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Biomedical subjects

C J Kim

Publications and source records attributed to C J Kim.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

The value of Helicobacter pylori IgG antibody in estimating the severity of gastritis in children.

A serologic test for antibodies is useful for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in children. We evaluated the reliability of H.pylori IgG antibody titer in grading the severity of infection in children. We surveyed the sero-prevalence of H.pylori infection in 300 healthy school children (13 to 15 years old). Thirty-four percent(102 of 300 children) were sero-positive for H.pylori. Of the 102 sero-positive children, 70 underwent gastroscopic examination. Ninety percent of sero-positive children(63 of 70 children) were proven to be H.pylori infected. All children with H.pylori infection had histologically proven gastritis, and its severity did not correlate with the IgG antibody titer. Although a serologic test is useful to identify H.pylori infection in children, it can not predict the severity of H.pylori associated gastritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Detection of 17p loss in gastric carcinoma using polymerase chain reaction.

BACKGROUND: The loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of 17p has been previously studied with conventional Southern blot-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, but the relatively low informativity was an obstacle to extensive analysis. To overcome this problem and to investigate the significance of 17p LOH in gastric carcinoma, we employed polymerase chain reaction and subsequent silver staining of DNA. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: LOH of p53 gene and D17S5 locus on 17p was analyzed using polymerase reaction; the relationships between 17p LOH and conventional clinicopathologic parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: The LOH of p53 gene and D17S5 was found in 36.5% (23 out of 63) and 63.3% (38 out of 60) informative cases, respectively. There was no significant correlation between LOH of these two loci, whereas the frequency of the D17S5 locus was significantly higher (p < 0.01), which suggested that there may be another putative tumor suppressor gene between the two loci or distal to D17S5. The LOH of p53 gene and D17S5 locus was not significantly associated with abnormal p53 expression, depth of invasion, histologic type of the tumor (Lauren's classification), or the status of lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The polymerase chain reaction and silver staining of DNA seemed to be a simple and excellent method for the evaluation of chromosomal allelic loss. The 17p LOH was frequently found in gastric carcinoma, but specific association with conventional clinicopathologic parameters was not found.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Intracranial tuberculoma: comparison of MR with pathologic findings.

PURPOSE: To compare the MR signal intensity patterns and enhancement pattern of intracranial tuberculomas with their histopathologic features. METHODS: MR images of six patients with surgically proved intracranial tuberculoma were reviewed retrospectively and were compared with histologic findings of the resected specimen. Detailed histologic examination was performed to look for the extent and characteristics of caseation necrosis, fibrosis, and inflammatory cellular infiltrates at each area of different signal intensities and at the enhancing areas on MR. Signal intensities for T1- and T2-weighted images were compared with normal gray matter. RESULTS: On T1-weighted images, the granulomas showed a slightly hyperintense rim surrounded by a complete or partial rim of slight hypointensity and central isointensity or mixed isointensity and hyperintensity in five patients and homogeneous isointensity in one patient. Histologically, the zone of central isointensity or mixed intensity corresponded to caseation necrosis plus adjacent cellular infiltrates. The hyperintense and hypointense rims corresponded to the layers of collagenous fiber and the layers of the inflammatory cellular infiltrates, respectively. On T2-weighted images, the entire portion of the granuloma showed slightly heterogeneous isointensity or hypointensity with small markedly hypointense foci in five patients, and a hyperintense center surrounded by a hypointense rim in one patient. Histologic layers were not discriminated on T2-weighted images. On postcontrast T1-weighted images, there were single or multiple conglomerate ring enhancements within a tuberculoma in all six patients, corresponding to the layers of both collagenous and inflammatory cells. CONCLUSION: Combination of the described signal intensity patterns and conglomerate ringlike enhancing appearance of the lesion is characteristic of tuberculoma, and may play an important role in differentiating intracranial tuberculomas from other ring-enhancing brain lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Eosinophils recruited to the lung by segmental antigen challenge show a reduced chemotactic response to leukotriene B4.

Inflammatory cells, particularly eosinophils, are thought to be important in allergic airway disease. However, the mechanisms responsible for their recruitment to the lung have not been well established in humans, in vivo. In this report we demonstrate that eosinophils recruited to the lung of ragweed allergic volunteers by segmental antigen challenge have a decreased chemotactic response to leukotriene (LT) B4 ex vivo, in comparison with eosinophils isolated from peripheral blood (80% inhibition at 10(-8) M LTB4, the optimal concentration, p < 0.01). Their chemotactic response to formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) was normal. Although the response to platelet activating factor also appeared to be reduced, this reduction was not statistically significant. These data suggest that lung eosinophils were exposed to LTB4 in vivo and are consistent with the hypothesis that LTB4 is important in the recruitment of eosinophils to the lung during IgE-mediated reactions in the lung in humans.

Allergens↗
PubMed1994

Effects of hormone replacement therapy on lipoprotein(a) and lipids in postmenopausal women.

