ABSTRACT
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection of the lower respiratory tract occurs rarely in neonate and immunocompromised host. The need for a timely and specific diagnosis of viral infections is becoming greater with development of antiviral chemotherapy. Herein, we report a case of herpes simplex virus pneumonia diagnosed by cytologic examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) sample of respiratory epithelial cells in a tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma patient. A 65-year-old woman presented with dyspnea and cough for one month. Bronchoscopy showed a mass arising from the posterior wall of upper trachea, and she underwent tracheal sleeve resection with cricotracheal anastomosis. The pathologic examination revealed adenoid cystic carcinoma. Corticosteroids were used for prevention of stenosis and swelling on the anastomosis site. On 28th postoperative day, pneumonia developed and it was aggravated despite of antibiotic therapy. The cytologic examination of the BAL fluid showed the eosinophilic nuclear inclusion along with the positive result of immunocytochemistry using monoclonal antibody to HSV. Despite of immediate therapy with acyclovir the pneumonia progressed to the acute respiratory distress syndrome and the patient eventual died.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Acyclovir , Adenoids , Adrenal Cortex Hormones , Bronchoalveolar Lavage , Bronchoscopy , Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic , Constriction, Pathologic , Cough , Diagnosis , Drug Therapy , Dyspnea , Eosinophils , Epithelial Cells , Herpes Simplex , Immunocompromised Host , Immunohistochemistry , Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies , Pneumonia , Pneumonia, Viral , Respiratory Distress Syndrome , Respiratory System , Simplexvirus , TracheaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized by progressive pulmonary hypertension leading to right heart dysfunction, which plays a important role in clinical evaluation but remains difficult and challenging to quantify. The noninvasive doppler echocardiographic value referred to as the Tei index has been suggested as a simple, reproducible and reliable parameter of the right ventricular function. The purpose of this was to assess the right ventricular function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using the Tei index and to evaluate its relationship with the pulmonary functional status. METHODS: The study population comprised of 26 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 10 normal control subjects. The Tei index was obtained by dividing the sum of the isovolumetric contraction and the relaxation tines by the ejection time using a pulsed-wave doppler. It was compared with the other available Doppler echocardiographic parameters of systolic or diastolic and with the pulmonary function of the patients. RESULTS: The Tei indices of the patients with COPD were significantly higher than those of normal subjects (0.45±0.17 vs. 0.27±0.03, p<0.01). The isovolumetric contraction time/ejection time(0.32±0.08 vs. 0.25±0.05, p<0.05), the isovolumetric relaxation time/ejection time(0.29±0.16 vs. 0.15±0.08, p<0.05) and the preejection period/ejection time (0.46±0.10 vs. 0.38±0.06, p<0.05) were prolonged and the ejection time (255.2±32.6 vs. 314.2±16.5 msec, p<0.05) was significantly shortened in patients with COPD compared to normal subjects. The tei indices were inversely correlated with the FEV1(r=-0.46, p=<0.05) and were prolonged significantly in patients with a severe obstructive ventilatory dysfunction(less than 35% of predicted FEV1) compared to those with a mild and moderate ventilatory dysfunction. The tei indices showed an inverse correlation with the ejection time (r=-0.469), the isovolumetric contraction time/ejection time(r=0.453), the isovolumetric relaxation time/ejection time(r=0.896) and the preejection period/ejection time(r=0.480). CONCLUSION: The tei index appeared to be a useful noninvasive means of evaluating the right ventricular function. It revealed a significant correlation with the pulmonary function in patients with COPD.
Subject(s)
Humans , Echocardiography , Heart , Hypertension, Pulmonary , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive , Relaxation , Ventricular Function, RightABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a clinical syndrome characterized by a systemic inflammatory and hemodynamic response to severe bacterial infections that involve various mediators. Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasocon strictor is associated with multiple organ failure, and interleukin (IL)-8, a proinflammtory cytokine, plays a major role in neurophil activation. Both have been reported to be useful parameters in the clinical assessment of sepsis. The levels of ET-1 and IL-8 in the blood were measured in patients with sepsis, and the correlation of both parameters and their relationship with the clinical data was assessed. METHODS: 19 sepsis patients and 17 controls were studied. Blood samples of the sepsis patients were drawn in day 1, 3, 7, and 14. the APACHE III scores were calculated in concurrent days. The ET-1 and IL-8 levels were measured using immunoassay methods. RESULTS: The ET-1 levels of patients with sepsis were significantly higher than in the controls. In patients with sepsis, non-survivors had higher ET-1 levels than survivors on day 1 and 7, and patients with shock also had higher ET-1 levels than normotensive patients on admission. The ET-1 levels were significantly correlated wit the creatinine levels in day 1, 7, and 14. The IL-8 levels showed a significant correlation with the ET-1 levels on day 14. CONCLUSION: ET-1 was found to be closely related with the clinical outcome, shock, and renal failure, and showed a correlation with IL-8. these mediators can be considered not only to play pathophysiologic roles but also as useful parameters in the clinical assessment of sepsis.
