• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8801-8807
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of Turkish women over 20 years old on cervix cancer. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was performed at a primary care center covering 246 women using a questionnaire composed of 3 sections and 38 questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test in univariate analysis and multivariate hierarchical logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 93.7% women who knew about cervical cancer, 68.0% of them had heard pap smear test and 46.1% had actually undergone a Pap smear once or more throughout their lives. According to the results of the hierarchical logistic regression analysis about factors affecting the Pap smear test; in Model 1, increase in age and education levels, in Model 2 and Model 3 increase in age and cervical cancer information points were determined. The most important information source for cervical cancer was TV-radio/media (59.9%) and health care workers (62.8%) for pap smear test. Conclusions: Although most women have heard of cervical cancer, knowledge about cervical cancer and also Pap smear screening rate are significantly lower. Having Pap smear test for women was affected by age and knowledge level about cervical cancer. Informing women about cervical cancer would be an important intervention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4815-4818
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• 2013

Background: Atrophic epithelium of cervix sampled from postmenopausal women may mimic high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Papanicolaou-stained (Pap) smears. Ki-67 (MIB-1) protein presents on proliferating cells, and percentage of cells with positive nuclei provides a reliable tool for rapid evaluation of the growth fraction. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of protein Ki67 staining in atypical pap smears of postmenopausal women. Methods: In a case-control setting, pap smears of 75 women with an atypical pap smear (case group) and 75 with normal pap smears (controls) were obtained before and after estrogen treatment. Afterward, samples were exposed to the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 (MIB-1) and the immunohistochemically demonstrated Ki-67+ cells were compared. Results: Mean ages of cases and controls were $60.4{\pm}4.5$ and $59.9{\pm}4.3$ years respectively (P=0.50). There was one (2.7%) positive Ki-67 specimen in the case group, without any positive Ki-67 specimen in the control group (P=0.50). Conclusions: Measurement of proliferative activity index in Pap smears restrained with MIB1 is a simple, reliable, and cost-effective method for excluding negatives. This would imply that it might allow a substantial reduction of diagnostic estrogen courses and subsequent Pap smears in postmenopausal women with atypical findings.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 1999

Objectives: To construct basic data to develop strategies for achieving higher Pap test coverage rate by evaluating factors associated with the use of Pap test through population-based survey. Methods: 16.4%(671) of the 4,090 women, who were eligible population for this study, in 3 Myens of Chung-ju City participated in this study voluntarily from July 21 to 26, 1997. After basic physical examination by trained doctors, they were interviewed with structured questionnaire by well-educated interviewers. Results: It shows that only 54.3% of study participants experienced Pap test. The strongest factor which is related with the use of Pap test was the history of having breast screening tests(aOR=8.71, 95% CI=4.25-17.84). Probability of ever having Pap test was also higher in married women(aOR of single=0.46, 95% CI=0.29-0.72), younger(Ptrend<0,051, more educated (Ptrend<0.001), non-smoker (aOR of smoker=0.25, 95% CI=0.12-0.55), women of ever having Hepatitis test(aOR=2.60, 95% CI=1.73-3.88) in multiple lineal logistic analysis. Conclusions : This study suggests that several factors significantly associated with the use of Pap test, and especially, high-risk population for cervical cancer such as women of older ages, less educated, living alone are less likely to have the Pap test. We should concentrate on encouraging high-risk women in the use of Pap test to improve Pap test coverage rate.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.160-170
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to develop an explanatory model to predict factors related to continuous participation in the Pap smear screening among Korean women. A hypothetical model was constructed on the basis of Health Belief Model and extensive review of literature on the Pap smear screening. Exogeneous variables included in this model were knowledge, perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, negative and positive emotional responses and professional support from physicians and nurses. Endogeneous variables were threat to cervical cancer, perceived benefit of the Pap smear screening, perceived barrier, and the final outcome variable was continuous participation in the Pap smear screening. The hypothetical model was tested with an empirical study. The data was collected from 623 married women whose age range was 24 - 83 using a self-reported survey questionnaire which was developed by the researcher. It's Cronbach's alpha score ranged from .6478 to .9118. Data was collected at different locations in Seoul; a university hospital, a local health center, and apartment complexes. Data analysis was done using SPSS 7.5 WIN Program for descriptive statistics and LISREL 8.12a WIN Program for covariance structural analysis. In conclusion, threat, perceived benefit, perceived barrier, positive emotion and professional support had a significant direct effect on continuous participation in the Pap smear screening among Korean women. The results of this study also showed that perceived barrier had the most significant direct effect on continuous participation in the Pap smear screening while negative emotional response had the most significant direct effect on perceived barrier. It can be suggested that decreasing perceived barrier by reducing negative emotional responses may be the most effective strategies for increasing continuous participation in the Pap smear screening among married Korean women.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2013