High concentrations of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, cannot be managed by the usual lipid-lowering agents. It has been suggested that Lp(a) levels are related to female sex hormones. Estrogen replacement therapy makes the lipid profiles favorable for delaying atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. The effects of the combination therapy of estrogen and progesterone on lipids are controversial. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of female sex hormones on the concentration of Lp(a) and to clarify the influence of progesterone on the effect of estrogen in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women (n = 184) were divided into four groups: control; 0.625 mg conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) plus 10 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA); 0.625 mg CEE plus 5 mg MPA; and 0.625 mg CEE only. Medication for 2 months lowered the concentrations of Lp(a) by 20% in all treated groups. The decrease was more pronounced in subjects with a relatively higher basal Lp(a) concentration. Estrogen replacement therapy raised the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol without changing total cholesterol. The combination therapy of estrogen and progesterone abolished the effect of estrogen on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hormone replacement therapy lowered Lp(a) levels in postmenopausal women. The effect was prominent in subjects with high basal Lp(a) levels. This decrease may be one of the mechanisms of the cardioprotective effects of estrogen. The cardioprotective effect of estrogen cannot be applied to the combination therapy due to the adverse effect of progesterone on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Primary malignant melanoma of the female urethra.

BACKGROUND: Malignant melanoma is one of the rarest tumors of the female urethra. The prognosis of urethral melanoma is poor. METHODS: A 59-year-old woman underwent total urethrectomy, bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection, and vesicostomy for Stage A primary malignant melanoma of the urethra. She received adjuvant therapy consisting of dacarbazine, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and alpha-interferon. Two years later, repair of the parastomal hernia and interposition of an isoperistaltically ileum intussusception between the bladder and the abdominal wall were done. RESULTS: Complete continence was achieved, and the patient catheterizes herself every 3-5 hours during the day and once at night without difficulty. She has survived 5 years without any evidence of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: There have been only six case reports of women with primary malignant melanoma of the urethra surviving more than 5 years, including this case. Total urethrectomy with bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection should be done as the initial form of the treatment in patients with this disease who have no evidence of distant metastasis. The postoperative adjuvant therapy, consisting of alpha-interferon and chemotherapy, should be administered immediately; therefore, vesicostomy was done because it is a simple procedure. However, this type of urinary diversion requires an external appliance. Clinicians should consider the patient's quality of life, prognosis, and general condition and attempt to solve the problems of patients 2-3 years after the operation.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1993

Patterns of p53 expression in phyllodes tumors of the breast--an immunohistochemical study.

Authors performed an immunohistochemical analysis using monoclonal antibody to p53 protein on 15 cases of benign and malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast along with a review of other conventional clinicopathological parameters to investigate the meaning of p53 expression. The cases were composed of 8 benign and 7 malignant lesions. The pattern of p53 expression showed a statistically significant difference between these benign and malignant lesions (p < 0.005). None of the benign cases expressed p53 whereas 6 out of 7 malignant cases did. Among malignant phyllodes tumors, the pattern of expression was diffuse and strong in two cases while granular and relatively weak in the remaining 4 cases. p53 expression seemed to be a unique feature of malignant phyllodes tumors, thereby, one of the most significant parameters for the differentiation of benign and malignant phyllodes tumors of the breast.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Molecular typing of hepatitis C virus genome from sera and liver tissues of patients with anti-HCV positive chronic liver disease.

The authors investigated the distribution of HCV genotypes in patients with various chronic liver diseases in Korea. Study population was 70 individuals, positive for second generation anti-HCV EIA, consisting of 37 cases with sporadic non-A, non-B (NANB) chronic hepatitis (CH), 12 NANB hepatocellular carcinoma, 16 post-transfusion NANB hepatitis, 4 non-B blood donors and 1 healthy family member of a patient with sporadic CH. Molecular typing was performed by RT-nested PCR with type-specific primer sets deduced from the NS-5 region of HCV. The prevalence of type II was 75.0% and type III was 25.0% in sera. In liver tissues, type II HCV was shown in 63.0%, type III HCV in 3.7% and co-infections with type II and III HCV were observed in 18.5% of 27 samples biopsied. In the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis, typing results were relatively well correlated with those in tissues (75%), but type III could not be observed. Among 12 HCC patients, type III HCV appeared only in tissues, not in sera. These results suggest that type II HCV may be the major HCV type in Korea, and co-infections with type II and-III HCV may not be rare in chronic liver diseases with HCV.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Effect of loading on swelling-controlled drug release from hydrophobic polyelectrolyte gel beads.

