Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF)-C and -D in resected non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Lymphatic spread of tumor is an important prognostic factor for patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and VEGF-D play important roles in lymphangiogenesis via the VEGF receptor 3 (VEGFR-3). We sought to determine whether VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 are involved in the clinical outcomes of patients with resected NSCLC.

A multicenter phase II study of belotecan, new camptothecin analogue, in patients with previously untreated extensive stage disease small cell lung cancer.

Belotecan (Camtobell, CKD602) is a new camptothecin derivative antitumor agent that belongs to the topoisomerase inhibitors. The aim of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of single agent belotecan in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Patients with previously untreated extensive stage disease (ED) SCLC were entered into the study.

Retrodiaphragmatic portion of the lung: how deep is the posterior costophrenic sulcus on posteroanterior chest radiography?

Aim: To determine the depth of the posterior costophrenic sulcus (CPS) on posteroanterior (PA) chest radiography in relation to the diaphragmatic dome and lateral CPS.

Materials And Methods: Five hundred and forty consecutive PA chest radiographs that were performed for general health screenings were retrospectively reviewed. Among them 282 radiographs were selected that met the following criteria: visualization of the inferior boundary of the posterior CPS behind the right hemidiaphragm; and no abnormal findings that affected the shape and level of the diaphragm.

Clinical application of a Scheimpflug system for lens density measurements in phacoemulsification.

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between lens density measured using the Pentacam Scheimpflug system and phacodynamics (phacoemulsification time, phacoemulsification energy, and balanced salt solution [BSS] use) in patients with age-related nuclear cataract.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Alveolar bone loss around incisors in surgical skeletal Class III patients.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that there is no difference in the vertical alveolar bone levels and alveolar bone thickness around the maxillary and mandibular central incisors in surgically treated skeletal Class III malocclusion patients.

Materials And Methods: The study sample comprised 20 Korean patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion with anterior crossbite and openbite (9 male, 11 female, mean ages 24.1).

Suppression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-coactivator-1alpha normalizes the glucolipotoxicity-induced decreased BETA2/NeuroD gene transcription and improved glucose tolerance in diabetic rats.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) is significantly elevated in the islets of animal models of diabetes. However, the molecular mechanism has not been clarified. We investigated whether the suppression of PGC-1alpha expression protects against beta-cell dysfunction in vivo and determined the mechanism of action of PGC-1alpha in beta-cells.

Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for overweight patients in the Asian population.

Purpose: It is generally considered difficult to operate on overweight patients, who are also at increased risk of postoperative complications. We conducted this study to clarify the technical feasibility and postoperative outcomes of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) for early gastric cancer (EGC) in overweight patients.

Methods: Between July 2004 and December 2006, 116 patients with preoperatively diagnosed EGC underwent LADG at our department.

Clinical results after implantation of a spherical aberration-free intraocular lens: effect of contrast sensitivity and wavefront aberration--a clinical comparative study.

Purpose: To compare the clinical results of the spherical aberration-free Akreos AO (Bausch & Lomb) with the Akreos Adapt (Bausch & Lomb), the parent model of spherical optic design.

Methods: Fifty patients (100 eyes) were randomly assigned to bilaterally receive Akreos AO or Akreos Adapt intraocular lenses (IOLs) after phacoemulsification. At 6 months postoperatively, best-corrected contrast sensitivities were determined at 3, 4.

Ideal Internal Carotid Artery Trapping Technique without Bypass in a Patient with Insufficient Collateral Flow.

Internal carotid artery (ICA) trapping can be used for treating intracranial giant aneurysm, blood blister-like aneurysms and ICA rupture during the surgery. We present a novel ICA trapping technique which can be used with insufficient collaterals flow via anterior communicating artery (AcoA) and posterior communicating artery (PcoA). A patient was admitted with severe headache and the cerebral angiography demonstrated a typical blood blister-like aneurysm at the contralateral side of PcoA.

NF-kappaB inhibition leads to increased synthesis and secretion of MIF in human CD4+ T cells.

To examine the effects of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) inhibition on the secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in human CD4(+) T cells. Isolated human CD4(+) T cells were cultured for 24h with pharmacological inhibitors of NF-kappaB including parthenolide, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, BAY 11-7082, gliotoxin, oridonin, andrographolide, and NF-kappaB shRNA. MIF concentration was measured by intracellular flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Overjet at the anterior and posterior segments: three-dimensional analysis of arch coordination.

Objectives: To compare the amounts of anatomical overjet measured from facial axis (FA) points with the amounts of bracket overjet measured from bracket slot center (BSC) points.

Materials And Methods: The samples consisted of 27 subjects with normal occlusion whose models were fabricated with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner and the 3Txer program (Orapix Co Ltd, Seoul, Korea). 3D virtual brackets (0.

Staphylococcus aureus accelerates an experimental allergic conjunctivitis by Toll-like receptor 2-dependent manner.

Allergic conjunctivitis is an inflammatory eye disease mediated by Th2-type cytokines and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonization has been suggested as playing a role. This study used an experimental allergic conjunctivitis model to determine whether colonization by S.

Expression of the antiapoptosis gene Survivin predicts poor prognosis of stage III gastric adenocarcinoma.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the level of survivin expression and its clinical significance as a prognostic factor in Stage III gastric adenocarcinoma.

