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Results of Radiation Therapy for Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix (자궁경부암의 방사선치료 성적)

  • Lee Kyung-Ja
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.359-368
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    • 1995
  • Purpose : This is a retrospective analysis for pattern of failure, survival rate and prognostic factors of 114 patients with histologically proven invasive cancer of the uterine cervix treated with definitive irradiation. Materials and Methods : One hundred fourteen patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix were treated with a combination of intracavitary irradiation using Fletcher-Suit applicator and external beam irradiation by 6MV X-ray at the Ewha Womans University Hospital between March 1982 and Mar 1990. The median age was 53 years(range:30-77 years). FIGO stage distribution was 19 for IB, 23 for IIA, 42 for IIB, 12 for IIIA and 18 for IIIB. Summation dose of external beam and intracavitary irradiation to point A was 80-90 Gy(median:8580 cGy) in early stage(IB-IIA) and 85-100 Gy(median:8850 cGy) in advanced stage(IIB-IIIB). Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival rate and multivariate analysis for progrostic factors was performed using the Log likelihood for Weibull Results : The pelvic failure rates by stage were $10.5{\%}$ for IB. $8.7{\%}$ for IIA, $23.8{\%}$ for IIB, $50.0{\%}$ for IIIA and $38.9{\%}$ for IIIB. The rate of distant metastasis by stage were $0{\%}$ for IB, $8.7{\%}$ for IIA, $4.8{\%}$ for IIB. $0{\%}$ for IIIA and $11.1{\%}$ for IIIB. The time of failure was from 3 to 50 months and with median of 15 months after completion of radiation therapy. There was no significant coorelation between dose to point A($\leq$90 Gy vs >90 Gy) and pelvic tumor control(P>0.05). Incidence rates of grade 2 rectal and bladder complications were $3.5{\%}$(4/114) and $7{\%}$(8/114), respectively and 1 patient had sigmoid colon obstruction and 1 patient had severe cystitis. Overall 5-year survival rate was $70.5{\%}$ and disease-free survival rate was $53.6{\%}$. Overall 5-year survival rate by stage was $100{\%}$ for IB, $76.9{\%}$ for IIA, $77.6{\%}$ for IIB $87.5{\%}$ for IIIA and $69.1{\%}$ for IIIB. Five-rear disease-free survival rate by stage was $81.3{\%}$ for IB, $67.9{\%}$ for IIA, $46.8{\%}$ for IIB, $45.4{\%}$ for IIIA and $34.4{\%}$ for IIIB. The prognostic factors for disease-free survival rate by multivariate analysis was performance status(p= 0.0063) and response rate after completion of radiation therapy(p= 0.0026) but stage, age and radiation dose to point A were not siginificant. Conclusion : The result of radiation therapy for early stage of the uterine cervix cancer was relatively good but local control rate and survival rate in advanced stage were poor inspite of high dose irradiation to point A above 90 Gy. Prospective randomized studies are recommended to establish optimal tumor doses for various stages and volume of carcinoma of uterine cervix, And ajuvant chemotherapy or radiation-sensitizing agents must be considered to increase the pelvic control and survival rate in advanced cancer of uterine cervix.

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Preliminary Study for Imaging of Therapy Region from Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (붕소 중성자 포획 치료에서 치료 영역 영상화를 위한 예비 연구)

  • Jung, Joo-Young;Yoon, Do-Kun;Han, Seong-Min;Jang, HongSeok;Suh, Tae Suk
    • Progress in Medical Physics
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    • v.25 no.3
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    • pp.151-156
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    • 2014
  • The purpose of this study was to confirm the feasibility of imaging of therapy region from the boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) using the measurement of the prompt gamma ray depending on the neutron flux. Through the Monte Carlo simulation, we performed the verification of physical phenomena from the BNCT; (1) the effects of neutron according to the existence of boron uptake region (BUR), (2) the internal and external measurement of prompt gamma ray dose, (3) the energy spectrum by the prompt gamma ray. All simulation results were deducted using the Monte Carlo n-particle extended (MCNPX, Ver.2.6.0, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA) simulation tool. The virtual water phantom, thermal neutron source, and BURs were simulated using the MCNPX. The energy of the thermal neutron source was defined as below 1 eV with 2,000,000 n/sec flux. The prompt gamma ray was measured with the direction of beam path in the water phantom. The detector material was defined as the lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (Lu0,6Y1,4Si0,5:Ce; LYSO) scintillator with lead shielding for the collimation. The BUR's height was 5 cm with the 28 frames (bin: 0.18 cm) for the dose calculation. The neutron flux was decreased dramatically at the shallow region of BUR. In addition, the dose of prompt gamma ray was confirmed at the 9 cm depth from water surface, which is the start point of the BUR. In the energy spectrum, the prompt gamma ray peak of the 478 keV was appeared clearly with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the 41 keV (energy resolution: 8.5%). In conclusion, the therapy region can be monitored by the gamma camera and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using the measurement of the prompt gamma ray during the BNCT.

