Quality Characteristics of Ginger Extract Candy with Salicornia herbacea L. for Calming Effect on Morning Sickness

The primary objective of this study was to develop an optimal composite recipe for ginger extract candy with Salicornia herbacea L., for consumption during the first trimester of pregnancy. The secondary objective was to examine quality characteristics of the candy. The physical and mechanical properties and sensory properties for pregnant women in were measured, and these values were applied to mathematical models. Time of stirring water solution, saltiness, pH, and redness of the candy increased as concentrations of ginger juice did, but variations in pH were not significant. The hardness values of the candy ranged from 3,063.90 to 5,681.65 dyne/cm³. The average values of sweetness and time stirring the water solution were 5.36% and 14.1 minutes, respectively. However, hardness and sweetness stirring water solution were not significant. The range of sensory values of color (P < 0.01), flavor (P < 0.05), sweetness, saltiness, spiciness, and overall quality (P < 0.05) ranged from were 3.73~5.32, 4.05~5.05, 3.67~5.14, 3.59~5.09, 3.55~5.15, and 3.32~5.45, respectively. Results suggest that ginger extract candy with Salicornia herbacea L. should be comprised of 7.37 g of ginger juice and 1.77 g of salt. Consequently, it could be a functional candy for pregnant women.

A Case of Sarcomatoid Cholangiocarcinoma Which Developed at the Site Previously Treated by Transarterial Chemoembolization

Intrahepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare tumor with poor prognosis due to its highly invasive and metastatic nature and difficulty for early detection. The most common form of intrahepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma is the sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma, the development of which is usually associated with previous treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. In contrast, sarcomatoid cholangiocarcinoma is extremely rare and results from spontaneous sarcomatoid transformation during the development of tumor. Here, we report a case of sarcomatoid cholangiocarcinoma, in a 58-year-old male, which developed at the site of previous treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. A 9 × 7 cm sized tumor which had not been detected in the computed tomography exam 3 months before diagnosis was newly observed. The tumor rapidly progressed and the patient died only 31 days after the diagnosis.

A Case of Pulmonary Cryptococcosis in a Patient with Psoriatic Arthritis Treated with Adalimumab

Psoriatic arthritis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease triggered and maintained by inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Although TNF-alpha antagonist is effective for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, infections caused by tuberculosis or fungus have emerged as significant complications of therapy. We report a case of pulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient with psoriatic arthritis treated with adalimumab.

Loss of Heterozygosity on Chromosome 15q15 Near Thrombospondin-1 Gene in Breast Carcinomas

BACKGROUND: Chromosome 15q15 near the thrombospondin-1 (THBS-1) gene may be associated with tumor progression and metastasis. To clarify the potential role of the15q15 region in progression of breast carcinoma, we investigated the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and the microsatellite instability (MSI) status of chromosome 15q15. Methods : LOH and MSI were detected in 84 breast carcinoma specimens using PCR-based microsatellite analysis with three microsatellite markers. METHODS: LOH and MSI were detected in 84 breast carcinoma specimens using PCR-based microsatellite analysis with three microsatellite markers. RESULTS: Of 77 breast carcinomas containing the heterozygous alleles, 25 (32%) showed LOH in at least one microsatellite marker. Partial LOH and total LOH were detected in 14 (18.27%) and 11 (14.3%) cases. The total LOH were inversely correlated with node metastasis. A single LOH at D15S514 was inversely correlated with nuclear grade and a single LOH at the D15S129 allele was associated with increased expression of the THBS-1 gene. MSI-positive breast carcinomas detected in 14 (17%) cases showed no correlation with any clinicopathologic feature. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that loss of the chromosome 15q15 region delays the progression of breast carcinoma because the magnitude of LOH is large and involves the THBS-1 gene and additional genetic elements. The genes located on chromosome 15q15 probably play a tissue-type-dependent role in malignant growth of the tumor.

Borderline Clear Cell Adenofibromatous Tumors of the Ovary: Two Case Reports

Borderline clear cell adenofibromatous tumors are rare with only 26 cases reported in the English literature. Five of these cases exhibited microinvasion and 4 demonstrated intraepithelial carcinoma. We report 2 cases, one typical case and the other with microinvasion. The histological findings revealed widely spaced and focally crowded, variably-sized atypical glands or tubules lined by clear, eosinophilic or hobnail cells set in a dense fibrous stroma. One of the two cases had small solid nests or single cells in the stroma around the proliferative glands less than 1 mm in length that was considered to be a microinvasion.

