Diagnostic ability of duplex Doppler ultrasonography reling on resistive index is limited when clinical symptoms and signs of rejection are subtle or renal dysfunction is caused by other conditions such as urinary tract infection. To investigate the significance in the changes of renal pelvis, a combined analysis of resistive index and ultrasonographic findings in cases of renal pelvis dilatation and mucosal thickening was undertaken. A mean resistive index was calculated from Doppler measurements of the main, segmental and interlobar arteries. The cause of mucosal thickening was retrospectively analysed using the clinical and laboratory findings. Twenty three cases of renal pelvis dilatation and 17 cases of mucosal thickening were found in a total of 159 renal transplantation cases. In 14 of the 23 cases with renal pelvis dilatation, renal function was normal and their mean resistive index was 0.64±0.04. Pelvis and ureter dilatation caused by ureteral stenosis or compression was demonstrated in 6 cases and their mean resistive index(0.72±0.05)was increased. Mucosal thickening of renal pelvis was found in 7 of 32 cases with acute rejection and in 2 of 13 cases with chronic rejection, but their mean resistive index was not different from that of the cases without pelvic mucosal changes Three cases of acute rejection associated with urinary tract infection and 2 cases of chronic rejection in whom resistive indices were indeterminate, but mucosal thickening of the renal pelvis was prominent at ultrasonography. In renal transplant patients having indeterminate resistive index and mucosal thickening of the renal pelvis, ultrasonographic features must be correlated with the clinical and laboratory findings for an accurate diagnosis and treatment of renal dysfunction.
Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation* ; Humans ; Kidney Pelvis ; Kidney Transplantation ; Kidney* ; Pelvis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex ; Ureter ; Urinary Tract Infections

No abstract available.
Ameloblasts* ; Fibroma*

No abstract available.
Ameloblasts* ; Fibroma*

In Korea, all domestic made test systems for detecting antibodies in HIV-1 contain the antigens from human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B. However, because HIV-1 subtype O is significantly different in amino acid sequences from all other subtypes of HIV-1, there has been a need for developing a test for detecting antibodies in subtype O. For this purpose, the entire nucleotide sequence corresponding to the extracellular domain of the transmembrane glycoprotein of HIV-1 subtype O was synthesized with consideration of Escherichia coli cordon usage. Various regions of the extracellular domain were cloned into E. coli expression vectors and tested for levels of protein production. The nucleotide sequence, named ECTM, that can encode a 129 amino acid-long peptide, was found to be expressed at a high level in E. coli. The protein of approximately 17 kDa specifically reacted with sera from individuals infected with HIV-1 subtype O. The ECTM protein was purified to near homogeneity by the CM-T gel chromatography, using concentrated, denatured inclusion bodies. In Western blot analysis, the purified viral antigen reacted with sera from individuals infected with subtype O more efficiently than subtype B. The enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) system was developed using the subtype O viral protein and compared with the commercially available kit lacking the antigens from subtype O. The ELISA kit containing the subtype O antigen ECTM alone efficiently reacted with sera from individuals infected with subtype O. The subtype O antigen-containing kit produced a positive absorbence even when sera were diluted 512-fold, suggesting a high sensitivity. The commercially available kit also reacted with subtype O sera, but produced a negative result at a dilution of 8-fold. Our results suggest that the currently available kit may not be able to efficiently detect subtype O sera and that the viral protein developed in this study may be added to the current system to maximize the detection of sera from individuals infected with subtype O.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Antibodies ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Western ; Chromatography, Gel ; Clone Cells ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Escherichia coli ; Glycoproteins ; HIV* ; HIV-1* ; Humans* ; Inclusion Bodies ; Korea ; O Antigens

PURPOSE: The cell cycle control system is necessary for the normal growth and differentiation of cells. The purposes of this study were to compare CD99 expression with a known intracellular marker of a specific cell cycle and to evaluate the potential of CD99 as surface marker for this cell cycle. METHODS: We induced arrest of the cell cycle in fetal lung fibroblast by contact inhibition or serum deprivation from culture media. We activated peripheral blood lymphocytes with the treatment of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). Next, we synchronized the cell cycle of peripheral blood lymphocytes to the late G1 phase with rapamycin. According to their CD99 expression, the peripheral blood lymphocytes were separated by magnetic bead and analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: CD99 expression in fetal lung fibroblast rapidly decreased in cell cycle arrest and recovered soon after G1 activation of the cell cycle. By analyzing chronologic changes of CD99 expression and PI-histogram, we found CD99 expression decreased after passing the G1 checkpoint. G1/S transition was interrupted by potent immunosuppresant, rapamycin. IL-2 receptor remained high after rapamycin treatment in the activated lymphocytes, whereas CD99 expression and propium iodide decreased as compared with the same condition without rapamycin. This suggested that CD99 expression was decreased in the late G1 phase. Retinoblastoma gene (Rb) and CDK-2 are necessary for G1/S transition. We found both of these in CD99+ lymphocyte through Western blotting only. Cyclin B, which has an important role in S/G2/M transition, was only found in CD99-activated lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: CD99 may be a G1 phase specific surface marker.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Cycle* ; Contact Inhibition ; Culture Media ; Cyclin B ; Fibroblasts ; G1 Phase ; Genes, Retinoblastoma ; Interleukin-2 ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Receptors, Interleukin-2 ; Sirolimus

