Biomedical subjects

Ahwon Lee

Publications and source records attributed to Ahwon Lee.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Expression of transforming acidic coiled-coil containing protein 3 is a novel independent prognostic marker in non-small cell lung cancer.

Transforming acidic coiled-coil containing protein 3 (TACC3) is known to be involved in the control of normal cell growth and differentiation and in mechanisms of unregulated growth leading to tumorigenesis. The aim of the present paper was to determine the rate of TACC3 expression in a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) collection and to clarify its correlation with clinicopathological parameters. A total of 163 NSCLC were analyzed immunohistochemically using a polyclonal TACC3 antibody and monoclonal p53 and Ki-67 antibodies on NSCLC tissue microarrays. A high level of TACC3 expression was observed in 14.8% of cases, preferentially squamous cell carcinomas. Patients whose tumors had a high TACC3 expression had a significantly shorter median survival time. In the Cox regression-based multivariate analysis, TACC3 expression proved to be an independent prognostic parameter (P = 0.031). TACC3 expression was correlated with p53 expression, and patient whose tumors highly expressed TACC3 and p53 had a significantly poorer prognosis than patients whose tumors had low-level expression for both immunostainings (P = 0.006). It is suggested that increase in TACC3 may impart a proliferative advantage to NSCLC and contribute to tumor progression, and that TACC3 expression is a strong prognostic indicator of clinical outcome in NSCLC.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A case of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia with severe eosinophilia having t(5;12)(q31;p13) with t(1;7)(q10;p10).

We describe an unusual case of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia with severe eosinophilia having t(5;12)(q31;p13) with t(1;7)(q10;p10). The eosinophilic proliferation was severe in peripheral blood and bone marrow, and they revealed marked dysplastic features. We performed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry to evaluate the clonality of eosinophils. The eosinophils were stained positively to platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta. By FISH using chromosome 1 satellite probe and chromosome 1q telomere probe, the eosinophils were proved to belong to the malignant clone.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The renal sinus: pathologic spectrum and multimodality imaging approach.

Various pathologic conditions can occur in the renal sinus, primarily originating in the constituents of the renal sinus, and the renal sinus can be secondarily involved by surrounding renal parenchymal and adjacent retroperitoneal lesions. Lipomatosis and cysts are common renal sinus lesions with little clinical significance, but differentiation from other pathologic conditions is important. Renal vascular lesions such as renal artery aneurysm or arteriovenous fistula can mimic other parapelvic or peripelvic lesions at excretory urography, but their vascular nature is evident at color Doppler ultrasonography, contrast material-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Although most tumors originating in the renal pelvis are transitional cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, renal parenchymal tumors such as renal cell carcinoma or benign multilocular cystic nephroma have a tendency to grow into the renal sinus. Rare tumors of mesenchymal origin can develop in the renal sinus, but their imaging findings are nonspecific. The observation of renal sinus fat is important for detecting a small tumor located in that area and determining the exact tumor stage. Multiplanar CT or MR images can allow exact evaluation of the extent of complex renal sinus disease.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Detection of Tumor Markers Including Carcinoembryonic Antigen, APC, and Cyclin D2 in Fine-Needle Aspiration Fluid of Breast.

Context.-The traditional triple test for breast cancer diagnosis is physical examination, mammography, and aspiration cytology. However, the accuracy of mammography on young women with nonatrophied breasts is poor compared with that for women older than 50 years, and additional methods for diagnosis of breast cancer are needed.Objective.-To investigate whether carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA 15-3, and CA 125 concentrations in breast aspiration fluid are useful as breast cancer biochemical markers and whether APC and cyclin D2 gene promoter hypermethylation could be regarded as a breast cancer molecular marker.Design.-CEA, CA 15-3, and CA 125 concentrations were measured, and methylation status of the APC gene promoter 1A and the promoter region of the cyclin D2 gene were analyzed using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay of ex vivo breast aspiration fluid obtained from 49 samples of excised breast tissue.Setting.-The specimens were collected during a 1-year period in the tertiary care teaching hospital in Seoul, Korea.Patients.-Forty-nine patients with breast masses were surgically treated. Thirty-four patients had breast cancer, and 15 had benign breast disease.Results.-Aspiration fluid CEA concentrations were significantly higher in breast cancer cases than in cases of benign breast disease (mean, 69.90 ng/mg protein vs 0.68 ng/mg protein, respectively; P < .001). At 90% specificity of the assay (CEA, 2.13 ng/mg protein), the corresponding sensitivity for breast cancer detection was 62%, according to the receiver operating characteristic curve drawn. The APC gene promoter 1A and the promoter region of the cyclin D2 gene were methylated in 42% (14/33) and 70% (23/33) of the breast cancer aspiration fluid samples, respectively. A cumulative incidence of methylation of these 2 genes was 85% (28/33). The APC and cyclin D2 gene promoters were both unmethylated in the aspiration fluids from 19 women with nonmalignant breast disease.Conclusions.-Breast aspiration fluid CEA concentration and the methylation of the APC gene promoter 1A and the promoter region of the cyclin D2 gene can be used as tumor markers to overcome some of the limitations of aspiration cytology. In combination with the mammogram and physical examination, assays for these markers could be used to help determine a definitive diagnosis when cytologic results are suspicious for malignancy.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Detection of tumor markers including carcinoembryonic antigen, APC, and cyclin D2 in fine-needle aspiration fluid of breast.