HISTOMORPHOLOGIC CHANGE AND REGENERATION OF THE ADVENTITIA-STRIPPED AND FROZEN RAT FEMORAL ARTERY:HISTOLOGIC, HISTOMORPHOMETRIC, IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY (백서 대퇴동맥 외막층 제거후 혈관동결시 조직형태학적 변화 및 재생에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Tae-Deug;Kim, Kyung-Wook;Lee, Jae-Hoon;Kim, Chang-Jin
    • Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.281-294
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    • 1999
  • Vasospasm causes microvascular surgery to fail as a main factor in the loss of transferred flap dye to the diminution of blood flow in reconstruction surgery. Although there has been extensive research to resolve the vasospasm problem, no one has reached an ideal solution to date. However, cryotherapy, which is often used for destruction of tumor lesions, is being presented as a new way of releasing vasospasm. After making a histomorphometric measurement on vasodialation during the course of 1, 3 and 7 days, 2 and 4 weeks, and 5 months periods and observing the change of blood vessel in a histologic, immunohistochemical, and scanning electronic microscopic approach, the results were as follows : 1. Vascular inner diameters of the experimental 1 and 3 days groups were measured $476.3{\pm}28.20{\mu}m$, $497.15{\pm}48.79{\mu}m$ respectively showing statistically meaningful vasodilation(P<0.05), which continued by the experiment 4 weeks group. However, in the experimental 5 months group, the vascular inner diameter appeared similar to the control groups. Even though the thickness of smooth muscular layers come out to be thinner in all the experimental groups compared to the control group, it was difficult to find any statistical meaningfulness. In addition, the vascular external diameters of every experimental groups were shown to be longer than the control group. 2. In light microscopic view, severe injury was evident on the smooth muscular layer cell from the experimental 1 day group, started recovering partially from the experimental 7 days group, and was mostly restored in the experimental 4 weeks group and layer of adventitial stripping were nearly recoverd 2 weeks group. 3. The PCNA positive cells of smooth muscular layer were observed from the experimental 7 days group and had a tendency to increase by the experimental 2 weeks group. In the experimental 4 weeks and 5 months group, the number of PCNA possitive cells observed was comparable to the control group. 4. ${\alpha}$-SMA level of smooth muscular layer cells, having been significantly lower than the control group in the severly damaged experimental 1 day group. It was seen to be increased in the experimental 7 days group and turned out to show similar ${\alpha}$-SMA level in 4 weeks to the control group. 5. In the view of SEM, the endothelial cells were destructed and falling off, and also present the appearance of flattening in the experiment 1 day group. The endothelial layer cells started partially recovering from the 7 days group after the freezing injury. On 4 weeks and 5 months, the endothelial cells were fully coverd the damaged area, also it's appearance is similar to control group. In conclusion, the vascular freezing after the removal of adventitia caused damages to smooth muscular layer cells, and brought about vasodilation, which continued by the 4th week. The smooth muscular layer cells started partially reviving from the 7rd day after the damage by vascular freezing, and recovered their similar figure to the control group's 4 weeks later. This was considered the result of cells which surround the damaged blood vessel being influxed into the smooth muscular layers. Therefore, this local freezing injury on the blood vessel was thought to be applied clinically to relieve severe vasospasm which cannot be treated by vasodilation drug, a microvascular surgery.