Subject(s)
Humans , APACHE , Bacterial Infections , Creatinine , Endothelin-1 , Endothelins , Hemodynamics , Immunoassay , Interleukin-8 , Interleukins , Multiple Organ Failure , Naphazoline , Renal Insufficiency , Sepsis , Shock , SurvivorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is an essential process for the growth and metastatic ability of solid tumors. One of the key factors known to be capable of stimulating tumor angiogenesis is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The serum VEGF concentration has been shown to be a the malignant pleural effusion showing a correlation with the biochemical parameters. The VEGF has been shown to play a role in the inflammatory diseases, but rarely in the tuberculosis (TB). The serum and pleural fluid VEGF levels were measured in patients with lung cancer and TB. Their relationship with the clinical and laboratory parameters and repeated measurement 3 months after various anticancer treatments were evaluated to assess the utility of the VEGF as a tumor marker. METHODS: Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the VEGF concentration was measured in both sera and pleural effusions collected from a total of 85 patients with lung cancer, 13 patients with TB and 20 healthy individuals. RESULTS: The serum VEGF levels in patients with lung cancer (619.9±722.8ph/ml) were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (215.9±191.1pg/ml), However, there was no significant difference between the VEGF levels in the lung cancer and TB patients. The serum VEGF levels were higher in large cell and undifferentiated carcinoma than in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The serum VEGF levels of lung cancer patients revealed no significant relationship with the various clinical parameters. The VEGF concentrations in the malignant effusion (2,228.1±2,103.0pg/ml) were significantly higher than those in the TB effusion (897.6±978.8pg/ml). In the malignant pleural effusion, the VEGF levels revealed significant correlation with the number of red blood cells (r=0.75), the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)(r=0.70), and glucose concentration (r=-0.55) in the pleural fluid. CONCLUSION: The serum VEGF levels were higher in the lung cancer patients. The VEGF levels were more elevated in the malignant pleural effusion than in the tuberculous effusion. In addition, the VEGF levels in the pleural fluid were several times higher than the matched serum values suggesting a local activation and possible etiologic role of VEGF in the formation of malignant effusions. The pleural VEGF levels showed a significant correlation with the numbers of red blood cells, LDH and glucose concentrations in the pleural fluid, which may represent the tumor burden.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adenocarcinoma , Carcinoma , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Erythrocytes , Glucose , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase , Lung Neoplasms , Lung , Pleural Effusion , Pleural Effusion, Malignant , Tuberculosis , Tuberculosis, Pleural , Tumor Burden , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor AABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Klebsiella pneumoniae is the second most common causative pathogen only next to Escherichia coli among the facultative Gram-negative rods causing both community-acquired and nosocomial bacteremia. METHODS: We have reviewed the clinical and laboratory data from all patients with community-acquired K. pneumoniae bacteremia and compared it with randomly selected community-acquired E. coli bacteremia in the patients who were admitted to Ajou University hospital between the period from 1997 to 1998. RESULTS: The incidence of K. pneumoniae bacteremia was 1.8/1,000 patient discharge. Of 51 patients with K. pneumoniae bacteremia, 27 were male and 24 were female. The mean age was 58.4 years. The primary foci of K. pneumoniae bacteremia were hepatobiliary tract (35%), urinary tract (22%), respiratory tract (16%) and 20% of patients had no primary focus identified. The attributable mortality of K. pneumoniae bacteremia was 20%. Patients with K. pneumoniae and E. coli bacteremia had common clinical features, but K. pneumoniae bacteremia had high incidence of diabetes mellitus as an underlying illness and there was a tendency to form abscess and neutropenia more frequently than in E. coli bacteremia. E. coli was found to be more resistant to antibiotics (ampicillin/ sulbactam, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, cephalothin, co-trimoxazole, tetracycline and tobramycin) than K. pneumoniae. CONCLUSION: K. pneumoniae bacteremia occurred more frequently in diabetes mellitus and the major primary focus was hepatobiliary tract. K. pneumoniae bacteremia had a higher incidence of abscess formation and neutropenia than E. coli.