Effects of Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation on Patients With Acute Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of real repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) treatment compared to sham rPMS treatment on pain reduction and functional recovery of patients with acute low back pain. METHODS: A total of 26 patients with acute low back pain were randomly allocated to the real rPMS group and the sham rPMS group. Subjects were then administered a total of 10 treatment sessions. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was assessed before and after each session. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) were employed to assess functional recovery at baseline and after sessions 5 and 10. RESULTS: Real rPMS treatment showed significant pain reduction immediately after each session. Sustained and significant pain relief was observed after administering only one session in the real rPMS group. Significant functional improvement was observed in the real rPMS group compared to that in the sham rPMS group after sessions 5 and 10 based on ODI and after session 5 based on RMDQ. CONCLUSION: Real rPMS treatment has immediate effect on pain reduction and sustained effect on pain relief for patients with acute low back pain compared to sham rPMS.

Efficient culture system for human embryonic stem cells using autologous human embryonic stem cell-derived feeder cells

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) need feeder cells for their maintenance in an undifferentiated state. In conventional culture systems, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) serve as feeder cells to maintain hESCs. However, the use of MEFs elevates the risk of transmitting mouse pathogens and thus limits the potential of hESCs in cell replacement therapy. Consequently, the use of human feeder cells would be an important step forward in this in vitro technology. To address this issue, we used fibroblast-like cells differentiated from the Miz-hES6 hESC line (Diff (Miz-hES6)) as feeder cells to support the in vitro growth of three hESC lines. Immunofluorescence microscopy and reverse transcription-PCR assessing the expression of undifferentiated hESC markers revealed all three hESC lines were maintained in an undifferentiated state. In vitro proliferation proceeded as efficiently as when the hESCs were cultured on MEFS. Moreover, karyotype analysis revealed the chromosomal normality of the hESC lines and the Diff (Miz-hES6) feeders themselves after even 50 passages. Furthermore, the hESC lines maintained their pluripotency since they remained capable of forming embryoid bodies (EBs) in vitro. Thus, hESC-derived fibroblast-like cells successfully support in vitro hESC propagation.

A Case of Heterotopic Pregnancy Following IVF-ET / 대한산부인과학회잡지

The simultaneous existence of intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancies is known as a heterotopic pregnancy. Spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy is a rare event although its incidence has increased since the recent development of treatment of infertile women with ovulation induction or in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET).The theoretical rate of this condition was estimated to be approximately 1 in 30,000 pregnancies. The early diagnosis of heterotopic pregnancy is very difficult . So there is a high maternal morbidity and fetal loss. We reported a IVP - ET patient resulting in the successful delivery of live infant at 35weeks of gestational age from intrauterine pregnancy following surgical removal of ruptured concurrent extrauterine pregnancy.

Mutation of DNA Mismatch Repair Genes and its Relation to Taxol and Topotecan Chemosensitivity in the Clones from the Cisplatin-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian cancer represents a relatively chemosensitive solid tumor, with responsiveness to a range of agents. Cisplatin is the mainstay of drug treatment and is one of the most active single agent. However, the overall outcome for patients remains unsatisfactory and the emergence of drug resistance is a major factor in treatment failure. Loss of DNA mismatch repair is a common finding in many types of sporadic cancer as well as in patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer. Cells that lack DNA mismatch repair are resistant to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents. Selection of cells for resistance to cisplatin, a well-recognized mutagen, could result in mutation in genes involved in DNA mismatch repair. METHODS: This study evaluated the mutation of hMLH1 and hMSH2, and its relation to the Taxol and Topotecan chemosensitivity in the clones from the ovarian cancer cell line 2008 and cisplatin-resistant cell line 2008/ C13*5.25. RESULTS: 1. Cells from 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 expressed both hMLH1 and hMSH2 when analysed with immunoblotting. 2. Twenty two out of 100 single-cell clones from 2008 and 27 of clones from 2008/C13*5.25 expressed no hMLH1. hMSH2 was expressed in all clones. 3. There was no difference of Taxol chemosensitivity between 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines. In the 2008/C13*5.25 cell line, the hMLH1-deficient clones were more sensitive to Taxol than the hMLH1-proficient clones(P=0.049), but in 2008 cell lines hMLH1-proficient clones were more sesitive to Taxol(P=0.003). 4. There was no difference in Topotecan chemosensitivity between 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines. In the 2008/C13*5.25 cell line, the hMLH1- deficient clones were not more sensitive to Topotecan than the hMLH1-proficient clones. In the 2008 cell lines hMLH1-deficient clones were more sesitive to Topotecan(P=0.001). Overall, hMLH1-deficient clones from both 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines were significantly more sensitive to Topotecan(P=0.001). 5. Microsatellite instability was not demonstrated in all 4 types of single-cell clones from 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate that there is no relation between mutation of mismatch repair gene and cisplatin resistance. But hMLH1-deficient ovarian cancer cells are more sensitive to Taxol or Topotecan in this study. The latter finding mandates the examination to assess the mutation of hMLH1 in tumor cells before treatment or at the time clinical resistance to cisplatin develops in ovarian cancer.