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The Analysis of Disease Distribution of patients discharged from a general hospital in a farming and fishing village region (일개 종합병원을 이용한 농.어촌지역 퇴원환자의 질병분포에 관한 연구)

  • Yu, Eun-Yeong;Kim, Youl
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.11 no.12
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    • pp.4863-4872
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    • 2010
  • This study examined the disease conditions of patients from a farming and fishing village area. In order to analyze the medical service utilization, the necessary data were obtained from established health and medical care service plans from medical treatment related organizations. The following results were based on the analysis of data from the medical records of 2,365 discharged patients during a six months period from July to December 2009 at a general hospital in an aging farming and fishing village area. Results: The sex of the patients investigated was male 55.3%, female 44.7%, and the most frequent age category at 42.0% was 70 years of age or older. Based on type of hospital admission, 65.5% of patients who were admitted were originally outpatients. Patients were admitted according to the following departments: 49.7% for the department of internal medicine, 16.7% for the department of orthopedics, and 13.8% for the department of neurosurgery. The average number of days hospitalized was 14.8 days. The following ranks the principal diagnosis among patients in this study: S00-T98 18.4%, J00-J99 15.5%, and I00-I99 11.5%. The average number of diagnosis listed per patient was 5.6. There was a statistically significant difference for the following general characteristics according to principal diagnosis list: gender, type of insurance, admission process, and age category distribution had statistically significant differences. Monthly distribution of principal diagnoses were statistically significant difference. There was a statistically significant difference for principal diagnosis lists according to the average number of days admitted and the number of diagnosis. The results of this study showed the types of disease from typical farming and fishing village regions as disease from external injury due to the work environment of farming and fishing village regions and excessive labor throughout the year, respiratory disease, and various chronic disease from aging.

THE CURRENT STATUS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IN THE USA

  • Webster, John G.
    • Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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    • v.1992 no.05
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    • pp.27-47
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    • 1992
  • Engineers have developed new instruments that aid in diagnosis and therapy Ultrasonic imaging has provided a nondamaging method of imaging internal organs. A complex transducer emits ultrasonic waves at many angles and reconstructs a map of internal anatomy and also velocities of blood in vessels. Fast computed tomography permits reconstruction of the 3-dimensional anatomy and perfusion of the heart at 20-Hz rates. Positron emission tomography uses certain isotopes that produce positrons that react with electrons to simultaneously emit two gamma rays in opposite directions. It locates the region of origin by using a ring of discrete scintillation detectors, each in electronic coincidence with an opposing detector. In magnetic resonance imaging, the patient is placed in a very strong magnetic field. The precessing of the hydrogen atoms is perturbed by an interrogating field to yield two-dimensional images of soft tissue having exceptional clarity. As an alternative to radiology image processing, film archiving, and retrieval, picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are being implemented. Images from computed radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasound are digitized, transmitted, and stored in computers for retrieval at distributed work stations. In electrical impedance tomography, electrodes are placed around the thorax. 50-kHz current is injected between two electrodes and voltages are measured on all other electrodes. A computer processes the data to yield an image of the resistivity of a 2-dimensional slice of the thorax. During fetal monitoring, a corkscrew electrode is screwed into the fetal scalp to measure the fetal electrocardiogram. Correlations with uterine contractions yield information on the status of the fetus during delivery To measure cardiac output by thermodilution, cold saline is injected into the right atrium. A thermistor in the right pulmonary artery yields temperature measurements, from which we can calculate cardiac output. In impedance cardiography, we measure the changes in electrical impedance as the heart ejects blood into the arteries. Motion artifacts are large, so signal averaging is useful during monitoring. An intraarterial blood gas monitoring system permits monitoring in real time. Light is sent down optical fibers inserted into the radial artery, where it is absorbed by dyes, which reemit the light at a different wavelength. The emitted light travels up optical fibers where an external instrument determines O2, CO2, and pH. Therapeutic devices include the electrosurgical unit. A high-frequency electric arc is drawn between the knife and the tissue. The arc cuts and the heat coagulates, thus preventing blood loss. Hyperthermia has demonstrated antitumor effects in patients in whom all conventional modes of therapy have failed. Methods of raising tumor temperature include focused ultrasound, radio-frequency power through needles, or microwaves. When the heart stops pumping, we use the defibrillator to restore normal pumping. A brief, high-current pulse through the heart synchronizes all cardiac fibers to restore normal rhythm. When the cardiac rhythm is too slow, we implant the cardiac pacemaker. An electrode within the heart stimulates the cardiac muscle to contract at the normal rate. When the cardiac valves are narrowed or leak, we implant an artificial valve. Silicone rubber and Teflon are used for biocompatibility. Artificial hearts powered by pneumatic hoses have been implanted in humans. However, the quality of life gradually degrades, and death ensues. When kidney stones develop, lithotripsy is used. A spark creates a pressure wave, which is focused on the stone and fragments it. The pieces pass out normally. When kidneys fail, the blood is cleansed during hemodialysis. Urea passes through a porous membrane to a dialysate bath to lower its concentration in the blood. The blind are able to read by scanning the Optacon with their fingertips. A camera scans letters and converts them to an array of vibrating pins. The deaf are able to hear using a cochlear implant. A microphone detects sound and divides it into frequency bands. 22 electrodes within the cochlea stimulate the acoustic the acoustic nerve to provide sound patterns. For those who have lost muscle function in the limbs, researchers are implanting electrodes to stimulate the muscle. Sensors in the legs and arms feed back signals to a computer that coordinates the stimulators to provide limb motion. For those with high spinal cord injury, a puff and sip switch can control a computer and permit the disabled person operate the computer and communicate with the outside world.

