Integrin-linked kinase ILK and beta-catenin expression in colon polyps / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Signaling pathways via integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and beta-catenin are important in the initiation and progression of various malignant diseases. ILK modulates the transcription of beta-catenin and is implicated in cell migration and invasiveness. Recently, premalignant colon polyps were found to express ILK and beta-catenin. Therefore, we investigated the expression of ILK and beta-catenin in colon polyps according to the gross morphology and pathologic type. METHODS: Based on morphology, colon polyps (62) were classified as being a pedunculated polyp (Ip, 16), sessile polyp (Is, 22), or laterally spreading tumor (LST, 24). The colon polyps were classified pathologically as tubular adenomas (TAs, 47) and hyperplastic polyps (HPs, 15). The expression levels of ILK and beta-catenin in colon polyps and normal colon (6) were evaluated with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In normal colon, ILK was not expressed, and beta-catenin stained in the cell membrane only. Based on the gross morphology of the colon polyps, no significant difference was seen in the expression of ILK and beta-catenin (p>0.05). The expression of both ILK and beta-catenin in TAs was greater than that in HPs (p<0.01): the greater the dysplasia in TAs, the more both ILK and beta-catenin were expressed (p<0.05). The grade of expression of ILK was correlated with that of beta-catenin in colon polyps (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of ILK and beta-catenin did not differ according to the morphology of colon polyps, but was expressed more in TAs than in HPs, especially in severe dysplasia.

Therapeutic Effect of Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Acute TNBS-induced Colitis / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bone marrow-derived cells (BMDC) contribute to tissue maintenance under many kinds of pathologic conditions. We carried out a study to see how BMDC play a role in the treatment of experimental murine colitis. METHODS: We divided the animals into 3 groups and treated them with 50% ethanol (control group), 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfinic acid colitis (TNBS group), and TNBS+bone marrow transplant (BMT group). To induce colitis, TNBS (5.0 mg/mouse) dissolved in 50% ethanol was injected into anus weekly for two weeks. Bone marrow transplantations were performed using bone marrow of male transgenic mouse (donor) with green fluoresence protein (GFP) into female wild type mouse (recipient) three weeks before TNBS instillation. All animals were sacrificed, and colons were extracted one week after the last TNBS instillation. We measured microscopic scores of mucosal injury and investigated the GFP expression for bone marrow engraftment. The immunostaining of vimentin and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) for myofibroblasts was performed. RESULTS: The score of mucosal injury in the TNBS group was much more severe than those in control, and reduced significantly by BMT (p<0.05). GFP-positive cells were almost deposited in pericryptal niche of BMT group but not at all in both control and TNBS group. Most of myofibroblasts stained with both vimentin and SMA also infiltrated into pericryptal niche. But, the number of myofibroblasts stained with vimentin and SMA in both control and TNBS group was smaller than that in BMT group. CONCLUSIONS: BMDC deposited on pericryptal niche might have a significant role in repairing acute experimental murine colitis.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidentally Discovered by Liver Abscess Associated with CBD Stone and Cholangitis / 대한간학회지

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common fatal malignancies worldwide, especially in Korea. The recent advances in diagnostic techniques, such as serum tumor marker assay, ultrasonography, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and angiography, allow us to detect HCC at early stage. Even though, it remains difficult to distinguish malignant nodules from benign space-ccupying lesions of liver. Distinction of HCC from benign entities such as liver abscess is important because failure of prompt diagnosis could result in a missed opportunity for curative treatment. The differential diagnosis of HCC and liver abscess, especially HCC presenting as abscess, is sometimes very difficult. We report a case of HCC with liver abscess caused by secondary infection of CBD stone and cholangitis, that mimicked the dynamic CT findings of liver abscess, in an elderly patient with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.