Multiparametric Flow Cytometry in Breast Cancer Cell Line (MCF-7) Stained with Fluorescein Isothiocyanate, Phycoerythrin, and Propidium Iodide / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Multiparametric flow cytometry is a powerful tool for analyzing the phenotypic, cell kinetic and ploidy heterogeneity of tumor cell populations. But there are major problems such as inaccurate results by the contribution of non-neoplastic cell contamination and the substantial spectral overlap of PI (propidium iodide) into PE (phycoery- thrin) fluorescent emissions on a standard flow cytometer. Recent studies suggested that the emission spectral overlap from PI into PE could be sufficiently compensated electrically and the cytokeratin, a marker for epithelial tumor cells, are successfully used in conjunction with DNA specific dye so as to obtain DNA profiles selectively for cytokeratin-positive tumor cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility that multiparametric analysis in heterogeneous cell populations of cell lines like solid tumors, which were stained triply with PE, fluorescein isothiocyanate FITC, and PI, can be done without any influences by the contaminated normal diploid cell populations and without spectral overlap between fluorochromes on a standard flow cytometer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MCF-7 cell lines and heterogeneous cell populations mixed with MCF-7 cells and human peripheral blood lymphocytes were fixed with 1% paraformal- dehyde and permeabilized with 100% methanol. Cytokeratin was labeled with PE and some proliferat!on-associated markers were labeled with FITC, which were followed by DNA staining by PI. These triply stained cells were measured on a standard FACScan flow cytometer equipped with 488 nm single laser and those acquired data were analyzed with WinList 3.0 and ModFit LT software programs on personal computor. RESULTS: Coefficient of variation (CV) of GoG1> peak of MCF-7 cells alone was 4.3. GoG1, S, and G2M phase fractions were 44.9%, 45.9%, and 9.2% respectively. FITC, PE and PI fluorochromes could be detected without any interference between them. CVs of GoG1 peak of PBL and MCF-7 cells in those heterogeneous population were 2.3 and 4.2 respectively. The DNA index of MCF-7 cells was 1.7. MCF-7 cells expressed the cyto- keratin, PCNA, p53, c-erbB/2 and c-myc antigen and in contrast, PBL did not express cytokeratin. The cell cycle phase fractions and oncoprotein expressions could be detected separately in diploid PBL and aneuploid MCF-7 cells in the mixed cell population without any influences by each other. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the cellular antigen expressions of the malignant cells can be analyzed selectively without influences of fluorescent signals from nonneo- plastic cells. The neoplastic tumor subpopulations are clearly identified on the basis of both ploidy status and antigen expressions. The positive cytokeratin expressions indicate that they were derived from the epithelium, providing objective evidence of the tissue of origin and more precise analysis of DNA contents, ploidy, and oncogene expressions selectively with possible correlation between them. Thus, this method offers new possibilities for multiparameter flow cytometric analysis in the heterogeneous solid tumor cell populations.

The Influence of Choice of Pain Control Method on Analgesic effect and Postoperative Progress after Cesarean Section / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: We investigated influence of choice of pain control method on analgesic effect and postoperative course after cesarean section. METHODS: Ninety parturients were randomly allocated to three groups and each group had 30 women. The postoperative pain was controlled with classical intramuscular injection in IM group and PCA (patient-controlled analgesia)device in meperidine (D) and meperidine+diclofenac (DV) group for up to 48 hours after Cesarean section when the parturients awoke and complained pain. The parturients received intramuscular diclofenac 75 mg every 12 hours in DV group. We evaluated usefulness and safety of each pain control method on postoperative opioid requirement, numerical rating score of pain, side effect and first ambulation time for 48 hours after operation. RESULTS: Total opioid requirement was decreased almost 40-50% in DV group. Pain score lowered significantly at 6, 12 and 24 hours in DV group(p<0.05). Nausea,Vomiting and Dizziness were increased in IM group than PCA group(p<0.05). There was no difference in laboratory data including hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count and bleeding time in diclofenac used group. Ambulation was started earlier significalty in DV group after Cesarean section(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: We concluded that diclofenac combined PCA is the most effective and safe method in pain control after cesarean section. But it is necessary to try further evaluation of hemostatic effect of diclofenac.