The internal stipe necrosis of cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is caused by the bacterium Ewingella americana, a species of the Enterobacteriaceae. Recently, Ewingella americana was isolated from cultivated white button mushrooms in Korea evidencing symptoms of internal stipe browning. Its symptoms are visible only at harvest, and appear as a variable browning reaction in the center of the stipes. From these lesions, we isolated one bacterial strain (designated CH4). Inoculation of the bacterial isolate into mushroom sporocarps yielded the characteristic browning symptoms that were distinguishable from those of the bacterial soft rot that is well known to mushroom growers. The results of Gram stain, flagellal staining, and biochemical tests identified these isolates as E. americana. This was verified by pathogenicity, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and the results of an analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences and the fatty acids profile. This is the first report of the isolation of E. americana from cultivated white button mushrooms in Korea.
Agaricales ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Fatty Acids ; Genes, rRNA ; Humans ; Korea ; Maillard Reaction ; Necrosis ; Sprains and Strains

PURPOSE: The E-cadherin gene, located on chromosome 16q22, may play principal roles in cell adhesion with the loss of E-cadherin expression leading to a propensity for a great number of malignant properties. The loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on 16q22 has rarely been studied in invasive ductal carcinomas. Our objectives were to evaluate the LOH of E-cadherin and the protein expression in invasive ductal carcinomas and their correlation with various clinicopathological factors. METHODS: The LOH analysis was performed using polymerase chain reactions with three polymorphic microsatellite markers (D16S419, D16S3106 and D16S498) in 50 surgically resected tumors and their non-tumorous counterparts. The E-cadherin protein expression was studied using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The LOH and loss of protein expression were detected in 54% and 46% of the tumors, respectively. There was no LOH or protein loss detected in the non-tumor lesions. The LOH results were well correlated with the tumor size and lymph node metastasis. The protein loss results were well correlated with tumor histological grade. No correlation was found between LOH and protein loss. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the LOH of E-cadherin may be associated with tumor metastasis and tumor progression and E-cadherin protein loss may be related with the dedifferentiation in some portions of invasive ductal carcinomas. We propose the LOH of E-cadherin and protein loss may contribute to tumor progression by independent mechanism.
Cadherins* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Cell Adhesion ; Immunohistochemistry ; Loss of Heterozygosity* ; Lymph Nodes ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Adenomatous polyps have been well known to be premalignant, but it is still controversial how to treat and follow them up. Up to date, endoscopic resection has been the choice of treatment, particularly exceeding 2 cm, though there is no concensus on the indications for the excision of hyperplastic polyps. The incidence of malignant tissue found in hyperplastic polyps has been reported to be less than 3%, which is considerably lower than the incidence of greater than 6% reported in adenomas. There have been few reports of hyperplastic polyps in which malignant changes developed during endoscopic surveillance. We report a case of hyperplastic gastric polyp with intramucosal, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with reviewing references.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenoma ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Incidence ; Polyps*

BACKGROUND: Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), which is an intracellular antioxidant due to maintain intracellular concentrations of glutathione, may be a marker of oxidative stress. In the present study, oxidative stress was thought to be a cause of diabetes mellitus. So, We performed a cross sectional study about the relations between GGT and prevalence of diabetes mellitus. METHODS: In total 5049 healthy men who had visited the Yonsei Wonju Christian Hospital for health care from 1st January 2002 to 31st December 2002, we measured BMI, blood pressure, GGT, total cholesterol, ALT and fasting blood sugar levels. RESULTS: There were strong relations between serum GGT concentrations and age, BMI, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and ALT level. GGT level had positive correlations with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance when divided into four classes, 0~19 IU/L, 20~39 IU/L, 40~59 IU/L and over 60 IU/L. We got the same results after adjustment with BMI, total cholesterol, blood pressure and ALT level. CONCLUSION: There was a positive correlation between GGT level and the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, and that was definite especially when BMI, total cholesterol, blood pressure and ALT levels were in normal range. We suggest that serum GGT level would be an important marker in the development of diabetes mellitus.
Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Fasting ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase* ; Gangwon-do ; Glucose ; Glutathione ; Humans ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Prevalence* ; Reference Values