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent non-skin related cancers. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among males in most Western countries. If prostate cancer is diagnosed in its early stages, there is a higher probability that it will be completely cured. Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is a non-specific phosphomonoesterase synthesized in prostate epithelial cells and its level proportionally increases with prostate cancer progression. PAP was the biochemical diagnostic mainstay for prostate cancer until the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) which improved the detection of early-stage prostate cancer and largely displaced PAP. Recently, however, there is a renewed interest in PAP because of its usefulness in prognosticating intermediate to high-risk prostate cancers and its success in the immunotherapy of prostate cancer. Although PAP is believed to be a key regulator of prostate cell growth, its exact role in normal prostate as well as detailed molecular mechanism of PAP regulation is still unclear. Here, many different aspects of PAP in prostate cancer are revisited and its emerging roles in other environment are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2001

PAP-I cDNA was synthesized from total RNA of Phytolacca americana leaves by RT-PCR, and then subcloned to recombinant vector pBluescript II SK-. Using PCR with primers designed in our laboratory, we could get the 9 deletion mutant PAP-I cDNA fragments. The first of the fragments was deleted by 66bp from immature N-terminal and then the rest were deleted by 90bp sequentially. Sequentially deletion mutant PAP-I cDNAs were inserted to pAc55M, on down-stream of gall promoter. Recombinant pAc55M was transformed to yeast cells, psy1 and the cells were spreaded on SC_urn-/glucose plate media. Colonies on SC_ura-/glucose plate were streaked on the same position of SC_ura-/glucose and SC_ura-/galactose plate, and we selected colonies growing on both plates, which carry non-cytotoxic deleted mutant PAP-I cDNA. We selected 4 deletion mutant PAP-I cDNAs which have not cytotoxicity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5503-5506
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• 2013

This cross-sectional analytic study aimed to investigate any relationship between the body mass index (BMI) and an abnormal Pap smear. The subjects were 7,720 women aged 30-69 years who lived in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand, and had been recruited as participants in the Khon Kaen Cohort Study during 1990-2001. All had received Pap smear screening for cervical cancer. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between body mass index and an abnormal Pap smear. The mean BMI was $24.53kg/m^2$ (SD=3.98), and 2.14% had abnormal Pap smears. Compared with the reference group of women with a BMI ${\leq}22.9kg/m^2$, those with a body mass index of $23.0-24.9kg/m^2$ had a reduced risk of an abnormal smear (ORadj=0.92, 95%CI: 0.57-1.47), but women with a BMI $25.0-29.9kg/m^2$ were found to have an approximately 1.24 times higher risk ($OR_{adj}=1.24$, 95%CI: 0.86-1.80), and those with a BMI ${\geq}30.0kg/m^2$ had an approximately 1.63 times higher risk ($OR_{adj}=1.63$, 95%CI: 0.98-2.69). The results indicated that the risk of Pap smear abnormalities is increased in women who have a higher than normal body mass index, but this finding was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, public health personnel should encourage women to maintain their BMI in the normal range to reduce the possible future risk of cervical cancer.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2011

