• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5199-5205
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• 2013

Background/Aim: The Hippo signaling pathway is a newly discovered and conserved signaling cascade, which regulates organ size control by governing cell proliferation and apoptosis. This study aimed to investigate its effects in human gastric cancer. Methods: Tumor tissues (n=60), adjacent non-tumor tissues (n=60) and normal tissues (n=60) were obtained from the same patients with primary gastric cancer (GC). In addition, 70 samples of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) tissues were obtained from patients with intestinal metaplasia (IM) by endoscopic biopsy. Hippo signaling molecules, including Mst1, Lats1, YAP1, TAZ, TEAD1, Oct4 and CDX2, were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Protein expression of Mst1, Lats1, YAP1, TEAD1 and CDX2 was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Results: Mst1, Lats1 and Oct4 mRNA expression showed an increasing tendency from GC tissues to normal gastric tissues, while the mRNA expression of YAP1, TAZ and TEAD1 was up-regulated (all P<0.01). Mst1 and Lats1 protein expression presented a similar trend with their mRNA expression. In addition, YAP1 and TEAD1 protein expression in GC was significantly higher than in the other groups (all P<0.01). CDX2 mRNA and protein expression in the CAG group were higher than in the other groups (all P<0.01). In GC, mRNA expression of Mst1, Lats1, Oct4, YAP1, TAZ, TEAD1 and CDX2 had a close correlation with lymphatic metastasis and tumor TNM stage (all P<0.01). Furthermore, protein expression of Mst1, Lats1, YAP1, TAZ, TEAD1 and CDX2 had a close correlation between each other (P<0.05). Conclusion: The Hippo signaling pathway is involved in the development, progression and metastasis of human gastric cancer. Therefore, manipulation of Hippo signaling molecules may be a potential therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.246-252
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• 2015

Purpose: To assess gastric pH and its relationship with urease-test positivity and histological findings in children with Helicobacter pylori infection. Methods: Fasting gastric juices and endoscopic antral biopsy specimens were collected from 562 children and subjected to the urease test and histopathological examination. The subjects were divided into 3 age groups: 0-4, 5-9, and 10-15 years. The histopathological grade was assessed using the Updated Sydney System, while the gastric juice pH was determined using a pH meter. Results: The median gastric juice pH did not differ significantly among the age groups (p=0.655). The proportion of individuals with gastric pH >4.0 was 1.3% in the 0-4 years group, 6.1% in the 5-9 years group, and 8.2% in 10-15 years (p=0.101). The proportions of moderate and severe chronic gastritis, active gastritis, and H. pylori infiltration increased with age (p<0.005). Urease-test positivity was higher in children with hypochlorhydria (77.8%) than in those with normal gastric pH (31.7%) (p<0.001). Chronic and active gastritis were more severe in the former than the latter (p<0.001), but the degree of H. pylori infiltration did not differ (20.9% vs. 38.9%; p=0.186). Conclusion: Gastric pH while fasting is normal in most children regardless of age. Urease-test positivity may be related to hypochlorhydria in children, and hypochlorhydria is in turn related to H. pylori infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.876-881
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• 1998

Tracheal papillomatosis is rare. When the disease starts during childhood, it usually appears to be self-limiting if properly managed. In adults, however, the disease sometimes runs a more protracted course with a higher risk of developing cancer. The tumors are derived from the tracheal surface epithelium and tracheal mucous glands and usually grow exophytically. Treatment has traditionally been with repeated endoscopic resection. However, in view of its viral origin, attempts have been made to control the disease with interferon. A 67 years-old man was presented with exertional dyspnea. He was treated for bronchial asthma at another hospital. There was no improvement in his symptom. He was referred to this hospital, and a bronchoscopic biopsy showed tracheal papillomatosis. He was undergone bronchoscopic laser therapy with symptomatic improvement.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2017

A 38-year-old man presented with abdominal discomfort and was diagnosed as type 3 advanced gastric cancer with multiple liver and lung metastases (Stage IV). Endoscopic forcep biopsy revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, which stained positive HER2 (Human epidermal growth factor receptor) on immunohistochemistry. We started chemotherapy with FP (5-Fluorouracil plus Cisplatin) plus trastuzumab. After 6 cycles of FP plus trastuzumab chemotherapy, there were partial response in the liver, lung and lymph nodes metastasis. Especially, metastatic lung lesions showed remarkable improvement. Chemotherapy with FP plus trastuzamab was effective for HER2 positive advanced cancer with multiple liver and lung metastases. Through active research on target therapy about advanced gastric cancer, we expect to improve the survival rate and quality of life of patients with advanced gastric cancer who can not undergo curative resection.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.456-463
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• 2005