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Abscess , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Bacteremia , Cephalothin , Ciprofloxacin , Diabetes Mellitus , Escherichia coli , Escherichia , Gentamicins , Incidence , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Klebsiella , Mortality , Neutropenia , Patient Discharge , Pneumonia , Respiratory System , Sulbactam , Tetracycline , Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination , Urinary TractABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Phospholipase C (PLC) plays an important role in cellular signal transduction and is thought to be critical in cellular growth, differentiation and transformation of certain malignancies. Two second messengers produced from the enzymatic action of PLC are diacylglycerol(DAG) and lnositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate(IP3). These two second messengers are important in down stream signal activation of protein kinase C and intracelluar calcium elevation. In addition, functional domains of the PLC isozymes, such as Src homology 2(SH2) domain, Src homology 3(SH3) domain, and pleckstrin homology(PH) domain play crucial roles in protein translocation, lipid membrane modification and intracellular memrane trafficking which occur during various mitogenic processes. We have previously reported the presence of PLC-γ1, γ2, β1, β3, and δ1 isozymes in normal human lung tissue and tyrosine-kinase-independent activation of phospholipase C-γisozymes by tau protein and AHNAK. We had also found that the expression of AHNAK protein was markedly increased in various histologic types of lung cancer tissues as compared to the normal lungs. However, the report concerning expression of various PLC isozymes in lung cancers and other lung diseases is lacking. Therefore, in this study we examined the expression of PLC isozymes in the paired surgical specimens taken from lung cancer patients. METHODS: Surgically resected lung cancer tissue samples taken from thirty seven patients and their paired normal control lungs from the same patients. The expression of various PLC isozymes were studied. Western bolt analysis of the tissue extracts for the PLC isozymes and immunohistochemistry was performed on typical samples for localization of the isozyme. RESULTS: In 16 of 18 squamous cell carcinomas, the expression of PLC-γ1 was increased. PLC-γ1 was also found to be increased in all of 15 adenocarcinoma patients. In most of the non-small cell lung cancer tissues we had examined, expression of PLC-δ1 was decreased. However, the expression of PLC-δ1 was markedly increased in 3 adenocarcinomas and 3 squamous carcinomas. Although the numbers were small, in all 4 cases of small cell lung cancer tissues, the expression of PLC-δ1 was nearly absent. CONCLUSION: We found increased expression of PLC-γ1 isozyme in lung cancer tissues. Results of this study, taken together with our earlier findings of AHNAK protein-a putative PLD-γ, activator-over-expression, and the changes observed in PLC-δ1 in primary human lung cancers may provide a possible insight into the derranged calcium-inositol signaling pathways leading to the lung malignancies.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adenocarcinoma , Calcium , Carcinogenesis , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Immunohistochemistry , Isoenzymes , Lung Diseases , Lung Neoplasms , Lung , Membranes , Phospholipases , Protein Kinase C , Protein Transport , Rivers , Second Messenger Systems , Signal Transduction , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma , tau Proteins , Tissue Extracts , Type C PhospholipasesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Phospholipase C(PLC) plays a central role in cellular signal transduction and is important in cellular growth, differentiation and transformation. There are currently ten known mammalian isozymes of PLC reported to this date. Hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate(PIP2) by PLC produces two important second messengers, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate(IP3) and diacylglycerol. PLC-gamma1, previously, was known to be activated mainly through growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase. Other mechanisms of activating PLC-gamma1 have been reported such as activation through tau protein in the presence of arachidonic acid in bovine brain and activation by IP3, phosphatidic acid, etc. Very recently, another PLC-gamma1 activator protein such as tau has been found in bovine lung tissue, which now is considered to be AHNAK protein. But there has been no report concerning AHNAK and its associated disease to this date. In this study, we examined the expression of the PLC-gamma1 activator, AHNAK, in lung cancer specimens and their paired normal. METHODS: From surgically resected human lung cancer tissues taken from twenty-eight patients and their paired normal counterparts, we evaluated expression level of AHNAK protein using immunoblot analysis of total tissue extract. Immunohistochemical stain was performed with primary antibody against AHNAK protein. RESULTS: Twenty-two among twenty-eight lung cancer tissues showed over expression of AHNAK protein(eight of fourteen squamous cell lung cancers, all of fourteen adenocarcinomal). the resulting bands were multiple ranging from 70 to 200 kDa in molecular weight and each band was indistinct and formed a smear, reflecting mobility shift mainly due to proteolysis during extraction process. On immunohistochemistry, lung cancer tissues showed a very heavy, dense staining with anti-AHNAK protein antibody as compared to the surrounding normal lung tissue, coresponding well with the results of the western blot. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of PLC-gamma1 activator protein, AHNAK in lung cancer may provide evidence that the AHNAK protein and PLC-gamma1 act in concerted manner in carcinogenesis.