CONTEXT: The traditional triple test for breast cancer diagnosis is physical examination, mammography, and aspiration cytology. However, the accuracy of mammography on young women with nonatrophied breasts is poor compared with that for women older than 50 years, and additional methods for diagnosis of breast cancer are needed. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA 15-3, and CA 125 concentrations in breast aspiration fluid are useful as breast cancer biochemical markers and whether APC and cyclin D2 gene promoter hypermethylation could be regarded as a breast cancer molecular marker. DESIGN: CEA, CA 15-3, and CA 125 concentrations were measured, and methylation status of the APC gene promoter 1A and the promoter region of the cyclin D2 gene were analyzed using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay of ex vivo breast aspiration fluid obtained from 49 samples of excised breast tissue. SETTING: The specimens were collected during a 1-year period in the tertiary care teaching hospital in Seoul, Korea. PATIENTS: Forty-nine patients with breast masses were surgically treated. Thirty-four patients had breast cancer, and 15 had benign breast disease. RESULTS: Aspiration fluid CEA concentrations were significantly higher in breast cancer cases than in cases of benign breast disease (mean, 69.90 ng/mg protein vs 0.68 ng/mg protein, respectively; P < .001). At 90% specificity of the assay (CEA, 2.13 ng/mg protein), the corresponding sensitivity for breast cancer detection was 62%, according to the receiver operating characteristic curve drawn. The APC gene promoter 1A and the promoter region of the cyclin D2 gene were methylated in 42% (14/33) and 70% (23/33) of the breast cancer aspiration fluid samples, respectively. A cumulative incidence of methylation of these 2 genes was 85% (28/33). The APC and cyclin D2 gene promoters were both unmethylated in the aspiration fluids from 19 women with nonmalignant breast disease. CONCLUSIONS: Breast aspiration fluid CEA concentration and the methylation of the APC gene promoter 1A and the promoter region of the cyclin D2 gene can be used as tumor markers to overcome some of the limitations of aspiration cytology. In combination with the mammogram and physical examination, assays for these markers could be used to help determine a definitive diagnosis when cytologic results are suspicious for malignancy.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Expression of functional markers in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We analyzed surface antigens, multidrug resistance (MDR) parameters (PGP, MRP, LRP), tissue infiltration parameters (CD18, CD44, VCAM, MMP2), receptors for colony stimulating factors (G-CSFr, GM-CSFr) and cell cycle parameters (Ki-67, topoisomerase IIalpha) in 86 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). LRP, PGP and CD18 were associated with poor clinical outcome, and LRP expression was related with CD18, CD44 and G-CSFr. Of the cell cycle parameters, Ki-67 (+) fraction was increased in ALL with hepato-splenomegaly and extramedullary involvement. In conclusion, analysis of LRP, PGP, CD18 and Ki-67 could be helpful to predict the clinical behavior of ALL.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

PubMed2002

Rapid, sensitive diagnosis of hemolytic anemia using antihemoglobin antibody in hypotonic solution.

We have developed a new and simple flow cytometric method to detect damaged red blood cells (RBCs) using anti-Hb in hypotonic solution. We studied a total of 200 patients, including 62 patients with schistocytosis, 8 postsplenectomy patients, and 108 healthy controls. Peripheral blood (2 microl) was stained with phycoerythrin-conjugated (PE) antihemoglobin antibody (anti-Hb) in 0.6% (w/v) NaCl solution, and analyzed by flow cytometry omitting the washing step. The proportion of RBCs stained by anti-Hb was 0.55% (SD +/-0.23%) in normal controls and was significantly higher in patients with schistocytosis (2.95+/-2.95%, p <0.001). Six of 108 blood samples from normal controls and 60 of 62 samples from schistocytosis patients showed > or =1.01% stained RBCs (ie, values > mean+2SD of normal controls). The number of schistocytes counted by microscopic examination correlated with the proportion of RBCs stained by anti-Hb (r = 0.637, p <0.001). The proportions of stained RBCs in blood samples with malaria, spherocytosis, and elliptocytosis were also significantly higher than in normal controls. However, the results in postsplenectomy and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) patients were not significantly different from the normal controls; the number of schistocytes in postsplenectomy patients was not related to the proportion of RBCs stained by anti-Hb. Based on these findings, flow cytometry of damaged RBCs using anti-Hb in hypotonic solution is a simple, sensitive, and accurate method to detect active hemolysis.

Anemia, Hemolytic↗

PubMed2002

Quantitative analysis of urine sediment using newly designed centrifuge tubes.

We quantified the formed elements of urine sediment using newly designed plastic centrifuge tubes with top and bottom openings and a 0.5 ml sized bottom ball (YZ tube). This design minimizes the adherence of formed elements that occurs on the glass surface of conventional tubes. The numbers of white blood cells (WBC) and red blood cells (RBC) using glass tubes did not differ from those observed using YZ tubes. However, the YZ tube method detected renal casts more frequently than the conventional glass tube method; the detection rate for renal casts in normal urine samples was 21.4% vs 2.9%, in samples from hospitalized patients it was 47.5% vs 10.2%, and from patients with kidney disease it was 88.9% vs. 44.4%. Especially, the YZ tube method detected more hyaline casts in all types of samples. The correlation between the glass tube and YZ tube methods was good for WBC (r=0.996), RBC (r=0.964), and epithelial cell count (r=0.939), but the correlation was weak for casts (r=0.511 for hyaline casts; r=0.359 for other casts). In conclusion, the YZ tube method of urine sediment analyses is an easy and accurate quantitative method; it is recommended as the method of choice for detecting and quantifying pathological casts in urine. (received

Adolescent↗