in 9/10 (90%) of peritoneal cells of gastric cancer patients in RT-PCR test using S1/AS1 primers. The results of this study suggest that molecular diagnosis method using CTAs genes, especially RT-PCR using S1/AS1 primer combination, is useful for diagnosis of cancer and it will be used for the prediction of cancer progression or regression and metastasis in future.
Base Sequence ; Cell Line ; Diagnosis* ; DNA ; Gene Expression ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Melanoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Pathology, Molecular ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Testis*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the retention of the two denture adhesives with a silicone edentulous model and a resin denture base in vitro study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experimental groups were used two denture adhesives and classified into 5 subgroups each. Subgroups were divided by the number of times the saliva sprayed. The control group was used synthetic saliva only. Dislodging tensile strengths were applied to the resin denture base using Instron in 3 directions : vertical, lateral, and anterior-posterior. RESULTS: The retention of two denture adhesives was increased significantly than saliva alone (P < .05). In each denture adhesives, the retention of saliva sprayed first was decreased than denture adhesive alone, but it didn't have significant differences. Whenever saliva sprayed repeated, the retention was decreased significantly than saliva sprayed first (P < .05). In each denture adhesives, vertical retentive force was highest than lateral and anterior-posterior retentive forces, and anterior-posterior retentive force was higher than lateral retentive force. This results were significantly different (P < .05). Significant differences of the retentive ability among two denture adhesives were not observed. CONCLUSION: From the results, use of the denture adhesives resulted in improved retentive ability of denture. Especially retentive force was highest in vertical direction.
Adhesives ; Denture Bases ; Denture, Complete ; Dentures ; Retention (Psychology) ; Saliva ; Silicones ; Tensile Strength

Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare variant of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A 26-year-old female presented a hepatic mass and mild elevation of liver enzymes. Viral markers were negative, and levels of tumor markers were normal. Radiologically, the mass was well demarcated with central dot-like calcification and hypervascularity. Under the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, right lobectomy was performed. The tumor was grayish yellow with central fibrosis and focal hemorrhage and invaded a septal bile duct. Non-neoplastic liver was unremarkable. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of large polygonal cells in sheets, cords, and pseudoglands that were interwound by dense collagenous stroma. Tumor cells had abundant deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm and large nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Intracellular bile pigments and pale bodies were present. Tumor cells were diffusely immunostained for cytokeratin 7 (CK7), but not for cytokeratin 20 (CK20). Strong expression of CK7 in the present case suggests dual differentiation of FLC.
Adult ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Pigments ; Biomarkers ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Collagen ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Keratin-20 ; Keratin-7* ; Keratins* ; Liver ; Biomarkers, Tumor

PURPOSE: This study tries to identify experience of verbal abuse, emotional response, and ways to deal with verbal abuse against nurses in hospitals. METHODS: This study was a descriptive research and conducted from April to July 2011. One hundred and seventeen nurses with over one-year experience in general wards were selected and evaluated. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The nurses' experience rate of verbal abuse during the entire period of work in hospitals was 98.3%. The majority of the nurses were verbally abused by patients (70.9%), followed by patients' relatives (65.8%), physicians (61.5%), and coworkers (58.1%). Overall negative emotional response score of nurses after verbal abuse was 38.82+/-8.28. Ways to deal with verbal abuse were as follows: suppression was 74.4%, complaining of an injustice to close people, 67.5%, and ignoring, 43.6%. CONCLUSION: Nurses have significantly been exposed to verbal abuse while working in hospitals. Therefore, hospital managers and nurse managers are required to inform other staff and visitors in hospitals the real condition of verbal abuse against nurses and provide a safe work environment by developing the report and disposal system of verbal abuse.
Humans ; Nurse Administrators ; Patients' Rooms