Subject(s)
Humans , Arachidonic Acid , Blotting, Western , Brain , Carcinogenesis , Hydrolysis , Immunohistochemistry , Inositol , Isoenzymes , Lung Neoplasms , Lung , Molecular Weight , Phosphatidic Acids , Phosphatidylinositols , Phospholipases , Protein-Tyrosine Kinases , Proteolysis , Second Messenger Systems , Signal Transduction , tau ProteinsABSTRACT
Spontaneous bacterial empyema (SBEM), a relatively rare complication of liver cirrhosis, is characterized by a bacterial infection of the transudative pleural fluid without obvious infection focus within the thoracic cavity. The analysis of pleural fluid shows characteristic 'infected transudate' with occasional identification of causative organism as in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. The outcome is relatively favorable with early identification of the disease and subsequent proper an-tibiotic therapy alone. Closed horacotomy is not nece- ssary in most cases and may be even more hazardous. We report a case of SBEM in a 37-year old male patient with hepatitis B-virus associated liver cirrhosis, who recovered with antibiotic therapy alone.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , Bacterial Infections , Empyema , Hepatitis , Liver Cirrhosis , Liver , Peritonitis , Pleural Effusion , Thoracic CavityABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and growth variables of tumors are important in the assessment of prognosis in lung cancer. The expression of PCNA, c-erbB-2 (HER-2/neu), and c-fos oncoprotein and their prognostic implications in surgically resected patients with non-small cell lung cancer were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients with non-small cell lung cancer were included and PCNA, c-erbB-2 and c-fos overexpression were evaluated by immunohistochemical stain using paraffin-embedded tissue. RESULTS: The mean proportion of PCNA positive cells was 18.6%, and there was no significant difference according to cell type and stage. The median survival time was significantly shorter in the group with high PCNA expression (>10%) as compared with the group with low PCNA expression (<10%) (37 months vs 16 months). Four (6.3%) of 64 cases demonstrated c-erbB-2 positivity. These were all adenocarcinoma cases. c-fos protein was only rarely overexpressed (1/51). CONCLUSION: PCNA expression was shown to be a useful prognostic parameter in resected non-small cell lung cancer while c-erbB-2 and c-fos oncoprotein were infrequently expressed.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adenocarcinoma , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Genes, Tumor Suppressor , Lung Neoplasms , Oncogenes , Prognosis , Proliferating Cell Nuclear AntigenABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It is very important to determine an accurate staging of the non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) for an assessment of operability and it's prognosis. However, it is difficult to evaluate tumor involvement of mediastinal lymph nodes accurately utilizing noninvasive imaging modalities. PET is one of the sensitive and specific imaging modality. Unfortunately PET is limited use because of prohibitive cost involved with it's operation. Recently hybrid SPECT/PET (single photon emission computed tomography/positron emission tomography) camera based PET imaging was introduced with relatively low cost. We evaluated the usefulness of coincidence detection (CoDe) PET in the detection of metastasis to the mediastinal lymph nodes in patients with NSCLC. METHODS: Twenty one patients with NSCLC were evaluated by CT or MRI and they were considered operable. CoDe PET was performed in all 21 patients prior to surgery. Tomographic slices of axial, coronal and sagittal planes were visually analysed. At surgery, mediastinal lymph nodes were removed and histological diagnosis was performed. CoDe PET findings were correlated with histological findings. RESULTS: Twenty of 21 primary tumor masses were detected by the CoDe PET. Thirteen of 21 patients was correctly diagnosed mediastinal lymph node metastasis by the CoDe PET. Pathological NO was 14 cases and the specificity of NO of CoDe PET was 64.3%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of N1 node was 83.3%, 73.3%, 55.6%, 91.7%, and 76.2% respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of N2 node was 60.0%, 87.5%, 60.0%, 87.5%, and 90.0% respectively. There were 3 false negative cases but the size of the 3 nodes were less than 1cm. The size of true positive nodes were 1.1cm, 1.0cm, 0.5cm respectively. There were 1 false positive among the 12 lymph nodes which were larger than 1cm. False positive cases consisted of 1 tuberculosis case, 1 pneumoconiosis case and 1 anthracosis case. CONCLUSION: CoDe PET has relatively high negative predictive value in the enlarged lymph node in staging of mediastinal nodes in patients with NSCLC. Therefore CoDe PET is useful in ruling out metastasis of enlarged N3 nodes. However, further study is needed including more number of patients in the future.
