A straightforward technique for laparoscopic ureteral stenting.

Double-J ureteral stenting during laparoscopic surgery is technically demanding, time consuming, and stressful. We report here on a new, time-saving, and straightforward method to insert a Double-J stent, which is used during laparoscopic ureteral reimplantation.

Laparoscopic ureteroureterostomies for duplicated ureteral entrapment in a fractured spine.

An extremely rare case of ureteral entrapment caused by traumatic lumbar spine injury with a duplication anomaly is presented. The patient was successfully managed in a minimally invasive fashion with laparoscopic excision and ureteroureterostomy.

Bioactive porous beads as an injectable urethral bulking agent: in vivo animal study for the treatment of urinary incontinence.

In our previous study, growth factor (basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF] or vascular endothelial growth factor)-immobilized polycaprolactone (PCL)/Pluronic F127 porous beads were fabricated by an isolated particle-melting/melt-molding particulate-leaching method. The growth factors were easily immobilized onto the pore surfaces of the PCL/F127 beads via heparin binding, and were continuously released for up to 28 days. In this study, the growth factor-immobilized porous beads were investigated for their potential use as an injectable urethral bulking agent for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Bioactive porous beads as an injectable urethral bulking agent: their in vitro evaluation on smooth muscle cell differentiation.

Growth factor (basic fibroblast growth factor or vascular endothelial growth factor)-immobilized polycaprolactone (PCL)/Pluronic F127 porous beads were prepared as an injectable bulking agent for effective treatment of urinary incontinence. The growth factor-immobilized porous beads may stimulate smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation of muscle-derived stem cells or defect tissues around urethra to improve the sphincter function (bioactive therapy) as well as to provide a bulking effect (passive therapy). The porous PCL/F127 beads were fabricated by an isolated particle-melting/melt-molding particulate-leaching method.

Change in International Prostate Symptom storage subscore after long-term medical therapy in BPH patients: finasteride and alpha-blocker combination therapy in men with moderate-to-severe LUTS/BPH in Korea.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and the change of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) storage subscore after combination therapy (α-blocker and finasteride) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) consistent with moderate-to-severe benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and compared with α-blocker-only treatment.

Methods: A total of 1315 patients seen in 5 urology centers in Korea from January 2001 to August 2007, with LUTS secondary to BPH were enrolled. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to treatment pattern (α-blocker monotherapy vs combination therapy) and IPSS storage subscores (≥6 vs <6).

A novel bulldog clamp technique for management of a distal ureter and bladder cuff during laparoscopic nephroureterectomy.

A novel technique for achieving complete laparoscopic excision of the intramural ureter with a bladder cuff is presented using the bulldog clamp without opening the urinary tract.

Expression analysis of caspase-6, caspase-9 and BNIP3 in prostate cancer.

Aims: Altered regulation of cell death is a feature of human cancer. The aim of this study was to explore whether the expression of the proapoptotic proteins caspase-6, caspase-9, and Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B-19kDa-interacting protein3 (BNIP3) is altered in prostate cancers.

Methods: We analyzed the expression of caspase-6, caspase-9, and BNIP3 in 107 prostate adenocarcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray (TMA) method.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic right donor nephrectomy: safety and feasibility.

Purpose: We aimed to prove the safety and feasibility of right-sided hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN).

Materials And Methods: Between May 2006 and May 2009, 16 patients underwent right-sided HALDN at our institution. Of these patients, 15 showed significantly lower renal function in the right kidney than in the left one and 1 had a stone in the right kidney.

Anatomical and functional outcomes of posterior intravaginal slingplasty for the treatment of vaginal vault or uterine prolapse: a prospective, multicenter study.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes of posterior intravaginal slingplasty (P-IVS) for the treatment of a vaginal vault or uterine prolapse (VP/UP).

Materials And Methods: This was a 12-month prospective, multicenter, observational study. Women aged over 30 years who presented with stage II or greater VP/UP underwent P-IVS by four urologists at four university hospitals.

Mutational analysis of caspase genes in prostate carcinomas.

Evasion of apoptosis is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Of the components of apoptosis machinery, caspases are the main executioners of apoptosis that initiate and propagate the apoptosis, and finally degrade target molecules. Caspase-encoding genes have been reported to harbor inactivating mutations in many human cancers.

Immunohistochemical analysis of RNA-induced silencing complex-related proteins AGO2 and TNRC6A in prostate and esophageal cancers.

Evidence exists that microRNA (miRNA), which regulates gene expression, is frequently deregulated in cancers. A mature miRNA directs a RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to its target messenger RNA, and causes inhibition of gene transcription. Ago proteins and TNRC proteins are main components of the RISC and participate in miRNA-induced gene silencing.