Purpose: we often find variable degrees of FDG uptake and patterns in stomach, which can make difficult to distinguish physiologic uptake from pathologic uptake on FDG PET. The purpose of this study was to find out the significant findings of stomach on FDG PET. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight patients who underwent both FDG PET and endoscopy within one week from Jun. 2003, to Aug. 2004 were included in this study. We reviewed 38 patients (18 for medical check up, 15 for work up of other malignancies, and 5 for the evaluation of stomach lesion). Their mean age was 56 years old (range:$32{\sim}79$), men and women were 28 and 10, respectively. Two nuclear physicians evaluated five parameters on FDG PET findings of stomach with a consensus: 1) visual grades 2) maximum SUV (max.SUV) 3) focal 4) diffuse and S) asymmetric patterns. We correlated the lesions of FDG PET findings of stomach with those of endoscopy. We considered more than equivocal findings on FDG PET as positive. Results: The six of 38 patients were proven as malignant lesions by endoscopic biopsy and others were inflammatory lesions (ulcer in 3, chronic atrophic gastritis in 12, uncommon forms of gastritis in 5), non-inflammatory lesions (n=3), and normal stomach (n=9). By the visual analysis, malignant lesions had higher FDG uptake than the others. The max.SUV of malignant lesions was $7.95{\pm}4.83$ which was significantly higher than the other benign lesions ($2.9{\pm}0.69$ in ulcer, $3.08{\pm}1.2$ in chronic atrophic gastritis, $3.2{\pm}1.49$ in uncommon forms of gastritis (p=0.044)). In the appearance of stomach on FDG PET, malignant lesions were shown focal (5 of 6) and benign inflammatory lesions were shown diffuse (9 of 20) and asymmetric (14 of 20). Benign lesions and normal stomach were shown variable degrees of uptake and patterns. Some cases of benign inflammatory lesions such as ulcer and gastritis were shown focal and mimicked cancerous lesion (4 of 15). Conclusion: Gastric malignant lesions had higher FDG uptake and focal pattern. However, benign inflammatory lesions had moderate degrees of uptake and diffuse and asymmetric patterns rather than focal. It is difficult to differentiate between benign lesions including normal.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.199-206
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• 2009

Purpose: To analyze the clinical spectrum of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after liver transplantation in children. Methods: From January 1988 to June 2009, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 8 PTLD cases among 148 pediatric patients underwent liver transplantation. The age at transplantation, time of presentation after transplantation, clinical manifestations, histologic diagnosis, results of EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) assessments, managements and outcomes of PTLD were investigated. Results: The prevalence of PTLD in liver transplant pediatric recipients was 5.4% (8 of 148). The mean age of patients was 25.4${\pm}$21.3 months (range 10 to 67 months). Seven of 8 patients (87.5%) underwent liver transplantation before 1 year of age. The common clinical presentations were persistent fever (8 of 8, 100%) and bloody diarrhea (6 of 8, 75%). PTLD was diagnosed with gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsies in five patients and surgical biopsies in three. Histologic findings showed early lesion in three patients, polymorphic in two, and monomorphic in three. Burkitt lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma were found in two of 3 monomorphic patients. Seven of 8 patients were found with EBV-positive. Eight patients were treated with dose reduction of immunosuppressants and infusion of ganciclovir. Rituximab was added to four patients. PTLD were successfully managed in all patients except one who died of sepsis during chemotherapy. Conclusion: Major risk factor of PTLD was to undergo liver transplantation before 1 year of age. Continuous monitoring for EBV viral load and gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy may be useful to early detection of PTLD.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.3 s.19
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• pp.169-173
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• 2005

Background: Gastric polyps encompass a wide variety of lesions that most commonly arise from the gastric epithelium. However, coincidental gastric carcinomas have rarely been reported, being found in $1.5{\sim}2.1%$ of patients with hyperplastic polyps. The sizes and the pathologies of polyps seem to be important in the application of treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to classily gastric polypoid lesions after a gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: During a follow-up endoscopy study, 23 patients were found to have developed gastric polyps after a gastrectomy. Most of those polyps were removed by using an endoscopic polypectomy. We performed clinical and pathologic evaluations of the gastric polyps in the remainding in the stomach after a gastrectomy, Results: The mean age of the patients was 64.5 years old with the incidence of polyps remainding in the stomach after a gastrectomy increasing after the first year following the gastrectomy. The sizes of the polyps ranged from 0.3cm to 3.5cm in diameter and the numbers of polyps below 1.0cm were 19 (82.6%). The anastomotic site was the most prevalent place 10 (43.2%), followed by the cardia 6 (26.0%) and the body 4 (17.3%). Among 23 gastric polypoid lesions Yamada types of gastric polyps in the remainding in the stomach were as follows: 1 case in type I, 12 cases in type II, 9 cases in type III, 1 case in type IV. The pathologic diagnoses of the polyps were hyperplastic polyps in 6 cases, tubular adenomas in 2 cases and inflammatory polyps in 15 cases. Conclusion: Endoscopic polypectomy is believed to be important in assessing the precise diagnosis of gastric polyps remainding in the stomach. In this study, hyperplastic polyps were found to have no malignant potential, despite their sizes. As a result aggressive biopsy with a polypectomy of gastric polyp afier gastrectomy is recommended and frequent follow-up be performed.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 2013

