Analysis of radiation workers' dose records in the Korean National Dose Registry.

Data are presented on the externally received personal dose equivalent for radiation workers who used the Korea Radioisotope Association's personal monitoring and dose record keeping service since 1984, and provide initial statistics on Korean workers who have been exposed to ionising radiation in different occupations. The total number of workers registered during the period of 1984 to 1999 was 64,518. The number increased steadily and the accumulated dose also increased. The proportion of radiation workers by occupation was 38.4% for nuclear power plants, 20.3% for industrial organisations and 12.4% for non-destructive industry. The annual collective dose of radiation workers was 31.72 man.Sv in 1999. The mean annual dose by sex was 1.49 mSv for males and 0.56 mSv for females and the mean annual dose for a worker was 1.41 mSv with the highest mean dose being received by non-destructive industry (3.53 mSv). Very few workers (0.8%) received more than 20 mSv (2 rem) and only one more than 50 mSv, the legal limit for an annual dose increase. There has been a steady decline in the mean dose since 1984, showing a significant decrease in dose with time (p<0.001). The data showed that radiation protection in Korea was improving, though annual doses were still higher than other countries.

Interleukin 12 gene therapy of cancer by peritumoral injection of transduced autologous fibroblasts: outcome of a phase I study.

A phase I dose-escalation clinical trial of peritumoral injections of interleukin 12 (IL-12)-transduced autologous fibroblasts was performed in patients with disseminated cancer for whom effective treatment does not exist. The goals of this study were to assess the safety and toxicities as well as the efficacy, and ancillarily the immunomodulatory effects, of peritumoral IL-12 gene transfer. Primary dermal fibroblasts cultured from the patients were transduced with retroviral vector carrying human IL-12 genes (p35 and p40) as well as the neomycin phosphotransferase gene (TFG-hIL-12-Neo). Patients received four injections at intervals of 7 days. Nine patients were enrolled in this dose-escalation study, with secreted IL-12 doses ranging from 300 ng/24 hr for the first three patients to 1000, 3000, and 5000 ng/24 hr for two patients in each subsequent dosage level. Although a definite statement cannot be made, there appears to be perturbation of systemic immunity. Also, the locoregional effects mediated by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and CD8+ T cells were observed with tumor regression. Treatment-related adverse events were limited to mild to moderate pain at the injection site; clinically significant toxicities were not encountered. Transient but clear reductions of tumor sizes were observed at the injected sites in four of nine cases, and at noninjected distant sites in one melanoma patient. Hemorrhagic necrosis of tumors was observed in two melanoma patients. These data indicate that gene therapy by peritumoral injection of IL-12-producing autologous fibroblasts is feasible, and promising in patients with advanced cancer.

Sarcoma and Sarcomatous Metaplastic Carcinoma of the Breast.

PURPOSE: Primary sarcoma and SMC (sarcomatous metaplastic carcinoma) of the breast are very rare tumors, accounting for less than 1% of all breast malignancies. There are many controversies concerning the biological characteristics, prognosis and optimal treatment of these tumors owing to the rarity of incidence. The aims of this study were to elucidate the clinicopathologic characteristics of these tumors and to assist in elucidating the optimal treatment plan for the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 13 cases of primary sarcoma and 10 cases of SMC that had been treated at KCCH between 1984 and 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. Phyllodes tumors were excluded from our study. RESULTS: Among the 13 cases of primary sarcoma included, stromal sarcoma occurred in 5 cases, osteosarcoma in 3 cases, angiosarcoma in 3 cases and spindle cell sarcoma in 2 cases. The mean age of the patients with primary sarcoma and SMC was 39.7 years and 55.1 years respectively (p=0.002). When survival rates were compared according to histologic types, size of tumor, histologic grade, type of surgery and use of adjuvant therapy, both size of tumor (p=0.0256) and histologic grade (p=0.0197) were shown to be prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: There were no significantly different features between primary sarcoma and SMC in terms of biologic characteristics or survival rates, with the exception that patients with SMC were older than those with primary sarcoma. Histologic grade and size of tumor were significant prognostic factors of these tumors.

Specific binding of [3H]retinoids to cellular retinoid-binding proteins.

The specific binding of [3H]retinoids to cellular retinoid-binding proteins was measured directly by the cold acetone filtration method. After incubation of purified cellular retinoid-binding proteins with [3H]retinoids with or without competitors for 2-4 h, bound ligands were separated from free by filtration using cold acetone. Nonspecific binding of the ligands was reduced sufficiently to allow measurement of specific binding of [3H]retinoids to cellular retinoid-binding proteins. This method has the advantages of being rapid and practical and giving reproducible results.

Absence of phosphorylation of retinoid-binding proteins by protein kinase C in vitro.

Cellular retinol-binding protein, cellular retinoic acid-binding protein, and fetal cellular retinol-binding protein were purified to homogeneity and each polypeptide had a molecular weight of 16,000. Their apoproteins were not phosphorylated under the same conditions. Their holoproteins did not inhibit the phosphorylation of histone III-S by protein kinase C. Each of these observations is contrary to the results reported by Cope et al. (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 120, 593-601, 1984).

Des-O-methylolivoretin C is a new member of the teleocidin class of tumor promoters.

Des-O-methylolivoretin C, a demethylated form of olivoretin C, is a naturally occurring compound in Streptomyces mediocidicus and Streptoverticillium olivoreticuli. Des-O-methylolivoretin C is a regioisomer of teleocidin B, which has the same activity as teleocidin. The tumor-promoting activity of des-O-methylolivoretin C was studied in a two-stage carcinogenesis experiment on mouse skin in comparison with that of teleocidin. Treatments with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) plus des-O-methylolivoretin C and DMBA plus teleocidin induced tumors in 63.3% and 84.6% of the mice, respectively, in week 30. The difference in the tumor-promoting activities of des-O-methylolivoretin C and teleocidin is presumably related to the regioisomeric difference in the cyclohexene ring.

[Antibiotic concentration during extracorporeal circulation (author's transl)].

In open surgery, ampicillin (Solcillin) or cephacetrile (Celtol), 2 g for patients weighing 20 kg or more, and 1 g for those below 20 kg, was administered, and the antibiotic concentrations in blood and urine were estimated during extracorporeal circulation, from the time of operation to the admission in an intensive care unit (Group A). In other group, a total circulation volume of 0.3 mg/ml of the antibiotic was administered, based on body weight of patients and priming volumes (Group B). In Group A, blood concentration of antibiotics was so variable that it was difficult to decide additional dosage. In Group B, comparatively definite concentrations were estimated in each case. In extracorporeal circulation for a long time, it is preferable to maintain the blood concentration of antibiotic at 50 micrograms/ml, by additional antibiotic administration 90 approximately 120 minutes after the beginning of the extracorporeal circulation. In patients with preoperative subacute bacterial endocarditis, the blood concentration should be kept over 100 micrograms/ml during extracorporeal circulation.