Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Bioactivity and Its Receptors in Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a controversial issue. Few studies have analyzed the possible role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors in this lesion. METHODS: We compared the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF, its receptors (VEGFR1, VEGFR2) and CD68, in normal lungs and lungs with ARDS. Fifty necropsy cases and 12 lung biopsies with ARDS were analyzed. In total, eight cases were in the early stage and 54 cases were in late stage of ARDS. In addition, the serum level of VEGF165 was also determined. RESULTS: In normal lungs, all antibodies marked the endothelial cells (EC) and pneumocytes (PC), except for CD68, which was expressed in the alveolar macrophages. In early ARDS, the intensity of VEGF165 and VEGFR2 decreased in both EC and PC. VEGF121 was absent in PC but its expression increased in bronchial epithelium. VEGFR1 was expressed in the integral PC. In late ARDS, VEGF165 down-regulation was more significant in PC and EC but its intensity increased in hyaline membranes (HM). In some cases, HM were CD68 positive. The serum level of VEGF165 was up-regulated, while VEGF165 intensity in PC decreased and the HM appeared in alveolar spaces. CONCLUSIONS: Sporadic positivity of HM for CD68 and decreasing of VEGF165 expression in EC proved that VEGF165 is produced by PC, destroyed macrophages, and extravasated serum.

Constructtion of the Recombinant pAAVCMVp53 for Cervical Cancer Gene therapy / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified in the majority of invasive cervical cancer patient and has been found to contribute in a significant way to the genesis of human cervical cancer. HPV has two transforming genes that encode the oncoproteins E6 and E7, E6 can form complexes with p53 and promote p53 degradation, E7 inhibit retinoblastoma protein (RB). The p53 protein is as a phosphoprotein which co-immunoprecipitated with the SV40 T-Antigen. The wild type p53 protein is capable of suppressing the tumorigenic phenotype and regulating cell cycle. Adeno-associated virus(AAV) is a linear single stranded DNA parvovirus which is dependent upon cotransfection by a second unrelated virus to undergo productive infection. It has been well documented that AAV DNA integrates into cellular DNA as one to several tandem copies joined to cellular DNA through the termini. In order to introduce wild type p53 through AAV virus into a cervical cancer patient for gene therapy, we had constructed recombinant p53 adeno associated virus plasmid (pAAVCMVp53). METHODS: pAAVCMVp53 was created new AAV-vector system, pRc/CMVp53 including p53 cDNA and AAV-derivative vector, pASPA-AAV-CMV-polyA were made to HindIII/blunt fragments. Eluated 1.8 kb fragment of wild type p53 cDNA was ligated to pAAV-CMV-polyA, 4.9 kb fragment deprived hASPA cDNA. RESULT: Recombinant AAVCMVp53 was constructed by using pRc/CMVp53 andpASPA-AAV-CMV-polyA. This pAAVCMVp53 was confirmed by various restriction enzyme-digestions and Southern-blotting. This new vector system will be studied on expression, stability in cervical cancer cell lines and animals. CONCLUSION: This system will be one of the useful vector system for cervical cancer gene therapy.

Serum Concentration of CA-125 during the First Trimester of Normal and Abnormal Pregnancies / 대한산부인과학회잡지

A prospective study was initiated to compare maternal serum concentration of CA-125 during the first trimester of normal and abnormal pregnancies. Serum specimens were obtained from 87 women with a normal intrauterine pregnancy and 47 women with abnormal pregnancies which were ended in spontaneo abortion or pathologically confirmed to be missed abortion. In normal pregnancies, the mean serum CA-125 concentrations were increased significantly from amenorhea 6 weeks (139.838.7 IU/ml), and were higher statistically than the values tested in the same weeks of abnormal pregnancies. In abnormal pregnancies serum CA-125 concentations were relatively lower than those of normal pregnancies. But these differences were not statistically significant except the values tested in amenorhea 6weeks. So serum levels of CA-125 may not be proved useful in monitoring of early pregnancies outcome.