ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: A study showed that resistance to activated protein C may develope some cases of severe preeclampsia. A common missense mutation in the factor V gene, the Leiden mutation, is the most frequent genetic cause of resistance to activated protein C. Our objective was to determine whether this mutation is more prevalent in patients with severe preeclampsia than in normotensive controls. METHOD: Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from whole blood of 158 gravid women of severe preeclampsia and 403 normotensive gravid women. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify exon 10 of the factor V gene, followed by allele-specific restriction with Mnl 1 for mutation detection. RESULTS: No patients were homozygous for the Leiden mutation. We could not find any positive case with FV:Q506 in the normal or patient group. CONCLUSION: We could not find that carriers of the factor V Leiden mutation are increased risk for severe preeclampsia. In contrast to the reports in Caucasian, the prevalence of APC resistance and FV:Q506 might be very low or absent in the Korean population. But, carriers of this common thrombophilic mutation may be identified so that other causes and risk factors for inherited thrombophilia should be investigated in the Korean population.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Activated Protein C Resistance , DNA , Exons , Factor V , Mutation, Missense , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Pre-Eclampsia , Pregnant Women , Prevalence , Protein C , Risk Factors , ThrombophiliaABSTRACT
A considerable body of evidence has been accumulated suggesting that invasive squamous cell carcinoma develops from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN). Most women with invasive cancer of the cervix are from lower socioeconomic groups, have begun heterosexual activity early in life, marry early, are multiparous, and have many sexual partners. Although the epidemiology of the cervical cancer is known well, the pathogenesis of the cervical cancer from CIN is subtle yet. Apoptosis, including the programmed cell death, is important event in normal cell turnover and maintenance of adult tissues. Apoptosis exerts a homeostatic function in relation to tissues dynamics, as the steady state of continuously renewing tissues achieved by a balance between cell replication and cell death. The specific labelling of nick ends of fragmented DNA was used to see the apoptotic cells from normal epithelium of the cervix to invasive cervical cancer. The apoptotic cells were found normally in the parabasal layer of the epithelium. As the grade of CIN increase, the apoptotic cell were found in superficial of the cervix and number of the apoptotic cell were increased. In the cervical cancer, the apoptotic cell were found in the cancerous tissues more than in the normal epithelium. This results suggest that the cell proliferation is more important than the inhibition of the apoptosis in the carcinogenesis of the cervical cancer.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Apoptosis , Carcinogenesis , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Cell Death , Cell Proliferation , Cervix Uteri , DNA , Epidemiology , Epithelium , Heterosexuality , Sexual Partners , Uterine Cervical NeoplasmsABSTRACT
Retrospective analysis of chromosomal abnormalities was performed on 75 couples who had recurrent spontaneous abortion. Karyotyping of their peripheral blood lymphocytes was made on 75 patients and 75 their husbands. The overall incidence of chromosomal aberrations was 22.7 %(17 in 75 couple). Number of chromosomal abnormalities in wives was twelve. Another chromosomal abnormalities were found in five husbands. All of them were balanced form and their phenotypes were normal. The incidence of translocations among total chromosomal abnormalities was 64.7 % (11/17). The incidence of reciprocal translocation(72.7 %) was higher than that of Robertsonian translocation (27.3 %). There were six other abnormalities including one case of inversion and five cases of polymorphisms. amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling was performed during subsequent pregnancy to couples who had balanced chromosomal abnormalities. The karyotypes were classified as balanced translocation in seven cases, inversion in one case and normal karyotype in one case. This study suggests that prenatal diagnosis should be emphasized in couples in which one person is the carrier of a balanced chromosomal abnormality.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Abortion, Spontaneous , Amniocentesis , Chorionic Villi Sampling , Chromosome Aberrations , Cytogenetics , Diagnosis , Family Characteristics , Incidence , Karyotype , Karyotyping , Lymphocytes , Phenotype , Prenatal Diagnosis , Retrospective Studies , SpousesABSTRACT