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Treatment Results of Esophageal Carcinoma Treated by Radiation Therapy (식도암의 방사선치료 성적)

  • Kim Mi Sook;Yoo Seoung Yul;Cho Chul Koo;Yoo Hyung Jun;Yang Kwang Mo;Kang Jin Oh;Ji Young Hoon;Lee Dong Han;Ryoo Baek Yeol
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.18 no.3
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    • pp.182-186
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    • 2000
  • Purpose : To determine treatment or이ecol for inoperable esophageal cancer patients, 껜e evaluated survival rate and prognostic factors. Materials and Methods : We evaluated esophageal cancer treated by curative or palliative am in KCCH from 1992 to 1996, retrospectively. Recurrent or underdose case below 40 Gy were excluded. The number of male and female were 35 and 5, respectively. Thirty-eight patients were squamous carcinoma and 2 patients were not biopsy proven. Ten patients were treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy Median dose of radiation therapy was 59.4 Gy and the range was $40\~60$ Gy. Results : The median survival is 6.5 months and 1-year survival rate was $28.3\%$. Age, location, radiation dose and chemotherapy were not significant prognostic factors. Median survivals of patients with below stage III and over stage IVA were 7.6 and 6.2 months respectively, but it is not significant. Conclusions : The survival for esophageal cancer is very poor. For patients with curative aim, chemotherapy must be considered. For patients with palliative aim, short-term external beam radiation therapy and/or brachytherapy must be considered.

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External Beam Radiotherapy in the Management of Low Grade Astrocytoma of the Brain (뇌 성상세포종 환자의 외부 방사선치료)

