• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.523-530
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• 2007

Background: A ThinPrep$^{(R)}$ Processor was developed to overcome the limitations of conventional cytology and is widely used to diagnose various cancers. This study compared the diagnostic efficacy of conventional cytology for lung cancer with that of the ThinPrep$^{(R)}$ cytology using the bronchial washing fluid. Methods: The bronchial washing fluid of 790 patients from Jan. 2002 to Dec. 2006, who were suspected of gaving a lung malignancy, was evaluated. Both ThinPrep$^{(R)}$ and conventional cytology were performed for all specimens. Result: Four hundred forty-six men and 344 women were enrolled in this study, and 197 of them were diagnosed with cancer from either a bronchoscopic biopsy or a percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy. ThinPrep$^{(R)}$ cytology showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and false negative error rate of 71.1%, 98.0%, 92.1%, 91.1%, 8.9%, respectively. The conventional cytology showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, nagative predictive value and false negative error rate of 57.9%, 98.0%, 90.5%, 87.5%, 12.5%, respectively. For central lesions, the sensitivity of conventional cytology and ThinPrep$^{(R)}$ were 70.1% and 82.8%, respectively. Conclusion: ThinPrep$^{(R)}$ cytology showed a higher sensitivity and lower false negative error rate than conventional cytology. This result was unaffected by the histological classification of lung cancer. Therefore, ThinPrep$^{(R)}$ cytology appears to be a useful method for increasing the detection rate of lung cancer in bronchial washing cytology test.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2007

This study purposed to evaluate a $CellPrep^{(R)}$ (CP) of liquid-based cytology (LBC) to search for a less expensive and automated alternative cytologic preparation technique applicable to usually encountered cytologic specimens. Cervicovaginal direct-to-vial split samples from 457 gynecologic patients, 40 body fluid samples, and 34 urine samples were processed with the CP technique and the results were compared with those of currently used $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ (TP) method. Both CP and TP methods provide evenly distributed thin layers of cells with little cellular overlaps or significant obscuring elements in most of cases. Staining quality of both preparations showed a little difference due to the difference of fixative solutions without significant distractions in cytologic interpretation. On the supposition that TP was a gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CP cytology were 89%, 98%, 86%, and 99% in the cervicovaginal smear, 89%, 82%, 80%, and 90% in body fluid, and all of these values were 100% in urine samples. To testify the availability of immunohistochemistry on CP preparations, cytokeratin, vimentin, and Ki-67 were applied on body fluid specimens, and all of these antibodies were specifically stained on targeted cells. Conclusively, the CP method gave comparable results to those of TP in terms of smear quality and cytologic diagnostic evaluation, and was available on immunohistochemistry. The CP method could offer a cost-effective and automated alternative to the current expensive techniques of liquid-based cytology on popular cytologic materials including cervicovaginal, body fluid, and urine specimens.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2008

Urothelial carcinoma accounts for 90% of all the cases of bladder cancer. Although many cases can be easily managed by local excision, urothelial carcinoma rather frequently recurs, tends to progress to muscle invasion, and requires regular follow-ups. Urine cytology is a main approach for the follow-up of bladder tumors. It is noninvasive, but it has low sensitivity of around 50% with using the conventional cytospin preparation. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) has been developed as a replacement for the conventional technique. We compared the cytomorphometric parameters of $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ and cytospin preparation urine cytology to see whether there are definite differences between the two methods and which technique allows malignant cells to be more effectively discriminated from benign cells. The nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio value, as measured by digital image analysis, was efficient for differentiating malignant and benign urothelial cells, and this was irrespective of the preparation method and the tumor grade. Neither the $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ nor the conventional preparation cytology was definitely superior for distinguishing malignant cells from benign cells by cytomorphometric analysis of the adequately preserved cells. However, the $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ preparation showed significant advantages when considering the better preservation and cellularity with a clear background.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2007