Duodenal varices can result from portal hypertension regardless of the etiologies of liver cirrhosis. Bleeding from duodenal varices is rare but often severe and life threatening. Treatment modalities of duodenal varices include endoscopic sclerotherapy, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and surgery. As an initial treatment, endoscopic sclerotherapy is recommended due to easy accessibility but has limited success in controlling active duodenal variceal bleeding. In this case, we report a spurting duodenal varix treated with Histoacryl(R) injection in a 48-year-old woman with secondary biliary cirrhosis. Endoscopic sclerotherapy with Histoacryl(R) is a useful therapeutic measure in the treatment of bleeding duodenal varix.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary* ; Middle Aged ; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical ; Sclerotherapy* ; Varicose Veins

Despite recent economic prosperity, Korea still has high prevalence of tuberculosis. Molecular biologic characterization of Korean Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains might provide a deeper understanding of the forces contributing to the spread of tuberculosis in Korea. Therefore, we analyzed the cell lysate proteome of a representative Korean Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolate (K01) in comparison with laboratory reference strains H37Rv and H37Ra. Seven spots were strongly expressed only in K01 strain compared with M. tuberculosis H37Rv and H37Ra. Through continuous MALDI-MS analysis, these spots were identified as hypothetical protein Rv3849, secreted immunogenic protein Mpt64, Acetyl/propionyl-CoA Carbpxylase (AccD1), alkyl hydroperoxide reductase C (AhpC), N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, a putative UDP glucose epimerase, and a transposase. A deeper study of these proteins may provide a clue in the development of effective new anti-tuberculosis vaccines against Korean M. tuberculosis isolates.
Korea ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Peroxiredoxins ; Prevalence ; Proteome* ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Transposases ; Tuberculosis ; UDPglucose 4-Epimerase ; Vaccines

Of coronary anomalies, a coronary arteriovenous fistula from the coronary artery to the left ventricle is rare. Five consecutive cases of coronary arteriovenous fistulae, from the coronary artery to the left ventricle were experienced in cath lab over a 2 year period, and are reported, with a review of the literature.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels* ; Heart Ventricles*

Gastric carcinoid tumors are so rare that they constitute less than 1% of total primary gastric tumors. They are classified into 3 types: (1) gastric carcionoid associated with chronic atrophic gastritis (type I), (2) gastric carcinoids associated with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) or multiple endocrine neoplasm (MEN) type 1 (type II), and (3) sporadic gastric carcinoid (type III). A 55-year-old man underwent a medical check-up. Five polypoid masses were incidentally detected in the cardia, fundus and midbody whose size ranged from 0.5 cm to 1.6 cm in diameter. Tumor cells were strongly positive for cytokeratin, synaptophysin and chromogranin staining. Biopsies from the body and fundus showed severe atrophy. Fasting serum gastrin level was highly increased, 1,098 pg/mL. There was, however, no evidence of the presence of ZES or MEN type 1. The patient underwent total gastrectomy for complete resection and has remained free of any complications with normal serum gastrin level.
Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Carcinoid Tumor* ; Cardia ; Fasting ; Gastrectomy ; Gastrins ; Gastritis, Atrophic* ; Humans ; Keratins ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Synaptophysin ; Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

A medullary carcinoma of the breast is an uncommon breast cancer subtype, but has a fair prognosis. The histopathological criteria for a medullary carcinoma were delineated by Ridolfi et al. in 1977, and most pathologists use these criteria. The authors experienced a huge carcinoma of the breast, which was diagnosed as an atypical medullary carcinoma. A 47-year old female visited our clinic due to a breast mass of six months duration. The mass was 16 cm in size and exophytic in the left lower breast. There had been necrosis, with a foul odor in most of the mass. A large fixed axillary lymph node was noted, but there was no evidence of distant metastasis. A radical mastectomy was performed due to invasion of the pectoralis major. On pathological examination, the tumor was diagnosed as an atypical medullary carcinoma.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mastectomy, Radical ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Odors ; Prognosis

A medullary carcinoma of the breast is an uncommon breast cancer subtype, but has a fair prognosis. The histopathological criteria for a medullary carcinoma were delineated by Ridolfi et al. in 1977, and most pathologists use these criteria. The authors experienced a huge carcinoma of the breast, which was diagnosed as an atypical medullary carcinoma. A 47-year old female visited our clinic due to a breast mass of six months duration. The mass was 16 cm in size and exophytic in the left lower breast. There had been necrosis, with a foul odor in most of the mass. A large fixed axillary lymph node was noted, but there was no evidence of distant metastasis. A radical mastectomy was performed due to invasion of the pectoralis major. On pathological examination, the tumor was diagnosed as an atypical medullary carcinoma.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mastectomy, Radical ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Odors ; Prognosis