Genetic polymorphism and gene expression of microsomal epoxide hydrolase in non-small cell lung cancer.

Genetic polymorphisms of microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) have been associated with increased risk of lung cancer. However, expression of mEH and its clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been investigated. In this study we investigated the expression and genetic polymorphism of mEH in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Overexpression of aldo-keto reductase 1C2 as a high-risk factor in bladder cancer.

Intravesical adjuvant chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been respectively administered for superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of urinary bladder and advanced TCC for years. However, the therapeutic efficacy is limited. Recently, overexpression of aldo-keto reductase (AKR) in lung, esophageal, uterine cervical and ovarian cancers was shown to be closely associated with disease progression and drug resistance.

Endoscopic thoracic sympathetic block by clipping for recurrent palmar hyperhidrosis.

Postoperative complications of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy may be troublesome in some patients. Between January 1998 and September 2002, a total of 16 patients with recurrent palmar hyperhidrosis underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic T2 and T3 sympathetic block. There were seven men and nine women, with a mean age of 21.

Traumatic hemothorax resulting from rupture of mediastinal teratoma: a case report.

Ruptured cystic mature teratoma of anterior mediastinum is rare. This 45-year-old woman complained of sudden onset of chest pain and dyspnea after a traffic accident. Physical examination revealed decrease of breath sounds over the left chest.

Aberrant promoter methylation of EDNRB in lung cancer in Taiwan.

Hypermethylation has been shown in the promoter region of the endothelin receptor B (EDNRB) gene in several human tumors, but its role in lung cancer formation is unclear. In this study, genomic DNA from lung cancer patients was subjected to methylation-specific PCR to determine the methylation status of the EDNRB gene in lung cancer. Aberrant methylation of the EDNRB gene was detected in 32.

Cigarette smoking induces overexpression of hepatocyte growth factor in type II pneumocytes and lung cancer cells.

We examined gene expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and HGF receptor (HGFR), or product of proto-oncogene c-met (c-met), in smokers and nonsmokers with adenocarcinoma (ADC) by suppression subtractive hybridization and microarray techniques. Expression of HGF and c-met was confirmed by RT-PCR. HGF content in the respective tumor mass and nontumor lung tissue was measured by ELISA.

An association of DNMT3b protein expression with P16INK4a promoter hypermethylation in non-smoking female lung cancer with human papillomavirus infection.

Our recent report indicated that HPV infection may be associated with an increased frequency of p16INK4a promoter hypermethylation to cause p16 inactivation. In this study, we further speculated that the HPV infection may be linked with the expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) protein in lung cancer patients and it was observed that an association of p16INK4a promoter hypermethylation with HPV infection existed, but only in female cases (P<0.0001).

Comparison between video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy and transternal thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (analysis of 82 cases).

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) provides a new approach to thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG). We compared the results of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy (VATT) and transternal thymectomy (TT) in Taiwanese people with MG. From January 1997 to August 2002, we enrolled a total of 82 patients with MG who underwent TT and anterior mediastinal adipose tissue removal in our study.

NAT2 fast acetylator genotype is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer among never-smoking women in Taiwan.

The correlation between cooking oil fumes, containing relatively higher amounts of heterocyclic amines, and female lung cancer has been revealed. The association of genetic polymorphisms of CYP1A2 and NAT2, two major enzymes responsible for the metabolism of heterocyclic amines, with lung cancer has been investigated with inconclusive results. In this study targeted on never-smoking population with 162 lung cancer patients and 208 non-cancer controls, while the distributions of CYP1A2 phenotypes in lung cancer patients were comparable to that in controls, NAT2 fast acetylators had an OR of 2.

Treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis using needlescopic T2 sympathetic block by clipping: analysis of 102 cases.

Endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy, or sympathectomy by a 2-mm scope, is an effective method for treating palmar hyperhidrosis. However, postoperative compensatory sweating may be troublesome in some patients. We report needlescopic T2 sympathetic block by clipping, which may provide reverse operation for patients encountering compensatory sweating.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for right middle lobe bronchiectasis.

The bronchiectasis process is irreversible, and only resection of the involved bronchiectatic segments offers the possibility of potential cure. We present our experience in video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for localized right middle lobe bronchiectasis in 16 patients. From July 1994 to June 2002, we enrolled 16 patients with right middle lobe bronchiectasis.

Combination of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for early cancer of the thoracic esophagus.

From June 1997 to July 2002, we enrolled 10 patients with T1 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma according to the findings of chest computerized tomography scans and transesophageal ultrasound. There were nine men and one woman. The average age was 57.

Gender difference in human papillomarvirus infection for non-small cell lung cancer in Taiwan.

Our previous reports have indicated that high risk human papillomarvirus (HPV) 16/18 were much more frequently detected in lung tumors of female patients as compared to that of male patients and HPV 16/18 in lung tumors were evolutionally correlated with those in blood circulation. In the other hand, it is well known that HPV 6/11 are frequently associated with upper aerodigestive and respiratory diseases. HPV 6/11 DNA were detected in lung tumors by nested PCR and in situ hybridization to investigate if any difference in prevalent types of HPV exists between genders.

Expression spectra of matrix metalloproteinases in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

By combining suppression subtractive hybridization and microarray to examine gene expressions between metastatic and non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we have identified differential expression spectra of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). Among MMPs, expressions of MMP-13, -14, -15 and -24 decreased, those of MMP-9, -11, -12, -16, -17, -19 and -23B did not change, and those of MMP-1, -2, -7, -8 and -10 increased dramatically. Overexpressions of MMP-1, -2, -7 and -10 were confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Prognostic significance of CD44v5 expression in human thymic epithelial neoplasms.

Background: Cell surface glycoproteins of the CD44 family play roles in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Their aberrant expression has been implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis of a variety of neoplasms, but not, to date, of thymic epithelial tumors.

Methods: To investigate the expression of CD44 molecules, immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies against human CD44 standard form (CD44 s) and two common splicing variant (CD44v) isoforms, CD44v5 and CD44v6, was performed on 64 resected thymomas and 20 normal thymuses.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic colon mobilization for esophageal reconstruction.

Background: New techniques for hand-assisted laparoscopic colon surgery have been adopted quickly for the treatment of numerous colorectal diseases. However, reports of laparoscopic colonic mobilization for esophageal reconstruction are rare. In this report we describe an improved procedure for esophageal reconstruction with transverse colon.

Uniportal endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for treatment of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis: analysis of 2000 cases.

Objective: Primary hyperhidrosis of the upper limbs is a common and troublesome condition in Taiwan. Therefore, we present our experience in treating hyperhidrosis via uniportal endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy.

Methods: Between April 1993 and March 2000, a total of 2000 patients underwent endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for treatment of palmar or axillary hyperhidrosis.