The Positive Association between Peripheral Blood Cell Counts and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women

PURPOSE: Accumulating evidence has shown a close connection between hematopoiesis and bone formation. Our aim was to evaluate the association between peripheral blood cell counts and bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: three hundreds thirty eight healthy postmenopausal women who underwent BMD measurement during their health check-up were investigated. BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray asorptiometry at L1-L4 spine, femoral neck and total proximal femur. BMD was expressed as a T-score: among T-scores obtained from three different sites (L1-L4 spine, femoral neck and total proximal femur), the lowest T-score was considered to be the subject's T-score. RESULTS: The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis diagnosed by T-score in the study participants were 49.4% (167/338) and 5.0% (17/338), respectively. Peripheral blood white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) and platelet counts had significant positive correlations with T-scores (p<0.001) upon simple linear regression analysis. A multiple linear regression analysis, after controlling of confounders including age, body weight, systolic blood pressure, alkaline phosphatase and creatinine, showed that WBC (beta=0.127; standard error=0.043; p=0.014), RBC (beta=0.192; standard error=0.139; p<0.001) and platelet (beta=0.097; standard error=0.001; p=0.050) counts still had significant positive association with T-scores. CONCLUSION: The study results showed a positive relationship between blood cell counts and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, supporting the idea of a close connection between hematopoiesis and bone formation. The study results also suggest that blood cell counts could be a putative marker for estimating BMD in postmenopausal women.

The clinicopathological relationship of E2F-1 and Ki-67 expression in endometrial cancer / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of E2F-1 and Ki-67 expression with clinicopathological prognostic factors. METHODS: Retrospectively, endometrial cancer slide samples (n=71) were analyzed. E2F-1 and Ki-67 were evaluated using immunohistochemical staining. And as a control (n=21), endometrial tissues were obtained by hysterectomy with benign gynecologic disease. RESULTS: Of 71 cases, the positive E2F-1 expression was 53.5% (38/71) in endometrial cancer. The expression of E2F-1 showed a remarkable positive correlation with myometrial invasion (P=0.001) and lymphovascular invasion (P=0.000). The Ki-67 labeling index was 30.56+/-25.67 in endometrial cancer and 9.38+/-8.35 in normal endometrial tissues (P=0.001). The Ki-67 labeling index showed positive correlations with increased tumor size (P=0.046, gamma=0.238), positive lymph node metastasis (P=0.001, gamma=0.396), cervical invasion (P=0.000, gamma=0.404) and lymphovascular tumor invasion (P=0.000, gamma=0.597). There was a positive correlation between E2F-1 and Ki-67 expression (P=0.000, gamma=0.734). CONCLUSION: The Ki-67 expression seems to be related with tumor invasiveness and growth in endometrial cancer and shows a remarkable positive correlation with E2F-1. The E2F-1 expression seems to be not related as a direct prognostic factor but related with tumor invasiveness and growth in endometrial cancer.

The clinicopathological relevance for the expression of cyclin E, CDK2, and p27 in endometrial carcinoma / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological relevance for the expression of cyclin E, CDK2 and p27 in endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: With a retrospective review, slide samples (n=71) were analyzed. All patients had been treated with hysterectomy from January 1998 to December 2006. The expression of cyclin E, CDK2 and p27 were analyzed using immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Of 71 cases, the positive expression was cyclin E; 28 cases (39.4%), CDK2; 29 cases (40.8%). The expression of cyclin E showed positive correlation with lymph node metastasis (P=0.033) and estrogen receptor. The expression of CDK2 showed positive correlation with estrogen receptor (P=0.000). The negative expression of p27 was 42 cases (59.2%) and showed no correlation with other clinicopathological factors. Cyclin E overexpression with loss of p27 expression showed positive correlation with advanced stage (P=0.002), lymphovascular invasion (P=0.030) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.002). CONCLUSION: Cyclin E overexpression with loss of p27 expression could be an useful negative prognostic factors for endometrial carcinoma.

Effect of the Isolation Method of Mouse Inner Cell Mass, Types of Feeder Cells and Treatment Time of Mitomycin C on the Formation Rate of ICM Colony / 대한불임학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the isolation methods of inner cell mass from mouse blastocyst, types of feeder cells and treatment time of mitomycin C on the formation rate of ICM colony. METHODS: The inner cells were isolated by conventional immunosurgery, partial trophoblast dissection with syringe needles and whole blastocyst co-culture method. Commercially available STO and primary cultured mouse embryonic fibroblast (pMEF) feeder cells were used, and mitomycin C was treated for 1, 2 or 3 hours, respectively. The formation rate of ICM colony was observed after isolation of ICM and culture of ICM on the feeder cells for 7 days. RESULT: The ICM colony formation rate on STO were significantly higher in partial trophoblast dissection group (58%) than that in immunosurgery (12%) or whole blastocyst culture (16%) group (p<0.05). The formation rate on pMEF feeder layer was higher in partial trophoblast dissection (88%) and whole blastocyst culture (82%) group than that in immunosurgery (16%) group (p<0.05). When mitomycin C treated to pMEF for 2 hours, the formation rate of 88% was significantly higher than those of other conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Above results showed that the efficient isolation method of ICM from blastocyst was the partial trophoblast dissection and the appropriate treatment time of mitomycin C was 2 hours. However, the subculture of ICM colony and characterization of stem cells should be carried out to confirm the efficacy of the partial trophoblast dissection method.

A Case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome which have Direct Adhesion between the Liver Capsule and Adjacent Anterior abdominal Wall / 대한산부인과학회지

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome means perihepatitis consisting of liver capsule inflammation without parenchymal damage associated with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The incidence of this syndrome in PID is reported to be 15-30%. It produces right upper quadrant pain from acute inflammatory reaction between liver capsule and adjacent peritoneum in acute phase, and later forms characteristic violin-string adhesions. Recently, it is suggested that marked hepatic subcapsular enhancement at arterial phase in contrast-enhanced CT has diagnostic value, but diagnostic laparoscopy is used as definitive diagnostic method in Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome. We have experienced one case of Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome in women with right upper quadrant pain, which was diagnosed by CT imaging and was not improved by appropriate antibiotic therapy. In diagnostic laparoscopic examination, we have found direct adhesion between liver capsule and anterior abdominal wall and experienced improvement in symptoms after adhesiolysis. So, we report this case with the brief review of the literatures.