The genotypes of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are important in the carcinogenesis of uterine cervical cancer. Diagnosis of uterine cervical cancer screening has been executed using Papanicolau method (Pap) and HPV DNA Chip method. We researched the interrelation of HPV DNA genotypes in single and multiple infections and analyzed the results of Pap and HPV DNA Chip tests at Gunsan Medical Center (GMC). The correlation analysis was surveyed on collected results from 599 patients who have been tested with both Pap and HPV DNA chip tests from November 2004 to May 2010 at GMC. The inconsistency between Pap and HPV DNA Chip tests was 41.1%. The HPV DNA Chip genotype related with high risk cases were type 16 (13.5%), type 52 (10.5%), type 58 (10.1%), and type 18 (3.4%). Those related with low risk cases were type 70 (8.9%), type 6 (1.7%), type 40 (1.2%), type 11 (1.3%), and other types (14.3%). Among the 195 cases of HPV positive status, 161 cases were associated with single infection; 108 (67.1%) cases were related with high risk genotype; 19 (11.8%) cases were low risk genotype; 31 (21.1%) cases were related with other types. 29 cases were associated with double infections; 23 (79.3%) cases were high risks; 5 (17.2%) cases were mixed high and low risks; 1 (3.5%) case was low risk.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 1998

OBJECTIVE: False negatives of cervical smears due to screening errors pose a significant and persistent problem. AutoPap 300 QC System, an automated screening device, is designed to rescreen conventionally prepared Pap smears initially screened by cytotechnologists as normal. Clinical experience and sensitivity of the AutoPap 300 QC System were assessed and compared with current 10% random qualify control technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In clinical practice, a total of 18,592 "within normal limits" or "benign cellular changes" cases classified by The Bethesda System were rescreened by the Autopap System. In study for sensitivity of The AutoPap System to detect false negatives, a total of 1,680 "within normal limits" or "benign cellular changes" cases were rescreened both manually and by the AutoPap System. The sensitivity of the AutoPap System to these false negatives was assessed at 10% review rate to compare 10% random manual rescreen. RESULTS: In clinical practice, 38 false negatives were identified by the AutoPap System and we had achieved 0.2% reduction in the false negative rate of screening error. In study for sensitivity, 37 false negatives were identified by manual rescreening, and 23 cases(62.2%) of the abnormal squamous cytology were detected by the AutoPap System at 10% review rate. CONCLUSONS: The AutoPap 300 QC System is a sensitive automated rescreening device that can detect potential false negatives prior to reporting and can reduce false negative rates in the laboratory. The device is confirmed to be about eight times superior to the 10% random rescreen in detecting false negatives.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.524-531
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• 2002

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is characterized by widespread platelet thrombi in arterioles and capillaries. Unusually large or multimeric von Willebrand factor, as well as one or ore platelet-agglutinating factors, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of TTP. But, the actual mechanisms of platelet agglutination have not been satisfactorily explained. Recent studies suggested the 37-kDa platelet-agglutinating protein (PAP) p37 to be partially responsible for the formation of platelet thrombi in patients with TTP. We studied mobility in SDS-PAGE, the sequence of N-terminal amino acid residues, DNA and antigenic characteristics of PAP p37, which might be related to the pathogenesis of TTP. PAP p37 was purified from the plasma of a 31-year-old male Korean patient with acute TTP. The findings are as follows: (1) We compared PAP p37 with thrombin through the use of SDS-PAGE, either with or without $\beta$-mercaptoethanol. PAP p37 did not appear to be cleaved between the A- and B-chains of prethrombin 2. However, thrombin did cleave between those of prethrombin 2, but linked with disulfide bridge. (2) N-terminal 21 amino acid sequence of PAP p37 was T-F-G-S-G-E-A-D-X-G-L-R-P-L-F-E-K-K-S-L-E. It appeared to be identical to that of 285-305 amino acid residues of human prothrombin (prethrombin 2). (3) No prothrombin gene DNA mutation was revealed. (4). The antigenicity of PAP p37 was similar to thrombin, which was a result of the competitive binding against the anti-thrombin antibody. With these results, we conclude that PAP p37 has similar characteristics to prethrombin2.