Methods: We performed immunohistochemical staining for survivin, p53 and Bax in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks from 157 surgically resected Stage III gastric cancer tissues. To determine the association with clinical course, we reviewed the patients' clinical records.

Merkel cell carcinoma of the inguinal lymph node with an unknown primary site.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon and aggressive primary neuroendocrine malignancy of the skin. Frequent local recurrences and disseminations to regional lymph nodes and distant organs are characteristic. MCC within the lymph nodes in the absence of a primary site is rare and has only been reported sporadically.

Risk factors of implant exposure outside the conjunctiva after Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation.

Purpose: To study possible risk factors in cases in which part of the device becomes exposed outside the conjunctiva after Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation.

Methods: Eleven eyes in which one part of the AGV was exposed outside the conjunctivae were compared with 44 random eyes that underwent the same operation by the same surgeon during the same time period but without any complications. Preoperative diagnosis, age, sex, implant location, number of previous ocular surgeries, and both associated ocular diseases and systemic diseases were taken into account in both the patient group and the control group to determine all possible causes.

Comparison of antibody monitoring system with flow cytometric crossmatch test in renal transplant recipients with high panel-reactive antibody.

Background/aims: The antibody monitoring system (AMS) is a recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) crossmatch assay to detect donor-specific anti-HLA immunoglobulin G antibodies (DS-HLA Abs). This study was conducted to compare the AMS with the flow cytometric crossmatch (FCXM) test in renal transplant recipients with high panel-reactive antibody (PRA).

Methods: Thirty-two sera were obtained from 10 patients with panel reactivity above 50%.

Complications and safety profile of posterior subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide.

Purpose: Posterior subtenon injection (PSTI) of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) is one of the delivery methods for the treatment of posterior uveitis, diabetic macular edema, and cystoid macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusions. The aim of this investigation was to assess the rates of various complications associated with PSTI and to determine which factors are associated with the development of complications.

Methods: This investigation was a retrospective interventional case series, and one retinal specialist from 2005 to 2007 conducted all of the procedures.

Giant aneurysm of the common hepatic artery: US and CT imaging findings.

Giant hepatic artery aneurysm is a very rare vascular lesion, but can be detected incidentally during abdominal imaging. We report the sonographic and computed tomography (CT) features of a giant hepatic artery aneurysm in a 52-year-old woman presenting with vague abdominal discomfort. This report illustrates that a giant hepatic artery aneurysm can manifest as an incidental large mass in the porta hepatis, and we discuss the role of sonography and CT in the diagnosis of the lesion and review the natural history and clinical presentation of hepatic artery aneurysm.

Single-balloon kyphoplasty in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures : far-lateral extrapedicular approach.

Single-balloon kyphoplasty via an extrapedicular approach has been reported to be effective because it requires less time than conventional two-balloon kyphoplasty and has comparable therapeutic efficacy. However, single-balloon kyphoplasty is not popular because the extrapedicular approach is believed to be complicated and unsuitable for the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine. The authors describe a standardized surgical technique that utilizes a far-lateral extrapedicular approach for single-balloon kyphoplasty, which can be performed in any part of the spine by physicians without substantial difficulty.

Epidemiology and risk factors for bacteremia in 144 consecutive living-donor liver transplant recipients.

Purpose: Bacteremia is a major infectious complication associated with mortality in liver transplant recipients. The causative organisms and clinical courses differ between medical centers due to variations in regional bacterial epidemiology and posttransplant care. Further, living donors in Korea contribute to 83% of liver transplants, and individualized data are required to improve survival rates.

Two cases of inverse Bell's phenomenon following levator resection: a contemplation of the mechanism.

Purpose: The authors observed the unusual complication of inverse Bell's phenomenon of two cases following repeated and extensive levator resection surgery for a blepharoptosis and suggest the possible mechanism of the phenomenon.

Methods: Case report.

Results: The first case was a 22-year-old woman who was diagnosed with a congenital ptosis with good levator function and she underwent levator resection and several reoperations because of asymmetry of lid height.

Mobile communication using a mobile phone with a glucometer for glucose control in Type 2 patients with diabetes: as effective as an Internet-based glucose monitoring system.

A mobile phone with a glucometer integrated into the battery pack (the 'Diabetes Phone') was launched in Korea in 2003. We compared its effect on management of type 2 diabetes to the Internet-based glucose monitoring system (IBGMS), which had been studied previously. We conducted a randomized trial involving 69 patients for three months.

The prognostic factors influencing on the therapeutic effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty in treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Objective: This retrospective study of 215 patients with 383 symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP), was performed to evaluate the clinical outcomes, and to analyze the various clinical factors affecting these results.

Methods: The authors assessed the clinical outcome under the criteria such as the pain improvement, activity, requirement of analgesics, and the patient's satisfaction, and determined the relation to various peri- and intra-operative factors, and postoperative imaging findings.

Results: The outcome was determined as 84.

Antimicrobial activity of enterocins from Enterococcus faecalis SL-5 against Propionibacterium acnes, the causative agent in acne vulgaris, and its therapeutic effect.

A lactic acid bacterial strain was isolated from human fecal specimen and identified as Enterococcus faecalis SL-5. The isolated strain showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive pathogens assayed, especially the highest activity against Propionibacterium acnes. The antimicrobial substance was purified and verified as a bacteriocin (named ESL5) of E.