Medroxyprogesterone acetate(MPA) is one of the most commonly used hormonal agents for the treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma. However, the progesterone receptor content of endometrial carcinoma varies directly to the degree of differentiation and inversely with stage of the tumor. Thus one would predict that MPA therapy would be less effective in advanced and poorly differentiated tumors. In addition, MPA has been shown to reduce progesterone receptor content of both normal and malignant endometrial cells, which could result in loss of hormone responsiveness. Tamoxifen, which is often used in breast cancer therapy, has also been used in the treatment of patients with advanced and recurrent endometrial carcinoma. Tamoxifen is known to have some estrogenic effects at low concentration and one of these effects is induction of progesterone receptor both in normal and malignant endometrium. This property has focused interest on sequential or simultaneous use of tamoxifen and MPA in the therapy of endometrial carcinoma. The growth inhibitory effects of MPA and tamoxifen were tested on six longestablished endometrial carinoma cell line(HEC-1-A, HEC-1-B, RL 95-2, AN3CA, KLE) and on SCHE-1, a new endometrial carcinoma cell line established in our laboratory. MPA and tamoxifen were used in growth experiments either alone, simultaneously or sequentially. The MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was used as a control. Only 20% reduction in cell number was achieved after 10 days of exposure to the drug, even with the highest MPA concentration tested(10micronm) in endometrial carcinoma cell lines. But in MCF-7 cells, 60% reduction in cell number was achieved with the same concentration of MPA(10um). Ten days of feeding with 5micronm tamoxifen produced a 96% reduction in cell number in MCF-7, a 91% reduction in HEC-1-A, a 88% reduction in HEC-1-B, a 98% reduction in AN3CA and a 71% reduction in KLE cultures. In SCHE-1 cultures a 83% reduction in cell growth was seen and no viable cells remainde in RL 95-2 cultures after 10 days of feeding with a 5uM tamoxifen. In AN3CA cultures, simultaneous exposure to 5um tamoxifen and 5um MPA resulted in partial reversal of the tamoxifen-induced growth inhibition. In RL 95-2, HEC-1-A and HEC-1-B cultures, simultaneous use of these drugs had the same effect as tamoxifen alone, whereas in KLE and SCHE-1 cultures a slight additive growth effect was observed. All six endometrial carcinoma cell lines resumed logarithmic growth when medium containing tamoxifen of logarithmic growth under these conditions was slower than that in the other endometrial carcinoma cultures. Our results show that MPA does not have growth inhibitory effects in these endometrial carcinoma cell cultures, whereas tamoxifen has been shown to have potent endometrial carcinoma cells. These findings are of special importance since patients who are most likely to need adjuvant therapy for advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma are those with estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor negative tumors.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Adenocarcinoma , Breast Neoplasms , Cell Count , Cell Culture Techniques , Cell Line , Endometrial Neoplasms , Endometrium , Estrogen Receptor Modulators , Estrogens , MCF-7 Cells , Medroxyprogesterone , Receptors, Progesterone , TamoxifenABSTRACT
This study was carried out to establish qualitative diagnosis on colposcopy. Pthological presumption was performed colposcopically on caaes consisting of 60 carcinoma in situ, 12 mierninvasive carcinoma and 56 stage Ib cancer based on colp~nscopic findings. Charar.teristic features of colposcopic findings in each clinical stage are as follows: 1. In CIS, single fiings of white epithelium appeared mainly, and double findings out of mosaic, punctation and white epithelium followed. Atypical vessels rarely detected. Concerning circumferential expanse, grade Ill findings recognizedless than half, 2. In microinvasive carcinoma, moaic with central or penetrating vesse1s and dilated or crooked atypical vessels appeared. 3. IC findings were predominant in stage Ib cancer except some cases.
Subject(s)
Female , Carcinoma in Situ , Cervix Uteri , Colposcopy , Diagnosis , EpitheliumABSTRACT
This study is to verify the protective ability against experimental Naegleria meningoencephalitis by immunization with Naegleria fowleri in mice. Naegleria fowleri, strain 0359, and Naegleria gruberi, strain EGB, were used in this study, and cultured in CGVS medium axenically. Inbred BALB/c mice, weighing about 20 g, were immunized by three intraperitoneal injection of 1 x 10(6) N. fowleri trophozoites at the interval of one week. This N. fowleri trophozoites antigen was fixed with 5 percent formaldehyde. N. fowleri trophozoites from culture were homogenized with sonicator at 4C as monitored by phase contrast microscopy, and their membrane and cell content preparations were made for the immunization of mice. Their inoculation dose in volume was equivalent to the 1 x 10(6) trophozoites in each injection for immunization. And N. gruberi trophozoites, which was fixed with 5 percent formaldehyde, were also used for immunization. Mice were inoculated intranasally with 5 x 10(4) N. fowleri trophozoites in a 5 microliter suspension under anesthesia by as intraperitoneal injection of about l mg secobarbiturate. Nervousness, rotation or sluggish behaviour were observed in the mice which were infected with N. fowleri. Necrotic lesion was demonstrated in the anterior portion of brain, especially in the olfactory lobe. The inflammatory cell infiltration with numerous N. fowleri trophozoites was noticed. This pathological changes were more extensive in the control than in the experimental groups. Mice were dead due to experimental primary amoebic meningoencephalitis that developed between 8 days and 23 days after inoculation. Mortality rate of the mice was low in the immunized experimental group. Mean survival time, which is the survival duration of mice from the infection to death, was prolonged significantly in the immunized mice except in the mice immunized with N. fowleri membrane. Even in the mice immunized with N. gruberi, survival time was delayed. In summary, the effectiveness of immunization is demonstrated in terms of protective immunity against Naegleria meningoencephalitis in mice.