The effect of oxprenolol HCl loading on the kinetics of polymer swelling and drug release from suspension-polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (PMMA/MAA) beads has been studied in detail. Within the range of variables studied, the polymer swelling rate increases with buffer pH and concentration. And an ionization-controlled swelling mechanism (analogous to the relaxation-controlled mechanism) mechanism) seems to become more rate-limiting at higher buffer concentrations. At oxprenolol HCL loading levels below 17.8%, the drug release and associated dimensional changes (in pH 7.4) exhibit an extended quasi-linear region despite the inherent limitation of spherical geometry. At higher loading levels, the drug release becomes faster and first-order in nature. This is apparently a result of the transition from a dissolved to a dispersed system above a percolation threshold (15-18% loading in the present study). As a result of competition from processes such as the reduction of bead dimension due to drug release and the dimensional increase due to polymer swelling and osmotic contributions from the drug, the transient bead diameter increases monotonically during drug release at loading levels up to 25.6%, whereas upon further increasing the drug loading, the bead diameter goes through a maximum during the early drug release, which eventually increases again as a result of the slow but continuous increase in polymer swelling due to further ionization. In all cases, both the drug release and the dimensional changes approach completion as the penetrating ionization fronts meet at the center, indicating a true swelling-controlled behavior.

Buffers↗
PubMed1992

Hydrophobic anionic gel beads for swelling-controlled drug delivery.

Using oxprenolol HCl as a model drug, the effects of pH and buffer concentration on the swelling and drug release properties in cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (PMMA/MAA) beads have been investigated. The kinetics of swelling of such hydrophobic anionic gel beads from the dehydrated state appear to be governed primarily by a diffusion-ionization process which becomes more ionization-controlled at higher buffer concentrations. Within the range of ionic compositions studied, the swelling rate increases and the initial swelling/ionization front penetration becomes increasingly linear in time with increasing pH or buffer concentration of the swelling medium. The corresponding swelling bead diameter appears to reach an equilibrium value as soon as the penetrating ionization fronts meet at the center, suggesting a swelling equilibrium in the ionized shell due to rapid mechanical readjustment in the gel phase. At oxprenolol loading levels up to 15%, both the transient drug release and swelling bead diameter exhibit extended quasi-linear regions despite the inherent limitation of decreasing surface area at the penetrating front in the spherical geometry. In addition, both the drug release and the dimensional changes reach completion when the penetrating ionization fronts meet at the center, suggesting a true swelling-controlled drug release behavior.

Anions↗
PubMed1992

Composite poly(vinyl alcohol) beads for controlled drug delivery.

A new method of preparing composite poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) beads with a double-layer structure has been developed, which involves a stepwise saponification of suspension polymerized poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) beads and subsequent stepwise cross-linking of the PVA core and shell with glutaraldehyde. This process results in PVA beads with thin, highly cross-linked outer shells and lightly cross-linked inner cores of different degrees of cross-linking. In addition to structural characterization of the polymer based on equilibrium swelling measurements, the kinetics of water swelling and drug release from these beads were studied at 37 degrees C using acetaminophen and proxyphylline as model drugs. The results show that the outer shell functions as a rate-controlling membrane upon increasing its cross-linking ratio, X, above 0.47. This aspect is reflected in the observed diffusional time lags and constant-rate regions during swelling and drug release. Based on observed time lags, the diffusion coefficient of water through the outer PVA shell with a high cross-linking ratio of X = 0.5 is estimated to be at least six times higher than that of acetaminophen and proxyphylline. In addition, drug diffusion coefficients in the lightly cross-linked PVA core appear to be at least 10 times larger than that in the highly cross-linked outer shell. At lower shell cross-linking ratios (X less than 0.4), the diffusional time lags appear to be absent and the diffusion profiles are apparently first-order (Fickian) in nature.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

Sudden death in angiodysplasia of the gastroesophageal junction.

A 22-year-old Korean soldier, who had received blows to the neck and epigastrium from an officer 10 h earlier, suddenly died after massive hematemesis. He had been in relatively good health except for episodes of blood-tinged vomiting approximately 5 and 7 months prior to this event. Postmortem examination revealed angiodysplasia involving the gastroesophageal junction, and the stomach was distended with blood. No abnormal findings were present around the whole viscera, and the duodenum was free of blood. The pathologic significance of upper gastrointestinal angiodysplasia as a potential source of bleeding and a chronologic correlation between the trauma and bleeding are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

CT findings in benign fibrous mesothelioma of the pleura: pathologic correlation in nine patients.

The CT findings in cases of benign fibrous mesothelioma of the pleura have been described previously, but little attention has been given to a correlation of these findings with the pathologic appearance of the tumors. Accordingly, we analyzed the CT scans in nine proved cases in which pathologic studies were available and compared the pathologic findings with the CT appearance of the tumors. On enhanced CT scans (available in eight patients), the lesions showed significant enhancement in all cases. Pathologic examination showed that the enhancement could be explained by the vascularity of the tumor. Areas of myxoid (n = 7) or cystic (n = 3) degeneration and hemorrhage (n = 3) seen in the pathologic specimens correlated with round or tubular low-attenuation areas on unenhanced and enhanced CT scans. On unenhanced CT scans (n = 3), the tumor density was the same as that of the surrounding musculature. Calcification was seen in one patient. Large lesions showed lobulated borders, but no invasion into the lung parenchyma and chest wall was noted. There was no pleural effusion. Our experience suggests that intense enhancement of the tumors occurs because of the vascularity of the tumors. Areas of low attenuation in the tumors on CT were due to foci of myxoid or cystic degeneration and hemorrhage in the lesion.

Contrast Media↗