OBJECTIVE: A novel inhibitor of apoptosis, survivin, seems to be involved in critical steps of cancer onset and progression, and associated with unfavorable clinical outcome. We investigated the expression of survivin in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasm and uterine cervical cancer to determine whether survivin indicates the poor prognosis or not. METHODS: The study included 14 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III, 53 cases of invasive uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical stain and western blot was performed with antihuman survivin antibody. RESULTS: Survivin was highly expressed in CIN III and cervical cancer group than normal control group (p<0.05). Significant survivin expression was noted in cancer patients with lesion size >or=4 cm, lymphovascular invasion, elevated SCC Ag. level, and nonresponse to initial therapy. As the clinical stage goes up, survivin expression had a tendency to increase but there was no statistical significance (p=0.081). No association was noted between survivin expression and survival rate (p=0.1011). CONCLUSION: This results suggest that survivin expression may provide prognostic information and could represent a possible new marker of prognosis in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Streptococcus constellatus (S. constellatus) is a commensal microorganism belonging to the "Streptococcus milleri" group, but may cause infections in different locations in immunocompromised patients. The infection of S. constellatus has high mortality and morbidity due to its tendency to cause abscesses in infected patients, which require immediate surgical drainage for effective treatment. We report on a 72-year-old woman with end stage renal disease, who suffered from dyspnea and general weakness that had developed over 7 days. Chest CT showed loculated pleural effusion. S. constellatus was cultured from exudative pleural effusions and confirmed by an analysis of 16S rRNA sequence. The patient was treated with drainage of pleural effusion and piperacillin/tazobactam for 5 weeks.
Abscess ; Aged ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Empyema ; Female ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pleural Effusion ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus constellatus ; Streptococcus milleri Group ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Prescribing potentially harmful drugs and omitting essential drugs to older patients is a common problem because they take so many medications. In this study, our goal was to identify potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) using Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to the Right Treatment (START) criteria to improve proper prescription and reduce improper prescription. METHODS: Enrolled in this study were 117 patients older than 65 years old who were hospitalized at Inha University Hospital in Incheon due to pneumonia from January 2012 to March 2012. Patient data, including medical histories, current diagnoses, current medications, and biochemical data were recorded from electronic records. STOPP and START were applied to their clinical datasheets. RESULTS: STOPP criteria identified 24 patients who had 29 PIMs. Most potential inappropriate prescribing was of cardiovascular medications, followed by drugs whose primary effect is on the urogenital system and gastrointestinal system. START criteria identified 31 patients who had 46 PPOs. The cardiovascular system drugs comprised most of the PPOs. No PPOs were identified under the central nervous system criteria. CONCLUSION: Given the current Korean medical system conditions and considering the many clinically important situations when prescribing drugs, STOPP/START criteria are not absolute criteria to prevent improper prescription, but sagacious usage of these standards can help physicians to prescribe properly in clinical practice.
Cardiovascular System ; Central Nervous System ; Drugs, Essential ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Humans ; Inappropriate Prescribing ; Mass Screening ; Pneumonia ; Prescriptions ; Urogenital System