The present study was attempted to investigate whether polyphenolic compounds isolated from wine, which is brewed from Rubus coreanum Miquel (PCRC), may affect the release of catecholamines (CA) from the isolated perfused adrenal medulla of the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and to establish its mechanism of action. PCRC (20~180 microgram/ml) perfused into an adrenal vein for 90 min relatively dose-dependently inhibited the CA secretory responses to ACh (5.32 mM), high K+ (56 mM), DMPP (100 micrometer) and McN-A-343 (100 micrometer). PCRC itself did not affect basal CA secretion (data not shown). Also, in the presence of PCRC (60 microgram/ml), the CA secretory responses to veratridine (a selective Na+ channel activator (10 micrometer), Bay-K-8644 (a L-type dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel activator, 10 micrometer), and cyclopiazonic acid (a cytoplasmic Ca2+ -ATPase inhibitor, 10 micrometer) were significantly reduced, respectively. In the simultaneous presence of PCRC (60 microgram/ml) and L-NAME (an inhibitor of NO synthase, 30 micrometer), the inhibitory responses of PCRC on the CA secretion evoked by ACh, high K+, DMPP, and Bay-K-8644 were considerably recovered to the extent of the corresponding control secretion compared with that of PCRC-treatment alone. The level of NO released from adrenal medulla after the treatment of PCRC (60 microgram/ml) was greatly elevated compared with the corresponding basal level. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PCRC inhibits the CA secretion from the isolated perfused adrenal medulla of the SHRs evoked by stimulation of cholinergic receptors as well as by direct membrane-depolarization. It seems that this inhibitory effect of PCRC is mediated by blocking the influx of calcium and sodium into the adrenal medullary chromaffin cells of the SHRs as well as by inhibition of Ca2+ release from the cytoplasmic calcium store at least partly through the increased NO production due to the activation of NO synthase.
(4-(m-Chlorophenylcarbamoyloxy)-2-butynyl)trimethylammonium Chloride ; 3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester ; Adrenal Medulla ; Calcium ; Catecholamines ; Chromaffin Cells ; Cytoplasm ; Dihydropyridines ; Dimethylphenylpiperazinium Iodide ; Indoles ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Polyphenols ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Receptors, Cholinergic ; Sodium ; Veins ; Veratridine ; Wine

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze end-of-life care practices in lung disease patients with physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLSTs). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from medical records regarding the end-of-life care practices of POLST decisions for patients with lung disease hospitalized at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected from January 1 to June 30, 2021. Results Of 300 total patients, 198 had lung cancer (66.0%) and 102 had non-malignant lung diseases (34.0%). A POLST was written for 187 patients (62.3%), and an advance directive was written for 20 patients (6.7%). Subsequent treatments were hemodialysis in 13 patients (4.3%), surgery in 3 patients (1.0%), and cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation in 1 patient (0.3%). Among cancer patients, chemotherapy was performed in 11 patients (3.7%), targeted therapy in 11 patients (3.7%), immunotherapy in 6 patients (2.0%), and radiation therapy in 13 patients (4.3%). Depending on the type of lung disease, types of treatment differed, including hemodialysis, ventilators, bilevel positive airway pressure, high-flow nasal cannulas, nebulizers, enteral nutrition, central line, inotropic agents, and opioids. onclusion: Although the goals of hospice care are the same whether a patient has lung cancer or a nonmalignant lung disease, because the characteristics of the respective diseases differ, end-oflife care practices and hospice approaches must be considered differently.