There is no established treatment for esophageal carcinoma with metastasis. For the metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, chemotherapy or best supportive care according to patient's performance status are accepted as an available treatment. We report a case of complete remission after concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with metastatic lesion in 5th thoracic vertebrae. A 57-year-old man with ongoing dysphagia and weight loss was admitted to our hospital. On the endoscopic and radiologic imaging evaluation,the patient was diagnosed as a squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus with solitary metastatic lesion in 5th thoracic vertebrae. The patient was treated with combination chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin) and concurrent radiotherapy for two months to relieve dysphagia. Because metastatic lesion in thoracic vertebrae was located near the primary esophageal tumor, the metastatic lesion could be included within the radiation field. After concurrent chemoradiotherapy, consecutive 4 cycles of chemotherapy had been carried out. Primary esophageal tumor with metastatic lymph nodes and metastatic lesion in 5th thoracic vertebrae disappeared on follow up computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT). Follow up endoscopic biopsy revealed no remnant malignant cells at previous primary cancer lesion.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2003

Purpose : Maxillary sinus cancers are usually locally advanced, and involve the structures around sinus, but the regional lymphatic spread is uncommon. Therefore, the local control of these cancers is important for their cure. We reviewed our experience of 55 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the maxillary sinus, treated with radiation therapy, and looked for the role of radiation therapy in maxillary sinus cancers. Materials and Methods : Between November 1982 and October 1999, 55 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the maxillary sinus underwent either radiation therapy only, or combined with surgery or with concurrent chemoradlation therapy. All patients were restaged according to the 1997 AJCC staging systems. The T classifications of the tumors of the patients were as follows 1.8$\%$ (1/55) for 72, 81.8$\%$ (45/55) for 73 and 16.4$\%$ (9/55) for 74. Thirteen patients were diagnosed with lymph node involvement. With the surgical procedures, 12 patients were managed by biopsy only, 21 were resected by FESS (funclienal endoscopic sinus surgery) and 22 by partial/medical/total rnaxillectomies. The details of the treatments were as follows 8 patients were treated with radiation therapy only, 17 with a combination of FESS and radiation therapy, 22 with a combination of a maxillectomy and radiation therapy, 4 with a combination of preoperative radiation therapy and surgery, and 4 with concurrent chemoradiation therapy. The mean follow-up for all patients was 25 months, ranging from 2.8 to 125 months. Results : The 4-year local control and survival rates for all Patients were 45.5 and 33.3$\%$, respectively. The 4-year local control and suHival rates, due to the extent of surgery, were as follows 32.1, and 21.4$\%$ for biopsy; 41.9, and 31.7$\%$ for FESS; and 56.8, and 52.7$\%$ for maxillectomy, respectively. Twenty-nine (52.7$\%$) patients were not cured, and of these 29 patients, 23 (79.3$\%$) patients had a iocal recurrence following treatment. Conclusions :This study has shown that the major failure sites following treatment to be the local regions, and that the completeness of surgery was important for improving the local control and survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2003

Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate the gastroduodenal pathology and Helicobacter pylori infection in children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods: One hundred and seven pediatric patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms were undergone endoscopy at the Gyeongsang National University Hospital from June 1990 to April 1991. Histopathologic examination was done by H & E staining of gastric antral biopsy specimen and gastritis was defined according to the Sydney System. Tissue H. pylori status was evaluated with the urease test using Christensen's urea broth and H & E or Warthin-Starry silver staining of gastric antral biopsy specimen. IgG Immunoblotting were also performed to detect specific anti-H. pylori antibody in these patients. Results: The reasons for endoscopy were recurrent abdominal pain, acute abdominal pain, sallow face, hunger pain, and frequent nausea. Variable degrees of gastric mucosal hyperemia were found in most of the patients. Gastric hemorrhagic spots, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, duodenal erosion, and hemorrhagic duodenitis were rare endoscopic findings. Histologic chronic gastritis was found in 88% of 107 patients. Histologic chronic duodenitis was observed in all 99 patients whose tissue were available. Gastric tissue H. pylori was positive in 57% of 107 patients by one of the ureasetest, H & E staining and Warthin-Starry silver staining. However, gastric tissue H. pylori detection rate was lower in the younger age groups. Anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies were detectable in 96% of 107 patients. Conclusion: Chronic gastroduodenitis and anti-H. pylori IgG antibody were ubiquitous in children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.