  • Chun, Ha-Chung
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.27 no.1
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    • pp.23-28
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    • 2009
  • Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative radiotherapy for patients with low-grade astrocytomas and to define an optimal radiotherapeutic regimen and prognostic factors. Materials and Methods: A total of 69 patients with low-grade astrocytomas underwent surgery and postoperative radiotherapy immediately following surgery at our institution between October 1989 and September 2006. The median patient age was 36 years. Forty-one patients were 40 years or younger and 28 patients were 41 years or older. Fourteen patients underwent a biopsy alone and the remaining 55 patients underwent a subtotal resection. Thirty-nine patients had a Karnofsky performance status of less than 80% and 30 patients had a Karnofsky performance status greater than 80%. Two patients were treated with whole brain irradiation followed by a coned down boost field to the localized area. The remaining 67 patients were treated with a localized field with an appropriate margin. Most of the patients received a dose of $50\sim55$ Gy and majority of the patients were treated with a dose of 54 Gy. Results: The overall 5-year and 7-year survival rates for all of the 69 patients were 49% and 44%, respectively. Corresponding disease free survival rates were 45% and 40%, respectively. Patients who underwent a subtotal resection showed better survival than patients who underwent a biopsy alone. The overall 5-year survival rates for patients who underwent a subtotal resection and patients who underwent a biopsy alone were 57% and 38%, respectively (p<0.05). Forty-one patients who were 40 years or younger showed a better overall 5-year survival rate as compared with 28 patients who were 41 years or older (56% versus 40%, p<0.05). The overall 5-year survival rates for 30 patients with a Karnofsky performance status greater than 80% and 39 patients with a Karnofsky performance status less than 80% were 51% and 47%, respectively. This finding was not statistically significant. Although one patient was not able to complete the treatment because of neurological deterioration, there were no significant treatment related toxicities. Conclusion: Postoperative radiotherapy following surgery is a safe and effective treatment for patients with low-grade astrocytomas. The extent of surgery and age were noted as significant prognostic factors in this study. However, further effective treatment might be necessary in the future to improve long-term survival rates.

Analysis of Image Distortion on Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Weighted Imaging

  • Cho, Ah Rang;Lee, Hae Kag;Yoo, Heung Joon;Park, Cheol-Soo
    • Journal of Magnetics
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.381-386
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    • 2015
  • The purpose of this study is to improve diagnostic efficiency of clinical study by setting up guidelines for more precise examination with a comparative analysis of signal intensity and image distortion depending on the location of X axial of object when performing magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging (MR DWI) examination. We arranged the self-produced phantom with a 45 mm of interval from the core of 44 regent bottles that have a 16 mm of external diameter and 55 mm of height, and were placed in 4 rows and 11 columns in an acrylic box. We also filled up water and margarine to portrait the fat. We used 3T Skyra and 18 Channel Body array coil. We also obtained the coronal image with the direction of RL (right to left) by using scan slice thinkness 3 mm, slice gap: 0mm, field of view (FOV): $450{\times}450mm^2$, repetition time (TR): 5000 ms, echo time (TE): 73/118 ms, Matrix: $126{\times}126$, slice number: 15, scan time: 9 min 45sec, number of excitations (NEX): 3, phase encoding as a diffusion-weighted imaging parameter. In order to scan, we set b-value to $0s/mm^2$, $400s/mm^2$, and $1,400s/mm^2$, and obtained T2 fat saturation image. Then we did a comparative analysis on the differences between image distortion and signal intensity depending on the location of X axial based on iso-center of patient's table. We used "Image J" as a comparative analysis programme, and used SPSS v18.0 as a statistic programme. There was not much difference between image distortion and signal intensity on fat and water from T2 fat saturation image. But, the average value depends on the location of X axial was statistically significant (p < 0.05). From DWI image, when b-value was 0 and 400, there was no significant difference up to $2^{nd}$ columns right to left from the core of patient's table, however, there was a decline in signal intensity and image distortion from the $3^{rd}$ columns and they started to decrease rapidly at the $4^{th}$ columns. When b-value was 1,400, there was not much difference between the $1^{st}$ row right to left from the core of patient's table, however, image distortion started to appear from the $2^{nd}$ columns with no change in signal intensity, the signal was getting decreased from the $3^{rd}$ columns, and both signal intensity and image distortion started to get decreased rapidly. At this moment, the reagent bottles from outside out of 11 reagent bottles were not verified from the image, and only 9 reagent bottles were verified. However, it was not possible to verify anything from the $5^{th}$ columns. But, the average value depends on the location of X axial was statistically significant. On T2 FS image, there was a significant decline in image distortion and signal intensity over 180mm from the core of patient's table. On diffusion-weighted image, there was a significant decline in image distortion and signal intensity over 90 mm, and they became unverifiable over 180 mm. Therefore, we should make an image that has a diagnostic value from examinations that are hard to locate patient's position.