Subject(s)
Humans , Anthracosis , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Diagnosis , Electrons , Lung , Lymph Nodes , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neoplasm Metastasis , Pneumoconiosis , Positron-Emission Tomography , Prognosis , TuberculosisABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The coagulation and fibrinolytic system appears to be activated by the septic process independently, leading to the syndrome of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In this study, we investigated the changes within the hemostatic system related to the severity of the illness and the prognosis in patients with sepsis. METHODS: Plasma thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) and plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin (PAP) complexes were measured using ELISA methods in 32 patients with sepsis and 20 controls and were analyzed according to the APACHE III scores and survival of the patients. RESULTS: Plasma TAT and PAP in patients with sepsis were significantly higher than controls. Nonsurvivors showed greater levels of TAT (21.7 +/- 22.3 ng/mL) and lower levels of PAP (628.4 +/- 378.1 ng/mL) than survivors (TAT: 11.1 +/- 11.2 ng/mL; PAP: 857.1 +/- 364.1 ng/mL). The imbalance between coagulation and fibrinolysis described as TAT/PAP ratio was closely related with APACHE III scores in patients with sepsis (r = 0.47) and the TAT/PAP ratio in nonsurvivors was significantly higher compared with survivors (34.4 +/- 21.4 vs. 14.4 +/- 13.8). CONCLUSION: In sepsis, both coagulation and the fibrinolysis system are activated and the imbalance between coagulation and fibrinolysis predisposes to the hypercoagulation state and is closely related to the severity of the disease and the prognosis.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Antifibrinolytic Agents/metabolism , Antithrombin III/metabolism , Blood Coagulation , Case-Control Studies , Fibrinolysis , Middle Aged , Fibrinolysin/metabolism , Prognosis , Sepsis/blood , Thrombin/metabolismABSTRACT
Broncho-esophageal fistula(BEF) is an uncommon clinical entity which can cause severe suppurative lung disease. Acquired fistulas between the esophagus and tracheobronchial tree are relatively uncommon. They are caused by many diseases including malignancy and chronic inflammation such as tuberculosis and have favorable outcome with proper treatment. To our knowledge, there has been no description of patients with BEF due to the bronchiectasis. We report a case of broncho-esophageal fistula in association with bronchiectasis in a 35-year-old male patient with hemoptysis. Bronchoscopy revealed mild bleeding from the superior segment of the right lower lobe without specific endobronchial lesion. Barium esophagogram could not confirm the fistula. The diagnosis of a broncho-esophageal fistula was established by an esophagogastroscopy using fistulogram and subsequent bronchoscopy, in which the communication between the bronchial tree and the esophagus was demonstrated by instilling dye selectively through the fistulous opening using esophagogastroscopy and visualizing the fistula and the bronchial tree. The patient was treated with resection of the right lower lobe, extirpation of the diverticulum and surgical closure of the bronchial defect and fistula, but he suffered from pneumonia thereafter and eventually expired due to sepsis and multiple organ failure.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , Barium , Bronchiectasis , Bronchoscopy , Diagnosis , Diverticulum , Esophagus , Fistula , Hemoptysis , Hemorrhage , Inflammation , Lung Diseases , Multiple Organ Failure , Pneumonia , Sepsis , TuberculosisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Several lymphocytic populations, such as natural killer(NK) cells and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, are involved in immunosurveillance against tumors. Whereas the biological significance of the regional lymph node as a tumor barrier remains unclear, the clinical prognostic relevance of the neoplastic infiltration of these nodes is accepted. It appears that lymph node metastasis are more frequent in lung cancer than in other cancers because of impaired defensive mechanisms in the regional lymph nodes. However little is known about the immunologic function of regional lymph node lymphocytes in patients with lung cancer. Although there is general agreement that the NK and LAK activities of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) decreases in patients with various solid and leukemic tumors, this decrease remains unclear with regard to the NK and LAK activities of their regional lymph node mononuclear cells(LNMC). We performed this study to determine the NK and LAK acti vities of regional lymph node, and to compare with those of peripheral blood in patients with lung cancer. METHODS: We measured the NK and LAK activities of PBMC and LNMC that were extirpated at lung cancer operations in 17 patients with lung cancer by 4 hour 51Cr-release assay using K562, Raji cell and allogenous lung cancer cell line(NCIH1092) as a target cell. E:T ratio were 12.5:1, 25:1, and 50:1. RESULTS: 1. Recombinant interleukin-2 induced strong cytotoxic activities against various target cells in PBMC and LNMC. 2. In patients with lung cancer, NK and LAK activities against K562 and allogenous lung cancer cell line(NCIH 1092) were lower than those of PBMC. 3. Against Raji cell, NK activities were not signifi cantly different between PBMC and LNMC, but LAK activities were significantly lower than those of PBMC. 4. NK activities against K562, Raji, and NCIH1092 cell were not significantly different between in patients with early stage and advanced stage lung cancer. 