Laparoscopic versus open radical cystectomy for the management of bladder cancer: mid-term oncological outcome.

Objective: To compare the mid-term oncological outcome of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) with those of open radical cystectomy (ORC).

Methods: From June 2003 to February 2008, 36 LRCs were carried out at our institute for the treatment of bladder cancer. Clinical and oncological data were retrospectively analyzed.

Effects of obesity on lower urinary tract symptoms in Korean BPH patients.

We analyzed the effects of obesity on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) in Korean benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients. This is a multicenter, cross-sectional, prospective study conducted in four centers in Korea. A total of 602 men with LUTSs secondary to BPH were included.

Immunohistochemical analysis of NF-kappaB signaling proteins IKKepsilon, p50/p105, p52/p100 and RelA in prostate cancers.

Activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) signaling is considered an important mechanism in the development of prostate cancers. A recent study revealed that IkappaB kinase epsilon (IKKepsilon), an activator of NF-kappaB, was overexpressed in breast cancers and acted as an oncogene. Expression of NF-kappaB members has been reported in prostate cancer tissues, but expression of IKKepsilon has not yet been studied in prostate cancers.

Novel natural fill telemetric pressure flow study of discomfort and bladder outlet obstruction.

Purpose: We evaluated the accuracy of natural fill telemetric pressure flow study performed in a private room, and assessed patient discomfort and experience after the procedure compared to those of standard pressure flow study.

Materials And Methods: In 58 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia free uroflowmetry, and natural fill telemetric and standard pressure flow studies were prospectively performed. Immediately after each step patients were asked to rate the experience in terms of pain, embarrassment, bother, boredom and repeat testing.

Effects of components of metabolic syndrome on sexual function in Korean BPH/LUTS patients.

Introduction: There are limited data concerning the association between components of metabolic syndrome and sexual function in men aged 40 years and older in Korean benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients.

Aim: To examine the effects of metabolic markers on sexual function in Korean BPH patients and to evaluate obesity as a causal factor for the development of BPH and sexual dysfunction in a large population of Korean men.

Methods: This is a multicenter, cross-sectional, prospective study conducted at four centers in Korea.

Mutational analysis of IDH1 codon 132 in glioblastomas and other common cancers.

Missense somatic mutations in IDH1 gene affecting codon 132 have recently been reported in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other gliomas. The recurrent nature of the IDH1 mutations in the same amino acid strongly suggests that the mutations may play important roles in the pathogenesis of glial tumors. The aim of this study was to see whether the IDH1 codon 132 mutations occur in other human cancers besides glial tumors.

Immunohistochemical analysis of Fas and FLIP in prostate cancers.

Fas-mediated apoptosis is considered a principal pathway for apoptosis induction in normal and cancer cells. Expression of Fas has been reported in prostate tissues several times, but the data were not consistent. Expression of FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP), an inhibitor of Fas-mediated apoptosis, has not been studied by immunohistochemistry in prostate tissues.

Sphincter contractility after muscle-derived stem cells autograft into the cryoinjured anal sphincters of rats.

Purpose: This study was designed to determine whether the injection of muscle-derived stem cells into the anal sphincter can improve functional properties in a fecal incontinence rat model.

Methods: Cryoinjured rats were utilized as a fecal incontinence model. The gastrocnemius muscles of normal three-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the purification of the muscle-derived stem cells.

Changes in the levels of plasma soluble fractalkine in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Soluble fractalkine plays a distinctive role in the inflammatory processes of the nervous system; however, the role of soluble fractalkine in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not yet been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the levels of plasma soluble fractalkine in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), patients with AD and healthy controls. We also investigated the changes in the levels of plasma soluble fractalkine in patients with AD.

Isolation of neural precursor cells from skeletal muscle tissues and their differentiation into neuron-like cells.

Skeletal muscle contains several precursor cells that generate muscle, bone, cartilage and blood cells. Although there are reports that skeletal muscle-derived cells can trans-differentiate into neural-lineage cells, methods for isolating precursor cells, and procedures for successful neural induction have not been fully established. Here, we show that the preplate cell isolation method, which separates cells based on their adhesion characteristics, permits separation of cells possessing neural precursor characteristics from other cells of skeletal muscle tissues.

Generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life in women with coital incontinence: a prospective, multicenter study.

Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the impact of coital incontinence on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in women with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Methods: A total of 180 women with sexual activity were evaluated. To obtain HRQOL assessments, patients were asked to fill out the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) questionnaires.