Role of Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Gastric Carcinoma Management (재발성 또는 국소진행된 위암의 방사선치료 -35예의 치료성적 분석)

  • Yoon Sei Chul;Oho Yoon Kyeoung;Shinn Kyeong Sub;Bahk Yong Whee;Kim In Chul;Lee Kyung Sik
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.41-47
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    • 1988
  • Thirty-five patients with locally advanced gastric carcinoma were treated with combined modalities of external radiation therapy (RT) and 5-FU based chemotherapy at the Division of Radiation Therapy, Department of Radiology, Kangnam 51. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College from May 1983 to May 1987. The purpose of this retrospective study is for the evaluation of the palliative response to RT. There were 25 men and 10 women. The age ranged from 38 to 80 years (median: 56 years). The pathologic classification showed $14(40\%)$ poorly differentiated, $12 (34\%)$ moderately differentiated, $3(9\%)$ well differentiated adenocarcinomas, 2 mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, 1 signet ring cell and 3 not specified ones. The time intervals from the initial surgicopathologic diagnosis to the starting day of RT was within 1 year for $18 (51\%)$, 1 to 2 years for $8 (23\%)$ and 2 to 3 years for $5 (14\%)$, respectively. The major symptoms to be treated were pain in $30 (80\%)$, mass for $29 (83\%)$, obstruction for $11 (31\%)$ and jaundice for $9 (20\%)$ patients. The response rate (patient number of positive response/total patient number) according to treated radiation doses were observed as follows; $14/16(88\%)$ for $40\~50Gy,\;8/10(80\%)$ for over $50Gy,6/8 (75\%)\;for\;30\~40Gy\;and\;8/10(53\%)\;for\;20\~30 Gy$ in decreasing order. The over ail survival was 3.0 months and that of 5FU+RT, FAM+RT and RT alone groups were 4.6 months, 3.7 months and 2.5 months respectively. Complications induced by RT were nausea and vomiting in $16(46\%)$, diarrhea in $7(20\%)$, leukopenia in $6(17\%)$ and anemia and intercurrent pneumonia in each $3(9\%)$ patients in decreasing order.

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Serum luteinizing hormone response and oocyte nuclear maturation in rats superovulated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (임마혈청성 고나도트로핀으로 다배란 처치된 흰쥐에 있어서의 혈청 황체형성 호르몬의 반응 및 난자의 핵성숙)

  • Yun, Young-won
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.34 no.4
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    • pp.735-744
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    • 1994
  • Catheters were placed into the external jugular veins of immature female rats. On the following day (day 28 of age), the animals were injected subcutaneously with pregnant mare serm gonadotropin(PMSG): 4IU(control) or 20IU(superovulation). Each animal was sequentially bled at Ohr and 12hr and subsequently at 6hr intervals until sacrifice at 72hr after PMSG. The superovulatory dose of PMSG significantly(P<0.05) increased the ovulatory response by 4.0 fold above controls. On the other hand, superovulated oocytes displayed considerably different stages of meiotic maturation: prophase I (14.7%), anaphase I (36.2%), telophase I (10.3%), metaphase I/II (32.4%), while in control rats a majority of the oocytes examined(94.0%) consistently showed a metaphase II configuration. Serum luteinizing hormone(LH) levels were determined by RIA. Both groups exhibited a similar time relationship with two distinct peaks: an initial slight rise at 0-18hr and a second sharp rise at 54-60hr. However, there was a marked change in the magnitude of LH levels between the two groups. In superovulated animals, prior to the second peak, overall LH levels were significantly(P<0.001) higher than controls. In contrast, at the peak occurring at 60hr, LH concentrations were significantly(P<0.001) reduced by 54% below that of control. Additionally, a maximum increase of mean ${\Delta}LH$ between two peaks was much less in superovulated as compared to control rats. The initial prolonged elevation of serum LH before 54hr in superovulated rats was found to result from actual cross-reaction of the injected PMSG with LH antibody in the assay, while a precipitous second elevation between 54hr and 60hr resulted primarily from an endogenous LH surge. This study clearly defines time-course features of serum LH in PMSG-treated rats. The overall results indicate that, following superovulatory treatment with PMSG, the increased ovulatory response is primarily associated with PMSG-derived intrinsic gonadotropin, and that the recovery of immature or asynchronously mature oocytes at ovulation may reult from the circulatory alteration of LH activity characterized by an initial prolonged elevation of serum LH and its subsequent attenuation.

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