ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Gene expression of nm23 has been investigated in a number of tumors, including breast cancer, colon cancer, malignant melanoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Its down-regulation has been shown to be associated with metastasis or disease progression in some of the tumors. This study was carried out to define the relationship between nm23 protein expression and clinicopathological variables. METHODS: nm23 protein levels were investigated in 64 surgically resected specimens of stage III gastric cancer by immunohistochemical method, and association with clinicopathological parameters and survival rates were determined. RESULTS: The overall expression rates of nm23 was 68.7 %. There was no significant difference between nm23 protein expression and clinicopathological variables such as age, sex, stage, histology, tumor depth, number of metastatic nodes, tumor size, site and method of operation. Statistically, no significant differences between nm23 protein expression and overall survival rates were found. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that nm23 protein expression is an unsatisfactory prognostic indicator in stage III gastric adenocarcinoma.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma , Breast Neoplasms , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Colonic Neoplasms , Disease Progression , Down-Regulation , Gene Expression , Melanoma , Neoplasm Metastasis , Stomach Neoplasms , Survival RateABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We experienced an outbreak of typhoid fever in Chunju area which manifested as severe symptoms and signs, and variable complications. To chracterize the epidemic and to identify a possible source of infection, the clinical findings of patients from the outbreak were analyzed, and the patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility and phage typing of Salmonella Typhi isolates were determined. METHODS: We analyzed a total of 232 patients from the outbreak who admitted to Chunju Presbyterian Medical Center during 1996 August through October. The medical records of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. All isolates of S. Typhi from the outbreak were analyzed for serotyping, antibiogram, and phage typing. Phage typing were performed using Vi- phages for 50 strains isolated from the patients who showed atypical clinical manifestations and unusal complications. RESULTS: The outbreak attacked mainly young femalegroup. The complications observed were: 155 casesof hepatitis, 47 pancytopenia, 20 acute pancreatitis, 13 urinary tract infection, 12 intestinal hemorrhage, 5 disseminated intravascular coagulation, 4 meningitis, 3 septic shock, 2 sensorineural hearing loss, 2 myocardial ischemia, 2 pneumonia, 1 stillbirth, and 1 death. S. Typhi were isolated in 129 cases including 111 from blood, 17 stool and 1 urine. All isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested. All 50 isolates from severe patients with unusal complications were identified as Salmonella, serogroup D1, serotype Typhi, phage type D1. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced an outbreak of typhoid fever associated with severe, atypical symptoms and unusual complications, caused by Salmonella, serogroup D1, serotype Typhi, phage type D1.
Subject(s)
Humans , Anti-Infective Agents , Bacteriophage Typing , Bacteriophages , Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation , Hearing Loss, Sensorineural , Hemorrhage , Hepatitis , Medical Records , Meningitis , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Myocardial Ischemia , Pancreatitis , Pancytopenia , Pneumonia , Protestantism , Retrospective Studies , Salmonella , Salmonella typhi , Serotyping , Shock, Septic , Stillbirth , Typhoid Fever , Urinary Tract InfectionsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: We evaluated the prognostic significance of p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) in stage III gastric carcinoma to determine the correlation between the p53 and PCNA expression and various clinicopathological parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of p53 and PCNA were studied immunohistochemically in 64 cases of stage III gastric carcinomas with paraffin-embedded tissue specimens which were obtained surgically at the department of surgery, Presbyterian Medical Center from 1991 to 1992. Both expression were compared with known factors of prognosis. Survival rate and other clinicopathological parameters were analysed. RESULTS: Expression rates of p53 and high PCNA group were 40.6% and 26.6%, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the p53 and PCNA expression and various clinicopathological variables such as age, sex, stage, histology, tumor depth, number of metastatic node, tumor size, site and method of operation. To analyse survival, we evaluated overall survival according to the extent of p53 and PCNA expression. No significant correlations between the p53 and PCNA expression and overall survival were found. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the p53 and PCNA expression seems to be hard to use as a prognostic indicator in stage III gastric carcinoma.
Subject(s)
Prognosis , Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen , Protestantism , Survival RateABSTRACT
Occult papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid is known to be indolent, slow metastatic, and has a good prognosis. Occult thyroid carcinoma presenting as a blood-borne metastasis without obvious cervical lymph node involvement is extremely rare. A 65-year-old male patient was visited for hoarseness, dysphagia, and shortness of breath. Bronchoscopy with biopsy revealed a papillary carcinoma of thyroid by immunohistochemical staining. Head & neck CT revealed that involving both the upper esophagus and the posterior tracheal wall, extending into the mediastinum along the upper thoracic spine at T1-T2. We have experienced a rare case of occult papillary carcinoma which invaded the trachea, esophagus and fascia of thoracic spine. Treatment was initiated with radioactive iodine and external bean therapy.