In our study, we estimated formaldehyde exposure levels of Korean medical students during their cadaver dissection practice hours. In addition, we examined the prevalence rates of formaldehyde-specific immunoglobulin E or immunoglobulin G antibodies and compared the results with the symptoms the students experienced as a result of formaldehyde exposure. There were 167 Korean medical students (i.e., subjects) aged 23.8+/-2.5 y (mean+/-standard deviation) and a control group of 67 premedical students aged 20.1+/-2.8 y (mean+/-standard deviation). Concentrations of formaldehyde in the cadaver dissection practice laboratory ranged from 0.194 to 11.245 mg/m3 (3.736+/-3.478 mg/m3 [mean+/-standard deviation]). Students reported by self-administered questionnaires that eye soreness (92.8%) and lacrimation (74.9%) were the most common symptoms they experienced during the laboratory sessions. One (0.6%) of the 167 medical students had a history of wheezing during dissection. Fourteen (8.4%) had specific immunoglobulin G antibody, but none had specific immunoglobulin E antibody. These results suggest that (a) Korean medical students are exposed to formaldehyde at a relatively high levels in their dissection practice hours, (b) specific immunoglobulin G is not related to adverse eye or respiratory symptoms, and (c) specific immunoglobulin E is rarely induced as a result of exposure to formaldehyde.

Antibodies↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of Mad1 protein inhibits proliferation of cancer cells and inversely correlated with Myc protein expression in primary gastric cancer.

We performed immunohistochemical assay for Mad1 and Myc protein in 76 gastric cancer tissues. Cancers with reduced Mad1 expression had high proliferative index (S and G2/M-phase) and there was inverse correlation between Mad1 and Myc expression in the same cancer cells. There was no significant correlation between expression of Mad1 and cell differentiation or extent of the disease. There was a trend that reduced expression of Mad1 was associated with poor survival of the patients. Mad1 may influence biologic behavior of cancer cell by inhibiting transcriptional activity of Myc and reduced levels of Mad1 expression seem to be associated with carcinogenesis in human gastric cancer.

Adult↗