Correlations between the Expression of c-Abl, c-Kit, Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor (PDGFR)-alpha and PDGFR-beta and Survival in Patients with Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND :Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) such as c-Abl, c-KIT, PDGFR-alpha and PDGFR-bata are key proteins in the regulation of cell growth. In this study, we evaluated the correlations between the expression of c-Abl, c-KIT, PDGFR-alpha and PDGFR-beta and the survival of patients with ovarian cancer. METHODS: We performed the immunohistochemistry for 102 patients with ovarian cancer and we retrospectively reviewed the overall and disease free survival and also the response to platinum-based chemotherapy in those patients. RESULTS: The short disease free survival rate was significantly associated with the increased expression of PDGFR-alpha (p=0.0459). The short overall survival time in patients with advanced (stage III and IV) ovarian cancer was associated with the overexpression of c-Abl (p=0.0268) and the reduced expression of c-KIT (p=0.0307). On multivariate analysis, the tumor stage and c-Abl maintained their prognostic influence. Meanwhile, none of the four PTK expression patterns predicted the response to the platinum-based chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that for patients with advanced ovarian cancer, the overexpression of c-Abl and the reduced expression of c-KIT might be used as poor prognostic factors for overall survival. It is further noteworthy that the tumor stage and c-Abl may be useful in predicting the patients' survival. Although any of the four PTKs could not predict the response to platinum chemotherapy, the expression of the kinases targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitor suggests the potential usefulness of imatinib mesylate for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Expressions of Cyclin E-pathway Proteins (cyclinE, cdk2, p21, p27, p57) and Their Prognostic Significance in Non-small Cell Lung Carcinomas

BACKGROUND: The aberrant expression of cyclins, cdk and cdk inhibitor has been shown to be involved in oncogenic transformation. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the cyclin E-pathway proteins (cyclin E, cdk2, p21, p27, p57) in human non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) and also to evaluate the clinical significance of these expressions. METHODS: A total of 203 consecutive patients with completely resected pathological stage I-III NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed. The expressions of cyclin E, cdk2, p21, p27 and, p57 was examined by performing immunohistochemistry with using the tissue microarray method. RESULTS: In the total cases, the expression levels of cyclin E, cdk2, p21, p27 and p57 were 39.9% (81/203), 48.3% (98/203), 68.0% (138/203), 32.5% (66/203) and 2.7% (5/203), respectively. The overexpression of cyclin E and cdk2 was significantly and inversely correlated with the histologic differentiation in the adenocarcinoma (p<0.05), but not in the squamous cell carcinoma. Among the clinicopathologic factors, the stage and lymph node metastasis were associated with overall survival (p<0.05). Among these proteins, the negative expression of p21 was significantly correlated with a shortened survival rate (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the overexpression of cyclin E and cdk2 and the loss of p21 and p27 are associated with tumor progression in NSCLC. The aberrant expression of p21 is correlated with a poor prognosis. Therefore the immunohistochemical analysis of this protein as well as the clinical stage and, lymph node metastasis may be useful tools for evaluating the prognosis of NSCLC patients.

High Grade Hemangioendothelioma of the Temporal Bone in a Child: A Case Report

Hemangioendothelioma is a rare vascular tumor characterized by endothelial tumor cells and variable malignant behavior, and it's not common for this lesion to involve the bone. Although there are a few reports of cranial involvement by hemangioendothelioma, only rare cases arising in temporal bone have been published. We present the radiologic findings of a 7-year-old boy who had a high grade hemangioendothelioma involving the temporal bone with intracranial extension. Evidence of flow voids on MR images suggested a tumor of vascular origin, and the ill-defined margins, cortical destruction and intracranial extension on the CT and MR images were correlated with the tumor's high histologic grade.

Metastasizing Atypical Chondroid Lesion: A Case Report

We recently experienced an atypical chondroid lesion metastatic to the lung. Examined under the microscope, the excised nodules displayed abundant amounts of chondroid tissue and necrosis with dystrophic calcification. The calcification had a characteristic "chicken wire" pattern. The chondroblasts contained one or two round to oval, focally indented nuclei with inconspicuous nucleoli. Although some enlarged nuclei with mild to moderate pleomorphism were present, significant nuclear atypia was lacking. Mitotic figures were scarce (1/10 high power field). Scattered multinucleated osteoclast-type giant cells were observed among the chondroblasts. Thus, the possibility of chondroblastoma was considered first. Metastasis of histologically benign chondroblastoma is a rare event, but well documented. The pulmonary metastatic nodules were described as ceasing to grow in some cases; and a significant number of patients were free of tumors following removal of the metastatic nodules. These findings suggest that the metastasis may represent a simple transport phenomenon. However, there are, as yet, no histologic parameters that help determine whether these metastases are to cease their growth or will progress to kill the host.

Primary Leiomyosarcoma of Adrenal Gland: A Case Report

Primary mesenchymal neoplasm of the adrenal gland is very rare. Recently we experienced a case of leiomyosarcoma of the adrenal gland in a 47-year-old female patient. The resected adrenal gland showed a large lobulated mass, which replaced the entire gland. The cut surface was firm and whitish gray with foci that showed hemorrhage and necrosis. Histologically, the tumor was composed of intersecting fascicles of pleomorphic spindle cells with numerous giant cells and mitotic figures. Some of the tumor cells showed elongated nuclei. Immunohistochemical studies were strongly positive for vimentin and smooth muscle actin. Cytokeratin, desmin, alpha-1-antitrypsin and lysozyme were all negative. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported in Korea.