Urine cytology is an important screening tool for urinary tract neoplasms. Liquid-based preparation methods, such as $ThinPrep^{(R)}$, have been introduced for non-gynecological samples. We aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of liquid-based preparations in urine cytology by comparing the results of the conventional Cytospin preparation method for the same samples. A total of 236 cases subject to urine cytology were enrolled in this study from January 2005 to December 2005. All cases were subjected to cystoscopy and if a malignancy was suspected, a biopsy was performed. Urine cytology slides were made using the $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ preparation method and the conventional Cytospin and/or direct smear method from the individual samples. The results of urine cytology were compared with the final cystoscopic or histological diagnoses. We analyzed the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of both cytology preparation methods. A total of 236 slides made using the liquid based method were satisfactory for slide quality, whereas 5 slides (2.1%) prepared by conventional methods were unsatisfactory because of air-drying, a thick smear, or a bloody or inflammatory background. The $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ method showed 53.1% sensitivity, 92.6% specificity, a 92,6% positive predictive value, a 94.1% negative predictive value and 85,6% accuracy, while the conventional method showed 51% sensitivity, 98.4% specificity, a 92.6% positive predictive value, a 98.4% negative predictive value and 88,6% accuracy. Although the diagnostic values were equivalent between the use of the two methods, the quality of the cytology slides and the time consumed during the microscopic examination for a diagnosis were superior for the $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ method than for the conventional method. In conclusion, our limited studies have shown that the use of the liquid based preparation method is beneficial to improve the quality of slides and reduce the duration for a microscopic examination, but did not show better sensitivity, accuracy and predictive values.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2007

Once diagnosed as "cell paucity"or "atypia" by the cytospin (CS) preparation, this CS preparation does not secure a precise diagnosis by repeated testing alone. Although the ThinPrep (TP) preparation is acknowledged to show increased cellularity, performing the screening tests for the cases that have enough cellularity, according to CS, raises issues for the cost-effectiveness. To obtain a more precise diagnosis through increasing the cellularity by performing TP, we selected the cases that were diagnosed as "cell paucity" or "atypia" by CS, but they required a more precise diagnosis, and the samples were processed via both CS and TP to compare the results. 11 patients diagnosed as "cell paucity" and 22 patients diagnosed as "atypia" by CS participated in this study. When the detection rate of atypical cells in both preparations with repeated urine cytology was compared, the overall detection rate of TP (16cases, 48.5%) was superior than that of CS (11cases, 33.3%), with statistical significance. The cellularity of both preparations was compared on repeated urine cytology; the general cellularity of TP (29cases, 87.9%) was higher than that of CS (20cases, 60.6%), but there was no statistical significance. Particularly, we repeated the TP for the 1 case that was diagnosed as "atypia" and we performed polyoma virus immunohistochemical staining, which confirmed polyoma virus. In conclusion, we can avoid obtaining negative diagnosis from cases with uncertain "atypia" or "cell paucity" by performing repeated TP testing.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.189-197
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• 2008

Purpose: Peritoneal lavage cytology is regarded as a useful diagnostic test for detecting intraperitoneal micrometastsis. However, there are currently no reports about cytological examination with $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ (CY), a newly introduced fluid-based diagnostic system, in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). This study was performed to analyze the clinical significance of intraoperative peritoneal lavage for CY in AGC patients. Materials and Methods: 424 AGC patients were suspected to have serosal exposure macroscopically during surgery and they underwent intraoperative peritoneal lavage for CY between 2001 and 2006 at Korea Cancer Center Hospital. The clinical data, pathological data and CY results were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results: The percentage of cytology positive results was 31.1%, and this was well correlated with the T-stage, N-stage and P-stage. The 3-year survival rates of CY0 and CY1 were 68.1% and 25.9%, respectively. According to the P-stage and CY, the 3-year survival rates were 71.1% in P0CY0, 38.9% in P0CY1, 38.5% in P1/2/3CY0 and 11.0% in P1/2/3CY1. Interestingly, both the P0CY1 and P1/2/3CY0 survival curves were similar figures, but they were significantly different from those of the other groups. Multivariate analysis indicated that CY was an independent, strong prognostic factor for survival, as well as sex, the T-stage, N-stage, P-stage, other metastasis and the serum CEA. CY1 was revealed as a risk factor for peritoneal recurrence in the curative resection group. Conclusion: The results certify indirectly that cytological examination using $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ is a very reliable diagnostic method for detecting intraperitoneal micrometastasis from the fact that it is not only a strong prognostic factor, but it is also a risk factor for peritoneal recurrence in AGC patients. Therefore intraoperative peritoneal lavage should be included in the routine intraoperative staging workup for AGC, and its result will provide a good target for the treatment of peritoneal micrometastasis.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.430-436
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• 1996