Background: Chronic exposure to low-dose persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can induce mitochondrial dysfunction. This study evaluated the association between serum POP concentrations and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) as a marker of mitochondrial function in humans and in vitro cells. Methods: Serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in 323 adults. The OCRs of platelets and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were assessed in 20 mL of fresh blood using a Seahorse XF analyzer. Additionally, the in vitro effects of Arochlor-1254, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, and p,p´-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane at concentrations of 0.1 pM to 100 nM were evaluated in human platelets, human PBMCs, and Jurkat T-cells. Results: The association between serum POP concentrations and OCR differed depending on the cell type. As serum OCP concentrations increased, basal platelet OCR levels decreased significantly; according to the OCP quintiles of summary measure, they were 8.6, 9.6, 8.2, 8.0, and 7.1 pmol/min/μg (P trend=0.005). Notably, the basal PBMC OCR levels decreased remarkably as the serum PCB concentration increased. PBMC OCR levels were 46.5, 34.3, 29.1, 16.5, and 13.1 pmol/min/μg according to the PCB quintiles of summary measure (P trend <0.001), and this inverse association was consistently observed in all subgroups stratified by age, sex, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, respectively. In vitro experimental studies have also demonstrated that chronic exposure to low-dose POPs could decrease OCR levels. Conclusion The findings from human and in vitro studies suggest that chronic exposure to low-dose POPs can induce mitochondrial dysfunction by impairing oxidative phosphorylation.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection is associated with high mortality. One of the strategies to reduce the mortality in patients with CRAB infections is to use intravenous colistin early but the effect of this strategy has not been proven. Therefore, we investigated the association of early colistin therapy with 28-day mortality in patients with CRAB bacteremia. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter propensity score-matching analysis was conducted in the Korea by reviewing the medical records of adult patients with CRAB bacteremia between January 2012 and March 2015. Early colistin therapy was defined as intravenous colistin administration for > 48 hours within five days after the blood culture collection. To identify the risk factors associated with the 28-day mortality in CRAB bacteremia, the clinical variables of the surviving patients were compared to those of the deceased patients. RESULTS: Of 303 enrolled patients, seventy-six (25.1%) patients received early colistin therapy. The 28-day mortality was 61.4% (186/303). Fatal or rapidly-fatal McCabe classifications, intensive care unit admission, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores ≥ 8, vasopressor use, and acute kidney injury were statistically independent poor prognostic factors. Catheter-related infection and early colistin therapy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21–0.94) were independent favorable prognostic factors associated with 28-day mortality in patients with CRAB bacteremia. Early colistin therapy was still significantly associated with lower 28-day mortality in the propensity score-matching analysis (aOR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11–0.88). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that early colistin therapy might help reduce the mortality of patients with CRAB bacteremia.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Bacteremia ; Catheter-Related Infections ; Classification ; Colistin ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Organ Dysfunction Scores ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Opioids are the most widely used drugs to minimize the increase of blood pressure and heart rate in endotracheal intubation during the induction of anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of fentanyl, alfentanil, and remifentanil on the cardiovascular response to laryngoscopic endotracheal intubation. METHODS: Eighty ASA I-II patients were randomly allocated to four groups. The patients received 10 ml intravenous saline (control group), 3microgram/kg fentanyl (fentanyl group), 10microgram/kg alfentanil (alfentanil group) or 0.5microgram/kg remifentanil followed by an infusion of 0.1microgram/kg/min remifentanil (remifentanil group). Anesthesia was induced with propofol and rocuronium and maintained with 2 vol% sevoflurane and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen. The noninvasive blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before induction (baseline), after induction, before intubation, and at 1 min intervals until 5 min after endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: Arterial pressure and heart rate after endotracheal intubation were lower in the fentanyl, alfentanil, and remifentanil groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences for arterial pressure or heart rate in the fentanyl, alfentanil, and remifentanil groups at any time. There were no significant differences for the incidence of hypotension and bradycardia among the four groups. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of 3microgram/kg fentanyl, 10microgram/kg alfentanil and 0.5microgram/kg remifentanil followed by an infusion of 0.1microgram/kg /min remifentanil have a similar effect in the suppression of the cardiovascular response to laryngoscopic endotracheal intubation during the induction of general anesthesia.
Alfentanil ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Androstanols ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Bradycardia ; Fentanyl ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Methyl Ethers ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Piperidines ; Propofol

OBJECTIVE: To document the imaging findings of hepatic cavernous heman-gioma detected in cirrhotic liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The imaging findings of 14 hepatic cavernous hemangiomas in ten patients with liver cirrhosis were retrospectively analyzed. A diagnosis of hepatic cavernous hemangioma was based on the findings of two or more of the following imaging studies: MR, including contrast-enhanced dynamic imaging (n = 10), dynamic CT (n = 4), hepatic arteriography (n = 9), and US (n =10). RESULTS: The mean size of the 14 hepatic hemangiomas was 0.9 (range, 0.5 -1.5) cm in the longest dimension. In 11 of these (79%), contrast-enhanced dynamic CT and MR imaging showed rapid contrast enhancement of the entire lesion during the early phase, and hepatic arteriography revealed globular enhancement and rapid filling-in. On contrast-enhanced MR images, three lesions (21%) showed partial enhancement until the 5-min delayed phases. US indicated that while three slowly enhancing lesions were homogeneously hypere-choic, 9 (82%) of 11 showing rapid enhancement were not delineated. CONCLUSION: The majority of hepatic cavernous hemangiomas detected in cirrhotic liver are small in size, and in many, hepatic arteriography and/or contrast-enhanced dynamic CT and MR imaging demonstrates rapid enhancement. US, however, fails to distinguish a lesion of this kind from its cirrhotic background.
*Diagnostic Imaging ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous/complications/*diagnosis ; Human ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Age ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed