Synthesis of Dioxa-1,7-naphthicorrole and Its Oxidized Porphyrinoid as a Potential Built-In Linker for Biomolecules.

The first aromatic benzicorrole termed naphthicorrole was synthesized with a carbon donor containing more than six members. Its oxidized (enedione-embedded) porphyrinoid was also obtained using different meso-aryl substitutions under sequential oxidation conditions. The resulting enedione motif of the nonaromatic porphyrinoid was regioselective to the C2 position for S or N nucleophiles. Thus, the oxidized porphyrinoid was tested as a built-in linker for biomolecules. The progress of the reaction was visually monitored due to their different conjugation pathways.

Improvement in RNA quantity and quality in cervico-vaginal cytology.

The separation of exfoliated cells from the brushes used during cervico-vaginal smears is difficult, a problem which may affect the quality of ribonucleic acid (RNA) extracted. We compared the results of RNA extraction from cervico-vaginal cytology samples according to the type of tubes, preservative solutions, and storage temperature. The samples included exfoliated cervico-vaginal cytological specimens from patients with human papilloma virus 16, positive for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or cervical cancer. Exfoliated cells were obtained by shaking a brush in a conventional rigid vial tube or squeezing the brush in a soft vial tube. RNA quantity and quality were compared between the two tubes. The concentration and purity of RNA (A260/A280 and A260/A230 ratios) was compared amongst five groups: Group 1, standard frozen storage; Group 2-4, RNA stabilization reagents with room temperature [RNAlater RNA Stabilization Reagent, RNAprotect cell Reagent and AllProtect Tissue Reagent]; and Group 5, Surepath Preservative fluid. To demonstrate the utility of the extracted RNA for PCR-based cDNA synthesis, GAPDH and E6 were targeted and gel band densities of GAPDH and E6 were measured. The median RNA concentration was significantly higher in the soft tubes compared with the rigid tubes (100.2 vs. 7.1 ng/µL, p = 0.0209). The purity of the RNA was higher in soft vial tubes than in rigid vials, as measured by A260/280 and A260/230 ratios. The RNA concentration, purity, and GAPDH density of groups 1, 2 and 3 were significantly higher than those of groups 4 and 5. Moreover, E6 density of group 1 and 2 was significantly higher than that of group 3, 4 and 5. The use of soft tubes enhanced the mRNA quantity and quality in cervico-vaginal cytology. The products of mRNA extraction using RNAlater RNA Stabilization Reagent and RNAprotect Cell Reagent at room temperature were comparable to those obtained by conventional frozen storage. Our protocol improved the yield and quality of RNA and might produce better results for molecular analysis in cervico-vaginal cytology.

Tumor budding in cervical cancer as a prognostic factor and its possible role as an additional intermediate-risk factor.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic value and its possible role as an additional intermediate-risk factor of tumor budding (TB) in cervical cancer following radical hysterectomy. METHODS: In total, 136 patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy with pelvic and/or paraaortic lymphadenectomy were included. We assessed the status of TB in available hematoxylin and eosin-stained specimens. Univariate and multivariate analyses for predicting tumor recurrence and death were performed using TB and other clinicopathologic parameters. To evaluate additional intermediate-risk factors of TB, patients who had at least one high-risk factor were excluded, and a total of 81 patients were included. We added TB to three conventional intermediate-risk models and compared their performance with new and conventional models using the log-rank test and receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: High TB was defined as ≥5 per high-power field for disease-free survival and ≥ 8 per high-power field for overall survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that high TB was an independent prognostic factor for predicting overall survival (hazard ratio, 4.96; 95% confidence intervals, 1.06-23.29; p = .0423). The addition of TB to the conventional intermediate-risk models improved the accuracy of recurrence prediction. Among the risk models, the new model using at least two risk factors, including tumor size (≥ 4 cm), deep stromal invasion (outer one-third of entire cervical thickness), lymphovascular invasion, and high TB, was the most accurate for predicting tumor recurrence (area under the curve, 0.708, hazard ratio, 4.25; p = .0231). CONCLUSION: High TB may be a prognostic biomarker of cervical cancer. Moreover, the addition of TB to the conventional intermediate-risk models improves the stratification of tumor recurrence.

Treatment of superimposed preeclampsia on chronic hypertension in a twin pregnancy with automatic continuous positive airway pressure: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is related with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia. However, there are small studies about treatment of OSA with automatic continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in adverse obstetric outcomes. CASE PRESENTATION: We introduce a case of 34 year old twin pregnant woman diagnosed with superimposed preeclampsia on chronic hypertension at 28 + 1/7 weeks of gestation. A level III polysomnography showed obstructive sleep apnoea, and automatic CPAP was applied. After the CPAP treatment concomitant with an antihypertensive drugs, both blood pressure and urinary protein concentration were reduced. The pregnancy safely continued for 49 days (to 35 + 1/7 weeks), with stable blood pressure, allowing prolongation of gestation of the foetuses. CONCLUSION: This is the first case to report OSA with preeclampsia in a twin pregnancy. Our results suggest that automatic CPAP as an adjunct treatment to antihypertensive drugs may be beneficial in controlling blood pressure in early-onset preeclampsia associated with OSA.

Non-surgical management and obstetric outcomes of heterotopic interstitial pregnancies.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of non-surgical management for six heterotopic interstitial pregnancies.Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of six women diagnosed with heterotopic interstitial pregnancies who underwent non-surgical treatment at the CHA Bundang Medical Center between January 2007 and December 2017. Three heterotopic interstitial pregnancies were treated with sono-guided potassium chloride (KCl) injections. Two cases were managed expectantly. One heterotopic quadruplet pregnancy with twin, left interstitial, and tubal pregnancy was treated by sono-guided KCl injection and laparoscopic left salpingectomy. Complications and outcomes were measured.Results: Three cases were treated with sono-guided KCl injection and the intrauterine pregnancy continued to term. Intrauterine pregnancies were vaginally delivered without complications. One case that was treated expectantly was delivered at full term, while the other case resulted in spontaneous abortion. Quadruplet heterotopic pregnancy was successfully managed with sono-guided KCl injection and laparoscopic salpingectomy. Intrauterine twin pregnancy was successfully delivered by elective cesarean section at 37 + 0 weeks of gestation with healthy babies. Conclusions: KCl injection under ultrasonographic guidance could be a safer and more effective treatment option than surgical treatment in hemodynamically stable patients with fetal cardiac activity in interstitial pregnancy. Expectant management could be an option for patients with no fetal cardiac activity.

Prevalence, survival outcomes, and clinicopathologic factors associated with negative high risk human papillomavirus in surgical specimens of cervical cancer with pretreatment negative DNA genotype test.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to detect high risk human papillomavirus in cervical cancer with a pretreatment negative high risk human papillomavirus DNA genotype test and to evaluate clinicopathologic characteristics and survival outcomes according to high risk human papillomavirus status. METHODS: We investigated high risk human papillomavirus status in surgical specimens from 30 cases of cervical cancer using polymerase chain reaction. Polymerase chain reaction primers were set to detect the presence of the common L1 and E7 regions of human papillomavirus types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. We analyzed the following clinicopathologic parameters to evaluate their relationships with high risk human papillomavirus status: age, histology, stage, tumor size, invasion depth, lymphovascular invasion, and recurrent status. RESULTS: Among 30 cases with a pretreatment negative DNA genotype test, high risk human papillomavirus was detected in 12 (40.0%), whereas 18 (60.0%) were negatives. Of 12 high risk human papillomavirus positive cases, 10 (33.3%) were positive for the L1 region, 6 (20.0%) of the 7 types were positive for the E7 region, and 4 (13.1%) were positive for both L1 and E7 regions. According to a multiple logistic regression model, tumor size (odds ratio 7.80; 95% confidence interval 1.476 to 41.216; P=0.0097) and stage (odds ratio 7.00; 95% confidence interval 1.293 to 37.910; P=0.0173) were associated with negative high risk human papillomavirus DNA status. Kaplan-Meier survival plots showed that negative high risk human papillomavirus status was associated with worse disease free survival in contrast with positive high risk human papillomavirus status (P=0.0392). CONCLUSIONS: Negative high risk human papillomavirus was found in 60% of cervical cancers with a pretreatment negative DNA genotype test. Moreover, the negative high risk human papillomavirus group was associated with worse survival outcome.

Transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor 30 gene polymorphisms and uterine adenomyosis in Korean women.

To compare the genetic distributions of 14G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between women with and without uterine adenomyosis. The study population comprised 69 Korean women. Uterine tissues from the adenomyosis and non-adenomyosis groups were used for DNA extraction. Pre-designed PCR/Sanger or Sequencing Primer and TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assays were used for the SNP genotyping of the GPR30 gene. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to confirm the GPR30 expression. Differences in genotype and allele frequencies between the two groups were calculated using Fisher's exact test. The rs3802141 CT genotype was more common in the control group (p = .02), and the rs4266553 CC genotype was more common in the adenomyosis group (p = .02). The C allele of the SNP rs4266553 was more common in the adenomyosis group (p = .02). GPR30 expression was confirmed in 69 individuals in both groups. GPR30 gene polymorphism is presumed to affect the risk of adenomyosis with limited sample size. Further large-scale study is needed to explain the genetic influence of GPR30 gene polymorphism.

Prognostic value of pre-treatment human papilloma virus DNA status in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Although the relationship between human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer is well established, the prognostic value of HPV status has not been determined, largely because previous studies have yielded conflicting results. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of pre-treatment HPV DNA for predicting tumor recurrence in cervical cancer. METHODS: The study included 248 eligible patients who provided cervical cell specimens for HPV genotyping before surgery or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Of these 248 patients, 108 were treated with radical hysterectomy for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB1-IIA cervical cancer, and 140 were treated with CCRT for FIGO stage IB2-IV cervical cancer. RESULTS: HPV 16 and 18 were the two most common HPV types detected, with prevalence rates of 52.4% and 12.5%, respectively. The pre-treatment HPV DNA test showed that 18.5% of cervical cancers were HPV negative. Multivariate analysis showed that HPV negativity was associated with poorer disease-free survival (DFS) than HPV-positive status (hazard ratio [HR], 3.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.84-8.58; p=0.0005), and patients with HPV 16-positive cancers had better DFS (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.23-0.72; p=0.0019). In the surgery group, only HPV 16 positivity was significantly correlated with DFS (HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12-0.96; p=0.0416). In the CCRT group, only HPV negativity was significantly correlated with DFS (HR, 3.75; 95% CI, 1.78-7.90; p=0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment HPV DNA status may be a useful prognostic biomarker in cervical cancer. The presence of HPV 16 DNA was associated with better DFS, and HPV negativity was associated with worse DFS. However, larger sample sizes and more comprehensive studies are required to verify our findings.

Comparison of the Long-Term Oncological Outcomes Between the Initial Learning Period of Robotic and the Experienced Period of Laparoscopic Radical Hysterectomy for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the long-term oncological outcomes, complication rates, and recurrence patterns of robotic radical hysterectomy (RRH) with laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) for the treatment of early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS: Between January 2008 and December 2013, 65 consecutive patients underwent RRH during the learning period, and 60 consecutive patients underwent LRH during the experienced period. RESULTS: Both groups were similar with respect to clinicopathologic characteristics. The mean operative time in the RRH group was significantly longer than that in the LRH group (277.8 ± 57.3 vs 199.6 ± 45.0 minutes; P < 0.0001). Postoperative complication rates were significantly higher in the RRH group than in the LRH group (47.7% vs 27.1%; P = 0.0188). No difference in the estimated disease-free survival rates was observed between the 2 groups (P = 0.3152); however, the estimated overall survival of RRH was lower than that of LRH with marginal significance (P = 0.0762). There was no significant difference in terms of recurrence pattern between the 2 groups (P = 0.7041). However, peritoneal recurrences occurred only in the RRH group. CONCLUSIONS: Despite RRH being performed by an experienced laparoscopic oncologist, RRH showed inferior long-term oncological outcomes and postoperative complication rates compared with those of LRH during the learning period.

Comparison of robotic-assisted versus laparoscopy for transperitoneal infrarenal para-aortic lymphadenectomy in patients with endometrial cancer.

AIM: This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical feasibility of robotic-assisted transperitoneal infrarenal para-aortic lymphadenectomy (TIPAL) in patients with endometrial cancer. METHODS: From June 2006 to October 2016, we retrospectively analyzed 42 patients who underwent laparoscopic (n = 16) or robotic-assisted (n = 26) staging operations, including TIPAL for endometrial cancer. Perioperative data including age; body mass index; operation duration; the number of lymph nodes retrieved and the ratio of time to lymph node retrieval during pelvic, infrarenal para-aortic and total lymphadenectomy; estimated blood loss and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS: The operative duration of pelvic (21.7 ± 5.31 vs 30.7 ± 10.8 min; P = 0.002), and total (62.6 ± 14.0 vs 87.0 ± 30.4 min; P = 0.010) lymphadenectomy was significantly shorter in the robotic-assisted than the laparoscopic group, whereas there was no statistical difference in the duration of infrarenal para-aortic lymphadenectomy. By contrast, the number of infrarenal para-aortic lymph nodes retreived was significantly higher (29.4 ± 10.7 vs 23.3 ± 9.16; P = 0.016) in the robotic-assisted group. Consequently, the ratio of time to number of lymph nodes retrieved during infrarenal (1.51 ± 0.49 vs 2.62 ± 1.34; P = 0.002) and total (1.43 ± 0.48 vs 2.15 ± 0.93; P = 0.014) lymphadenectomy was lower in the robotic-assisted compared to the laparoscopic group. CONCLUSIONS: The robotic-assisted approach took less time per infrarenal para-aortic and total lymph nodes retrieved compared to the conventional laparoscopic approach. Robotic-assisted TIPAL could be feasible and effective for the staging and treatment of patients with endometrial cancer.

Late solitary pelvic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma mimicking alpha-fetoprotein-producing gynaecologic tumour.

Extrahepatic spread of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is uncommon; and, pelvic metastasis, in particular, is extremely rare. A 71-year-old woman was admitted for evaluation of pelvic solitary solid mass. She had undergone a left lobectomy 28 years previously. Magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a heterogeneous mass in the right pelvic cavity, whereas no space-occupying lesions or ascites were detected in the liver. CA 125 levels were within normal limits; however, serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were markedly elevated. She underwent laparoscopic pelvic mass excision, total hysterectomy, and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Histopathologic findings and immunochemical staining results indicated metastatic HCC. Herein, we report an unusual case of a patient with solitary recurrence in the pelvic cavity 28 years after initial diagnosis and treatment.

Conservative Treatment for Patients with Carcinoma in Situ-Positive Margins After a Loop Electroexcisional Procedure: Is It Safe?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of and appropriate treatments for carcinoma in situ (CIS)-positive margin after a loop electroexcisional procedure (LEEP) in the management of squamous carcinoma in situ (SCIS), adenocarcinoma in situ (ACIS), and microinvasive carcinoma (MIC). STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed 232 patients who underwent a hysterectomy for CIS-positive margin. We investigated the relationship between residual lesions after hysterectomy and clinical parameters, including age, LEEP method, histologic grade of conized cervix, location of the positive margin after LEEP, results of endocervical curettage (ECC), and size of the conized specimen. RESULTS: Age, LEEP method, proximal endocervical margin positivity, and ECC positivity differed significantly between patients with residual lesions and those with no residual lesions. In a comparison between groups with residual disease of a higher or lower grade than MIC, age, LEEP method, ECC positivity, and histologic grade of conized cervix were significantly different. Age, histologic grade of conized cervix, and ECC positivity were clinical parameters significantly contributing to invasive residual lesion in multivariate regression analysis. There were no residual invasive (MIC or advanced invasive cancer) lesions observed in women <50 years old who had SCIS conized lesions after hysterectomy. CONCLUSION: Conservative treatment with close follow-up or reconization for women <50 years old who have conized SCIS lesions without ECC positivity is acceptable. However, this study does not present sufficient evidence for the conservative treatment of conized ACIS or MIC lesions with CIS-positive margins.

Long-Term Efficacy of Laparoscopic or Robotic Adenomyomectomy with or without Medical Treatment for Severely Symptomatic Adenomyosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the long-term efficacy of laparoscopic or robotic adenomyomectomy with or without gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) for the treatment of severely symptomatic adenomyosis. METHODS: Between August 2008 and May 2011, we prospectively observed 33 patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic adenomyomectomy with uterine artery ligation for the treatment of symptomatic adenomyosis. Seventeen patients (52%) received 3-course GnRH agonist treatment after the adenomyomectomy. RESULTS: The mean operating time was 147.4 ± 52.0 min, and the mean blood loss was 36.1 ± 37.4 ml. Postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients, including 4 cases of febrile morbidity, 1 case of ileus and 1 case of pelvic abscess. Patients had statistically significant symptom relief during the 3-year follow-up period. Four of the 33 patients (12%) showed symptom relapse; 3 patients showed a relapse with dysmenorrhea and 1 patient showed a relapse with menorrhagia. There were no significant differences in terms of therapeutic outcomes between surgical-only and surgical-medical treatment. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic or robotic adenomyomectomy was feasible and safe for women with severely symptomatic adenomyosis who requested uterine preservation. Moreover, this procedure provided long-term symptom control, regardless of postoperative GnRH agonist administration.

Herbal Formula HT048 Attenuates Diet-Induced Obesity by Improving Hepatic Lipid Metabolism and Insulin Resistance in Obese Rats.

It is well established that obesity causes a variety of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Despite the diligent scientific efforts to find effective ways to lower the level of obesity, the size of obese population grows continuously around the world. Here we present the results that show feeding diet containing HT048, a mixture of the extracts of Crataegus pinnatifida leaves and Citrus unshiu peel, two of the well-known traditional herbal medicines in Eastern Asia, decreases obesity in rats. We fed rats with five different diets for 10 weeks: chow diet (STD), high-fat diet (HFD), high-fat diet with 0.04% orlistat, a drug to treat obesity (HFD + Orlistat), high-fat diet with 0.2% HT048 (w/w; HFD + 0.2% HT048), and high-fat diet with 0.6% HT048 (w/w; HFD + 0.6% HT048). It was found that both body and total white adipose tissue weight of HT048 groups significantly decreased compared to those of the HFD group. Moreover, HT048 decreased serum insulin levels in HFD-fed obese rats. At the molecular level, HT048 supplementation downregulated genes involved in lipogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and adipogenesis, while the expression level of ß-oxidation genes was increased. Supplementation-drug interactions are not likely as HFD and HT048-containing diet did not significantly induce genes encoding CYPs. Collectively, this study suggests that HT048 taken as dietary supplement helps to decrease obesity and insulin resistance in HFD-fed obese rats.

Total vaginal and single-port total laparoscopic hysterectomy for uterine benign diseases.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review the surgical outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of total vaginal (TVH) and single-port total laparoscopic hysterectomy (SP-TLH) for uterine benign diseases. STUDY DESIGN: This study included 121 patients who had undergone TVH or SP-TLH for uterine benign diseases between April 2011 and July 2012. Surgical outcomes, complications, and HRQOL were reviewed in the two groups. Preoperative and postoperative HRQOL data from the 36-item Short Form questionnaire (SF-36) were recorded for all patients. RESULTS: TVH was performed more often for the patients who had fewer previous operations (p = 0.32). In the TVH, there were fewer combined surgical procedures (p < 0.01), shorter operation times (p < 0.01), shorter vaginal stump suture times (p = 0.03) and lower complication rates (p < 0.01) than in SP-TLH. Overall, all SF-36 scales improved after surgery, except for the Social Functioning scale. There was no significant difference in any of the scales between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: TVH has equivalent effects on HRQOL as SP-TLH. SP-TLH is preferred for the cases with complicated and combined procedures.

Role of SUVmax and GLUT-1 Expression in Determining Tumor Aggressiveness in Patients With Clinical Stage I Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the role of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in estimating tumor aggressiveness in patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer and the correlation between aggressiveness and expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1). METHODS: F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was performed on 43 patients with clinical stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was quantified by calculating the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) and GLUT-1 expression status based on immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The mean (SD) SUV(max) of the primary tumor was 8.55 (5.04). The mean SUV(max) and GLUT-1 expression in stage IB and stage IC were significantly higher than that in stage IA (P = 0.001; P = 0.003). The mean (SD) SUV(max) was 6.81 (4.55) in grade 1, 10.92 (4.61) in grade 2, and 15.35 (1.34) in grade 3 (grade 1 vs grade 2 and 3; P = 0.005). The mean (SD) GLUT-1 expression was 1.17 (0.94) in grade 1, 2.00 (0.94) in grade 2, and 3.00 (0.00) in grade 3 (grade 1 vs grade 2 and 3; P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor aggressiveness, such as myometrial invasion or tumor grade, had a positive correlation with the SUV(max) and GLUT-1 expression in patients with clinical stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer.

Is Laparoscopic Incidental Appendectomy in Gynecological Diseases Related to Postoperative Intraabdominal Infection and Complications?

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether laparoscopic incidental appendectomy in gynecological diseases is related to postoperative intraabdominal infection and complications. STUDY DESIGN: This study was performed prospectively in 443 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery without appendectomy (n = 222) or with appendectomy (n = 221). On postoperative day 1, drain fluid was cultured in all patients. All data were compared using Student's t test and χ2 test. RESULTS: Bacteria grew in cultures of 93 patients (21.0%): 38 (17.1%) in the nonappendectomy group and 55 (24.9%) in the appendectomy group (p < 0.01). There were statistical differences in the incidence of bacterial growth, postoperative complications, and post-operative laboratory changes for percentage of neutrophils (p < 0.01) and C-reactive protein (p < 0.01). Thirteen genera of bacteria grew in the drain culture. The 9 commensal organisms of the human intestine were identified in all patients, each 8 genera of bacteria in both groups. The surgical type did not affect the postoperative drain culture results. CONCLUSION: Postoperative bacterial growth and complications were increased in the laparoscopic incidental appendectomy group. Infections with bacteria from the intestine in both groups were also related to contamination during surgery and postoperative care.

Unabsorbed polylactide adhesion barrier mimicking recurrence of gynecologic malignant diseases with increased ¹8F-FDG uptake on PET/CT.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and characteristics of the unabsorbed polylactide adhesion barrier with increased (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) uptake after surgeries for gynecologic malignancies. METHODS: Between September 2006 and November 2009, we reviewed the charts of 75 patients who were provided a polylactide adhesion barrier after surgery for gynecologic malignant diseases. We surveyed the cases of increased (18)F-FDG uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), and evaluated the effectiveness of polylactide adhesion barrier using an adhesion scoring system. RESULTS: Ten patients (13.3 %) had a solitary pelvic mass with increased (18)F-FDG uptake in the follow up PET/CT. The characteristics of patients and tumors are described below. The median age was 48 years (range 19-66 years). The median tumor size was 1.9 cm (range 1.0-2.3 cm), and the median SUVmax of the pelvic mass was 5.1 (range 3.7-7.9). The median time between initial operations and second operation was 13.5 months (range 8-23 months). We performed laparoscopic excision of the pelvic mass, and the biopsy revealed foreign body reactions with the exception of 1 case, which contained tumor cells under the unabsorbed polylactide adhesion barrier. The median adhesion grade was 1 (range 0-2). CONCLUSIONS: A solitary pelvic mass found in the PET/CT with increased (18)F-FDG uptake after usage of a polylactide adhesion barrier may be an unabsorbed remnant. The adhesion barrier should be used with caution in patients with gynecologic malignant diseases.

Anatomical variations of the internal iliac veins in the presacral area: Clinical implications during sacral colpopepxy or extended pelvic lymphadenectomy.

The purpose of this study was to classify anatomical variations of the internal iliac vein (IIV) in relation to robotic or laparoscopic extended lymphadenectomy. Between March 2011 and July 2012, 60 consecutive patients underwent robotic or laparoscopic extended lymphadenectomy. We retrospectively reviewed surgical video clips and analyzed the pattern of the IIVs in the presacral area. IIV variations were classified into seven types: Type A, normal (n = 39, 65.0%); Type A with a dilated middle sacral vein (n = 5, 8.3%); Type B, left IIV connecting centrally to the left external iliac vein (n = 5, 8.3%); Type C, a separated trunk of the left IIV draining into the left central common iliac vein (CIV; n = 1, 1.7%); Type D, a separated trunk of the right IIV draining into the left central CIV (n = 8, 13.3%); Type E, a separated trunk of the right IIV draining into the right central CIV (n = 0, 0%); and Type F, separated trunks of the bilateral IIV connecting with each other before draining into the left central CIV (n = 2, 3.3%). The prevalence of IIV anomalies was 26.7%; the incidence of separated IIV trunks was 18.3%. To prevent life-threatening IIV injury during extended lymphadenectomy or sacral colpopexy, the anatomical variations of the IIVs should be known exactly.

A Herbal Formula HT048, Citrus unshiu and Crataegus pinnatifida, Prevents Obesity by Inhibiting Adipogenesis and Lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes and HFD-Induced Obese Rats.

HT048 is a combination composed of Crataegus pinnatifida leaf and Citrus unshiu peel extracts. This study aimed to investigate potential anti-obesity effect of the combination. The 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with different doses of HT048 and triglyceride accumulation, glycerol release and adipogenesis-related genes were analyzed. For in vivo study, male Sprague Dawley rats were divided according to experimental diets: the chow diet group, the high-fat diet (HFD) group, the HFD supplemented with orlistat group, the HFD supplemented with HT048 group (0.2% or 0.4%) for 12 weeks. We measured the body weight, serum lipid levels and the expression of genes involved lipid metabolism. HT048 treatment dose-dependently suppressed adipocyte differentiation and stimulated glycerol release. The expressions of PPARγ and C/EBPα mRNA were decreased by HT048 treatment in adipocytes. HT048 supplementation significantly reduced the body and fat weights in vivo. Serum lipid levels were significantly lower in the HT048 supplemented groups than those of the HFD group. Expression of the hepatic lipogenesis-related genes were decreased and expression of the ß-oxidation-related genes were increased in rats fed HT048 compared to that of animals fed HFD. These results suggest that HT048 has a potential benefit in preventing obesity through the inhibition of lipogenesis and adipogenesis.