We have grown superconducting thin films on various substrates using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. $YBa_2Cu_3O_7-\delta$ (YBCO) superconducting thin films with the superconducting transition temperature ($T_{c. offset}$) of 87K were grown on Si substrates using yittria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and $CeO_2$ double buffer layers. We have developed a large area pulsed laser deposition system. The system was designed to deposit up to 6 different materials on a large area substrate up to 7.5cm in diameter without breaking a vacuum. The preliminary runs of the deposition of YBCO superconducting thin films on $SrTiO_3$ substrate using this system showed a very uniform thickness profile over the entire substrate holder area. $T_{c}$ of the deposited YBCO thin film, however, was scattered depending on the position and the highest value was 85K.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2012

In this study, we evaluated the human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping test called MolecuTech REBA HPV-$ID^{(R)}$ (YD Diagnostics, Seoul, Korea) for 704 women who also had cervical cytological evaluations by Thin Prep. The infection rate of high-risk HPV genotypes was 56.6% in patients with normal cytology, 59.8% in those with benign, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 51.4% in those with atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance, 92.3% in those with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and 94.1% in those with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. HPV 16 was the most common genotype detected in any lesion, followed by HPV 53, 58, 33, 52, 45, 31, and 35, in order. The HPV DNA test with PCR-REBA is a very highly sensitive, but less specific, method. The infection rates and HPV genotype distribution of non-Korean people versus people from South Korea showed regional differences.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1001-1010
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• 2005

Bacillus megaterium KL39, an antibiotic-producing plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR), was selected from soil. The antifungal antibiotic, denoted KL39, was purified from culture filtrate by column chromatography using Dion HP-20, Silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and prep-HPLC. Thin layer chromatography, employing the solvent system of ethanol:ammonia:water=8:1:1, showed the $R_{f}$. value of 0.32. The antibiotic KL39 showed a negative reaction with ninhydrin solution, positive with iodine vapor, and also positive with Ehrlich reagent. It was soluble in methanol, ethanol, butanol, and acetonitrile, but insoluble in chloroform, toluene, hexane, ethyl ether, or acetone. Its UV spectrum had the maximum absorption at 208 nm. Amino acid composition, FAB-mass, $^{1}H-NMR,\;^{13}C-NMR$, and atomic analyses showed that the antibiotic KL39 (MW=1,071) has a structure very similar to iturin E. The antibiotic KL39 has a broad antifungal spectrum against a variety of plant pathogenic fungi including Rhizoctonia solani, Pyricularia oryzae, Monilinia froeticola, Botrytis cinenea, Altenaria kikuchiana, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. solani. An MIC value of $10\;{\mu}g/ml$ was determined for Phytophthora capsici. Macromolecular incorporation studies with P. capsici using radioactive [$^{3}H-adenine$] as the precursor, indicated that the antibiotic KL39 strongly inhibits the DNA biosynthesis of the fungal cell. Microscopic observation of the antifungal action showed abnormal hyphal swelling of P. capsici. The purified antibiotic KL39 was very effective for the biocontrol of in vivo Phytophthora-blight disease of pepper.