5. LAK activities of PBMC and LNMC against K562, Raji, and NCIH1092 cell were significantly lower in pa tients with advanced stage than those in patients with early stage lung cancer. CONCLUSION: NK and LAK activities of LNMC in patients with lung cancer were lower than those of PBMC, but the cytotoxicity was markedly increased after culture with rIL-2.
Subject(s)
Humans , Interleukin-2 , Killer Cells, Natural , Lung Neoplasms , Lung , Lymph Nodes , Lymphocytes , Monitoring, Immunologic , Neoplasm MetastasisABSTRACT
Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) is a syndrome as a persistent bronchial hyperreactivity with asthmatic dyspnea which occurs after one or more inhalation exposures to a high concentration of irritant gasses, smokes or vapors in subjects who had preciously had no respiratory disease. We report a case of a 34 years old female worker suffering from reactive airways dysfunction syndrome who had been taking charge of guest room cleaning at a condominium. 7 months before, she inhaled high concentration of chlorine gas in confined and poor ventilated working space of bathroom at the condominium. As she was washing a bathroom with a bleaching agent (6 % sodium hypochlorite) without dilution, dyspnea, dizziness, headache, nausea, and coughing developed after work. She still suffer from dyspnea and coughing. All functional tests were normal except for methacholine challenge test which reveals bronchial hyperreactivity. She has some symptoms of dyspnea and coughing when exposed to perfume, cold air, and heavy work.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Bronchial Hyperreactivity , Chlorine , Cough , Dizziness , Dyspnea , Headache , Inhalation Exposure , Methacholine Chloride , Nausea , Perfume , Smoke , SodiumABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: In surgically treated non-small cell lung cancer, patients have a wide difference in prognosis even though they may be in the same stage. Therefore it is difficult to establish the prognosis for individual lung cancer patients. In this study, by using flow cytometric analysis of nuclear DNA content and S-phase fraction(SPF) of surgically treated non-small cell lung cancer patients, we proposed to establish other prognostic factors and their validity in comparison with the existing ones. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 81 surgically treated patients, diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer ranging from stage I to stage IIIa, were analyzed by flow cytometrically determined nulear DNA content and S-phase fraction. Cellular DNA content stained with propidium iodide was analyzed by flow cytometry: histograms with a coefficient of variation exceeding 8% were not used. RESULTS: 1) DNA content analysis was carried out for 59 of 81 patients. Of the 59 patients who were investigated by flow cytometry, 45 (76.3%) of the tumors were DNA aneuploidy and 14 (23.7%) were DNA diploidy. The proportion of DNA aneuploidy tumors showed no significant difference between cell types or stage. 2) S-phase fraction was evaluated for 36 of 81 patients. Mean value of SPF was 19.2% (+/-12.62)%. The value of SPF had nothing to do with stage. 3) The proportion of the high SPF group (more than 10% of cell proliferation cycle) was 75% With advance staging, the proportion of the high SPF group increased. 4) Significant difference in the median survival time was observed between the low SPF group and the high SPF group (32 months in low SPF, 12 months in high SPF) (p<0.05). No significant difference in the median survival time was observed between the aneuploidy group and the diploidy group (19 months in aneuploidy, 34 months in diploidy). 5) Significant difference in the disease free median survival time was observed between the low SPF group and the high SPF group (5 months in low SPF, 19 months in high SPF) (p<0.05). No significant difference in the disease free median survival time was observed between the aneuploidy group and the diploidy group (12 months in aneuploidy, 34 months in diploidy). 6) Upon multivariate analysis, stage and high SPF (more than 10% of cell proliferation cycle) were significant prognostic factors in surgically treated non-small cell lung cancer patients. CONCLUSION: The TNM stage and high SPF were significant as prognostic factors in surgically treated non-small cell lung cancer patients. Therefore new treatment plan should be needed in the patients who have high SPF.