No abstract available.
Dilatation* ; Kidney* ; Pelvis*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Guidelines for current postoperative colonoscopic surveillance are not specified in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with synchronous adenoma (SA). We performed this retrospective study to determine the postoperative colonoscopic surveillance interval for the CRC patients with SA. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four CRC patients with SA (SA-group) and the same number of patients without SA (NSA-group) were selected from our database. Two groups were matched by the stage of CRC. Median colonoscopic surveillance period was 55 (12-99) months. The colonoscopic surveillance frequency and interval were similar between the two groups. RESULTS: Mean age was higher and male was more frequent in SA-group than NSA-group (p= 0.0001). The incidence of missed adenoma, advanced missed adenoma and metachronous adenoma (MA) were higher in SA-group (30.8% vs. 5.8% at 1st yr., p=0.0001; 4.4% vs. 0%, p=0.0001; 31.1% vs. 9.1% at 2nd yr., p=0.016) during the first consecutive two years of surveillance. The MA- and advanced-MA-free survival rate were lower in SA-group (24.6% vs. 6.6%, p=0.0001; 4.1% vs. 0%, p=0.02) during three years after surgery. Dysplasia of the SA (p=0.04; OR, 110.3; 95% CI, 1.13-10742.6) and presence of missed adenoma (p=0.036; OR, 43.6; 95% CI, 1.28-1490.1) were risk factors for the advanced MA on a multivariate analysis in SA-group. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative colonoscopic surveillance at first year after surgery is warranted in CRC patients with SA.
Adenoma/diagnosis/*surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma/diagnosis/*surgery ; Colonic Neoplasms/diagnosis/*surgery ; *Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms/diagnosis/*surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; English Abstract ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/diagnosis/*surgery

Enlargement of the thyroid gland is the most frequently encountered disorder of the endocrine system. A clinical evaluation is helpful in diagnosis but has its limitation. Until recently, surgical excision has been the only means by which a precise diagnosis of thyroid nodule is made, based upon the histopathologic evaluation. Authors studied 117 cases of thyroid nodule operated at Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Hallym University, from January 1985 to July 1994. The results were analyzed with X2-test and summarized as follows. 1. The thyroid nodules were most frequently seen in third and fourth decades (57.3%), and more in female (5.9:1). 2. The most common symptoms and duration were palpable mass (97.4%) and within 3 months (41.1%). 3. Most cases of thyroid nodules were treated with lobectomy (41.0%). 4. On the radioisotope scanning, the incidence of malignant nodule with cold nodules was 17.9% and the incidence of benign nodule with hot nodule was 91.7%. 5. The overall postoperative and specific complications were only related to the histopathologic finding (P=0.0026, P=0.0207), and not related to the type of operation and size of the thyroid nodules.
Diagnosis ; Endocrine System ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*

Three siblings with congenital dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts (Caroli's disease) are presented. Bile duct pathology was associated with congenital hepatic fibrosis and polycystic renal disease in all three patients. On color Doppler imaging (CD imaingl, multiple small color Doppler signals were observed in or near the vascular radicles within the dilated bile ducts, besides other well-known sonographic findings such as bile duct dilatations, biliary calculi. Dopper frequency spectral analysis confirmed all these color Doppler signals as arterial origin in all patients, showing pulsatile wave pattern. Although portal venous radicles are well known in conventional sonograms or computed tomotraphy(CT), continuous wave patterns were not detected in all patients. In addition to previously reported sonographic findings about Caroli's disease, color Doppler signals showing arterial wave pattern in or around the portal venous radicles within dilated duets are another helpful diagnostic criteria and these findings are easily depicted on routine sonograms with color mapping.
Bile Ducts* ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Bile* ; Caroli Disease* ; Dilatation ; Fibrosis ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Pathology ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Siblings ; Ultrasonography

Spontaneously thrombosed cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are infrequently reported. Its pathophysiology, and natural course, however, are still not clarified yet. Authors report a case of symptomatic, spontaneously thrombosed cerebral AVM in a 34-year-old male with a follow-up of 16-year duration, which was surgically extirpated due to repeated bleeding and intractable seizure disorder, and histopathologically confirmed. Relevant literatures are reviewed and discussed.
Adult ; Epilepsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Male ; Seizures