Subject(s)
Humans , Aneuploidy , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Cell Proliferation , Diploidy , DNA , Flow Cytometry , Lung Neoplasms , Multivariate Analysis , Prognosis , PropidiumABSTRACT
The majority of lung cancers associated with hyperamylasemia are adenocarcinomas. Here we report an unusual case of a 54-year-old male patient who complained of dyspnea, anterior chest wall discomfort and facial edema for one month, presenting with a huge mediastinal mass and hyperamylasemia complicated by pericardial effusion Histological evaluation of mediastinal mass revealed small cell carcinoma and pericardium showed nonspecific inflammation with fibrosis. The serum amylase had an electrophoretic mobility similar to that of salivary gland enzyme. There were no evidence of a salivary or pancreatic causes of hyperamylasemia. After chemotherapy, parenchymal lung lesions improved and hyperamylasemia disappeared. For the mannagement of peracardial effusion a pericardial window was forms(i. We concluded that the striking increase in serum amylase was due to the ectopic production of this enzyme by the tumor.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Adenocarcinoma , Amylases , Carcinoma, Small Cell , Drug Therapy , Dyspnea , Edema , Fibrosis , Hyperamylasemia , Inflammation , Lung , Lung Neoplasms , Pericardial Effusion , Pericardium , Salivary Glands , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma , Strikes, Employee , Thoracic WallABSTRACT
Granular cell tumor (GCT) of tracheobronchial tree is a rare neoplasm comprising approximately 6-10% of all GCT and about 1.6% of all benign tumors of the tracheobronchial tree. Since the first observation of GCT in the bronchus by Kramer in the late 1930s, less than 100 cases have been reported in tracheobronchial tree, and probably no such case have been published in Korea yet. Here we report an experience concerning 53 year-old women with an active pulmonary tuberculosis, who also was diagnosed to have a bronchial GCT on bronchoscopy and immunohistochemistry of the specimens.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Bronchi , Bronchoscopy , Granular Cell Tumor , Immunohistochemistry , Korea , Trees , Tuberculosis, PulmonaryABSTRACT
Diagnostic procedures in pregnant wowen is limited and is usually delayed, especially so if she is on mechanical ventilation. A 28-year-old pregnant woman with severe dyspnea was referred to our hopital under the impression of miliary tuberculosis. The respiratory failure was so severe that patient had to be managed with mechanical ventilator under clinical imression of overwhelming pneumonia or pulmonary tuberculosis. But the patient's conditions deteriorated. Bronchoscopy and blind transbronchial lung biopsy performed to determine the nature of the etiology, and to our surprise, revealed squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Biopsy , Bronchoscopy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Dyspnea , Lung Neoplasms , Lung , Pneumonia , Pregnant Women , Respiration, Artificial , Respiratory Insufficiency , Tuberculosis, Miliary , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary , Ventilators, MechanicalABSTRACT
The NK activity and ADCC of peripheral blood mononuclear cell were examined to evaluate the contribution of ADCC and NK activity to host immune response against lung cancer. The NK activity and ADCC were examined in 58 patients with primary lung cancer and 40 healthy volunteers as normal controls. The NK activity of patients with lung cancer was significantly subnormal, but ADCC was at a normal level. The NK activity was decreased in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but not in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) compared to normal controls. According to stage, the NK activity in stage II, III-M0 and III-M1 NSCLC showed low levels compared to that of stage I NSCLC, but there was no difference of NK activity in patients with SCLC. The NK activity was not affected by performance status. There was no significant difference of ADCC in patients with lung cancer according to cell type, stage and performance compared with that of normal controls. The NK activity and ADCC were not changed after chemotherapy and operation respectively.